There are many special places within the Spirit Stream battlefield, all of which are fraught with extreme danger, and thus cultivators do not dare approach them lightly.
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Some of these places are the strongholds of powerful demon beasts, such as the lake where the quasi-flood dragon once resided, which is in fact a treacherous place.
However, the threat the quasi-flood dragon posed to cultivators was not significant, as long as one did not provoke it and offered it some Blood Food, it was possible to coexist peacefully with the quasi-flood dragon.
But not every demon beast is like the quasi-flood dragon; these beasts are all of Overlord-class existence, and they are difficult for the cultivators of the Spirit Stream battlefield to contend with.
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Apart from the strongholds of these Overlord-class demon beasts, there are many naturally formed dangerous places.
Lu Ye was not looking for these perilous places. Although he was now strong enough to kill average 9th Heaven cultivators, entering such dangerous areas would likely be more deadly than fortunate; he naturally would not seek such thrills.
He was simply looking for a terrain that would suit his needs, such as one that naturally obstructed the view from above, or one that would make it easier for him to conceal himself.
Such locations were not hard to find, and he quickly identified a target.
After eating his fill and resting for four hours, Lu Ye finally got up.
Several miles away from the Three Saints Sanctuaryâs encampment, the number of Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivators gathered here had already surpassed three hundred, with more continuously arriving.
It wouldnât be long before they began their full-scale assault on the Three Saints Sanctuaryâs encampment.
Inside the big array, Lu Ye bid farewell to Situ Han and Shi Lei, who did not make any insincere attempts to keep him, but simply sighed, "Junior Brother Lu, the Three Saints Sanctuary has let you down."
"Senior Brother Situ is too kind. The Three Saints Sanctuary has already helped us greatly by granting sanctuary to the disciples of the Righteous Blood Sect."
Then he turned to Phong Yue standing to the side, "Donât disgrace our sect."
Phong Yue obediently replied with a downcast face, "Yes."
"I bid you farewell!" Lu Ye bowed with his hands clasped towards Situ Han and Shi Lei, then summoned his spirit ark and boarded it with Giant Armor.
He didnât leave Giant Armor behind mainly because Giant Armor certainly wouldnât want to stay.
The spirit ark emitted a slight hum, transforming into a streak of Liu Guang that shot straight into the sky.
Phong Yue took a step forward and called out loudly in the direction Lu Ye had left, "Fifth Senior Brother, please be extremely careful!"
Phong Yueâs feelings toward Lu Ye were very complex. She had previously resented and blamed him, but after Lu Ye accepted her as an official disciple of the Righteous Blood Sect, those feelings significantly subsided. And now, following Lu Ye into the inner circle and staying at the Three Saints Sanctuaryâs encampment under his arrangements.
If she were still with the Phong family, she would definitely not enjoy such treatment, and she suddenly realized that leaving the Phong family and joining the Righteous Blood Sect might actually be a good thing for her.
Only if Fifth Senior Brother could be a bit nicer to her...
The Liu Guang the spirit ark turned into shot out of the protective array and swiftly raced towards the distance. The Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivators waiting outside pursued en masse. In an instant, the skies were filled with splendid streaks of Liu Guang, and in just a moment, the area outside the Three Saints Sanctuaryâs encampment was deserted.
To the Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivators, killing Lu Ye was more important than anything else right now. Slaying Lu Ye would not only reward them with an unimaginable bounty, but they would also not have to live in fear as they had before.
Their wariness of Lu Ye had now shifted from his array destruction abilities to his personal strength.
With his 7th Heaven cultivation, he was able to kill 9th Heaven cultivators. If he were to advance to the 9th Heaven, who in the Spirit Stream battlefield would be able to handle him then?
Ten Thousand Demons Ridge was not willing to taste the terror of being dominated by a single individual again.
During the pursuit, the gap in cultivation became apparent. Those with lower cultivation and inferior Spiritual Artifacts quickly fell behind, and even those at the 8th Heaven and 9th Heaven level found it difficult to catch up to Lu Ye.
Fortunately for Ten Thousand Demons Ridge, they had already fully mobilized to give chase. As long as Lu Ye didnât hide, they were never worried about losing sight of him.
A day later, Lu Yeâs figure disappeared from the Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivatorsâ view.
The last sighting was within a vast mountain range, indicated on the ten-part map as Fog-shrouded Mountain.
From the name alone, one could tell that this dense forest was shrouded in heavy fog all year round. If cultivators were to travel through air above, they would see a sea of clouds churning below in a magnificent sight, with only the umbrella-like canopies of trees that reach hundreds of feet tall standing out from the fog, their trunks hidden within the mist.
In the depths of these old forests, fierce beasts resided, but many rare treasures were also hidden.
Therefore, Fog-shrouded Mountain was a famous range throughout the Core Circle, with many cultivators liking to come here to gather medicinal materials or capture some demon beasts.
However, this place also came with its dangers, as there were three Overlord-class demon beasts settled here!
Fortunately, Overlord-class demon beasts possess high spiritual intelligence, and they usually dwell within their own territories. As long as one does not intrude uninvited, it is generally possible to avoid any hostility.
Instead of other places, Lu Yiye chose to enter the Fog-shrouded Mountain, clearly using it to shake off the pursuit of the Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivators.
How could Ten Thousand Demons Ridge possibly endure this? In an instant, they called for friends and rallied support, continuously adding to the ranks of those in pursuit.
The usually quiet Fog-shrouded Mountain became abuzz with activity in just a few short days, as an unknown number of cultivators ventured deep into it, stirring up almost a bustling commotion.
Due to environmental factors, the cultivatorsâ vision was obstructed when they flew through the air, forcing them to descend and track on foot.
Ten Thousand Demons Ridgeâs effort was an organized one, with many ghost cultivators proficient in the Path of Concealment scattered throughout Fog-shrouded Mountain, searching for Lu Yeâs figure, ready to send a message at the first clue.
As for the others, they split into squads, constantly delving deeper into Fog-shrouded Mountain. The size of these teams varied, but the smallest still included nearly ten people, since any fewer might find it difficult to capture Lu Ye even if they located him.
The distance between teams was kept close enough to ensure they could support each other at any time.
It must be said, Ten Thousand Demons Ridgeâs arrangements were meticulous, and under such organization, a fierce hunt began.
Yul Qi was one of the many ghost cultivators who had delved into the Fog-shrouded Mountain to track down Lu Ye. Looking over the Core Circle, his cultivation wasnât among the highest, but it wasnât low either; he had already opened three hundred and ten orifices, with the cultivation of 8th Heaven and only fifty orifices shy of the 9th Heaven level.
In the beginning stages of cultivation, fifty orifices were not a big deal, and anyone with a bit of cultivation talent could open them. But at Yul Qiâs stage, the resistance felt during the orifice-opening process was becoming notably intense.
With more spiritual orifices opened, the barriers within each spiritual orifice grew increasingly robust, making the process more arduous.
One couldnât continuously attempt to open spiritual orifices, for the more attempts made, the more likely the unopened orifices were to get damaged. Once damaged, that spiritual orifice would be considered useless unless repaired with an orifice repair pill.
He knew his limits; unless he encountered some special fortune, unlocking three hundred and sixty orifices in this lifetime was impossible, but he couldnât help feeling reluctant to just advance to Cloud River.
This was the state of mind for most cultivators at 7th Heaven or 8th Heaven. Having reached this point in cultivation, everyone wished to ascend further, and even if they couldnât move to the next level, they would strive to open as many spiritual orifices as possible.
Thatâs because the more orifices they opened, the greater their potential after advancing to Cloud River.
What kept them persevering was something in this world known as a barrier-breaking pill!
Compared to the exorbitant price of 160,000 merit points for a single orifice repair pill, the relatively modest price of 500 merit points for a barrier-breaking pill hadnât changed over the years.
But even for cultivators of the Core Circle, 500 merit points was not so easily earned.
Moreover, cultivators like Yul Qi needed an enormous amount of barrier-breaking pills. Perhaps the first pill could help him open an orifice, but the next one might require two or even three pills. The more orifices opened with the assistance of barrier-breaking pills, the greater the consumption, until the pills had no more effect and a cultivator would reach the end of their journey at the Spirit Stream Realm, with no choice but to advance to Cloud River.
Yul Qi was still fifty orifices shy of 9th Heaven!
One could only imagine how many barrier-breaking pills he would need. It was impossible on his own to accumulate enough merit points for that many pills; pursuing Lu Yiye presented an opportunity.
As long as he could kill Lu Yiye, he would have sufficient capital to open more spiritual orifices.
As a ghost cultivator attuned to the Netherworld year-round, Yul Qi was very confident in his own Path of Concealment abilities, a confidence shared by every ghost cultivator.
He was also fortunate, for he had truly discovered Lu Yeâs whereabouts just a few days after entering Fog-shrouded Mountain.
There, by a clear mountain spring, Lu Yiye sat cross-legged on a large rock, with a bonfire blazing nearby. The physique cultivator called Giant Armor was roasting a wild boar, its glistening skin emitting an enticing aroma while the dripping juices crackled over the fire.
And a snow-white, big cat-like demon beast was crouching beside them, gnawing on blood-drenched beast meat.
In that instant, Yul Qi almost failed to suppress the pounding of his heart, for to any Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivator, the seemingly seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth before them was like a mobile treasure vault!
Killing him would mean access to a limitless wealth from within that vault.
Glancing at Lu Ye in meditation, then over at Giant Armor grilling meat, Yul Qi silently ridiculed themâgiven the number of Ten Thousand Demons Ridgeâs pursuers, these two still had an appetite for a feast.
He took a deep breath to calm his excitement, and then stealthily edged closer to Lu Ye.
For a ghost cultivator, Lu Yeâs current state was more tempting than the golden-browned boar on the spit. If Yul Qi could get within ten feet, he was confident in delivering a killing blow!
He was a ghost cultivator born with the ability to strike down foes beyond his station!
Stepping on the soft fallen leaves without making a sound, Yul Qi worked his years of cultivation to the utmost.
Ten feet, five feet, three feet...
Yul Qi suddenly stiffened, a fine sheen of sweat forming on his forehead, as he realized that behind the boulder where Lu Ye sat, lay a corpse, dressed unmistakably as a ghost cultivator.
Peering cautiously at the face of the corpse, Yul Qiâs head buzzed...
He recognized this ghost cultivatorâone from a 2nd grade sect with 9th Heaven level cultivation, far stronger than himself.