[After confirming that all the medicinal liquid in the bottle had been emptied, Lu Li crushed it into powder.]
“The problem is, how should I go about finding Shen Zhaoxue and Jiang Yuebai?” Lu Li treaded on his flying sword, hovering high in the sky, staring at the vast secret realm.
As he pondered, his bracelet suddenly vibrated slightly.
“Hm?” After a sweep of his Divine Sense, Lu Li discovered a green token he had never seen before inside the bracelet.
The vibration was emanating from it.
He flipped his wrist, took out the token, and gently tapped it. A familiar voice came from within.
“Lu Li, you finally found the Mystic Token.” Jiang Yuebai let out a long sigh. “Senior Sister Shen said you definitely wouldn’t find it.”
“Because your thinking is different from ours, Lu Li. I believe that by now, you’ve absolutely figured out how to win this trial.” On Shen Zhaoxue’s end, a strong wind was audible. “Do we need to gather, or have you already formulated all the plans?”
“The plan is complete, but since I’ve made contact with you,” Lu Li tapped the green token again, “I’ll share my ideas with you first, then we’ll meet up.”
After a brief explanation, both people on the Mystic Token fell silent.
“This… this ordinary martial world method… are you sure it’s okay?” Shen Zhaoxue asked hesitantly.
“Perhaps it’s precisely because it’s a method from the martial world that it can confuse cultivators,” Jiang Yuebai said. “Then let’s meet later.”
“Yes, let’s meet later.” Lu Li nodded. After putting away the Mystic Token, he followed the map’s guidance toward the location where the Earth Vein Flower grew.
The entire trial secret realm was a massive Taiji Diagram.
Interestingly, the Heavenly Fire Fruit grew in the place where yin qi gathered, while the Earth Vein Flower was at the center where yang qi surged.
Lu Li was currently at the peak of yin qi.
“Then theoretically, the Heavenly Fire Fruit should be not far away.” As he approached the map’s indication, Lu Li held his breath and carefully collected the surrounding grass and trees.
“Senior Brother Zhao’s Mystic Token has gone silent. It seems he was defeated.” In the hazy snow forest, a soft, sticky girl’s voice rang out. “Elder Brother Ye, should we retreat? Wouldn’t that be safer?”
“I don’t think so. Senior Brother Zhao is at least a Qi Refining 13th Layer cultivator. Among the Three Sects and Four Gates, not many can actually harm him.” As Lu Li slowly advanced, the young man called Elder Brother Ye came into his view. “But getting eliminated so quickly—he must have accidentally run into a Demon Beast, or maybe encountered a Saint Son or Saintess from the Three Sects.”
“Besides, this secret realm is so huge; the chances of us bumping into anyone are very low.” As the young man spoke, he used his Divine Sense to check the surroundings again. “Let’s go. We should reach the Heavenly Fire Fruit soon.”
Rustling sounds followed as their footsteps faded. When their figures had almost completely disappeared from Lu Li’s sight, he stood back up.
“Assuming everyone is at Qi Refining 13th Layer, their Divine Sense can only extend three feet from the body. Even if they’ve cultivated special secret arts, it’s only ten times that.” Lu Li made a simple calculation in his mind. “Then I’ll have to use other methods.”
“First, let’s see if there’s anything useful around here.” With a sweep of his Divine Sense, a look of delight appeared on Lu Li’s face. “Heaven helps me.”
What Lu Li found was a vine that grew in the snow, called First Snow Vine.
Its tendrils were cold, but very tough and grew quickly.
Coupled with its pleasing color, it was a commonly used material in the Immortal Realm.
“But with a slight modification, I can turn it into what I need.” The days Lu Li had spent begging in Hundred Immortals Town had taught him too many skills.
Before long, a longbow appeared in Lu Li’s hands. He temporarily stashed the Yin Yang Sword at his waist into his storage bracelet.
“Time to set out.” Lu Li lowered his voice again, using True Yuan to slowly erase his footprints along the way and disguising the cut ends of the vines as animal bites.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a valley beneath the peak came into view, where many people had gathered.
High peaks form mountains, valleys give birth to yin.
But within the bone-chilling yin qi, many vermillion small fruits grew.
Beyond the howling yin wind, many people watched each other warily, each holding weapons.
“So, how do we divide the Heavenly Fire Fruit now?”
“The capable take precedence.”
“I suppose you want someone else to scout ahead?”
“Then how about this: each sect sends one person to go together, and we distribute after they return.” The speaker was Elder Brother Ye, whose voice Lu Li had heard earlier.
“Agreed!”
Amid a flurry of assent, Lu Li could hear rustling footsteps and the sharp intakes of breath as the yin qi entered their bodies.
About the time it takes to burn an incense stick, joyful cheers also came from within the valley.
“Time to move.” Lu Li nocked several arrows on his bow and aimed them toward the valley, letting them all fly at once.
This was the reason he had cultivated the Ten Thousand Swords technique.
Weapons condensed by ordinary cultivation techniques would dissipate immediately if not sustained by True Yuan.
But Ten Thousand Swords was different.
Though it consumed more True Yuan, the weapons could last an entire day and night.
During the waiting period, Lu Li sat in meditation and condensed several hundred arrows.
He also prepared other things.
Combined with the First Snow Vine, he could temporarily create rows of crossbow mechanisms for volley fire.
The bowstring twanged.
Arrows shot through the air.
They soared high, then fell with the momentum.
Whoosh sounds filled the air.
Screams erupted constantly, along with the pleasant sound of tokens teleporting away.
But cultivators were cultivators after all; they quickly reacted.
They all activated their defensive techniques at the same time.
“Everyone, don’t panic! It might be people from other sects uniting to surround us.” The same Elder Brother Ye spoke up. “Don’t scatter and run!”
“Good command ability, but his wording is too bland.” Lu Li flicked his left hand, sending out a small stone, and triggered the crossbow mechanism again. Another volley of arrows rained down, forcing the other cultivators to raise their shields and hurry forward, trying to escape the valley.
“And then…” Lu Li nocked an arrow and aimed at a man rushing toward him in a panic. “Sorry about this.”
He released his fingers. The sharp arrow shot through the air, heading straight for the cultivator’s face.
Clang!
In a grating sound, a yellow shield appeared in front of the cultivator. A look of joy crossed his face as he drew his long sword and charged toward Lu Li.
“I found someone alone!” the cultivator shouted, stepping onto his sword and speeding over.
Clang!
The arrow he fired was blocked again. Lu Li could only tread backward through the white snow, retreating step by step, and fired again.
“It’s useless! Your arrows have strength, but they can’t break through the protective barrier!” The cultivator sent out a sword light, grazing Lu Li’s shoulder and burying itself in the snow.
“I know that.” Lu Li stopped, let out a long breath, and looked at the cultivator slowly approaching. “Also, I haven’t seen you before. You must be from another region.”
“And you’re not familiar to me either. But it doesn’t matter—one less opponent is one less.” The cultivator formed a hand seal with his left hand. “You’re good with a bow, but at this close distance, you can’t possibly beat me.”
“Well… not necessarily.” Lu Li flicked another small stone with his right hand, triggering the mechanism buried under the snow.
Several arrows, trailing residual snow, shot out.
“I told you, it’s useless! Our Golden Bell Sect is best at this kind of defense!” The cultivator laughed loudly, stepped off his flying sword, and gripped his long sword in his hand.
“Is that so?” Lu Li snapped his fingers. “What about multiple, multi-directional attacks?”
“Wha—” Before the cultivator could realize what was happening, just as he was about to pull back his sword and take off, the snow under his feet exploded instantly.
At the same time, more than a dozen arrows shot out from the snowdrift behind Lu Li.
In the thick smoke, Lu Li drew his Yin Yang Sword.
A cold gleam slashed through the yellow barrier and cut through the token at the cultivator’s waist.