Chapter 287

Chapter 287: In the Wilderness, There is a Beast Named Qiongqi

Hearing Zhu Tianci’s description, Li Hui confirmed one thing: it was not that Sister-in-law wanted to leave; rather, someone had used magic to make her lose her senses and follow them.

The good thing is that the elder brother returned alive, and since the other party provided an explanation, it seems it was not a malicious act, though doubts still linger in his heart, and he doesn’t know where to search for her.

“Don’t worry, elder brother. If we have the opportunity, we can ask a master of Innate Techniques to calculate. Finding Sister-in-law won’t be too difficult," Li Hui comforted him, hoping to ease Zhu Tianci’s worries, as he had a plan in mind.

“Alright, if we can find her, that would be great.” Zhu Tianci sighed in relief; if she really encountered trouble, he would regret it for a lifetime.

After leaving the thatched hut, he saw a large crowd gathered at the entrance. It was a dark mass of people, including the families of those old brothers and many war orphans, with the number increasing year by year, now exceeding two thousand.

This was all due to the continuous disasters and wars in Dalong, where people lived uncertain lives and discontent filled the air. Even ants cling to life, let alone these living beings?

Though Zhu Tianci held great prestige on the mountain, everyone recognized that Li Hui had the most potential. No matter how you looked at it, Third Brother had become an outer disciple of the Jade Symbol Sect, which made him far superior to ordinary people.

Upon seeing Third Brother, who appeared just as he did when he left Chuxia Mountain, his demeanor was definitely unmatched, especially since he returned with so many giant cranes and cultivators, instantly earning him acclaim.

In the eyes of the villagers, the impact of these giant cranes far exceeded that of Chef Zhao and others.

They scratched their heads in confusion, unable to comprehend how such enormous red-crowned cranes could exist in this world. How magical! They wondered how many hundreds or thousands of years it would take for these creatures to grow; they must be legendary divine beasts.

In reality, these giant cranes were quite ordinary; through magical stimulation and breeding, they grew large over several generations, no different from fully-grown red-crowned cranes.

When Chef Zhao laid out various ingredients, the crowd became excited.

Just the turtle meat alone was stacked high in baskets, piled one after another, along with dried shellfish, various cured fish, fruits, and grains…

The majority of the ingredients were seafood, and Li Hui knew that Chuxia Mountain was struggling, so he had Huo Qiniang procure plenty. For Zhu Tianci, going out to buy supplies was a challenge that turned his hair grey, but for a cultivator, it was a minor issue.

They set up a large pot to cook the food, filling the air with a delightful aroma that could be smelled eighty miles away. Today, Chuxia Mountain was celebrating, and both the mountain dwellers and the villagers were in high spirits.

Li Hui told Niu Wu to eat his fill but not to overeat; otherwise, it wouldn’t be worth it, as there would be plenty of delicious dishes to enjoy in the future—this was a commitment from a seasoned foodie.

People regard food as essential to life, and seeing all this food brought smiles to the elders’ faces, while the children cheered joyfully. Their spirits underwent an immediate change simply because of the food.

However, moving all these men, women, and children wouldn’t be easy, especially since it would take them three years just to leave Haofu. Li Hui planned to dismantle the Bamboo Box to create a miniature Buddhist nation using Xumi Bamboo and talisman formations.

Of course, it was not a true miniature Buddhist nation but a scaled-down version, meant to last for about ten to twenty days.

“Haofu is about to descend into chaos. We’ll settle in Yunzhou, where the Haotu Sect is located. Even if Dalong is overthrown, as long as the Haotu Sect exists, Yunzhou will remain prosperous, better than any place in Dalong. We’ll leave in two days; elder brother, make your preparations quickly.”

“Two days? That’s so soon?” Zhu Tianci was surprised.

“If possible, we’ll leave tomorrow; I feel more comfortable the sooner we get away,” Li Hui said, standing on the rocky cliff and looking at the evening glow. He indeed felt an ominous premonition, something he couldn’t explain, a pure sensation from the heavens.

“Alright, I’ll inform everyone to prepare overnight and gather in the morning,” Zhu Tianci, as the head of the family, made a firm decision. In a battlefield like this, if they couldn’t relocate on time, it would be as if the heavens ignored their pleas; since his brother said there was danger, there was certainly danger.

Upon hearing they were leaving, the villagers followed Third Brother away from their remote and impoverished home to prosper in a large city. There was no need to bring pots and pans, just ensuring everyone was accounted for without losing family members; Third Brother wouldn’t forget his roots and was quite pleased!

For Li Hui, feeding one thousand or eight hundred people would only take a little under half an hour to set the talismans. No matter where they settled in Yunzhou, it would be a million times better than staying in Haofu. Indeed, Haofu was supposedly a prosperous place for Dalong, yet he didn’t care at all. With the Prince seeking power, their homeland had suffered greatly, leaving them weakened over generations.

The next day, before dawn, the old and young of Chuxia Mountain gathered at the mountainside, checking in as they moved forward.

Those behind saw the front lines rapidly dwindling, shrinking onto a Formation Disk that resembled a chessboard. They felt a sense of awe towards Li Hui, no longer daring to call out loudly or yell casually. Some elders thought that calling “Third Brother” was too informal, so they changed their address to “Lord” or “Head of the Family.”

As people’s hearts change, giving a person a fish isn’t as effective as teaching them to fish.

Provide them with a stable environment, give each family ten acres of good land, bury several pieces of low-grade Nurturing Turtle Jade and set up talisman formations to ensure a good harvest, while trying to eliminate hidden dangers. Letting the elder brother branch out could lead to two hundred years of blessings and longevity.

“Qiniang, everyone should use the Qi Nourishing Vitality Pills to see who possesses a suitable cultivation physique. For those over forty, send them some longevity recipes. If anyone is under forty, write down their characteristics and report back to me. You all step into the Formation Disk, and focus on this task,” Li Hui ordered, and Huo Qiniang and others immediately complied, taking the giant cranes into the Formation Disk as well.

By noon, they finally gathered everyone and sent them all up onto the Formation Disk.

Just as Li Hui stood up to sit on the back of a giant crane, he suddenly felt the ground shake, and then a large flock of birds rose up from the distant mountains, accompanied by a roaring sound from underground that made one’s heart tremble.

“Disaster is upon us!”

“Go, fly at full speed!” Li Hui lightly tapped the giant crane’s neck, and its wings immediately spread wide, billowing clouds and mist as it soared into the air.

With a loud “boom,” the giant crane shot off into the distance.

Having flown several dozen miles, they witnessed the mountains shaking, as numerous rocks rolled down toward the foot of the mountain.

If any cultivators in the mountains had flying magic tools or spiritual beasts, they all scrambled to ascend with great fear, looking down in horror to see the mountains cracking and sending forth large clouds of dust.

“Quick, speed up!” Li Hui secured the Formation Disk on his back and swiftly pointed at the giant crane’s wings.

Soon talisman light swirled around, and their speed increased five to six times. Many mountain fractures released black smoke, and the roars grew more terrifying.

“Roar…”

A massive shadow burst from a gap in the mountain, soaring up into the sky. Upon seeing this, Li Hui felt his eyes twitch and a description flashed in his mind.

“In the Wilderness, there is a beast that resembles a cow, with tiger claws, dual wings, and bristly fur, called Qiongqi. Its roar is like that of a Celestial Dog, and it delights in eating human flesh.”

“Damn, how come there are so many fierce beasts from the Wilderness buried underground?”

Guang Jin replied, “There must be relics left from the Wilderness era underground, containing their nests; it’s not surprising that Qiongqi broke through the layers of earth to escape.”

“This is bad; Qiongqi is chasing after us.”

The giant crane was quite a big target; Qiongqi not only eats people but also enjoys various spiritual beasts.

Seeing something flying at high speed, it immediately spread its wings to pursue. Breaking through the earth consumed tremendous energy, and it was in a state of hunger; even eating several elephants wouldn’t satiate its hunger.

The thunderous sounds behind them escalated, and these massive creatures, towering four to five zhang high, were rapidly gaining speed. Li Hui threw out various ingredients from his hands while tossing away the Contract that Song Zining found, then frantically urged the talisman formation to accelerate.