"Reporting to the Mountain Lord although that unfamiliar Golden Core cultivator did travel across the Four Nations, it seems he had no interest in our Chidi Mountains. We never saw him come to Pingyang Mountain to seek us out for the command token to open the passageway..."
"The sealing formations distributed across the region also remained untouched. It appears no one attempted to infiltrate them."
Luo Feibai gave a detailed report on the recent developments in the Four Nations and the Chidi Mountains.
Before Li Ye could even ask, he proactively brought up the matter of the unfamiliar Golden Core cultivator, showing a clear understanding of what concerned his lord.
Li Ye nodded in satisfaction as he listened.
"Mm... it's for the best that the Golden Core cultivator didn't come. The lower-ranked fire beasts underground are one thing but if a Golden Core-ranked fire beast were to be stirred up again, it would pose a great threat to all of us…"
"You're right, Mountain Lord!"
The four people below all agreed, with visible relief on their faces.
When word of that unfamiliar Golden Core cultivator first broke out, they had spent quite a while on edge.
Without Li Ye, even though the grand formation had the power of a quasi–third-rank array, without a formation master to personally oversee it, it would hardly be enough to stop someone of Golden Core strength.
Whether it was that Golden Core cultivator coming to their doorstep or accidentally provoking a Golden Core fire beast from underground, either situation could very well have spelled doom for them all.
Only now that Li Ye had returned did they finally feel at ease.
With him here, even if they did face a Golden Core cultivator attacking the mountain, they would still have a shred of confidence amid their fear.
That sense of security was something completely absent when Li Ye had been away!
"Now that I've returned, I likely won't be leaving again anytime soon..."
Seeing the expressions on their faces, Li Ye's gaze softened, and a small smile appeared.
"Though this trip was short, the gains were substantial. I can faintly sense my bottleneck loosening. Perhaps I can make another breakthrough. In a few days, I'll be entering closed-door cultivation…"
"You all must remain vigilant. Even if a Golden Core comes knocking, the grand formation should be enough to hold them back. Unless I come out on my own, under no circumstances are you to disturb me!"
Though his tone wasn't harsh, those who knew Li Ye's temperament well like Luo Feibai and the others felt a chill of seriousness and immediately straightened up, responding solemnly,
"We will be extremely cautious and absolutely will not disturb your cultivation. We wish the Mountain Lord great success and rapid advancement in your closed-door training!"
As they spoke, their voices held a genuine note of joy.
They were all Foundation Establishment cultivators who had only reached their positions thanks to Li Ye's support. The Chidi Mountains had risen to such prominence entirely because of his presence.
The higher Li Ye's cultivation, the more benefits would come to those under his banner naturally, they sincerely hoped for his continued success.
Now, Li Ye had already revealed cultivation at the late Foundation Establishment stage, and at just over seventy years of age, he was still remarkably young. For him to be making further progress so soon...
With such talent in cultivation, he just might achieve the path to the Golden Core!
And when that day came, as the ones who followed him from the start, they too would surely rise with him, basking in the glory of his ascent!
As the thought crossed their minds, the gazes of the four Foundation Establishment cultivators began to burn with fervor.
.......
Pop -pop -pop
Molten lava surged and churned, bursting forth with bubbles every so often. Amidst the chaotic maze of restriction formations, fire beasts moved through the flames with noisy clamor.
Meanwhile, the many ruined structures forming small islands in the lava, along with the vast, majestic subterranean lava palace, remained still and cold, eternally unchanged.
The ancient aura of the place was only accentuated by the beasts' noisy rampage.
Suddenly, sounds echoed from a cave entrance.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
One after another, fire beasts were sliced into pieces by crystalline water threads, so fine they looked like spun silk. In mere moments, they were severed and dissolved amid the clash of fire and water.
As the ashes scattered, Li Ye's life-bound puppet, surrounded by various puppets with unique functions, formed a battle formation and descended into the depths.
Li Ye's consciousness was linked to them as he gazed distantly at the lava palace, a trace of emotion rising in his heart.
"I'm finally… back again!"
Though this place was extremely dangerous, to him, it was a land of fortune and opportunity.
When he first stepped into the Foundation Establishment, he lacked cultivation techniques, tools, and even basic spiritual materials.
It was thanks to years of scavenging here that he gradually built up his wealth, obtained powerful inheritances, and acquired the spells and spiritual strength he now possessed.
Without the Wood God Art, even with something as rare as the Void Realm Tree a heaven-and-earth spiritual root he would've been limited to merely extending his lifespan.
He could never have reached a point where his secret arts were approaching Core Formation in power, or where his spiritual power had been refined to the point of 50% solidification!
"But while this place holds many opportunities… the biggest treasure is also the biggest pitfall."
After his brief reflection, Li Ye's eyes turned clear and sharp.
"Today, I'll only retrieve that ruined structure suspected to be the Secret Pavilion. As for the main body of the palace, unless I have Nascent Soul–level strength, I'd better stay away… or I'll end up just like Senior Bihu!"
With a single thought, he sent the life-bound puppet to the rear while the rest formed a battle formation at the front and advanced toward the target.
Over the years, the activity of fire beasts has changed the restriction formations, making them entirely different from when Li Ye first explored them.
But he, too, was no longer the same his capabilities had transformed significantly.
The complex formations that once required him to tread carefully were now easily manipulated, allowing him to move effortlessly from one floating island to the next until he reached the location of the ruined Secret Pavilion.
The restriction formations here were infused with fourth-rank elements, especially strong in spatial force, making them far more stable than others.
Despite all the turmoil outside, the formations here had remained nearly unchanged from when Li Ye had first recorded them.
"So all that time spent studying them during my spare hours wasn't wasted after all..."
Li Ye directed the many puppets forward while keeping his life-bound puppet cautiously behind, alert to the palace's main structure looming just ahead.
Although the restriction here included fourth-rank elements, they weren't fully integrated with the third-rank formations. Instead, they existed somewhat independently, as if each had a mind of its own.
Over the years, Li Ye had long considered a strategy.
The key was to avoid areas covered by the fourth-rank powers as much as possible only disturbing the third-rank segments to carve out a path.
After a careful round of observation and deduction, Li Ye finally confirmed his plan for breaking through.
Without hesitation, the life-bound puppet unleashed several streams of black water in a precise sequence, triggering a reaction from the restriction.
Then, as the formation activated, it launched a follow-up attack on a few crucial nodes causing a slight disruption in the formation's flow. Even the sealed spatial energy started to waver.
Crucially, the fourth-rank formation remained dormant!
Li Ye immediately released two restriction-breaking talismans. With a flash of red and silver spiritual light, they landed directly on the unstable area.
Swish
The already weakened formation faltered further. The gap widened, space itself rippled, showing signs of tearing.
As surrounding formations began to move in to compensate, Li Ye remained calm and composed, casting two more talismans.
Once again, the formation's flow was suppressed. Finally, the breach burst open, revealing a rift and through it, a glimpse of what lay beyond.
Li Ye's life-bound puppet gathered the other puppets, transformed into a flowing stream of light, and darted through the opening.
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