Chapter 5: Ashen Grass, Blazing Spirit Flower

  Master Song's eyesight was even better, and he had already seen clearly. He let out a low cry: "Embers of a campfire? Someone has camped here before!" Before his words had fallen, his feet surged with dark energy, and he sped to the ashes of the campfire like the wind.

  "The realm of the Mystic Scholar is indeed much stronger than that of the Mystic Disciple." Xu Yang and the other young men followed Master Song as he sprinted forward, discovering that his running speed was nearly half faster than his own, and couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration.

  The Jupeng Mountains are rarely visited by humans, except for ascetic teams, and on ordinary days, no one is seen.

  "This bonfire is not small, enough for a dozen people to sit around in a circle. It seems that there is another ascetic team ahead of us." Song's face looked somewhat unpleasant, "Qimen Daochang, recently there are no other ascetic teams departing with us. This ascetic team is likely from Huayun Daochang."

  Xu Yang's mind was clear, Qi Men Daochang, Shui Lu Daochang, and Huo Yun Daochang were all old-brand Daochang in Lin Yuan City. Although they couldn't compare to the three major families' Daochang industries, their strength was also considerable. Normally, there were absolutely not few open and secret struggles between the Daochang.

  After all, there are only so many young apprentices studying the mysteries of the universe. If two went to your house, then my house would have one less pair. The principle that those in the same profession are destined to be enemies has been around since ancient times.

  "No wonder we didn't encounter any spiritual medicine on our way, it seems someone has taken the lead," a young man said discontentedly, asking, "Doesn't our Qi Men Dao Chang have its own cultivation route?"

  "This ascetic path was originally ours, the Qi Men Dao Yuan's. This time, Huo Yun Dao Yuan has gone too far, they actually stole our ascetic path!" Song Dashi gritted his teeth in hatred, but was at a loss for what to do.

  A path of ascetic practice, generally can only be walked three times within a year, with at least one month interval between each time. This allows the medicinal herbs and spiritual objects on both sides of the path to have time to grow and multiply, and will not lack opportunities.

  The bitter training team of Huoyun Daochang is rushing ahead, and all spiritual objects have been dug away. What chance do the newcomers from Qimen Daochang have to find anything?

  For a time, the team was filled with complaints and grievances. Director Song was at a loss, when suddenly Liu Zishan stood up and said loudly: "Everyone, listen to me! Since we've seen their campfire ashes, it means they're not far ahead, at most one day's journey ahead of us! Let's catch up with them and demand justice!"

  "That's right, let's discuss this fairly!"

  Among the noisy discussions of the young people, Master Song finally made a decision. He nodded and said: "We will advance quickly, find the people from Huoyun Daochang, and then reason with them."

  Xu Yang didn't speak, except to ask Director Song some sideways questions about the recent situation in Linwan City. Other than that, he was silent. He seemed like a character independent of the ascetic team, not interacting with others, and other ascetics didn't dare approach him either.

  After all, before crossing over, these people in the bitter cultivation team basically had oppressed Xu Yang and had deep grievances.

  Xu Yang didn't think much of the Qi Men Dao Xiang's action to "get back justice" this time, and he began to wonder how he would return to Lin Yuan City if the Kuxing team dispersed.

  "Both sides will definitely fight, and when the time comes, I'll snatch the map!" Xu Yang took a look at the leather bag behind Song's back and made up his mind. "Huoyun Daochang came prepared, with guides equipped, maybe not just one, perhaps there are even Xuan-level teachers following! What is reason? A big fist is reason, what can you do if I snatch your painstakingly cultivated route? If I annihilate everyone from Qimen Daochang here, the matter will naturally be extinguished in its infancy."

  Can't help but say, Director Song is a softie, being shouted at by a group of inexperienced young people, he lost his mind and went to crack eggs on the stone.

  What made Xu Yang somewhat puzzled was that after walking for more than a month, the Qimen Daochang's ascetic team had only just discovered the traces of Huoyun Daochang. If both sides shared the same route, they should have found it much earlier, shouldn't they?

  But now is not the time to think about this problem, Xuyang has already made a decision, once things go wrong, grab the map and run!

  One day's journey was hastily spent on the road. When camping, Qi Men Dao Chang's guide, Song Dashi, found a remnant of fire and a charred belt with the "Huoyun Daochang" logo in a sunken valley by the roadside, his face gloomy.

  "Too much deception!" Four words burst out from between Song's teeth.

  Liu Zishan and others said: "Master, we don't need to rest tonight, let's continue on our way, find those Fire Cloud Sect bastards and beat them up!"

  "Alright!" Coach Song also burst out, although it was more dangerous at night with wild beasts lurking about, but his anger had clouded his judgment. "Let's go!"

  For loose cultivators like Liu Zishan, joining the Qimen Daoist temple is to take the Qimen Daoist temple as their place of origin for their Xuanmen enlightenment, with a stronger sense of belonging.

  As for Xu Yang, he was not a disciple of the Qi Men Dao Xue himself. He joined the Qi Men Dao Xue's ascetic team for a reason, and naturally did not want to tie himself up with these people, let alone that they had humiliated him in every way.

  Day and night they hastened on their journey, and after a night of rushing, the faint light of dawn shone again in the east when the group finally made a new discovery.

  "Look at that mountain ridge!" Liu Zishan exclaimed excitedly, "Several stalks of ash grass!"

  Everyone followed the sound and looked over. On the middle section of the mountain cliff, there were indeed several inconspicuous grayish-black small grasses swaying in the wind, emitting bursts of medicinal fragrance.

  The crowd was stirred, and the Ashen Grass, although not a top-grade spiritual medicine, was still a good tempering herb for the Xuan disciples. It contained a rich fire energy, which would make those who consumed it more sensitive to the Fire Extreme Xuan Qi, with the effect of increasing the efficiency of absorbing the air.

  Moreover, the ash grass that forms a whole piece is often accompanied by the emergence of Flame Flower, which is truly a high-grade spiritual medicine with great value.

  Xu Yang's eyes flashed, and he thought to himself: "No wonder it's the golden age of abundant spiritual energy. In a mountain range with a danger level that's not very high, spiritual medicines are appearing in clusters."

  A group of people quickly ran towards the mountain cliff, still laughing and chatting nonstop.

  "You said those people at Huoyun Daochang are idiots, they missed such an obvious opportunity."

  "Who knows, we've been working day and night, maybe we've already surpassed those puppies at Huoyun Daochang, now it's their turn to eat our dust!"

  Xu Yang's heart moved slightly, and he walked away to one side.

  "Huh? Xuyang, what's going on?" Song Shifu asked curiously.

  "I'll go pee and then I'll be right back." Xuyang replied.

  Song Master didn't think much and led a group of disciples from the Qimen Daochang towards that mountain cliff.

  After those people disappeared, Xu Yang didn't go to pee, but instead ran wildly in the opposite direction. There was a high platform directly opposite the cliff, which could overlook the situation of the cliff.

  "Even if the ash grass is good, you need to have a life to enjoy it!" Xu Yang's eyes flashed, "There are two suspicious points about this ash grass! First, the mountain cliff stands high on three sides, with a terrain like a pot. Once someone blocks the valley entrance, except for breaking through the front, not one person can escape! Second, if the people from Huoyun Daochang pass by from this side, they will inevitably discover this ash grass, there is no reason to miss it!"

  So, this is a trap! The Xuan Zhe of Huoyun Daochang, the pit-killing Qi Men Daochang's hard-training team's trap!

  Xu Yang ran all the way up to the high ridge and, taking cover behind the waist-deep wormwood, he lay flat on his stomach and looked down.

  From here, you can see the situation in the valley just right.

  Master Song and the others arrived at the foot of the mountain valley, in the area where the gray ash grass was located, about four or five meters above the ground. For ordinary people, it would be somewhat difficult to climb up this cliff, but for a cultivator like them, it wouldn't pose any difficulty.

  Liu Zishan volunteered to go and pick herbs. He took out a small shovel from his leather bag, held it in his mouth, put on a pair of cowhide gloves with steel claws, and climbed up with one hand and one foot.

  It was easy to climb up to the mountain recess where the ash grass was, and Liu Zishan suddenly found that among the ash grass, there was also a touch of crimson! He was excited in his heart, could this be the companion plant of Ash Grass, the fierce flame flower?!

  No matter what, the heat emanating from the scarlet flower made Liu Zishan breathe rapidly, knowing it was a treasure. He immediately used a small shovel to secretly dig up the roots of the scarlet flower and put them in a small pouch at his waist, only then did he dig up several stalks of ash grass and put them in the leather pouch on his back.

  He made these movements extremely secretly, and no one below, including Song Shifu, discovered them. Xu Yang, who was not far away, also found it difficult to see his small movements due to the distance.

  "It should be the Blazing Flower, haha! I've been cultivating the Fire Extreme Mystical Vein myself. When I was challenging the Mystic Scholar's checkpoint, I consumed the Blazing Flower, which greatly benefited me in condensing the Fire Mystical Vortex Wheel. At least, it increased my chances of breaking through by 10%."

  Liu Zishan thought of a wonderful place, and felt refreshed. He didn't dare to reveal it, but secretly gritted his teeth: "When I become an immortal master, Pei Yang will no longer be my opponent! Hmph, useless trash, thinking that taking one spiritual herb can turn things around?"

  Hahaha...

  Liu Zishan didn't smile, but at this moment, a loud laughter came from outside the valley.

  "Old Hong, your plan is not bad, indeed it's setting up a delicious bait to catch a big fish." A loud and rough voice came over.

  "Nothing much, just a minor trick. What's strange is that these Qi Men Dao Zhen guys are too stupid." Another slightly sharp voice came over.

  "Cut the chatter and let's finish off these guys quickly, don't let a single one escape." The last voice was like the sound of metal clashing.

  "Lu Zhuo, Hong Xi, and Wei Haoshan, the three guides of Huoyun Sect?" Song Master's face turned pale, and when he heard the loud laughter of the three, he knew something was wrong.

  They have fallen into the ambush circle of Huoyun Daochang!

  "Luzu, Hongxi, Weihoshan, it's indeed the three of you," Master Song said with forced calmness. "You actually snatched away our Qimen Sect's path to bitter cultivation, aren't you afraid that our Qimen Sect's leader will ask Fire Cloud Daochang for an explanation?"

  "Haha, I was wondering who was so foolish, it turned out to be you Song Ren," Lu Zhuo laughed with a rough voice, "You're really too naive. In the Tian Xuan Continent, the strong are respected, do you think this path belongs to your Qi Men? Moreover, as long as all of you die here, who would know that it was our Huo Yun Dao Chang who did it?"

  Xīng Xī, a pale and thin man with a sharp voice, said gloomily: "The Qímén's Sùxiū Team was completely annihilated in the Giant Python Mountains. I believe this is also a significant blow to Qímén's reputation. This is what they call 'killing two birds with one stone'."

  The last Wei Haoshan, with a scar on his face that cut across, almost cutting the bridge of his nose in two, looked even more ferocious. He said impatiently, "What's all the nonsense? Let's get started!"