The Sword Qi carried an invisible might, and the Wind Hunting Eagle seemed to sense danger. It turned its head and saw a fierce glow in its eyes, ready to launch an attack, but suddenly heard a crisp bell sound.

Ding ding...

The Wind Hunting Eagle's expression became bewildered, and when it snapped back to its senses, it saw a strand of Sword Qi slashing down towards its head.

Crack!

The Wind Hunting Eagle's head was instantly severed, blood splattering everywhere, a piercing scream echoing in the night sky.

"Zhang Daoist!" Xu Ping quickly made his way to the spot where Zhang Yu had fallen, having dealt with the Wind Hunting Eagle.

Just when Xu Ping found Zhang Yu, his situation was quite dire.

There were dozens of Wind Hunting Eagle's feathers, as hard as steel, embedded in his body, one of which had pierced through his heart, causing blood to gush out like a spring, staining the ground bright red.

Yet, the strong vitality of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator lingered, preserving his last breath.

Zhang Yu turned his head with difficulty, and upon seeing Xu Ping, managed a strained smile.

'At least I won't be devoured by beasts.'

But that smile quickly faded away, as his life slowly ebbed away with his breath.

"A step too late." Xu Ping shook his head helplessly, feeling no sorrow or regret.

After all, they weren't very familiar with each other, and he wasn't sure if there was an ambush around. Rushing in without caution would only put himself in peril.

Xu Ping took useful items from Zhang Yu's body and was preparing to burn his corpse when he suddenly paused.

"Wait!"

"The Ten Thousand Mountains seem like a good place!"

Xu Ping's eyes lit up.

The Ten Thousand Mountains are remote, and the strongest forces there are merely Foundation Establishment, perfectly fitting his requirements.

What's more important is that the complex terrain makes it very easy to hide.

"But the second-stage spiritual lands in the Ten Thousand Mountains appear to be claimed, making it difficult to find a place to cultivate!" Xu Ping furrowed his brows slightly.

Not only are the second-stage spiritual lands in the Ten Thousand Mountains claimed, but almost all the second-stage spiritual lands in Yue Country are under someone's control.

Unclaimed spiritual lands are few and far between, even among those of no repute.

With this in mind, he felt a bit agitated about how to find a stable place to cultivate.

As his gaze swept over Zhang Yu's corpse, a bold idea sprang from his mind:

"Perhaps... I could use the Thousand Illusion Mask to disguise as Zhang Yu."

Firstly, the disguise ability of the Thousand Illusion Mask is undisputed. Even if he hadn't used it to devour Zhang Yu's blood essence and soul, blood alone would suffice.

As long as there's no Golden Core Cultivator, not even a Fake Pill Cultivator could detect his disguise.

Moreover, Zhang Yu's family only has him as a Foundation Establishment, and his life is nearing its end, having only a few years left, which is why he ventured to Qiu Xuan Immortal City to fend off the beast tide in hopes of earning a Foundation Establishment Pill.

If he returns to the Zhang family as Zhang Yu, he would be revered, with no one daring to question him.

Furthermore, due to his nearing end, he could abandon this identity anytime.

Most importantly, apart from him, no one knows that the real Zhang Yu is already dead.

After contemplating for a long time, Xu Ping felt this method was highly feasible.

As for inconsistencies in daily life, such issues were not significant.

He planned to pretend to be severely injured, requiring secluded recovery. Even if he secluded himself for years, it was likely no one would dare pull him out.

"Settled then."

Xu Ping finally decided to disguise himself as Zhang Yu and blend into the family, knowing that even if discovered, no one could detain him.

He took some of Zhang Yu's blood for the Thousand Illusion Mask to devour and absorb, then adhered it to his face.

In an instant, Xu Ping's features, aura, and height underwent a drastic transformation, becoming identical to Zhang Yu.

Even his voice matched perfectly.

"From now on, I shall live in your place." An elderly voice erupted from Xu Ping's mouth.

He then flicked his fingers, and a fireball landed on Zhang Yu's corpse.

With a 'boom', it burned to ashes in an instant, and with a gentle breeze, it completely dissipated into the air.

"Time to leave."

After finishing all this, Xu Ping activated his Escape Light and hurried towards the Ten Thousand Mountains.

...

...

A month later.

Qianzhu Marketplace.

Renowned for its rich production of spirit bamboo, Qianzhu Marketplace offers a wide variety of spirit bamboo types, some used for making talisman materials, others specifically for crafting First Rank magic swords, etc... Offering extensive uses.

Thus, the foot traffic at Qianzhu Marketplace was significantly higher than at typical marketplaces.

"Qiu Xuan Immortal City has fallen, leaving major cultivation factions severely harmed!"

"Who could disagree? Even Zihuan Master and Qiu Xuan Ancestor met death or fled, with countless Foundation Establishment and Qi Cultivation casualties."

...

In a tavern, diners were discussing recent events shocking the entirety of Yue Country.

Disguised as a late-stage Qi Cultivation cultivator, Xu Ping sat in the corner, listening silently.

"Unexpectedly, Hu Country leveraged the beast tide to breach Qiu Xuan Immortal City, now occupying some lands in Yue Country, coming with ferocity!" a slightly plump diner remarked with concern.

"For us penniless Loose Cultivators, it might not be entirely bad." His companion chimed in.

"Oh? Why do you say that?" The plump diner looked puzzled.

"If Yue Country is stagnant, how could we Loose Cultivators seize opportunities? The more chaotic Yue Country becomes, the greater the opportunities!" His companion's eyes gleamed with excitement.

"But ultimately, it's a conflict between nations; we, as Loose Cultivators, can't avoid being affected!" The plump diner remained worried.

"What's there to fear? At worst, find a place to hide; even if Hu Country conquers Yue Country, it's just a change of rulers." His companion answered indifferently.

Loose Cultivators are usually found at the bottom of the exploitation chain, most having little attachment to their homeland.

"That's true. As for the rumors circulating, is it true that the Nascent Soul Ancestor of Luoyun Sect is critically injured and dying?" The plump diner asked in a lowered voice.

"It's likely true; otherwise, Hu Country wouldn't dare invade so boldly." His companion also lowered his voice.

'Hu Country invasion, Nascent Soul Ancestor critically injured and dying...' These weighty rumors felt like boulders dropping into water, creating huge waves in Xu Ping's heart.

After listening for a while longer without acquiring more useful news, he paid for his Spirit Food and promptly left the tavern.

"Truly, with another nation's invasion, Yue Country seems destined for unrest!" Xu Ping sighed slightly in his heart.

Regarding the rumors of the Nascent Soul Ancestor's critical injury and impending death, he also believed it was highly probable.

Even if not critically injured and dying, their condition likely wasn't far from drastic.

Hu Country's actions clearly carry an exploratory intent.

They didn't mobilize their entire nation for invasion, yet dismantled a Golden Core faction of Yue Country, seemingly to test the reaction of Luoyun Sect, accurately speaking, the Nascent Soul Ancestor's reaction.

Regardless, it's best to first head to the Zhang family for refuge.

Even if Hu Country mobilizes fully for invasion, places like the Ten Thousand Mountains wouldn't likely attract much attention.

Sending a few Fake Pills would be impressive, and by then, using the Thousand Illusion Mask's ability to hide, even Fake Pill Cultivators definitely couldn't detect any flaw.

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