For a month, as the casualty rates among ordinary rogue cultivators and minor aristocratic cultivators within Spirit Mist City mounted and numerous Qi Refining stage combatants were killed, the defending cultivators from the major sects remained inside the city walls, untouched. This led to immense resentment among the city’s hundred thousand common cultivators, who loudly complained of unfairness and refused to fight.

Unable to withstand this pressure, the Ancestors of the major sects decided to send out their defending cultivators to quell the unrest. The Foundation Establishment cultivators responsible for guarding the city were finally dispatched for active combat.

Late that night, Ye Qin, Shen Bao, and over thirty other Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Azure Pill Sect waited on the northwest battlements. Elder Yan, the Great Elder of the Azure Pill Sect, strode onto the ramparts, smiling genially as he surveyed the waiting disciples.

“Senior Brother Yan!”

All the Azure Pill Foundation Establishment cultivators immediately rose, cupped their hands, and bowed in respect. As fellow sect members at the same cultivation level, they were martial brothers, hence the simple gesture. However, Elder Yan was the head of the Azure Pill Sect’s elders, held substantial power, and hailed from a major immortal cultivation family, ensuring his status within the sect was deeply entrenched and far superior to that of these ordinary Foundation Establishment disciples.

The Great Elder Yan nodded, a smile fixed on his face.

“Martial Uncle Huangfu has made a decision: the following ten Azure Pill disciples are to immediately leave the city to execute a combat mission. Qian Bojiang, Ye Qin, Yang Zhen, Sun Shi, Feng Dan... Shen Bao, the ten of you will travel together tonight to the Cold Lake Forest within the Spirit Mist Mountain Range. Within the Cold Lake Forest lies a medium-sized Ice Spirit Stone mining point. Upon arrival, if you discover cultivators from the Ten Thousand Moon Lake mining there, you are to launch a surprise attack and disrupt them. If no enemy cultivators are found mining, you are to lie low and await their appearance. Unless something unexpected occurs, cultivators from the Ten Thousand Moon Lake will certainly come here to gather Ice Spirit Stones, as this is the closest medium-sized deposit to Spirit Mist City.

You are all the most outstanding disciples of the Azure Pill Sect. Success in this mission will earn you merit. Killing one enemy of equivalent cultivation grants you three months of rest back in the city. Killing three enemies of equivalent cultivation exempts you from further combat deployment. Even if deployed afterward, you will receive generous Spirit Stone rewards. Furthermore, disciples with outstanding merit will be given priority for the best fiefdoms bestowed upon families post-battle. I urge you, junior brothers, to apply yourselves diligently and carve out illustrious military achievements for the Azure Pill Sect and the Spirit Mist Realm.”

“Yes, Senior Brother Yan!”

The named Azure Pill disciples stepped forward, shouting in unison, their excitement palpable. Most of them originated from rootless rogue cultivator backgrounds; securing a family fiefdom meant they could establish their own lineage, ensuring continuity for generations.

The Azure Pill Sect had over thirty Foundation Establishment cultivators defending Spirit Mist City, but only these ten were assigned to this mission; the rest remained inside to guard and prepare, awaiting further orders.

“Junior Brother Ye, I did not wish to send you out on this mission. However, Martial Ancestor Huangfu specifically named you. I had no choice. Once outside the city, prioritize your safety above all else. Do not seek merit; simply ensure you return alive. Regarding the fiefdom matter, I will do my best to arrange something for you.”

The Great Elder Yan patted the shoulders of the assembled cultivators gently, but as he approached Ye Qin, his lips moved, transmitting a few sentences to Ye Qin via secret sound transmission. He then gave Ye Qin a complex glance, saying nothing more aloud.

Ye Qin's rapid cultivation growth over the past few years had exceeded Elder Yan’s expectations, matching the speed of the sect's core disciples. Yet, what truly astonished the Great Elder was the attitude of Ancestor Huangfu. Ancestor Huangfu rarely involved himself in sect affairs, but this rare, direct naming of Ye Qin for combat deployment left him bewildered as to the Ancestor's true intentions.

The Great Elder dared not question the command and listed Ye Qin among the first batch of deployed fighters as instructed by Ancestor Huangfu.

Because Ye Qin had previously gifted two Foundation Establishment Pills to his daughter, Yan Xuan—assistance that greatly aided her successful Foundation Establishment—he was considered a cultivator friendly to the Yan family. Therefore, Elder Yan held considerable goodwill toward Ye Qin and intended to protect him as much as possible.

Ye Qin paused upon receiving Elder Yan’s secret transmission, then nodded slightly to indicate understanding. Not seeking merit, only avoiding failure—this suited his disposition perfectly. As for gaining a fiefdom through military accomplishment, he cared little. As long as he could survive to become a Core Formation cultivator, he wouldn't lack for territory later.

And so, after a round of encouragement from the Great Elder, the ten Azure Pill disciples quietly slipped out of Spirit Mist City, vanishing into the vast Gobi desert to launch their ambush against the enemy cultivators. Naturally, all nineteen major sects had deployed their own teams.

Outside Spirit Mist City, aside from the daily bombardment of the protective grand array by cultivators from Sky Dome Plain or Ten Thousand Moon Lake, the city was not completely encircled. The main forces of the Three Realms cultivators were still concentrated near Spirit Mist City, but large numbers of lower-tier cultivators were already scattered about, gathering spiritual resources everywhere.

Wars in the cultivation world of the Central Continent often dragged on for extended periods, with ten or even several decades being commonplace. This conflict was only in its second or third year, and the decisive battle had yet to commence; neither side was in a hurry.

It was not difficult for Ye Qin and the others to leave Spirit Mist City; they slipped out under the cover of night. The true challenge was surviving outside the walls.

......

To the west of Spirit Mist City lay the Spirit Mist Mountain Range, spanning millions of li. It was a realm of primeval jungle, countless demonic beasts, and rare celestial birds, and also the location of the mountain gates for the nineteen immortal cultivation sects of the Spirit Mist Realm.

Cold Lake Forest was a swampy region of forest covering a hundred li within the mountain range. In the middle of this large forest were scattered ice lakes and marshes, where Ice Spirit Stones were abundantly produced. This area housed many ice-elemental demonic beasts, and few cultivators ventured here because ice-elemental cultivators were rare in the Spirit Mist Realm, resulting in low consumption of Ice Spirit Stones. The stones here remained largely unmined. Since the cultivators of Ten Thousand Moon Lake primarily focused on water and ice elements, the sect leadership had confidently predicted that they would certainly come to this location to excavate Ice Spirit Stones.

......

The dozen or so Azure Pill Foundation Establishment cultivators made their preparations. After leaving the city, they did not immediately take to their swords to fly, choosing instead to sprint across the ground, a method less likely to reveal them to enemy scouts.

All ten of them had joined the Azure Pill Sect as rogue cultivators before achieving Foundation Establishment. Six were at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, and only four were at the mid-stage. However, their ages varied drastically. The oldest was silver-haired, his face lined with wrinkles, his energy waning, already one hundred and fifty or sixty years old, his lifespan nearing its end within a few decades. The younger ones, like Ye Qin and Shen Bao, had achieved Foundation Establishment at a very young age and still had one or two centuries left to live. This was common; ordinary cultivators advanced slowly, taking over ten years of hard work to raise their Foundation Establishment stage by one minor level. Even after joining the Azure Pill Sect, those who performed poorly might not gain many benefits.

Leading the group was Qian Bojiang, a dark-complexioned, utterly unremarkable middle-aged male cultivator, possessing the sixth level of Foundation Establishment—the highest cultivation among the ten Azure Pill disciples. Upon exiting the city, he immediately assumed command, leading the group toward the Spirit Mist Mountain Range.

Ye Qin, currently at the fifth level of Foundation Establishment, was not considered high-ranking, but among these ten Azure Pill disciples, he was second in seniority.

After exiting the city, they rushed toward the direction of the Spirit Mist Grand Canyon. Ye Qin soon noticed that their ten-person squad was gradually spreading out, splitting into a front group and a rear group.

The five cultivators leading the way—Qian Jiangbo, Yang Zhen, and others—seemed to be a tight-knit unit, rushing their journey. The five lagging behind included Ye Qin, Shen Bao, and their companions.

Ye Qin considered the situation briefly and understood the reason. This separation was not caused by differences in cultivation level, but by differing intentions regarding the mission. Take himself, for instance; he had no intention of actively seeking out and killing Ten Thousand Moon Lake cultivators for merit. Killing a thousand enemies often resulted in eight hundred losses for oneself; the cultivators of Ten Thousand Moon Lake were not easy targets, and getting himself entangled there would be disastrous. His only goal for this trip to Cold Lake Forest was to return to Spirit Mist City alive, avoiding encounters with the enemy as much as possible. No amount of merit was worth dying for.

Therefore, he naturally wasn't rushing, his pace subconsciously slowing, causing him to fall behind. Shen Bao was much the same; usually appearing carefree and lighthearted, he would absolutely avoid danger when it arose. Expecting Shen Bao to actively engage the Ten Thousand Moon Lake cultivators in battle was nearly impossible.

In contrast, Qian Bojiang and the others seemed eager to earn military distinction. Achieving higher status within the sect and obtaining superior fiefdoms, and carving out a reputation in the Spirit Mist Cultivation World, all hinged on military achievement—it was the straightforward shortcut.

Their differing objectives meant that although all were ordered on the mission, they possessed entirely distinct mentalities. Ye Qin inwardly smiled wryly, continuing his unhurried pace.

Qian Bojiang sprinted at the very front, reaching the Spirit Mist Grand Canyon under the faint starlight. Once they crossed the canyon, they would enter the vast expanse of the Spirit Mist Mountain Range. He glanced back at this point, only to see four Azure Pill cultivators who usually stayed close to him following closely, while Ye Qin, Sun Shi, Shen Bao, and the others lagged behind by several hundred zhang. His face immediately chilled. “What is going on with you few? If we fail to complete the mission of sabotaging the Ten Thousand Moon Lake cultivators’ spirit stone collection, and Elder Yan punishes us, who will take responsibility?”

“Hmph, Junior Brother Qian, it wasn’t easy for us to cultivate to this point. Why are you working yourself to death? Is this minor reward from the sect worth such desperation? It’s not worth losing your life needlessly. If you want to fight, go ahead and take the lead; don't drag others into danger.” Sun Shi, the oldest among them, spoke indifferently. Having lived over a hundred years, he deeply understood the hardships of the cultivation path. Currently only at the fourth level of Foundation Establishment, the older he got, the less he desired death.

Qian Jiangbo’s expression turned ugly. Wasn't this old degenerate Sun Shi mocking their greed for sect rewards? What was wrong with striving for merit for the sect?

Noticing the atmosphere growing tense, Ye Qin pondered for a moment before interjecting with a suggestion. “How about this: having ten Foundation Establishment cultivators moving together is perhaps too conspicuous. It would be more agile to split into two teams of five Foundation Establishment cultivators. These two teams could remain a few li apart, allowing for timely support. Upon reaching the Cold Lake Forest, we check the situation there first. If the enemy strength is weak, we attack together. If they are too strong, we retreat first and discuss how to deal with them. What do you all think, martial brothers?”