As part of Li Ye's consciousness guided his lifebound puppet to meld into the lake and drift away, he sensed the gradual activation of the traps he had laid along the way. With a thought, he opened his status panel.
[Name: Li Ye]
[Spiritual Root: High-Grade Earth-Wood Spiritual Root]
[Age: 63]
[Lifespan: 218 years]
[Skills:]
Planting: Tier 3 - Lower (122k/150k)
Alchemy: Tier 3 - Lower (105k/250k)
Artifact Crafting: Tier 3 - Lower (72k/250k)
Talismans: Tier 3 - Mid (16k/200k)
Gu Techniques: Tier 3 - Lower (81k/220k)
Formations: Tier 3 - Mid (47k/600k)
Puppetry: Tier 3 - Mid (59k/500k)
[Herbal Spirit Essences:]
Qingxuan Essence (Tier 3) x120
Jade Cluster Essence x242
Blood Amber Essence x200
Blood-Melting Essence x200
Withered Bone Essence x200
Qingluo Grass Essence x132
[Essence Traits:]
Vitality (Lv.3)
Absorption (Lv.2)
Wood Spirit (Lv.2)
Tongtian (Lv.2)
Toxicity (Lv.2)
Adaptability (Lv.3)
Tenacity (Lv.2)
[EXP: 0]
After all his skills reached Tier 3, the EXP requirements for further progression skyrocketed. Li Ye had also removed Qingxuan Rice from his spirit fields, replacing it with Qingluo Grass, which could be used to craft higher-grade talisman paper.
Now, he mainly relied on the Qingluo Grass spread across Pingyang Mountain as a major source of EXP.
As a result, the only skills he had genuinely advanced were Talismans, Formations, and Puppetry.
His other skills were limited either by a lack of materials or by his current cultivation level. Even if his theoretical knowledge was solid, he couldn't produce meaningful results without risking a backlash or even serious injury if something went wrong.
These skills had been advanced mostly to support his lifebound puppet and to prepare for forming his Golden Core.
Originally, Li Ye had intended to prioritize Planting, since once its traits reached level 3, it would grant buffs to his physical body, potentially helping him during Golden Core.
But collecting Tier 3 spirit plants turned out to be far more difficult than he had expected.
Aside from the Qingxuan Rice and Qingluo Silver Grass, he cultivated himself, not a single one had been obtained after years of searching!
Even considering the resource restrictions imposed by Golden Core sects, this scarcity was simply outrageous.
Only then did Li Ye truly understand why Bihu Sanren, in his notebook, had described the four nations as spiritually barren and resource-starved.
There had been some promising leads within the Jing Kingdom, but once the Wu Kingdom invaded and war broke out, everything was put on hold again.
Without even Tier 3 plants to grow, what was the point of improving Planting any further?
But Talismans, Formations, and Puppetry were a different story.
Formations harness the power of heaven and earth. Even without the best materials, there were ways to adapt and make do.
Puppetry benefitted from Li Ye's long-time habit of "scavenging" in the lava palace he had collected enough usable junk to create and improve upon, without having to rely on complicated refinement techniques. This gave his lifebound puppet room for growth.
As for the Qingluo Grass, although only a Tier 2 spirit herb, Li Ye used his combined knowledge of Alchemy and Talisman crafting, along with Essence infusions, to refine it into a talisman paper capable of carrying some Tier 3-level power.
Though it required precision and care during crafting, the process yielded a small but growing collection of Tier 3 talismans.
With Talismans, Formations, and Puppetry all reaching Tier 3 combat effectiveness, the synergy between them produced a formidable force.
It was this accumulation of strength that gave Li Ye the confidence to involve himself in the coming battle.
Meanwhile, his lifebound puppet, using the power of the Blackwater Pearl embedded within it, had completely melded into the lakewater, leaving no trace behind.
It moved swiftly like a stream, checking each of the formations and traps Li Ye had set in advance.
Along the way, he saw that Thousand Island Water City had already sealed itself completely with its grand defensive array.
A watery curtain surrounded the city, within which serpentine water dragons coiled and roamed, separating inside from outside and exuding tremendous power.
The vast area surrounding the city was utterly lifeless not a bird, beast, insect, or fish in sight. The air was thick with a sense of foreboding and deathly silence.
Yet a keen observer would notice that while the immediate vicinity of the city was devoid of traps or spiritual beasts, a bit farther out, formations, spirit beasts, and various concealed measures began to appear.
Compared with the clues Li Ye had discovered during his earlier scouting, everything now became crystal clear.
Once the checks were complete, the puppet hid in an inconspicuous location, fully suppressing its spiritual energy and concealing its divine sense, appearing no different from a lifeless object.
Now, it would simply wait for the forces of Jiuding Valley to march upon the city, and for Li Ye to observe how Thousand Island Water City responded before making his next move.
.......
The army of Jiuding Valley advanced at an astonishing speed.
Massive flying ships and towers filled the skies, gliding across the surface of the lake in tight formation.
Trailing behind this main force were numerous smaller flying vessels from various sects and factions, densely packed and following closely like a dark tide.
The shadows cast by the assembled fleet blanketed everything below, plunging the entire Thousand Island Lake into a dim, ominous gloom.
And yet, this was merely a portion of the combined forces of Jiuding Valley and the Wu Kingdom cultivator coalition.
A significant part of their troops had been stationed around the lake's perimeter, maintaining the encirclement to prevent the core members of Thousand Island Water City from breaking out and fleeing.
As the army neared the city's territory, the once-calm surface of the lake suddenly rippled, and from what appeared to be empty islands, formation barriers abruptly emerged. Beams of multicolored light shot skyward from all directions.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The army had advanced so deep without encountering resistance, that this sudden ambush though not instantaneous came close enough to catch many off guard, especially those who had grown complacent and underestimated the enemy.
Several flying vessels were struck immediately, triggering explosions. The air was filled with screams and roars of anger as entire groups of cultivators were torn apart.
The carefully arranged formation of the advancing army was thrown into disarray.
The ones who suffered the most damage were the sect and clan reinforcements following behind.
Though Jiuding Valley's ships also took heavy hits, their vessels were far sturdier, and a single beam of light wasn't enough to bring them down instantly giving them crucial moments to react.
From the most majestic flying tower ship, a cold snort rang out, followed by a wave of spiritual light that marked the array of nodes scattered below.
Jiuding Valley disciples leaped into action immediately. Formations on their vessels activated, transforming into cauldron-like shapes, and arcane symbols shifted and surged.
Giant cauldrons materialized one after another, crashing down upon the light beams with overwhelming force and suppressive might.
As they landed, they smashed the formation nodes scattered across the islands. Entire landmasses quaked and split apart, and the beams of light dissipated instantly.
"Is this the best they can do? What a disgrace…"
"Without that old ghost from Bihu around, Thousand Island Water City has gone downhill!"
Jiudingzi shook his head in contempt, his wide sleeves fluttering as he gave the order,
"Advance!"
The army's momentum was unstoppable.
Even though Thousand Island Water City had used the terrain to set clever traps and ambushes, killing a fair number of cultivators
To the well-prepared Jiuding Valley, the losses, while notable, remained within acceptable limits.
The true heavy casualties had fallen on the sects and clans who came along, not the main forces.
Jiuding Valley's core troops still retained the bulk of their strength.
And so, with great momentum and unshakable formation, the army pressed forward, drawing ever closer to the gates of Thousand Island Water City.
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