880 EXP shocked Zhuge Xiang, and the dropped Hundred Refined Bow made him even more excited. He wiped his waist, and the Hundred Refined Bow appeared in his hand. He lowered his head to examine it, and the information naturally appeared.
Hundred Refinement Bow (Two-Star Dharma Artifact): Requires Level Three of the Qi Nourishing stage, Attack 28-36, Attack Range 100 meters. Passive Ability Only: Ignore Defense 30, Duration 20/33, Weight 10.
Along with the explosion of the Hundred Refined Bow, there were also 100 ordinary iron arrows stacked in the storage space. They were arrows with a +3 attack bonus. This also satisfied Zhuge Xiang. Although they were just ordinary arrows, it was better than nothing, right? Moreover, two-star Dharma artifacts were indeed different. Their attack power was more than double that of the Blood Refined Saber. They could ignore 30 defense points and make the Hundred Refined Bow's attack power even more formidable. In short, it was a lethal weapon that also compensated for Zhuge Xiang's shortcomings in long-range attacks.
"This longbow looks pretty good," Zhuge Xiang said as he examined the Hundred Refinement Bow. The people beside him naturally saw it too. Lu Yuling examined it and commented, "Yes, but my archery skills aren't very good. I need to practice more."
Zhuge Xiang nodded and replied, "Yes, I'll need to practice as well. For now, I'll set the Hundred Refined Bow aside. At least I can wait until I have time to improve my archery skills."
The sky was getting darker, and Zhuge Xiang and the rest quickly found a small cave in the forest. There was only an ordinary one-star mid-grade demon beast inside. After they killed the demon beast, they naturally claimed the cave as their own. Meanwhile, Niu Geng scattered some of the excrement collected from the two-star demonic bear near the cave. He believed it could intimidate many demon beasts below one-star.
The Aurora Asura Tower had already bloomed, and all the Asura Sect disciples had gathered within five days!
Just as Zhuge Xiang and the others entered the cave to rest, a deep voice suddenly resounded. It sounded like thunder rumbling, and everyone could hear it clearly. The voice was incredibly deep, as if it could traverse hundreds of miles of space. As the voice sounded, Zhuge Xiang and the others felt the air tremble in response.
The sudden voice came without warning, and Zhuge Xiang and the others exchanged joyful glances. It was evident that the reinforcements from the sect had finally arrived. They hurriedly rushed out of the cave, their faces filled with astonishment.
A pillar of light stood between heaven and earth like a massive tower, emitting a powerful radiance that seemed to connect with the heavens and the earth. The deep voice from earlier had clearly originated from the direction of the light tower. This pillar of light extended into the clouds and could be clearly seen from any location. From a distance, it appeared to be about a hundred miles away, yet the voice from earlier had been audibly distinct.
"The Aurora Asura Tower is the symbol of the gathering of the Asura Sect's disciples. It seems that rescuing the disciples one by one in the Endless Mountains is impractical. We must make our way to the light tower and gather there ourselves," said Lu Yuling as he gazed at the colossal light tower standing between heaven and earth.
"Five days? Enough for a mere hundred miles," Zhuge Xiang said as he looked at the huge tower.
The sect's rescue had finally arrived. While they had to gather at the Aurora Asura Tower, it was understandable. After all, the sect could not conduct a widespread search for over 5,000 disciples in the Endless Mountains. Having a specific location within a mere 500 kilometers was far better than aimlessly wandering the Endless Mountains like headless flies.
It had only been a day since the 5,000 disciples had fled for their lives. Even if they were scattered, they wouldn't be too far apart. Everyone could see the Aurora Asura Tower standing there. If they were still alive, five days would be sufficient. If they didn't arrive within that time, they were likely buried in the Endless Mountains. Waiting any longer would be futile.
Although hope had emerged, the Endless Mountains were too dangerous to traverse at night. Traveling in the dark wasn't advisable. Zhuge Xiang and the others returned to the cave and continued resting. As long as they did not encounter powerful demon beasts, they should be able to reach the tower in a day. Even if the journey was arduous and required detours, two days should suffice.
Despite the dark sky and the two-star demonic bear's feces serving as a warning to other demonic beasts, they could not let their guard down. After all, while the presence of the demonic bear could intimidate demonic beasts below one-star, it was not among the ranks of demonic beasts above two-star. It could be said that such demonic beasts either did not appear, or if they did, their strength would exceed that of the demonic bear.
Fortunately, the team consisted of six people. They formed teams of two and took turns standing guard at night. Each team would guard for an hour and a half, allowing them to have six hours of uninterrupted sleep. For those who were fleeing for their lives in the Endless Mountains, this was a luxury.
The night passed uneventfully. With the two-star demonic bear's excrement serving as a deterrent, no demon beasts dared to disturb them. Everyone enjoyed a full six hours of restful sleep. After consuming some simple roasted meat, they set off in the direction of the Aurora Asura Tower.
The roasted meat they ate was from the two-star demonic bear. For cultivators at the Qi Condensation stage, their bodies converted the essence into Qi Force. Therefore, consuming the flesh of demonic beasts provided a great supplement for cultivators. Of course, the flesh of humans also served as a great supplement for demonic beasts.
They proceeded with caution and avoided encounters with higher-star beasts. Zhuge Xiang took the lead in killing the lower-star beasts. As long as their strength hadn't reached the two-star level, Zhuge Xiang did not let them escape. Especially when he came across one-star mid-grade and one-star high-grade demon beasts, Zhuge Xiang didn't show any mercy. It was a rare opportunity for him to have a capable team during their escape. If he did not seize the chance to gain more EXP, he would be disappointed in himself. Observing his EXP increase rapidly, Zhuge Xiang even contemplated staying in this area for a few more days.
To reach the fourth level of the Qi Nourishing stage, he needed 4,600 EXP. Currently, Zhuge Xiang had accumulated 2,000 points of experience. He only needed approximately 2,600 points more to make the breakthrough.
While 2,600 EXP seemed like a lot, if he teamed up with Lu Yuling and the others, even with the EXP distribution among a larger group, it would only require killing around ten or more one-star high-grade demon beasts.
Although Zhuge Xiang's idea was tempting, he didn't mention it. The depths of the Endless Mountains were treacherous. Along their journey, they had encountered five or six two-star demonic beasts and even faced a three-star demonic beast. If it was not for everyone's vigilance, they would have been completely wiped out.
To everyone, the most pressing matter was to reach the Aurora Asura Tower and seek the sect's protection. While Zhuge Xiang could earn EXP by killing demon beasts, the others could not. If he were to suggest staying in the depths of the Endless Mountains with no clear purpose and risking their lives, no one would agree except for Niu Geng.
Rustle, rustle…
As Zhuge Xiang and the others cautiously made their way through the forest, they suddenly heard a series of sounds emanating from the nearby grass. It seemed like something was approaching. They immediately went on high alert. However, when the figure emerged, Zhuge Xiang and the others were slightly taken aback. It was none other than Lei Potian.
Observing the lineup of Zhuge Xiang and the others, Lei Potian appeared pleasantly surprised. He exclaimed, "It's great to run into you guys. I just stumbled upon a mysterious cave. It seems to be the place where a powerful expert met their demise. However, it's guarded by a one-star demonic beast. Since you're all here together, we don't need to fear that one-star demonic beast."
A one-star superior-grade demonic beast? The place where a formidable individual perished? Hearing Lei Potian's words, the eyes of many people lit up. For Ling Wufeng and the others, the Dharma artifacts and martial arts they had obtained were acquired by chance in locations where fellow disciples had died during their training.
The Asura Sect boasted countless disciples who trained in the Endless Mountains, seeking out the spots where their predecessors had met their end. This allowed them to acquire martial arts techniques and Dharma artifacts. Lei Potian's words were undeniably enticing. Moreover, with a substantial group like theirs, dealing with a one-star high-grade demonic beast was not a problem.
The group exchanged glances, each feeling a hint of temptation. However, it was Zhuge Xiang's response that surprised Lu Yuling and the others. Given Zhuge Xiang's usual eagerness for battle and his tendency to be the first to charge at the sight of a demon beast, they expected him to immediately agree. His passion for combat was well-known among them.
Yet, at that moment, Zhuge Xiang lowered his head and began pondering. However, before anyone could inquire about his thoughts, Zhuge Xiang voluntarily nodded and said, "Alright, since that's the case, why don't we go and take a look?"