29: Chapter 29 Perilous Situation

Over the next few days, the news of the emergence of the Foundation Establishment Master's ruined Immortal Cave spread like it had wings, sweeping across the entire region controlled by the Houtu Sect.

The rumors grew increasingly wild and exaggerated. Some said it contained a Foundation Establishment Cultivator's Lifebound Treasure; others claimed it held a foundation establishment pill that could directly break through one's Realm; and some even said the Immortal Cave contained a complete Foundation Establishment Cultivation Technique, and that obtaining it would make soaring to the heavens from the Qi Refining Stage a reality.

Consequently, the already bustling Xiuchun Market suddenly became unimaginably lively.

The entrance to the market was packed shoulder-to-shoulder, and flying Magical Artifacts occasionally streaked across the sky, all carrying Cultivators rushing toward the ruins.

There were solitary Loose Cultivators wearing coarse Daoist robes and carrying battered swords, as well as disciples from cultivation Families dressed in uniform attire with extraordinary Auras.

These people hurried along, their eyes filled with urgency and greed; almost no one was willing to stay in the Xiuchun Market for even a second longer.

Most people who came to the Xiuchun Market didn't buy anything or rest at all. They would simply grab a passerby, ask a few questions about where the ruins were, and once they confirmed the exact direction, they would immediately fly into the air on their Magical Artifacts, heading straight for the valley where the ruins lay without looking back.

As more and more Cultivators arrived at the ruins, the true situation of the Immortal Cave gradually became clear, no longer just a matter of groundless rumors.

The first piece of good news to be confirmed was that this Immortal Cave was indeed the ruins of a Foundation Establishment Master.

This was impossible to fake, because the Protective Mountain Formation enveloping the entire valley on the outskirts of the ruins could be recognized at a glance by anyone with discerning eyes—it was a standard Tier 2 defensive Formation.

What did a Tier 2 Formation mean? In the eyes of Qi Refining Cultivators, it was an existence as formidable as an impassable chasm.

Even if a Foundation Establishment Master were to personally take action, it would take some effort to break such a Formation by force, let alone this group of Cultivators whose highest cultivation was only Qi Refining Perfection.

Once the news spread, all the Cultivators who rushed over felt both excited and helpless.

They were excited because this was truly a Foundation Establishment ruin, and the benefits inside would definitely be immense.

The helpless part was that this Formation was too tough. So many Qi Refining Perfection experts present had bombarded the Formation for several days, throwing their most powerful Spells and Magical Artifacts at it, yet the Formation only shook slightly, its spiritual light dimming just a fraction, without a single crack appearing.

Everyone was at their wits' end, left with no choice but to rely on their numerical advantage to attack again and again, slowly wearing down the Formation's spiritual energy and waiting for it to weaken on its own.

Some also thought of taking a shortcut—inviting a Formation Great Master to break the Formation directly.

But as soon as this thought arose, they dismissed it themselves.

To break a Tier 2 defensive Formation, one would need to be at least a Tier 2 Formation Great Master.

And in this entire region, what kind of people were Tier 2 Formation Great Masters? Without exception, they were all Masters who had already entered the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Invite a powerhouse of that level? What a joke! Once they broke the Formation, what would be left for these Qi Refining Cultivators? They probably wouldn't even get to pick up a single scrap; a Foundation Establishment Master could blow them all away with a single breath.

Therefore, no one dared to mention inviting a Formation Great Master. Everyone knew in their hearts that they could only grind it out until the Formation could no longer hold on.

Fortunately, this ruin was only the Immortal Cave of an ordinary Foundation Establishment Master. For those true Foundation Establishment powerhouses, the contents inside were not very attractive.

Foundation Establishment Cultivators had their own circles and resources, and they looked down on the assets of such a small ruin. Only because of this did this group of Qi Refining Perfection Cultivators have a chance to compete for it.

If it were the ruins of a Golden Core Immortal Master, let alone competing for it, they wouldn't even have the right to approach.

What made the Loose Cultivators breathe an even greater sigh of relief was that the Houtu Sect, the largest power in the vicinity, had an unusually cold attitude toward these ruins.

According to past rules, for ruins that emerged like this, the nearby large Sects would have long sent people to seize them, leaving no room for Loose Cultivators and small Families to interfere.

Yet this time, the Houtu Sect acted as if they hadn't heard anything. From beginning to end, they didn't issue any orders, nor did they send any Foundation Establishment Elders to oversee the situation. Only a few Outer Sect Deacons at Qi Refining Perfection came, and even then, they came in a private capacity to try their luck, not representing the Sect.

Once this word got out, all the Loose Cultivators and small Families completely put their hearts at ease.

As long as the Houtu Sect did not intervene to suppress them, everyone would compete fairly—whoever had the ability would get the treasures.

As for the few Rogue Cultivators who had previously injured Zhou Datong on the road and committed highway robbery, they had long become a thing of the past.

When the first batch of genuine Qi Refining Perfection experts arrived at the ruins, those few petty thieves happened to run right into them. Several hot-tempered Cultivators didn't even bother to ask questions; with a casual cast of a Spell, those Rogue Cultivators were instantly obliterated, body and soul, without even raising a ripple. Before true experts, such small-time thugs were simply not worth mentioning.

Thus, a large group of Qi Refining Perfection experts surrounded the Tier 2 defensive Formation, constantly attacking to wear down its power while remaining wary of and balancing one another. Before the Formation was completely breached, everyone could still maintain a superficial peace, and no large-scale slaughter broke out.

After all, everyone understood that fighting among themselves now would only waste their strength for nothing; it would not be too late to make a move once the Formation was opened.

While it was calm among the Qi Refining Perfection experts, those low-level Cultivators who were not at Qi Refining Perfection and had only come to fish in troubled waters were not nearly as well-behaved.

These people had low cultivation, so they couldn't help break the Formation, nor did they have any competitiveness to enter the ruins. Consequently, their minds went astray—since they couldn't snatch the treasures inside the Immortal Cave, they would snatch the belongings of the Cultivators around them.

Medicinal Pills, Magical Artifacts, Spirit Stones, and Talismans—as long as they could steal them, it was a profit.

On top of that, a group of anonymous Rogue Cultivators had emerged from who-knows-where. These people made a living by murdering and plundering year-round; they were ruthless and specifically hid in the woods, valley corners, and shadows at the edge of the Formation, keeping a close eye on solitary Cultivators.

As long as someone left the group alone to gather herbs, take a rest, or even just relieve themselves, they might be surrounded by several dark shadows the next second. Before they could react, they would be slain with a single sword strike, their belongings thoroughly plundered, and their corpses casually dumped in a ravine.

Within just a few days, fresh corpses of Cultivators could be seen everywhere in the mountain forests near the ruins.

The entire area surrounding the ruins was beset with crises, and everyone felt in constant danger!

At first, some people would still collect the corpses, but later on, as more and more people died, everyone became numb. They only cared about guarding against those around them, and no one could be bothered to care about the life or death of strangers.

Every day at dawn, new Cultivators would arrive, and every day at dusk, a batch of Cultivators would remain in these mountain forests forever.

Some would ruthlessly kill just to snatch a single Spirit Stone;

Some would turn hostile and heartless just to steal a single Talisman;

Some who were chatting and drinking together just a moment ago would fight to the death the next moment over a minor dispute.

Everyone understood a simple truth: humans die for wealth, just as birds die for food.

Since they dared to come to these peril-ridden ruins to try their luck, they were destined to be unable to enter safely, let alone come out alive in peace.

They would either step on the bones of others to obtain an Opportunity and soar to the heavens, or become stepping stones for others, dying in these desolate mountains without even a name being remembered.

The Formation was still being worn down bit by bit, its spiritual light growing dimmer and dimmer, and the day of its complete breach drew closer and closer.

Around this soon-to-be-opened Foundation Establishment Immortal Cave, the slaughter, rivalry, conspiracies, and schemes would only grow more frenzied.

No one backed down, and no one was afraid.

The eyes of all the Cultivators who came here burned with greed and determination—even if a mountain of blades or a sea of fire lay ahead, even if they would be decapitated the next second, they would absolutely not leave.

Because they were all gambling. They gambled that they would be the final winner, and they gambled that they could obtain a great fortune from this Foundation Establishment Master's ruins to change the destiny of their entire lives.

The scent of blood in the air grew thicker, attracting many Yao Beasts, but seeing the numerous human experts here, the Yao Beasts were not foolish either and withdrew quite readily.

The sound of the Formation cracking became clearer and clearer; a grand feast was already right before their eyes.