Chapter 484: Heavy Snow

Previously, the help Amber could provide Lu Ye wasn't particularly significant. However, if Amber gets promoted to a Demon General, it alone would possess the capability to establish itself in the Cloud River battlefield. This is especially true now that they are bound by a Life Seal and Beast Mark; the stronger Amber becomes, the greater the benefits it will bring to Lu Ye.

And Yiyi... as Amber's familiar spirit, they inherently share both glory and hardship, growing together. Once Amber is promoted to a Demon General, Yiyi will inevitably achieve Cloud River Realm strength. It can be said that this period of cultivation has brought about a significant leap in Lu Ye's overall strength.

Two hours later, the effect of the purple spirit charm wore off. Lu Ye then took out a second purple charm and crushed it. Time passed peacefully amidst the monotonous cultivation.

Three days later, a knock came from outside. Lu Ye put away the scroll he was reading, got up, and opened the door. Shen Xiaomao was standing outside.

"Is something wrong?"

Shen Xiaomao's gaze swept past him and into the room. She noticed Amber sleeping but didn't pay it much mind, then asked, "The Spring Spirit has been taken, so this spirit land is ruined. What are your plans now?"

Lu Ye shook his head; he genuinely had no plans. Unlike the Spirit Creek battlefield, where every sect had its own outpost, if there was truly nowhere else to go, one could always return to their outpost to cultivate. However, in the Cloud River battlefield, cultivators without spirit lands are pitiful wanderers, homeless and forced to drift around, seeking opportunities.

"So, do you want to come with me?" Shen Xiaomao asked with anticipation.

"Where to?"

"A friend of mine just messaged me. She found a newly formed spirit land and needs more people. I'm going to meet her there, and if you'd like, we can go together. Since you're a formation master, I'm sure she won't refuse you."

Across the entire Cloud River battlefield, formation masters are undoubtedly among the most sought-after individuals. Having a formation master guard a spirit land is vastly different from not having one. Therefore, even if Lu Ye's cultivation was a bit lower, with his skills in formation arts, any Class B or lower spirit land would likely accept him, provided he was willing. The moment Shen Xiaomao received the message, she thought of Lu Ye and discussed it with her friend. After getting her friend's approval, she came to invite him.

After a brief deliberation, Lu Ye shook his head and said, "I appreciate the offer, but I won't go with you. I still need to find my sect brother."

That infuriating Ju Jia... Lu Ye didn't know if he was lost or what, but after one or two months, he still hadn't arrived. Yesterday, Lu Ye sent him a message and discovered that the location Ju Jia reported was at least half a month's journey away, even at the normal travel speed of a Cloud River Realm cultivator. Judging by Ju Jia's past behavior, it would take him several months to reach here. Furthermore, Amber is currently at a critical stage of promotion. Lu Ye cannot easily leave this place, nor is it convenient to take Amber with him. While a spirit beast bag can be used, if keeping it inside affects its promotion, it would be a huge loss.

"I see..." Shen Xiaomao's hopeful eyes dimmed. She tentatively asked, "How about you reconsider?"

Lu Ye shook his head.

Shen Xiaomao smiled and said, "Alright then, I won't force you. I hope we won't become enemies when we meet again."

To this day, neither of them knew the other's true name or which faction they belonged to. While uncommon in the Spirit Creek battlefield, such anonymity was commonplace in the Cloud River battlefield. Furthermore, it's not uncommon for two individuals who were just acting like close sect members to suddenly engage in a life-and-death battle. Earlier, in the Myriad Beast Domain secret realm, Lu Ye would have seized the opportunity to kill Lan Ziyi if she hadn't escaped so quickly.

"Safe travels!"

"You take care," Shen Xiaomao replied, offering him another brilliant smile before turning and soaring into the sky. She transformed into a streak of light and quickly vanished beyond the horizon.

As they had merely met by chance, it was naturally impossible for them to continue traveling side-by-side. Once the bond that connected them disappeared, they would inevitably part ways. There was little sorrow in their parting; their relationship hadn't reached such a depth. Shen Xiaomao left with a carefree attitude, and Lu Ye remained undisturbed. Such occurrences are not uncommon throughout a cultivator's lifelong journey.

Lu Ye looked up, seeing specks of white falling. He reached out his hand, and a cold flake landed on his palm, quickly melting. It was snowing. He hadn't even noticed the temperature drop earlier, which made him recall his time as a mine slave in Evil Moon Valley. That winter had been the most difficult he ever endured. Many mine slaves froze to death in the tunnels due to lack of food and warm clothing. He had to strip clothes from the deceased and wear them himself just to barely keep warm. By now, as a cultivator in the third level of the Cloud River Realm, he no longer felt such natural seasonal changes as acutely, for this kind of wind and snow was not enough to affect him.

He turned and went back inside, resuming his cultivation and reading. With all the spirit charms depleted, further cultivation would have to rely on consuming spirit pills. Compared to other cultivators, Lu Ye had a significant advantage in this regard; as long as his talent tree had sufficient fuel, he could consume any number of spirit pills without hidden dangers, provided he could refine their medicinal effects in time. This was also why he didn't rely heavily on spirit lands.

The snow was falling heavily. After cultivating for a while, Lu Ye stepped out to stretch his limbs and hone his saber techniques. Wielding his saber and dancing amidst the heavy snow, it had a unique charm. He recently had a strong feeling that his saber techniques had reached a bottleneck, with subtle signs of an impending breakthrough. However, a breakthrough in saber techniques differed from a breakthrough in cultivation. Cultivation breakthroughs came with clear, intuitive, and definite sensations: the opening of spirit apertures in the Spirit Creek Realm, or the expansion of the spiritual energy river within the body in the Cloud River Realm. These were all concrete and observable changes.