Clan Cultivation: Starting from Foundation Establishment on Mount Luoxia

The next morning, the dark red "Sun Star" emerged from the wasteland, its dim, scorching light falling on the nascent camp.

The atmosphere in the main cabin was solemn.

All the monks gathered together, and after a night's rest, their spirits had recovered somewhat.

Li Mutian had changed into a dark brown outfit for easy movement, covered with leather armor, and had the family's only second-tier low-grade "Blazing Sun Sword" hanging at his waist.

After a night of meditation and continuous practice, the aura at [Xuanhuang Pass] subtly formed a delicate balance of resistance and attraction with the surrounding scorching and heavy turbid spiritual energy.

"Start today, let's begin our exploration."

His gaze swept over the crowd:

"Xiang Ping and Chang Hu, you two stay at the camp, oversee the formation, continue to reinforce the defenses, and try to build more permanent fortifications using the fire lizard scales and local rocks. At the same time, keep a watchful eye on the surroundings."

Li Xiangping and Li Changhu solemnly accepted the order.

"Xiaoyao, Tongya, Chijing, and fellow Daoists Scar Wolf, Iron Bow, Poison Old Man, and Liu Gu, come with me out of the camp."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiaoyao's old green robe fluttered slightly, and a hint of anticipation flashed deep in his eyes.

He possesses the four spiritual roots of metal, wood, water, and fire, and is of Earth-level aptitude, yet he has been stuck at the peak of Qi Refining for many years. His biggest obstacle is that he cannot find a rare and precious object from heaven and earth that suits him and can be used to forge his immortal foundation.

Arriving at this unknown continent might just be the place where opportunity lies.

The four hired rogue cultivators, Scarface, Iron Bow, Poisonous Old Man, and Willow Maiden, also straightened up and nodded in agreement.

Having witnessed Li Mutian's prowess last night, they felt more confident and cautious about their trip.

As the family's strategist and the most skilled cultivator (besides Li Mutian), Li Xiaoyao naturally took on the responsibility of commanding the scene. He quickly assigned tasks:

"Scar Wolf and Iron Bow, each lead two mid-stage Qi Refining disciples as left and right scouts, spaced a hundred paces apart. Keep an eye on the ground and behind the hills, with safety as the top priority."

"Poisonous Old Man and Aunt Liu, stay with me in the center. Aunt Liu, your 'Surveying Rat' is sensitive to spiritual energy and living things, so focus on sensing points where spiritual energy is abnormally concentrated."

"Poison Master, I'm entrusting you with identifying the soil, plants, and minerals along the way. Pay special attention to any unusual earth-evil toxins or mineral reactions."

"Tongya and Chijing, you two stay close to the head of the family and keep a record at all times."

"The rest of you, form groups of three, stand at the rear in a goose-shaped formation, maintain distance, support each other, and do not panic in case of any incident."

Li Mutian nodded slightly at his second brother's arrangement and added:

"The primary goal of this eastward fan-shaped exploration is to find stable water sources and potential spiritual vein nodes, and secondly, to gather all information that can help us understand this world and facilitate our survival and cultivation."

"Avoid provoking conflict unless absolutely necessary. But if attacked, strike swiftly and decisively to prevent future trouble and avoid escalating the problem."

"Set off!"

The group silently left the camp's array area and stepped into the wasteland under the dim light of dawn.

The soil was dark red and cracked, the shrubs were twisted and low and thorny, and the smell of sulfur and metal in the air seemed stronger than yesterday.

The scorching and heavy "turbid evil" spiritual energy was everywhere. It was of some help to Li Mutian, Li Xiangping and others who were cultivating the True Yang Three Lights Technique, but it was like being in a quagmire for those with other attributes.

The dusty, stalking rat on Liu Gu's shoulder kept twitching its nose, pointing the way.

Scar Wolf and Ironbow's outpost moved nimbly and silently through the undulating terrain.

Li Xiaoyao, positioned in the center, possessed a fully refined spiritual sense, though far inferior to Li Mutian's, yet he meticulously scanned the area in front and to the sides.

Li Mutian remained calm and composed, his powerful Foundation Establishment stage divine sense forming an invisible net that enveloped the entire team and the surrounding area for miles.

The subtle tremors of the earth's veins, the hidden flow of spiritual energy, and even the rustling of insects deep in the soil are all within its perception.

Li Chijing followed closely beside his father, diligently circulating his cultivation technique to adapt to the spiritual energy, while keeping his eyes wide open to observe and record every unfamiliar detail.

After walking about three miles, the tracking rat suddenly turned to the left and ahead to a section of weathered rock pillars, and started chirping urgently.

"Fellow Daoist Li, the spiritual energy in the rocky forest to your left is fluctuating abnormally, with faint moisture. At least three life forms are lurking there, their presence obscure and unclear."

Aunt Liu immediately reported to Li Xiaoyao.

"Slow down, move closer, maintain formation."

Li Xiaoyao raised his hand to signal, and the group contracted and slowly approached the rocky forest.

The jagged, dark red rock pillars stand like a forest, their weathered pores resembling countless eyes. A faint, fishy odor wafts through the air.

"These are traces of a nest."

Li Tongya whispered, pointing to the scales, debris, and withered bones at the base of several rock pillars.

Li Mutian's voice rang directly in everyone's ears, calm and unwavering:

"They are 'Sound-Disturbing Bats,' late-stage Qi Refining demons, three of them, lurking in the caves behind the third and fifth rock pillars on the right and the largest one in the center. Their sound waves are disturbing, their wing membranes are tough, and their speed is acceptable."

Such a clear and accurate warning put everyone at ease and filled them with even greater awe for the supernatural abilities of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

"Xiang Ping once mentioned the characteristics of this type of monster."

Li Xiaoyao quickly gave the order:

"The outposts remain stationary, while the central and rear guard squads form a 'triangular sound-controlling array' to protect the ears and soul with magical power."

"Scarred Wolf, Iron Bow, wait for it to pounce, then prioritize attacking its wings and the area where it makes its vocalizations!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a sharp hiss erupted from the depths of the stone forest! Three gray-brown shadows shot out like arrows!

It was the Foul Sound Bat, with its ferocious mouthparts, gleaming white fangs, and swirling gray-black turbidity, its invisible sound waves striking the group first!

However, the Li family's team was prepared. A pale red magical light screen lit up around the formation. Although it was constantly rippled by the sound waves, it steadily protected everyone's mind.

Only two disciples at the early stage of Qi Refining let out a muffled groan, their faces slightly pale, but they did not lose their fighting ability.

"Let's do it!"

Scar Wolf roared, his thick-backed broadsword swirling with a yellowish-brown blade of light, slashing straight at the wing root of the foremost filthy bat!

Iron Bow then fired three arrows in quick succession, the arrows whistling as they pierced the air, aiming straight for the other open throat that was throbbing and making a sound!

The two filthy bats were clearly not prepared for their prey's swift and targeted reaction, and hastily dodged or stirred up their demonic energy to defend themselves.

Scar Wolf's blade struck with heavy force; although it was avoided in vital areas, it still tore a large gash in the fleshy wing.

The arrow from the iron bow was blocked by the demonic energy and failed to achieve its full purpose, but it did force the filthy bat to interrupt its sound waves and fall to the side in a sorry state.

The third filthy bat was the most cunning, swooping down from a high place and heading straight for Poison Old Man and Willow Girl, who seemed to be less guarded in the center of the group!

Just as its claws were about to touch the tops of their heads—

A thin, reddish-gold thread of fire, as thin as a hair, shot out silently from Li Mutian's direction, arriving first and precisely wrapping around the neck of the filthy bat.

"laugh."

With a soft click, the fire suddenly tightened and burned!

Before the filthy bat could even let out a scream, its head was severed from its body. No blood spurted from the charred wound, only wisps of blue smoke.

The headless corpse lurched forward a few feet due to inertia before crashing to the ground.

Upon seeing this, the other two injured filthy bats shrieked in terror, lost all will to fight, and desperately flapped their wings in an attempt to escape.

Li Mutian didn't even glance at them again, only a slight thought crossed his mind.

The air around the two demonic bats suddenly became scorching and viscous, as if they were trapped in an invisible furnace!

Their struggling movements became rapid, stiff, and sluggish. The gray-black demonic aura on their bodies quickly dissipated, revealing the rapidly charred and carbonized flesh beneath.

In just two or three breaths, they turned into two lumps of black charcoal emitting blue smoke and fell to the dust.

From the start of the attack to its end, it lasted only a dozen or so breaths. The team's formation remained intact, and apart from slight discomfort from the initial sonic shock, no one was injured.