Revision

It was completely different from anything these cultivators had encountered before, for it gave off no spiritual fluctuations whatsoever.

Within this formation, an inexplicable sense of panic rose in the hearts of the cultivators.

It was the fear and rejection of danger and alien things buried deep within the human subconscious.

Under the influence of this instinctive rejection, several cultivators unconsciously took two steps backward. Their feet were about to cross the boundary of the formation when the State Preceptor calmly spoke:

“If you step outside, you won’t be able to come back in.”

The guard standing beside the State Preceptor also suppressed the sudden fear rising in his heart and shouted after him, “Think carefully!”

At those words, the cultivators who had been retreating stopped in their tracks. Only then did they realize that they were about to leave the formation, and they hurriedly suppressed the revulsion in their hearts.

However, they merely stopped at the edge of the formation and refused to take another step toward the center.

Once everyone had settled into place, the State Preceptor lifted the black stone statue from the ground and held it against his chest while chanting an incantation.

The black halo surrounding the statue instantly grew more intense!

In the next moment, the formation beneath their feet let out a deep hum that made everyone’s eardrums throb.

Then, everyone within the formation was enveloped by it and vanished from the spot in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, the group appeared before several enormous mine shafts.

“Oh? This… We’re inside?”

“Lord Jixian truly possesses incredible abilities! Those sects’ ultimate defensive formations are nothing compared to this!”

“That’s right, that’s right! Lord Jixian solved a problem we couldn’t deal with before with just a wave of his hand.”

Amid the surrounding flattery, the State Preceptor, who had his back to the others, paid them no attention. Instead, he looked sorrowfully at the black stone statue he was holding against his chest.

A breeze swept past. Under his gaze, the black stone statue crumbled into dust and scattered through the air.

He let out a soft sigh before turning around to face the others. His indifferent gaze swept over them as he spoke:

“I’ll be going down shortly. Only in places where Jishi Stones are present will those cultivators be unable to enter.”

The others were all startled.

“What? Then… what are we supposed to do, State Preceptor?”

“That’s right, State Preceptor. These Jishi Stones will absorb our spiritual energy and our lifespans. If we go down there, we’ll only be waiting to die!”

“You can’t just abandon us! The formations here were set up by them. They’ll definitely find a way in. When that happens, won’t we be trapped like turtles in a jar?”

The State Preceptor gave a soft laugh, though the corners of his mouth did not move at all.

“Lord Jixian cannot get out for the time being. At present, the only safe place is within the Jishi Stone caverns below. If you’re unwilling to wait here for the Alliance Army and wish to seek Lord Jixian’s protection, there is a way.”

As he spoke, he took more than a dozen Jishi Stones, each roughly the size of an infant’s head, from his robes and tossed them onto the ground.

“Those who wish to follow me down may come and take a Jishi Stone. Then, do as I instruct, and you can offer all your cultivation to Lord Jixian in exchange for a cultivation method that requires no spiritual energy. That way, you’ll be able to move freely through an environment filled with Jishi Stones without being affected.”

The moment those dozen or so Jishi Stones touched the ground, the surrounding weeds seemed to have their vitality suddenly drained away. In the blink of an eye, most of them withered.

The State Preceptor then took out a small booklet and placed it beside the Jishi Stones.

“I’ve written down how to use Jishi Stones for cultivation in here. Take your time deciding. Once you’ve made up your mind and completed the conversion, come down and find me.”

With that, he waved a hand and summoned a huge sheet of silk. It wrapped up the ten sacks on the ground, and he carried them with him as he turned and walked into the largest nearby Jishi Stone cavern.

He left the group of cultivators and the former king of Huanyou standing there, staring at one another.

While fleeing alongside the State Preceptor, they had never heard him mention any of this in detail. At the time, he had merely said that they would know once they arrived.

They had not expected the solution to be this.

Everyone stared at the patch of grass that had been completely drained by the dozen or so Jishi Stones in no time at all, their hearts filled with hesitation.

The guard cultivator who had always followed the State Preceptor finally clenched his teeth, stepped forward, and picked up the booklet from the ground.

“Damn it. We have no other choice anyway. If we follow the State Preceptor, we might at least have a chance of staying alive!”

As he spoke, he opened the booklet and began reading it carefully.

The other cultivators did not respond. They merely watched his every move out of the corners of their eyes.

Before long, they saw the guard continue reading the booklet while reaching out to pick up one of the Jishi Stones from the ground. He gripped it in his hand, closed his eyes, and began meditating.

At first, his face twisted in near-unbearable pain.

Everyone nearby could sense the spiritual energy around him vanishing at an astonishing speed. His cultivation was rapidly falling.

Until, at last, his cultivation disappeared completely, reducing him to an ordinary mortal.

His hair then began to turn gray, while the skin across his entire body gradually darkened. The Jishi Stone clutched in his hand also visibly shrank, and it looked as though it would vanish completely at any moment.

The guard immediately reached out and took another Jishi Stone to continue the process.

As time passed, the blackness on his face grew more pronounced. His entire body seemed to have been cast from ink.

This continued for a long time.

The surrounding cultivators silently observed the changes in him without making a sound.

It was not until two hours later that the blackness on his face seemed to condense into something solid before gradually retracting into his body.

Several cultivators who had been wavering recalled what the guard had said. Seeing that he appeared to be suffering no problems, and considering that it was already getting late and they were currently on enemy territory, they worried that the Alliance Army might find and capture them if they delayed any longer.

They began to feel tempted.

The sooner they changed their cultivation method, the sooner they could enter the Jishi Stone caverns. Only then would they have a greater chance of survival.

Every one of their fellow disciples and comrades who had previously been captured by the Alliance Army had been executed.

Most of those people had never had direct contact with the State Preceptor, the leader of the Jishi Stone incident. Some had even believed that they were merely carrying out tasks for their sects.

As for this group, who had been closest to the State Preceptor, their fate would be even more obvious if they fell into the hands of the Alliance Army.

There was only one outcome: death.

With that thought in mind, the cultivators secretly communicated with one another and discussed the matter.

Before long, they reached a consensus. They picked up the booklet and Jishi Stones that the guard had set aside and began circulating their energy.

Only the former king of Huanyou was left out. No one consulted him, and no one invited him to change his cultivation method with them.

He stood alone where he was, watching as the others gathered around the guard, sat down, and began circulating their energy while holding Jishi Stones in their hands.

The former king of Huanyou stared at the people meditating on the ground, his expression dark and brooding as no one knew what was going through his mind.