The cultivation method named "Tide Fall" had a very simple level division: Entry, Minor Accomplishment, and Major Accomplishment. This reminded Li Yan of the beautiful young girl's previous aura concealment technique. Although he had only glanced at the jade slip, a hint of amazement flashed in his eyes.
After cultivating this technique to the Entry stage, one could block the Divine Sense probe of someone one to two minor realms higher than oneself. The actual situation would depend on the strength of the enemy's Divine Sense. Upon reaching Minor Accomplishment, one could conceal oneself from someone three minor realms higher. And once this cultivation method reached Major Accomplishment, one could almost hide from the probe of someone a major realm higher.
This was what surprised Li Yan the most. The "True Scripture of Gui Water" he cultivated itself had the function of concealing one's realm, and it was also the strongest concealment method he had seen among cultivators. And even though his cultivation had now reached the Late-stage Golden Core, it was still very difficult to hide from someone a major realm higher.
"This technique can actually hide from someone a major realm higher at the Major Accomplishment stage. I wonder if it's true or not. If it's really possible, then killing that woman directly just now was really careless."
Li Yan had quickly seen through the beautiful young girl's true cultivation before, which was close to the peak of the Initial-stage Golden Core, so he hadn't paid her much mind, nor had he thought of performing a Soul-Search, and had subsequently killed her directly.
"Still careless. If the other party hadn't recorded this cultivation method on a jade slip, I probably would have really missed out on this good thing!" Thinking of this, Li Yan felt a little regretful, but he was not a true immortal after all, able to pinch his fingers and calculate the future. The moment the killing intent arose, he had felt that the other party was of no use, and had directly made a move.
"I can cultivate this set of cultivation methods with Senior Sister. With the enhancement of my 'True Scripture of Gui Water,' I wonder if I can achieve an unexpected level. From the beautiful young girl's previous aura concealment, she should have cultivated to the Entry stage."
As Li Yan thought in his heart, a smile had already appeared on his face. He looked up at Zhao Min.
"Senior Sister, this cultivation method is quite good!"
Three days later, under the setting sun, a massive, sky-obscuring mountain appeared at the end of the desert. The mountain was dark black and barren. A hundred zhang in front of the mountain foot facing the desert, the endless yellow sand came to an abrupt halt, clearly demarcated from the black mountain.
Li Yan and Zhao Min stood at the edge of the desert. In front of them, at the foot of the mountain, was a canyon shaped like the character "人". The light inside was even dimmer.
Along the way, they had been ambushed five more times, by both cultivators and demonic beasts. Those cultivators had all deliberately tried to kill for treasure. Li Yan, of course, had shown no mercy, killing them and searching their souls. In the end, what surprised him and Zhao Min quite a bit was that some of these cultivators who had ambushed them had actually been here for nearly a hundred years. They had basically all spent their Spirit Stones to come in and found nothing. Of course, they were unwilling to leave just like that, so they started the business of ambushing and killing other cultivators here.
There were lone wolves among them, and also small teams of several people. Some people had gained unexpected harvests in ambushing and killing other cultivators. This was many times better than them searching for treasures themselves. So, those people simply stayed and made a living from this, just like the gray-robed elder and the other two that Li Yan and his companion had first encountered.
After several battles, Li Yan and Zhao Min had killed a total of three cultivators. Most of the cultivators had chosen to flee at the first sign of trouble. The cultivators who could survive here were all cunning and slippery, each with their own set of life-saving skills. Unless they were like the gray-robed elder, who had trapped themselves in a cocoon and accidentally sealed themselves in a formation with their enemies.
Thus, Li Yan had obtained several more storage pouches from the three cultivators. It was just that the space in these few people's storage pouches was not large, and there was not much of value. Li Yan guessed that these few people had come out to rob again after their hopes of finding treasure were dashed, and their Spirit Stones and medicinal pills were also running out. But this time, their luck was not good, and they had met the two of them.
Those like the gray-robed elder who had a lot of wealth on them were only a certain number of cultivators here. Many cultivators were probably still unable to make ends meet.
As for the demonic beasts that had attacked them, the situation was just like the Crossbow Worms. It was that Li Yan and Zhao Min had passed through their territory, and it seemed like they had delivered themselves to their doorstep. The essence blood of the cultivators, or the treasures on them, were also enough to make the demonic beasts want to kill them.
With Li Yan and Zhao Min's current strength, either of them alone had a sixty to seventy percent certainty of winning against a Pseudo-Nascent Soul cultivator, let alone the two of them traveling together. Along the way, Li Yan's powerful Divine Sense had played an important role. Before the enemy discovered them, he could often accurately lock onto the other party. The journey had been thrilling but without danger.
Upon entering the canyon, a gust of cold, thin wind blew out from within. Although it was not a strong wind, the icy chill in the wind was like fine needles piercing into the bone. The thin wind carried a sharp whistling sound, making the already dim surroundings seem even more gloomy. The rocks in the canyon were rugged, like monsters lurking in the dark night.
Although the light was dim, it did not affect Li Yan and Zhao Min very much. In their eyes, the scenery here was like a night under a full moon. The two of them released their Divine Sense, and in the darkness, they bypassed one rock after another, passing through quickly. Their Divine Sense spread out. There were no other cultivators or demonic beasts in the canyon.
In just half a cup of tea's time, the scenery before the two of them suddenly changed, and it opened up. It was a vast expanse of land. The land was endless, stretching to an unknown distance in the dark night, more like a vast plain.
On the vast land, about a foot above the ground, there were clusters of thin mist. In the darkness, they were like ghosts, sometimes gathering, sometimes scattering. A relatively dense Spiritual Energy was constantly being emitted from those mists.
Li Yan stood at the mouth of the valley, took the jade slip from his forehead, and then carefully identified the direction, pointing in a certain direction.
"We'll go in that direction. The river where the 'Howling Cold Stone' once appeared is about fifty thousand li from here. The 'Hellsoul Clan' really had countless experts in the past. The size of this secret grotto alone is said to be three hundred and ten thousand li. This is no less than the territory of some first-rate sects."
Li Yan let out a sigh of admiration. This place was undoubtedly a huge underground space. Although he had encountered more than ten cultivators in the past few days, compared to the vastness of this area, it was indeed like scattered stars. It couldn't be considered too many.
"Then let's go quickly. It's already been thirty-one days since we came out!" Zhao Min said softly. Li Yan, on the other hand, chuckled.
"If we're fast here, we can get back to the Tianli Clan in about twenty days. If we're slow, it'll take about a month." Li Yan of course understood what Zhao Min meant. After getting Shuang Qingqing's promise, although she still didn't know how many years it would take to return to the Desolate Moon Continent, and might even perish in the Chaotic Flow Space, Zhao Min was already looking forward to the day of her return.
'Am I not the same?'
Li Yan sighed in his heart. He had been working hard to return before. Now that there was hope of returning, an endless sense of anxiety rose in his heart. His relatives were not like Zhao Min's family. They were all mortals. Although he had left a lot of medicinal pills for his parents and third brother back then, more than seventy years had passed since then.
'Maybe they are all still alive!' Li Yan sighed softly in his heart.
He had already thought about this matter carefully the last time he had returned to the mountain village. Immortals and mortals could not walk the same path. If he were still a mortal, he would probably have already become a pile of withered bones in the earth now, after having fulfilled his filial duties for a hundred years.
"Alright, let's go!"
Li Yan cast aside his thoughts and was the first to rush into the clusters of mist…
Several days later, in a certain part of the underground secret grotto, there was also a dark black mountain towering. In front of the mountain was also a boundless expanse of land. On the land, there were also clusters of thin mist, sometimes gathering, sometimes scattering. This scene was similar to what Li Yan had seen just after entering the canyon.
Between the vast land and the mountain, a not-so-wide river flowed quietly. The river wound around the mountain, stretching into the distance…
If a cultivator were to approach the river, they would find that the temperature by the river was so low that it was frightening. The difference between half a foot closer and half a foot further was huge, as if it were the dead of winter, but there was no sign of ice on the river surface. An ordinary mortal, even if they were three or four li away from the river, would probably be frozen to death in a dozen or so breaths.
The river surrounded the mountain, making this all-black mountain look like a ten-thousand-year-old cold stone, standing quietly in its embrace. At this time, in a certain part of the river, the river water suddenly rippled. Then a head emerged. Then, not far away, the water churned again, and another head emerged… In just a few breaths, the water had churned in five places, the ripples spreading. As soon as they showed their heads, they quickly flew out.
"We've finally set up the 'Cloud Net Formation.' Fellow Daoist An Die has made a great contribution this time! As long as the 'Black Cloud Frost-Condensing Worm' we're guessing is really in the cave below, it shouldn't be more than ten days before it needs to come out to swallow the mist on the ground to speed up the refinement of the cold qi in its body."
The one who spoke was a thin, dark, and withered old Daoist. Water vapor was constantly rising from his body. He was using his magical power to quickly expel the cold qi from his body.
The woman called An Die was a voluptuous woman with a large expanse of snow-white skin exposed. She had also just come out of the river. Many water droplets rolled down her snowy skin, making her look even more moist and beautiful. Her thin clothes, soaked with water, clung to her body, and one could even see her black underwear inside. Just one look would make one's lower abdomen burn with fire.
An Die, however, just smiled.
"I couldn't have set up this formation on my own. It's all thanks to the help of you fellow Daoists that I was able to accomplish this mission."
Although she said this, she still took the main credit for setting up the "Cloud Net Formation." She was the weakest here, but her formation cultivation was the strongest. If she wanted to get a share of the benefits, she naturally had to show her value.
"Although we were prepared, we only stayed down there for a little over a quarter of an hour, and we've already used up about forty percent of the 'Fire Sun Stones' we prepared to defend against the cold qi these years. The remaining 'Fire Sun Stones' can at most support us to go down one more time! If we can't capture the 'Black Cloud Frost-Condensing Worm' on the shore in one go, the 'Cloud Net Formation' below can probably stop it from rushing back to its nest for fifteen breaths. The 'Fire Sun Stones' are only enough for me to fight underwater one more time. Everyone should remember this."
A short man, completely shrouded in a black cloak, said.
"Fellow Daoist An Die, hurry up and use your concealment formation. We don't know when that 'Black Cloud Frost-Condensing Worm' will appear. It's better for us to hide earlier. We can take the opportunity to meditate and recover."
A scholar-like man with feminine features withdrew his Divine Sense and looked at the snow-white and beautiful woman. A thick look of lust flashed in the depths of his eyes, but it was well concealed by him.
An Die was tying up her dark hair again. As her arms were raised, her peaks and hips formed a tantalizing curve. Her eyes flickered a few times.
"Of course, that's no problem!"
If Li Yan and Zhao Min had seen these five people, they would have recognized at a glance that the scholar-like man with feminine features was Wusitu, and the other four were the people who had been traveling with him. These five people had entered the underground secret grotto a little later than Li Yan and his companion, but only by half a cup of tea's time!