Shennong Sequence

As Zhao Yun once again followed the fixed route, leaving the Imperial Immortal City and heading towards the vast, misty expanse of the sect's land,
I had planned to do what I always do: find a secluded area to wander around, collecting the "Spirit of All Spirits" and the novel "Qi of All Things" and "Matter of All Things".
Unexpectedly, he had ventured quite far into the deep mountains this time, and as the fog thickened in the ancient forest, a figure suddenly emerged from the shadow of the ancient trees, his aura deep and unfathomable, blocking his way.

Zhao Yun looked up and felt that the man looked somewhat familiar, but he didn't have a deep impression of him, so he spoke casually:
"I don't know why you are blocking my way, my friend."

"I heard that you obtained a piece of innate jade from several Qi Refining cultivators?"

The man spoke, his voice carrying a deliberately feigned gentleness; it was Gao Huan, sent by the Gao family.
"I happen to urgently need this item for my cultivation. Why don't you part with it, fellow Daoist? I will surely repay you handsomely!"

Gao Huan had his own plans and didn't really want to take action.

If we can persuade Zhao Yun to hand over the jade through words, this mission will be successfully completed, saving us from unforeseen complications and unnecessary risks.

"Innate jade?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yun smiled inwardly and instantly remembered: Wasn't this one of those "simps" who always followed Xin Ruyin around and fawned over her?
His name was something like Gao Huan?
Moreover, Gao Huan is not only a sycophant, but also one of the few Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Gao family of this generation...

Not to mention, that innate jade is already ancient history.

Several years ago, Zhao Yun had already begun to refine that innate jade stone, seizing its innate creation, and condensing his own innate essence, innate energy, and innate spirit, thus completely consuming the jade stone's original essence.

The fact that this matter has been brought up again only shows that the Gao family members didn't assess their own strength before rashly jumping out.

Zhao Yun's mind raced: after leaving the Imperial Immortal City, he hadn't concealed his activities of collecting the spirits of all things along the way, and Gao Huan even dared to come directly to his door, so he must be very confident.

'wrong! ’

Zhao Yun suddenly remembered what Xin Ruyin had said before: there was a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Gao family who was already comparable to her in terms of cultivation level!
So he was suddenly jolted awake, thinking that the other party had just not done a thorough investigation, but little did he know that the other party's cultivation level was the 7th level of the Great Dao Foundation Establishment!
He was actually three minor levels higher than me!
He was only at the fourth level of the Foundation Establishment stage, while Gao Huan was already at the seventh level. The difference in their cultivation levels was quite significant...

As for fighting?

If they are detected by the Taibai Pavilion, which is responsible for internal surveillance and punishment within the sect, they will most likely be taken away and punished directly, which would be terrible...

Therefore, Zhao Yun knew perfectly well that he would never strike first, but he also didn't want to get hurt!

"Ah."

Zhao Yun chuckled lightly, having no intention of engaging in a verbal battle with this seventh-level Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Gao family, nor any interest in fighting him with the weak against the strong.

In the blink of an eye, Zhao Yun's body was enveloped in multicolored light, transforming into a dazzling torrent of smoke and clouds. This was the Five Elements Escape Technique that he had relearned after establishing his foundation in the Great Dao! This escape technique sometimes focused on earth-element escape, sometimes switched to wood-element escape, and sometimes incorporated water-element elements. Each time he transformed, he concealed his escape location, with the aim of confusing Gao Huan's vision and disrupting his tracking rhythm!
At the same time, Zhao Yun also sped towards the second Imperial Immortal City at an extremely fast speed.

After all, Zhao Yun wasn't stupid. He knew that once a battle broke out between Foundation Establishment cultivators, it would be like the most straightforward "Daoist struggle" initiating, with the winner benefiting and the loser suffering great losses!
So when Zhao Yun saw this clearly, he knew he couldn't win, so why would he stay put and get beaten up by the enemy and have his luck and destiny stolen?

"Run first, then we'll take protective measures if we really can't outrun them, and wait for the Taibai Pavilion inspection team to arrive..."

"Gao family, I'll remember you!"

Zhao Yun was using the Five Elements Escape Technique to speed through the earth, his escape light weaving like a dragon, when suddenly he felt a tremendous force, like thunder, crushing the earth, violently shaking out from the depths of the ground!
He felt his blood and qi surge, and the escape light instantly dissipated. Then, Gao Huan's voice pierced through the soil again and clearly reached his ears, carrying an undeniable sense of oppression.

"Why are you in such a hurry to escape, fellow Daoist?"

Gao Huan's voice, booming like a bell, came from the void behind him, carrying a hint of superior composure:
“As long as you return the innate jade to me, I will no longer fight with you—moreover, when your special group of people arrived, the sect began a hundred-year closure. We have already calculated your origins, so there is no need to fight. What do you say?”

In an instant, Zhao Yun realized that this person's magical abilities were far more profound than he had imagined!
Looking at myself, although I have forged a foundation in the Great Dao, studied the Great Dao chapters taught by my sect, and even comprehended some supernatural abilities,
However, he always focused his cultivation on improving his realm, stabilizing his inner world, and preparing for "returning to the future"!
My knowledge of Taoist magic and supernatural powers used in actual combat is actually very limited, even superficial.

Therefore, when Zhao Yun tried to escape by slightly activating his escape technique, he clearly sensed that the gap between his combat strength and Gao Huan's was huge, and that it could not be made up for by temporarily activating his supernatural power!
Furthermore, what shocked Zhao Yun even more was that Gao Huan knew about their group's "special origins" and the secret of their "sect being sealed for a hundred years"!
This made Zhao Yun's heart skip a beat, filled with astonishment—he had originally thought that such secrets involving the top echelons of the sect would only be kept among high-ranking cultivators.

Unexpectedly, the news spread so widely that even someone like Gao Huan, who had reached the Foundation Establishment stage, knew about it.
Or was the information leaked through some special channel?

Or is it that the Gao family's influence within the sect is far greater than I anticipated?

The thought flashed through Zhao Yun's mind in a flash. Without hesitation, he first probed into his inner world with his divine sense and gently touched the innate yellow sprout seed. By using the true nature of the yellow sprout, he instantly connected with the gold-devouring insect clone that was left beside Xin Ruyin and asked for help.

Then, it established deep connections with several other scattered clones of itself, ensuring that it could instantly relocate and escape in times of crisis.

In terms of combat skills, Zhao Yun admitted that he was no match for Gao Huan, since he had never focused on that aspect!

But when it comes to the ability to escape and save his life, he has worked hard to study it. Even though he couldn't develop many of the supernatural powers in "The Great Dao Golden Register Chapter: Dividing the Soul, Nourishing the Spirit, and Gathering All Beings", he first cultivated the method of "running away"!
So, despite being wary of Gao Huan's pressure, he remained calm and collected, waiting for an opportunity to escape once more.

After making all the necessary preparations, I will no longer continue this futile journey to the bottom.

With a swift movement, he soared into the air from beneath the ground, facing Gao Huan, who stood with his hands behind his back, a beaming smile on his face! (End of Chapter)