Lin Xiao Tian scanned with his divine sense and saw a sniper lying quietly in a distant corner.
Besides him, snipers were also hidden elsewhere.
In terms of power and accuracy, sniper rifles far surpassed most firearms.
A few more shots fell, and the apostles, who had just been preparing to attack Lin Xiao Tian, now had several holes in them.
However, the apostles quickly recovered.
Seeing the apostles revive, everyone present was surprised.
But they were professionals and quickly regained their composure.
If one shot wasn't enough, then two, three...
Under the cover of a rain of bullets, the apostles' bodies were constantly healing, making it impossible for them to do anything to Lin Xiao Tian.
Lin Xiao Tian breathed a sigh of relief.
He seized this time to focus on guarding the alchemy furnace.
This process was extremely dangerous. Lin Xiao Tian had to devote all his attention to the furnace, leaving himself with little defense. If the apostles attacked him at this moment, he would surely die!
But Lin Xiao Tian decided to take a gamble!
The Po'e Dan was on the verge of success. If it failed this time, who knew how long he would have to wait!
Fortunately, Lin Xiao Tian was lucky enough that the apostles did not come near him until the moment the Po'e Dan was completed.
Under the concentrated fire of bullets, the apostles were already struggling to simply recover their bodies, let alone fight back.
Lin Xiao Tian picked up the Po'e Dan, carefully put it away, and then said to everyone:
"Everyone retreat from the forest. This monster dares not leave the forest."
With Lin Xiao Tian's reminder, everyone began to withdraw.
Lin Xiao Tian also helped carry the injured out of the forest.
Soon, only the apostles remained within the forest's bounds.
Their bodies were not whole, but they were still not dead.
The moment the gunfire stopped, Lin Xiao Tian struck swiftly, reaching out to grab the apostles.
Lightning pierced the apostles' bodies, and with a powerful grip, Lin Xiao Tian obtained a small fragment.
"You... dare?"
The apostles looked at Lin Xiao Tian with furious eyes.
But before they could finish speaking, their entire being collapsed.
With their demonic core stolen, their power was gone, and their bodies naturally could no longer regenerate.
They had come to kill Lin Xiao Tian, but in the end, they had brought about their own demise.
The moment the demonic core was seized by Lin Xiao Tian, the apostles were filled with regret.
They had underestimated humans too much.
After thousands of years of development, humans were no longer the beings they could simply butcher at will!
Lin Xiao Tian examined the demonic core in his hand. It was not a complete version, only slightly larger than a fingernail. The energy contained within was only slightly more potent than that of the Qi Refining stage demon beasts he had hunted before. However, this demonic core was extremely important for the Taotie.
Without it, the Taotie's path to cultivation was over!
Looking at the demonic core in his hand, Lin Xiao Tian fell into deep thought.
The apostles were finally dead, and Lin Xiao Tian returned to the campsite.
Old Madam Lin approached Lin Xiao Tian and breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that he was unharmed.
Lin Xiao Tian was deeply touched. Whether it was the two thousand-year-old herbs before or the large number of people sent to support him now, the old lady's care for him had exceeded his expectations.
"Thank you!" Lin Xiao Tian said sincerely.
The old lady sighed, saying nothing more.
"Xiao Tian..."
A familiar voice called out.
Then, a warm embrace enveloped him.
Lin Xiao Tian looked down at the woman before him. He had been worried about her the most during his long absence.
"Don't cry," Lin Xiao Tian wiped away her tears.
Not long after, the convoy withdrew from the Kunlun Valley.
On the helicopter, Lin Xiao Tian took the Po'e Dan and waited for its medicinal effects to spread.
This Po'e Dan had been prepared in too much haste, and the materials were not of the highest quality. He wondered how long its effects would last.
Currently, the refined Po'e Dan could suppress the curse for about a month against a Qi Refining stage caster. If the curse was of a higher level, the duration would be shorter.
Against a Foundation Establishment stage caster, it could last about half a month, and with a higher level curse, the time would be further reduced.
Of course, if the Po'e Dan could not resolve the curse, its efficacy would gradually diminish with each use, unless a corresponding Po'e Dan to remove the curse was found.
To refine a Po'e Dan that could break a curse, the materials used had to be at least one level higher than those of the caster.
As the medicinal effects spread, the effects of the Po'e Dan gradually manifested.
Lin Xiao Tian felt the changes in his body and, after a long while, sighed.
"Seven days!"
This meant that the Flood Dragon's strength was at least at the Foundation Establishment stage or higher.
Such a monster was far beyond the reach of Lin Xiao Tian, who was currently only at the Qi Refining stage.
Lin Xiao Tian began to ponder. If this continued, one day he would have to return to the Flood Dragon's territory, and that time, he would not have any chance of escaping.
Meanwhile, deep within the Kunlun Valley.
An enraged dragon roar echoed.
Learning that Lin Xiao Tian's curse had been suppressed, the Flood Dragon was furious.
"Human brat, I was too merciful. The next time we meet, you'll be stuck here forever!"
...
After leaving the Kunlun Valley, Lin Xiao Tian returned to the Lin family and felt the comfort of a bed for the first time in a long while, having previously slept on the ground or on rocks.
With the curse suppressed, the mark was also suppressed, and Lin Xiao Tian could finally operate the Shen Nong Heart Sutra to recuperate with peace of mind.
Qin Yu Xiang, seeing that Lin Xiao Tian had just returned, sensibly did not disturb him.
After recuperating for a while, Lin Xiao Tian felt that his body had recovered considerably. He glanced at Qin Yu Xiang, who had already fallen asleep.
Lin Xiao Tian lay down beside Qin Yu Xiang.
Qin Yu Xiang's eyes suddenly opened. Lin Xiao Tian pinched her nose, "You're not asleep yet!"
"I was waiting for you! I haven't slept soundly these past few days you were gone."
"Silly, I promised you I would return."
"I was just scared," Qin Yu Xiang's eyes welled up with tears.
Lin Xiao Tian kissed her.
As the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and soon, the room was filled with warmth.
Lin Xiao Tian was now in the Qi Refining stage, and his energy levels were far beyond what they used to be.
It was said that only bulls get tired, not fields that are plowed, but this time, Qin Yu Xiang was the first to surrender, while Lin Xiao Tian was still unsatisfied.
"Xiao Tian, you've become much more powerful since you returned from there."
"I even saw electricity on you in the forest before."
"Can you tell me what exactly happened?"
Qin Yu Xiang looked at Lin Xiao Tian.
Qin Yu Xiang had always tried not to ask Lin Xiao Tian too many questions, but the recent events had made her more curious about what had happened to him. Perhaps knowing something might help Lin Xiao Tian.
Lin Xiao Tian looked at Qin Yu Xiang deeply. He decided he would no longer keep secrets from her.