Chapter 97: The Fragrance of Hometown Soil — Another Encounter with the Rogue Cultivator Alliance
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Stepping once again onto the land of his homeland—
Even the air itself smelled fragrant and sweet.
Yu Xian’s heart warmed. He took a deep breath, and the smile on his face radiated genuine joy.
Lifting his hand, he stowed away the weary Cloud Lark Crane.
After seven long months on the road—he had walked part of the journey, but it had flown the greater part.
It had worked hard for him.
From now on, he’d treat it well. If he found any good spirit beast pills that could help it advance, he wouldn’t be stingy.
The Cloud Lark Crane, like all Ten-Thousand Feathered Cranes, was of the avian spirit beast lineage—said to carry a trace of phoenix blood from ancient times.
It was far above mere wild animals.
Like humans, it could cultivate.
As long as Yu Xian supplied it with enough beast pills—or stronger ones—it would grow stronger, and eventually awaken intelligence and become a demonic cultivator.
Now closer to White Cloud Sect, he was naturally also closer to his master.
While the Cloud Lark Crane rested for over an hour, Yu Xian didn’t spend that time cultivating.
He just wanted to keep moving forward.
The Great Yang Kingdom was relatively poor.
The tribute it offered to White Cloud Sect was the smallest among all vassals.
Its national strength was weak, filled with bandits, rogue cultivators, and even evil cultivators.
After all, the more chaotic a place, the fewer rules it had.
And without rules—it became a paradise for villains.
Yu Xian strode through the forests like they were level ground, passing many villages.
Each was deeply impoverished, even worse off than his own Great Elm Village.
But there was little he could do to help.
If it were monsters or bandits, maybe he could intervene—but poverty?
That was beyond his power.
This was the reality of the world.
Even in the best of times, the poor far outnumbered the rich. What could he do?
Over these past months, Yu Xian had grown far more mature.
His ideals remained, but he now saw clearly the gap between dream and reality.
As a child, he had dreamed of growing strong, gaining wealth, and lifting his village from poverty.
But now, he knew that was just a fantasy.
There were hundreds of millions of people in the world, scraping by in the dirt, praying for rain.
To change that?
Easier said than done.
“Kill… break through… kill… break the formation…”
Just as these bitter thoughts crossed his mind, and after traveling several more kilometers, Yu Xian suddenly heard faint battle cries ahead.
He hurried forward two or three more kilometers and soon saw a fierce battle raging in a mountain valley.
It seemed a group of rogue cultivators was attacking.
Yu Xian frowned slightly.
This seemed to be a minor market town, though so small it wasn’t even marked on any maps.
More than seventy cultivators, led by a Foundation Establishment expert, were furiously attacking the town.
The market was protected by a simple Five-Element Defensive Formation.
Inside were about thirty Qi Condensation cultivators and one Foundation Establishment cultivator, doing their best to hold out.
“I already said—I’m not joining the Rogue Cultivator Alliance! Why do you keep forcing us!? If we refuse, we die?! This Rogue Cultivator Alliance just bullies its own! What kind of alliance is this?!”
The Foundation Establishment cultivator within the formation roared with fury.
The attacker outside sneered while casting spells:
“The Rogue Cultivator Alliance exists to overthrow those so-called great sects! You’ve all been oppressed by White Cloud Sect for long enough. I invited you to join us in resistance, and you refused? Are you so used to being stepped on that you like it now? You damn lapdog! If you won’t join us, then die! Better that than serve White Cloud Sect!”
“What a joke!”
The man inside shouted back:
“Joining your Rogue Cultivator Alliance doesn’t mean we won’t be exploited! You’re just using us as cannon fodder under the guise of rebellion! Even if you defeat the sects, then what? You’ll just build your own sect and keep oppressing us the same way! If anything, it’ll be worse—without the big sects to keep you in check, you’ll suck us dry! At least White Cloud Sect isn’t that harsh to us rogue cultivators! Why should we help you?! Get lost!!”
“Ha! You’re asking for death!”
The rogue leader flew into a rage.
“Brothers! This kind of scum deserves to die! No mercy! Kill them all—everything inside the town is free to take!”
The rogue cultivator roared, completed his hand seals—
A massive water dragon surged forth, accompanied by seventy or more Qi Condensation cultivators, crashing into the defensive formation!
“Don’t panic! White Cloud Sect will send help—we’ve already sent a message!”
The defending Foundation Establishment cultivator shouted hoarsely, even as his face paled and the Five-Element Array began to tremble.
It looked like it would be torn apart at any moment!
From several kilometers away, Yu Xian stood quietly in the forest, watching the battle in the valley below.
His expression darkened.
The Rogue Cultivator Alliance…
He’d heard that name more than a few times already.
It seemed they were expanding even faster than he had been traveling.
Or more likely, their movements were coordinated, erupting across the entire eastern continent—simultaneously—within all six great sects’ territories.
There were countless rogue cultivators in the East Continent.
If they formed an alliance, they would outnumber the six great sects tenfold or more.
Back in Xuantian Sect’s territory, he’d overheard the three Foundation Establishment cultivators saying that Tianyuan Sword Sect was on the verge of collapse under the alliance’s assault.
And now, after traveling twenty thousand kilometers, the Rogue Cultivator Alliance had already reached into White Cloud Sect’s domain.
Even in such a remote place, they were here, recruiting by force.
If even these tiny markets weren’t spared, what about other, more populated areas?
But more frighteningly—their methods were more tyrannical than the great sects.
At the very least, the six sects never said:
“Submit or die.”
They had never gone out of their way to slaughter rogue cultivators.
Even in their territories, the six sects allowed small markets, clans, factions, and sects to grow freely.
It was freedom within order.
But this Rogue Cultivator Alliance?
They claimed to fight for the oppressed—but acted no different from devils.
If you didn’t join them, they said you were helping the great sects.
And then they would kill you.
What a joke.
If they ever toppled the six great sects and united the East Continent—
Rogue cultivators would be truly doomed.
Either enslaved or slaughtered.
Yu Xian narrowed his eyes, weighing whether to leave and continue toward White Cloud Sect, or step in and help.
But… this was already White Cloud Sect’s territory.
As a disciple of White Cloud Sect, he had a duty to protect those who supported the sect.
If they were all killed here, and the alliance framed White Cloud Sect for it—saying that White Cloud Sect massacred fellow rogues—then more would be forced, deceived, or provoked into joining the alliance.
He didn’t care about the fate of the other five sects.
But White Cloud Sect—he wanted to protect it.
More specifically, he wanted to protect the Outer Pill Refining Hall.
More specifically still—
He wanted to protect Xiao Wusheng.
Wherever his master was—that was home.
“Help!”
In just two breaths, Yu Xian made his decision.
If he were still weak, he’d turn away.
But now—he had strength. He could help.
So he must help.
If he saved these rogue cultivators, they’d become living witnesses.
They would spread the word of what the Rogue Cultivator Alliance had done here.
This so-called alliance was fragile.
Gathered through ideology, but with no true unity.
It looked mighty now, but once they conquered land, internal power struggles would tear them apart.
Yu Xian’s eyes flickered.
He hid his aura, relying entirely on his physical body as he darted silently into a better position.
“Hahaha! You think White Cloud Sect is coming to save you? What a joke! They’re too busy saving themselves!”
The enemy Foundation Establishment cultivator burst into wild laughter.
“Of the six great sects, only Xuantian and Puppet Spirit are still holding out. The rest are all under siege, hiding behind their protective formations! You think they’ll send people for you? They can’t even spare a dog!”
“You said what!?”
Before the enemy could finish his triumphant gloating—
A cold shout erupted from the side!
The Jade Spirit Sword howled through the air, ten phantom blades flashing in unison.
At the same time, Yu Xian burst from the forest like a beast unleashed—
Ignoring all obstacles, charging straight at the enemy Foundation Establishment cultivator!
