Chapter 31: Technology and Ruthless Methods (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

The three middle-aged Cultivators in the water pool.

They call themselves the Zhang Trio within the Outer Sect.

As Outer Sect Cultivators from the same period, the three of them also hail from the same large city.

Having formed a bond by circumstance, they naturally banded together.

They became brothers in all but blood! Yet the path of the Immortal is ethereal; even banding together cannot change the Spirit Root aptitude or comprehension of the three of them.

Having cultivated bitterly for thirty or forty years, they remain stuck at Mid-stage Qi Refining, unable to advance an inch.

Watching as everyone begins to age, there is not the slightest Hope of Foundation Establishment in sight.

Thus, the quick-witted third brother was the first to declare that they could no longer continue this bitter cultivation!

Without one's own fortuitous encounter, how could an ordinary Cultivator have a chance at Foundation Establishment! The value of Immortal cultivation lies in the word "strive"! We Cultivators must strive against Heaven for our lives! From that moment on, the Zhang Trio had an epiphany and began moonlighting as Robber Cultivators.

At first, they only set their sights on those Loose Cultivators.

After succeeding a few times, their ambitions grew, and they even fixed their gaze upon those fellow Daoists who had given up on cultivation to choose retirement.

In their view, since these Cultivators had given up on striving against Heaven, why occupy resources? Wouldn't it be better to lend those Spirit Stones and cultivation materials to them, the Zhang Trio? News of an anomaly appearing in Golden Spring City spread, and upon learning of it, it was again the quick-witted third brother who made a proposal.

They did not choose to run to Golden Spring City to join the excitement.

In the eyes of the third Zhang brother, they learned of the news too late and had already lost the initiative.

Even if there were any fortuitous encounters a Qi Refining Cultivator could obtain, they would go to the Cultivators near Golden Spring City.

Since that is the case, it is better to use this opportunity to do their old trade, lying in ambush ahead of time on the only path here.

If they are lucky enough to encounter a Cultivator who obtained a fortuitous encounter and is rushing to get away from the place of trouble.

Wouldn't that fortuitous encounter be theirs for the taking?

Even if they don't encounter a fortuitous encounter, who would care if a few Qi Refining Cultivators go missing at a time like this?

Those in charge above can easily brush it off by saying those fellow Daoists probably went to some ruins and went missing.

And the location of this water pool they chose was also well calculated.

Great Foundation Establishment Cultivators and late-stage Qi Refining Cultivators who can fly on artifacts will not pass by, so there is no need to worry about hitting a hard target.

And the Cultivators relying on the official road are at most equal to them in cultivation.

Cultivators of this level find it very difficult to see through the Array they set up on the pool to conceal their aura.

This way, even if they encounter those traveling in groups, they can choose whether or not to strike based on the situation.

The Zhang Trio all applauded this steady plan.

The eldest brother even patted the third brother and laughed, saying that their Zhang Trio would surely grow big and strong, eventually become Great Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and establish their own Immortal cultivation family! When Su Ping appeared on the horizon.

The Zhang Trio sensed him through the Array on the water surface.

It was just that the distance was too great, so they suppressed their excitement and killing intent, waiting for the prey to take the bait.

In terms of killing techniques for the Qi Refining stage, it is best for Cultivators to close the distance to within thirty meters! Sensing the prey suddenly stop, the Zhang Trio all became tense at once.

Fortunately, the prey moved again, and the speed was getting faster and faster! The Zhang Trio believed this round was steady again!

The three of them moved to ambush simultaneously!

Wouldn't a Mid-stage Qi Refining Cultivator be taken down immediately? One thousand meters, five hundred meters...

Two hundred meters...

One hundred meters!

Suddenly!

Just as the Zhang Trio were prepared to strike, they were stunned to find the prey had stopped a hundred meters away.

And following the sound of air being torn, it seemed he had thrown something in their direction? "Not good!"

"We've been discovered!"

The eldest and second of the Zhang Trio roared in their hearts and rushed out from the water pool. Although they were angry and shocked, they were not overly panicked.

They were three against one; the advantage was theirs!

Boom, boom, boom! At least twenty Thunder Fire Beads were thrown with all of Su Ping's might, scattering over the pool and detonating one after another.

The Zhang Trio, who had just poked their heads out, immediately shrieked and dove back into the pool.

Yet unexpectedly, the next instant!

Two Glass Bottles mixed in with the Thunder Fire Beads shattered under the power of the explosion, turning into blazing fireballs.

And once these fireballs touched the pool, they actually spread with a *whoosh*, turning the entire small pool into a sea of fire!

"Ah!"

The eldest of the Zhang Trio screamed as he rushed out of the water, with most of his body wrapped in flames.

The eldest endured the pain and crushed a Water-Condensing Spirit Talisman.

Water vapor appeared out of thin air on his body, but it immediately triggered even more violent flames and high temperatures.

Making his screams turn hoarse to the extreme in an instant.

"Spare my life!"

Seeing the miserable state of the eldest, the other two Zhang brothers who crawled out of the pool, covered in flames, cried out to Su Ping.

Yet they were dumbfounded to discover.

The prey who had thrown that terrifying object... had actually retreated again, opening up a distance of a hundred meters! He was clearly guarding against their desperate, life-risking final strike! "Daoist, spare my life! I have a great secret about a Foundation Establishment Spirit Object!"

The third brother cursed in his heart, his injured eyes looking at Su Ping's blurry figure, and he used his last bit of strength to shout his plea for mercy.

Only to find that the blurry figure, upon hearing his words, pulled back an even greater distance! "Foundation Establishment Spirit Object?"

"I don't know if this thing is true or not; not to mention the karma is too great, the key is that I don't need it!"

Su Ping shook his head slightly, looking at the three fire people in the distance, and thought to himself: "Besides, I can light this fire, but I don't have the ability to put it out."

"No way around it, even though I gave this thing an Immortal-hero style name."

"In fact, it is technology and ruthless methods from another world!"

"Looking at it now, it is truly a crystallization of technology; for these Qi Refining Cultivators without equipment or Secret Techniques, as long as they are hit, it is certain death!"

The Thunder Fire Bead in Su Ping's hand is an enhanced version of the Sweet Explosive, while that Nether Fire Art bottle is a deluxe version of an Incendiary Bottle.

Relying on the raw materials bought by the Daoist Zhou Xuan, plus the manual dexterity Su Ping brought as a Cultivator, he could perfectly perform precise concoctions just like those professional chemists.

This makes the power of these Incendiary Bottles not like those small props seen on TV or used by troublemakers on the street to set the mood, which even a shield could block.

Instead, they are weapons of war that can truly ignite an Armored Vehicle, melt steel, and even have an effect on some tanks! Let alone ordinary Qi Refining stage Cultivators, even for a Body Cultivator, even at Great Success in Body Tempering, they only possess the standard level of steel-reinforced iron bones.

Encountering the flames of this Incendiary Bottle, they would still have to kneel! The flames continued to burn and burn.

The three Zhang cultivators soon had no breath left.

Waiting until the flames were completely extinguished.

Su Ping then slowly approached these three charred lumps with Spirit Mouse Xiaobai.

"It's useful, it's just that after burning like this, the spoils of war will be greatly discounted."

Su Ping complained triumphantly, and then found three Storage Bags in the black charcoal.

These identical Storage Bags were already severely deformed, with their exteriors showing signs of embrittlement.

Su Ping wanted to pick them up, his fingers having just touched the Storage Bag.

With a bang, the Storage Bag completely split open!

And then, just like opening a treasure chest! The contents of the Storage Bag exploded out like scattered flowers, spilling all over the ground! (End of chapter)