Immortality and Cultivation: Starting with Improving Spiritual Root Aptitude

A flash of crimson light appeared, and Wu Fan's figure had already turned into a blur, disappearing from the spot and rushing towards the exit of the back hall of the market.

Almost at the same moment he set off, in the main hall of Baidan Hall, the fear and greed that had been suppressed for so long suddenly exploded.

"Run! Run faster!!!"

Among those present, someone let out a piercing howl, and the hall of the Hundred Pills Hall instantly descended into chaos.

The once neatly arranged shelves were knocked askew by the sudden surge of people, and the porcelain bottles and pottery jars neatly stacked on the counter fell to the ground like raindrops, with the sound of shattering porcelain rising and falling.

Various kinds of pills were scattered all over the floor, and the rich and mellow aroma of the medicine instantly filled the entire hall.

A jumble of figures, screams, cries, and shoving filled the air.

The usually amiable and like-minded colleagues of Baidantang all turned into ferocious figures and rushed towards the back exit like madmen.

Amidst this extreme chaos, a few figures went against the grain.

They went against the fleeing crowd and rushed towards the scattered pills. With swift fingers, they stuffed the pills into the storage bags at their waists.

The collapse of order can happen in an instant.

Wu Fan, who had already moved far away from the main hall, rushed to the back exit. He pushed off the ground with his feet, leaped into the air, and steadily jumped over the threshold of the back hall.

However, at that moment...

"Bang—!"

A crisp yet extremely penetrating loud bang suddenly rang out.

It sounded like some kind of energy barrier being forcibly broken.

The sound that suddenly reached Wu Fan's ears was more terrifying than anything else.

Has... the protective array of Yunxi Market been breached?!

Wu Fan's heart sank, and his steps became even faster. The spiritual power in his dantian began to frantically flow into his legs, making him even faster than before.

The moment Wu Fan rushed out of the Hundred Pill Hall, his pupils suddenly contracted.

The inner perimeter of Yunxi Market has long been a battlefield.

The protective array was breached only moments before thick smoke billowed from several shops within the market area, with orange flames leaping and turning half the sky crimson.

Shouts of battle, the clanging of magical artifacts, and the screams of cultivators rose and fell incessantly.

How could the inner perimeter have fallen so quickly?

A thought flashed through Wu Fan's mind, and he immediately understood.

It's likely that from the very beginning of that raid on the market, many people in the inner circle had wicked intentions and simply turned into thugs who took advantage of the chaos.

After all, not every shop is like Bai Dan Tang, with a Bai family cultivator presiding over it and making cultivators wary.

The once bustling and tidy Fangchang Street is now unrecognizable.

Many street stalls had been overturned, goods were scattered all over the ground, and occasionally a corpse could be seen lying in a pool of blood.

Many more people fled in all directions like headless flies, their faces filled with terror.

A few people, wielding magical artifacts, continuously cast spells at the shops along the street, turning what was originally a place of trade into a battlefield of plunder.

Wu Fan's heart was pounding wildly, almost as if it would jump out of his chest.

But he dared not linger for even a moment, and could only run as fast as he could toward another exit of the market, while constantly scanning his surroundings with the corner of his eye, wary of any figure that might suddenly attack.

During his escape, he quickly tapped the storage pouch at his waist, and the Fire Cloud Shield suddenly appeared, instantly transforming into half the size of a person, emitting a crimson light and hovering around him.

Immediately afterwards, he took out a talisman from his storage bag. The patterns on the talisman paper faintly shimmered with an earthy yellow spiritual light, making it clear at a glance that it was a high-quality earth-attribute defensive talisman.

Wu Fan held the talisman in his palm and slowly poured spiritual power into it, ready to activate it at any time should a situation arise.

As you get closer to the other exit of the market, the flow of people gradually becomes denser.

The market guards who were originally stationed here have long since disappeared. They must have been eliminated by the group of black-clad, masked robbers, or they had already abandoned their posts and fled for their lives.

The tall stone archway at the exit was still visible in the distance, but Wu Fan's brows were furrowed at this moment.

Beneath the archway, several figures dressed in black and wearing ferocious masks stood there—they were the accomplices of the robber cultivators!

Clearly, they had already deployed manpower at several key exits of the market to intercept those attempting to escape.

Cold sweat instantly soaked his back. Wu Fan's brain was racing in this extreme crisis, and his eyes scanned his surroundings rapidly.

Suddenly, a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

The back mountain leading to Baidantang Courtyard!

There is a rugged mountain path that leads directly to the outside world. It is the shortcut that Niu Dazhuang always takes when he comes to Yunxi Market from the Bai family. It is extremely hidden and few people know about it.

Without a moment's hesitation, Wu Fan took a deep breath, suppressed his surging blood and qi, and frantically poured the remaining spiritual power in his body into his feet.

The Swiftness Rune beneath their feet suddenly burst forth with a dazzling crimson aura.

His figure transformed into a streak of crimson light, speeding towards the Bai Dan Tang courtyard, avoiding the fleeing crowds along the way.

His spiritual energy was being consumed rapidly, but Wu Fan dared not stop for even a moment.

In just a quarter of an hour, he covered a distance that would normally take several times longer to complete, and arrived at the Baidantang Villa once again.

Without pausing for a moment, without even glancing at the villa, he turned and ran wildly towards the mountains behind the villa, leaving only a fading red afterimage before disappearing into the shadows of the forest.

Half a day later.

The sky gradually darkened.

Wu Fan had been running non-stop for more than three hours. His magical power was almost exhausted, and his legs were heavy. Every step he took pulled at his aching muscles. He had obviously reached the limits of both his magical power and physical strength.

Fortunately, he dared not stop along the way and had long since left the area of ​​Yunxi Market. He figured those fierce and evil cultivators wouldn't waste their energy chasing after an insignificant rogue cultivator like himself.

He staggered toward a rather thick tree, panting heavily.

After resting for what should have been the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, his rapid breathing gradually calmed down.

Wu Fan immediately looked inward at his dantian and found that the magical power inside was completely empty.

The night wind in the mountains and forests had begun to howl, causing the branches and leaves to sway and adding to the depth and eeriness of the forest.

He dared not be careless in the slightest, knowing full well the dangers of the mountains and forests at night, and that he had to find a relatively safe hiding place as soon as possible.

Despite his extreme exhaustion, Wu Fan began a thorough search of the surrounding area.

Before long, a natural stone cave came into view. The entrance to the cave was not large, but the space inside was enough to accommodate several people to hide in.

He was overjoyed and decided to recover his magical power here and rest for the night. As for his future, he could only plan for tomorrow.

This cave is located in the upper middle part of this mountain. In front of the cave entrance, there are several towering trees that require several people to encircle. Their dense branches and leaves intertwine and completely cover the entrance to the cave.

From a distance at the time, it was impossible to detect that there was a hidden cave here.

Feeling safe in his surroundings, Wu Fan took out some dry rations from his storage bag, swallowed a few mouthfuls to replenish his strength, and then took out a Qi-replenishing pill and swallowed it. He then sat cross-legged against the cold stone wall and began to regulate his breathing to recover.