The trio soon arrived deep within the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains. Looking back towards the mountain village, their view was obstructed by layers of overlapping mountain ranges, as if blocking their line of sight to home. Li Yan took a deep breath, suppressing the sorrow in his heart. When he turned to look at the two women again, he saw that they too were gazing in the direction of the village with complicated expressions. Over the past month, they had experienced mostly warmth and parting. Though it wasn't the full spectrum of human life, it was the side of it that Li Yan most wanted them to see.
"This is where we part ways. The Bloodleaf Sect's Teleportation Formation is not far from here," Li Yan said with a smile, pushing down the faint homesickness.
"Be careful on your journey. If you don't return within three years, I will come looking for you. I imagine the sect's affairs will have settled by then," Gong Chenying said with an icy beauty, her tone firm despite her usual indifferent expression.
Li Yan nodded in response. He knew Gong Chenying had a resilient nature and would do as she promised, so he didn't try to stop her.
When Li Yan turned to Zhao Min, her jade-like face was frosty, still showing little emotion. Seeing Li Yan look at her, she finally drew her gaze back from the distance and remained silent.
Seeing this, Li Yan smiled and cupped his hands towards the two women. "The sect must be facing a major event this time. You must prioritize your own safety. Take care!"
With that, his figure flickered and shot off into the distance.
Just as his figure blurred, Zhao Min spoke coldly, "Don't be reckless." Her words were abrupt and seemed to come out of nowhere, but Li Yan heard them clearly. He knew she was telling him to be careful and not to take unnecessary risks. He couldn't help but laugh heartily, his laughter fading into the distance, leaving only two slender figures standing in the wind, one like an immortal, the other like a demon.
...
Li Yan's destination was the Sea of the Northern Abyss. This was the clue Pingtu had given him, and he had also provided Li Yan with a possible area where the Infinite Roam Tree might exist. This gave Li Yan some measure of confidence. Otherwise, given the boundless expanse of the Sea of the Northern Abyss and his current cultivation level, he might not be able to traverse the entire sea even in several decades. Not only was it vast, but large areas of it were uninhabited and completely unexplored. According to ancient records, it housed a large number of third-tier and higher sea demons, with rumors of even fourth-tier demonic beasts. Even a Nascent Soul cultivator would face extreme danger there.
Therefore, Li Yan had to approach his target area with extreme caution. If he discovered the situation was not right, he would have to flee immediately and could only wait for another opportunity or return when his cultivation had greatly increased in the future.
Pingtu had said that where the Infinite Roam Tree grew, there was often a symbiotic demonic beast called the "Blue Demon Flood Dragon." Its young were third-tier demonic beasts, and adults could reach the fourth tier. This demonic beast was inherently ferocious and would hunt all life in its vicinity, often causing its home waters to become a dead sea. Thus, it was forced to frequently search for food elsewhere, but it would spend most of its time sleeping next to the Infinite Roam Tree.
This situation gave Li Yan a certain opportunity. After approaching stealthily, he might succeed when the Blue Demon Flood Dragon was out hunting. However, since this vicious beast was the Infinite Roam Tree's symbiotic partner, the tree was crucial for its every advancement. Therefore, it had a certain connection to the tree. As soon as any other living creature touched the Infinite Roam Tree, the beast would be alerted. This was one of the reasons it killed all living creatures around the tree. Moreover, even when it went out to hunt, its range would not exceed ten thousand li. For the beast in the sea, a distance of ten thousand li could be covered in about ten breaths. Li Yan would have to see its specific realm; if it was already a fourth-tier sea demon, its return speed would be even faster.
The branches and leaves of the Infinite Roam Tree were exceptionally hard. Pingtu had warned Li Yan that even a Nascent Soul cultivator, without a special magical treasure, would need at least two breaths to take it away. A Foundation Establishment cultivator, even if left to chop it freely, would probably need two or three days. Therefore, special methods were required, which were already recorded in the True Scripture of Gui Water. Li Yan had, of course, learned them long ago.
The Sea of the Northern Abyss was under the jurisdiction of the Pure Land Sect. The journey from the Malevolent Spirit Sect in the far west was over seven million li. For a mortal, this was a distance impossible to cover in a lifetime.
Although Li Yan was already at Foundation Establishment, if he were to fly there without a good flying magical treasure, it would still take him seven or eight years to arrive. Therefore, he had to rely on Teleportation Formations for this journey. Furthermore, he was determined to obtain the "Crimson Mother Essence" from the Pure Land Sect's "Northern Abyss Demon-Suppressing Pagoda," so a trip to the Pure Land Sect was necessary first. As for how to enter the Pagoda, he currently had no clue and could only take it one step at a time.
Thinking of this, Li Yan, who was flying through the air, couldn't help but shake his head. It seemed he would have to prepare a good flying magical treasure in the future to reduce unnecessary wasted time. Although Gong Chenying and Zhao Min had both wanted to give him their White Jade Skiff and Emerald Gourd, those were items they had already claimed with their blood. It would take Li Yan two to three months just to refine them, which was not worth it. The crucial point was that the two women were returning this time, and based on Li Yan's feeling, a major event was about to unfold. How could he take their life-saving items?
At this moment, Li Yan was flying above the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains. He was now dressed in a green robe, having long since changed out of his Malevolent Spirit Sect uniform. Circulating the True Scripture of Gui Water, he suppressed his cultivation to the late tenth layer of the Qi Condensation stage.
On this trip to the Pure Land Sect's territory, although the four major sects were officially on good terms, incidents of secret killings often occurred as they constantly tried to weaken each other's strength in the shadows. Thus, Li Yan had changed his attire for the journey. Even though he was still within the Malevolent Spirit Sect's territory, at least five million li from the Pure Land Sect's border, Li Yan still didn't want anyone to recognize his identity. But this way, Li Yan lost many of the privileges of being a Malevolent Spirit Sect disciple. However, he believed that disappearing from the source was the best way to hide. Besides, he had already thought of an identity. He had a Bloodleaf Sect Token on him. With his current suppressed cultivation, he could claim to be a Bloodleaf Sect disciple. Even with a gray token, those familiar with the Bloodleaf Sect might be suspicious, but at most, they would think he was a direct descendant of a sect elder. Such internally-transmitted disciples and direct descendants holding high-level sect tokens were not uncommon in the cultivation world. Moreover, the Bloodleaf Sect was just a small sect; how many people would recognize it?
The trouble, however, was his cultivation level. Li Yan's idea was to maintain the early Foundation Establishment stage. He was confident that with the power of the True Scripture of Gui Water, coupled with the Qiongqi Purgatory Art, he could even slay a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator. As for encountering a late-Foundation Establishment cultivator, if he couldn't win quickly, he would absolutely not fight head-on; he would use the Fragmented Poison Body. He was confident he could escape in the end.
However, if he maintained his cultivation at the early Foundation Establishment stage, it would be a major flaw if he encountered someone familiar with the Bloodleaf Sect. The Bloodleaf Sect only had three Foundation Establishment cultivators in total, which would easily arouse suspicion. After much thought, he could only suppress his cultivation to the Qi Condensation stage. This would also bring trouble. Every time he went to a new place to find a Teleportation Formation, as a Qi Condensation disciple from a small sect, constantly using large amounts of Spirit Stones for teleportation would undoubtedly attract disaster. 877 Good Book Net
After some thought, Li Yan could only say he would take a few more detours. After teleporting to a place, he would not continue teleporting but would travel on his own for a certain distance before finding another Teleportation Formation. Although this might still attract the attention of observant people, as long as he acted extremely pained and as if he had no choice but to teleport, others would probably just assume he was forced by circumstances. Another method was to change his appearance after leaving a Teleportation Formation and then enter it again. However, this could only be done if there were no Golden Core or higher cultivators nearby; only then was Li Yan confident he could hide it.
His current plan was to fly north on his own for several days before finding a Teleportation Formation. By then, he would be far from the Bloodleaf Sect, and there would be fewer people who knew him, making it more convenient to act.
Two days later, watching the sun sink in the west and the birds return to the forest, Li Yan stood on a mountain peak. He took out several Jade Slips and immersed his Divine Sense into each one. After a while, he raised his head and muttered to himself, "Another thousand li or so ahead is the 'Xuanqing Temple'."
The several Jade Slips in his hand were all maps. The one with the most intricate details and widest scope was the one given to him by Wei Zhongran. It likely covered places Wei Zhongran had once traveled, with many areas marked in extreme detail, even including many places within the four major sects. However, the gaps between the lines were much larger, indicating they were not detailed topographical maps.
The other Jade Slips in Li Yan's hand came from the sects he had passed through on his way home. At each sect, Li Yan deliberately collected any Jade Slip maps they knew of. He believed that while Wei Zhongran might not have been to some places, someone from these small sects might have. However, these maps were extremely important to each sect. Ordinary people couldn't even borrow them, let alone make a copy. But the status of Li Yan and his companions frightened those sects, and in the end, they all took them out for Li Yan to copy.
After Li Yan examined these Jade Slips with his Divine Sense, he indeed found many differences between them. Moreover, some of the maps provided by the small sects even extended to the territories of the other three major sects. Although it was only a small portion, it made Li Yan sigh with emotion. One should not underestimate any sect. If it could survive, it must have its own extraordinary aspects. These small sects were not lacking in cultivation prodigies who ventured out for experience no less than those from the four major sects.
After comparing the maps in the Jade Slips, Li Yan re-marked the different areas one by one, gradually forming a more detailed map in a Jade Slip.
"Xuanqing Temple," a second-rate sect with a mid-Golden Core cultivator presiding over it, also under the jurisdiction of the Malevolent Spirit Sect. The temple had a Teleportation Formation that could transmit up to eight thousand li. This kind of formation was exactly what Li Yan needed. For a high-level Qi Condensation cultivator, it was occasionally used for important matters. As for those formations that covered tens of thousands of li, a Qi Condensation cultivator could never use them on their own. Li Yan planned to find a ten-thousand-li Teleportation Formation when he got closer to the Pure Land Sect. That area was near the border of the two sects, and he had heard there were many rogue cultivators there. At that time, he could restore his cultivation to the Foundation Establishment stage and pretend to be a rogue cultivator.
Looking at the darkening mountain forest, Li Yan put away the Jade Slips and transformed into a faint green streak, speeding across the sky.
The next morning, four figures walked from afar towards the gate of Xuanqing Temple. The four consisted of one fat and three thin men, talking as they walked.
The fat man was about thirty years old, his loose Daoist robe hung open, revealing plenty of flesh. His appearance was fierce, and his mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation base was brazenly radiating outwards. As he spoke, his thick, fleshy hands gestured wildly. "Your Third Master here had already completed his hand. I just didn't expect that three of cylinders to be a hidden set for Song Bo. Otherwise, I would have won more than just this little bit... and in another game, I needed the thirty thousand, but again..."
The one called Song Bo was a lean Daoist, exuding an early-Foundation Establishment cultivation. He grimaced, interrupting the fat Daoist, "Luo Sanpang, you had pretty good luck last night. Overall, you lost little and won much. But I, after a whole night, ended up losing everything and just kept you company."
"Speaking of keeping company, Senior Brother Song and I were truly just that. I didn't win a single hand. In one night, I lost several months' worth of Spirit Stones, and in the end, even the few used Spirit Stones I had left from my cultivation were taken as half a piece. I truly just played with you brothers for a night." A young Daoist among the three spoke faintly. This person had regular features and a clear complexion. The Daoist robe he wore gave him a rather ethereal air. His cultivation was only at the peak of the tenth layer of Qi Condensation, yet for some reason, he addressed the two Foundation Establishment cultivators as senior brothers.
"Qin Chengyi, although what you say is true, how can I compare to you? You get to receive Spirit Stones from your family every month, while I only have this meager portion from the sect," the lean Daoist Song Bo said with a curl of his lip.
The young Daoist Qin Chengyi couldn't help but smile bitterly. "After entering the sect, although the family's resources are still there, they've been reduced by seventy to eighty percent. If you don't believe me, you can ask Senior Brother Liu. He was the one who led me into the sect. He knows all the details." As he spoke, he glanced at the last young man beside him, who had a gloomy face. This young man looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with a hooked nose and a cold gaze. He too had the aura of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, even higher than the fat Daoist's, at the peak of the mid-stage. Throughout the journey, he had only watched the other three talk, remaining silent the entire time.
The Daoist addressed as Senior Brother Liu heard Qin Chengyi's words and spoke coldly, "If you all continue gambling like last night, it won't do. If Master finds out, he will certainly not be lenient. Last night, you three dragged me along just for a small game, but it ended up lasting the whole night. Junior Brother Qin, although you are Master's Disciple-in-Name, your aptitude is excellent, which is why Master values you and has temporarily accepted you into the ranks of the Inner Sect disciples. Foundation Establishment is within your reach. Don't lose your Dao fortune to gambling."
Upon hearing this, sweat beaded on Qin Chengyi's forehead, and his bitter expression deepened. He didn't dare to speak for a moment, but he thought to himself, 'You think I want to gamble like this? Master isn't in the temple, and Senior Brothers Luo and Song are addicted to gambling. My cultivation is the lowest, how could I dare to defy them? Weren't you also entangled and went along?'
When Luo Sanpang heard this, his fat mouth curled. He let out a heavy, cold snort from his throat but didn't look at Senior Brother Liu again.
Song Bo still had a smile on his face when he heard Senior Brother Liu's words and didn't argue back, but he was scornful in his heart. 'When you were winning Spirit Stones last night, why didn't I see you suggest breaking up the game? Who was it whose eyes were shining, waiting for the next round to start? The senior and junior brothers in the temple all say that Senior Brother Luo and I are gamblers, but I think you're the silent one. In the end, you have a basket full of fine words. When it reaches Master's ears, won't it be Senior Brother Luo and I who take the bad name again? Truly a petty person.'
As the four were talking, they had already arrived before the mountain gate of Xuanqing Temple. Just as they were about to step in, a group of people unexpectedly flew out from the side, directly blocking their path.