After a search, both Li Yan and Li Wuyi had expressions of relief on their faces. The three from Little Bamboo Peak, along with Li Changting and Zhao Min, were all there. However, the fifteen of them didn't look too good. Two cultivators collapsed as soon as they reached the elders. Later, Li Yan and the others learned that three cultivators had been severely injured in different places by the Ten-Pace Courtyard, the Pure Land Sect, and demonic beasts respectively, but all three had managed to escape.
One of them had stumbled upon the cave residence of an ancient cultivator from the Secret Realm while fleeing, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The cave was extremely well-hidden and very small. After the pursuers left the area, he spent some effort to open the protective restriction of the cave. Fortunately, the commotion was small and not discovered by others. After searching inside, he found a magical artifact and a precious "Ding Huangrong" herb. "Ding Huangrong" was a main ingredient for refining the Foundation Establishment Pill. An herb of this age was rare even in the gardens of the four great sects. Although the four sects cultivated it, its growth was slow, taking over eighty years before it could be used in medicine, and the cultivation conditions were harsh. Therefore, the four great sects only produced less than a hundred Foundation Establishment Pills each year. Faced with thousands of Qi Condensation disciples, although the proportion of Perfected Qi Condensation was small, it was still a drop in the ocean. The pills could only be distributed according to aptitude, or purchased by Qi Condensation disciples with a high price in Spirit Stones.
After taking the magical artifact from the cave, this disciple hesitated over the "Ding Huangrong," unsure if he should pick it immediately. After some thought, he confirmed that the cave was indeed exceptionally well-hidden. Instead of picking it and activating the light dot in his body to teleport out, he chose to guard the spiritual herb while healing his injuries, planning to be teleported out directly when the harvesting time ended. He had already collected many other rare herbs anyway.
With the rich spiritual energy here, every extra day the spiritual herb grew, there was a chance for a slight improvement. Even the tiniest bit was extremely rare. He stayed by the spiritual herb. With his injuries, he couldn't go out and fight anymore. But he maintained the highest vigilance. If there was any movement at the cave's restriction, he would be faster. He only needed to reach out and grab the herb while simultaneously activating the light dot in his body to be instantly teleported away.
As for the other two cultivators, one had fled to a hiding place after being seriously injured and passed out. He was lucky enough not to be discovered by anyone. On the last day, the light dot automatically activated, and the spatial force of the teleportation woke him up. He had managed to hold on until he was safely out.
The other cultivator who collapsed had been fighting an Inner Sword cultivator from the Ten-Pace Courtyard until the very last moment. Seeing the light dot about to activate, he went all out, recklessly unleashing all the remaining spiritual energy in his body. A flurry of attacks actually created a slight opening in the Inner Sword cultivator's defense. He used this opening to wrap the opponent's shoulder with the "Stone-Wood Affliction" poison. By then, he had exhausted his strength and fallen to the ground. With his last shred of divine sense, he didn't wait for the light dot to activate automatically but pierced it himself and teleported out. The Ten-Pace Courtyard sword cultivator, with victory in his grasp, had fallen for the trap. He was also unconscious when he came out. It was likely that at least his arm couldn't be saved. In that case, he would have to reach the Golden Core realm to regenerate the limb. Otherwise, he would have difficulty using a sword for the rest of his life, unless he could find some heaven-defying treasure to reattach the limb below the Golden Core realm. From the venomous glare an elder from the Ten-Pace Courtyard was giving the unconscious cultivator from the Malevolent Spirit Sect on the ground, one could guess that the sword cultivator's condition was dire, and he was likely close to this elder.
Wang Tian's face was pale. Although he could move freely, it was said that he had been ambushed by two masters from the Supreme Mystery Teachings on the second to last day. He had only escaped the encirclement after using a secret art that greatly damaged his vital energy, managing to seriously injure one of them. It would probably take him more than half a year to recover his vital energy. However, the heavenly materials and earthly treasures he had obtained were also extremely rich, which lessened the grimness on Wang Tian's face.
Gan Shi and Baili Yuan were fine, looking like they still had strength to spare. The Chu brothers had also stayed together from beginning to end and emerged unscathed thanks to their powerful combined formation, though they looked somewhat worn out. It seemed their consumption was great, and they likely had little strength left to fight.
Wei Chituo and Gong Chenying were unharmed, just covered in blood. Yun Chunqu had suffered a significant internal injury. It was said she had encountered a late-stage Tier-2 demonic beast that was itself a poisonous creature and immune to many potent poisons, which nullified half of Yun Chunqu's combat power. By the time she escaped, her internal organs were severely damaged.
Li Changting and Zhao Min had apparently been together since entering. The two cooperated tacitly. Li Changting attacked from a distance while Zhao Min stayed close to protect her, rushing in to attack the opponent whenever there was an opportunity. Coupled with a sky-full of Gu-insects, they had managed to escape even when ambushed by four sword-maniacs from the Ten-Pace Courtyard one day. The two of them came out with snow-white faces, also looking extremely drained. Controlling Gu-insects was very taxing on the divine sense, especially for large-scale control like Li Changting's. Zhao Min's close-range, high-speed burst attacks, aimed for a quick victory, were also incredibly draining. The rosy color had vanished from their fair faces.
Another girl from Four Symbols Peak, Wei Feng, had surprisingly emerged unscathed with her peak mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation. It was said her illusion-poison formation was ever-changing, and those who fell into it could not extricate themselves. She had teamed up with two other sect members, and the three of them had managed to last until the end. However, their overall realm was not very high, and they had relied on their combined formation to win by a narrow margin repeatedly. Now they were all injured and were meditating to recover.
All those who came out last had reaped rich harvests. After handing over their mission items to the elders, they were surrounded by the remaining Foundation Establishment cultivators from their respective peaks, likely exchanging information from the Secret Realm. Li Changting and Zhao Min were also surrounded by three Foundation Establishment cultivators from Never-Parting Peak, but they still saw the gazes from Li Wuyi and Li Yan in the distance. The two girls both gave a slight nod, but it wasn't convenient for them to go over immediately.
While the elders were still questioning the other Foundation Establishment cultivators who had come out, and the other sects were taking stock of their gains, Li Wuyi called Wei Chituo and Gong Chenying over to a corner with Li Yan to ask them questions, leaving Yun Chunqu to take a pill and meditate to heal her injuries.
That night, Elder Peng announced that the Wheel of Life and Death battle would begin at the hour of Mao (TN: 5-7 AM) the next day. The Malevolent Spirit Sect would be led by Baili Yuan, Gan Shi, and Gong Chenying. This announcement was somewhat strange to Li Yan and the other Qi Condensation disciples. Baili Yuan's selection was certainly not a problem, but Gan Shi and Gong Chenying seemed a bit weak. After all, among the Pseudo-Core Realm cultivators who still had combat power, there were still Wei Chituo and a cultivator from Never-Parting Peak named Xie Zhengting. The two of them did not look as depleted as Li Changting, Wang Tian, and the other Pseudo-Core cultivators. The chosen Gan Shi and Gong Chenying were a Perfected Foundation Establishment and a mid-stage Foundation Establishment respectively. In terms of realm, they were not the strongest among those who currently retained their combat power.
But Li Wuyi later told Li Yan privately that Baili Yuan was currently one of the strongest in terms of poison techniques, the most comprehensive in skill, and the highest in realm. There was no objection to him. Gan Shi and Gong Chenying, however, were currently the two with the highest skill in formations. This time, the Foundation Establishment cultivators were entering mainly to slow down the advance of the giant black shadow. But if they could also assist others in attacking, that would be for the best. Besides people like Baili Yuan with extremely powerful group attacks, the next best would be the formation masters of Four Symbols Peak. The original plan was to use Gan Shi and one of the Chu brothers, but the Chu brothers and Wei Feng had not yet recovered their strength. Sending them in would likely be a half-hearted effort. In the end, they considered Gan Shi and Gong Chenying, who was also quite skilled in formations.
As for why people like Li Wuyi were not chosen, it had been decided beforehand. The Wheel of Life and Death would only select from the Foundation Establishment cultivators who had participated in the harvesting. It was unknown what the other three sects were planning.
And so the matter was settled. The three team leaders, Baili Yuan, Gan Shi, and Gong Chenying, gathered again for a low-voiced discussion. Soon, they finalized their respective team members. Li Yan was, as expected, claimed by Gong Chenying. This was also Li Wuyi's intention. Although Baili Yuan and Gan Shi were of a higher realm, when it came to closeness with a disciple from one's own peak, one's own people would naturally be taken care of more. Li Yan had an indifferent attitude about it. Once inside, one's life wasn't guaranteed just by being looked after by others. But on the surface, he was respectful and couldn't disregard the good intentions of his senior brother and sister.
The night passed without a word. Early the next morning, the sects once again boarded their giant flying beasts and flying artifacts and flew towards a certain location in the Secret Realm.
The demonic beasts were even more spectacular. A single flying beast carried one or several beasts of other races, soaring into the air amidst a chorus of roars.
"Sixth, Eighth, when we get to the Wheel of Life and Death, first get a clear look at the team leaders of the other sects and the demonic beasts. We couldn't confirm during the harvesting, but we'll know in a moment. We can probe the other teams' strength again before entering," Li Wuyi said in a low voice to Gong Chenying and Li Yan on Elder Peng's giant flying beast.
Gong Chenying and Li Yan naturally had no objections. Everyone wanted to fight a battle they were confident in winning. The other three peaks also had Foundation Establishment cultivators briefing their Qi Condensation disciples on various matters.
An hour later, the vast procession flew in from the horizon. A scene of green mountains and clear waters, with turquoise waters and verdant peaks, entered the cultivators' eyes. Below them was a calm body of water. The lake was so vast that they couldn't see the other three shores.
The lake's surface was as smooth as a mirror, so clear that they could see various aquatic creatures swimming dozens of meters below. The most unique feature of this lake was that every dozen or so li, a slender mountain peak shot straight up from the bottom of the lake into the clouds. The base of the peaks exposed above the water was covered in lush green moss, as if the entire mountain was filled with moisture and vitality. From the middle of the peaks upwards, emerald cypresses and green willows thrived, with a faint mist lingering in the woods. The mountain tips peeked out from the white clouds in the sky. It was a true world of xianxia.
After the four sects of cultivators and the demonic cultivators arrived, they circled in the air before each finding a mountaintop to land on.
The mountaintop where the Malevolent Spirit Sect landed was rugged with jagged rocks of varying heights, but it was still large enough for two or three hundred people to stand scattered about. Li Yan looked at the clouds churning beneath his feet, the abyss below, and the white clouds drifting leisurely by his side, feeling as if he were standing on the highest peak. He looked around and saw that the other three sects and the demonic cultivators had also chosen mountaintops to land on. In the sky, besides the clouds and the exposed mountain peaks, the view was vast and clear.
Li Yan retracted his gaze and looked around. The peaks where the sects and demonic cultivators now stood were arranged around a circular mountain peak. This peak was very peculiar. It had no roots and was not connected to anything, floating in mid-air like a sphere. It was about a hundred zhang in size. The reason it was called a mountain peak was because the sphere was indeed made of rock and was also covered in vegetation.
Of course, Li Yan was not the only one who noticed this. Many people had already discovered the spherical mountain peak in the center of the other peaks and were pointing and whispering among themselves.
"That sphere in the middle can't be the Wheel of Life and Death, can it? It's only a hundred zhang. Wouldn't one leap take you to the end? Is it a spatial magical artifact?"
"If the Wheel of Life and Death starts here, this mountain must be a spatial artifact. In that case, the senior who built the Wheel of Life and Death must have had god-like spatial abilities. What a grand gesture! A small spatial magical artifact is priceless. To be able to refine such a huge one that can contain living creatures, it must be at least a high-grade magical artifact. To just leave it here... if this were in the outside world, it would have been taken by some great power long ago."
"It's not necessarily a spatial magical artifact. This could just be a teleportation entrance. The real opening of the Wheel of Life and Death is in another hidden place. That's possible."
"..."
Cultivators were cultivators. They had all heard descriptions of the Wheel of Life and Death before coming. Seeing this place and how the factions had surrounded a spherical mountain, they had already guessed seventy to eighty percent of the situation. There were no brainless individuals asking if the big spherical mountain was the Wheel of Life and Death. Instead, they directly identified the core issue.