Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 283 - 283 0232 Be Very Careful_2

Chapter 283: Chapter 0232 Be Very Careful_2 Chapter 283: Chapter 0232 Be Very Careful_2 Qi Tian calmly said, “You all don’t need to worry, I can sense that this person is only at the fourth layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage, no more than the fifth or sixth layer.”

“Boss, we can’t accurately judge this just by sensing it. If we get it wrong, we’ll all be in trouble.” Jiang Pan was getting anxious.

“If I say he’s at the fourth layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage, then he is. Believe it or not at your discretion.” Qi Tian had encountered many cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage. Each time he approached them, the Heavenly Dao Engine would react. Qi Tian always kept a record of each reaction, and after analysing and comparing them, he discerned patterns that helped him judge what level a person pretending to be in the Qi Cultivation Period truly belonged to. But he kept this to himself as it was not something to be shared with others. All that mattered was that he knew, and he had no intention of explaining this to anyone.

Qi Tian said to Jiang Pan and the others, “That’s all I have to say. The opportunity is right here. If you’re willing, come with me. If you’re not willing, I won’t force you. I’ve decided to make my move tonight. Pan Yulin and I will work as a team; if you’re willing to go, then come. If you’re not, I won’t force you, but don’t come asking me for resources to cultivate later. That’s all I’m going to say. It’s up to you to decide.”

Upon hearing this, Pan Yulin wanted to protest. He had not agreed to act with Qi Tian. But given his circumstances, he could only sigh. He had signed a Servant Pact with Qi Tian and had no personal freedom. Whether he wanted to go or not, he had no choice.

Qi Tian glanced at him and said, “Pan Yulin, keep an eye on him and see where he ends up. Be careful not to expose yourself. If you scare him off, I will not spare you.”

What could Pan Yulin say? He could only bow to Qi Tian and left the courtyard to tail the man.

Qi Tian didn’t even look at Jiang Pan and Zhang Guangyao again. He went straight back to his room, locked the doors and windows, took out a few spirit stones, and began to cultivate. There was still some time before nightfall, and he intended to seize every possible moment for cultivation.

In the courtyard, Zhang Lei, Jiang Pan, and Zhang Guangyao stared at each other. For a time, they were caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to join Qi Tian in his venture that night.

A few hours later, a small pile of spirit stone ash had accumulated beside Qi Tian. His cultivation now relied primarily on spirit stones. With the acceleration effect of the Heavenly Dao Engine, he absorbed the Spirit Qi from the stones at an astonishing pace. He would exhaust a Low Grade spirit stone within moments. The Spirit Qi from the stones flowed through his meridians into his Qi Sea, gradually enlarging it.

The cultivation for these few hours had expanded Qi Tian’s Qi Sea somewhat, making him stronger than before. Although he was still some distance from advancing to the second layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage, he was certainly far stronger than before he set out to cultivate.

By midnight, Qi Tian stopped cultivating. He collected the spirit stone ash from the ground, then opened the door and walked outside. He looked at the courtyard somewhat surprised. There were four people – Pan Yulin, Zhang Lei, Jiang Pan, and Zhang Guangyao. Everyone was present.

Qi Tian asked with a smile, “So, have you all made up your minds? Have you all decided to join the adventure with me?”

Jiang Pan replied with a bitter smile, “Junior Brother, our duty is to ensure your safety. Since you’ve decided to tackle a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Stage, how can we stand by indifferently ? If something unfortunate were to happen to you, it would reflect badly on us too. Instead of being punished when we get back, we might as well take a gamble from the start.”

Zhang Lei said, “Junior Brother, I’ve always supported you. You can leave them behind, but you have to take me.”

Zhang Guangyao stated, “I still don’t approve of going against a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Stage. But what can we do? We’re all in this together. Since you’ve all decided to go, I have no choice but to follow.”

“Alright, since everyone’s decided to go, let’s set off. Pan Yulin, lead the way.” Qi Tian commanded. “Senior Sister, you should make sure the siblings fall into a deep sleep so they don’t interrupt our plans.”

“Junior brother, don’t worry, I’ve already fed them some medicine, which will ensure they sleep until tomorrow afternoon.” said Zhang Lei.

The five of them left the courtyard together and, guided by Pan Yulin, headed towards the place where the cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage was staying.

After years of development, the Tongguan Left Guard Station had transformed into a small city with east, west, north, and south gates. Of these, the North Gate, facing the north and directly overlooking the Tongmen West Pass defended by the Tongguan Left Guard Station, had always been the most critical gate of the city.

Here lies the main camp of the Tongguan Left Guard Station’s border army. In case of wartime, this large army would be mobilized out, marching out majestically through the North Gate, and headed towards the Tongmen West Pass to engage in a deadly battle with the invading Chi Di tribesmen from the south.

Surprisingly, the cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage had chosen to stay at a civilian house not far from the North Gate and the main border army camp. Qi Tian absolutely didn’t believe that this selection was random. If this cultivator were truly an enemy, then he could rush to the North Gate as soon as war broke out, capture, or blockade it. He would be perfectly positioned to impede the movements of the border army – and even inflict significant damage upon them altering the balance of power on the battlefield, and dramatically influencing the outcome of the war.

This thought swiftly crossed Qi Tian’s mind, reinforcing his determination to eliminate the opposition. With a wave of his hand, they all moved forward together, effectively surrounding the house.

Jiang Pan pointed at himself, then at the house. It was clear that he was volunteering to scout out the property, checking for any potential danger.

Qi Tian gestured for him to hold off. He walked to the front gate and circled the house. At first, the Heavenly Dao Engine detected nothing, but Qi Tian soon sensed the Spirit Qi, and there was quite a bit of it. Otherwise, the Heavenly Dao Engine would not have reacted so excitedly.

Based on this information, he concluded that the cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage was no simple opponent. He had made numerous preparations inside. If they were to recklessly burst in, they had no idea what traps they might trigger. If the cultivator was alerted, it would be challenging to apprehend him without alerting anyone.

Qi Tian regrouped with Jiang Pan and the others. He beckoned them and led them a distance away, ensuring their voices would not carry into the courtyard. He then explained softly what he’d discovered.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Pan’s face turned serious. He enjoyed being a scout and dealing with dangerous situations, but that didn’t mean he had a death wish. “Let me handle this,” he offered. “I’m an experienced scout, and I have some techniques at my disposal. I should be able to avoid the traps and prohibitions set by that cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage.”

Qi Tian nodded and patted Jiang Pan’s shoulder, saying, “Be very careful.”

Jiang Pan went to the wall’s base, leaped up, and alighted gently on top of it. He took out a magic tool and activated it by lightly tapping it a few times. He then swept it around the courtyard. A faint smile appeared on his lips.

Qi Tian watched as Jiang Pan put away the magic tool and jumped down into the courtyard.

It was at this moment that Zhang Guangyao walked up to Qi Tian and said, “Senior Brother Qi Tian, isn’t our careful approach causing delays? Our mission is to kill this cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage, not capture him alive.”

Upon hearing this, Qi Tian felt a jolt in his heart. He realized he had made a mistake…