Qin Ye began explaining what control he had over the formation while lying down in the coffin.

  “The sea of fog encompasses three separate layers. First is actually a spirit gathering array, pulling energy in from a vast area of the forest. This also functions as a detector for other cultivators along with a different brightness based on their current level of strength. Right now there are ten shining stars, and dozens of dimmer ones.”

  Ten Qi Refinement realm cultivators…everybody took a sharp breath.

  “Second layer is the actual sea of fog. I can control it to reinforce its effectiveness in another area, amplify the entire defense, or perform mental attacks. But all this requires spirit stones. The only adjustment I can make currently is to strengthen the sea of fog in the area where we entered, since that’s where they’ve been trying to break in.”

  “Anyone else in the other entrances or exits? How’s the landscape there anyway? Why haven’t we seen anyone come from there?”

  “No, just the original entrance…let me take a look.” Qin Ye became silent for the time it took for an incense stick to burn. He was still getting used to controlling the formation.

  “There are mountain cliff walls on all sides,” he said afterwards. “Hard to get in.”

  “But could they fly in? Do we need someone to monitor this constantly?”

  An Xin stepped in. “Usually, no. They wouldn’t have enough energy to make the flight. But a higher level cultivator with a flying artifact might be able to do so. Still, getting through the sea of fog without any spiritual energy would be extremely difficult, though not impossible.”

  Lu Qingshan weighed the cost and benefits in his head. In this stage, someone had to monitor things each day so that nothing went wrong. Otherwise, he’d have no medicine for regret.

  The problem was that spirit stones were still something he’d rather not use yet. “I’ll give you one spirit stone,” he said, “for use in case of emergencies.”

  Qin Ye nodded. “The third and final layer is a very complicated auxiliary formation tied in with the land inside this basin. Anything that dies drips some of their life into the array. Right now it’s keyed towards the ice and fire lotus, the herb garden, and the giant forest. But I can change it, shift priorities, or fine tune the amounts.”

  “What would happen if we moved some of the excess energy away from the giant forest? Just don’t touch the tallest tree where the stone eye is placed.”

  “It should be fine in the short term,” An Xin said. “I think it will reduce the amount of demonized insects appearing there, and maybe diminish their venomous properties. This might end up causing problems in the long run since we’ll end up with less life essence to be drained overall with less fighting populations.”

  “Do it. Concentrate some of the life essence into the herb garden and the ice and fire lotus. Oh, and the spirit rice too. We’ll readjust a month later.”

  After Qin Ye had done so, he climbed out of the coffin. With the formation running on its own most of the time, the man could still dedicate most of his time to cultivation. It was just that he might be needed to actively defend.

  The other immortal cultivators left the mountain peak. Meanwhile, Lu Qingshan was deep in thought. A glance at the stone slab revealed he was close enough to a breakthrough in the Giant Whale Breathing Method. The Dragon Spine Manual still needed some time. And the Insect Harmony Mantra was less than halfway there.

  Taking control over the formation would likely give him the time he needed to stay at least another year. After all, the cultivators inside hadn’t been able to enter even without active control. But this wasn’t guaranteed to remain as is.

  Lu Qingshan knew there was no such thing as an impenetrable fortress. It was only a matter of time before the formation was breached. Perhaps they were simply waiting for an actual formation expert, or someone stronger than average to arrive. Staying too long would be a mistake.

  They would have to fight their way out. Lu Qingshan needed to elevate his people’s cultivation realms as well. More spirit rice might make a difference, but the most likely source of change was the ice and fire lotus.

  And the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique didn’t guarantee a major power spike as before. When Lu Qingshan ran it fully for a single attack, he didn’t feel that much stronger, even though he was a peak Elemental Tempering realm expert. There was definitely a limit at the second level of the technique.

  He closed his eyes. It was time to dedicate himself fully to mastering those skills. Nothing external could interrupt his retreat until he was ready.

  The final year passed by in relative harmony. The demonized insect population slowly dwindled away. Lu Qingshan made full use of his resources, no longer caring about sustainability.

  Two additional Eight Thorns Spiders were reared. Then, the Hundred Venoms Centipede became the Thousand Venoms Centipede. A classic session of gu refinement helped the victorious centipede absorb the additional venoms they discovered from the giant forest. The final method was to pit it against one of the newer Eight Thorns Spiders. It won.

  With the addition of a new Qi Refinement venomous gu, Liu Yingting finally achieved the Innate realm using the Hundred Poisons Body. He even gained a measure of control over some of these gu. He was the only one who could work with them somewhat.

  Gaining control over the formation was made obvious to their enemies when several of them attempted to breach the sea of fog. They were forced to expend a single spirit stone to fend them off. Then, the slow, steady stream of attacks began. It would have interrupted Qin Ye’s cultivation were it not for Li Fanghua’s relatively fast breakthrough to replace him in the coffin.

  Spirit rice and the teachings of her predecessors helped her break through quicker. Song Lin had broken through earlier as well.

  Lu Qingshan used the extra surveillance to ambush a pair of cultivators. His Eight Thorns Spiders rendered them unable to even fight back. The attacks stopped afterwards.

  Using actual live Qi Refinement realm cultivators to rear gu was a failure. Refining the hairy centipede needed more people. All it accomplished was feeding his Bloodseeker Flies with more food, thereby birthing a small group of Viscera Tempering flies. Now there were four.

  Fortunately, these attempts at rearing gu were not wasted. His Insect Harmony Mantra’s proficiency shot all the way up. It was drawing close to the peak.

  And the Giant Whale Breathing Method had reached the limit long ago. With it came the ability to store additional reserves of energy in his body. A new organ, called the whale sac. Having this meant he could scarf down more food, making his cultivation more efficient.

  He would’ve continued driving the Dragon Spine Manual forward had it not been for an incident Qin Ye notified him of. Before he went, he checked the stone slab. It was becoming real close.

  Lu Qingshan (31 years old)

  Lifespan Remaining: 34 years

  Cultivation: Mortal Shedding - Elemental Tempering

  Techniques: Hundred Beasts Refinement (Level 1, 11/10000), Insect Harmony Mantra (Level 7, 9789/10000), Giant Whale Breathing Method (Limit), Blood Seas Inner Force (Limit), Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique (Level 2, 6741/10000), Blood Pulse Technique (Level 2, 8153/10000), Dragon Spine Manual (Level 5, 7243/10000), Great Ape Breathing Method (Limit), Roaming Tiger Breathing Method (Limit), Nimble Deer Breathing Method (Limit), Red Falcon Breathing Method (Limit), Tiger Fist (Limit), Deer Steps (Limit), Stoneskin Technique (Limit), Seven Steps Technique (Level 4, 3465/10000), Verdant Summer Inner Force (Level 5, 99/10000), Black Fury Inner Force (Level 5, 3129/10000), Raging Bear Breathing Method (Level 2, 4999/10000), Soaring Crane Breathing Method (Level 3, 3599/10000), Flowing Cloud Inner Force (Level 5, 99/10000), Golden Drop Inner Force (Limit), Earthen Crust Inner Force (Limit), Hidden Veil Technique (Limit), Golden Shell Body (Level 2, 3781/10000), Turtle Breath Inner Force (Level 4, 99/10000), Wave Motions Fist (Limit), Tiger Roar Technique (Limit), Crane Wings Technique (Limit), Iron Bear Technique (Limit), Viper Strike Technique (Limit), Silent Step Technique (Limit), Basic Hand-to-hand (Limit)

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  Mystic Jade Essence - Dao Fruit of Sublime Miracles - Condensing... 99%

  One additional year of lifespan from the Turtle Breath Inner Force reaching level four. A shame he'd likely not be able to break through with the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique before the battle. Such growth required another year of constant battering away at his body, and waiting so long made him wary. Fortunately, the Blood Pulse Technique had almost reached the next level thanks to his constant sparring with Liu Yingting and the cultivators, though its proficiency was still a good way off.

  The Hidden Veil Technique at its limit had a peak efficiency comparable to the replenishment of his energy. Basically, he could keep it covering his body for weeks, if not months.

  These were good upgrades, but they were not enough. Not in his current situation. One more percent was all it'd take to change the entire situation. He was hopeful for the coming days.

  Lu Qingshan arrived at the entrance to the sea of fog. In front of the An siblings and Qin Ye was a crawling torso — a woman. She was still alive, and gasping for breath.

  “She’s someone from outside,” An Xin said. “Says she’s a fugitive fleeing from the sects.”

  “And what was her crime?”

  “Don’t know. She wouldn’t say.”

  The woman lifted her head up. “I know I don’t look trustworthy, but please believe me. If you save my life I can give you information about the people surrounding you outside.”

  It was a good offer. Lu Qingshan was worried she’d be a secret agent. But it seemed the scene between her and her pursuers was realistic enough that Li Fanghua let her inside.

  “Give me your information first. Who are you?”

  “Xuan Jing,” she said. “I used to be a disciple of the Xuanhuang Gate. My spirit roots were metal and fire. I was an Embryonic Breathing cultivator at the Jade Cleansing stage.”

  “A disciple? Impressive, considering all the families in the area,” An Xin muttered. "How did you survive while only at Jade Cleansing?"

  This woman was still full of energy even after her grievous wound. After a sharp glare, she explained, "I know how to carve talismans. I had to use them all in order to escape my captors. Then I was forced to sacrifice my senior brother's Qi Refinement talismans in order to break through the encirclement around this place."

  "How did you find out about us?"

  "I didn't. All I knew was that there was a place where the sects couldn't break through very quickly. By hiding there, I would be able to change my identity and start anew. Unfortunately, I didn't anticipate the people here to be so ferocious."

  "An identity change method?" Lu Qingshan probed. "I know of some myself."

  "You're a martial artist," she said, looking at him with some disdain. "Our methods are much better than your primitive means."

  "That's our sect master," Qin Ye scolded. "Apologize."

  "Uhh," the woman stuttered, her look becoming very confused, "Sorry? I didn't know a martial artist would be your leader." Then she seemed to recover. A hint of both condescension and wariness flashed in her eyes as she glanced at the cultivators around her.

  "I don't like her," Qin Ye whispered. "She's really arrogant. Who does she think we are?"

  "It's fine," Lu Qingshan said. "I know I don't look very powerful. Not yet, anyway. But it's soon enough that I feel like you should know we're planning to break out of the encirclement ourselves."

  "What?" the woman exclaimed. "That's courting death!"

  "Not as much as you think," Qin Ye said, ever his defender. "Our sect master is our sect master because he has slaughtered Qi Refinement cultivators alone!"

  Her eyes became disbelieving. But she still nodded her head as she accepted some of Wu Ruoling's secret medicines. "I thank you for all your help," she muttered. Then she began to explain.

  “There are a dozen cultivators surrounding this place,” she said. “They’re all from various cultivation families scattered around the kingdom. None are directly affiliated with the sects, though. Not like me, so you shouldn’t be worried about that.”

  “There’s a catch.”

  “Yeah. One of the families has a connection with a sect disciple. I’m not sure if it’s an outer sect disciple or an inner sect disciple though.”

  “And what of your status?” An Xin asked.

  “Never mind that. I’ll tell you if I think you’re trustworthy. So, are you willing to take me in or not? I have more information.”

  “It’s a deal,” Lu Qingshan said. “Bring her to the main camp. We will start to make plans and include the rest of the martial artists in as well. Even if they’re not fully loyal.”

  "Are you sure?" An Xin asked. "They might rebel."

  “We need to include them in the battle. There are a lot of Embryonic Breathing cultivators to slay as well.”

  “Alright.”

  Unfortunately, as Lu Qingshan returned to his regular martial arts practice, dissent among the martial artists rapidly grew. There was talk about hiding, fleeing, or even surrendering to the enemy. Liu Yingting wanted to begin the executions. But Lu Qingshan held him off for just another few days.

  That was how long it took for the Dragon Spine Manual to finally reach its limit. It offered an unexpected ability: Intimidation.

  He took a deep breath and a rigid stance. In the next moment, a blistering ripple traveled across the area, and all martial artists nearby froze up in pure fear. Like the might of a dragon, no life was permitted to act before their king. It was similar to his Tiger Roar, only much more threatening.

  Lu Qingshan let the effect dissipate. But his sect’s martial artists and even the immortal cultivators looked at him in a new light. Before, they believed themselves able to put up an attempt at defense together in order to run away.

  Now, there was no chance at all.

  In about a week’s time, the final wisp of Mystic Jade Essence would finish condensing into a complete portion. Lu Qingshan had already reached the limit of his physics body. He could feel it — a solid wall where his power could attempt to breach. If he didn’t have access to the stone slab, he might have chosen to try this slow, dangerous method of exploring the next major realm.

  But he did. And doing that would incur a heavy risk. Better to just wait unless he had no choice.

  Lu Qingshan spent this final week simply wandering around the basin, speaking with the occasional martial artist to dissuade their fears. His presence offered comfort. Many of them began to prepare wholeheartedly for the upcoming battle.

  Then, finally, on a cool, rainy morning, a portion of Mystic Jade Essence appeared in the stone slab. A sense of calmness solidly rested on his shoulders. If it worked, then it worked. There was no use worrying about it at this point.

  Lu Qingshan guided the Mystic Jade Essence towards his three martial arts techniques. First was the Blood Seas Inner Force, his first merged technique. Blood shimmered in a mirage behind him as he displayed the skill in full force.

  Second was the Dragon Spine Manual, a body tempering method, imposing its rigid bearing onto the world. He could feel the very air still, and the breaths of all living beings turned quiet.

  Third was the Giant Whale Breathing Method. His most powerful martial art from a bygone time long in the past. All the spiritual energy nearby simply vanished. Power flooded into his veins, held together by his body, bound by a bloody sea.

  Three skills joined into one. And from their union came his triumph.

  Dragon Whale Blood Diagram (Level 3, 1/10000)

  A roar split the sky. It was long, furious, and crazed, like an enraged dragon and a whale both howling incessantly at the world.

  A single drop of blood formed near his heart. It sank deep into his body and carved out a passageway throughout. Pure power followed in its wake.

  Meridian Opening - First Vein

  It was time for payback. Lu Qingshan's eyes glinted in the light rain, briefly slitted like a serpent's.