With his cultivation now perfected and only one step away from forming his Golden Core, such a joyous occasion naturally called for a proper celebration.
Li Ye, feeling refreshed and clear-headed, stepped out of his chamber. Behind him, Rong Yue and Hong Yao followed, their faces still faintly flushed.
Casually, he reached out and took a goblet of spirit wine from a tray held by a nearby maid. After taking a sip, he suddenly said:
"Next, I'll be leaving the mountain for a while. It might be quite some time before I return…"
Immediately, Rong Yue and Hong Yao exchanged looks.
Both of them wore expressions as if they wanted to check their ears had they heard that right?
Did the sun rise from the west today?
Over all these years, Li Ye had scarcely ever left Pingyang Mountain.
In their memory, ever since they'd known him, he had only gone out once to gather spiritual herbs from the Chidi Mountains!
For a moment, the two women were dazed.
Then they instinctively glanced up at the sky.
The sun's still shining just fine!
What could make their young master willing to leave the mountain in person?
And judging by what he said, he was planning to be gone for quite some time truly unheard of!
"What's with those looks?"
Li Ye turned and shot them a sidelong glance, a trace of "danger" flashing in his eyes.
The two women exchanged glances once again this time giving him perfectly synchronized, obedient smiles.
"Ahem… May we ask where the young master is headed and for what reason?"
"Nothing much. Just that I've hit a bottleneck in cultivation. I've been still for too long, so I figured I'd travel a bit, and shift my mindset. Maybe that'll help."
Li Ye responded casually, giving no hint of his true plan to hunt demon beasts for a blood ritual.
Even in the Jiuding Valley's treasury, he hadn't found suitable materials for a formations-breaking talisman. In the end, his only option was to perform a blood sacrifice using beasts.
So that's how it is!
Come to think of it, that did make sense.
Although his cultivation had progressed rapidly, he hadn't gone out much in recent years. Eventually, anyone would feel stifled.
A bit of travel might very well help with a breakthrough.
As long as he doesn't bring anyone back to compete for his favor, this could be a good thing…
The two women quietly breathed a sigh of relief and immediately said:
"Please don't worry, young master. While you're away, we'll take good care of the Chidi Mountains!"
Li Ye waved a hand dismissively.
"The Chidi Mountains are secondary don't worry too much about them. If some unstoppable force does come, just hold Pingyang Mountain."
"Then I'm off."
He flicked out two sound transmission talismans, sending word to Luo Feibai and another companion.
Then, summoning a luxurious flying vessel, he stepped aboard. With a flash of spiritual light, the craft rose into the air, broke through the mountain's protective array, and vanished into the horizon.
The two women left behind stood frozen for a moment, their expressions slightly stiff.
Why is it that when he finally decides to leave, it's this sudden and resolute?
It's honestly… kind of hard to get used to!
........
The Myriad Beasts Mountain Range stretched across the borders of the four-nation cultivation realm, adjacent to the countries of Huan, Yue, and Wu.
It acted as a natural barrier between the cultivation territories of the four nations and the far side of the mountain range an area rich in resources and ruled by Nascent Soul cultivators from other kingdoms.
As the name suggested, the mountain was entirely dominated by demon beasts. Unlike the lands of the four nations where beasts only occasionally appeared, this region teemed with them.
Whenever unrest stirred, a beast tide could erupt, with the swarm randomly choosing one of the three bordering nations to assault.
Fortunately, in the fifty-plus years since Li Ye had transmigrated and begun cultivating, such a beast tide had yet to occur.
"But if the usual cycle holds, another beast tide shouldn't be far off…"
Gazing at the towering, unending mountains before him like a colossal wall descending from the heavens, dividing the rich lands of the southern cultivation realm from the barren Li Ye couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
No matter how many texts one read, some sights had to be seen with one's own eyes to truly grasp their majesty.
This journey was as much about cultivating his strength as it was about opening his eyes to the vast world.
With a slight smile, Li Ye gathered his thoughts and murmured:
"Then again, cycles mean little if some beast king decides to act on a whim. Let's just hope I get lucky and avoid that kind of trouble…"
Having already made thorough preparations, Li Ye wasted no time and flew straight toward the outskirts of the mountain range.
"Rather than slaughtering countless low-tier beasts, it's more efficient to directly kill second-tier demon beasts and use them for the blood ritual…"
"Demon beasts place great importance on their physical bodies. In terms of blood essence, they far surpass human cultivators. Using their blood will produce even better results…"
"If my calculations are correct, three to five second-tier demon beasts should be enough to refine a quasi-third-tier formations-breaking talisman…"
"The Myriad Beasts Mountain Range is vast. If I choose my targets carefully and change locations after each ritual, I should be able to avoid attracting third-tier beasts…"
As he moved through the mountain terrain, Li Ye blended his aura completely with the surrounding forest, leaving not the slightest trace of his presence fully hidden.
He had set a clear boundary for himself: remain only in the outskirts of the range and never venture too deep.
Even if second-tier beasts were rarer on the fringes, it was far better than risking being surrounded by a beast horde deep within.
By now, he had already released numerous puppets and Gu insects to serve as his eyes and ears, scouting out suitable prey.
Before long, his expression shifted slightly.
One of his puppets had discovered a lone second-tier bear demon, seemingly searching for food. The perfect opportunity.
Whoosh
A flash of green light shimmered around Li Ye's body as he melded into a nearby plant. He passed silently from one plant to another, weaving through the vegetation until he reached a large tree near the bear demon and attached himself to it.
Throughout the entire approach, the bear demon remained unaware of his presence.
"As my mastery of Wood God's Art deepens, this Wood Escape Technique grows increasingly natural…"
With a mere thought, Li Ye activated his plan.
Shua shua shua
The puppets scattered across the area suddenly moved, forming a formation that temporarily sealed the surroundings blocking sound and aura alike.
Startled, the bear demon realized it was being targeted but it couldn't detect where the attacker was hiding!
Letting out a furious roar, the beast surged forward with overwhelming power, attempting to break free.
Just then, streaks of pure green spiritual light shot from the surrounding foliage, rapidly forming a formation. The air shimmered, and plants grew and shifted endlessly, transforming the terrain.
Gentle yet unyielding, the power came from all directions and wrapped around the bear, suppressing it completely.
No matter how powerful it was, the bear couldn't break free. The formation woven from green wood energy trapped it firmly, leaving no path of escape.
"Go!"
A gleam of bluish-gold light flickered the Qingfeng Sword descended from above. Empowered by the formation's energy, it slashed down fiercely.
Splurt!
The bear's snarling expression froze. Its massive head was cleanly severed, rolling to the ground as blood sprayed violently.
Its headless body swayed for a moment, then collapsed with a loud thud, shaking the ground before going still.
Such a fierce and mighty demon beast yet under Li Ye's hand, it was utterly powerless.
From first strike to death, only a few breaths had passed.
Even the aftermath was completely concealed by the puppet-formed formation, not a trace of movement leaking out.
"Now that my cultivation is perfected, my combat strength is nearly comparable to a false Golden Core cultivator…"
Li Ye gracefully approached, clearly satisfied with the result.
He took out a specially treated second-tier formations-breaking talisman, began forming hand seals, and chanted incantations.
His voice was eerie and strange, carrying a dark undertone.
The bear's blood and internal essence were drawn forth by the ritual, rising into the air and swirling into the talisman. As the talisman absorbed the blood, its silver glow grew brighter tinged with crimson.
Moments later, the talisman's power had increased, though it had yet to fully evolve.
"At this pace, I wasn't wrong perhaps I can refine several talismans even faster than I thought…"
Stowing away the bear's corpse and the partially enhanced talisman, Li Ye stirred the surrounding vegetation to erase all signs of the battle. Then, turning into a beam of light, he slipped into another plant and vanished once more.
Up to this point, not a single demon beast had noticed what had occurred.
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