Immortals Step into Heaven

They dispersed, carefully surveying every corner of the medicine garden, searching for a clue. One of the cultivators, skilled in tracking techniques, crouched down, lightly touched the ground with his fingers, and slowly extended his spiritual awareness. After a moment, he stood up and said solemnly, "There are traces of freshly turned earth here. Someone must have dug a hole underground and then backfilled it."

Upon hearing this, the monks immediately followed the trail. Zheng Yuan, meanwhile, was running at full speed, fully aware of the danger he was in. The spirit-seeking rat trembled on his shoulder, seemingly sensing the tense atmosphere. As Zheng Yuan ran, he placed his spiritual elixirs into the bracelet's storage compartment, just in case he was caught up and all of them were confiscated.

On a deserted path, Zheng Yuan's figure flashed like lightning, then abruptly stopped. He glanced around cautiously, confirming his surroundings were clear. He quickly shuffled his clothes off, then pulled out a fresh set from his storage ring. After dressing, he gazed at the old clothes in his hands, a flicker of determination in his eyes. With a low shout, Zheng Yuan summoned his spiritual energy, and a blazing fireball instantly coalesced in his palm. The flames blazed, enveloping the old clothes, and in the blink of an eye, they were reduced to ash, which drifted away on the wind.

Zheng Yuan then closed his eyes, channeled the secret techniques within his body, and began to perform the cartilage technique. A hazy glow enveloped his body, his bones crackling, his muscles trembling slightly, his figure gradually rising, and his facial features slowly twisting and reshaping under the influence of spiritual power. A moment later, a completely new face appeared before his eyes, a stark contrast to his previous self.

Zheng Yuan appraised himself with satisfaction, took a deep breath, and then dashed towards the Yunlong Sect's main gate. Along the way, he carefully avoided possible spies and traps.

The Tianshui Sect cultivators chased all the way to where Zheng Yuan was changing clothes and hurriedly stopped. The elderly Foundation Establishment cultivator among them frowned, puzzled, and asked, "What's going on? We should have a clue by this point, so why did the aura suddenly disappear?"

The others looked at each other in bewilderment and confusion. Seeing this, the older Foundation Establishment cultivator snorted coldly, his eyes filled with anger and resentment. "Good boy, you're running pretty fast, but don't let me know who you are, or I'll make you suffer a fate worse than death."

At this time, a young monk whispered, "Brother, they have disappeared, how can you find them?" His tone was filled with helplessness and frustration.

Upon hearing this, the older Foundation Establishment cultivator was immediately enraged. He turned to the young cultivator and angrily shouted, "You idiot! Don't you have to hand over your storage bag when you go out so that we can check your harvest? Whoever has the most spiritual medicines will most likely be the one who stole ours. Don't you think of that?" The young cultivator lowered his head and dared not say another word. The air around him seemed to freeze a little because of the scolding.

One of the Tianshui Sect cultivators said, "Brother, we should hurry and look for other opportunities, otherwise they will all be snatched away by others." His eyes revealed a hint of anxiety and unwillingness. After all, in this mysterious place, every moment could mean missing out on precious opportunities.

After hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement, thinking that instead of wasting time here chasing after an unknown person, it would be better to seize the time to explore more unknowns. So they did not stop and rushed away into the distance, their figures gradually disappearing into the depths of this mysterious area.

Meanwhile, Zheng Yuan sped along, finally arriving at the main gate of the Yunlong Sect. He had barely taken a step outside when a flying sword suddenly shot out at him like lightning, its speed catching Zheng Yuan completely off guard. His heart lurched in fear, and he instinctively rolled to the ground, tumbling awkwardly back into the main gate.

Looking up, he saw several people walking towards him, some even flying through the air. Zheng Yuan was overwhelmed by the overwhelming pressure. He knew he was no match for these people, so he didn't care about anything else. He immediately used the Earth Escape Technique, swiftly sinking into the ground and disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

The people who originally planned to capture Zheng Yuan looked at the direction he disappeared, and one of them couldn't help but cursed, "Why did you take action so early?"

If I had waited until he was out the door, I could have easily captured him. His words were filled with regret and anger. The monk who had attacked him, however, looked guilty and simply nodded repeatedly, not daring to even reply.

Seeing this, the Foundation Establishment cultivator flying in the air waved his hand helplessly and said, "Forget it, just run away and wait for the next one. Everyone, hide and don't let it slip away again." Upon hearing this, everyone restrained their breath and found a hidden place to hide, waiting for the next target to appear.

Zheng Yuan slowly emerged from the ground. He glanced around cautiously, then breathed a sigh of relief when he saw no one was pursuing him. He secretly rejoiced. His original plan had been to find a secluded location after leaving the Yunlong Sect, then hide there and wait for the right moment to leave. After all, for him, the main objective of this trip—the main spiritual ingredient for the Foundation Establishment Pill—had been successfully found, making this trip a complete success. He knew his strength was nothing compared to this place where so many powerful experts gathered, so he had no desire to risk anything further, wanting only to escape safely with the spiritual ingredient.

He had never expected to encounter such a deadly attack at the seemingly ordinary gate of the Yunlong Sect. Thinking of the sudden flying sword and the aggressive monks, Zheng Yuan still felt a lingering fear, and a thin layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He secretly warned himself that he must be more cautious with every step he took. He must not be so reckless again, otherwise he might even lose his life.

The more Zheng Yuan thought about it, the angrier he became. He couldn't help but angrily say, "A Foundation Establishment cultivator actually hunted right at the gate of the Yunlong Sect! This was a complete disgrace to the status and demeanor of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. It was simply too much!" He paced back and forth, pondering how to deal with this situation. After a moment, a sly look flashed in his eyes. He decided to wait near the exit. If anyone came, he would report this matter, letting those Foundation Establishment cultivators with ill intentions also taste the feeling of being scorned by the public.

Soon, Zheng Yuan stopped at a spot several miles from the main gate. He hesitated for a moment, then decisively wielded his magical instrument, felling a tree and selecting several relatively flat planks. He cast a small spell, shaving the planks smoother. He then placed a plank on each of the main roads leading to the main gate. Each plank was prominently inscribed: "Outside the Yunlong Sect gate, Foundation Establishment cultivators are blocking the entrance, robbing and killing people."