At this critical moment of life and death, both of them ran desperately, and soon retreated several miles.
Seeing pedestrians gradually passing by, they finally felt relieved and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, brother. If you hadn't discovered it earlier, we really don't know where we would have ended up.
It's scary to think about it." You Jing said with a little shock and panic.
Zhou Shu stared into the distance, silent.
Fortunately, this illusion array was very simple, just luring people in the wrong direction. If it were a more advanced illusion array, cultivators like them would have no chance of escaping, no matter how they walked.
They must not be so careless.
You Jing took a few breaths and whispered, "Brother, are we still going to get water?"
"Go, avoid the previous path, and be careful at all times."
Zhou Shu nodded and continued to walk forward. "Also, don't talk anymore."
This kid's chatterboxing was simply explosive, more difficult to deal with than a monster, almost distracting him and trapping him completely.
"Got it, Senior Brother. Wait for me."
You Jing hurriedly caught up, mouth tightly shut, not daring to leave Zhou Shu's side for a moment.
Not far from the foothills, two black-clad cultivators, masked with only their noses and mouths visible, emerged, gazing at the road with disdain.
"They didn't fall for it! This is the first time someone has escaped our illusion, right? That kid's pretty shrewd."
"Almost. Ten breaths at most, and we can ambush them."
"Forget it, let's find our next target."
The two black-clad cultivators exchanged a few words and quickly vanished.
Having experienced that danger, Zhou Shu and the others had become much more cautious, You Jing even more so. Whenever he couldn't see anyone, he'd immediately cry out in alarm, leaving Zhou Shu speechless for a moment.
They arrived safely at Yujiazhuang. Security was tight, apparently influenced by the disappearance of the wandering cultivators. Numerous cultivators patrolled the gates.
Several of them bore glittering golden plum blossoms embroidered on their bodies, intriguing Zhou Shu, who took several more glances.
A cultivator glanced over coldly, "What are you looking at? Go get some water over there, don't hang around here!"
Zhou Shu glanced at him indifferently, but before he could say anything, You Jing hurriedly pulled Zhou Shu inside.
"Brother Zhou, don't mess with them! They're cultivators from the Liuchu Sect, and they're quite powerful."
"Liuchu Sect?"
Shortly after arriving at Qingxia Market, Zhou Shu had already explored all the major sects in the Qingyuan Mountains. The ones closest to the market were the Heyin Sect and Luowang Valley, as well as the Sixi Sect, Dingshan Sect, and Yunjian Sect. As for the Liuchu Sect, he had never heard of it.
You Jing introduced them quietly, "I heard it's a newly established sect, but it's incredibly powerful and has already taken over quite a bit of territory. They've even seized the Yu Family Manor's spiritual spring, causing discontent among the Yu family members, who have been driven out. It's said there are quite a few Condensation Vein cultivators within the sect, so they're not to be trifled with."
Zhou Shu nodded gently, "I see."
It sounded like they didn't even have any Golden Core cultivators, so it was clearly not a major sect. The fact they could seize some territory was probably because the larger sects disdained to pay any attention.
But that didn't concern him.
The two of them passed through several portals and followed the mountain path to the spiritual spring.
The spring was tiny, a delicate trickle flowing from a crevice in the mountain, forming a pool less than three feet long and wide. A faint mist swirled around, brimming with spiritual energy. Many cultivators, wearing plum blossom-embroidered robes, were meditating and cultivating by the spring.
Seeing the two approach, a blue-robed cultivator slowly stepped forward. "How much water would you like? The usual price: two low-grade spirit stones for five liters. If you'd like to practice nearby, it'll be three low-grade spirit stones a day."
In the world of immortal cultivation, resources are paramount. Occupying a spiritual spring offers the ultimate advantage.
It's no wonder the Liuchu Sect would take action against its rivals. You Jing, unearthing a massive bucket several inches taller than himself, dropped it to the ground with a muffled thud, drawing considerable attention.
"Senior Brother, I need two hundred and fifty liters of spiritual spring water. Here's a mid-grade spirit stone."
The words were startling, but not surprising. Baigongfang was a tool-refining workshop, requiring a large supply of spiritual spring water for any operation.
The blue-robed cultivator took the spirit stone, weighed it twice, and smiled. "No problem. Go fetch the water yourself. We have the tools for that over there."
He then looked at Zhou Shu, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Zhou Shu simply held out a small jade bottle. "Excuse me, I'll just take one liter."
The blue-shirted cultivator's face fell, and he waved his hand impatiently. "Where are the spirit stones? Grab the water and leave quickly. Don't linger here."
Zhou Shu handed over the spirit stones, took the water, and stood aside, waiting.
A short while later, You Jing approached, carrying a bucket as tall as a man.
The bucket, including the spiritual spring water inside, weighed at least three hundred pounds, and You Jing's steps were incredibly heavy.
"Brother, let's hurry. If we delay any longer, the Swift Wind Talisman will lose its effect," he shouted anxiously.
Zhou Shu smiled at his clumsy behavior. "Why don't you put it in your storage bag?"
"Where can I find a storage bag? As casual cultivators like us, we can't afford one," You Jing complained. Then, his eyes gleaming, he looked at Zhou Shu. "Do you have one, brother?"
Zhou Shu spread his hands. "No."
"What a false alarm! I thought I could save some effort." You Jing pouted and sprinted forward.
Zhou Shu caught up with him in a few steps, quite puzzled. "Without a storage bag, how did you bring this bucket?"
You Jing laughed and said proudly, "Hey, this bucket is a magic weapon I made myself. Isn't it impressive?"
"Magic weapon?" Zhou Shu shook his head slightly, obviously unconvinced.
"Actually, it's not a magic weapon... It's just that it can be folded up layer by layer, so that the originally thick bucket can be tied around the body like a belt. But now that it's filled with water, it can't be folded up." You Jing explained.
Zhou Shu suddenly realized and smiled slightly, "I see, you are really smart."
"Hehe, maybe in a few years, I'll be able to refine a magic weapon."
The praise cheered You Jing up, his pace quickening as he charged forward.
Halfway through, You Jing stumbled and fell flat on his face. Luckily, the bucket was sealed securely, otherwise, this trip would have been a complete waste.
Slowly, You Jing pulled himself to his feet, grimace in agreement, "The Swift Wind Talisman seems useless."
Without the Swift Wind Talisman to prop up the bucket, he'd struggle to lift it with his current level of cultivation, let alone run long distances. The moment the talisman lost its effectiveness, he stumbled.
"I don't have the Swift Wind Talisman, but I do have the Speed Talisman and the Light Body Talisman. Try putting them together." Zhou Shu, seemingly anticipating this, pulled out two talismans and handed them to him.
"Thank you, Senior Brother. I'll definitely return them when I get back."
You Jing's expression relaxed, and he took the talisman. Just as he was about to use it, he froze.
Five feet in front of them, two blurry black shadows suddenly appeared, like smoke and fog, rushing towards them.
"This is bad."
At this moment, there were no other cultivators around the road, and there was a feeling of being doomed.