The Straw Man Illusion Technique and Cautious Elders

At this, his eldest uncle Kong Yushuo frowned. "The 'Shrike' Lao Household and the 'Owl' Lin Household are both old hyenas of Demon-Suppressing Pass. It's no surprise they have a keen nose, but this time the 'Hummingbird' Feng Household has joined them."

Kong Wenxuan's heart stirred. "Eldest Uncle, when we were clearing out the 'Flamingo' Lie Household's territory, I severely wounded a Feng Household cultivator and seized a First-Tier Superior-Grade spiritual flame from them. They also know that the Du Household conscripted me to the front lines at Demon-Suppressing Pass. Could they be coming for me?"

"Well..." His eldest uncle nodded slightly. "That's certainly possible."

His third aunt Kong Yuyin spoke up at once. "Eldest Brother, since they came with a purpose, shouldn't we change our plans too? This time, instead of using illusions to lure them away, we could ambush them outside the pass and finish them off."

Eldest Uncle Kong Yushuo was visibly tempted, but after looking at the people present, he shook his head. "We still don't know how many people the Feng Household sent or how strong they are. Besides, outside the pass, our priority is to avoid enemies. Fighting and killing are only a last resort."

"Especially since we aren't far from Demon-Suppressing Pass. If a fight causes too much commotion or drags on too long, I'm afraid it'll draw more hyenas."

"Let's stick to the old rules for now. We'll use illusions to shake off as many of the tails behind us as we can, then go meet up with Fifth Brother and the others."

"After that, if the Feng Household cultivators really do chase us without giving up, we've also set up formations and other measures by the Vermilion Fruit Tree. We'll be able to finish them off much faster and more discreetly there."

"Good!" With that, Third Aunt raised no further objections and agreed at once.

In the chaotic lands outside Demon-Suppressing Pass, unified orders and coordinated action were especially important. Eldest Uncle Kong Yushuo was their leader, so once he made a decision, Third Aunt, Ninth Uncle, and the others would follow his orders rather than object, unless he had made a serious mistake.

The group of five set out again, heading toward the distant mountains.

As they traveled through the mountains beyond the pass, Eldest Uncle, Third Aunt, and the others grew noticeably more cautious. Every so often, Third Aunt Kong Yuyin would weave straw men from plants gathered along the way, then use illusions to transform them into "real people." She sent some ahead to scout and others down different paths to lure away any tails that might be following them.

Third Aunt Kong Yuyin's awakened Bloodline Divine Ability was a green peacock feather, possessing the power of the wood element. She had attained considerable mastery in both wood-element Law Techniques and illusions, which allowed her to transform straw men into "real people" that could scout the way and draw enemies off.

Though they had spent less than a day together, Kong Wenxuan had already seen that every Lineage member who had come with Eldest Uncle Kong Yushuo to serve at Demon-Suppressing Pass and search for resources outside it possessed a unique skill.

Third Aunt Kong Yuyin's Straw Man Illusion Technique, Ninth Uncle Kong Yuchui's Merging Light with Dust, and Eldest Brother Kong Wenzhang's Water Moon Saber Law Technique each held their own mysteries and far surpassed the skills of ordinary cultivators in the Lineage.

I wonder what Eldest Uncle Kong Yushuo is best at?

As Kong Wenxuan traveled with the others, the thought turned over in his mind. An illusion cast by Eldest Brother Kong Wenzhang still covered him, completely concealing his figure and traces.

As a result, the group traveled through the mountains without leaving the slightest sign or trace.

If any tails really were tracking them, they would often be lured away by the straw men Third Aunt Kong Yuyin sent out with her Straw Man Illusion Technique.

During their nearly ten years of service at Demon-Suppressing Pass, Eldest Uncle Kong Yushuo and the others had used this trick to avoid the vast majority of dangers and enemies.

Before long, night fell.

Eldest Uncle and the others found a cave in the mountains to rest in for the night. Plants, earth, and rocks concealed it, with not the slightest trace of illusion or Law Power involved. It was hidden entirely by the natural forces of heaven and earth, minimizing the chance that outsiders or Demon Beasts would discover it.

"This is one of the bases we prepared in the mountains outside the pass. We keep some pills for healing injuries and restoring Law Power inside, along with some powerful talismans. We replace them regularly."

"That way, if we're ever badly wounded outside the pass, we'll have somewhere to recuperate and replenish our resources and strength, so we can prepare to flee or turn the tables."

"We've prepared at least ten bases like this in the mountains outside the pass. Later, we'll take you to visit each one."

As Eldest Uncle Kong Yushuo explained, he, Third Aunt, Ninth Uncle, and the others dug a hole nearly ten feet deep in the back of the cave and unearthed a stone box. Sure enough, it contained several bottles of pills and some talismans.

Eldest Uncle took out the pills and talismans, replaced them with fresh ones from his Storage Bag, then buried the stone box again. He tidied the surrounding earth until not the slightest sign of digging remained.

Watching from the side, Kong Wenxuan nodded repeatedly. Eldest Uncle and the others had indeed spent many years at Demon-Suppressing Pass and gained a wealth of experience. These were all lessons he needed to study and master.

The night passed without incident. No pursuing tails attacked, leaving the traps and talismans Third Aunt and the others had set outside the cave unused.

Even so, the group did not relax. They continued through the mountains with great care, scouting ahead and keeping watch behind, while frequently using the Straw Man Illusion Technique to lay false trails.

Over the next several days of travel, Kong Wenxuan saw for himself just how dangerous and chaotic the mountains beyond the pass were.

Demon Beasts, venomous insects, poisonous plants, poisonous miasma, treacherous marshes, caves with freezing winds pouring from them, bone-eroding yin pools, and more-whenever they encountered a danger, Eldest Brother Kong Wenzhang explained it to him and told him to remember the perilous place. That way, he could both avoid such places and divert trouble toward others when necessary.

Of course, they also often encountered bloodline cultivators in the mountains beyond the pass.

Some of these bloodline cultivators came from servant cultivator Lineages in Cuckoo County, while others belonged to bloodline cultivator Lineages established in the mountains beyond the pass.

After all, not every bloodline cultivator Lineage was willing to submit to a True Spirit Lineage and become a servant cultivator Lineage.

In the mountains south of Demon-Suppressing Pass, there were also quite a few bloodline cultivator Lineages unwilling to submit to the "True Spirit Cuckoo" Du Household. They relied on their own strength to establish themselves and cultivate in the mountains.

These bloodline Lineages had gained their freedom, but they also often had to face the mountains' many life-and-death dangers alone. They had gained something and lost something.

Whenever Kong Wenxuan and his eldest uncle's group encountered these bloodline cultivators, whether they were cultivators from Cuckoo County's servant cultivator Lineages or independent cultivator Lineages in the mountains, they kept their distance. They avoided meeting whenever possible, having grasped the very essence of caution.

Cautious as they were, whenever they encountered these cultivators, Eldest Brother Kong Wenzhang would tell him about the bloodline Lineages behind them, explaining their Bloodline Divine Abilities and methods.

Whether they came from servant cultivator Lineages in Cuckoo County or independent bloodline Lineages beyond the pass, there were practically none he could not recognize or whose Bloodline Divine Abilities and methods he did not know.

From this, Kong Wenxuan could see that cautious as his uncles, elder brother, and other elders were, they lacked neither preparation nor knowledge. If a confrontation truly became unavoidable, their understanding of these bloodline cultivators would absolutely allow them to defeat their opponents and claim victory.

Proceeding carefully and cautiously all the way, Kong Wenxuan finally reached their destination with Eldest Uncle and the others after five days of travel and visits to three bases. It lay near the Vermilion Fruit Tree guarded by Fifth Uncle and the others.