Lu Qingshan double-checked his injuries. He had barely felt anything during the slaughter, which was probably why they were so quick to run away. Under the physical body enhancements of the Stoneskin Technique, the Golden Shell Body, the Hundred Beasts Refinement, and the healing effects of Blood Seas Inner Force, not even Marrow Tempering experts could do much damage to him.

  Without many powerful, fearless, or sacrificial Viscera Tempering experts attacking at once, Lu Qingshan was very hard to kill. This army was not sufficient enough to pose a threat to him.

  Still, he knew he couldn't go too far. Wiping the vanguard out was already a massive feat. If he slaughtered the entire army, the whole kingdom would know an extreme threat existed, and they would instantly unite to deal with him first. He couldn't afford to have that happen.

  Qin Ye, Li Fanghua, his Bloodseeker Flies, and even his Aperture Tempering level technique needed to be kept secret from the rest of the army. To prevent so many people from escaping with just his current forces was nearly impossible. He still remembered his true threats in the kingdom: cultivators.

  Lu Qingshan had never actually slain a cultivator in direct combat. The first had grown overconfident and fell to his tricks. The second lost to his sudden surge in strength, and the third needed Yan Xi's sacrifice to handle. The fourth and the fifth had exhausted themselves completely and yet still needed the full second-level Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique to finish them off smoothly.

  He wasn’t sure he’d be alive had he been a heartbeat slower in any of those battles.

  And Lu Qingshan was still healing from the aftermath of that last battle. Against immortal cultivators, he had always remained wary. Simply charging down there and kidnapping the three experts would normally be an option, were it not for the questions he had just asked.

  The Song family mercenaries had not succeeded in their mission. That was what all three of them said. Qin Ye detected no lies.

  Yet the enemy deputy general seemed confident as if they had lost the item. Someone could have implanted lies, but Lu Qingshan was more inclined to believe he was telling the truth. A third party had stolen the Aperture Tempering stage weapon and deflected all blame towards the Song family.

  It made the waters murkier. Lu Qingshan was unwilling to step too deeply into the turmoil. Making the enemy army back off willingly on their own was difficult, though. That treasured weapon sounded like something they would never give up on.

  He either needed to prove their innocence, or hold out against the enemy’s siege. The first option was almost impossible. Nobody would believe the Seven Mysteries Gate as they had no credibility.

  The goal was still to transport as many supplies as possible to another place for the sect. Driving away the army would make this happen faster. But it wasn’t exactly necessary.

  Lu Qingshan ordered the disciples to begin usual procedures. He kept an eye on the enemy army as they worked. They did not seem aware that the vanguard had already fallen.

  A few sect disciples went with Meng Zhang to explore the tunnels inside the fort. They eventually resurfaced with a complete map of the interior.

  The most important thing was that the tunnel traveled down the mountain and out the side, where few soldiers were patrolling. Since the Seven Mysteries Gate was so small, they could sneak away from here without the enemy noticing. Lu Qingshan had his Elders decide just how much they needed to carry and how many trips it would take.

  They collected a large amount of food and medicine into bags. After some calculations, it became clear that a few weeks were not enough to bring all the supplies away, even if they only focused on the essentials. Each trip took multiple days to finish.

  While Wu Ruoling, Li Fanghua, and Dong Qianyu escorted most of the disciples into the tunnels, Lu Qingshan watched a second wave of enemy soldiers go up the mountain path. They moved a lot slower this time, and there were fewer people.

  Lu Qingshan could slaughter them all. And then the next wave, along with the next. But it wouldn’t be long before reinforcements arrived, and he might end up facing immortal cultivators or Aperture Tempering stage experts. In that case, it was better to delay as long as possible.

  Lu Qingshan knew carrying out all the supplies here was exceedingly difficult as more soldiers were brought to patrol the area. To secure more, he needed to quickly drive them off without revealing his identity. It just so happened he had bought a martial art from the ghost market that helped him unlock a third option.

  The Hidden Veil Technique was quick to practice. Combined with extensive focus on the Roaming Tiger Breathing Technique and his Tiger Stalks Prey state, he believed he could make a disguise work.

  Lu Qingshan brought the remaining people over, Liu Yingting, Meng Zhang, and Qin Ye, along with Chen Niu and three other disciples who stayed behind. “I need you all to buy me time,” he said. “Without exposing your identities.” He gave a good look at his Elders when saying this, as they would be coming with him to the cities.

  Fending them off was simple enough. Liu Yingting's resetted traps would help ward away the enemies. Since this wave was more cautious, they would eventually come up with countermeasures. The man waited for most of them to clamber up the mountain before heaving poisoned corpses over the walls, along with more toxic vials.

  That sent the soldiers scrambling. They didn't return for hours. When they did, aiming to bring back the bodies, the seven of them entered a stalemate with the enemy army.

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  Meanwhile, Lu Qingshan practiced the Hidden Veil Technique in conjunction with the Roaming Tiger Breathing Technique. Hidden Veil taught him how to condense his blood energy around his body, cloaking his figure in a haze. His points on the stone slab were continuously ticking upwards as clouds of fog rose up to surround him. Bunches of medicine sat next to him, which he stuffed into his mouth.

  Lu Qingshan leveled up the technique to the second level after a few days of practice. The hazy cloud no longer covered only his face, but wrapped around his head in a veil as well. Fog trailed down his neck slightly past his shoulders.

  He stood up. Below the mountain was another surge in enemy soldiers, led by two Viscera Tempering experts at the fourth tempered organ level. They were very careful to avoid the traps placed by Liu Yingting. Climbing up the mountain path became much slower especially with corpses still tumbling downwards.

  But they were bound to run out. As Lu Qingshan honed his proficiencies for another day, the soldiers finally created over the last part of the trail. They were just about to set up camp when a human-shaped monster crashed directly into their ranks.

  Lu Qingshan had used up some of the medicinal stockpile to restore enough of his internal injuries for first stage uses of the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique. Seven steps traced instant death for a Viscera Tempering expert even though he hid in the back. Lu Qingshan crushed the man’s skull in his palms before the soldiers could react.

  He turned and threw a flurry of vials at the rest. A sudden wind swirled, poisoning everyone in the area. That was the last of the poisons Liu Yingting had stocked.

  The roar of a tiger stunned the rest of the soldiers in his path to the other Viscera Tempering expert. Seven steps brought Lu Qingshan to the final piece of sustenance he needed to fully restore his internal injuries. In the dim red glow of his claw, a torn throat shuddered, breathing their last.

  Hundreds of bloody flowers flourished on the mountain trail. Lu Qingshan turned back once the deed was done. In his mind, the stone slab rose, and he bared his teeth.

  After losing another swathe of their army, the last general became much more obedient. The Seven Mysteries Gate returned two days later in time for another shipment of supplies. They had brought back a small stock of poisons as well. Liu Yingting laced the mountain path with traps again.

  This time, Lu Qingshan sent everyone to transport the goods. He was getting close to the next level for multiple martial arts. Under this environment, he set his mind free to solely focus on martial arts, only playing with his Bloodseeker Flies every once in a while as they scavenged for meat among the corpse piles.

  Some of the eggs hatched another generation of those who came from Qi Refinement flesh. These were not yet at the Marrow Tempering, though their bodies did appear enhanced. They flew faster, for longer distances, and had noticeably better reflexes.

  Lu Qingshan left out his remaining stock of Qi Refinement flesh, allowing the flies to feast freely. New batches rose and fell over the next week. Down below, the army seemed frozen.

  When the Seven Mysteries Gate returned, a still breath hung in the air. It was as if there was a hungry beast looking down at them. A single wrong move spelled death.

  They entered with caution, only to find Lu Qingshan breathing steadily, eyes closed. One could vaguely hear the snores of a tiger as they approached.

  Lu Qingshan slowly opened his eyes. “What’s going on?” he asked.

  “Nothing. We were forced to detour by camping soldiers. They’re coming from another direction to encircle the mountain,” Dong Qianyu said. “They’ll be here in two days.”

  “It doesn’t matter. Tonight will be our final day here.” Lu Qingshan chanted the Insect Harmony Mantra and recalled every Bloodseeker Fly in the vicinity. A swarm twice or thrice as large as the one previous poured out from every piece of stone. Even the blood faded away after the flies had scoured the place.

  Insect Harmony Mantra (Level 4, 9631/10000)

  The Insect Harmony Mantra would break through soon, though he didn’t think he’d have the luxury of time to ensure the safety of his sect once reinforcements arrived. Now was the best moment to strike.

  Roaming Tiger Breathing Method (Level 4, 81/10000)

  Blood Seas Inner Force (Level 4, 9109/10000)

  Hidden Veil Technique (Level 4, 26, 10000)

  At the fourth level, the Hidden Veil Technique fog thickened into a shroud and wrapped his whole body from head to toe like a cloak. Hazy light strands made it much harder for even the Marrow Tempering experts to see his physical details. Even height looked warped by his blood energy.

  At the nine-thousand experience points mark, the Blood Seas Inner Force underwent another revolution. He could truly say he was at the absolute peak of Viscera Tempering. From this point, only the process to Aperture Tempering would improve his martial arts level.

  Lu Qingshan looked down at the still-waiting army below. His figure vanished from the mountaintop and reappeared closer to them. With only one peak Viscera Tempering general remaining hidden in his tent, it was easy to solve. A cluster of flies drifted in and out.

  He waited for the sect to gather all the supplies they could into the carts, prioritizing the remaining meat, medicine, and easily-carried currencies. Then the foggy cloak around him contracted into itself. A shimmering haze occupied the space around Lu Qingshan’s body, muffling his presence.

  Under the dead of night, Lu Qingshan silently faded into the enemy camp with Liu Yingting’s vials, appearing outside the enemy general’s tent. Two Marrow Tempering guards stood watch. He reached out and snapped their necks without making a sound.

  Inside, a man was sleeping on the bed, still clad in armor with a sword by his pillow. Lu Qingshan took a few steps in his direction.

  A hand clamped down onto the general’s throat. In an instant he jolted awake, but Lu Qingshan had already disarmed his weapon. His hands tried to claw themselves free, breaking skin and causing Lu Qingshan to bleed. His gaze turned upwards, only to meet cold, uncaring eyes staring down at him.

  It took a few minutes to choke him unconscious. Lu Qingshan bound his limbs in rope and looked through the tent’s belongings. He found a more complete map than what the Seven Mysteries Gate had. After stuffing it into a bag, he took his prisoner and snuck back out.

  Wearing masks, the Seven Mysteries Gate simply walked down the mountain path and left. The sentries in the enemy army noticed this. They tried to wake the general up first, only to find him missing.

  In a panic, the military camp couldn’t do anything to stop the Seven Mysteries Gate from leaving. They tried to tie paper messages to the claws of birds to send to the incoming reinforcements. But large clouds of Bloodseeker Flies were waiting for this to happen.

  The flock of birds flew into a dark cloud, disappearing forever with their messages unsent. Lu Qingshan chanted a low, clicking noise, and the clouds moved to follow.

  All those thoughts and decisions. In the end, power was all that mattered.