Chapter 34: Chapter 32: Enemy of All Sects

His attempt to act tough had backfired. Instead, he’d been outsmarted and his identity exposed. This left Jiang Jichen incredibly frustrated, his face a cold mask the entire way.

He had saved the boy at the last minute because the youth had tried to persuade Du Fei not to harm Little Yue’Er.

Besides, the Fifth-level Mortal Warrior had been injured as a result.

Carrying Little Yue’Er in his arms and the boy in one hand, Jiang Jichen was still incredibly nimble, darting through the forest without a sound.

He didn’t dare linger for even a moment. He had to find a new, secret location to enter another period of secluded cultivation.

Now that his identity was exposed, he was being hunted by both the Mountain Sect and the Golden Snake Sect. He wasn’t worried about the old servant in black or the young Spirit Cultivators, but if he encountered any Elder Level masters from the Mountain Sect or Golden Snake Sect, he feared it would be difficult to even escape with his life.

Given the influence of the Mountain Sect and the Golden Snake Sect, if Jiang Jichen appeared in public now, everyone would be calling for his head. Thus, his only choice was to go into secluded cultivation without hesitation, to continue improving his Cultivation and, at the very least, repair his seven previously severed Spirit Veins.

"Big Brother, there’s a huge tiger on that mountain up ahead!"

Little Yue’Er suddenly said, pointing to a distant mountain peak.

Jiang Jichen looked ahead and saw three mountain peaks. They were covered in verdant trees and teeming with Spiritual Objects, all shrouded in a dense, hazy Spiritual Qi that made the scene as beautiful as any Immortal Realm.

On the central peak was a massive cave entrance, precisely where Little Yue’Er was pointing. That must be the tiger’s den.

Flanking the main peak were two slightly smaller mountains. They were wreathed in clouds and mist, covered in ancient vines and old trees, and dotted with forests of grotesque rock formations. A thin waterfall cascaded down each one, forming two small streams that meandered into the depths of the Moonlight Forest.

In front of the three peaks lay a verdant meadow where exotic flowers bloomed and Moonlight Grass grew wild. The sight was breathtakingly beautiful.

Although Jiang Jichen’s Divine Sense was far stronger than that of some Spirit Cultivators at the Innate Second and Third Realms, he could only sense a powerful Spirit Beast on the main peak. He hadn’t expected Little Yue’Er’s Divine Sense to be so astonishing; not only could she sense the Spirit Beast’s existence, but she could apparently visualize its appearance within her mind’s eye. The Moon God Body was truly terrifying!

Based on his own senses, Jiang Jichen judged that this Giant Tiger definitely had a Cultivation at the Innate Fourth or Fifth Realm. Such a creature was extremely rare in the outer regions of Moonlight Forest, and it could certainly be considered the Beast King of the periphery.

Normally, upon encountering such a powerful Spirit Beast, Jiang Jichen would have given it a wide berth, not daring to set foot in its territory. If he startled such a being, he might die without even knowing how it happened.

’Now that the news has spread, I’ve become an enemy to all. The most dangerous place is the safest place. Perhaps this is the best place for my secluded cultivation.’ 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Jiang Jichen gazed at the three peaks before him and finally decided to hide on the one to the left of the main peak, as it connected to the central region of the Moonlight Forest.

Without further hesitation, Jiang Jichen carried Little Yue’Er and the Fifth-level Mortal Warrior as he began to sneak toward the mountain peak on the left.

The closer he got to the three peaks, the more clearly Jiang Jichen could sense the terrifying aura emanating from the Giant Tiger. Any ordinary person who approached so casually would surely be discovered by it.

Jiang Jichen was now using a Secret Technique. He first sealed the aura of the Fifth-level Mortal Warrior. As for Little Yue’Er, there was no need—she was already capable of approaching even Jiang Jichen without a sound.

ROAR!

Just as he was sneaking toward the foot of the mountain, a tiger’s roar ripped through the air, shaking the very earth and echoing for miles around.

Jiang Jichen’s expression changed. Thinking he had been discovered, he was just about to flee the Giant Tiger’s territory with everything he had.

However, he then saw the Giant Tiger charge out of its den—not toward him, but straight up into the sky.

Hiding behind a large boulder, Jiang Jichen looked up at the sky and discovered three old men hovering there, all exuding the aura of Innate Realm experts.

’So, some Innate Realm Cultivators accidentally flew over the Giant Tiger’s territory. Those three old men are at the Innate Second and Third Realms, but they’re no match for the Giant Tiger. Judging by the insignias on their robes, they’re the same as the ones Yann Song and his people wore, just in a different color. They must be Elder Level figures from the Mountain Sect, and they’re undoubtedly looking for me.’

Jiang Jichen instantly put the pieces together. He took advantage of the moment the Giant Tiger shot into the sky to chase the three Mountain Sect Elders, quickly dashing up the smaller mountain. There, he found a stone cave, sealed the entrance with a large boulder, and hid inside.

Everything had been a close call, but ultimately safe. Having finally found a hiding place, Jiang Jichen couldn’t help but let out a long sigh of relief.

Peeking through a crack in the boulders, he saw the Giant Tiger quickly return, the corpse of a Mountain Sect Elder dangling from its mouth. It was a terrifyingly gory sight, blood dripping everywhere.

Only after the Giant Tiger entered its den did Jiang Jichen turn around, his gaze falling upon the Fifth-level Mortal Warrior.

The youth was about the same age as Jiang Jichen and still unconscious. Du Fei had kicked him twice; while not a fatal blow, the attack had left him severely injured with many broken bones and displaced internal organs.

The injuries weren’t fatal, but they would take a considerable amount of time to heal.

Jiang Jichen didn’t wake the youth. He simply had him swallow a Healing Elixir, set his broken bones, and then laid him off to the side.

Meanwhile, Little Yue’Er had quietly fallen asleep on a slab of bluestone. She hadn’t slept or rested for days, and after enduring so many hardships, she was utterly exhausted.

He took a bearskin blanket from his Mid-Level Storage Bag and tucked it underneath Little Yue’Er. Only then did Jiang Jichen walk to the cave entrance and sit down cross-legged.

’I’ve already cultivated the Undying Scripture to the Late Stage of the First Turn. The next step is the First Turn Great Perfection Realm, which would make me equivalent to an Innate Body Refiner. But the Dao of Body Refining is broken; trying to break through is both incredibly difficult and exceedingly dangerous—it’s a path of almost certain death. Only with the most thorough preparations is there even a glimmer of hope. For that reason, I’ll temporarily halt my progress on the Undying Scripture and focus on raising my Spirit Cultivation Realm first.’

Jiang Jichen mulled it over and quickly came to a decision.

Calming his mind, he began to consume First-Grade Spirit Condensing Pills and circulate the Source Character Qi Condensation Technique. He quickly entered a state of cultivation, losing all sense of self and the world around him, completely unaware of the passage of time.

...

Meanwhile, the entire Moonlight Forest was in an uproar. Countless Trainees were all discussing the same person: Jiang Jichen.

When details of the conversation from the Sound Transmission Jade began to spread, everyone was shocked—especially the Trainees from Cyan Moon City. After all, who among them didn’t know Jiang Jichen?

But they truly couldn’t believe it. They knew Jiang Jichen was strong—strong enough to kill an Eighth-Grade Great Perfection Mortal Warrior and even fight those at the Ninth Level Mortal Realm—but how could he possibly kill Du Fei, a master at the Half-step Innate Realm?

Furthermore, Jiang Jichen clearly knew they were from the Mountain Sect and the Golden Snake Sect, yet he had still slaughtered them without mercy. This was tantamount to making an enemy of all the major sects.

Sure enough, led by the Mountain Sect, representatives from one sect after another declared that they were adding Jiang Jichen to their kill-on-sight lists. Any member of their respective sects who encountered this man was to capture and kill him on the spot!