"Let's go."
The four cultivators exchanged glances before departing from the city and heading directly toward the village. They had a general direction, so they only needed to travel a certain distance before reaching the perimeter that the guard had set up.
As expected, they came across an area that appeared to be restricted by a rope attached to nearby trees.
"Is this the designated area? So, the village is just ahead?" The four of them examined the ropes while peering ahead.
As Gao Ke had mentioned, there was a soldier standing not far from their location.
"Senior Brother, that..." One of them pointed at the soldier, signaling that they should approach him for guidance.
They all agreed and made their way toward the soldier.
Without hesitation, their senior brother produced a token and addressed the soldier, saying, "Hey, you. We're from the Azure Lotus Sect on a mission to investigate the rumors about the Blood Madness Cult. Is the village up ahead?"
The soldier turned around. Since no other soldiers were nearby, no one would be able to recognize him.
Yes, the soldier was actually Hao Yu.
He had changed his clothes and put on armor. More importantly, he had covered a portion of his face with a mustache and beard to avoid being identified.
Hao Yu quickly knelt on one knee and said, "Yes, Esteemed Cultivators. The village is just ahead. We've been observing him, but he doesn't seem to have made any suspicious movements, as if he is confident that someone will come to his rescue in case of trouble."
"Hmmm?" The cultivators were perplexed. On one hand, soldiers were the ones who had the accurate information about the target. On the other hand, they seemed to underestimate this lone soldier because he wasn't a cultivator. They appeared confident that the soldier wouldn't understand how a cultivator behaved.
"You don't know anything about cultivators," the youngest among them scoffed in contempt.
"That's enough," her senior brother reprimanded her and quickly redirected their focus. "Let's go."
He didn't bother to thank the soldier or comment on the information.
As they departed, Hao Yu couldn't help but furrow his eyebrows. He had considered getting a closer look at the cultivators when he had the chance.
However, he felt relieved when he realized that the cultivators hadn't seen through his disguise.
Once they disappeared from his sight, Hao Yu quickly moved to a nearby tree and climbed it. He had prepared a telescope and a book on top of the tree.
After confirming that the cultivators hadn't taken any action, Hao Yu opened the book and began writing on a piece of yellow paper.
"Teacher mentioned that cultivators can see through our disguises, but it seems to only apply to disguises that involve Spiritual Qi. However, he also said that high-level cultivators have a sharper sense, allowing them to discern details about our bodies."
"I observed the cultivators closely this time, but they didn't exhibit the aura that Teacher talked about. They appeared to be like ordinary people. Perhaps it's due to their lower cultivation levels. Let's see how they perform against the enemy."
Hao Yu put down the book and maintained a close watch through his telescope.
…
Those four cultivators were currently discussing their strategy while hiding from their enemy. After assessing their target, they confirmed the enemy's strength.
"The enemy seems to be at the 9-Star Qi Gathering Stage."
"9-Star, huh? It's high, but it's something we can handle." Their senior brother looked pensive. "There is also a chance that he is only bait."
"Senior Brother, don't tell me you believed that soldier?"
"It's not a matter of believing him or not. Even though mortals are weak and useless, they have their own way to discern matters, or else how could the dynasty stand its ground? So, there is nothing wrong in considering his opinion."
They appeared unconvinced, but they couldn't argue since their senior had made the decision.
Continuing, he said, "In any case, Xiao Xue, you are currently the weakest among us. I want you to scout the area, ensuring there is no one nearby, including soldiers. Since there is a possibility of another enemy hiding nearby, you can't allow anyone to approach, even if it's a soldier."
Xiao Xue, the youngest, smirked and asked, "But you don't mind if I kill anyone who dares to come, right?"
Normally, they would have thought Xiao Xue was insane. If there was another person hiding, they would likely be powerful. Xiao Xue's best option was to stay alive. However, she received approval. "You can do whatever you want. As for Zhou Cheng and Yi Huan, you two will engage the enemy. If you can't capture the enemy, I will take action."
"Understood," the two nodded in agreement.
"Alright. There's no need to be gentle with a Dark Cultivator. We'll launch a sneak attack."
Zhou Cheng and Yi Huan hesitated, as this wasn't typical behavior for cultivators from the righteous sect. However, considering the enemy was a Dark Cultivator, different rules might apply.
In the end, both of them stood up. Zhou Cheng pulled his spear from his back, and Yi Huan unsheathed her blade. They quietly moved through the village until they reached the center, where the Dark Cultivator resided.
It was truly a horrendous sight.
As a cultivator, they had stained their hands with blood to fight for resources. But this was the first time they had seen such brutality.
Not only did the villagers die, but their bodies had been mutilated as well. Their heads became an ornament that surrounded the Dark Cultivator.
It appeared the cultivator was taking his time with his cultivation. The blood on the ground emitted a red-colored mist that was absorbed by his body. They couldn't determine if he had broken through or not, but one thing was clear: if they allowed him to continue or reach the city and absorb more blood, he would likely advance to the 10-Star stage, if not break through to an even higher realm.
Therefore, they had to eliminate him right here and now. Zhou Cheng and Yi Huan exchanged nods.
The first to charge was Zhou Cheng, his spear leading the way. Sensing Zhou Cheng's approach, the Dark Cultivator opened his eyes in surprise. He quickly grabbed a nearby body and hurled it at Zhou Cheng.
Without hesitation, Zhou Cheng cleaved the body in two, showing no compassion for the mortals. He then continued his charge towards the Dark Cultivator, thrusting his spear. "Dawn Spear Art—"
Clink!
A clicking sound echoed before he could complete the necessary step for his spear art. To his astonishment, the Dark Cultivator had leaped towards him and struck his spear with his extended nails, which were now as long as knives.
"Huh?" Zhou Cheng couldn't push the nails away. He examined the red nails, seemingly coated with blood, realizing that the Dark Cultivator was stronger than he had initially thought.
"Azure Lotus Sect?" The Dark Cultivator seemed to recognize Zhou Cheng's origin just from observing his spear skills.
However, this recognition didn't hold much significance, as another surprise awaited him. While Zhou Cheng had held the Dark Cultivator's attention, Yi Huan had stealthily moved closer, taking cover behind the houses. When she saw that Zhou Cheng was halted by the Dark Cultivator, she leaped forward.
A sheath of Spiritual Qi enveloped her sword as she swung it diagonally.
"!!!" The Dark Cultivator's eyes widened in shock, and he hastily ducked down. The Spiritual Qi soared above him and struck a house not far away, leaving a significant mark on the wall. It seemed that the Spiritual Qi managed to pierce through the wall, but the structure absorbed most of its energy, causing the Spiritual Qi to dissipate inside the house.
Zhou Cheng and Yi Huan exchanged glances, recognizing that it was the moment to subdue the Dark Cultivator.
Unbeknownst to them, their every action, their strength, and their approach had been closely observed all along.
Hao Yu documented his findings with a smile. "So, a 9-Star Qi Gathering Stage cultivator can indeed unleash a technique that penetrates a 5 cm brick wall, but it lacks the power to destroy an entire house. The Dark Cultivator can also extend his nails, effectively altering a part of his body. Yet, the most powerful among them has yet to make their move. I want to assess the disparities between the 8-Star, 9-Star, and 10-Star levels to extrapolate the data for the entire Qi-Gathering Stage."
This was precisely what Hao Yu intended to exploit. The information he gathered would prove invaluable in his future endeavors.
While Hao Yu harbored the desire to eliminate these cultivators, he wasn't recklessly disregarding all caution.
Hao Yu smirked and muttered his prediction, "Come out. I know my words can reach you. Once you realize that there's no one hiding, you'll undoubtedly emerge and resolve everything in an instant."