Cultivation Begins with Daily Intelligence Reports

12: A near-perfect sneak attack”Don’t panic! Push forward! He’s just at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer; how much spiritual power could he have? Old Five, use your illusions to distract him and buy me some time...”

Lin Chengyuan’s urgent voice transmission echoed in the minds of the several Bandit Cultivators, carrying a hint of subtle anxiety. His hands frantically formed seals as the spiritual power within his body surged out!

”Swoosh! Swoosh!”

Two Dark Green Poison Vines, several zhang long and covered in hideous barbs, burst from the ground behind him like giant pythons that had been lying in wait for a long time!

The vines let out a shrill whistle as they tore through the air, instantly wrapping around the light blue shield protecting the ”Fat Sheep”!

Even more terrifyingly, countless tiny suction-cup-like tentacles on the surface of the vines began to wriggle like living things, clinging tightly to the shield’s light curtain and visibly draining its spiritual power at a frantic pace!

Chi chi chi... The shield’s light dimmed at a speed visible to the naked eye!

”It’s working!” Lin Chengyuan was ecstatic. As long as he drained this kid’s spiritual power, he would be like meat on a chopping block!

Old Five’s half-baked illusion technique, usually useless, was now forcing the kid to divide his attention and accelerating his depletion... He looked up with a sneer, but the curve of his lips instantly froze!

Above the ”Fat Sheep’s” head hung a small, diamond-shaped jade pendant, emitting a soft, light blue halo that enveloped his entire head.

Old Five’s clumsy illusionary light struck the halo and vanished like a clay ox entering the sea, failing to stir even a single ripple!

What made Lin Chengyuan’s heart bleed even more was—that kid! He was actually clutching two radiant, Qi-overflowing Mid-Grade Spirit Stones in one hand, absorbing them frantically!

With his other hand, he occasionally fished out Spirit Pills the size of longans, their surfaces shimmering with pill patterns, and tossed them into his mouth like they were candy!

”Mid-Grade Spirit Stones! qi-restoring pills? You piece of...!” Lin Chengyuan’s eyes turned bloodshot, a surge of wicked anger rushing to his head! Those Spirit Stones and those Medicinal Pills already had his name written on them in his eyes!

Every breath of Spiritual Qi the kid took, every pill he swallowed, was burning through Lin Chengyuan’s future fortune!

Greed completely overwhelmed his reason and drowned out that faint trace of unease. With a distorted face, Lin Chengyuan roared hoarsely, ”Stop holding back, damn it! This target is tough, use the Blood Combustion Secret Art! If we delay any longer, all my Spirit Stones and Medicinal Pills will be wasted by him!”

”Roar!”

”Kill!”

The men from the Black Wind Stockade were also blinded by greed and ferocity, and they didn’t hesitate upon hearing his command.

A flash of blood-red light enveloped them, veins bulging under their skin like earthworms, and an unnatural flush appeared on their faces. Their auras surged by thirty percent, like a fire doused in oil! A faint scent of blood filled the air.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Bolstered by the secret art, the power of their attacks increased dramatically!

The ”Fat Sheep’s” already precarious shield flickered wildly like a candle in a storm, holding out for only a few breaths—

”Pfft!”

The ”Fat Sheep” felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer, and he spat out a mouthful of bright red blood, staining the silk robe on his chest. The shield’s light dimmed completely, on the verge of shattering! His face was as pale as paper, his body staggered, and a hint of despair finally appeared in his eyes.

”Haha! He can’t hold on anymore!”

”The finishing blow is mine!”

Seeing this, the Bandit Cultivators were ecstatic. Like sharks scenting blood, they vied to be the first, turning into several bloody shadows as they lunged at the tottering ”Fat Sheep” with cruel grins!

Whoever landed the final blow would get an extra twenty percent share! The massive temptation caused them to completely abandon their defense!

In that lightning-fast moment, an unexpected change occurred!

Several inconspicuous, dusty objects resembling pebbles shot silently out from the shadows of the dense forest below, landing with pinpoint accuracy at the center point of the Bandit Cultivators’ path!

”Hmm? What’s th—” The scar-faced Bandit Cultivator noticed them warily, but before he could finish his sentence—

”Bang! Bang! Bang!”

Several muffled explosions rang out! They weren’t earth-shattering, but they instantly burst into large clouds of thick, ink-like, and pungently spicy black smoke!

Within the smoke, countless faint but sharp whistling sounds were mixed—hundreds of iron needles as thin as cow hair, tempered with fire poison, were launched in all directions like a Pear Blossom Storm by the force of the explosions!

At the same time, several crimson ”Extreme Fire Stones” exploded following the black smoke, splashing a sky full of incredibly hot and terrifyingly high-temperature sparks, like the most lethal fireworks of a festival!

Normally, such tricks would be nothing more than child’s play to a Qi Refining Mid-Stage Cultivator, easily blocked by raising a shield.

But at this moment, their internal spiritual power had long been depleted by the secret art and their previous frenzied attacks, and their minds were completely occupied by the ”Fat Sheep” before them and the imminent rewards!

”Ah—! My eyes!”

”Hiss! So hot! What is this!”

”Cough, cough, cough... It’s poisonous! Chili powder! Achoo!”

Piercing screams of agony instantly replaced the wild laughter! Caught off guard, several Bandit Cultivators were turned into pincushions by the iron needles, the pain stabbing into their hearts! Scalding sparks landed on their skin with a ”sizzling” sound, raising a patch of blisters!

Even more fatal was the thick smoke mixed with poisonous chili powder; they inhaled it subconsciously, immediately choking until tears and snot flowed. Their windpipes felt like they were on fire, and their eyes were red, swollen, and stinging, making it almost impossible to open them!

While these injuries weren’t fatal, the sudden intense pain, burning, and suffocation threw them into complete disarray. Their offensive came to a screeching halt as they scurried about and screamed in the black smoke like headless flies.

”Which petty thief is there! Get out here!” Lin Chengyuan was both shocked and enraged. Having the highest cultivation level, his reaction was slightly faster.

Enduring the agonizing pain of his Meridians tearing, he forced out his last bit of pure spiritual power to barely prop up a thin layer of green light on his body, narrowly blocking most of the needle rain and sparks.

Even so, his grey cloth martial attire was riddled with holes from the sparks, covered in charred patches. Part of his hair and eyebrows were singed and curled, making him look as pathetic as if he had just crawled out of a stove.

His eyes felt like they were splitting open with rage as the dharma sword in his hand erupted with a cold, grim light, frantically scanning the dense forest below.

At this moment, Lin Jingyu, who had been called a ”petty thief,” had no time to admire his ”masterpiece.”

Just moments ago, he had been like the most patient hunter, holding his breath and lurking in the shadows of the forest below. His heart beat like a drum, his palms were covered in cold sweat, and his eyes didn’t blink as he watched the life-and-death struggle of the Qi Refining Mid-Stage Cultivators in the sky.

The ”Fat Sheep’s” level of wealth far exceeded his imagination; he was practically a walking treasure vault!

It was precisely this wealth that had forced the Black Wind Stockade and the Third Elder to their wits’ end, compelling them to use a secret art, and creating this fleeting, near-perfect opportunity for a sneak attack!

”It worked!” Seeing the Bandit Cultivators instantly fall for the trap and descend into chaos, Lin Jingyu let out a silent roar in his heart, not hesitating for a second!

Like an arrow leaving a bow, he lunged out from his hiding place at extreme speed, his target set directly on the tottering ”Fat Sheep” who was still spitting blood.