"Miok Sister, Miok Yun should be giving birth in a few days, so I plan to leave for Qingzhu Mountain today."

On this day, Lu Changsheng came to the Lingfu Shop and spoke to Lu Miok. He had already discussed this matter with Lu Miok before and planned to return earlier, planning to stay there for the next two months.

He hoped to be present for the births of both Miok Yun and Qu Zhenzhen's children.

"Alright, be careful on your way, I'll take care of the shop here," said Lu Miok softly, nodding slightly upon hearing his words.

After bidding farewell to Lu Miok, Lu Changsheng left Jiulongfang Market alone, mounted his Iron Feather Eagle, and set off for Qingzhu Mountain.

Just as Lu Changsheng exited the city gates of Jiulongfang Market, a thin middle-aged man on a nearby tavern balcony revealed a strange gleam in his eyes as he took out a transmitting talisman from his robe.

High in the clouds, an Iron Feather Eagle soared.

"I hope nothing untoward happens on my journey back home alone," Lu Changsheng thought, seated cross-legged on the eagle, his mind wandering with worry.

Previously, when with Lu Miok, he felt reassured. Initially, during his first trip to Jiulongfang Market, he had worried about potential dangers, but those fears had subsided after a couple of journeys.

Now, traveling alone suddenly brought a surge of unease back into his heart.

"Ah, I really am a person who fears death and lacks a sense of security," he reflected with a slight shake of his head, recognizing his own anxieties.

Even though he was equipped with thirty-four superior talismans, one top-grade talisman, and a talisman treasure, he still felt insecure.

As the Iron Feather Eagle flew through the half-day journey, Lu Changsheng's anxious heart gradually calmed.

He thought to himself, "What dangers could possibly be out there?"

However, at that moment—

"Screeee—" The Iron Feather Eagle, navigating through the clouds, suddenly let out a sharp, noisy cry, startling the calmly seated Lu Changsheng, causing his heart to skip a beat.

Before he could understand what was happening, the eagle spread its wings and dove towards a mountain peak below.

"What's going on?" Lu Changsheng quickly grasped the eagle's feathers to avoid being thrown off and took out the beast control card.

Through the beast control card, he could feel the Iron Feather Eagle's agitated emotions, as if something on the mountain peak ahead was attracting it.

"Could it be some celestial treasure or ripe spiritual fruit on that peak?" Lu Changsheng's first thought.

However, he wasn't particularly interested in such things.

As recorded in books, most celestial treasures and unusual fruits are guarded by powerful beasts. Not something he, a mere fourth-level Qi cultivator, could contend with.

Without overthinking, Lu Changsheng immediately used the beast control card to soothe the Iron Feather Eagle and commanded it to continue flying along the path.

However, the Iron Feather Eagle, while initially halting its descent upon hearing his command, soon let out an even noisier screech and fiercely dove towards the mountain peak ahead.

"This is definitely not about any celestial treasure maturing!" Lu Changsheng thought, his face turning stern.

"An Iron Feather Eagle, a tamed spiritual beast, would normally never defy orders and lose control like this!"

Grasping the eagle tightly, Lu Changsheng realized something was amiss, but he was unsure how to handle the situation in the moment.

As the mountain peak drew nearer, suddenly—

"Swoosh, swoosh—"

Two sounds of piercing the air arose.

Lu Changsheng instantly saw two sword lights streaking towards him like rainbows, their sword energies hissing 'buzz buzz buzz' through the air, an intimidating sound that shook the soul.

"Not good!" Even if Lu Changsheng's reactions were slow, at this moment, he realized he was being ambushed.

He understood why the Iron Feather Eagle had suddenly lost control.

Before he could ponder further, the two flying swords were already striking towards him, one after the other.

"Clang! Clang!" As the flying swords neared his body, his robe fluttered vigorously, and a green aura shield appeared around him. Simultaneously, the cold jade pendant on his chest also emitted a faint light, forming a water-blue shield around him that blocked the two flying swords.

These were the passive protective enchantments from his magical robe and the cold jade pendant.

But under the onslaught of the flying swords, both protective enchantments dimmed significantly.

Lu Changsheng's expression darkened. Without time for fear or hesitation, he immediately took out a talisman from his storage bag.

He used a Flying Ascension Talisman and a Golden Light Shield Talisman on himself.

A breeze formed under his feet, and his body became enveloped in a light air, allowing him short-term flight. A thick layer of golden light like a large bell also covered him.

"Clang! Clang!" The two sharp, rainbow-like flying swords struck again towards Lu Changsheng, clashing against the golden bell and emitting a resonant metallic sound.

Even with the protection of the Golden Bell Shield Talisman, Lu Changsheng felt a strong force shaking him, but this force couldn't inflict any real damage. It only made him somewhat unstable on the back of the Iron Feather Eagle.

"Escape!" Lu Changsheng made a split-second decision, used the Flying Ascension Talisman to leap into the air from the back of the eagle, and flew away in the opposite direction.

Now that he knew someone was ambushing him, he could guess why the Iron Feather Eagle was uncontrollably diving towards the mountain peak.

It wasn't due to any exotic fruits maturing.

It was the Beast Attracting Incense!

A type of incense concocted for attracting magical beasts, capable of luring beasts with its scent and overwhelming their instincts.

Many cultivators hunting magical beasts would use Beast Attracting Incense to lure and hunt them.

It was likely that the Iron Feather Eagle was affected by the Beast Attracting Incense.

Thus, he had no choice but to abandon it!

"Thinking of running? Where do you think you're going!"

"I've been waiting for you for so long, kid, you think you can escape!?"

Seeing Lu Changsheng turn and flee with the help of the Flying Ascension Talisman, immediately from the mountain peak where the eagle had been diving, two figures, one fat and one thin, soared into the sky.

They were standing on a circular flying artifact, rapidly pursuing Lu Changsheng.

"Controlling a flying artifact!"

"These two are in the later stages of Qi cultivation!"

Lu Changsheng saw the two emerging figures and his heart sank again.

He knew that with the speed provided by the Flying Ascension Talisman, he couldn't possibly outrun these two.

He chose to land immediately, preparing to use a Hundred Miles Escape Talisman to flee.

"This kid can pull out three superior talismans; he surely has other life-saving talismans. We absolutely can't let him escape!"

However, these two pursuers were also no ordinary foes, both highly experienced and cunning in their methods.

While controlling the flying artifact to pursue Lu Changsheng, the two attackers continued to manipulate the two flying swords to block his path. They also cast spells, treating him as a live target, causing the golden light on Lu Changsheng's body to rapidly dim.

"No, it's impossible to land in this situation," Lu Changsheng knew that he was now a sitting duck. Trying to rely on talismans to hold out until he could land and then use another talisman to escape would be difficult. Plus, he didn't know if the two pursuers had any other means of pursuit.

The best course of action was to turn the tables and kill them!

"So what if they're in the later stages of Qi cultivation? They're just two Qi cultivators in the later stages! With the talismans and talisman treasure on me, I'm not afraid of Qi cultivators in the later stages!" Lu Changsheng's eyes flashed with ferocity as he immediately activated another Golden Bell Shield Talisman, preparing to counterattack.

"Another Golden Bell Shield Talisman? This kid is just a mid-grade talisman master, where did he get so many superior-grade talismans!?" "Indeed, he's like a fat sheep. It wasn't in vain that we waited for so long!" The fat and thin men were filled with greed and ferocity upon seeing this.

As they intensified their attacks, Lu Changsheng also turned around and threw out a batch of talismans, consisting of both mid-grade and low-grade talismans, totaling about twenty.

These were the maximum number of talismans that Lu Changsheng could currently activate with his mental and spiritual power. Any more would be difficult to control.

Under Lu Changsheng's control, these talismans transformed into fireballs, rolling stones, ice spikes, gusts of wind, sharp arrows, and chilling winds, all roaring towards the two pursuers with overwhelming momentum.

"So many talismans?" The fat man among the two was astonished, quickly summoning a sandy-yellow shield artifact to block the surging attack. Lu Changsheng's talisman onslaught only resulted in muffled thuds as they landed on the shield.

The fat man defended against the assault and shouted to the thin man, "Stop dawdling, quickly deal with this kid. If we keep this up, he'll use up all his talismans, and then we'll be at a loss!"

In their eyes, everything on Lu Changsheng's body was already theirs. Every talisman he used was like spending their money.

The thin man didn't say anything, but he shared the same thought, his eyes gleaming with ferocity. He slapped his storage bag and quickly invoked a curved knife artifact emitting a cold gleam.

The curved knife resembled a cold moon, swiftly slashing towards Lu Changsheng, cutting through the air.

However, at that moment, Lu Changsheng activated another Golden Light Shield Talisman on himself and also cast three talismans.

The previous mid-grade and low-grade talismans were just a warm-up, meant to slightly distract the two pursuers.

Now was the real deal!

"Buzz!"

A thunderous sound akin to thunder echoed in the void, causing the air to tremble slightly.

Superior-grade talisman—Soul Shock Talisman!

It shook the minds of others, inducing panic, fear, and unease.

The Soul Shock Talisman used by Lu Changsheng caught the fat and thin men off guard, leaving them somewhat unprepared.

For a moment, their minds blanked out, filled with immense fear, causing them to lose focus momentarily.

However, in that split second—

"Boom! Boom!"

Two talismans flew out, emitting purple lightning that transformed into two violent thunderbolts, blasting towards the two men.

"Are they really dead?"

Holding the Thunder Talisman and the Golden Light Brick Talisman, prepared for continued combat, Lu Changsheng was stunned to see his assailants turned to char and falling from the sky after the attack of the Thunder Talisman. He couldn't help but be taken aback.

He had barely begun, and the two were already gone.

However, he quickly realized the nature of cultivator battles: the difference between life and death, victory and defeat, often hinges on a split second. A single moment of carelessness could lead to death.

While the two were powerful, they were still just late-stage Qi cultivators.

Not to mention facing a superior-grade Thunder Talisman.

Without sufficient preparation, even a mid-grade talisman could be fatal.

At this moment, Lu Changsheng finally exhaled in relief.

He let go of the tension that had been in his throat.

"That was close. If it weren't for the robe and the cold jade pendant, I wouldn't have had the chance to use a talisman against the sudden sword attack."

Lu Changsheng swallowed dryly, his throat parched and his mind full of trepidation. He realized he still lacked a critical awareness of danger.

He should have sensed the danger the moment the Iron Feather Eagle lost control and prepared himself instead of waiting for the flying swords to appear and come at him.

"Phew, I still lack a lot of experience in this area," Lu Changsheng exhaled again, licking his lips, thinking to himself.

He knew that this kind of awareness wasn't something that could be improved overnight; it needed to be cultivated over time.

He planned to prepare more protective magical items for his return to Jiulongfang City, arming himself fully.

Otherwise, encountering a more dangerous situation or more powerful robbers could render his current defenses inadequate.

"From the conversation just now, it seems these two were specifically lying in wait for me?"

"I always try to be good to others, never offending anyone, and I don't have enemies. Why would someone target me like this?"

"The only possibility is that I've been noticed in Jiulongfang City."

Lu Changsheng thought about his spending over the past few months in the city. Anyone paying attention could tell he was wealthy, a tempting target.

"There's a saying, 'Wealth should not be flaunted.' Once you show your wealth, you become a target."

"Jiulongfang City might be safe, but that doesn’t mean everyone in it is benevolent."

"Anyone from Jiulongfang City could potentially become a robber outside its bounds."

"And considering I'm only a fourth-level Qi cultivator, I'm just a piece of fat meat with a gold purse in the eyes of most cultivators."

Lu Changsheng understood this logic and decided not to dwell on it any further, only to be more vigilant in the future.

He looked around, seeing no other traces of people.

He immediately used a Flying Ascension Talisman to descend to the ground, ready to collect his spoils of war.

The bodies of the two men had turned to ash under the talisman assault, leaving only their robes and boots encasing the remains.

"Are these magical items?"

Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up as he examined the clothing and boots, realizing that if they were ordinary items, they wouldn't have survived the talisman attack.

Lu Changsheng approached and used a cleansing spell to blow away the ash and debris from the robes and shoes, picking up the robes to inspect them. The robes showed slight damage from the talisman attack, likely indicating they were of lower quality.

Inside both robes, he found a storage bag, which brought a hint of joy to his face. After all, in such a perilous fight for life and death, spoils were the only things worth looking forward to. He did not inspect the contents of the storage bags immediately, choosing instead to stow them away for later examination.

He also gathered the flying artifacts, flying swords, shield artifacts, and the curved knife artifact from the two assailants. After collecting these items, Lu Changsheng felt this haul was quite significant.

He then used his beast control card to sense the condition of the Iron Feather Eagle. Losing the eagle would complicate his return to Qingzhu Mountain significantly, potentially forcing him to travel back to Jiulongfang City on foot.

Through the beast control card, he sensed a faint connection with the Iron Feather Eagle, likely indicating it was still on the mountain peak.

"As I suspected, these two robbers used Beast Attracting Incense to lure the Iron Feather Eagle into losing control and rushing to the mountain peak," Lu Changsheng thought. "An Iron Feather Eagle is worth hundreds of spirit stones. As robbers, their goal was wealth, so naturally, they wouldn't harm the eagle. Otherwise, they would have attacked the eagle directly instead of me."

Considering this, Lu Changsheng decided to head to the peak to retrieve his eagle. Noticing the flying talisman's effect was waning, he gritted his teeth and used another flying talisman on himself before swiftly flying towards the peak with heightened caution.

Given that only two had come to kill him, it seemed unlikely there were accomplices. However, caution was paramount following such an event, especially given the potential presence of wild beasts in these mountains.

Upon reaching the mountain peak, Lu Changsheng immediately spotted a large, light-brown incense stick, the size of an adult's arm, smoldering on a huge rock. Thick white smoke slowly drifted up into the air, with the Iron Feather Eagle screeching restlessly beside it.

"It really is Beast Attracting Incense!" he muttered, realizing the extensive preparations the two had made to ambush him. "Wait, how could they calculate my departure so precisely if I left Jiulongfang City earlier than planned? They couldn't have been burning this incense every day, could they? And by the looks of it, this incense stick has only been burning for two or three hours."

This realization made Lu Changsheng's eyes narrow slightly. He sensed something was amiss, implying that the robbers likely had an accomplice monitoring him from within Jiulongfang City. This accomplice must have relayed his departure to them, allowing for such accurate timing.

"Looks like I need to be extra careful when I return to Jiulongfang City," he thought.

He did not approach the restless Iron Feather Eagle. Instead, he used a Water Blast Talisman to extinguish the incense stick. With the scent gone, the eagle's agitation significantly decreased.

Lu Changsheng communicated with the Iron Feather Eagle using the beast control card to assess its condition. The eagle was still agitated, not fully responsive to commands, indicating the effects of the incense might take at least a day to wear off.

He sighed, a bit helpless, knowing that the incense's effect on the beast's temperament would take time to completely dissipate. He then threw a Spirit Nourishing Pill to the eagle to help stabilize its mood and used the beast control card to safely store the eagle in the spirit pet bag. He planned to find a cave to hide in, as waiting for the eagle to recover on the spot could risk the arrival of the robbers' accomplices.