Chapter 369: Yi Yi and the Crisis of the Giant Armor

It was undeniably an incredibly powerful spirit pattern, its might far surpassing any Lu Ye had previously mastered.

However, Lu Ye dared not easily attempt to activate it. Judging solely by the complexity of the spirit pattern, constructing it would require an immense amount of spiritual power. With his current Heaven Seven cultivation, activating this spirit pattern would likely deplete all his spiritual energy.

This was essentially a trump card; once unleashed, it would be a fight to the death.

The name "Fire Phoenix," however, brought back some unpleasant memories for Lu Ye.

When he previously practiced the Red Lotus Ascending Heaven Art, the cultivation method came with two magical techniques, one of which was the Fire Phoenix Art. Yet, somehow, Lu Ye had managed to cast it as the "Fire Quail Art."

It wasn't until his return from Immortal Essence City, when his soul power significantly increased and his control over spiritual energy vastly improved, that the technique's form began to improve.

Currently, Lu Ye rarely activated magical techniques. All cultivators in the Nine Provinces knew he was a weapons master, making it difficult to conceal his style with spells. Moreover, his weapon manipulation skills were formidable; he could simply use his weapons for long-range attacks, rendering spells unnecessary.

Now, the Talent Tree had absorbed a fragmented and weakened portion of True Phoenix Fire, granting him the Fire Phoenix spirit pattern. Furthermore, while unconscious, he had witnessed the majestic form of the Vermilion Bird.

These experiences had elevated his understanding of the Fire Phoenix Art to an indescribable level.

It could be said that throughout the Nine Provinces, no one understood the Fire Phoenix better than him.

With a slight shift in his thoughts, spiritual energy surged. As he raised his hand and pointed, the Fire Phoenix Art was unleashed. A fiery-red figure suddenly swooped out, trailing a long tail feather, its plumage exquisitely detailed with clearly visible patterns.

Under his control, this magical technique behaved like a living creature, circling above his head before landing on a nearby tree trunk, where it preened its feathers.

Moments later, it dispersed with a soft pop, dissolving into specks of light.

The power of his Fire Phoenix Art was now undoubtedly many times greater than before, not merely due to his increased strength but also because of the various benefits gained from this recent experience.

This was an unexpected gain. While weapon manipulation for killing enemies still had sustainability issues, magical techniques did not; as long as he had enough spiritual energy, he could cast them at will.

Furthermore, Lu Ye discovered another pleasant surprise.

The royal jelly's enhancement of his vitality and spiritual energy was permanent!

He didn't know how long he had been unconscious, but compared to before his coma, the flow of his vitality and spiritual energy had not only not diminished but seemed to have accelerated.

This undoubtedly indicated that the royal jelly's effects were not merely temporary.

It made sense; such a vast bee colony, toiling diligently to produce only half a bowl of royal jelly, surely meant it was extraordinary.

Checking the formations he had set up earlier, Lu Ye found signs of them being activated, likely by nearby monster beasts. This made him feel fortunate. Thankfully, he had been cautious enough to arrange a series of interconnected formations; otherwise, being unconscious for so long, he would likely have met a grim end.

Suddenly, his battle mark stirred. Lu Ye looked down to check; it was a message from Yi Yi.

His expression gradually grew serious.

Yi Yi had sent not just one, but several messages, all transmitted while he was unconscious and unable to respond.

By the time stamps, five or six days had passed.

Yi Yi's messages were pleas for help. She and Ju Jia had originally been waiting for Lu Ye to rendezvous with them outside Misty Mountain, but they were discovered by passing cultivators from the Myriad Demon Ridge. Left with no choice, Ju Jia had to flee with Yi Yi and Amber.

Ju Jia's physique was too distinctive, and many Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators had previously seen him with Lu Ye, so they naturally knew they were allies.

So many Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators had pursued Lu Ye to Misty Mountain, resulting in heavy casualties without managing to harm him. Now that they had found Ju Jia, how could they let him go?

Fortunately, Ju Jia was not so easily dealt with. His physique was stronger than that of ordinary Heaven Nine cultivators. Despite being besieged by numerous Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators, he still managed to break through their encirclement.

Originally, Ju Jia had intended to fight his way back to Misty Mountain with Yi Yi and Amber, knowing Lu Ye must be there. Although he didn't know why Lu Ye was unreachable, they would have a chance to find and reunite with him once they entered the mountain.

However, Ju Jia ultimately lacked Lu Ye's diverse techniques and weapon-manipulation speed. Several attempts proved unsuccessful, and the number of enemies they encountered only increased. Left with no alternative, he had to flee in a direction away from Misty Mountain.

In terms of escape, Ju Jia's advantages over Lu Ye, besides his physique, lay in his endurance.

He possessed a unique monster core with an enormous spiritual energy reserve. As long as his physical stamina held, he could continue flying with his weapon until the power within his core was depleted, a feat unmatched by any Spirit Creek Realm cultivator.

As time passed, the Myriad Demon Ridge deployed an increasing number of cultivators. Although the Vast Heaven Alliance made various efforts to counter them, they couldn't tie down all of the Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators.

Currently, Ju Jia, Yi Yi, and Amber were hiding in a dangerous place called the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest, and their situation was not good.

Firstly, the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest was marked as a dangerous area on the map, a forbidden zone for cultivators just like the Blazing Fire Land. The perils of that place were remarkably similar to those of the Blazing Fire Land.

The danger in the Blazing Fire Land stemmed from the fragmented and weakened True Phoenix Fire; the closer one got to the center, the more extreme the environment became.

The danger in the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest, however, came from poison.

It was perpetually shrouded in an boundless poisonous mist; the deeper one ventured, the more potent the toxins became. Not only was the environment harsh, but it also teemed with poisonous creatures, from tiny spiders and ants to massive venomous pythons and fierce beasts. Even the spirit plants growing there were incredibly toxic.

Taking refuge in the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest was a last resort. The Myriad Demon Ridge had dispatched a large number of cultivators, leaving Ju Jia no other escape route.

Currently, they were in the outer fringes of the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest, unable to escape because the entire area was surrounded by Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators.

The Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators dared not venture deep into the forest yet, resolute in their decision to trap Ju Jia inside. They were also waiting for Lu Ye, convinced he wouldn't abandon Ju Jia; as long as they kept Ju Jia cornered, Lu Ye would surely appear.

As time passed, more and more Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators converged towards the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest.

"Hold on, I'm coming!" Lu Ye quickly replied, recalling the formation flags he had scattered around. He then summoned his spirit boat and soared into the sky.

Soon, Yi Yi responded: "We're okay. The poisonous mist here isn't too potent, and the honey we collected from Misty Mountain earlier has some detoxifying properties. We can hold on for now. You be careful."

That ordinary honey actually had detoxifying properties surprised Lu Ye, but on second thought, it wasn't strange. Bees are inherently venomous, so the honey produced by venomous bees would naturally possess antidotal effects, much like how areas frequented by venomous snakes often have medicinal herbs for detoxification.

Fortunately, Ju Jia and the others had brought a good amount of honey with them; otherwise, they truly wouldn't have been able to endure.

Checking the map, the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest was not close to Misty Mountain. This indicated that Ju Jia must have been fleeing with Yi Yi and Amber almost nonstop, otherwise it made no sense for them to have covered such a long distance in just a few days.

It wasn't that Yi Yi hadn't considered seeking refuge at a Vast Heaven Alliance outpost. However, if they had gone, they would surely bring disaster upon that Vast Heaven Alliance force. Moreover, without Lu Ye forming an alliance pact with the garrison commander there, they wouldn't be able to use the Heavenly Secret Pillars to return to the Nine Provinces.

The only possible outcome would have been the refuge being besieged by countless Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators, leading to the outpost's fall and Ju Jia and the others having nowhere left to flee.

Therefore, entering the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest was almost their only option.

There was one thing Yi Yi hadn't told Lu Ye: the Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators were no longer content with just a siege. They were preparing to enter the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest to capture Ju Jia alive.

The reason they hadn't acted yet was the immense quantity of antidote pills required; they were currently collecting them from all directions. Once the antidote pills were in place, the Myriad Demon Ridge would undoubtedly make its move.

Rushing rapidly towards the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest, Lu Ye checked his battle mark again. Hua Ci had also left a message earlier, which he hadn't had time to check.

Hua Ci had previously intended to return to Ying Mountain to enter a place of inheritance. Lu Ye vaguely sensed that the place she was going to wasn't very safe, because if it truly were safe, Hua Ci would have long since obtained all the inheritances from it, with no need for delay.

He had tried to stop her but failed, so he didn't insist.

Later, during a lull in his struggle against the Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators in Misty Mountain, Lu Ye tried to message Hua Ci to ask about her situation but found he couldn't contact her. He could only infer from her mark that she was still alive.

Now that Hua Ci had actively messaged him, she had clearly left the place of inheritance. He just didn't know what her gains were.

"Yi Yi and Ju Jia are trapped. I'm on my way."

This was Hua Ci's message.

Lu Ye quickly replied: "Don't come over. I'm already on my way."

Hua Ci quickly messaged back: "You're still alive?"

"Same to you."

"Hehe."

Lu Ye's eyebrow twitched. "What does 'hehe' mean?"

"It means nothing."

Lu Ye really wanted to ask what "it means nothing" actually meant, but realizing the conversation would become endless if he continued, he messaged: "Anyway, don't come for now. The situation isn't great."

"Got it. You be careful. A child can't be without a father."

Lu Ye almost lost his composure. This woman was becoming increasingly reckless with her words.

Just as he was about to retort, a sudden aura rapidly approached from his side. Lu Ye turned his head and immediately felt a headache coming on.

It was none other than the overlord-level female demon.

He didn't know how she had found him, or if it was just a coincidence, but if it was, it was incredibly bad luck.

Compared to when he had seen her before, the female demon's form had changed; her arms had transformed into wings, covered in fiery red feathers.

Considering that the Vermilion Bird was also a type of avian monster beast, it was no surprise that this female demon could sense the True Phoenix Fire from over a hundred miles away.