Jing wasn't so sure about this ambush though. The strength of their group resembled theirs along with the size. If things didn't go well, then a good number of the Wolfeng Gang would be taken out. And so far, the only plan was to have Jing use her flash spell again when their guards were down. She might have to think of a way to prevent them from losing their lives. She couldn't make them stronger if they all died on her.
But thankfully, it looks like it wouldn't come to that. The group ahead of them discovered an opening in the mountain and went inside to investigate. This made the instincts of all the Wolfeng Gang members become agitated. Was there treasure in that hole?! They need to find out before the group in front of them gets it!
"The ambush is off! Head inside and find out what's in that opening!" Wenling ordered.
The resulting sight was like seeing crazed hounds freed from their leash. They all rushed inside the opening, pushing and shoving each other to get a glimpse at the treasure inside only to meet face to face with the other group. Weapons were immediately drawn and the air turned tense. Killing intent was leaking off of everyone within the cave.
"What the h.e.l.l are you guys doing here?"
"We smelled treasure."
"Treasure that doesn't belong to a bunch of miscreants like you! We found this place first!"
"Yeah and we're going to take it first."
"Over my dead body!"
"We're good at making dead bodies!"
Just as everyone's bloodl.u.s.t was running high, suddenly an incredibly powerful qi was forced down upon everyone. Jing and Li Li felt nothing with their refined bodies but they could tell that no one was able to move. It must have been someone or something forcing their qi on everyone and since Jing wasn't affected by things like that with her abnormal physique, she had to remind Li Li to act like he couldn't move so that no one would notice their immunity. But it seems like her group was right in that there was treasure nearby.
Even Wenling could barely move under this qi and she was the strongest one here if Jing didn't include herself. Which was strange because the qi bearing down on everyone was a 9th stage Qi Gatherer's qi. This made Jing question why couldn't Wenling move? She's a 9th stage Qi Gatherer too. So, she should be perfectly fine right now if she used her own qi against it, right?
"Commander! Even you're unable to move?!"
"Whoever's qi is that is at a higher level than me in the 9th stage Qi Gatherer stage..." She gritted her teeth.
"What?! How is that possible?!"
"Do you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds have s.h.i.t in between your ears instead of a brain?! Don't you know that even among those in the same stage there are differences between them!?" Ears shouted.
Collective confusion sprouted upon their faces. What the h.e.l.l was the Vice Commander yelling about this time? Wasn't the only difference between two people at the same stage was their ranking of martial arts? Or if they had a bloodline or not? Even Jing didn't know about these differences spoken by Ears.
"This difference doesn't start to show until you reach the 9th stage. That's when you will finally start to create your Sea of Qi in your dantian. And whoever's qi this is, has a far greater qi pool than I do. He's probably a peak-ranked 9th stage and on his way to breaking through to the Qi Consolidation realm. It feels like he should've broken through a long time ago." Wenling shared.
"What rank are you at Commander?" Someone asked.
"I'm a middle-ranked 9th stage." She spat as the floor beneath them started to crumble.
Curses, screams, and yells sounded out as everyone started to fall. Their fall seemed far longer than it should have been. They didn't climb very far up the Great Mountain but with this fall, it was like they climbed more than 50 meters up the mountain. Jing figured that something related to a magical treasure was happening here. She already knew that there wasn't a cultivator causing this with her upgraded body. The qi pressing down on everyone earlier was coming from something non-human.
There was no light in the hole she was falling but she could still see perfectly fine. In a few meters, she would find herself crashing below in an open area along with Ears and two cultivators from the group they were going to ambush. Since Ears was taken over by that lotus flower, Jing wouldn't have to unnecessarily damage her body in this fall to hide her abilities. Water burst from out of SCP-109's cap and Jing controlled the water into protecting her fall.
With a soft landing thanks to the water resting underneath her like a liquid throne, Jing saw that none of the others were injured despite falling from such a large fall. Perhaps using Neptune's Prophet, her body martial art, to control SCP-109's infinite supply of water was unneeded after all. Oh well, the time has pa.s.sed and she could get started on two of her missions now but first she should investigate just where she was taken. This room was no ordinary room.
In the middle of the room laid a circular disk with 6 strange symbols etched into it. On the left and right side of the room were two walls filled with hundreds of weird symbols with a few of those matching the ones from the disk in the middle. Jing figured that they needed to do something with the symbols on the disc to the two walls. Then maybe that metal door would open up for them.
Li Li flew over to the disc and looked at the walls curiously. It looked like he wanted to solve this puzzle all on his own. Jing had no issues with that but first they had something to deal with now that the other three were waking up. Then he could solve the puzzle to his heart's content.
Ears was the first to awaken. He gripped his daggers and raced across the room to take out the others but that would be slightly problematic for Jing. She wouldn't be able to have these three cultivators count for her two missions if Ears killed two of them. Jing needed them to witness SCP-109's anomalous properties and to kill them with its unending supply of water.
"Stop." She commanded.
Ears immediately stopped and stood up straight like a wooden dummy. This was why Jing wasn't bothered to reveal her water controlling abilities with the Vice Commander in the same room as her. With the refined lotus plant attached to him, following Jing's instructions is mandatory. His mind is hers to control and change as she pleases. With the other changes made by SCP-914, taking over the Wolfeng Gang will only be a matter of time now.
"What the h.e.l.l?! You two are part of the Wolfeng Gang!"
"Kill them before they get our treasure!"
"Kill me?" Jing smirked playfully. "I'd like to see you try..." Water gushed from out of SCP-109, enlarging the watery throne she was sitting on.
"You think we're scared of water?!"
"What a useless spirit tool! It can only create water!"
They scoffed while running towards Ears with their bare fists. A tentacle from her royal seat stretched out and pulled Ears out of the way before he could be attacked by the two. Water continued to pour out from the canteen, increasing the quant.i.ty of water for Jing to control. The two still seemed quite confident despite the continually growing amount of water behind Jing's figure. Jing smiled while she mentally looked at her missions. It looked like it counted even if they thought it was just a spirit tool.
'Good.' Jing thought.
Now there wasn't any reason to spare them any longer. Jing formed the water around her into shaping into a whip. With a single flick of her wrist, the whip moved like a fearsome serpent as it pierced a hole through the stomach of the first cultivator. She tried to mimic a dragon but it seems her talent was lacking. She'll have to increase her training for the future. She couldn't get by just by relying on her system if she truly wanted to become strong.
"Impossible... You're just a 4th stage...." He tried to hold onto the water whip going through him but his hands just slipped right through the water and he perished soon after.
"Who.. Are... You...?" The remaining cultivator fell onto his b.u.t.t in disbelief.
"My name is Jing. Farewell."
"No..! Wait! I can serve you! I can follow under you!" He banged his forehead on the ground to bow.
"Amusing..." Jing's eyes seemingly pierced right through him.
