Chapter 61: Outside the City

The Green Jade Flying Leaf hovered before Li Zhen, a specialized type of magical tool designed for flight.

Generally, cultivators needed at least a Late Qi Refining Stage strength to command any magical tool to fly. However, flying magical tools were different. These unique devices were inscribed with flight runes, allowing anyone with sufficient spiritual energy of the appropriate type to control them.

Li Zhen stepped onto the Green Jade Flying Leaf, forging a mental connection with it through the binding process. Even without prior experience, he stood steadily on the leaf.

Initially, he made the Green Jade Flying Leaf move slowly forward. As he grew more comfortable with its controls, he gradually increased his speed.

Spiritual energy continuously flowed from his body into the Green Jade Flying Leaf, propelling him higher—from mere inches above the ground to scores of feet in the air.

When his spiritual energy was about half depleted, he decided to stop flying. Any further use would be risky if something unexpected occurred.

He descended to the ground and casually stored the Green Jade Flying Leaf.

No sooner had he put away the leaf when he sensed faint traces of energy beneath him. Four demonic rats then burst through the earth and charged towards him.

The Xingrui D13 longsword appeared in Li Zhen’s hand. With a swift sideways sweep, followed by an upward flick, all four demonic mice were effortlessly dispatched.

“The demonic mice skin is too severely damaged; it’s worthless now!” He stepped forward to inspect his work and couldn’t help but shake his head and mutter to himself.

Lack of experience was evident. The pinnacle sword technique theoretically allowed for a clean and efficient dispatching of demonic mice while preserving their skin integrity as much as possible. However, when the mice attacked simultaneously, his agitation led to overexertion.

After assessing his mistake, he retrieved the spirit flesh from the four demonic mice.

From that point on, every few minutes, more mice would come knocking, eager to engage him.

The primary issue remained his low cultivation realm. These mice favored targeting early-stage Qi Refining cultivators, much like how human cultivators saw monsters as resources, these rodents viewed humans as theirs.

As the battles continued, Li Zhen’s application of the pinnacle sword technique in combat improved significantly.

He could now preserve the mice’s skins intact, adding another type of loot to his collection.

The fight carried on until 11 a.m. When Li Zhen spotted a suitable rock formation ahead that could provide a rest spot, he decided it was time for a break and to grab something to eat.

Taking breaks on rocks was part of the outdoor survival training taught in school.

The likes of Monster Rats could burrow tunnels underground, forcing cultivators venturing in the wilderness to remain perpetually vigilant against attacks from below.

Things were different with rock surfaces; Monster Rats couldn’t tunnel through stone. With reduced concern from subterranean threats, cultivators could rest and recuperate more normally.

Li Zhen retrieved a bottle of basic nutrient supplement and drank it, replenishing the physical energy he had expended that morning.

The two-hour battle earlier, although against the relatively weak Monster Rats, had been far more effective for training than sparring exercises. In such combat, mistakes could still lead to injury or death.

Indeed, while the Monster Rats’ strength was minimal, their attack power wasn’t to be underestimated. Their teeth could easily pierce through the defenses of a cultivator in the second stage of Qi Refining.

Of course, Li Zhen’s defenses were an exception, but he didn’t want to risk a bite from a Monster Rat. He treated himself as an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator; getting bitten would mean failure on his part.

“Eh, there’s someone over there!” From his vantage point atop a tall rock, Li Zhen had an expansive view. He could faintly see several cultivators moving in the distance.

Unwilling to encounter other cultivators, he retrieved a set of robes from the Dragon Heart Space—a gift from the old shopkeeper of the Treasure Pavilion—and changed into them.

The outfit included a black hood that concealed the face and a long black robe covering the entire body.

Most importantly, this ensemble could isolate one’s spiritual energy, making it impossible for others to detect them through perception.

He leaped from the rock, landing in its shadow, then activated the invisibility effect of the ‘Invisible Jade,’ which he wore.

Just as he completed these preparations, the figures of six cultivators entered Li Zhen’s line of sight.

Judging by their aura, there was only one cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Refining, while the rest were at the second or third levels.

It wasn’t strange to encounter such a group in the wild; the fourth-level cultivator protected the second- and third-level cultivators as they hunted demon mice together for resources.

As for more powerful cultivators, like those at the fifth level of Qi Refining, their presence would deter demon mice entirely, making hunting impossible.

“Yin Si, go lure the demon mice. The rest of you, be ready!” the fourth-level cultivator ordered.

Yin Si, a second-level cultivator, took out a ‘Lightening Talisman’ and slapped it onto himself. He then applied a rat-attracting agent to his body.

His inherently weak strength, combined with the rat-attracting agent, made him an excellent bait.

He darted off in a specific direction, bolstered by a Lightening Talisman. This, combined with his apparent aptitude for speed, rendered the demonic rats futile in their attempts to ambush him en route.

Undeterred, the demonic rats pursued him relentlessly. In less than two minutes, a horde of twenty-one rats were in hot pursuit.

By then, he had drawn near the main group. Practices in the Qi Refining fourth layer exchanged signals, while the four early-stage cultivators positioned themselves strategically at each cardinal point, ready to strike.

Yin Si led the pack of thirty rats directly into the cultivators’ trap. At a resounding command, the five cultivators activated their long-rope magical artifacts simultaneously.

The ropes coiled like nimble serpents, entangling more than half of the rats in a flash. The captured rodents thrashed wildly, but these ropes were specifically crafted to counter them; once ensnared, the rats continually absorbed the ropes’ magical attacks.

Though each attack was weak, the rats’ resilience wasn’t formidable either. The ropes’ barrage effectively immobilized their prey. Fewer than ten rats managed to evade capture. Outmatched by the coordinated assault of the cultivators’ group, they quickly succumbed.

These cultivators lacked Li Zhen’s precision and couldn’t maintain the rats’ fur integrity. However, the captured twenty-plus rats remained alive, their fur and spirit flesh untouched.

Li Zhen watched as this group of cultivators efficiently cleared the battlefield. It was evident that they were a specialized hunting squad.

A cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Refining cast a beam of light into the sky. Soon, a magnetic levitation car approached from a distance, and the cultivators loaded their spoils onto it.

Magnetic levitation cars were rarely seen within the city. According to rumors, they consumed spiritual energy blocks, and as a small county, Yunxi had a limited number of wealthy residents.

In the city’s safe environment, ordinary oil-burning cars were more economical.

As for why cultivators didn’t use ordinary cars outside the city, it was because such cars were too noisy and made direct contact with the ground, making them extremely vulnerable to attacks by spirit mice.

Magnetic levitation cars, on the other hand, were different. They could travel at a height of one or two meters above the ground, maximizing their distance from the surface.

If it was a high-end magnetic levitation car, it would also be inscribed with various runes, giving it a certain level of defense and making it even more sturdy.

“There’s someone hiding!” The cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Refining suddenly activated a flying sword, simultaneously issuing a warning.

The faces of the remaining five cultivators turned serious. Among them, only one cultivator retrieved a magical artifact, while the other four took out talismans.

It wasn’t that they lacked magical artifacts; rather, their chosen artifacts were rope-based devices specifically for trapping spirit mice. In fact, it was no small feat for two cultivators to each possess a second artifact.

Thus, the remaining four cultivators could only fight using paper talismans—such was the survival strategy of low-ranking cultivators.

Li Zhen felt utterly frustrated; he never imagined he’d be discovered. He had activated his invisible cloak and was wearing clothes designed to conceal his spiritual energy signature. Though perplexed as to how he’d been found, he realized there was no point in maintaining concealment now.

“I mean no harm!” Li Zhen de-activated his invisibility and declared.

He had no desire to fight; it seemed pointless. This group of cultivators didn’t appear wealthy, so defeating them would yield little gain.

The Qi Refining fourth-layer cultivator’s eyes flashed with surprise upon seeing Li Zhen emerge.

Whether achieved through magical artifacts or technological means, invisibility capabilities were attainable only with expensive tools—either magical artifacts or sophisticated instruments.

Moreover, the cultivator couldn’t perceive Li Zhen’s spiritual energy presence. This indicated that Li Zhen’s clothing effectively shielded his spiritual aura, making it another treasured item.

The fourth-layer cultivator used his identity bracelet to send a message to his companions. Upon receiving the signal, the five cultivators adjusted their positions, using the rocky terrain to block off the direction Li Zhen had taken.