A Treacherous Alliance

“Luo girl, fifty pills!” Qin Jiu reluctantly handed him several small bottles, a hint of sorrow etched on his face.

Lin Tian accepted the medicine bottles, inhaling their faint aroma before tucking them into his storage bag. From there, he produced a blueprint.

The blueprint was incredibly detailed, even outlining the precise gunpowder formula. Its principles were so clearly illustrated that even a layman could grasp them.

“Is this the blueprint?!” Qin Jiu exclaimed, his eyes fixed on the paper with fervent excitement.

“I’ll go to the blacksmith at once,” he declared, “and trouble you no further, Luo girl.”

With that, he dashed away like a small child delighted with a new toy, utterly devoid of any princely demeanor.

****

Returning to his residence, Lin Tian immediately consumed one Essence Pill and one Qi Gathering Pill. He then began his attempt to break through to the fourth layer of the Qi Refinement stage.

As soon as the pills settled in his stomach, a warm current spread throughout his body. A faint ache resonated through his bones and meridians, signaling the Essence Pill’s activation.

Soon after, the medicinal power of the Qi Gathering Pill also diffused, sending a surge of pure spiritual energy to assault his acupoints. Lin Tian rejoiced; the pills had not disappointed him. With so many remaining, reaching the seventh layer would merely be a matter of time.

****

The next morning, Lin Tian arrived early at the designated meeting point. Qin Jiu had prepared the finest carriage, and the three other cultivators were already there, waiting.

In addition to the cultivators, dozens of cavalrymen accompanied them—an arrangement also made by Qin Jiu.

“Oh?! Luo girl’s aura… it’s significantly stronger than before!”

The three cultivators looked astonished. Yesterday, he was only at the third layer of Qi Refinement, yet he had broken through in just one night!

“I was fortunate enough to break through last night, thanks to the Prince’s Essence Pill,” Lin Tian stated, careful not to reveal the details of their private transaction.

They had painstakingly fought fierce demonic beasts to obtain merely three Essence Pills, while Lin Tian now possessed thirty. If they knew he carried so many, murder and robbery would undoubtedly ensue.

Currently, Lin Tian’s spiritual energy matched theirs. Only the man named Qi seemed stronger, likely at the fifth layer of Qi Refinement.

“Then congratulations on your breakthrough, Luo girl. Our chances against the demonic beast have greatly improved.”

Although they were outwardly polite, each secretly remained wary.

“Without further ado, let us depart…”

****

The carriage and cavalry slowly rolled out of the capital, then spurred their horses to a faster pace, heading towards the swampy lands.

Upon reaching a muddy path, the carriage could no longer proceed safely, and the horses frequently slipped. They dismounted and continued on foot for a stretch.

The soldiers at the rear found every step arduous, while the four cultivators moved with effortless grace, not a speck of dust clinging to them. They quickly left the soldiers far behind.

****

“Hold on!” The woman, Shen Ye, raised a hand to signal.

With a single sweep of her hand, a massive stone hurtled forward, quickly sinking into the ground.

“This must be the swamp ahead… Shen Ye, fellow Daoist, the rest is up to you.”

The woman nodded. She retrieved a ‘shield’ from her storage bag, then stepped onto it, her spiritual energy gently lifting it off the ground.

“Shen Ye, fellow Daoist, you go lure the demonic beast. We’ll set up some traps here,” Brother Qi instructed the other two, pulling out several small flags.

“Oh? Brother Qi also understands formations?” Wang asked, a look of surprise on his face.

“I know a thing or two; it’s just a simple beast-trapping formation.” He finished, then with a flick of his wrist, the small flags embedded themselves in five corners around them.

He then took out several spirit stones of different colors, arranging them beside the formation flags.

“This is the Five-Element Beast-Trapping Formation. It requires one person to control it, acting as the formation’s core. When the demonic beast approaches, I will activate the formation, and you two will combine your strength to kill it.”

Wang nodded in agreement, but Lin Tian frowned. Brother Qi’s plan was clearly self-serving: he would operate the formation from the outside, leaving them to fight the demonic beast to the death inside.

Meanwhile, Shen Ye was circling above the swamp. Seeing no sign of a demonic beast, she produced a small bottle. The moment she pulled out the stopper, an astonishing medicinal fragrance diffused, intended to attract the creature.

Watching intently below, the swamp began to churn. Feeling a vast surge of spiritual energy, Shen Ye quickly urged her artifact to fly back towards the shore!

“Hm? Is it here?!” Wang drew his treasured sword, which now floated beside him—clearly an artifact.

Lin Tian had no artifact, only an ordinary heavy profound iron sword. He simply drew his handgun, using it as his primary weapon.

The pistol’s power was far beyond what it once was. During his cultivation in the mountains, he had discovered the reason for its doubled explosive force.

This world was saturated with spiritual energy. When gunpowder detonated, it reacted chemically with the spiritual energy, thereby doubling its power. If he enveloped a bullet in spiritual energy, the explosion’s force could be multiplied several times—up to tenfold. Any more, and the bullet’s internal pressure would shatter the gun itself.

Just a tiny wisp of spiritual energy infused into a bullet could increase its power tenfold. At this moment, the soldiers from the rear also caught up. Seeing Shen Ye fly in from the sky, they cast admiring glances her way.

“Shen Ye, fellow Daoist! Come over here quickly!” Wang called out.

After reaching the shore, everyone stared intently at the swamp. The spiritual pressure drew ever closer. They gripped their weapons tightly, ready to deliver a fatal blow the moment the demonic beast revealed itself!

“Roar!!”

A two-zhang-long crocodile leaped out! The soldiers on the shore braced their shields forward, thrusting their spears outward!

But this was no ordinary beast; it had cultivated into a spirit. Its tail, like a razor-sharp pillar, swept horizontally, smashing into the soldiers! Their armor and shields were like paper, easily torn, and blood instantly splattered everywhere!

“Beast! Come at me!” Wang controlled his flying sword, striking the crocodile’s body with a clang.

Such high defense! Wang was startled. As he prepared to retreat, the crocodile lunged towards him!

“Form the array!” Brother Qi chanted a spell with both hands, and a five-pointed barrier sealed them within!

One demonic beast and three people were trapped inside. Wang suddenly felt a bad premonition; it was too late to escape now.

The soldiers dared not linger. They couldn’t withstand a single blow from the crocodile. When immortals fight, it’s best to steer clear. Qin Jiu hadn’t sent them to fight demonic beasts, only to escort the cultivators this far. Preserving their lives was paramount.

“Bang!”

A bullet, moving at incredible speed, shot towards the crocodile’s eye. However, due to the excessive recoil, the trajectory shifted slightly, hitting its head instead. Even so, the crocodile was left with a bloody hole, the bullet embedded deep in its hide and bone.

Both Shen Ye and Wang were stunned. They hadn’t expected Lin Tian’s unassuming weapon to possess such power!

The crocodile roared in pain, its massive oppressive aura making their hearts tremble. Brother Qi, however, merely watched from outside the array, smiling.

Shen Ye was not idle. She slapped two talismans onto her legs, then channeled spiritual energy to empower her body, rushing forward like a sharp arrow! The crocodile opened its mouth to bite, but she was too fast, and it bit only empty air.

The woman quickly affixed several talismans onto the crocodile’s body before retreating to a safe distance!

“These are… Explosive Talismans! Miss Yingkong, quickly take cover!” Wang conjured a spiritual energy shield, protecting both of them.

Lin Tian also infused spiritual energy, making the shield several times thicker, and then conjured an ice shield as well!

Two breaths later, a thunderous explosion erupted! By the time the sound reached them, it was already quite muffled by the barrier.

After the explosion, smoke filled the Five-Element Array, obscuring everything. Wang dispelled his spiritual energy shield, then took a deep breath, mixing it with spiritual energy, and blew forward!

The smoke instantly dispersed. The crocodile’s aura had significantly weakened. Looking at Shen Ye, one of her arms had fallen to the ground at some unknown point, and she was clutching the wound tightly with her other hand.

“Shen Ye, fellow Daoist! Are you alright?” Wang called out.

Shen Ye did not reply, her eyes filled with venom as she glared at the man outside the array: “Brother Qi, if you want to make a move, at least wait until the demonic beast is dead, no?”

At these words, Lin Tian and Wang immediately understood. Her injury was caused by Brother Qi’s attack. Moreover, judging by the wound, it couldn’t possibly have been inflicted by the crocodile.

“Brother Qi! What is the meaning of this?!” Wang shouted at him.

“Hmph, hmph~ Can’t you tell? All of you will die here. I need the demonic beast’s inner core, and I also want your artifacts and Essence Pills!”