May I seek good fortune and avoid misfortune, and live a long and prosperous life.

Therefore, he was also cursed by a handyman with a pockmarked face:

"You useless, sickly brat! Bah! You advise others not to be obsessed with cultivation, yet you risk your life to earn Qi Gathering Pills for it yourself. Disgusting! Luckily, I didn't listen to him. I've successfully cultivated to the second level of Qi Refining, and the third level won't be far off. How can you, you piece of trash, compare to me? Once I become an outer disciple, I'll crush you sooner or later!"

One day, a group of outer disciples came to the alchemy room area where Li Heng was.

They came here to announce two important things.

First, all the alchemy workshop servants who were previously conscripted to the battlefield died heroically on the battlefield. The fighting was so fierce that their remains were never recovered.

Secondly, the sect issued an order that, due to the shortage of people at the front line, all menial laborers at the second level of Qi Refining should be officially transferred to the battlefield!

When the first and second orders rang in the ears of these new laborers, they felt a chill run down their spines, as if the sky had fallen.

At this moment, the way they looked at Li Heng changed, becoming extremely regretful!

"I misunderstood Li Heng. What he said is absolutely right! If I had cultivated more slowly and hadn't broken through to the second level of Qi Refining so quickly, I would have avoided this today!"

"Didn't you hear what that disciple said? All the menial laborers who went to the battlefield before us have died heroically!"

"My God, if we go to the battlefield now, will we even come back alive?"

These new janitors were instantly filled with despair.

"Li Heng was the one who truly understood life. If he hadn't, we wouldn't have met him; he would have been killed on the battlefield long ago!"

But there was no way around it; the sect's orders could not be disobeyed under any circumstances. Otherwise, you would die before even reaching the battlefield. Those outer sect disciples were not to be trifled with.

"Now everyone gather in a line and wait for us to check your cultivation level," an outer disciple shouted.

After an incense stick had burned, all the servants in the alchemy room were inspected. Apart from Li Heng, there were two other servants who were at the late stage of the first level of Qi Refining, while all the other servants were at the second level of Qi Refining and needed to go to the battlefield.

"Go back and prepare yourselves well. You will assemble early tomorrow morning and head to the front lines. Do not attempt to escape, or you will surely die!"

After uttering some harsh words, the outer disciple left.

Some of these new servants collapsed to the ground, crying and wailing, while others knelt beside Li Heng, slapping their own faces repeatedly, saying they regretted not heeding Brother Li's good advice, which led to this great calamity!

Especially the handyman with a pockmarked face, who knelt before Li Heng and cried his heart out.

"Brother Li, I only understand today that you are truly a great man. You are not only kind-hearted, but also the smartest among us! No wonder you were able to stay in the alchemy room without any harm."

Those menial laborers who came in the same cohort as you, their graves must be overgrown with weeds by now, right? I was such a beast! Not only did I ignore your advice, I even cursed you. Brother Li, please hit me, I'm so sorry!

Li Heng sighed, "Alas, I don't blame you. Since ancient times, honest advice has always been hard to swallow. Perhaps this is your fate."

The two menial servants, who were at the late stage of the first level of Qi Refining, came to Li Heng's side as if they had survived a disaster, and said to Li Heng very respectfully:

"As the saying goes, 'Those who don't heed the advice of their elders will suffer the consequences.' Brother Li, your words are so helpful! From now on, I'll listen to you completely. If you say east, I'll never go west!"

Li Heng nodded and said, "This young man is teachable."

the next day.

Li Heng got up early to see off the menial laborers who were going to the battlefield.

"Young Master Zhang, take good care of yourself. I hope you'll return victorious next year. This frail old man will be waiting to drink your celebratory wine!"

"Brother Wei, take care of yourself. May you have a safe journey and return safely."

"Brother Lin, I wish you great success on your journey and a triumphant return!"

Finally, Li Heng bid farewell to the pockmarked servant who had once cursed him:

"Brother Lai, don't be so discouraged. Going to the battlefield doesn't necessarily mean there's no hope. The previous batch might have just been unlucky. I believe your luck will be better than theirs! Keep going, take care!"

These new servants would occasionally turn back to look at Li Heng, who was watching them with concern, their faces streaked with tears of regret.

"I regret not listening to Brother Li's advice back then!"

Standing outside the alchemy room, watching their departing figures, Li Heng felt a pang of regret: "Sigh, without realizing it, we've already sent off the second batch. Cultivation is indeed cruel and ruthless!"

Li Heng then sowed a seed outside his house, praying for their safe return.

......

Six months later, the seed had grown into a sapling that was half a meter tall.

Those alchemy workshop servants who were sent to the battlefield in the second batch never returned with any news.

Li Heng sighed; they most likely wouldn't be coming back.

However, the sect did not send anyone to recruit laborers to the battlefield. First, there were simply no more laborers who were capable of great use. Second, these laborers would only be cannon fodder on the battlefield and would have little impact on the war situation.

one year later.

The situation of the Tianyan Sect took a sharp turn for the worse.

Originally, the two sides were evenly matched, with both sects having a Golden Core stage True Monarch in charge of the battlefield. Unfortunately, one of the Golden Core stage elders on the other side recently broke through to the early Nascent Soul stage.

This immediately broke the balance between the two sides. On the front line, the Nascent Soul elder of the Ziyang Sect took advantage of the fact that the Tianyan Sect was unaware that he had successfully broken through to the Nascent Soul stage and was caught off guard, and launched a sneak attack, successfully killing several Golden Core cultivators of the Tianyan Sect.

The Tianyan Sect suffered a severe blow in an instant. Later, the Ziyang Sect, with its early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators in charge, swept through the Tianyan Sect on the battlefield with overwhelming force. The Tianyan Sect's leader even fled the battlefield. This battle, which lasted for several years, ended with a great victory for the Ziyang Sect, and the mid-grade spirit stone mine also fell into the hands of the Ziyang Sect.

The Ziyang Sect, however, had no intention of letting the Tianyan Sect go. Relying on the fact that it had a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, it pressed forward step by step, attempting to attack the Tianyan Sect's mountain gate.

When news of the Yanzong's crushing defeat reached the sect that day, panic gripped the entire sect. Upon hearing the news, the only Golden Core cultivator guarding the sect also absconded with important sect resources.

So, everyone followed suit, and many Foundation Establishment cultivators absconded with the sect's property and fled.

The entire sect was thrown into complete chaos.

The alchemy room during the Qi Refining stage.

All the alchemists, including Zhao Bingwen, took as many alchemy materials and sect-specific pills as possible before fleeing.

The Tianyan Sect is completely finished; they have no reason to perish with the sect.

Li Heng packed his luggage, disposed of the last batch of discarded pills, and quietly left the sect amidst the chaos.

This time, Li Heng is preparing to go to Chixia Mountain.

Chixia Mountain is not a single mountain, but rather an extremely vast area for independent cultivators practicing Qi cultivation, where most of the independent cultivators from the Eastern Region gather.

This Crimson Cloud Mountain is not disorderly; in fact, it does have some order. It is a Qi Refining Rogue Cultivator Area jointly established by the top sects of the Eastern Region. Although fighting among Qi Refining cultivators is not prohibited inside, cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage and above are prohibited from entering.

With a map in hand, Li Heng proceeded cautiously towards Chixia Mountain.

Li Heng had known about this place for a long time, and it was a backup plan he had prepared for himself.

If things don't work out in the Tianyan Sect, then go to Chixia Mountain to lie low for a while.