Wei Zhongran naturally knew that the Qiongqi Purgatory Art was said to have a body-repairing effect only upon reaching the final layer. However, not even the great elder of the Tianli Clan had been able to cultivate to the last two layers, let alone the final one. Therefore, Li Yan's claim of having consumed a sliver of "Undead Nether Phoenix" essence blood was quite believable.
Yet, Wei Zhongran was not entirely convinced. He always felt that his examination of Li Yan's injuries at the time had not been mistaken. Cultivators were always confident, especially high-level ones, who firmly believed in their own judgment.
The Cave Residence fell silent once more. After a while, Wei Zhongran let out a long breath. As he exhaled, Li Yan's heart tightened unconsciously, but then he heard Wei Zhongran say, "You must never mention this matter to anyone else in the future, or it may bring you a fatal disaster. It was just that your body collapsing and then healing on its own was too incredible, which is why I asked. Otherwise, you have your own Immortal Fortune, and I would not interfere."
He ultimately chose to believe Li Yan's words and decided not to pursue the matter further.
Li Yan had been quietly observing Wei Zhongran. Although, based on Wei Zhongran's character, he felt that he would never covet "this sliver of Undead Nether Phoenix essence blood," Li Yan still remained secretly on guard. Even though he felt it was useless, it was an instinctual vigilance. After hearing the Little Purple Divine Dragon-Elephant's description of how Wei Zhongran had decisively defeated that demonic cultivator, Li Yan didn't think he could make any waves in front of him.
Li Yan himself didn't know what his psychological motivation was. He would rather expose the Undead Nether Phoenix essence blood than admit to cultivating the Qiongqi Purgatory Art. Was it fear of bringing unnecessary trouble to Gong Chenying, or fear that his master would find out he was two-timing?
Li Yan was bad at handling relationships. The first one he liked from his heart was, of course, Zhao Min. But after the unexpected incident with Gong Chenying, it was impossible for him to give up Zhao Min. The years of placid friendship with Zhao Min had allowed the white-robed young woman to be the first to enter the heart of the ignorant youth. This kind of innocent affection was something that could never be erased in a lifetime, nor could it be replaced.
Li Yan also knew that this matter couldn't be hidden for long, but he still chose to conceal it from Wei Zhongran, at least until he formed his Golden Core.
Although Wei Zhongran was extremely intelligent, he never would have guessed that this disciple of his was even more cunning. Besides, he himself feared matters of the heart the most. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so utterly defeated between his own wife and Li Yuyin, dodging when he could, hiding when he could.
Seeing Wei Zhongran admonish him so, Li Yan showed a sincere expression. "Thank you for your teachings, Master. I naturally know what's important."
But he remained guarded in his heart, feeling a sense of worry that Wei Zhongran might suddenly attack. Fortunately, Wei Zhongran did not violently seize him.
"Alright, it's good that you've recovered. I've summoned you today because the battle situation here is extremely urgent. Over the past month, we have fought dozens of battles, large and small, with the demonic cultivators. There have even been instances of more than ten Nascent Soul cultivators from both sides engaging in battle. The casualties on both sides have been immense."
"Even Nascent Soul seniors have appeared, and so many of them?" Li Yan was truly shocked by Wei Zhongran's words.
Nascent Soul cultivators, under normal circumstances in the cultivation world, were beings that most cultivators might not see even once in their lifetime. They were elusive and mysterious, already at the apex of this world. Although they couldn't wield the absolute power of Spirit Transformation cultivators, they were still high-level cultivators.
For so many Nascent Souls to appear at once, Li Yan had expected the battle to be intense, but he hadn't imagined it would be this severe.
"Yes. Although no Nascent Soul cultivators on either side have died, there have been serious injuries. On our side, the ancestor of the 'Crimson Saber Sect' is in a coma from heavy injuries, and the ancestor of the 'Bright Night Den' had his physical body destroyed, with only his Nascent Soul escaping."
"On the enemy's side, one Demonic General was also severely injured and his Demonic Infant escaped, while another had an arm severed."
"As for Golden Core cultivators, a large number have already fallen. On our side, not counting the wounded and disabled Golden Cores, sixteen have died in the past month alone. On their side, eight foreign Golden Core cultivators and Demon Lords have fallen."
As Wei Zhongran spoke, a chilling killing intent appeared in his eyes.
Li Yan was dumbfounded, processing the information he had just heard. After a long while, he finally said, "Master, I didn't expect our casualties to be so heavy."
"Sigh, of course. The demonic cultivators and foreign cultivators are physically powerful and possess devastatingly strong immortal arts. In a one-on-one situation, our side is weaker. Fortunately, we have reinforcements, while they lose one person for every one that dies."
Wei Zhongran sighed, then looked at Li Yan and continued, "Actually, the greatest casualties are among the Foundation Establishment cultivators. After the demonic cultivators used their restriction arts, many South Sea cultivators lost their minds and became puppets who only know how to kill. And the most troublesome thing is, they frequently make the South Sea cultivators self-destruct, completely disregarding the lives of these human cultivators, thereby causing massive casualties to our disciples."
"The enemy probably thinks the teleportation formation to the Devil's Cliff Crevice is at Windy Cool Mountain, so they've attacked the other two defensive points, Demon-Swallowing Ridge and Sword-Subduing Abyss, with less force. That's why we have the most reinforcements here. Every day, cultivators are transferred over and then continuously sent to the front lines."
"A while ago, I guessed you would need at least ten days to recover, but I also wanted to give you more time to consolidate, so I didn't call you out."
Wei Zhongran smiled at Li Yan. Looking at the blood-stained Wei Zhongran, Li Yan now understood that his portly master must have just returned from the battlefield. If even Wei Zhongran was in such a state, one could imagine the intensity of the current battle.
"But now is a time when we need every person. This is not a place for cultivation. Although my Little Bamboo Peak has few disciples, we cannot be cowards who cling to life. That is why I interrupted your cultivation," Wei Zhongran said faintly.
Li Yan immediately bowed respectfully. "At this critical time of war with the Demon Clan, this disciple will naturally do my utmost."
Li Yan knew Wei Zhongran's feelings for the Malevolent Spirit Sect. He would absolutely not let the Demon Clan occupy the Desolate Moon Continent, so of course, he could not show his true feelings.
"Mm. Wuyi and the others are currently fighting the demonic cultivators flying out from the Devil's Cliff Crevice. Their situation is no better than ours. You are the only disciple of Little Bamboo Peak here. Don't tarnish the name of Little Bamboo Peak."
"At the same time, there's no need to hide your true cultivation level anymore. The upcoming battles will not be about scouts venturing out to probe the enemy's situation, but direct confrontations between both sides. The moment you make a move, the fluctuations of your Spirit Power will be hard to hide. Under the watch of so many pairs of eyes, it would be counterproductive and only draw more attention to you."
"As for your cultivation level, I will have my own explanation. You don't need to worry about that."
Wei Zhongran knew that Li Yan's injuries were, in the eyes of outsiders, very severe. If he said it would take a year or two to recover, others would believe it. After all, holding off a Golden Core demonic cultivator for over ten breaths with a Foundation Establishment cultivation base, others could guess how grave the injuries were. But the current situation was that he was unwilling to let his disciple hide behind others.
Although Wei Zhongran was always protective of his own, he hoped even more that his disciple could become a true cultivation expert, not a mediocre and timid person. Therefore, he needed to know Li Yan's exact cultivation realm to prepare a good excuse for him. In front of hundreds or thousands of cultivators, once Li Yan made a move, how could he possibly continue to hide? It would make him seem as if he was deliberately "harboring malicious intent," which would attract even more unwanted attention. It would be better to blend in with the crowd.
Li Yan's expression was calm, but his heart was joyful. "Please give your instructions, Master!"
Li Yan also knew the value of his own life, but he had no choice, nor the ability to lead his parents and sister away from the Desolate Moon Continent. All he could do was ride the general trend and use all his strength to stop the demonic invasion, even if his power was insignificant in this war.
Most importantly, Wei Zhongran's words just now implied that he would explain the reason for Li Yan's sudden surge in cultivation over the past two years. Wei Zhongran would probably spread a rumor, perhaps using some excuse to cover for Li Yan. This would eliminate the worry Li Yan had been painstakingly trying to hide from others about his rapid cultivation progress.
However, Li Yan thought that in the future, if he were to venture out alone, he would still suppress his cultivation to a certain level. Ambushing opponents unexpectedly was what he preferred to do. Fighting to the death was always too tiring.
"That was my intention when I asked you about your actual cultivation realm. Right now, all the disciples of the Malevolent Spirit Sect have been scattered into various military battalions to hold important positions."
"Bai Rou, Du Sanjiang, and the others are no exception. Later, you will go to the Sixteenth Squad of the Green Bat Battalion. With your cultivation, you are more than qualified to be the captain of that squad."
"The previous captain of that squad was a disciple from Four Symbols Peak. He died in battle yesterday."
Wei Zhongran thought for a moment and then spoke. After understanding Li Yan's true cultivation level, he immediately confirmed Li Yan's position.
"Disciple obeys!" Li Yan responded with a bow.
...
A thousand li south of Windy Cool Mountain, atop a mountain peak, stood six demonic cultivators. Each of them was tall and imposing, of varying ages, both male and female. All of them exuded a terrifying aura that spread out in all directions.
Every single one of them was a Demonic General. Demonic cultivators were fierce and straightforward. Although some among them preferred to conceal their auras, most were more willing to let their presence flow freely, disdaining any form of concealment.
"We have been attacking Windy Cool Mountain for thirty-two days, but we still can't advance an inch. The resistance from the Desolate Moon Continent cultivators is extremely fierce, preventing us from advancing as planned."
The speaker was the silver-haired Demonic General Tie Dong, his purple cloak whipping in the wind.
"That's just what some people who think the Desolate Moon Continent cultivators are pushovers believe. If it were truly that easy, we would have taken this continent the first time we opened the two-realm passage. Why would we have let them seal the Devil's Cliff Crevice again, with the rest of us beaten into hiding, unable to fight back?"
A pleasant voice came from the side. The speaker had a truly devilish figure, her undulating curves sparking infinite imagination. Her features were exquisite, with a high-bridged nose. A sleeveless armor made from the hide of some unknown demonic beast clung tightly to her body, revealing her slender limbs.
In each of her long, slender hands, she held a crescent moon handguard saber. Unlike other demonic cultivators, her exposed skin was free of tattoos. Though it was dark, it had a faint luster and looked astonishingly supple.
As she spoke, her phoenix-like eyes swept over several of the others, a hint of dissatisfaction in them. Between her full peaks, a deep chasm rose and fell, as if it could bury thousands of soldiers and horses.
As soon as she finished speaking, Tie Dong frowned. But before he could speak, an elderly demonic cultivator next to him had already snorted heavily, his face filled with indignation.