Chapter 357: Mist Hidden Mountain

The Spirit Creek battlefield contains many unique locations, each harboring extreme dangers that even cultivators dare not approach lightly.

Some of these are lairs of powerful monstrous beasts. For instance, the lake where Ying Jiao once resided was considered a perilous zone. However, Ying Jiao posed little threat to cultivators. As long as one didn't provoke it and offered it some blood sustenance, peaceful coexistence was possible. Yet, not all monstrous beasts were like Ying Jiao. The others were all overlord-level entities, unmatched by any cultivator in the Spirit Creek battlefield.

Aside from these lairs of overlord-level monstrous beasts, many perilous areas arose naturally from the environment itself.

Lu Ye wasn't searching for such dangerous locations. While his current strength allowed him to kill ordinary Sky-Nine cultivators, entering these perilous zones would likely lead to grave outcomes. He certainly wasn't looking for trouble. He simply sought terrain suitable for him to employ certain tactics, such as a natural environment that could obstruct aerial reconnaissance or one that would make it easier for him to conceal himself. Such a place wasn't difficult to find, and he quickly identified a suitable location.

After eating his fill, hydrating, and resting for two hours to recover, Lu Ye finally stood up.

Just a few miles from the Three Saints Institute's encampment, over three hundred Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators had already assembled, with more continuously converging on the location. It seemed they would soon launch a full-scale assault on the Three Saints Institute's encampment.

Inside the protective array, Lu Ye, accompanied by Ju Jia, bid farewell to Situ Han. Situ Han didn't feign a reluctant farewell; he merely sighed, "Junior Brother Lu, the Three Saints Institute feels it has wronged you."

"Senior Brother Situ, you speak too gravely. The Three Saints Institute has already rendered immense assistance by sheltering a disciple of my Bloodline Sect."

He then turned to Feng Yue, who stood nearby, and said, "Don't bring shame upon the sect."

Feng Yue lowered her eyes and obediently replied, "Yes."

"Farewell!" Lu Ye cupped his fist to Situ Han and Shi Lei, then immediately summoned his spirit boat and stepped aboard with Ju Jia. He didn't leave Ju Jia behind, primarily because Ju Jia would undoubtedly be unwilling to stay.

The spirit boat hummed softly, transforming into a streak of light that shot directly into the sky.

Feng Yue took a step forward and called out loudly in the direction Lu Ye had left, "Fifth Senior Brother, please be extremely careful!" Her feelings towards Lu Ye were complex. She had once resented and complained about him, but after he accepted her as an official disciple of the Bloodline Sect, this resentment had significantly lessened. This was particularly true after she followed him into the inner circle and remained at the Three Saints Institute's encampment under his arrangement. Had she remained a cultivator of the Feng family, she certainly wouldn't have received such treatment. She suddenly realized that leaving the Feng family to join the Bloodline Sect might not have been a bad decision after all. It would be even better if Fifth Senior Brother could be a little more friendly towards her...

The spirit boat, now a streak of light, burst out of the protective array and swiftly soared into the distance. Upon seeing this, the Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators waiting outside surged forward in pursuit. In an instant, the sky became a magnificent display of countless streaking lights. Within moments, the area outside the Three Saints Institute's encampment was left utterly deserted.

For the Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators, pursuing and eliminating Lu Ye was paramount. Killing him would not only secure them incredibly vast rewards, but also free the Myriad Demon Ridge from living in constant dread. By now, the Myriad Demon Ridge's apprehension of him had shifted from merely his array-breaking abilities to his formidable inherent strength. He, a Sky-Seven cultivator, could already kill Sky-Nine cultivators. If he were to advance to Sky-Nine, who in the entire Spirit Creek battlefield would be able to stop him? The Myriad Demon Ridge was unwilling to once again endure the terror of their entire faction being dominated by a single individual.

During the chase, the disparity in cultivation levels became immediately apparent. Those with lower cultivation or inferior spirit artifacts quickly fell behind. Even cultivators at Sky-Eight and Sky-Nine found it challenging to keep pace with Lu Ye. Fortunately, the Myriad Demon Ridge had coordinated a comprehensive search. As long as Lu Ye didn't conceal himself, they wouldn't worry about losing his trail.

A day later, Lu Ye's figure vanished from the Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators' sight. His last recorded location was within a vast mountain range, which the map indicated as Misty Veil Mountains. As the name suggested, this dense forest was perpetually shrouded in thick fog. Cultivators flying overhead on spirit artifacts would witness a spectacular sight: a vast expanse of steaming mist and rolling clouds below, forming a veritable sea. The towering trunks of trees, hundreds of zhang tall, were concealed within this cloud sea, with only their umbrella-like canopies emerging above. Within these deep, ancient forests, ferocious beasts roamed, yet they also held many rare treasures. Consequently, the Misty Veil Mountains were renowned throughout the core circle. Many cultivators frequented the area to gather medicinal herbs or capture monstrous beasts. However, this place also harbored significant dangers, as it was home to no fewer than three overlord-level monstrous beasts! Fortunately, overlord-level monstrous beasts possessed high intelligence and generally kept to their own territories. As long as one didn't trespass, they typically wouldn't provoke hostility.

Instead of going anywhere else, Lu Yiye entered the Misty Veil Mountains, clearly intending to use the terrain to evade the Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators' pursuit. The Myriad Demon Ridge faction could not tolerate this. They immediately called upon allies, and more Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators continuously joined the chase. The Misty Veil Mountains, usually not very lively, became unexpectedly bustling with human activity within just a few days, as countless cultivators ventured deep inside.

Due to the environment, cultivators' aerial vision was obstructed, forcing them to descend and track their targets on foot. The Myriad Demon Ridge had launched an organized operation. Numerous ghost cultivators, adept at concealing their presence, were dispatched throughout the Misty Veil Mountains to search for Lu Ye. Any clues found were immediately relayed. The other cultivators were divided into small teams, each continuously exploring deeper into the Misty Veil Mountains. Team sizes varied, but none had fewer than ten members, as smaller groups, even if they located Lu Ye, might not be able to apprehend him. The teams maintained relatively close proximity to ensure they could support each other at any moment. It must be said that the Myriad Demon Ridge's arrangements were meticulous. Under such careful planning, a fierce, large-scale pursuit commenced.

Yu Qi was one of many ghost cultivators who ventured deep into the Misty Veil Mountains to track Lu Ye. Within the core circle, his cultivation was respectable, neither exceptionally high nor low. He had already opened 310 apertures, giving him Sky-Eight cultivation, just 50 apertures shy of Sky-Nine. In the early stages of cultivation, opening 50 apertures was nothing; even those with modest talent could achieve it. However, at Yu Qi's level, the resistance to opening more apertures had become palpably strong. As the number of opened spiritual apertures increased, the spiritual aperture barriers grew thicker, making the process of opening further apertures increasingly challenging. Opening spiritual apertures couldn't be attempted indefinitely. The more attempts one made, the more susceptible unopened apertures became to damage. Once an aperture was damaged, it was considered useless, and only an Aperture Restoration Pill could repair it.

He knew his own limitations: without extraordinary serendipity, he would never open all 360 apertures in this lifetime. However, he was reluctant to simply advance to the Cloud River realm as he was. This was the common mindset among most Sky-Seven and Sky-Eight cultivators. Having progressed this far, everyone desired to ascend to the next level. Even if they couldn't break through, they would exert their utmost effort to open a few more spiritual apertures. The more spiritual apertures one opened, the greater their potential would be after advancing to the Cloud River realm. What sustained their perseverance was the existence of Barrier-Breaking Pills! Compared to the exorbitant price of 160,000 merit points for a single Aperture Restoration Pill, a Barrier-Breaking Pill, at just 500 merit points, was considered very reasonably priced and had remained unchanged for years. However, even for cultivators within the core circle, 500 merit points were not easily acquired.

Furthermore, a cultivator like Yu Qi required an immense quantity of Barrier-Breaking Pills. While the first pill might open one spiritual aperture, the next could demand two or even three. The more apertures opened with Barrier-Breaking Pills, the greater the consumption, until the pills offered no further benefit. At that point, a cultivator at the Spirit Creek Realm would have reached their limit and would have no choice but to advance to the Cloud River realm. Yu Qi was still 50 apertures short of Sky-Nine! One could imagine the number of Barrier-Breaking Pills he would require. Accumulating so many merit points on his own was impossible. Hunting down Lu Yiye, however, presented a prime opportunity. As long as he could kill Lu Yiye, he would gain enough resources to open even more spiritual apertures.

As a ghost cultivator who routinely communed with the underworld, Yu Qi was exceedingly confident in his concealment techniques. In fact, one could say every ghost cultivator possessed such confidence. He was also fortunate, for just a few days after venturing deep into the Misty Veil Mountains, he actually discovered Lu Ye's whereabouts!

Right by a clear mountain spring, Lu Yiye sat cross-legged on a large rock. A bonfire crackled nearby, where the body cultivator named Ju Jia was roasting a wild boar. Its glistening skin emitted an enticing aroma, and fat dripped onto the flames, making sizzling sounds. A snow-white monstrous beast, resembling a large cat, also lay prostrate nearby, gnawing on bloody beast meat.

In that instant, Yu Qi almost couldn't suppress his racing heartbeat. To any Myriad Demon Ridge cultivator, the teenager before him, who appeared to be only seventeen or eighteen, was a mobile treasure vault! If he were killed, the wealth within that vault would be limitless.

Glancing at Lu Ye, who was meditating, and then at Ju Jia, who was roasting meat nearby, Yu Qi inwardly scoffed. "How can these two be so carefree? Chased by so many from Myriad Demon Ridge, yet they still have the leisure to roast and eat meat."

He took a shallow breath, calmed his excited state, and then gradually moved closer to Lu Ye. To a ghost cultivator, Lu Ye's current state was even more tempting than the golden-roasted wild boar. Yu Qi was confident that if he could infiltrate within three zhang of his target, he could unleash a fatal blow! He was a ghost cultivator naturally capable of killing enemies at higher cultivation levels!

Stepping silently on the soft fallen leaves, Yu Qi utilized his years of cultivation to their absolute peak.

Ten zhang, five zhang, three zhang...

Yu Qi's movements suddenly stiffened, and fine beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He had suddenly noticed a corpse lying behind the large rock where Lu Ye was seated. Judging by its attire, it was unmistakably a ghost cultivator. He cautiously leaned in to examine the corpse's face, and Yu Qi's mind immediately buzzed. He recognized this ghost cultivator. The individual was from a second-grade sect, a Sky-Nine ghost cultivator far stronger than himself.