Cultivation Begins From The Desert

The deceased are gone, yet the living still need to forge ahead under the added burden.

Zhouyang released his flying sword into the sky, noticing that other survivors, like himself, were already flying toward the bodies of the dead, seemingly hoping to make a fortune off them.

Upon witnessing this, his eyes flickered slightly for a moment. He then shook his head and decided not to partake in such actions.

With a twist of the sword light beneath his feet, he immediately flew away from the area.

Less than half an hour after Zhouyang's departure, Luo Yunqing, the Yellow Sand Sect Purple Mansion Cultivator who had fled earlier, suddenly returned.

Upon witnessing the cultivators profiting from the deceased, Luo Yunqing's eyes flared with intense anger.

"You bastards, at a time like this, you still think about profiting from the dead? Since you love collecting bodies so much, let me collect yours as well!"

Having uttered these murderous words, he immediately unleashed his flying sword upon those Foundation Establishment Cultivators whose expressions drastically changed, not sparing even those belonging to the Yellow Sand Sect.

Soon, aside from a few severely injured cultivators who did not partake in the pillaging, all who profited from the deceased met their end under Luo Yunqing's sword.

After the massacre, Luo Yunqing felt some of his anger and resentment abate. He looked at the shivering survivors with slightly softened features and said in a deep voice, "Do not fear, I am merely administering justice to remove scum. As long as you haven't committed evil deeds, my sword won't come for you!"

Having said that, he waved his hand despondently, indicating them to flee as he said, "Now that circumstances have changed, follow Master Cao's orders and escape on your own!"

Then he descended, collecting the belongings from the deceased.

Upon witnessing this scene, the survivors' expressions shifted slightly. Anyone able to move hastily supported themselves to flee from the area.

Zhouyang, of course, had no idea so much had transpired after his departure.

After flying a certain distance, he suddenly stopped, recalling that although Cao Wenjin had instructed them to escape and return to the Yellow Sand Sect, it was nearly three hundred thousand miles away from Rhino Horn Continent. Without a map for guidance, it would be challenging for these Foundation Establishment Cultivators to fly back on their own.

"That Golden-winged Thunder Eagle didn't seem to be passing by coincidentally, but specifically came to avenge the two Golden-Horned Rhinoceroses, otherwise, it wouldn't have pursued Elder Cao while ignoring the other Purple Mansion Cultivators."

"Moreover, given the speed of a Tier Five Top-Grade Golden-winged Thunder Eagle, it took nearly three days after the two Golden-Horned Rhinoceroses' demise to arrive here, indicating that its habitat must be far from Rhino Horn Continent."

"In that case, whether or not it can kill Elder Cao, it likely won't stay here for long and certainly won't occupy Rhino Horn Continent as its cultivation ground!"

"Doesn't this mean..."

Zhouyang's eyes flickered as he looked in the direction of the Spirit Stone Ore sealed by Cao Wenjin.

Initially, when Cao Wenjin sealed that Spirit Stone Ore, Zhouyang thought he had no chance with the top-grade Spirit Stones inside. However, now it seemed that if he dared to take a bigger risk, there might still be hope.

After much deliberation, he decided to take a gamble.

After all, opportunities to acquire top-grade Spirit Stones are rare, and taking some risks for such treasures is worth it.

With his mind made up, he immediately flew his sword light towards the Spirit Stone Ore.

Originally, there were still some Yellow Sand Sect cultivators stationed at the Spirit Stone Ore, but when Zhouyang arrived, all the guards were gone.

He initially thought the guards had fled, but upon feeling the faint tremors coming from underground, he immediately understood that he was not the only smart person there.

The significance of a Spirit Stone Ore to cultivators is self-evident, but for Demon Beasts, at least before they advance to Tier Six Demon King, Spirit Stones are of little use.

Demon Beasts, unlike cultivators, although they also possess magical power, before Tier Six, they do not understand real cultivation, relying only on innate talent to absorb spiritual qi and enhance cultivation instinctively.

Thus, while cultivators can rapidly refine the spiritual power in Spirit Stones through cultivation techniques to restore magical power, Demon Beasts cannot. Once their magical power is depleted, they can only gradually recover over time.

In such a scenario, Spirit Stones are of minimal use to Demon Beasts, who cannot, like cultivators, use them as currency for purchasing spiritual objects from other Demon Beasts.

Therefore, even if the Golden-winged Thunder Eagle discovered the existence of a Spirit Stone Ore, it might not care about it.

Zhouyang understood this principle, and other cultivators might have figured it out as well.

Of course, more importantly, wealth moves hearts!

As long as one digs up a single top-grade Spirit Stone, exchanging it for a Foundation Establishment Pill with the Yellow Sand Sect is possible.

Who among the Foundation Establishment Cultivators wouldn't be tempted by the prospect of quickly obtaining treasures equivalent to Foundation Establishment Pills?

Understanding this, Zhouyang's eyes flashed with unusual light, and he immediately navigated to another undisturbed location, starting to excavate a new mine shaft.

He had no intention of clashing with anyone in the spirit stone ore, only wanted to quietly mine.

...

After soaring through the clouds and leaving, Cao Wenjin plunged into the vast desert sea outside Rhino Horn Continent.

He knew well what result would befall Li Zhennan and the others when facing a Tier Five Top-Grade Demon Beast after his departure.

But he understood better that even if he stayed behind to stall the Tier Five Top-Grade Demon Beast, Li Zhennan and the others might survive, yet he was doomed to die!

By now, with Cao Wenjin's wisdom, it's clear why the Tier Five Top-Grade Demon Beast came.

It must be because of the fallen "Golden-Horned Rhinoceros"!

The two "Golden-Horned Rhinoceros" were merely Tier Five Lower Grade Demon Beasts, which were obviously not worth the trip for a Tier Five Top-Grade Demon Beast to avenge them, so a Tier Six Demon King must be involved.

And that Tier Five Top-Grade Demon Beast obeyed the Tier Six Demon King's orders to come after him, and definitely won't spare him, the direct killer of the "Golden-Horned Rhinoceros".

Cao Wenjin feared death not for himself, he feared the Yellow Sand Sect's hope would be utterly extinguished if he died.

The demon pill of the "Golden-Horned Rhinoceros" was still on him, and the Yellow Sand Sect's legacy treasure, "Divine Sand Gourd", was also with him. If he died at the hands of the Tier Five Top-Grade Demon Beast, all these would be lost!

As for giving these items to Li Zhennan and the others for safekeeping, Cao Wenjin never considered it.

This time he brought Li Zhennan and others to expedition to Rhino Horn Continent, leaving Zhang Yunpeng and Jiang Yuyan to watch over the sect, was already very clear in intention.

If at this time he handed the demon pill and legacy treasure to Li Zhennan and others, without his deterrence, would they obediently hand over the items to Zhang Yunpeng and Jiang Yuyan?

Such actions would ultimately lead the Yellow Sand Sect to total division!

Therefore, Cao Wenjin knew he couldn't die, at least not until he handed the items to his disciple Jiang Yuyan!

However, Cao Wenjin never expected the avenging beast for the "Golden-Horned Rhinoceros" would be a speed-famous Tier Five Top-Grade Demon Beast, Golden-winged Thunder Eagle!

Therefore, though he left a quarter of an hour earlier, he was caught up by the Golden Roc not far ahead.

The Golden-winged Thunder Eagle was not only fast, its combat power also surpassed other demon beasts of the same tier, and the Golden Roc had extraordinary origins, armed with both an offensive and a defensive Mid-grade Spiritual Artifact specially refined for it by the Demon King.

With these artifacts at hand, and combined with Golden-winged Thunder Eagle's innate Thunder Magic Techniques, Cao Wenjin was caught and lost a chunk of flesh in less than half a quarter through battle, due to the Golden Roc's Thunder Escape Technique.

Seeing this, Cao Wenjin immediately knew he had no choice but to fight desperately today!

He raised his hand, took out a blue jade box, crushed it, then pinched a blood-colored spirit pill inside the box and swallowed it.

This blood-colored spirit pill was called "Green Blood Pill", a rather rare Tier Five Middle Grade Spirit Pill.

A Golden Core Stage Cultivator who consumes a "Green Blood Pill" can temporarily elevate their cultivation by up to three layers, at the cost of regressing one layer after the effect fades, with no progress in cultivation for a hundred years!

Cao Wenjin was currently at Seventh-Layer Golden Core Cultivation; "Green Blood Pill" effect isn't as strong compared to a Mid-Stage Golden Core Cultivator. However, after consuming the pill, his magical power aura instantly surged to almost Ninth-Layer Golden Core.

This was expected, so on consuming the "Green Blood Pill", he immediately used a burst secret technique consuming life force essence blood, pushing his cultivation to Ninth-Layer Golden Core!

The changes in Cao Wenjin were naturally observed by the Golden Roc during their fight.

It saw the flushed reddish face of Cao Wenjin, whose magical cultivation had surged with external aids, flashed a surprising human-like expression in its eyes.

A role easily defeated originally had now suddenly found a way to bring its power to the same level as itself, making Golden Roc undeniably astonished.

But it was only surprised; it didn't think that Cao Wenjin could escape its grasp with this sudden strength, hence after the surprise, it couldn't help but mockingly speak:

"Caw, caw, caw, I didn't expect such a ruthless character among human cultivators!"

"Although consuming pills that stimulate potential and using burst secret techniques can temporarily boost your strength to rival mine, how long can this externally gained strength last?"

"Or do you believe just by elevating to Ninth-Layer Golden Core, you can defeat me?"

Cao Wenjin, hearing the Golden Roc speak human tongue for the first time during their fight, realized he may have underestimated the origin of the Golden-winged Thunder Eagle before him.