Cultivation begins with alchemy and collecting runes.

Southern Mountain is located directly south of Blackwind City, about 100 miles away from Blackwind Market.

It's called a mountain, but it's more like a group of mounds, about 30 or 40 feet high. Because it's located directly south of Blackwind City, it's called Southern Mountain.

The spiritual veins of the Southern Mountain are weaker than those of the Liu family, and the spiritual energy on the mountain is only slightly stronger than that in the secular world.

But for a down-on-his-luck rogue cultivator, it could be considered a "sacred mountain and treasure land".

Over time, a group of independent cultivators gathered here, some in small groups, others alone, and they built huts in the mountains to live in.

Don't be fooled by the large number of independent cultivators in the southern mountains; most of them have low cultivation levels, only at the first or second level of Qi Refining. They are not considered a powerful force, let alone comparable to the Heaven and Earth Society, which possesses several late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.

The various small and large independent cultivator groups were wary of and hostile to each other, like a pile of loose sand. They were extremely hostile to the surrounding cultivation families, but being insignificant, they posed no threat to the cultivation families.

This place is a melting pot of all sorts of people and lacks resources, which makes the cultivators here extremely cautious and wary of outsiders.

Since neither of them knew the other's true identity, it was easy for them to abscond at any time.

Following the information Li Xiuyuan and his companions had obtained from Liu Feixue, they flew along on their swords, their divine senses constantly probing the surrounding area.

As Li Xiuyuan rode his flying sword, he pondered: This place is a melting pot of all sorts of people, each unaware of the other's true identity. The fact that the Demon Flame Sect chose this place as the most suitable hiding place must be inseparable from the guidance and assistance of the Liu family cultivators.

The group continued their escape until dawn, when they descended from a point thirty miles south of the mountains. It then took them another half an hour to regroup and replenish their magical power.

At this moment, the rosy clouds rise into the sky, the white mist rises, and wisps of clouds rise among the mountains, creating a magnificent scene.

Not far from the Southern Mountains, the group used the Wind Riding Technique to save their magical energy and travel quickly.

This mountain was not the territory of any particular faction, so it was neglected and overgrown with weeds, making it quite messy and convenient for Li Xiuyuan and his group to sneak around.

Half an hour later.

After traversing several rugged mountain paths, Li Xiuyuan and his group arrived at the mountainside, where they saw thatched huts and wooden houses of all sizes, all built using local materials.

In front of thatched huts and wooden houses, one or two people sit cross-legged, refining spiritual energy.

Li Xiuyuan and his group did not make any attempt to conceal their movements, causing an uproar among the scattered cultivators, who all stared in horror at the source of the footsteps.

"who!"

Some people looked angry, and some even prepared to draw their knives and step forward, but these were the minority. Most people were sullen and took a few steps back, as if they were about to run away.

As rogue cultivators, they were used to life-and-death battles. To be able to approach this place without anyone noticing, their cultivation level must be at least above theirs. How could they dare to question them?

He wished his parents could give him two more legs so he could escape this place quickly.

When Li Xiuyuan and his group approached, those who had spoken out in anger or drawn their knives to attack remained silent.

They could clearly feel the powerful spiritual pressure emanating from the newcomers, each of whom was stronger than themselves. Fear flashed in their eyes. They wanted to retreat back to the thatched hut, but dared not move, for fear of angering the people in front of them.

Only after Li Xiuyuan and his group ignored him and walked through the wooden house towards the mountain did they breathe a sigh of relief, feeling fortunate to have escaped a disaster.

Li Xiuyuan continued walking, spreading his divine sense, which was nearly seventy feet long, to cover the area and carefully investigate the surrounding environment.

Paying particular attention to the terrain and the cultivation level of the lone cultivators inside the wooden house, he meticulously sketched the terrain in his mind and planned the route to ensure that there would be enough time for either pursuit or retreat in case of any unforeseen circumstances.

Li Xiuyuan noticed that most of the rogue cultivators in the room were at the early stage of Qi Refining, with only one or two out of ten reaching the fourth level of Qi Refining.

They were indeed all second-rate rogue cultivators, far inferior to the rogue cultivators in Shanyang Market.

If the cultivation resources of Chu were divided into ten parts, the five major sects would occupy eight parts, the remaining one and a half parts would be collected by the major aristocratic families, and only the half part of the resources would fall into the hands of independent cultivators.

With such a large number of independent cultivators, how could such a small amount of resources possibly be enough?

There was constant infighting among independent cultivators, and those from powerful sects and aristocratic families looked down on those who came from humble backgrounds.

Li Xiuyuan noticed that the Ye and Xiao family cultivators looked at the rogue cultivators along the way with disdain and contempt, without any attempt to hide it.

Even the most obscure Qi-refining families have far better cultivation environments and resources than most independent cultivators.

Both families are rulers of Black Wind City and have close ties with these rogue cultivators. Naturally, they know their backgrounds and look down on the most down-on-his-luck Southern Mountain Man among these rogue cultivators.

When these rogue cultivators saw that the leader was dressed in the robes of the Blazing Fire Sect and that his entourage consisted of members from the distinguished Xiao and Ye families, they all showed fear. They seemed to have long been accustomed to their contempt, and few of them were angry.

Li Xiuyuan and his group seemed to have returned to their own garden, strolling leisurely up the mountain. None of the rogue cultivators who were disturbed in their cultivation dared to utter a word of complaint.

In the world of cultivation, the strong are respected, and no one cares about the feelings of the weak.

With no obstacles in sight, the group moved quickly and arrived at the mountaintop in less than a quarter of an hour.

According to information obtained from Liu Feixue, the cultivators of the Demon Flame Sect were cultivating in wooden huts built on the southern mountaintop.

Li Xiuyuan observed carefully and found that there was only one narrow path from the mountainside to the summit.

Even if a Qi Refining cultivator were to fly using a magical artifact, they would still need several breaths to prepare. Naturally, a combat-ready cultivator would not allow a demonic cultivator to escape.

They only need to control the way down the mountain to catch them like turtles in a jar.

As they approached the summit, Li Xiuyuan waved to signal everyone to stop.

He turned to Xiao Feng and the other man, and said solemnly, "Fellow Daoists, in my opinion, it is best to leave some men to guard this place to prevent the Demon Flame Sect cultivators from escaping."

Xiao Feng and his companion were not stupid. They had the advantage in numbers and cultivation, and sending a few people to guard the key points would not change the overall situation.

"That makes sense. We shall do as Lord Li says."

Having witnessed Li Xiuyuan's strength, and knowing that the two families would need Li Xiuyuan to submit a report before dividing up the Liu family's resource points, the two naturally wouldn't be foolish enough to object.

Li Xiuyuan nodded and selected two people from each of the two families. All four of them were cultivators at the fifth level of Qi Refining.

Even if the Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivator from the Demon Flame Sect escapes the encirclement, the four of them can still buy some time.

"Yes, sir!"

The four spoke in unison, then took out their magical artifacts and formed a triangular formation to guard the path leading down the mountain.

Having arranged everything, Li Xiuyuan led the remaining ten people toward the mountaintop.

Before long, a clearing over forty feet long and wide appeared before him, with a simple wooden house built right in the center.

Li Xiuyuan looked around and recalled what the Liu family cultivators had told him, finally confirming that this was the place.

However, he did not find any trace of cultivators. Logically speaking, at this time of day when the morning glow and purple aura are at their peak, most of them should be out absorbing spiritual energy and refining their magical power.

"Something's not right. Fellow Daoists, prepare to attack."

Li Xiuyuan transmitted his thoughts to Xiao Feng and the other person beside him. He ran his fingers over the storage bag, and with a flash of golden light, a small golden sword appeared in his hand.

Reminded by their respective clan leaders, the allied cultivators took out their magical artifacts and became serious and vigilant.

The group slowly approached the wooden house. "You and you, the two of you, cast a spell on the wooden house."

Li Xiuyuan casually pointed to the Ye family cultivators and asked them to use their spells to probe the enemy's strength and weaknesses.

The two men, having been called by Li Xiuyuan, naturally dared not disobey and both clasped their hands in obedience.

The two took a few steps toward the wooden house, quickly made hand seals, and threw out a fireball and wooden spikes to bombard the house.

The fireball and splinters, carrying intense heat and sharpness, hurtled toward the cabin, threatening to tear it to shreds.

At that moment, the magical fireball and wooden spikes were only half a foot away from the wooden house when they were stopped by a faint spiritual light, and a huge golden shield appeared before everyone's eyes.

"Golden Light Array!"

Although his spells were blocked, Li Xiuyuan finally saw through the Demon Flame Sect cultivators' tricks.

This golden light array is the design source of the first-tier talisman, the Golden Light Talisman. It can conjure a golden light shield that can withstand the attacks of cultivators wielding high-grade magic weapons for dozens of breaths.

This formation allows cultivators within it to adequately cope with crises. It is quite expensive, with a market price of around 500 spirit stones, and is extremely popular among Qi Refining cultivators.

Li Xiuyuan already had the Green Wood Vine Armor Formation; otherwise, he would have purchased a Golden Light Formation as a protective formation.

The rogue cultivators in the Southern Mountains were so poor that they naturally couldn't afford such an array.

It was obvious that the cultivators inside the wooden house were members of the Demon Flame Sect.

"The enemies of the Demon Flame Sect are inside! Attack the formation with all your might!"

With a thought, Li Xiuyuan summoned the Blood Butcher's Blade, wielding it with both hands, and decisively ordered the allied forces to attack.

With a thought, he manipulated two high-grade magic weapons to launch a fierce attack on the wooden house.

While chanting the Yi Wood Sword Technique, two magical weapons, one gold and one red, flashed with cyan-green sword light and slashed straight at the golden light array.

"Bang bang bang!"

Although the Golden Light Array is quite useful during the Qi Refining stage, it is only a warning array, not a defensive array. Naturally, it could not withstand the combined attack of more than ten cultivators.

After a breath, the golden light shield shattered, and the power of the more than ten magical artifacts, still intact, continued to bombard the wooden house, intending to destroy it.

Before the magical artifact could land, four figures flashed out of the wooden house.

"You good-for-nothing, how dare you disturb Grandpa Niu's afternoon nap!"

All four were dressed casually and very ordinarily, clearly indicating that they had made thorough preparations.

The leader cursed and swore, his arrogant expression filled with extreme anger.

"The Refining Spirit Grass is on him!"

Li Xiuyuan immediately took a liking to the leader. There was no other reason than that in the cultivation world, the strong are respected, and the strongest naturally control the overall situation, just like him.

The four people stood with that person at the center, not to mention his noble demeanor, which couldn't be concealed even by his coarse linen clothes.

The four people appeared to be at most at the sixth level of Qi Refining, which was quite different from what Liu Feixue had said.

However, Li Xiuyuan did not believe she was lying; he thought that the person in question was hiding their cultivation level.

With a thought, Li Xiuyuan's powerful divine sense enveloped the four of them, thus definitively determining the cultivation levels of the Demon Flame Sect cultivators. Without further ado, he transmitted his voice to Xiao Feng and the other, informing them of their specific cultivation levels, and commanded, "Continue the attack!"

The next moment, the spiritual light of the [Crimson Flame Profound Light] within his body surged, and he directly poured the powerful Golden Flame Burning Heaven magic power into the magic weapon. He stepped on the Dark Flame Flying Wheel and directly turned the Golden Light and Blood Slaughter weapons to kill the leader.

Without further ado, Xiao Feng and his companion approached the two late-stage cultivators whose cultivation levels had been discerned by Li Xiuyuan.

Because the sect disciples' techniques and magical artifacts were superior to theirs, they also called on two mid-stage clansmen to assist them for the sake of safety.

The people beneath them all charged towards the remaining mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators.

As if he had anticipated this, the arrogant man immediately summoned a small cyan-gold mirror the moment Li Xiuyuan activated his magic weapon.

The lapis lazuli mirror rapidly grew in the air, becoming a foot long and wide, shimmering with lapis lazuli-gold flames.

The small cyan-gold mirror emitted cyan flames and actually crashed directly into the golden sword and the blood-red longsword, attempting to shatter them!

"Bang!"

The three magical artifacts collided, producing a crisp metallic clang. After the collision, the golden sword and the blood-slaughtering blade were repelled, and the small mirror rushed straight towards Li Xiuyuan.

"A top-grade magical artifact!"

Unexpectedly, the usually invincible combination of swords and blades was at a disadvantage in the hands of the mirror.

Li Xiuyuan was startled, abandoning his previous contempt for a quick victory, and his expression became extremely solemn.