In the past few days, Li Xiuwen had spent most of his time spying on the Blood Moon Sect's herb hall. The herb hall was located in the most Qi-rich area of the sect and was protected by strict guard disciples and a powerful defensive formation at all times.
But for Li Xiuwen, these obstacles were merely "conditions" that he had to study and overcome.
He spent his time meticulously observing every detail. He counted the number of guards on patrol, noted the changing of the shifts every two-hour period, and memorized the precise locations of the hidden defensive formations along the herb hall's walls.
"The strongest defensive formation is at the main door... If I'm going to get in, I have to use the side window," he analyzed in his mind. "But the window is protected by a Qi-binding formation, which will restrain anyone who tries to enter... And the guards change shifts every half an hour, with a window of about ten breaths of time when they change their posts..."
After processing all the information he had gathered, Li Xiuwen began to formulate a meticulous plan. He had to take advantage of that small window of time to infiltrate, and he had to use his "Qi chain" in a way no one would have ever expected.
When night fell, Li Xiuwen, dressed in an all-black outfit, began his operation. He waited until the guards at his target spot changed their shifts. He then began to send out his invisible Qi chain from the shadows. It slowly crept along the ground in silence before latching onto the edge of the herb hall's window.
Fwoosh!
The moment the Qi chain touched the window, the Qi-binding formation activated instantly. But Li Xiuwen was not surprised. He sent his pure Qi into the Qi chain, allowing it to devour and destroy the formation with ease.
He used another Qi chain to infiltrate the herb hall and used it to open the window from the inside without a trace. He then slipped into the darkness of the hall immediately.
The fragrant scent of rare herbs wafted through the room, but Li Xiuwen had no time to appreciate it. He quickly scanned the room for his target, and his eyes landed on a specific herb that was placed prominently on an altar.
It was the "Thousand-Year Blood Root," a miraculous herb believed to help cultivators advance from the Qi Condensation stage to the Foundation Establishment stage in a short amount of time.
"This is it..." he thought to himself. "The only way for me to survive in the wider world."
He reached out and took the Thousand-Year Blood Root into his hand, just as he heard the footsteps of a guard returning. Li Xiuwen did not hesitate to turn around and run toward the window he had entered, before leaping out into the darkness.
In another corner of the forest behind the sect, Li Xiuwen stood under the moonlight. He wasted no time in pulling the Thousand-Year Blood Root from inside his robe. He looked at the herb in his hand with eyes full of determination.