Cultivators' battles always involve the use of various talismans.
For low-level Qi cultivators, the talismans they can use are limited.
Most of their defensive talismans are Gold Body Talismans, Wood Shield Talismans, and Earth Shield Talismans.
For attacks, they use Metal Sword Talismans, Ice Arrow Talismans, and Armor-Breaking Hammer Talismans.
These low-level talismans are mostly unaffordable for most wandering Qi cultivators.
They only use talismans when facing life and death situations.
Zhu Qiniang said, "Your lack of actual combat experience is showing. We cultivators battle against the heavens, the earth, and other cultivators.
"The most difficult is going against fate, and the most dangerous is dealing with those of the same kind.
"After we return, let's practice more together. At least understanding the power of various commonly used talismans will give us an edge..."
Zhu Qiniang felt that Gao Xian was excellent in many aspects, except for his fear of fighting and even a bit of cowardice, which was really not good.
Being meticulous in one's thoughts is good, but in the world of cultivators, there is not much time for calculations.
No one knows whom they will encounter or what they will face in the next moment.
One must be prepared for battle at any time, which is an awareness that a cultivator should possess.
Gao Xian could only nod repeatedly.
He knew his shortcomings.
In his previous life, he was a middle-aged office worker, playing office politics with some cunning, which he could manage.
However, getting into physical fights, or even killing, went completely against the non-criminal principles he had cultivated for decades.
Killing Lao Wang was unavoidable.
At that time, he was extremely nervous and acted out of self-defense.
Killing Zhu Hong'an was also because the other party pushed him too hard.
He had done a lot of mental preparation before taking that step.
Therefore, when faced with unexpected situations, he did not have the determination to directly resort to killing.
The Ironback Azure Wolf ahead was running fast.
Zhu Qiniang was not in a hurry because wherever the Ironback Azure Wolf passed, it left behind large patches of blood, making it easy to track.
She led Gao Xian in pursuit, while also explaining various combat experiences to him.
Crossing over a mountain ridge following the blood trail, they could see the Ironback Azure Wolf lying in a patch of withered grass.
Although its abdomen was still moving slightly, it was clearly weak.
Several cultivators, whose origins were unknown, were cautiously surrounding the Ironback Azure Wolf, aiming guns and swords at the dying giant wolf.
Zhu Qiniang noticed that these cultivators were dressed in short brown attire, with some carrying bows and arrows, indicating that they were wandering cultivators making a living in the mountains.
Most cultivators wear Daoist robes, with the wealthy ones wearing luxurious robes.
Only those who frequently traverse mountains and bushes wear short brown attire for convenience in movement.
Such wandering cultivators are both poor and fierce.
For a herb or a demonic beast, they dare to resort to violence.
Normally, Zhu Qiniang would not engage in conflict with them over just an Ironback Azure Wolf.
But this time, with Gao Xian by her side, she intended to teach him a lesson.
Gao Xian also noticed the wandering cultivators and couldn't help but take a deep breath. "Qiniang, are we going to fight?"
Zhu Qiniang pulled Gao Xian forward forcefully. "And it's not always your choice. Walking the path of a cultivator means facing various challenges and dangers."
Gao Xian was reluctant to fight but couldn't just stand by and watch.
He asked, "How should I cooperate when we fight later?"
"When we fight later, you don't rush in. Remember to activate the Wood Shield Talisman to protect yourself. Wait for the situation to clarify before following my lead," Zhu Qiniang instructed in two sentences.
She let go of Gao Xian's hand and quickened her pace.
The cultivators surrounding the Ironback Azure Wolf also noticed Zhu Qiniang and Gao Xian.
Zhu Qiniang was dressed in a deep blue Daoist robe, wearing a bamboo hat on her head and a veil covering her face.
Because she was out with Gao Xian, she had deliberately used the Bone Shrinking Technique to make herself shorter, completely altering her physical features.
Gao Xian, on the other hand, was less particular.
He wore a green Daoist robe and a hat to shield himself from the sun.
He didn't think about covering his face.
Among the over ten thousand cultivators at Feima City, only a few knew him.
The cultivators in short brown attire paid little attention to Gao Xian, who looked inexperienced.
It was Zhu Qiniang who caught their sharp gaze, dressed in luxurious robes, clearly a formidable figure.
The leader, a burly man with a thick beard, shouted, "Halt! We, the Red Snake Gang, are hunting. Anyone unrelated, leave immediately!"
Zhu Qiniang did not stop.
She said in a deep voice, "We killed this wolf."
"You killed it?"
The leader of the gang sneered, "You think you can snatch our prey just by talking? Who do you think you are! Be sensible and leave quickly, don't force us to take action."
These people hunted in the Tengshe Mountain all year round, constantly teetering on the edge of life and death, which had instilled a ferocious nature in them.
If they didn't think Zhu Qiniang was formidable, they would have attacked directly without wasting words.
While the leader spoke, two cultivators had already raised their longbows, aiming at Zhu Qiniang.
Without further ado, both sides were on the verge of a confrontation.
Gao Xian felt nervous.
He swallowed hard, gripping the sword hilt.
Lan Jie emerged in his mind, establishing a mysterious connection with the Green Wood Shield Talisman.
With Lan Jie's help, Gao Xian was confident in instantly activating the Wood Shield Talisman.
However, he couldn't help but feel anxious.
Facing five opponents, each emanating a fierce aura, he knew they were no ordinary individuals.
The distance between the two sides was about sixty paces, equivalent to thirty zhang.
Even with his Grandmaster-level True Yang Spear, he couldn't reach them. (In ancient times, one step was assumed to be five feet, and two steps equaled one zhang.)
The Illusionary Dragon Hand was of no use, and the white plum needles on his wrist were even more useless.
The best course of action was to draw his sword and charge in for combat.
With his current speed, he could reach the opponents within two breaths.
A breath here referred to one breath cycle, equivalent to one inhalation and exhalation, approximately two seconds.
Gao Xian always found this timing method very inaccurate, but he had adapted to it.
He had tested the full burst speed of the Electric Light Subduing Dragon Hand, roughly over ten zhang per second.
With the Wind Riding Technique, his speed could increase by thirty to forty percent.
While Gao Xian was calculating his next move, Zhu Qiniang had already drawn her sword and rushed towards the opponents like a fierce wind.
The two archers didn't hesitate to release their arrows, using precious Armor-Breaking Talisman Arrows to kill Zhu Qiniang.
The two arrows, shining with the brilliance of the Armor-Breaking Talisman, pierced straight towards Zhu Qiniang.
With a swift movement, Zhu Qiniang's sword split precisely between the two arrows, shattering them instantly.
The men were shocked.
The arrows, enhanced with Armor-Breaking Talisman, were extremely fast and powerful.
Seeing a single sword easily shatter the arrows, they realized the woman might be a late-stage Qi cultivator, and fear crept into their hearts.
At that moment, Zhu Qiniang suddenly shouted.
Standing behind Zhu Qiniang, Gao Xian felt as if someone had set off a firecracker next to his ear, making his brain feel like it was exploding.
However, Lan Jie, residing deep in his mind, remained unaffected, allowing him to stay conscious, control his body, and wield his spiritual power.
Even so, facing Zhu Qiniang directly, the five cultivators were left dizzy and weakened by the shout.
Taking advantage of this moment, Zhu Qiniang chanted a spell lowly to activate the Green Wood Thunder Spear.
A faint distortion of electric light appeared on her left hand's Thunder Ring, and a five-foot-long green short spear instantly materialized in the electric light.
With a flick of her hand, the dazzling green short spear shot out.
One of the archers on the opposite side hadn't figured out what was happening when his head was pierced by the green short spear, exploding into a shower of blood.
The second green short spear followed suit, shattering the head of the other archer.
Subsequently, the third green short spear was aimed at the lead burly man.
The man with a full beard, the most powerful among them, saw the shimmering green electric light and realized the danger.
Without hesitation, he exerted all his strength to swing his sword.
The sword was fast, but it failed to reach the green short spear.
The green electric light pierced through the man's chest, the terrifying penetration power of the spell combined with the explosive force of the thunder light, tearing the man's upper body to pieces.
Gao Xian witnessed the blood and flesh splattering everywhere, a scene both thrilling and strangely beautiful...
With three consecutive shots, the three opposing cultivators had no chance to resist and were instantly killed.
This was much more powerful than unleashing the True Yang Spear!
By this time, Zhu Qiniang had already rushed to the remaining two cultivators.
With a horizontal sword strike, she cut one of them into two halves diagonally.
The last remaining cultivator, now awakened, looked at Zhu Qiniang with fear and hesitation.
He knelt down, trembling, "Senior, spare me..."
The man kowtowed repeatedly, appearing extremely humble and pitiful.
Gao Xian approached Zhu Qiniang, full of admiration for her at that moment.
A thought popped into his mind, "Who is this fierce warrior, so valiant..."
(End of Chapter)