Chapter 109, Foundation Establishment Attack

Translator: Raznick

Green Mist Pond, on an unnamed island.

 

After Zhou Jiarui led the majority of the Eight Antlers Deer away, Zhou Chun directed the remaining six clan members to bring the three stags to the forest, then used local materials to construct animal pens to confine them.

 

Of course, animal pens made of ordinary wood would certainly not be able to confine three demon beasts.

 

Zhou Chun’s intention was merely to add an extra layer of safety.

 

With the animal pens as a buffer, if the three stags woke up and prepared to escape while everyone was distracted, it would at least give them a warning.

 

Thus, once the pens were built and the three stags confined within, Zhou Chun left the Silver Thunder Python and Rock Turtle outside the pens to guard.

 

Including himself, he arranged for all seven to have rotating shifts.

 

Calculating the time, even including the time it would take Zhou Jiarui to recover his spiritual power, three days should be sufficient for him to return to the island.

 

This was not a long time, and everyone on the island was not overly concerned.

 

Even during their shifts, several Zhou Clan cultivators spread out to the surrounding areas, hoping to find herbs to supplement what they had.

 

While Zhou Chun felt this was somewhat inappropriate, he could not flatly refuse these trivial matters and deny them any kindness.

 

He ultimately set some basic rules, allowing them to go out, but they had to return within six hours.

 

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

 

Midway, the three stags had also awakened and tried to escape but were discovered in time and stunned by the Silver Thunder Python.

 

Through a combination of mystical art and medication, the three stags were like caged birds, unable to escape.

 

The few Zhou Clan cultivators who went out to search for herbs did indeed find some.

 

As such, with the third day fast approaching, everyone relaxed their minds, preparing to return to the clan when Zhou Jiarui returned.

 

But at this moment, a mystical art firework suddenly exploded in the distance, forming a dazzling distress signal.

 

“It’s a distress signal from the clan!”

 

The Zhou Clan cultivators in the woods raised their heads to look at the distress signal, their eyes suddenly showing worry and anxiety, and their eyes involuntarily turned towards Zhou Chun.

 

Now, only four Zhou Clan cultivators remained in the woods; the other three went out to explore and search for herbs.

 

This was the result of Zhou Chun’s insistence; at least four people had to be left on the island in case of unforeseen circumstances.

 

Facing the gazes of the other three, Zhou Chun paused for a moment before speaking to Zhou Jiacheng, who was resting, “Seventeenth Uncle, go see what’s going on. If it’s not a particularly urgent situation, you can go and provide support. If it’s a dangerous situation, send an immediate warning signal!”

 

“Understood.”

 

Zhou Jiacheng responded and immediately summoned a flying artifact and flew towards the place where the firework exploded.

 

What Zhou Chun and the others never expected was that Zhou Jiacheng had barely left for less than a quarter of an hour before he triggered the distress signal.

 

“This…”

 

Looking at the newly risen distress signal, the people in the forest, including Zhou Chun, changed their expressions and were completely unsure of the situation.

 

“I’m going to take a look!”

 

Zhou Chun quickly regained his composure and was about to take off to investigate the circumstances.

 

However, Zhou Zhengyong suddenly stopped him.

 

He looked at him with a serious expression and said, “Thirteenth Brother, do not be rash. You are more important than all of us; anyone can be involved in a mishap here, but not you!”

 

After saying this, regardless of Zhou Chun’s reaction, another Zhou Clan cultivator of the Jia generation also nodded in agreement, saying, “What Zhengyong said makes sense. Zhengchun, we all understand your concerns, but now is not the time to rush to the rescue. The enemy situation is unknown, and we can’t afford to have anyone distract.”

 

In fact, Zhou Chun understood these principles.

 

But as a leader, he needed to maintain a certain posture.

 

At this time, having been given an opportunity to step down, he did not insist and immediately responded, “Alright, I’ll take a look from the air.”

 

He then summoned an artifact and flew into the air to observe.

 

Upon looking, Zhou Chun quickly rejoiced.

 

He saw that Zhou Jiacheng, who had sent the signal earlier, was not in trouble at all and was now racing back.

 

But the joy of seeing Zhou Jiacheng did not last for a few breaths, and Zhou Chun’s expression changed again.

 

Because he suddenly saw that a trail of azure light was chasing after Zhou Jiacheng, and the speed was much faster.

 

It was a Foundation Establishment cultivator!

 

Zhou Chun’s mind tightened as he instantly understood the cultivation of the owner of that azure beam of light.

 

Then, he loudly shouted to Zhou Zhengjing and the others waiting for news below, “The enemy is a Foundation Establishment cultivator; everyone prepare to meet them!”

 

He swiftly descended towards the ground.

 

After landing, he immediately looked at the three clan members who had drastically changed expressions due to his words and said, “Listen to me, the enemy is a Foundation Establishment cultivator; we certainly cannot match them.

 

“Therefore, there is only one way this can work. I will pretend to flee and lead him away, while you find the others and then transfer the three stags to another place!”

 

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Zhengjing immediately shook her head. “This is not possible; this is risking your life! How will I explain it to the Clan Leader if something happens to you?”

 

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chun waved his hand. “Third Sister, rest assured; I’m saying this because I’m confident of success. You will understand shortly; do as I say!”

 

He spoke and directly put the Rock Turtle and Silver Thunder Python into his spirit beast pouch.

 

Then he reached out and patted his waist storage bag, taking out the brocade box containing the inferior second-grade implement.

 

Soon, Zhou Jiacheng was brought before Zhou Chun and the others by the Foundation Establishment cultivator who was chasing after him.

 

The man appeared to be about forty or fifty years old, with a yellowish complexion and some freckles on his face; his features were quite ugly.

 

With a sweep of his Divine Sense in mid-air, he had already completely ascertained the situation below.

 

Then his expression darkened, realizing that things were a bit troublesome.

 

But now that he had already started, even if he tried to claim it was a misunderstanding, it would be difficult for anyone to believe him.

 

Moreover, he was brought to this area this time specifically to capture those Eight Antlers Deer.

 

His eyes grew ruthless, ready to capture everyone here.

 

Zhou Chun activated the implement, instantly donning the pair of wings and shooting into the sky, speeding away from the island.

 

At the same time, his voice, filled with grief and anger, echoed in the air.

 

“Seventeenth Uncle, Third Sister, rest assured, I know how he looks, and if you sustain even a single injury, my clan will make him pay!”

 

Hmm?

 

Hearing Zhou Chun’s words, the middle-aged man in the air winced, his eyes filled with shock and anger as he looked at Zhou Chun.

 

When he saw the pair of wings behind Zhou Chun, greed shone in his eyes.

 

“A second-grade flying artifact!”

 

He exclaimed, then quickly threw Zhou Jiacheng to the ground and sped after Zhou Chun with his spiritual power.

 

Zhou Chun saw that the middle-aged man had taken the bait and hastily channeled spiritual power to accelerate the wings behind him, flying with all his strength.

 

They flew, quickly leaving the island and disappearing from the sight of Zhou Zhengjing and the others.

 

Seeing that Zhou Chun had actually lured the enemy away on his own, Zhou Zhengjing and the others were surprised and worried.

 

They quickly followed the method that Zhou Chun had suggested, rapidly putting the three unconscious stags into a spirit beast pouch, then transferring Zhou Jiacheng, who was injured, from the small island.

 

On the other side, after Zhou Chun led the middle-aged man away, the latter saw that he could not catch up and immediately made a move.

 

A Foundation Establishment cultivator’s Divine Sense range reached almost a thousand meters, and their attack range was naturally longer than that of a Qi Refining cultivator.

 

He touched his storage bag and produced a blue-white jade bowl.

 

Then he channeled spiritual power, and a patch of blue spiritual light erupted from the bowl, transforming into a myriad of water arrows that shot toward Zhou Chun.

 

Zhou Chun didn’t panic, immediately flapped his wings, and ascended ten meters, dodging the volley of water arrows.

 

The middle-aged man felt humiliated, immediately raised his hand, and made signs. Another patch of blue spiritual light erupted from the jade bowl, forming a water dragon of about three meters towards Zhou Chun.

 

The water dragon soared through the air, controlled by the middle-aged man’s Divine Sense, relentlessly seeking its target.

 

Seeing that he couldn’t avoid it, Zhou Chun took out a superior first-grade talisman, a Fire Snake Talisman, and threw it at the water dragon.

 

The fire snake was merely swatted by the water dragon and instantly extinguished.

 

The oncoming water dragon then crashed into the Golden Scale Shield.

 

This single blow sent the Golden Scale Shield, a superior first-grade defensive artifact, flying away. The shockwave landed on Zhou Chun, causing him to involuntarily spit out a mouthful of blood.

 

Fortunately, he had already cast the Elemental Armor Art on himself beforehand, and the wing implement was itself a second-grade, so he wasn’t significantly affected.

 

After this trial, he knew he didn’t have the means to face a Foundation Establishment cultivator with a second-grade artifact alone, so he hurriedly increased his spiritual power into the implement, maximizing his speed.

 

With this boost in speed, he quickly escaped the attack range of the middle-aged man.

 

However, this accelerated his spiritual power consumption.

 

The auctioneer hadn’t lied; the wing implent was not only faster than the Wind Travel Talisman, but also more durable.

 

However, its durability came at the cost of a substantial drain on the cultivator’s spiritual power.

 

If he were a Foundation Establishment cultivator, the consumption of spiritual power wouldn’t be that significant; he could easily sustain it.

 

But for a Qi Refining cultivator like Zhou Chun, the consumption took its toll.

 

He estimated that even using all of his spiritual power, he could only sustain it for about half an hour.

 

However, an arrow, once loosed, couldn’t be called back.

 

At this point, despite discovering the tremendous consumption of spiritual power by the implement, Zhou Chun could only grit his teeth and persevere.

 

He did have two Qi Restoring Pills in his pocket, enough to significantly extend the time he could sustain himself.

 

Thus, the two chased each other above Green Mist Pond, covering a distance of close to fifty miles.

 

Because they were flying almost in a straight line, Zhou Chun could already see the land and forests ahead.

 

He estimated his remaining spiritual power and then promptly descended toward the ground, deciding not to flee but to gamble everything.

 

He had already consumed both the Qi Restoring Pills, and if he continued to flee, he could only fly for thirty miles longer.

 

This short distance was not enough to allow his pursuer to also exhaust their spiritual power.

 

It would be better to take a gamble on the ground.

 

He was seen landing, quickly removing and storing the implement from his back, then repeatedly patting his waist spirit beast pouch to release both spirit pets.

 

Subsequently, taking advantage of the enemy still being over ten miles behind him, he quickly took out a defensive superior first-grade talisman, the Golden Armor Talisman, and activated it to add an extra layer of protection.

 

After completing these actions, Zhou Chun held the Shooting Moon Edge in one hand and clutched several average first-grade attack talismans in the other, quietly awaiting the arrival of his enemies.

 

After a while, the pockmarked middle-aged man flew to a height of three hundred meters above him and hovered there. He looked down at him and sneered, “Why don’t you run away, young man? If you have the guts, keep running. I haven’t had enough fun yet!”

 

From his words, it wasn’t hard to tell that after such a long chase with a Qi Refining cultivator like Zhou Chun, he was also quite frustrated.

 

And facing his mocking taunts, Zhou Chun calmly said, “Why are you gloating? Even if you kill me, my clan will relay the message back to the Zhou Clan, and at that time, the clan will surely devote all their strength to hunt you down!

 

“If I were you, I would simply retreat while the resentment isn’t too deep; the clan might not be willing to expend so much effort to find you for such a minor grudge!”

 

Hearing his words, the middle-aged man’s gaze sharpened, revealing a hint of wavering.

 

But he merely hesitated for a moment before shaking his head and saying, “It’s too late. Since the feud is settled, I cannot entrust my life to your clan’s benevolence!”

 

Having said that, his expression turned fierce, and he suddenly grinned at Zhou Chun, saying, “So be it! I’ll kill you, and then I’ll leave Cloud Province, head north to the northern states of the Jing Kingdom, and mingle around. What’s the problem with that? Your clan can’t find me in other sects’s territories!”

 

Saying this, he re-summoned the blue and white jade bowl artifact and then activated the artifact to release a water dragon towards Zhou Chun.

 

Because he was attacking from a distance of three hundred meters in the air, Zhou Chun’s artifact and mystical arts could not reach him at all.

 

At this moment, he could only passively intercept and defend.

 

Whitey opened its mouth and spat out a silver and white thunderball composed of lightning, which first bombarded the water dragon.

 

Accompanied by a loud roar, the attack successfully weakened the water dragon’s power.

 

At the same time, three average first-grade talismans in Zhou Chun’s hand were also released at the right time and transformed into firebirds and ice arrows, falling on the water dragon and further diminishing its power.

 

When the water dragon truly pounced down, the Rock Turtle had already cast Stone Skin, Stone Armor, Earth Prison, and Earth Wall to layer protection on itself and then stood in front of its master with its massive body to block the attack!

 

A loud roar was heard, followed by the collapse of the earth wall, the shattering of the earth prison, and the cracking of the stone armor.

 

From the sky, the water dragon shattered three layers of protection before finally colliding and breaking against the Rock Turtle’s thick carapace.

 

The man watched this unfold with a slight surprise.

 

But very quickly, a cold smile spread across his face. “You intend to rely on this Rock Turtle to brute force your way through? Then let’s see how I blast its shell to pieces!”

 

As the words left his lips, he shifted his skill, directly spurring his spiritual power, causing a vast expanse of blue spiritual light to erupt from the jade bowl and transform into blue spheres directed towards Zhou Chun and his pets.

 

Dozens of water spheres plummeted down simultaneously. Zhou Chun was utterly at a loss for how to intercept them, so he had the Silver Thunder Python create some distance to protect them, while he clung to the Rock Turtle and braced himself.

 

Boom, boom, boom!!

 

The dense spheres rapidly detonated across the ground, cratering the earth around Zhou Chun, leaving it utterly ruined.

 

Zhou Chun and the Rock Turtle endured the continuous explosions with considerable discomfort.

 

When he had barely survived the onslaught, the man launched another round of the same assault, not allowing them a moment’s respite.

 

Seeing this, Zhou Chun continuously took out various talismans to weaken the opponent’s attack.

 

Luckily, when he sold those artifacts, he kept the dozens of talismans he had accumulated over the years for himself.

 

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to hold out today.

 

Now, he could only grit his teeth and endure, waiting for an opportunity to fight back.