Chapter 444: Four-Colored Clouds

Spirit Sigils are transferable, which has led to a unique form of transaction: Spirit Sigil auctions. Some cultivators who obtain Spirit Sigils but are short on funds choose to consign them for sale. Periodically, the Heavenly Secret Merchant Alliances in various locations hold Spirit Sigil auctions. Furthermore, these auctions only accept Merit Points as currency. Therefore, even if someone has poor luck and cannot find a Spirit Land or acquire Spirit Sigils, they can still cultivate quickly as long as they possess sufficient Merit Points.

This aligns with some information Lu Ye had heard previously. He'd been told that Merit Points would be extremely useful in the Cloud River Battlefield, and now it seemed to be true. In fact, Merit Points are highly valuable not just in the Cloud River Battlefield, but at any time and in any place.

As it was Lu Ye's first time in the Cloud River Battlefield, he didn't need to consider Spirit Lands for now. Most Spirit Lands were already occupied, unless he had the ability to seize one from someone else. In the Spirit Stream Battlefield, he was unrivaled. However, in the Cloud River Battlefield, that was no longer the case. Having just advanced to the Cloud River Realm, even with a solid foundation, his displayable strength was limited. He couldn't possibly contend with veteran Cloud River Realm cultivators.

He did want to find some Spirit Sigils to examine. Although he could cultivate by taking pills even without ambient spiritual energy, his cultivation efficiency would be higher if there was sufficiently dense spiritual energy. He still had over seventy thousand Merit Points, which was enough to purchase some Spirit Sigils regardless.

He casually found a steward from the Merchant Alliance to inquire about auctions. Learning that the last auction had ended just two days prior and the next one was nearly a month away, he immediately dismissed the idea.

With all the necessary information gathered, Lu Ye stepped out of the Heavenly Secret Merchant Alliance. Outside, the sun shone brightly, and cultivators continuously soared through the sky. The Cloud River Battlefield seemed much livelier than the Spirit Stream Battlefield. Of course, this was due to the presence of the Heavenly Secret Merchant Alliance here. In reality, because the Cloud River Battlefield was so vast, the probability of encountering cultivators in the wilderness was lower than in the Spirit Stream Battlefield. After all, the overall number of Cloud River Realm cultivators was far less than that of Spirit Stream Realm cultivators.

Standing outside the Heavenly Secret Merchant Alliance, Lu Ye sent a message to Ju Jia, using a detailed map to inform him of his current location. Ju Jia replied with an "Ang!" Lu Ye surmised that this likely meant Ju Jia understood. However, Ju Jia currently didn't have a detailed map, so he wasn't clear on his own location. Even if Lu Ye wanted to find him, he wouldn't know which direction to go.

Since he was here, he might as well settle in. Being new, he should first familiarize himself with the environment. With this thought, Lu Ye shot into the sky, choosing a random direction and flying through the air. The detailed map showed a Class C Spirit Land about three hundred miles away from his current position. Lu Ye wanted to go there to see what the level of spiritual energy was like in a Class C Spirit Land. If he only intended to observe and not settle there, others likely wouldn't refuse him.

As for which faction's cultivators occupied that Spirit Land... in fact, many Spirit Lands were shared by cultivators from both the Haotian Alliance and the Myriad Devil Ridge. Neither side would easily reveal their faction allegiance, nor would they know each other's origins. This phenomenon was not seen in the Spirit Stream Battlefield, where strongholds were occupied by entire sects. However, such a situation was common in the Cloud River Battlefield because cultivators mostly acted alone. Even when grouping, they formed small teams of three to five people, never too many people gathering to act together. As a result, if a new Spirit Land was discovered, the first cultivators to gather there would sign a Heavenly Secret Pact, engaging in brief cooperation. The unique environment gave rise to this special way of operating.

This was why his Second Senior Sister Shui Yuan had previously told Lu Ye that in the Cloud River Battlefield, cultivators from the two major factions were sometimes not entirely antagonistic; they also required some cooperation. With the Heavenly Secret Pact as a guarantee, both sides could feel at ease, preventing anyone from plotting mischief behind the scenes.

Continuing on, after flying for a short while, Lu Ye summoned his Spirit Boat. For long-distance travel, flying with a Spirit Tool was less taxing. His Spirit Boat was now a mid-grade Spirit Artifact, faster and sturdier than before. It incorporated more defensive enchantments, preventing the easy damage it used to suffer when attacked.

With no one else around, Yi Yi quietly manifested, sitting before Lu Ye. She looked around curiously and remarked, "So this is the Cloud River Battlefield? It doesn't seem much different from the Spirit Stream Battlefield."

"The people are different," Lu Ye replied. "From now on, everyone we encounter will be Cloud River Realm cultivators."

"It's fine," Yi Yi said, waving her small fists. "If there's a fight, Amber and I will help you." Amber also let out a low growl, indicating its current combat prowess.

"Where are we going now?" Yi Yi asked.

"To a Class C Spirit Land, to check out the situation."

"Oh." Yi Yi no longer questioned, sitting upright and looking around.

Suddenly, she raised her hand and pointed in a direction, exclaiming, "Lu Ye, Lu Ye! That cloud is so beautiful, it has four colors!" Lu Ye followed her gaze and indeed saw a four-colored cloud on the horizon. Moreover, the cloud was moving rapidly and, judging by its direction, was drifting straight towards them.

Lu Ye's eyebrow lifted. He hadn't expected to encounter something good so soon after entering the Cloud River Battlefield.