Chapter 434: Return to Longquan

A moment later, in a grand hall at the Cyanwood Mountain outpost, Lu Ye and Su Zining settled into their respective seats.

It was evident that even Su Zining, a Garrison Overseer, was quite reserved in Lu Ye's presence. As for the others, there was no need to mention them.

Cyanwood Mountain was currently an eighth-rank sect. The strongest cultivator in the entire sect was only at the True Lake Realm. Although some Spirit Stream Realm cultivators lingered in the core circle, their limited aptitude and talent meant they could at most cultivate to the eighth level of the Heaven-rank.

It could be said that Cyanwood Mountain had never, until now, produced a Heaven-rank ninth-level cultivator at the Spirit Stream Realm.

The sudden arrival of Lu Ye, the top-ranked cultivator on the Spirit Stream Leaderboard, naturally made Su Zining feel immense pressure.

He was still unaware of the purpose of Lu Ye's sudden visit.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lu Ye casually asked, "How has Senior Brother Tang Wu been lately?"

He recalled that when his identity was exposed and he was hunted by cultivators from across the Myriad Demon Ridge, Tang Wu had stepped in to help him resolve a crisis. If Tang Wu hadn't appeared in time to stop Han Zheyue from pursuing him, he would have certainly faced significant trouble then.

"Senior Brother Tang Wu has already advanced to the Cloud River Realm," Su Zining replied, "Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Yi Ye."

Lu Ye was not surprised to hear of Tang Wu's promotion to the Cloud River Realm. Two years ago, Tang Wu was already at the ninth level of cultivation, so it was time for him to advance.

However, Lu Ye estimated that Tang Wu had advanced with either a Heaven-rank seventh-level or eighth-level cultivation.

He then inquired about Xie Jin, Qiao Qiao'er, Song Xie, Tao Tiangang, and Mu Ling, who had healed him—all of whom he had fought alongside previously.

Su Zining replied, "Senior Brother Xie, Senior Sister Qiao, and Senior Sister Mu have all entered the inner circle. Senior Brother Song and Senior Brother Tao have passed away."

Lu Ye fell silent.

Only two years had passed, yet so much had changed; people and things were no longer the same. The path of cultivation and growth for cultivators was always fraught with slaughter and various dangers.

Su Zining was extremely curious: "How do you know so many senior brothers and sisters from our sect, Senior Brother Yi Ye?"

Lu Ye smiled. "Didn't they tell you? Two years ago, I participated in the Battle of Hundred Peaks Mountain. I fought alongside those senior brothers and sisters of yours then."

Su Zining couldn't help but gasp. He truly hadn't known about this, nor had he ever heard it mentioned. Only upon hearing Lu Ye speak of it today did he realize the connection between them.

He immediately felt much closer to the top-ranked cultivator on the Spirit Stream Leaderboard before him.

"Then, should I send a message and ask Senior Brother Xie and Senior Sister Qiao to return?"

"No need," Lu Ye waved his hand. "The inner circle is a long journey. Their round trip would only waste their cultivation time. I'm here for a specific task, and I'll leave once it's done."

"What task does Senior Brother Yi Ye need to handle? If Cyanwood Mountain can be of any assistance, please don't hesitate to say so."

"This matter truly requires Cyanwood Mountain's help," Lu Ye said, looking at Su Zining. "I want to enter the Dragon Spring!"

Su Zining was puzzled. "Senior Brother Yi Ye is already at the Heaven-rank ninth-level cultivation. Entering the Dragon Spring shouldn't be of much use to you anymore."

Lu Ye shook his head. "I have my reasons."

As he spoke, he unfastened a storage bag from his waist and pushed it towards Su Zining. "I'll also have to trouble you to return to the main sect of Cyanwood Mountain and report this matter to your elders. I know it's not yet time for the Dragon Spring to open, but I believe your sect should have a way to let me in. Consider these items my compensation."

Su Zining hastily said, "There's no need for compensation. Since Senior Brother Yi Ye has a request, I'll simply report it truthfully."

Lu Ye smiled, and patted the storage bag into his hand. "This compensation is for Cyanwood Mountain. How to decide on it, that's up to your sect's elders."

Su Zining thought for a moment, then nodded. "Then please wait here, Senior Brother Yi Ye. I'll return to the main sect!"

"Thank you!"

Su Zining departed, and Lu Ye remained in the hall to wait.

After only half an hour, he returned, accompanied by an elderly man.

Lu Ye rose to his feet.

Su Zining introduced, "Senior Brother Yi Ye, this is Elder Ye Yang from our Cyanwood Mountain."

Lu Ye bowed. "Greetings, Elder Ye."

As an elder of Cyanwood Mountain, he was certainly a powerful True Lake Realm cultivator. However, because he had entered the Spirit Stream Battlefield, the strength he currently displayed was only at the Heaven-rank eighth level.

Ye Yang scrutinized Lu Ye from head to toe, stroking his beard. "I've long heard of Lu Yi Ye of the Bloodline Sect. Seeing you today, you truly are a dragon among men. Talents emerge from generation to generation; one simply cannot refuse to grow old."

"You flatter me, Elder Ye," Lu Ye said courteously. "I feel truly sorry for troubling you to make this special trip."

He knew that their politeness towards him was, firstly, due to his potential, and secondly, because the storage bag he had given contained a considerable amount of wealth—items worth a full 300,000 contribution points, which Lu Ye had specifically saved. Otherwise, how would an elder-level powerful cultivator like him condescend to come to the Spirit Stream Battlefield?

For a True Lake Realm cultivator like Ye Yang, entering the Spirit Stream Battlefield incurred a significant amount of contribution points.

"You're too kind, young friend. Please, sit down and speak," Ye Yang said, gesturing with his hand.

Once they were seated again, Su Zining remained by their side.

"Zining told me you wish to enter the Dragon Spring?" Ye Yang began.

"I wonder if it's convenient?"

Ye Yang said, "It would be very difficult for others to enter, but for you, young friend, it will be easy."

"Oh? Why is that?" Lu Ye asked, puzzled.

Ye Yang smiled. "To enter the Dragon Spring, all three parties—our Cyanwood Mountain, Tai Luo Sect, and Qin Clan—must agree to open it. The Dragon Spring is crucial for the body tempering of disciples from all three factions, so even if our Cyanwood Mountain agrees, if the other two don't nod, we can't open it. If anyone else came, those two factions might not be willing, but with your reputation, young friend, you only need to say a word to them, and they wouldn't dare to refuse."

How could the Tai Luo Sect and Qin Clan dare to utter a single "no" when the "Exterminator Lu Ye" wanted to enter the Dragon Spring? Although the Spirit Stream Battlefield had its own rules, with outer circle matters handled by outer circle cultivators, the Myriad Demon Ridge had broken the rules more than once in the past, specifically targeting Lu Ye.

Therefore, if Lu Ye broke a rule now, it was unlikely anyone from the Myriad Demon Ridge would dare to speak against it.

If the Tai Luo Sect and Qin Clan dared to disagree, Lu Ye could destroy their outposts with a mere flick of his hand.

"I see!" Lu Ye nodded. "It seems I'll have to make another trip to the Tai Luo Sect and Qin Clan!"

"Indeed," Ye Yang nodded. "As long as you can persuade the Tai Luo Sect and Qin Clan, Cyanwood Mountain has no objections."

This was the benefit of offering a generous incentive. Ye Yang didn't even ask Lu Ye why he wanted to enter the Dragon Spring. An experienced cultivator like him naturally knew that everyone had their secrets, and it was unwise to pry into others' affairs rashly.

Lu Ye immediately rose. "Then I'll make the trip."

Ye Yang smiled. "I shall await your good news on Dragon Spring Peak at Hundred Peaks Mountain."

The outposts of the Tai Luo Sect and Qin Clan were not far from Cyanwood Mountain's, only a few dozen li away.

This was typical for outer circle sect outposts. After all, outer circle cultivators were not very strong, and if the distances were too great, clashes and conflicts would be difficult to occur.

In just the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Lu Ye followed the map's guidance and arrived at the Tai Luo Sect's outpost.

Lu Ye had no good impression of the Tai Luo Sect. Han Zheyue had once hunted him down.

At Golden Light Peak, it was also this woman who repeatedly exposed his background, causing Lu Ye to fight a bitter battle against over forty sixth-level opponents.

The protective array's light barrier enveloped the outpost. Lu Ye flew through the air, landing before the barrier. His Mountain-Cleaving Saber roared as it unsheathed, and with a raised hand, he brought it down in a powerful strike.

With this strike, he didn't even use his Flash Blade Technique, merely imbuing it with two Sharpness Spirit Runes.

Yet, with a single strike, the grand array's light barrier shattered with a loud crash!

The protective arrays of outer circle sect outposts were generally weaker compared to those in the inner and core circles. This wasn't because the Tai Luo Sect lacked sufficient contribution points to purchase high-quality array foundations, but because the concentration of heaven and earth spiritual energy couldn't compare to that in the inner and core circles.

For protective arrays, the denser the heaven and earth spiritual energy, the greater their effectiveness.

Therefore, the spiritual energy concentration of an outpost directly determined the power of its protective array.

With Lu Ye's current formidable strength, the protective arrays of outer circle sect outposts could generally be shattered with a single strike.

The destruction of the grand array created a considerable commotion. Immediately, numerous Tai Luo Sect cultivators rushed out from their cultivation areas, none of them knowing what had happened, resulting in a chaotic scene.

It wasn't until someone spotted a figure floating on a spiritual artifact in the sky that panic set in.

A seventh-level cultivator stepped forward and, mustering his courage, asked, "May I ask which fellow Daoist has graced us with your presence, and why have you broken our Tai Luo Sect's protective array?"

The visitor was undoubtedly from the Vast Heaven Alliance; otherwise, there would be no reason to break their own array. Moreover, judging by the spiritual light emanating from the person, they were at least a cultivator who had transitioned to Heaven-rank cultivation methods.

Thus, the seventh-level cultivator truly couldn't understand why a cultivator who should be training in the core circle had come to the outer circle to flaunt their power.

"Bloodline Sect, Lu Yi Ye!" Lu Ye stated plainly.

Earlier at Cyanwood Mountain, when he introduced himself as Lu Ye, others didn't react much. But now, upon hearing the name "Lu Yi Ye," the group of Tai Luo Sect cultivators instantly paled, retreating in unison as if Lu Ye were a rampaging beast.

"Send your elders to speak with me. I'll be waiting for him at Dragon Spring Peak on Hundred Peaks Mountain!" After dropping this message, Lu Ye turned and departed. While he certainly had the power to slaughter all the cultivators there, only the weak would draw their blades against those even weaker. Furthermore, with his current Heaven-rank ninth-level cultivation, truly killing these people would result in an unknown deduction of contribution points.

Therefore, he had no intention of killing anyone from beginning to end.

After he left, the Tai Luo Sect outpost was thrown into immediate chaos. Someone immediately returned to the main sect to report the incident. For a moment, the Tai Luo Sect's main branch also felt as if a great enemy had arrived, wondering why the "Exterminator Lu Ye" had suddenly appeared at their outpost and demanded their elders to come forward and speak.

At this very moment, Lu Ye had already arrived at the Qin Clan's outpost. Just like before, he shattered the Qin Clan's protective array with a single strike, left a message, and turned to leave.

A moment later, Lu Ye landed on Dragon Spring Peak at Hundred Peaks Mountain.

He had been here once before, two years ago, to temper his body in the Dragon Spring, where he had obtained a scale.

Returning now, his state of mind was entirely different.

There was a grand hall on Dragon Spring Peak, originally built jointly by Cyanwood Mountain and the Tai Luo Sect. The passage to the Dragon Spring was hidden beneath this hall.