Fighting to be Kind in a Cultivation World

I should have known.

They were waiting for it the whole time.

The firing of my cannon was the signal that it was safe for the sniper to attack. Leading to the person sized hole in my chest and my defenses shattered. After all, that same cannon was what allowed me to completely disable a Core Formation expert.

I fall from the sky, my throughs race towards what could have gone wrong. Leading to a simple answer.

Higher realm cultivators.

Each the equivalent to a human super computer. With multiple of them working together and my scan already being stretched thin to handle the direct combat side, of course I wouldn’t be able to track the changes to their plans.

That’s all it would take for an average Core Formation, like them, to take advantage.

The air rushes past me, while I feel my healing aura work on repairs, right after the wound appeared. Almost instantly recovering from the wound, I feel the slightest satisfaction from seeing the look of shock and fear on the core formation expert's face with my scan. His well-timed, strong, and accurate shot was going to waste.

But before I strike the ground, I know what I need to do.

Pulling the qi from inside me, I wind it through my meridians, around all three of my dantians, to lead it back out of my body. This cycle is what allows me to form it into my qi shield and mage skin. All in the matter of seconds.

Just enough time to impact the ground.

…

The dust rises all around as I shift into another combat stance.

Even in this small span of time, all the groups are closing in, like predators on injured prey. Except for the newly terrified core formation expert, who is moving even farther away from the battlefield.

A moment that seems like it draws out forever.

…

A whisper thought by many and said by one emerges amidst the silence.

“Is he dead?”

A crack of the ground answers them, as I leap into the air, right as they are about to get within 20 meters of the dust cloud.

This time, I’m ready for the other shots that have come at me.

But they come in a far higher amount and variety than I expected.

20 core formation level shots. As well as hundreds of Foundation establishment ones soar over the horizon. All made up of different varieties of techniques, like giant fireballs, spears of light, orbs of darkness, and many other types.

Each coming from far outside the distance of my current combat scans.

Weak attacks when compared to the average sect cultivator, but still a formidable force altogether.

Another miscalculation.

The greed of cultivators, and in this case, rogue cultivators. People who don’t have access to consistent materials can only jump on opportunities as they come. No matter how despicable.

Meaning I’m dealing with multiple random rogue cultivators with terrible foundations in both core formation and foundation establishment realms that are too scared to come close. But still want a piece of the pie.

As my scan runs over the attackers and their shots, I even see some of them are ones I had healed in the city. That’s the least of my concern, I as switch the majority of my scan on dealing with the combat scan.

Projectile trajectories fill my eyes as I desperately figure out the best ways to dodge the incoming blows. All aimed towards the normally lethal parts of my large body. Pulling out two wind talismans from my pockets, I active them, causing my body to fly in the opposite direction of the shots.

Avoiding many, but not all of them. A flurry of shots continue to fly after me like heat-seeking missiles, a dance of death with only one conclusion.

BOOOOM

They impact.

But this time, I float in the air with the power of the wind talismans still going.

Unfazed and without a scratch.

I tanked them all.

Yeah, I can manage this level of attacks, since these guys aren’t barely a fraction as strong as that sniper cultivator was. Well, as long as I know they’re coming. I mean, I have this massive amount of qi at my disposal, so I can just increase it to match what’s coming in at specific areas of my body.

I just can’t keep it going indefinitely or I’ll eventually run dry.

Of course, that’s why I’ve made it look like I’ve effortlessly tanked the hits.

Some groups are rapidly retreating at the sight. After all, if a load of core formation shots didn’t make it through, then what hope will they have? Their lives are more valuable than this so-called ‘easy hunt’, that I’m sure they were told it was going to be. But not enough to diminish the seemingly endless trickle of rogue cultivators being drawn in by the (as my scan tells me) ever-increasing bounty.

I’m not going to break out of this standstill if I don’t get an edge up.

If I try to approach the line-up of core formations, without more strength, speed, and some type of weapon, they’ll certainly use the nets, seals, and gas masks to defend against my assault.

Not only would I struggle against only a couple of them, but then there are the hostages, as well.

I take a quick check to see the progress of Gong and team gathering the civilians needing medical assistance.

Thank God.

Enormous crowds, led by trains of spiders, come closer to the perimeter of the combat area. A far enough distance that they won’t be involved or taken hostage, but close enough for me to use my healing ability.

And it seems that even if anyone wants to do something about it during the process, no one would be bold enough to attack the crowds. After all, Gong has already invited some injured city guards to join, as well. Making it their problem if they get attacked.

Which means I need to ready myself.

Like I had done with mage skin and qi shield, I manipulate the qi within my body. Unlike the other two actions, this one is using the well-worn pathways that have been optimized for healing. Allowing my Fingers of Healing technique to invisibly rise from my body to rush toward the crowds. Of course, my healing aura is already able to reach them, from the proximity of the spiders to the people needing treatment.

I can sense a pause, as the Core Formation cultivators use their spirit sense to see my actions.

Almost instantly, the incoming attacks cease, from a command of one of the leaders

… why are they stopping?

But I soon realize the obvious answer.

Only the Sect Patriarch, the Head Librarian, and my allies know I cultivate by healing.

It’s one of the few things that I haven’t really revealed yet, though there might have been clues.

So, they likely think that I’m just going to be wasting qi. Even in this world, people follow the idea of, ‘Don’t stop your enemy when they are making a mistake’. At least from their perspective.

And considering my previous actions, there are any number of reasons that I could be healing groups right now, going from last wishes to help others before I die to leveraging it for better surrender terms.

Either way, since they don’t know that, I now have a tremendous opportunity.

Stretching across the vast area, I use more of my qi to push it farther than ever before, while still protecting myself. To finally reach the first batches. But I don’t start healing until I have each and every finger attach to a person needing help.

Which is when I activate the technique and aura. Forming a swirling tornado of qi around me in a flash.

The grin on my face can’t help but grow, as the panicked realization of what this means dawns on everyone watching.

Yeah. I’m a self-sustaining healer.

And as another wave of attacks falls upon my position, that’s when I activate the Tortoise Swallows Dragon qi shield technique I’ve been holding in.

Attack absorption.

The tornado doubles in size with every attack, as I absorb the qi within.