Transmigration: The Peerless Immortal Husband

After clearing a clean area, the group didn’t rush to kill sea beasts immediately. Instead, they first set up a formation on the cleared ground. Jiang Yan took out a pre-prepared array disk, with Chi Changye, the most powerful among them, serving as the main controller. This defensive formation would require someone significantly stronger than Chi Changye to forcibly break through.

The formation absorbed the group’s aura, allowing them to freely enter and exit the protective barrier. Outsiders and sea beasts, however, needed the approval of the formation’s controller.

As the formation activated, the foul stench outside was also sealed off. For those experiencing it for the first time, it felt like they had been given a new lease on life. Since they would be staying here for some time, they couldn’t keep using spiritual energy to block their sense of smell.

“Let’s go. Everyone, fight within your limits. If you feel overwhelmed, retreat immediately to rest within the formation,” Jiang Yan instructed.

“Got it, Brother Jiang. Let’s head out!”

The protective formation gave the group immense confidence, boosting their morale. As soon as Jiang Yan finished speaking, they charged into the sea beast horde, brandishing their magical tools.

Gu Yao controlled two swords, darting and weaving through the sea beasts. Red and green lights flashed, leaving a trail of blood in their wake. Soon, a field of sea beast corpses lay before him. Occasionally, a sea beast managed to break through the defense line of his swords and lunged at him, but with a casual flick, he threw a talisman. A loud “boom” followed, obliterating the sea beast. This process didn’t hinder his sword control in the slightest.

Chi Changye kept a portion of his focus on Gu Yao, observing his situation. Seeing him handle the sea beasts with ease and without a hint of panic, he felt reassured. As for Gu Yao’s ability to skillfully use talismans while simultaneously controlling swords, Chi Changye wasn’t surprised. Gu Yao’s exceptional pill refinement skills were closely tied to his powerful soul strength, which was evident in his combat abilities.

Tian Feiyang, knowing that Chi Changye would ensure Gu Yao’s safety, focused his attention on his younger brother. Observing him, he realized he didn’t know his brother as well as he thought. In such a dangerous scenario, Tian Feirong showed no fear. His ferocity in battle was on par with the other cultivators, proving that his training at Tianfu Academy had been extensive.

The weapon in his hand was a ‘Fire Cloud Banner’, and with a single wave, a patch of green-tinged flames surged into the sea beast horde. Its destructive power far surpassed that of any fire-attribute cultivator Tian Feiyang had ever seen. While controlling the banner, he also commanded a fire-attribute sword to finish off the beasts that had survived the flames, stabbing them effortlessly one by one. The ease and fluidity of the process left Tian Feiyang utterly astonished.

“Big Brother, what are you doing? The sea beasts are coming!” Tian Feiyang had been distracted, and a sea beast seized the opportunity to attack. Startled, Tian Feiyang had yet to react when a stream of flames intercepted the sea beast, which let out a harrowing scream as it was engulfed. In moments, it stopped moving entirely.

“Second Brother, thank you! You saved me!” Tian Feiyang said gratefully.

“Big Brother, you need to stay focused. I might not always be able to save you next time,” Tian Feirong warned.

Tian Feiyang was embarrassed. The younger brother he used to worry about was now scolding him like an elder. Unable to help himself, he chuckled, “Alright, alright, Big Brother will definitely focus. You be careful too.”

His confidence in his younger brother increased greatly. Not only was that strange fire astonishingly lethal, but the quality of Tian Feirong’s artifacts was also exceptional, all of them high-grade. He certainly wasn’t doing any worse than his elder brother. Tian Feiyang realized he needed to concentrate on killing sea beasts and cultivating, lest he one day be surpassed by his brother—a thought that would be quite humiliating.

The group was in full swing, the heat of battle unrelenting. Cultivators who had followed them out realized they couldn’t intervene at all. The protective formation set up by the group wouldn’t allow outsiders to benefit from it, and the barrier’s presence made it clear they didn’t need help. Sensibly, the others picked a nearby spot to hunt sea beasts, keeping their distance. Watching the flashes of fire and lightning in the distance, it was evident that the group was a powerhouse, not needing any external support.

Some outsiders had clearly overestimated their importance.

Meanwhile, a group of four cultivators chose a spot with fewer sea beasts. While hunting, they frequently glanced toward Tianfu Academy’s base. One of them said, “Boss, it seems that they’re tough to handle. What should we do now?”

The leader replied, “Don’t rush. It’s only the beginning. What we need to do is wait for the right opportunity to make our move. Let’s observe for now.”

Another chimed in, “That alchemist sure is something! He’s not like the others. If we could capture him and make him refine pills just for us, we wouldn’t need to take on any more missions. We’d be rich in no time.”

The leader sneered, “And you’d dare sell those pills? We couldn’t protect them even if we did. Stop dreaming.”

The repercussions of being caught would mean unending pursuit and death with no escape. He wasn’t foolish enough to entertain such ideas. The most they could do was rob the alchemist of some pills for their own use.

“What a pity,” the other muttered regretfully.

Gu Yao’s team cleared out a stretch of land spanning over a kilometer, leaving the remaining sea beasts too terrified to approach the area. Instead, they hovered at the edges, hesitant to step into the cleared zone. Jiang Yan called out, “Take anything useful from the corpses, then let’s return to the formation for a break.”

“Got it!”

In just half a day, the group had slain over a thousand sea beasts. Chi Changye, the team’s biggest powerhouse, had been holding back, or he might have taken out all the beasts himself. Compared to other teams, their results were astonishing. Observers hovering in midair on their artifacts pointed at the scene, some even flying closer, seemingly curious or envious.

“Daoist Jiang, why don’t we handle these sea beast corpses for you? We’ll keep the items you need and clean everything up for you,” a man said, descending from his flying artifact and clasping his fists respectfully toward Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan glanced at the newcomers. Gu Yao had no objections, and neither did Tian Feiyang. Seeing this, Jiang Yan nodded and said, “Alright, we’ll leave it to you. Everyone, let them know what you need.”

Gu Yao informed the group of his requirements before entering the formation with Chi Changye to rest. Although these cultivators had slightly lower cultivation levels, as long as they were willing to put in the effort and take risks, they could still gain a lot from the battlefield. While items like beast skins, shells, meat, and blood might not hold much value for higher-level cultivators like them, they were highly valuable to low- to mid-level Qi Refinement cultivators. These materials could also fetch a decent price when sold at the Tian Shui market.

Every level of cultivation had its own way of survival. Resources might be static, but people were adaptable and could always find the means to thrive in different environments.

Inside the formation, everyone could completely relax. After some lighthearted conversation and sharing their thoughts, they began meditating to adjust their conditions. Outside, Liu Yang led his team to collect the sea beast corpses, looking enviously at the people inside the formation. When would scattered cultivators like them ever enjoy such good conditions?

“Brother Liu, you were right. These people are surprisingly easy to get along with, nothing like the arrogant personalities people often describe. Even Master Gu is friendly.”

“Exactly. Those who claim that Master Gu is a liability on the battlefield should come here and see for themselves. He’s far better than those who only talk big. You can tell he’s spent plenty of time honing his combat skills. Master Gu is much stronger than those who just flap their gums.”

“By the way, Brother Liu, did you notice that Senior Chi is only taking the seemingly useless parts of the sea beasts? What’s he using them for?”

Liu Yang, who had gathered plenty of information over the years, guessed, “Perhaps it’s for food. Didn’t you notice how good the meat on those parts is? Those are the sections often bought by taverns in the market. Don’t pay attention to the jealous remarks from outsiders. As long as we do our work well, know our place, and don’t cross any lines, they won’t make trouble for us.”

“You’re right, Brother Liu. Let’s get to work quickly while the sea beasts are still scared to come back.”

The group stopped chatting and efficiently handled the sea beast corpses. Their practiced hands made quick work of the task, gathering the usable parts and piling up the unusable ones to burn with Fire Talismans.

By the time Gu Yao and his group had finished meditating, Liu Yang and his team had cleaned up everything. It was indeed more time-saving and convenient than doing it themselves. Otherwise, the smell from leaving the corpses would have been unbearable.

Outside the formation, Liu Yang called out a few times and then waited. Soon, two people emerged to collect the items he had brought in. Liu Yang expressed his gratitude and left with his team, pleased with the day’s substantial harvest.

Over the next two days, other small groups tried to compete with Liu Yang’s team for the job. However, after some consideration, Jiang Yan’s group decided to stick with Liu Yang and his team, as they were already familiar and efficient. With the work exclusively handed over to them, Liu Yang’s group became even more diligent, ensuring the beast meat was processed meticulously. Even seemingly trivial items, like sea beast blood or venom sacs that Gu Yao specifically requested, were handled with utmost care without unnecessary commentary.

The inner cores of the sea beasts were also valuable for alchemy. During quiet moments, particularly at night, Gu Yao would retrieve the cores he had collected and experiment with refining pills. He had several pill recipes in mind and relished the opportunity to study new materials, documenting anything with unique properties for future use.

When the fragrance of refined pills wafted out, even the protective formation couldn’t fully contain it. The alluring scent stirred the surrounding sea beasts, causing them to grow restless and emit strange cries as they tried to breach the barrier. Even some cultivators nearby were unable to resist the temptation.

Eventually, a brave cultivator approached the Tianshu Academy’s base and called out from outside the formation: “May I humbly request Master Gu’s help in refining a batch of pills?”

This turn of events didn’t surprise Gu Yao and his companions. In fact, they had anticipated it. The fact that it took this long for someone to approach them was unexpected. Tian Feirong stepped out of the formation and addressed the cultivator, “We can take alchemy requests, but no more than five batches a day. You must adhere to the standard rules for pill refining.”

The cultivator was overjoyed. “I understand! Thank you, Daoist friend. Here are the spirit herbs I’ve brought. I’d like Master Gu to refine a batch of healing pills. This is the payment for the work.”

Tian Feirong glanced at the offerings. One bag contained spirit stones as compensation for the alchemy. Without the payment, standard practice dictated that half of the resulting pills would be taken as a fee. Smirking slightly, Tian Feirong accepted the spirit herbs and stones, saying, “Wait here. Once Master Gu has finished, you’ll be called.”

“Understood, thank you!” The cultivator was thrilled as he watched Tian Feirong return to the formation. To him, offering spirit stones was a small price compared to losing half the pills. At this moment, the value of pills—especially those refined by Gu Yao—far exceeded that of spirit stones. What surprised him even more was that Gu Yao adhered to standard practices and didn’t exploit the situation to demand exorbitant prices.