After several months of living, Gao Xian had already adapted to the world of cultivators, accustomed to the lifestyle of this world.
Just now, after killing a cultivator, he felt justified and had no trouble in his heart.
However, the scene was still somewhat horrifying, making it difficult for him to look directly at it.
Zhu Qianniang, on the other hand, paid no attention to it and turned over the bodies on the ground.
Actually, the one killed by Gao Xian was not too bad, but the remaining four were a bloody mess on the ground.
Zhu Qianniang searched through them and found over thirty pieces of low-grade spirit stones, a stack of low-level talismans, various miscellaneous elixirs, and a few low-level magic tools.
These items were almost all stained with blood, but Zhu Qianniang didn't mind and casually put them into her storage bag.
She said, "These items add up to about sixty to seventy spirit stones. Along with these spirit stones and the Ironback Azure Wolf, it's over a hundred spirit stones. I'll split it with you after I deal with it."
Gao Xian originally wanted to refuse, but the thought of getting over fifty spirit stones made it hard for him to reject.
Seeing Gao Xian hesitating, Zhu Qianniang calmly said, "These are our spoils of war, no need to be polite."
After finishing this task, the sky was getting dark.
Zhu Qianniang also felt that today's gains were substantial, so she immediately headed back with Gao Xian.
"The sword technique you used to kill that thin black cultivator just now was excellent. One sword to break the shield, cut off the hand, and then behead. It was done in one go, straightforward and decisive.
"The opponent was a mid-level Qi cultivation cultivator, with much higher mana than you, but still couldn't withstand your swift sword. You can already fight above your level with just three layers of Qi cultivation. You definitely have extraordinary combat talent."
Zhu Qianniang praised Gao Xian earnestly, saying that killing the Ironback Azure Wolf could be attributed to luck, but killing that cultivator was purely skill.
The thin black cultivator was at the mid-level of Qi cultivation, having opened at least the heart and lung meridians, vigorous blood and mana. In all aspects, he was much stronger than Gao Xian.
Normally, a mid-level Qi cultivation cultivator could easily crush an early-level Qi cultivation cultivator. However, Gao Xian's swift sword was too powerful, making it almost effortless to kill the thin black cultivator! Such talent was truly rare.
She continued, "That's how battles are. You never truly know the depths of your opponent, nor can you completely control the fight.
"Your problem is that you were too indecisive earlier, using the Wood Shield to engage with the opponent, appearing calm but actually completely passive. How do you know if the opponent has powerful killer moves?
"An accident could mean your death. In battle, you must do your best to kill the enemy, without rules, and without any sense of righteousness or morality. Any carelessness, slackness, or soft-heartedness is being irresponsible to yourself..."
Zhu Qianniang knew that Gao Xian was very capable, whether in alchemy or combat. But he had a very serious problem, lacking awareness of the cruelty of this world of cultivators.
Cultivators have various talismans and magic tools, countless means at their disposal.
This also made battles between cultivators extremely dangerous, where a slight mistake could lead to instant death.
In such fights, there was no room for any warmth, no room for any hesitation.
Gao Xian knew that Zhu Qianniang was right. He also knew that he hadn't fully adjusted yet, unable to kill without blinking an eye like Zhu Qianniang.
He could only nod and accept the lesson, showing a very obedient attitude.
"The Red Snake Gang, rumored to be led by several late-stage Qi cultivation wanderers. They consider the Tengshe Mountain as their backyard. When encountering intruding cultivators, they always go all out, with extremely brutal methods."
Even when they were at Gao Xian's home, Zhu Qianniang continued to caution, "In the future, if you encounter anyone from the Red Snake Gang or claiming to be from the Red Snake Gang, you must be extra careful."
Gao Xian nodded firmly, "I know, I'll just stay at home."
Zhu Qianniang agreed, "You should stay at home. It's too dangerous outside for you."
As she was about to leave, Zhu Qianniang added, "Rest well, tomorrow we'll set off from the south of the Flying Horse Gathering..."
Gao Xian was surprised, "We're going again?"
"I have some free time these days, so I'll accompany you more."
Although Gao Xian was not very keen on going, he couldn't resist Zhu Qianniang's enthusiasm and could only nod.
After Zhu Qianniang left, Gao Xian felt that something was not quite right.
Why was Zhu Qianniang so eager to take him to Tengshe Mountain for training? What was she preparing for?
Was there a problem at the Zhu family?
Gao Xian felt a bit uneasy, but he knew nothing about the situation at Lianyun Sect. His master was at Lianyun Sect, but the relationship between the original owner and the master was not that great.
After some thought, he decided it would be more reliable to take some time to ask Huang Ying for information.
Gao Xian had been walking for a day, killing wolves and people, feeling tired.
But he still insisted on going through his routine exercises.
When practicing the Five Elements Technique, he clearly felt that his blood and mana had become stronger, and his control and manipulation were more relaxed and effortless.
Zhu Qianniang was right, a real battle could stimulate his potential, helping him understand how to unleash the power of his blood and mana.
Finally, Gao Xian went to meet Lan Jie in his dreams for dual cultivation.
The next day, Zhu Qianniang arrived early, and the two set off from the south of the Flying Horse Gathering towards the mountain.
The Flying Horse Gathering was located in the midst of mountains, with mountains to the east, south, west, and north. The number of cultivators was noticeably higher in the southern direction. As Gao Xian and Zhu Qianniang walked along, they encountered several waves of cultivators.
Usually, cultivators traveled in groups of three to five, and it was rare to see two people together.
After a busy day, Zhu Qianniang and Gao Xian collected some herbs but did not encounter any demonic beasts.
On the way back, they were ambushed by several cultivators.
In the rush of the moment, Gao Xian was also taken aback. He didn't hold back, using the Wood Shield and the True Yang Spear to kill three people in succession, while Zhu Qianniang killed five.
The group of ambushing cultivators were all killed.
Zhu Qianniang found over forty spirit stones on these cultivators. On average, each cultivator had about five spirit stones. They didn't even have magic tools, only some talismans.
Gao Xian felt that this group of people were so desperate because they were too poor, resorting to any means necessary.
For the next month, Zhu Qianniang led Gao Xian into the mountains every day. Almost every time, they encountered trouble.
Two cultivators traveling together easily aroused the greed of other groups of cultivators.
In the short thirty-plus days of cultivation in the mountains, Gao Xian truly realized the cruelty of the cultivation world.
Wanderers dared to kill for a little bit of resources. There was no right or wrong, only the pursuit of benefits.
Gao Xian also learned a lesson: in Tengshe Mountain, you could choose not to be a bad person, but you couldn't afford to be a good person.
Because the cost of being a good person was too high, and he didn't have the ability to be one.
Zhu Qianniang was very satisfied with the results of the cultivation. Gao Xian shed his greenness and the appearance of trying to please others.
Gao Xian's eyes showed a hint of confidence, and his interactions with others became more decisive. He no longer looked like an ignorant and easy-to-bully newbie.
Gao Xian was also very satisfied with his cultivation. Almost every day, he had a battle, becoming familiar with the combat styles of low-level cultivators, as well as various low-level spells and magic tools.
He accumulated a wealth of combat experience, learning how to better protect himself and kill enemies.
These experiences were like alchemy, only learned through hands-on practice.
Zhu Qianniang wasn't a great teacher, she rarely explained anything, instead letting him learn, experience, and understand in real battles.
However, Zhu Qianniang was truly powerful. Her Green Wood Thunder Spear was almost invincible. The Lion's Roar could directly kill early-stage Qi cultivation cultivators at close range.
Not to mention her Golden Body of Primordial Chaos was formidable, and her swordsmanship was unparalleled. Once she got close, she was a nightmare for Qi cultivation cultivators.
Gao Xian had compared himself to Zhu Qianniang many times, even with his Grandmaster-level Electric Dragon Fist and True Yang Spear, along with Lan Jie, his chances of winning against Zhu Qianniang were less than ten percent.
Zhu Qianniang's cultivation at the ninth level of Qi cultivation was too strong, surpassing him in all aspects, especially in speed.
Even in terms of speed, he was only slightly faster, gaining no advantage.
Fortunately, Zhu Qianniang was a teammate, and a very reliable one at that.
Moreover, after several dozen days of practical cultivation, his Five Elements Technique had made great progress, with significant improvements every day.
He had now understood the essence of blood and mana, learning how to control and manipulate them.
Having mastered the key points, all that was left was to continue practicing step by step to condense the third Qi aperture!
Snowflakes fluttered like goose feathers in the wind, and the snow in the courtyard was already a foot thick.
Gao Xian sat at the door, quietly watching the snow fall. Honestly, he didn't expect such heavy snowfall in mid-November.
With a sudden drop in temperature last night, his earthen house had no heating, and even though he was a cultivator, his feet were numb from the cold.
To resist the low temperature, he had to light the furnace for alchemy. The huge alchemy furnace made the alchemy room as warm as spring, allowing him to enjoy the snow leisurely.
A small black cat lay on the brick platform of the furnace, the warmth making it unable to keep its eyes open.
Gao Xian was a bit worried, using the furnace for warmth was good, but it was too extravagant. He couldn't alchemy every day either.
The best solution was to change houses.
Thinking of Zhou Ye's beautiful and tidy blue brick house, his heart warmed. He had saved some spirit stones now, it was time to change houses.
A blue shadow flashed, and Zhu Qianniang arrived.
Gao Xian looked at Zhu Qianniang in surprise, "Qianniang, you're going into the mountains in such heavy snow?"
(End of Chapter)