As we saw along the way, this buffer zone was not a dead land; there were still traces of many living creatures.
However, when the army was pressing in, most of the creatures received the news and scattered in all directions, leaving behind only a mess.
There were a few creatures that hadn't left yet, still wandering around this area, but after seeing Li Xingkong, they only glanced at him a few times before going their own way.
Li Xingkong was used to the image of Jade Void within the palace, but once he left Jade Void territory, he discovered that for these idle people, Jade Void was also a behemoth that they would avoid at all costs.
As the concept drew closer, Li Xingkong noticed an increasing number of idle cultivators around him, and the surrounding vitality had increased considerably as they moved further away from the army's route.
But this also brought a lot of trouble.
"This road is mine, these trees are mine, fellow Daoist, I think you'd be perfect as fertilizer."
Just as Li Xingkong was lamenting, he encountered a group of highway robbers.
The three leaders were at the Immortal Realm, while the numerous followers behind them were all at the Nascent Soul Realm.
However, compared to the Battle Immortals seen within the Jade Void Sect, these guys are truly pathetic. They could probably crush even a genuine Golden Core cultivator.
"I do not wish to commit any more killings on this trip. You should all leave now and pretend nothing happened."
Li Xingkong sized them up. Among these people, one of them must have a concept similar to stagnation, which was why they were able to intercept him from the escape light. The others, presumably, were the ones who wanted to fight.
"Hahahaha, look what this kid is saying!"
The leader laughed, a very arrogant laugh.
"Once you're on our territory, even the Jade Void Spirit Clan will have to crawl on their knees. Enough nonsense. I don't want to commit any killings. Leave your toll, call me 'Grandpa' a few times, and I'll let you pass."
This was followed by a burst of arrogant laughter.
Li Xingkong was speechless. What kind of people were these? How could such clueless individuals become immortals?
"Let me let you know that my brother has a tripwire that can stop even True Immortal. And my Bloodthirsty Blade has already killed countless lives, so one more won't make a difference."
The man held a blood-red broadsword that reeked of blood, while the man behind him held a rope, just like an ordinary tripwire.
After only a brief investigation, Li Xingkong realized that these guys were truly wasting their talents.
They do possess the concepts, but lack the ability to use and understand them. They can only condense their concepts into objects similar to Dao soldiers for use. As for how much research they have done on the concepts, it's like an illiterate person trying to read words—they can't understand them at all.
Is this concept merely being used as a tool? That's quite interesting.
"I have no money, but you can take my life. Come and get it."
Although the concept was being pushed urgently, Li Xingkong wasn't in a hurry. He also wanted to see what other tricks these guys had up their sleeves.
"Hey, this kid underestimates us. Let's make our move!"
Seeing Li Xingkong's arrogance, the man was not going to tolerate him. He swung his broadsword, and a huge blade of light, like a full moon, was unleashed.
The man beside him brandished a tripwire and hurled it at Li Xingkong.
Li Xingkong shook his head at this level of attack.
Their attacks were still based on magic, targeting the physical body and soul, which had little effect on immortals. Li Xingkong didn't even use his Dao Evolution power; he simply moved a few steps and dodged them all.
"Heh heh, do you think you can just hide from this?"
But then the last person blocking his way muttered something, and the two attacks that had been dodged seemed to lock onto Li Xingkong and chase after him.
"Boy, this is a powerful technique called 'Head Strike.' If you get hit by this, our attacks will definitely land on your head. Struggling will only buy you time."
This guy is a good explainer; Li Xingkong didn't ask any questions, but he said everything that needed to be said.
Compared to the concepts of the previous two, this one is obviously stronger. This Head Strike seems simple, but it is a concept similar to causal locking. These attacks will indeed land on his head. No matter how he dodges, no matter how much their power dissipates, as long as they don't hit Li Xingkong, they will keep chasing him.
However, that's about all there is to it.
Li Xingkong simply activated his Damage Reduction and stopped in place.
The two attacks did indeed land on Li Xingkong, but they didn't even break through his defenses.
Li Xingkong had originally wanted to test what tricks the others had up their sleeves, but after getting to know them, he discovered they were really incompetent.
So be it.
Li Xingkong pointed, and the Dao Evolution concept on his body spread out, rushing towards the direction Li Xingkong pointed.
As a result of the Dao Evolution, countless Calamity Ash out of nothing and fell to the ground.
When Dao Evolution's domain covered the group of people, the space they were in seemed to be frozen in place, as if they had been immobilized.
Li Xingkong only made one move.
He Distortion the concept of time within the Dao Evolution Domain into Calamity Ash.
Those bandits who were blocking the road within the area's coverage were frozen in place after the concept of time was drained away.
Without the concept of time, matter would not move, and these people's level of knowledge was so low that they couldn't even understand what Li Xingkong had done.
"Wouldn't you call this using a cannon to kill a mosquito?"
Looking at the figures that were no longer able to move, Li Xingkong stroked his chin.
These guys aren't any good either, so let's just keep them locked up like this.
As for this concept...
Under the watchful eyes of those people, Li Xingkong picked up the man's blood-red longsword.
After reaching out and examining it, Li Xingkong actually noticed something.
This longsword is truly the core of the concept; this guy hasn't even internalized the concept into himself.
Or rather, this guy's ability to become an immortal was truly due to this sword.
Each time this blade slays a living being, it can seize and devour that being's strength, and a portion of that strength is fed back to the host.
Li Xingkong had seen this concept before, but what he didn't expect was that the main body of this thing was on the knife.
If this concept and the person become one, this guy might actually be able to make a name for himself.
The tripwire of the person next to him clearly follows the same path, having also refined his own concept into a Dao weapon without fusing it with himself.
I don't know where they learned this trick from; it's truly putting the cart before the horse.
He became an immortal but didn't study the concepts; instead, he only used them as weapons of slaughter. No wonder he remained a wandering cultivator in the mountains.
If your treasure is taken away, it will be too late to cry.
Fortunately, it's not too late to cry now. Li Xingkong simply examined the two treasures for a moment and then put them away.
This concept, in the hands of these scoundrels, has truly been a gem covered in dust.