I Am the True Lord of Running Away

Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Why Is This Sect Always Using Forced Conscription?

"Talisman Pavilion Inner Sect Disciple Jiang Xu, hear this order! Due to the current wartime crisis, manpower is scarce and the enemy Demon Cultivators’ assault is ferocious. Talisman Makers are urgently needed on the front lines. You are hereby conscripted as a member of the Profound Origin Sect’s support team, led by Elder Qian Jianjun. This order is effective immediately and permits no delay!"

???

’He acted this quickly?’

Jiang Xu had only been at Shen Ji’s place for two or three hours.

’How did that guy manage to whip up a conscription order in so little time?’

’And he even formed some kind of support team?’

’With Qian Jianjun himself as the team leader?’

’Wasn’t this whole thing set up specifically for me?!’

Jiang Xu felt more certain than ever that his idea to flee the Sect was an exceptionally wise one.

Except now it seemed he was a step too slow and had been caught.

...Wait.

’Why did this Sound Transmission Talisman come directly to me?’

’Come to think of it, the Sect’s Sound Transmission Talismans had always come directly to me before, too.’

’That must mean the Sect has a way to track its disciples.’

’But what method do they use, exactly?’

Soon, Jiang Xu had a few ideas.

There were only a few possibilities, really.

Either something the Sect had given him contained a tracking device...

...or the Sect had used some method on his person.

After considering everything, Jiang Xu felt the most likely culprit was his Identity Token.

"Wait, that’s not right. The Sound Transmission Talisman doesn’t say where I’m supposed to meet Qian Jianjun!"

Jiang Xu’s eyes suddenly shot open. He sensed something was wrong.

If it didn’t say, then...

A streak of light—an Escape Light—shot like a bolt of lightning from the distance, coming straight for Jiang Xu.

In no time, it arrived before Jiang Xu, and a cold sneer came from within:

"Heh, we meet again."

The corner of Jiang Xu’s eye twitched. He forced a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

"Greetings, Elder."

"Hmph! Enough nonsense!"

Without a shred of hesitation, Qian Jianjun strode forward and seized Jiang Xu’s shoulder. He then activated his Escape Light, dragging Jiang Xu with him as he shot off into the distance. The force of his grip was so immense it felt as if it would shatter Jiang Xu’s shoulder bone.

Jiang Xu felt Qian Jianjun’s hand on his shoulder like an iron clamp, digging in so deeply it felt as if it would tear the flesh from the bone. The sheer force was a clear warning and a threat, meant to teach him a harsh lesson.

Jiang Xu didn’t dare to resist. On the surface, he clenched his jaw, his face twisted in a mask of pain, as if he was enduring unspeakable agony.

In reality, however, Jiang Xu didn’t feel the slightest bit of pain.

This was because his Body Refining Realm had already reached the late stage.

In the past three years, Jiang Xu had cultivated the three fundamental techniques of the Ancient Strengthening Method—the Visualization Method, the Breathing Technique, and the Guiding Technique—to the point of Mastery.

His Breathing Technique was the Thunderbolt Breathing Technique.

For his Visualization Method, Jiang Xu directly visualized photographs of the cosmos from his past life.

He began by creating a preliminary construct of the Solar System.

Visualizing this was mainly to complement the Divine Forging Technique.

This was because the Divine Forging Technique also required one to envision a starry cosmos.

By combining the two, his Body Cultivation and Divine Sense progressed in tandem, allowing him to achieve twice the results with half the effort. This was how his progress became so rapid, enabling him to advance his Body Cultivation to the late stage in just three years.

The Visualization Method allows the Visualization Object to enhance and empower the Visualizer themself.

Visualizing the Solar System gave Jiang Xu’s Divine Sense a significant boost, but its effect on his physical body was somewhat lacking.

Visualization has a total of six Realms: Engraving, Appearance, Soul Imprint, Divine Manifestation, Spiritual Movement, and Dharma Aspect.

However, visualizing something as vast as the Solar System was a monumental task. Jiang Xu estimated that completing even the first Realm, Engraving, would likely take decades, if not centuries.

After about fifteen minutes, Qian Jianjun stopped his advance and casually flung Jiang Xu forward.

The force was so great that Jiang Xu flew for dozens of meters before he could finally halt his momentum.

Once he had steadied himself, Jiang Xu focused his gaze forward.

Before him stood a line of thirteen Cultivators. Almost all of them had a Cultivation at or above the Qi Cultivation Late Stage. They stood with their chests out and heads held high, the very picture of discipline as they awaited Qian Jianjun’s orders.

"Jiang Xu, fall in!"

Qian Jianjun shouted coldly from the front.

Jiang Xu cursed inwardly but, knowing this wasn’t the time for an outburst, said nothing and immediately fell in line with the others.

Qian Jianjun stood at the front and addressed the group.

"The Sect formed this support team for one reason: to send us into areas where the situation is grim and put out fires!"

"You are all elites that I have hand-picked, an indispensable core force in the fight against the Demon Cultivators!"

"Although a piece of trash has now joined your ranks, trash is meant to be thrown out. He’ll be culled soon enough, so you can rest easy!"

’Trash?’

Jiang Xu glanced around, only to find everyone staring at him. As the realization dawned, his face turned ashen.

Qian Jianjun was very pleased with Jiang Xu’s reaction. He thought smugly, ’Weren’t you so high and mighty? Let’s see you act arrogant now! Just you wait. If I don’t have you on your knees, begging me to accept your Foundation Establishment Pill, then my name isn’t Qian Jianjun!’

Jiang Xu stared back at Qian Jianjun’s triumphant expression, a cold viciousness growing in his own heart. ’Are you trying to force my hand? I was going to let things lie and just leave, but you just had to come courting death. Fine then. Just you wait!’

The two men, each having already sentenced the other to death in his own mind, exchanged a look, both laughing inwardly.

Qian Jianjun didn’t continue his speech.

After finishing, Qian Jianjun glanced at the setting sun.

He paused for a moment, then announced:

"Now, we will execute our first mission. We are to provide support to the Gongsun Family, a Cultivation Clan currently under siege by the Black Flame Cave Demon Sect."

As soon as his voice fell, Qian Jianjun took out an exquisite Flying Shuttle from his Storage Bag.

The Flying Shuttle was a dark, burnished gold, its surface etched with intricate Runes and Array patterns. It glinted with a cold light in the fading rays of the setting sun.

He placed the Flying Shuttle steadily on the ground before him. It was just large enough for the entire group to stand on.

Qian Jianjun was the first to step onto the Flying Shuttle. The moment his figure touched it, he seemed to merge into it and disappear.

Seeing this, the others also stepped onto the Flying Shuttle one by one.

As the last Cultivator stood firm, the Flying Shuttle instantly burst with dazzling light. Like a meteor streaking across the sky, it silently rose into the air and sped towards the distant Gongsun Clan.

As it flew, faint fluctuations of Spiritual Power swirled around the Flying Shuttle, making it as light as the wind and as swift as lightning. It was clearly no ordinary artifact.

Qian Jianjun shot a sidelong glance at Jiang Xu. Looking perfectly at ease, he narrowed his eyes and stared ahead, secretly plotting how he would deal with Jiang Xu next.

Jiang Xu couldn’t use the Mind Reading Technique, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out what the man was thinking.

His original plan had been to leave the Sect on his own, using his Spirit-Devouring Insects to chew a hole in the Sect Protection Array so he could slip through.

Now that someone was taking him out, that was naturally even better.

Escaping amidst the chaos once they arrived was also a decent option.

But if he decided not to flee...

Jiang Xu thought of the Golden Silkworm Gu in his Storage Bag and the Spirit-Devouring Insects in his Spirit Pet Bag, and a new calculation began to form in his mind.