Daily Intelligence: From Miner to Dao Ancestor of Alchemy and Talismans

Liu Yue'er, standing nearby, was terrified. She scrambled to her knees and frantically kowtowed to the guards, her forehead bleeding from the blows. She cried and begged for mercy, "My lords! Spare me! Zhou Chengxian forced me to do this! I didn't do anything! Please, let me go!"

The captain of the guard showed no pity, coldly declaring, "Accomplices in treason, execute them all!"

A flash of light, and blood splattered. Liu Yue'er's pleas for mercy came to an abrupt halt as her head was severed from her body and she fell beside Zhou Chengxian's corpse.

The ambush ended in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

The guards cleared the battlefield and escorted the two captured bandits back to Qingya Manor. Zhou Chengxian and Liu Yue'er's bodies were carelessly dumped in the mass grave; there was no one to collect them, and they would soon be devoured by the wild wolves in the mountains.

By the time the news reached Qingyafang, it was already evening.

Xu Yuan was in the courtyard rehearsing the route for the raid that night when Li Qinghe casually mentioned the fate of Zhou Chengxian and Liu Yue'er in a message sent by someone.

After listening, he simply nodded, his face showing no emotion whatsoever, neither the satisfaction of revenge nor any remorse.

From the moment Zhou Chengxian defected to the Blood Fiend Sect, intending to use Zhang Kui to kill him, this ending was already destined.

Thus, the entanglement between these two people, which had lasted since he left the mine, came to a complete end, their cause and effect severed, with no further ties remaining.

With all his worries resolved, Xu Yuan could finally focus on making final preparations for the battle.

He categorized all the talismans according to their type and placed them into his personal storage bag. He knew exactly where each type of talisman was located, ensuring that he could retrieve the corresponding talisman in an instant, even with his eyes closed. He also wrapped various pills in waterproof oilcloth and hid them close to his chest, ensuring that he could take them even if he was seriously injured.

The top-grade spirit brush, spare talisman paper and cinnabar, second-tier alchemy furnace, and the captured Blood Soul Blade were all prepared and placed in his personal storage bag.

He had already memorized the complete blueprints of the protective formation, but he still carried the original blueprints with him in case of any unforeseen circumstances.

He sat at his desk, using the candlelight to rehearse the route for the raid that night: when the raid began, he would take advantage of the chaos to conceal himself with a concealment talisman, head to the abandoned warehouse in the northeast corner, and confirm the safe blind spot.

Then, taking advantage of the chaos between the Zhao family guards and the robber cultivators, they took a detour to the Zhao family ancestral hall to confirm the location where the Blood Fiend Thunder was buried.

Finally, at the moment the Blood Fiend Lightning detonates and the talisman is activated, he seizes the inheritance. If the situation gets out of control, he immediately retreats through the underground water channel and heads straight for his hiding place in Crouching Tiger Mountain.

Each of the three routes was simulated dozens of times, and contingency plans were prepared in advance for all possible unexpected events to ensure that nothing went wrong.

By the time he finished all the preparations, it was already dark.

Just then, a deafening horn sounded outside the market, accompanied by the arrogant shouts and curses of the cultivators. The sound could be heard clearly from dozens of miles away.

The bandits from Black Wind Stronghold have begun to provoke and challenge others outside the market.

Only one day remains until the agreed-upon surprise attack by the Blood Fiend Sect.

With only one day left until the agreed-upon surprise attack, the sky over Qingyafang seemed to be tightly covered by a black cloth soaked in ink, and even the wind carried a biting chill.

As dawn broke, the protective array of the market was already fully activated. A pale golden light curtain spread from the city walls, completely enveloping the entire market. Runes flowed on the light curtain, and the spiritual energy fluctuations were stronger than ever before.

The four city gates were completely sealed off. The heavy iron gates fell down, and the Zhao family's elite guards all went up to the city wall. They were fully armored, with their bows and crossbows nocked, and their eyes were fixed on the direction of Black Wind Valley outside the market. Not even a fly was allowed to enter or leave.

The market was completely silent.

The once bustling main street was deserted, all the shops had their doors and windows tightly closed, and thick wooden boards were nailed to the doors.

The independent cultivators either hid in their own courtyards, setting up layers of restrictions, not daring to even breathe, or gathered in groups of three or five, clutching their magical artifacts, huddling together for warmth, their faces full of fear and unease.

Occasionally, a patrol of guards would gallop by, their hooves clattering on the bluestone slabs, the crisp sound echoing through the empty streets and alleys, only intensifying the oppressive atmosphere.

Everyone knows that a catastrophe is imminent.

However, the small courtyard with blue tiles in the western corner of the market remained peaceful.

The gate was covered with layers of restrictions. From the outside, it looked no different from an ordinary courtyard for independent cultivators, but inside, it had long been a fortress that was as solid as a rock.

Xu Yuan sat at the desk, holding a top-grade spirit brush. The cinnabar flowed smoothly onto the paper. As the brush tip made its final stroke, the earthy yellow spiritual light on the talisman paper surged, and a heavy and sharp aura rushed out. He then casually used his spiritual power to suppress it. A top-grade rock-cracking talisman was steadily formed.

This is the tenth top-grade rock-cracking talisman he has drawn today.

This is the tenth top-grade rock-cracking talisman he has drawn today.

Putting down his spirit brush, Xu Yuan carefully put away the talisman paper. His fingertips swept over the neatly arranged talismans on the table, his eyes clear and bright.

Ten top-grade Rock-Splitting Talismans, five top-grade Thick Earth Talismans that can withstand the full force of a Foundation Establishment cultivator's attack, and two top-grade Wind-Traveling Talismans that took him an entire night to draw, which, once activated, can instantly allow one to escape ten miles away. These are the ultimate trump cards for escaping in desperate situations.

Adding to the hundreds of high-quality talismans he had previously accumulated, and three second-tier illusion talismans capable of trapping Foundation Establishment cultivators, his talisman trump cards were now fully utilized.

Besides the talismans, the elixirs had also been prepared in advance.

The superior-grade pills were stored in ten small porcelain bottles, wrapped in waterproof oilcloth, and hidden close to the body in the chest area. Even if one was seriously injured, one could take them out instantly with one hand.

He kept three Spirit Explosion Pills, which could temporarily double his spiritual power, in a hidden pouch close to his body, as a last resort for turning the tide in desperate situations.

Everything was arranged clearly and without any disorder. He hated panicking at the last minute. Even if the sky were to fall, he had to make sure that he could come up with his trump card within a single breath.

After organizing all the talismans and pills, Xu Yuan changed into a set of easy-to-move clothes, affixed a concealment talisman, and quietly slipped out of the market, heading straight for his hiding place in Wohu Mountain, ten miles away.

With a major battle imminent, he had to make thorough arrangements for his escape route first.

The four-layered array in the cave was still functioning normally, filled with spiritual energy, and the seedlings of the Fire Spirit Grass were growing lushly in the Spirit Gathering Array.

Qian Shi was sitting cross-legged on the stone couch cultivating when he saw Xu Yuan enter. He quickly stood up, his face full of anxiety: "Brother Xu, is a fight about to break out outside? Last night, I heard the valley filled with the shouts of cultivators."

"Don't panic." Xu Yuan waved his hand, took out a cloth bag from his storage bag and handed it to him. "Inside are twenty high-quality talismans, a whole bottle of top-grade Rejuvenation Pills, and enough Bigu Pills to last for half a year. I've left you a communication talisman. Remember, no matter what noise you hear outside, even if the sky falls, you are not allowed to step out of the cave. If the communication talisman doesn't go off, you stay here and cultivate, and you are not allowed to go anywhere."