Here is the edited version of Chapter 72.
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Chapter 72: Escape, Encounter on the Road
If a cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refining could accumulate so many trump cards—talents, talismans, and weapons—how troubleso must those ancient monsters who had lived for hundreds of years be? They would have countless tricks.
At this mont, Xu Ning reminded himself again to be careful, careful, and even more careful. He could not let his guard down.
Then, Xu Ning collected all the ordinary supplies from the storage bag—the spirit stones and miscellaneous items that were safe.
As for the remaining talismans, including the high-grade talisman, he took them all out and activated and destroyed them one by one, leaving no trace. Only then did he feel at ease throwing away the empty storage bag.
Xu Ning didn't have any greed for the mid-grade spiritual weapon longsword and other magical artifacts. He directly fed them to his long axe and other items, letting them absorb the materials.
Xu Ning couldn't keep any of these things. He didn't know if anyone had left their aura on them for tracking. It was too risky.
Especially the talismans and the storage bag. The person who crafted them might recognize them or have already left their aura, and these had to be guarded against. He couldn't take chances.
Furthermore, in the future, if he had the strength, he would have to craft everything he used himself. That was the only way to be sure.
Low-grade items were fine, but the chances of high-grade items being tampered with were far too high. It wasn't worth the risk.
After taking the Yingying Monster and Tie Dan into the thatched hut for safekeeping, Xu Ning removed his armor and quickly headed out of the forest, moving fast.
To increase his speed, he even used both Thunder Strike and Snow Shadow Step simultaneously in secluded areas, pushing his limits.
However, encountering fights along the way was inevitable. After all, this was the Ten Thousand Demon Forest, filled with cultivators and beasts.
Xu Ning chose to detour around all the areas with active fighting, trying to avoid further trouble. He wanted no more conflict.
This battle had indeed given Xu Ning a new understanding of his own strength. Using his full power, he could kill cultivators at the seventh level of Qi Refining or even higher. His foundation was solid.
However, Xu Ning wouldn't beco arrogant or think he was invincible. He knew there were always stronger opponents. He needed to avoid battles and dangers as much as possible to survive longer in the cultivation world. Caution was survival.
After many twists and turns, Xu Ning realized he was lost. The forest was disorienting.
Later, he devised a thod: walk towards the direction from which the fighting sounds were coming, then walk past it, heading towards the next fight.
After all, the more intense the fighting, the more likely it was to be on the outskirts of the forest, where cultivators gathered. The deeper one went, the more dangerous it beca, and the less fighting there would be because the beasts were too powerful.
Sure enough, following the thod Xu Ning had summarized, he was quickly drawn into a battle zone.
It was a fight between a young female cultivator and a giant wolf demon beast, their attacks flashing.
Upon being caught in the crossfire, Xu Ning imdiately reacted, using both of his movent techniques at full power to run, barely dodging the incoming spells that flew past him.
Rumble—
The battle behind him intensified, emitting terrifying sounds that shook the ground, causing Xu Ning to unconsciously quicken his pace again.
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Bang—
Suddenly, a figure flashed past, landing not far in front of Xu Ning with a crash.
Looking up, he saw it was the young woman fighting, now wounded and thrown his way.
Without pausing, Xu Ning simply passed by, not wanting to get involved.
"Hey, save !" the woman cried out imdiately, reaching out a hand.
Xu Ning wanted to say, First, my na isn't Hey, it's Xu Ning… well, he was just thinking about it. In this dangerous situation, how could he stop to say such things? Escaping was the priority.
Seeing that Xu Ning completely ignored her, and noticing his Qi Refining Stage 1 cultivation, the woman's eyes were filled with astonishnt. Soone at Qi Refining Stage 1 actually managed to get into the Myriad Demon Forest? And it seed they even ca back from deeper within it!
Imdiately, the girl gritted her teeth and activated a high-grade talisman she had been saving.
As the talisman transford into light, enveloping her entire body, she was pulled by an unseen force and propelled towards the direction Xu Ning had fled, moving faster than him.
Xu Ning, who was frantically running, suddenly sensed sothing and instinctively turned to look. He imdiately saw the girl being swept away by an unknown force towards him.
Xu Ning quickly accelerated again, trying to outrun her, but he was clearly outmatched and was soon caught as she landed beside him.
"How did you, with only a first-level Qi Refining Realm cultivation, survive in this Myriad Demon Forest?" the girl asked, her voice filled with curiosity and admiration as she matched his pace.
Xu Ning said irritably, his breath short, "Don't pry into the affairs of the cultivation world! It's none of your business."
The girl didn't speak, but carefully observed Xu Ning's movents. Then she exclaid in surprise, "Two movent techniques? How did you manage to cultivate two techniques at the first level of Qi Refining? That's unusual."
Xu Ning was particularly annoyed at this mont, but still subconsciously replied, "Nothing is impossible for a willing heart! Hard work pays off."
The girl was speechless. "In the cultivation world, many tis, effort alone cannot compensate for aptitude. So things are beyond hard work. You must be one of those geniuses with a high aptitude for comprehending techniques, right?"
Xu Ning shook his head. "I'm not a genius. Not at all."
You should know that Xu Ning spent more than a month just cultivating Thunder Strike before he could barely get the basics down. It was a struggle.
And the Cloud and Rain Technique, Xu Ning had also been practicing for a long ti, but still couldn't master it. He had no special talent.
The girl nodded, assessing him. "Which sect are you from? If you're a rogue cultivator, you can co to our Tianbao Sect. I can vouch for you."
Xu Ning was surprised to hear this, then calmly nodded, hiding his reaction. "I've been to the Tianbao Sect, but rogue cultivators like us at the first level of Qi Refining can only be nial servants. And because of our different cultivation thods, we suffer all sorts of suspicion and mistreatnt."
"After thinking it over, I felt that being a rogue cultivator was more free, so I didn't join. I prefer independence."
The girl couldn't help but nod understandingly. "I understand your thoughts, but that's the bad side. Joining a sect has many good aspects for you, especially protection and resources."
"How about this, my na is Yin Qingli. I'm an outer disciple of the Tianbao Sect. You can co find later. With protecting you, even if you're a nial servant, it won't be too bad. You'll have soone watching your back."
Xu Ning quickly said, his voice dismissive, "No problem, no problem, I'll co over right away!"
Of course, this was Xu Ning's way of dealing with her. He already had many troubles to resolve within the Tianbao Sect. How could he create another one for himself? He had enough complications.
Xu Ning didn't fantasize that the other party would actually take care of him after he revealed his identity. After all, everyone in the cultivation world has a purpose in doing things. Otherwise, why would soone help you? Just because you're arrogant? There was always an angle.
Of course, Xu Ning admitted that he was handso, and the other person might be attracted to his looks. But he wasn't going to rely on that.
"Really?" Yin Qingli was pleasantly surprised, her eyes lighting up.
Xu Ning didn't want to continue the topic and instead asked, "How do I get to the Wan Yao Lin Market? I need to find my companions."
Yin Qingli subconsciously pointed behind Xu Ning. "Over there, just follow that path."
Xu Ning was stunned. He had gone the wrong way again. He had been going in circles.
Sure enough, after changing direction, Xu Ning quickly saw the market in the distance, its lights visible.
"Thank you for the directions. Farewell!" Xu Ning cupped his hands in thanks to Yin Qingli and disappeared into the crowd, not looking back.
Yin Qingli looked at the market and couldn't help but smile. "This guy is interesting. I'll have to find him again."
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After searching around the market, Xu Ning found Yin Zi and Kang Xingyao, who had escaped back earlier. They were huddled in a corner.
The two were also a bit disheveled, their clothes torn. Their escape hadn't been easy, and they looked worn.
Upon finding them, Xu Ning didn't approach them imdiately. Instead, he pretended to stroll around the market, acting casual.
Soon the two spotted Xu Ning and called out, "Junior Brother Xu! Over here!"
Xu Ning feigned surprise and turned around, then his face lit up with joy. "Senior Brother Kang, Senior Brother Yin, you... Hey! It's good that you're alive! I thought I was the only one."
The three imdiately rushed forward and embraced, their faces filled with the joy of surviving a calamity. They had all made it.
Then, the three began to recount the hardships they had endured on their escape, comparing notes.
"By the way! Did you see Senior Brother Yue Rui?" Xu Ning suddenly asked at the end, his face concerned. "I lost track of him in the chaos."
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