NOVPUBOver the undulating mountains, the decaying smell of rotting fish and shrimp wafted through the air.
Between the crevices of the stone outcrops atop the mountain, which should have been dry, one could vaguely discern the mud left behind after being submerged by seawater.
In the sky, vultures circled and swooped down from time to time.
A group of cultivators, with talismans affixed to their bodies and covered in dust, were leaping and running swiftly between the mountains.
"Why don’t we just fly over?"
Wang Yi’an followed at the back of the team, in front of him, a bearded old man with a pockmarked face.
Watching the cultivators squeezing through the gaps between the mountain peaks, Wang Yi’an couldn’t help but ask in confusion.
"Fly over? Looking for death!"
Before the pockmarked-faced bearded old man could respond, a thin man with a sullen face walking in front couldn’t help but mutter in a low voice.
Wang Yi’an’s expression couldn’t help but turn cold.
Though he was only a cultivator with Perfect Foundation Establishment, no one in the sect treated him with such an attitude.
But his anger was swiftly suppressed.
He wasn’t that foolish. At times like this, it was extremely unwise to stir up conflicts with others while alone in foreign lands.
After all, he had joined this team midway, and should any conflict arise, the rest of the team would undoubtedly side with the other man.
The pockmarked-faced bearded old man, who was closer to him, also quickly whispered:
"We’re heading to the battlefield where the Wanxiang Sect, Longevity Sect, and the cultivators from the Three Continents are clashing. At this time, flying in the sky is practically inviting others to spot us, isn’t it?"
Wang Yi’an frowned slightly:
"I’m not going to the battlefield. I am heading to Fengyu Mountain."
"It’s all the same. To get to Fengyu Mountain, you definitely have to pass through this area."
"This area is very close to the territory of the Thief Cultivators from the Three Continents, and they sometimes come here to patrol."
The pockmarked-faced bearded old man shook his head and said:
"Pay attention to your ’Concealment Talisman.’ Once the spiritual energy on it is about to run out, slap on a new one right away and don’t be stingy."
Wang Yi’an nodded, then quickly slowed down and stopped in front of a crevice in the mountain brook, where he saw a highly-decomposed, foul-smelling corpse hanging from a rock. His stomach churned involuntarily.
This was the first time he had witnessed such a gruesome scene.
Previously, he had only heard about such things from storytellers in teahouses. Now witnessing them with his own eyes, he felt a softness wash over him.
Barely holding back nausea, he squeezed through beside the rock on the other side.
Afterward, he caught up with the pockmarked-faced old man, who had deliberately slowed down a bit.
The team he was following was a common treasure-hunting team from Jin.
It consisted of small sects or Rogue Cultivators from Jin, joining forces to hunt cultivators from the Three Continents who were isolated on the battlefield in West Sea Country.
Since cultivators from the Three Continents had come fleeing for refuge, they were all rich targets. Thus, there were Rogue Cultivators who had lucked out, struck it rich overnight, and soared to the pinnacle of cultivators.
Examples like these continually attracted more Rogue Cultivators, and it was said that many more from the surrounding Sen State and Li State had sniffed out the opportunity and made their way over.
Wang Yi’an’s team was no different.
However, compared to those teams led by cultivators in the Middle-Late Jindan Stage or even Nascent Soul Cultivators, his team was far inferior in both numbers and cultivation stages.
The leader was merely in the Middle Jindan Stage.
To Wang Yi’an, who was used to seeing Nascent Soul Cultivators in the sect, it was hardly impressive.
Of course, it was precisely because of this that he could join the team with his Perfect Foundation Establishment stage.
But he was also curious about the team’s destination and sent a telepathic message to the pockmarked-faced old man ahead:
"Mao, I’ve heard the battlefield in West Sea Country is extremely dangerous. With our level of cultivation, isn’t it a bit..."
Although Foundation Establishment Competitors weren’t the bottom rung, in such a situation, they were not much different from cannon fodder.
While carefully checking the talisman on his chest, the pockmarked-faced old man replied telepathically:
"Do you really think we’re going to capture those isolated Thief Cultivators from the Three Continents?"
"Isn’t that the case?"
Wang Yi’an asked, somewhat puzzled.
The pockmarked-faced bearded old man shook his head:
"Of course not. The cultivators from the Three Continents who can make it to the battlefield all have at least a Golden Core. If it really came down to a fight, with the exception of Master Duan and a few other Golden Core cultivators, our team would likely lose half its lives!"
"Hah, that’s why we just stand guard on the periphery, waiting for the Masters and even the Patriarchs from the Upper Sects to sweep through the cultivators from the Three Continents. The spoils they deem unworthy are our targets."
"Picking up leftovers?"
The first thought that flashed through Wang Yi’an’s mind was exactly that.
The pockmarked-faced bearded old man continued self-deprecatingly:
"We Rogue Cultivators can only afford such pickings. But don’t laugh; if you strike it lucky and really hit the jackpot, you’ll be laughing all the way!"
Wang Yi’an, upon hearing this, couldn’t help but feel some anticipation.
"Although I’m here to find my master, if I could gain something along the way, it would make him look at me with new respect… Hm, but I’d have to ensure it’s safe to do so."
Wang Yi’an touched the Spirit Beast Bag hidden in his sleeve and felt a bit more at ease.
"Dad is in seclusion, and Mom generally doesn’t go into dungeons; they probably haven’t noticed that I’ve already left with Uncle Fu."
These thoughts surfaced in Wang Yi’an’s mind.
He quickly suppressed them, however.
Being in a foreign land, though he felt immensely excited at the moment, he still instinctively spread his Spiritual Sense outwards, closely watching for any movement in his surroundings.
It seemed to be an instinct rooted deep in his bloodline.
Soon, the dense forests started to thin out, replaced by a sea of lush, large-leafed jungle.
The team leader carefully extended his Spiritual Sense to probe the area. Once he confirmed there were no cultivators lying in ambush, he plunged into the thicket.
