Chương 290: The Fate Of A Lone Cultivator

The calligraphy techniques I'd learned in the Two Suns World could potentially elevate the deception beyond what conventional methods a cultivator at my realm could achieve.

"Senior Brother, Senior Sister," I said, keeping my voice casual, "I should check our supplies and make final preparations. I'm going to head to that small alcove behind us, I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Go ahead, but be careful," Liu Chang replied.

"We'll keep watch here." I moved to the alcove; a shallow depression in the rock wall that offered some visual seclusion without completely separating me from the group. Once there, I removed the replica flower from my storage ring and took out the smallest brush from my formation toolkit; a fine-pointed instrument typically used for detail work on complex arrays. It would serve my purposes perfectly.

"Master, are you certain about this?" Azure questioned.

"Using blue sun techniques here could attract unwanted attention if detected."

"I'll be subtle," I promised.

"Only use just enough to enhance the deception." I had to be extremely careful. While the blue sun energy I'd absorbed during my time at the Blue Sun Academy now resided permanently within my inner world, accessing it required deliberate control. If I channeled too much, the surge of what would feel like Life Realm energy to observers might immediately draw suspicion. Though, only cultivators above the Stellar Realm were sensitive to blue sun energy, and I didn't expect to see any of them around here.

With steady hands, I inscribed a single character onto the replica's stem: Deceive. The brushwork was minute, almost microscopic, yet perfect in its formation. As I completed the final stroke, the character glowed with a faint blue luminescence before seeming to sink into the plant material, disappearing from view. I felt the subtle shift as the calligraphy took effect, weaving itself into the existing illusion framework and strengthening it exponentially.

"Impressive," Azure commented as I placed the flower back into my storage ring.

"The integration is seamless. This should deceive even cultivators at the Elemental Realm, though I wouldn't test it against a Stellar Realm cultivator." The final product was good enough for me. Due to the nature of the valley, the only cultivators able to enter were Qi Condensation cultivators, and while I was certain each group had Elemental Realm and perhaps even Stellar Realm seniors waiting outside to escort them back to their respective sects with the treasure, I planned to be long gone by then.

As I rejoined my companions, a commotion at the clearing's northern edge drew everyone's attention. A lone figure emerged from the mist, moving with the cautious steps of someone unfamiliar with the valley's dangers.

"A latecomer," Su Yue murmured. The newcomer was a young man, perhaps even younger than my current body's age. He wore simple gray robes without sect insignia, marking him as an independent cultivator. His face was lean, determined, though there was a nervousness in his movements that betrayed his awareness of how unwelcome his arrival might be.

"Sectless," Liu Chang murmured.

"Brave to come alone." Or foolish, I thought but didn't say. Independent cultivators faced tremendous disadvantages in the cultivation world, lacking the resources, techniques, and protection that sects provided. For one to venture into Black Mist Valley during a harvesting cycle, competing directly against established sects, showed either remarkable courage or desperate need. The young man reached the basin floor and paused, seeming to assess where he might position himself with minimal confrontation.

Unfortunately, there was no such safe space to be found. Every approach to the central pond was already claimed by one sect or another. After a moment's hesitation, he began walking towards the gap between the Five Elements Sect's position and where Lu Fang's Black Palm group had established themselves. It was perhaps the worst possible choice he could have made.

"This won't end well," I predicted quietly. Lu Fang straightened from his relaxed posture, dark amusement playing across his features as he watched the sectless cultivator approach. When the young man was within twenty paces of the gap he'd aimed for, Lu Fang stepped forward to intercept him.

"Well, what have we here?" Lu Fang smirked.

"A mouse scurrying in among dragons?" The sectless cultivator stopped, meeting Lu Fang's gaze with admirable steadiness despite the obvious power disparity.

"I'm not here to fight," he said, his voice carrying a slight tremor despite his brave front.

"I only want to observe the flower's blooming." Now that was just a bad excuse. No one would believe the guy was here to just watch. Not when every cultivator in a hundred-mile radius was scrambling to obtain the Moonlit Dew Flower. You didn't brave the spatial distortions of Black Mist Valley, risking life and limb, just to appreciate some pretty petals from a distance. The flower's value came from possessing it, not admiring it.

"Observe?" Lu Fang laughed.

"You think treasures of the valley are tourist attractions for worthless sectless trash to gawk at?" The young man's hands clenched at his sides, but he maintained his composure.

"The valley doesn't belong to any sect. I have as much right to be here as anyone."

"Rights?" Lu Fang's amusement vanished, replaced by cold disdain.

"Rights are earned through power, little mouse. Other teams watched the confrontation with varying degrees of interest but made no move to intervene. This was the way of things in the cultivation world; the strong dictated terms to the weak, and interference in others' disputes was rarely welcomed. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. I felt a pang of sympathy for the sectless cultivator. His courage was admirable, if foolish.

Standing alone against a ninth-stage Qi Condensation cultivator from a major sect was tantamount to suicide, especially one with Lu Fang's reputation for cruelty.

"I can defend my claim," the young man insisted, dropping into a combat stance. He drew a sword from his storage ring, a simple weapon without the spiritual enhancements that sect disciples typically wielded, but serviceable enough. Lu Fang's smile widened.

"By all means, try."

"Eight stage Qi Condensation," Azure noted.

"Not terrible for an independent cultivator but hopelessly outmatched against Lu Fang." Azure was right, what followed could hardly be called a fight. It was a demonstration, a lesson in humiliation. The sectless cultivator charged forward, his sword technique surprisingly competent, he'd clearly invested significant effort in his training despite lacking formal sect instruction. But against Lu Fang, it might as well have been a child swinging a stick.

The Black Palm disciple sidestepped the initial thrust with insulting ease, not even bothering to draw his own weapon. As the young man pivoted to maintain his assault, Lu Fang's oversized right hand flashed out.

"Black Palm Technique: Withering Touch," he murmured, his fingers brushing against the sectless cultivator's sword arm. The effect was horrifying. Where Lu Fang's fingers made contact, the young man's sleeve disintegrated, and the skin beneath blistered and blackened as if burned. He screamed, his grip on his sword faltering, but stubbornly refused to drop his weapon entirely.

"Impressive pain tolerance," Lu Fang commented, circling his opponent like a predator toying with its prey.

"But futile." The sectless cultivator gritted his teeth and charged again, his movements now hampered by his injured arm. This time, Lu Fang didn't bother dodging. He caught the descending blade between his thumb and forefinger, the metal smoking where he touched it.

"Black Palm Technique: Corruption Seed," he said almost conversationally, sending a pulse of crimson energy through the sword. The weapon shattered in the sectless cultivator's hand, fragments slicing into his face and chest. One particularly large shard embedded itself in his right cheek, blood streaming down his jaw and neck. Still, incredibly, the young man refused to yield. He stumbled backward, his breathing ragged, and began tracing a formation pattern in the air with his uninjured hand.

Golden light sparked at his fingertips, a basic explosive talisman, by the look of it. Lu Fang sighed.

"You're starting to annoy me now." He moved with sudden, blinding speed, closing the distance between them before the sectless cultivator could complete his talisman. His crimson-shrouded right hand clamped around the young man's throat, lifting him effortlessly off the ground.

"Black Palm Technique: Essence Drain," Lu Fang declared, and the crimson glow intensified. The sectless cultivator's scream cut off abruptly as his face contorted in agony. I could sense his spiritual essence being forcibly extracted, drawn into Lu Fang's palm in pulsing waves of energy. It was a demonic technique I'd only read about before, a signature Black Palm Sect ability that allowed them to replenish their own essence by stealing it from others.

After several excruciating seconds, Lu Fang released his grip, allowing the young man to collapse to the ground in a boneless heap. He wasn't dead, I could see the shallow rise and fall of his chest, but his cultivation had been severely damaged. It would take him months, perhaps years, to recover what had been stolen, if he ever could.

"You should thank me," Lu Fang murmured.

"Had you somehow obtained the flower, you would have faced far worse on your journey home. Consider this a merciful education. Now crawl back to wherever you came from." There was some truth to his words, whoever secured the flower would have a target painted on their back, a deadly one. With a casual kick that sent the sectless cultivator sliding across the rocky ground toward the path he'd arrived from, Lu Fang turned away, apparently considering the matter settled.

As he did, his gaze swept across the assembled cultivators like a challenge. When his eyes reached our position, they lingered, focusing particularly on Liu Chang with undisguised hostility. For a tense moment, I wondered if he might decide to carry his demonstration further by challenging us next. My soul essence was still significantly depleted, and while I believed in my companions' abilities, a confrontation now would only complicate our mission.

After what felt like an eternity, Lu Fang merely smirked and returned to his faction's position, apparently content with the message he'd delivered. I glanced at the sectless cultivator, who was now struggling to pull himself toward the path, leaving a smear of blood on the rocks. No one else made any move to assist him, not the Morning Star disciples, not the Five Elements team, not even those who had watched the one-sided fight with apparent disapproval.

"Aren't you going to help him?" Azure asked.

"As much as I want to, we can't afford to make ourselves targets right now," I replied mentally.

"Our mission is too important, and I'm operating at reduced capacity as it is." Azure didn't argue. This was the harsh reality of the cultivation world, pragmatism often overrode compassion, and survival frequently meant making choices that felt wrong on a fundamental level.

"Lu Fang seems determined to make a statement," Liu Chang observed quietly.

"First the sectless cultivator, and those looks he keeps sending our way..."

"He's trying to intimidate us," Su Yue added, her eyes narrowed as she watched the Black Palm disciples.

"Establish dominance before the flower appears." I nodded, forcing my attention back to our mission.

"All the more reason to stick to our strategy. We're not here to engage in pointless conflicts, we're here for the flower."

"Agreed," Liu Chang said.

"Though I doubt Lu Fang will make it that easy for us when the time comes."

"Well, I'm suddenly very glad you both decided to accompany me on this mission," I admitted. Su Yue glanced at me with a hint of surprise.

"Oh? Doubting your abilities, Junior Brother?" I shook my head slightly.

"Not at all. I'm confident I could handle most of these cultivators in one-on-one combat." It wasn't entirely a lie, at full strength, with access to all my techniques, I probably could. In my current weakened state, however...

"But fighting through an entire cohort of crazy cultivators while securing the flower would be... inefficient." Liu Chang chuckled softly.

"Indeed. Efficiency is key in such operations." As we lapsed into watchful silence, I found myself genuinely grateful for their presence. Not just for the tactical advantages they provided, but for the simple human connection. In a world built on power hierarchies and ruthless competition, having allies who stood beside you without ulterior motives was a rare and precious thing.

A few weeks ago, I was simply an outer disciple they had allowed to tag along due to respect for my formation skills, but after everything we'd been through, I'd become a valued member of their team. Perhaps even more than that… As the expected blooming time approached, hands drifted closer to weapons and talismans, teams that had maintained respectful distances from each other now subtly adjusted their positions for strategic advantage.

I checked and rechecked our spatial anchors, ensuring they were ready to deploy at a moment's notice. The replicated flower rested securely within my storage ring. Our escape route had been planned, alternatives considered, contingencies prepared. All that remained was to wait for nature to take its course, for the Moonlit Dew Flower to bloom in response to the specific convergence of spatial energies and moonlight that occurred only once per cycle.

As I looked across at the other teams, particularly at Lu Fang's imposing figure silhouetted against the night sky, a certainty settled in my mind. The coming conflict would be swift and brutal, with every team fighting to secure the prized bloom for themselves. But something told me that when the dust settled, Lu Fang wouldn't be making it out of this valley unscathed. Call it intuition or perhaps just wishful thinking, but I couldn't shake the feeling that his arrogance was about to cost him dearly.

I just hoped we wouldn't be caught in the crossfire when it happened.