Cultivating immortality begins with formations.

The setting sun, like blood, cast its slanting rays on the streets and markets.

Lu Yuan walked out of the teahouse with a leisurely pace.

He appeared calm on the surface, but inside he was very panicked.

He rubbed the Xuan Guang Ring with his left hand, while holding a golden talisman in his palm. His right hand, tucked into his sleeve, gripped the Five Elements Mist Array Disc.

And behind him.

The leader of the Jiexiu clan secretly followed, holding three poisoned bone spikes between his five fingers, ready to strike.

"Why do I seem a little nervous..."

"It's fine."

"He's just an ordinary fourth-level Qi Refining cultivator. He'll quit after this job and go back to hunting monsters in the mountains."

Seeing that Lu Yuan was approaching the door, he quickened his pace and rushed closer. Just as Lu Yuan had pushed open the door, he raised his right hand...

"Hey, it didn't lift!"

The leader of the Jiexiu clan looked closely and found a large, fan-like hand firmly gripping his arm, making the bones creak.

"Fellow Daoist, what are you doing!"

Ignoring the excruciating pain in his arm, the leader of the thieves suddenly raised a jet-black dagger with his left hand and stabbed it at the burly man beside him.

Unexpectedly, the burly man beside her was enveloped in a shimmering, iridescent light, and his other hand reached out to grab the dagger.

"Ding!"

The dagger shattered into pieces, but the large hand, gleaming with a glassy glow, continued its relentless advance, grabbing his crown chakra.

Let's go to two sides...

As Lu Yuan stepped into his home, he saw that the courtyard was surrounded by thick fog, with rays of five-colored light shining through the fog.

Even after activating the Five Elements Mist Array to trap the two, he still activated a Golden Light Talisman, and his whole body radiated a flowing, water-like golden light.

The two cultivators, shrouded in mist, were indistinguishable, and even their shouts could not be heard.

And in the thick fog.

Golden blades flashed intermittently, along with ice spikes and fireballs, keeping the two constantly on their toes and creating perilous situations.

Lu Yuan saw this.

Take out the array flags and control the array.

What one gains from the infusion of lifespan is not only experience in setting up formations, but also the skills in controlling formations.

The five elements and their techniques are combined.

The Earth-Trapping Technique and the Rope Binding Technique, along with three other techniques, are used to take lives.

One of the cultivators at the sixth level of Qi Refining was so bothered that he had exhausted all his protective talismans.

"what!"

With great effort, he swung the steel spikes in his hand and finally managed to cut a small part of the mist.

Just as they were about to repeat the process, they plunged into the thick fog.

But his footing faltered, and he found himself stuck in a muddy swamp, unable to move.

This is precisely the effect of the Earth-Trapping Technique.

At the same time, crimson flames swept in front of him, roaring like a fire dragon, while ice spikes pierced his bones from behind.

After enduring a trial of extreme heat and cold, the cultivator let out a scream and died.

One person was dealt with.

Lu Yuan followed suit, and the other person, having exhausted all his protective measures, used the Earth-Trapping Technique and the Vine Rope Binding Technique together, instantly capturing him alive on the spot.

This cultivator also possessed the sixth level of Qi Refining, slightly surpassing Lu Yuan, yet he hadn't even seen Lu Yuan's face before becoming a prisoner.

Dispel the Five Elements Fog Array.

Lu Yuan swung his sword, severing the Jie Xiu's legs, causing the opponent to howl in pain.

"Boss, save me!"

The gate opened with a sound, and Jie Xiu was delighted to see his boss.

Look again.

But then they saw that his arms were tied behind his back, and a spirit-locking ring was around his neck. He was being escorted in by a burly man dressed in a black robe from the law enforcement team.

Both being at the late stage of Qi Refining, the leader of the Tribulation Cultivators was completely overwhelmed by Zhu Meng, with almost no power to fight back.

"Boss, isn't this a case of 'the guilty will be punished'?"

"Second brother, damn it!"

……

At my doorstep...

Zhu Meng handed the two captured cultivators to his subordinates behind him, then looked at Lu Yuan and couldn't help but praise, "You're pretty good, kid. You took care of two by yourself. I only managed to handle one."

Lu Yuan rubbed his face and smiled helplessly, "The two I dealt with were just small fry. Brother Zhu captured this late-stage Qi Refining cultivator with ease; that's truly impressive."

"No matter what, it's not something an ordinary cultivator could do to deal with two Qi Refining Level 6 cultivators, resulting in one death and one injury."

Zhu Meng was generous with his praise.

Lu Yuan, unwilling to elaborate on the matter, changed the subject, asking, "What should we do with those two?"

"snort!"

Zhu Meng sneered: "Recently, there have been more and more cultivators undergoing tribulation in the market. Anyone captured alive will soon be publicly executed at the Ascension Square in the market, and their soul will be extracted."

Upon hearing this, the two robbers who were being escorted away by the law enforcement team members both showed expressions of extreme fear.

"I'll go take a look then."

Lu Yuan nodded, then, as if remembering something, said, "Brother Zhu, please don't publicize what happened here. I don't like to be in the limelight."

Zhu Meng nodded: "I understand."

Lu Yuan then took out ten spirit stones and handed them to the cultivators who had come with Zhu Meng as a reward for their hard work.

"Come early so we can save you a good spot."

Zhu Meng gave a shout and then led his team away.

……

Lu Yuan closed the door, took a deep breath, and revealed a carefree smile.

It was fate that these three cultivators were destined to die when they encountered the enforcement team at the teahouse.

Even without encountering the law enforcement team, Lu Yuan had ways to deal with them.

The cultivators who have entered the courtyard are not a threat; activating the Five Elements Mist Array will guarantee victory.

To deal with the leader of the Tribulation Cultivator who was in the late stage of Qi Refining, Lu Yuan also had a Five Elements Mist Array Plate, various life-saving talismans, and a fully automatic continuous fire-releasing spell.

As long as the other party is concerned about their companions and refuses to escape alone, they will eventually attract the attention of law enforcement, and their fate will be death.

"Looks like I'm getting better too, I've actually been targeted by the Jiexiu."

Lu Yuan sighed inwardly.

When he was still a poor man, even if he worked in the Refining Hall until midnight and returned home, he never encountered any cultivators who would rob him.

After all, a Qi Refining Stage 1 cultivator who has exhausted all his energy and spirit has no value in taking a tribulation; he might not even be able to earn back a single talisman.

After this incident...

Lu Yuan had become more cautious. He was no longer someone that could be ignored by the robbers. On the contrary, if he showed any wealth, he might be targeted.

"I need to find some time to find a technique that allows me to disguise myself, and make a few different identities..."

Lu Yuan thought to himself.

Then.

He then used his spirit to transform into water and cleaned up the blood that the two cultivators had spilled in the courtyard.

As for those two legs that no one paid attention to, they were burned to ashes by Lu Yuan's flame.

……

In the following days, Lu Yuan listened to Manager Luo's advice, temporarily put aside the Five Elements Mist Array, and began to focus all his efforts on engraving the Qi Gathering Array.

Once his spiritual energy was exhausted, he would immediately immerse himself in cultivation. Although life was somewhat monotonous, Lu Yuan found it quite enjoyable.

Several days later.

He went to the Immortal Ascension Square in the market, where more than 20 cultivators and more than 10 disciples of the Yinluo Palace were whipped with Soul-Scattering Whips by the law enforcement team in full view of everyone.

With each lash, specks of crimson blood splattered, shattering the very soul with each strike.

The screams and wails lasted for a full day and night.

When Lu Yuan saw that the two cultivators he had encountered had been beaten until their limbs were mutilated and their souls were scattered, he squeezed out of the crowd.