Chapter 440: Void Stab Marking

Not every cultivator in the Cloud River Realm possesses a spirit tattoo, as the number of tattoo masters capable of engraving spirit marks on cultivators is scarce across the entire Kyushu. This art demands exceptional mastery of spirit mark principles and incredibly refined tattooing techniques. Moreover, even if such a tattoo master agrees to help, the necessary materials are prohibitively expensive.

Spirit tattoos are based on spirit marks and come in numerous forms, including offensive, defensive, and auxiliary. Lu Ye had no need for offensive or defensive spirit tattoos, as he already possessed Sharpness and Guard. His demand for auxiliary ones was also minimal, as he could personally activate many such spirit marks. However, there was one particular auxiliary spirit mark he had long coveted. Thus, the moment he heard Madam Yun speak, he responded without hesitation: "Void!"

The Void Spirit Mark was something he had learned from books, not an ability inherent to his talent tree. He hadn't yet mastered it to the point where a mere thought could manifest the mark. His primary use for it had been to set up teleportation arrays, but these offered limited range and an unpleasant experience. Yet, the Void Spirit Mark's utility extended far beyond merely establishing teleportation arrays; it possessed numerous other marvelous applications. For instance, special spirit artifacts could be crafted using the Void Spirit Mark as their core, granting them storage capabilities, such as storage rings, storage bracelets, and so on.

Cultivators most commonly used storage pouches, which were crafted from the hide of a specific type of magical beast that could be bred. Consequently, these pouches held little value in the cultivation world, with most cultivators possessing one or two. A storage pouch offers very limited storage space compared to a storage ring or bracelet, or indeed, other types of storage spirit artifacts. There was simply no comparison. Storage rings and bracelets, however, were highly valuable. Lu Ye had only ever seen a storage ring in his Sect Master's possession; even Senior Sister Shui Yuan didn't own one. This highlighted their rarity.

Yet, Shui Yuan didn't carry a storage pouch either, which had piqued Lu Ye's curiosity about how his second Senior Sister managed her storage. Only after he inquired did Lu Ye realize that storage wasn't limited to pouches and rings. It could also be achieved through spirit marks. By using the Void Spirit Mark as the core and tattooing it onto a cultivator's body, a storage space could be created. This eliminated the need to carry storage pouches. The primary benefit of this storage method was instantaneous access. With a mere thought, items within the storage space could be retrieved instantly. This was unlike storage pouches, which required physically reaching inside to retrieve items. Furthermore, the storage capacity of such a spirit tattoo was significantly greater than that of a storage pouch. Lu Ye certainly did not wish to experience a repeat of the last time, when he was burdened with dozens of storage pouches.

Upon hearing Lu Ye, Madam Yun nodded. "You are a spirit master yourself, so choosing Void is quite fitting. Let it be Void then."

He entered the small room where he had received his first spirit tattoo. Following Madam Yun's instructions, Lu Ye sat down and extended his right hand, exposing the back of his hand. Madam Yun took a seat nearby. She then produced an assortment of tattooing needles, varying in length and thickness, along with a bottle of amber-colored beast blood.

"The art of spirit tattooing is actually quite fascinating," Madam Yun remarked, as she opened the bottle of beast blood. "Once your mastery of spirit marks reaches the required level, I can teach you if you wish to learn. Possessing such a skill, you will never be short of resources for your cultivation in the future. You will be highly sought after wherever you go." She then dipped a needle into the bottle, coating it with the beast blood before pricking Lu Ye's hand.

A stinging sensation, akin to a bee sting, spread across his hand. Each time a needle descended, Madam Yun redipped it in the beast blood. Lu Ye didn't know what kind of magical beast the blood belonged to, but he recalled that beast blood had also been used when he received his Winged Spirit Tattoo here previously. This indicated that the art of spirit tattooing required special materials, and the beast blood capable of imbuing a Void tattoo must be incredibly valuable.

Madam Yun's movements alternated between rapid and deliberate. When fast, her hands became a blur, sending continuous waves of dense stinging pain across Lu Ye's hand. When slow, her actions were meticulously precise. Lu Ye quietly endured the process as time elapsed.

While Lu Ye was receiving the Void Spirit Tattoo from Madam Yun on Bright Heart Peak, the Spirit Stream Battlefield was stirring with new developments. After Lu Yiye, one of the "Three Calamities of the Spirit Stream," ascended to the Cloud River Realm and his name vanished from the Spirit Stream Ranking, a new name from the Green Blood Sect surprisingly appeared on the list less than half a day later: Hua Ci! A Heavenly Nine cultivation.

To the cultivators of the Spirit Stream Battlefield, this name was undoubtedly unfamiliar, as few had heard of her prior to this. The primary reason for the sudden attention was her origin: she belonged to the Green Blood Sect, the same sect as Lu Yiye! However, more eyes quickly turned towards her. This was due to rumors that she was a medical cultivator. Medical cultivators were rare on the Spirit Stream Ranking, typically appearing only after the fiftieth position, numbering just a few. Even if medical cultivators dabbled in other disciplines, their combat prowess remained limited, naturally preventing them from achieving high ranks.

If that were all, it might have been overlooked. The crucial point was that this woman's method of challenging the rankings was identical to Lu Yiye's! She started her challenge from the very bottom of the Spirit Stream Ranking, ensuring that not a single Ten Thousand Demon Ridge cultivator ranked above her escaped; she challenged every single one of them. The outcome enraged the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge faction! Every single Spirit Stream Ranking powerhouse she challenged perished!

A scene from four months prior had resurfaced. Four months ago, Lu Yiye's climb up the ranks had resulted in the wholesale slaughter of Ten Thousand Demon Ridge powerhouses on the list, significantly boosting the proportion of Heaven Alliance cultivators on the Spirit Stream Ranking. Now, four months later, this very scenario was unfolding once more. History was repeating itself with uncanny similarity. And both times, the perpetrators were disciples of the Green Blood Sect.

Who dared give a mere medical cultivator such audacity? And what ability did she possess to act with such impunity? Instantly, all Ten Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators ranked above Hua Ci were seething with righteous indignation. If they couldn't defeat Lu Yiye, surely they could defeat a medical cultivator? Under no circumstances could this woman, Hua Ci, be allowed to continue her outrageous behavior, lest the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge lose all dignity.

Yet, a terrifying sight unfolded before their eyes: the woman named Hua Ci's ranking ascended at a visibly rapid pace, as the names of Ten Thousand Demon Ridge powerhouses vanished one after another. To this day, no one had figured out how this woman was achieving these kills. Lu Yiye's success was attributed to his beast companion, whose roars had a soul-shaking effect, preventing his opponents from even uttering a surrender. What methods did Hua Ci possess that rendered the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge powerhouses utterly silent until their very last breath?

The Green Blood Sect—what kind of divine sect was this? Monstrous talents were appearing one after another!

On Bright Heart Peak, Madam Yun had already departed. Even for a spirit master of her caliber, imbuing Lu Ye with a Void Spirit Tattoo had proven somewhat taxing, leaving her visibly fatigued. The Void Spirit Mark was, after all, far more complex than ordinary spirit marks. By the time it was finished, the entire bottle of unidentified beast blood had been completely consumed.

Immersed in his thoughts within the room, Lu Ye could distinctly perceive the storage space on the back of his hand. This storage space, built around the Void Spirit Mark, was significantly larger than any storage pouch, conservatively estimated to be over twenty times its capacity. He no longer needed to worry about items not fitting; Lu Ye could even place his Pan Mountain Blade directly inside. Previously, he had always kept the Pan Mountain Blade in his hand, as storing it in a pouch meant he would have to retrieve it during combat, which was inconvenient and might cost him opportunities to strike. Now, that concern was gone. The storage space was directly on his hand, allowing him to retrieve anything within it with a mere thought. Nevertheless, for Lu Ye, holding the Pan Mountain Blade had become a habit; as the saying went, "with a blade in hand, the heart remains calm."

He left the room, following the maid outside, and did not see Madam Yun again. Once outside, Lu Ye activated his spirit energy and shot into the sky. Having just advanced to the Cloud River Realm, many new skills needed to be mastered. Lu Ye decided to begin with aerial flight, as it was the most straightforward. For other cultivators, mastering this might take several days of cautious practice to avoid plummeting from the sky. Lu Ye, however, had no such concerns. While he had never truly flown before, he had activated the Winged Spirit Mark on multiple occasions, granting him some prior experience in aerial movement.

An hour later, he was capable of stable aerial flight. After another hour, he could execute various agile maneuvers while airborne. Lu Ye finally returned to Shou Zheng Peak only at dusk.

He enjoyed a delicious meal with his second senior sister. At the dinner table, Shui Yuan said, "Junior Brother, it's time you chose your own spirit peak."

"Huh?" Lu Ye questioned, perplexed.

Shui Yuan explained, "Ao Mountain has hundreds of spirit peaks. In its heyday, disciples flocked to every peak. After thirty years of decline, only the old man and I remain, guarding Shou Zheng Peak because it is the sect's core spirit peak. For all these years, only Madam Yun has occupied Bright Heart Peak. Now that you've ascended to the Cloud River Realm, you can have a spirit peak of your own. Our sect is developing well, and in the future, more and more disciples will reach the Cloud River Realm. We can't all live on Shou Zheng Peak. It's not that I want to send you away; it's simply that in this generation, you are nominally the fifth senior brother but in reality the eldest senior brother. Besides Ju Jia, you are the second to advance to the Cloud River, and you need to set an example for the other disciples."

Lu Ye nodded. "I understand. I'll go look for one shortly."

Shui Yuan then placed another helping of food onto his plate. Satiated, Lu Ye stepped outside and soared into the sky. While practicing aerial flight earlier in the day, he had circled Ao Mountain numerous times. Seeing the dilapidated structures scattered across the spirit peaks, he could vaguely envision the glorious prosperity of the Green Blood Sect in its prime. At present, apart from Shou Zheng Peak, only Bright Heart Peak was inhabited by Madam Yun. All other spirit peaks were available for selection.

"Yiyi, which one do you prefer?" Lu Ye asked.

Yiyi floated beside him, looked left and right, and then pointed, "This one!"

"Then that's it," Lu Ye affirmed. He had no specific preferences, as long as the peak was habitable.