Chapter 1471: The Turbulent Wind Rises (Part Two)

Soon, after observing the general situation within the sect, Li Yan returned to his residence.

Inside the cultivation chamber, Li Yan’s mind raced as he began to quickly consolidate the scenes he had just witnessed and the information he had previously obtained.

‘According to the information I’ve gathered before, there are a total of twenty-one Void Refining experts in the sect. This is the foundation accumulated by the sect. Apart from the Sect Master and the three Void Refining elders of the Aegis Guard, the rest are divided among the three halls, with each hall having five to six elders. Originally, there were more than this many Void Refining experts in the Soul Suppression Palace, but many of them have long since left to establish their own sects or families. Adding those who have passed away due to old age and various other reasons, only this many experts remain.

‘Earlier at the solitary peak, only eight Void Refining experts appeared. There were five rebels, of whom three died, leaving sixteen. But in a great battle between such experts, with three of the rebellious Void Refining experts dead, it’s impossible for the Soul Suppression Palace itself not to have suffered losses. The death of one or two Void Refining experts would be normal. The remaining Void Refining experts would include the dead, the injured, those who went out last night to deploy defenses against the encirclement, and even those who are in closed-door death seclusion and have not yet emerged.

‘By this calculation, the Soul Suppression Palace now has about twelve or thirteen Void Refining cultivators left. And those nine major forces are all top-tier forces here. Some of their sects have more than one Void Refining cultivator. Adding the two who escaped, Xiong Tianba and the other, it’s highly likely that the number of their Void Refining cultivators exceeds that of the Soul Suppression Palace…’

Li Yan quickly pondered the various pieces of information he had obtained, but soon his brow furrowed.

“…Earlier, only eight Void Refining experts appeared. What about the rest? It’s unlikely they all went out to deploy or are in closed-door death seclusion. We still have to exclude the injured who are unable to fight, and some Void Refining experts may have been imprisoned or placed under house arrest. The Soul Suppression Palace cannot completely trust all the remaining Void Refining cultivators. In this way, the top fighting power of the Soul Suppression Palace is further reduced. Thus, the situation of the Soul Suppression Palace is actually not very good…”

Li Yan calculated in his mind.

Through the soul slip Grandmaster Lan had given him, he had finally learned the reason why Xiong Tianba and the others had initiated the betrayal.

The reason was very simple: the Soul Suppression Palace had always dominated the “True Earth Domain,” occupying the only place where one could advance to the Body Integration realm. It was a very special place, and more importantly, in the currently known areas of the “True Earth Domain,” this was the only such special place. This had long caused resentment among many Void Refining cultivators here, especially those sects established by outside Soul Cultivators.

The original intention of the Soul Suppression Palace was to use their power to see if there were other ways to advance, but in generation after generation of cultivation, many Void Refining cultivators had failed to break through and could only pass away with regret. However, with the Soul Suppression Palace having Body Integration cultivators, they were powerless to resist the tyranny of the Soul Suppression Palace, but the seeds of hatred had long been sown. Thus, these forces, amidst their growing resentment, began to secretly collude and plot, and suddenly launched this rebellion.

In the end, it became the current situation. This was the general reason Grandmaster Lan had given Li Yan; she hadn’t said much else.

However, this reason made Li Yan doubtful. The Soul Suppression Palace had Body Integration realm cultivators. How could these people dare to rebel knowing they couldn’t win? Weren’t they seeking death?

‘They are taking advantage of the other party’s closed-door death seclusion to try and take down the Soul Suppression Palace in one fell swoop, or is there really something to that rumor…’

Li Yan thought of a piece of information he had heard when he was gathering news before. The two Supreme Elders had not appeared for thousands of years. Some said they might have encountered “trouble.” As for what kind of trouble, no one dared to say. For example, passing away, having problems with their cultivation, or, like the first-generation Supreme Elder, entering some perilous land and disappearing ever since. Only then would others dare to rebel.

Li Yan then thought of Xue Tieyi’s calm expression today. He looked as if he was sure of victory, as if the Supreme Elders would appear soon. Li Yan was not sure if his expression was just a pretense. Li Yan instinctively felt that the Soul Suppression Palace was now in great danger. But at least for now, the Soul Suppression Palace was the thickest thigh here. Li Yan could not make the wrong choice, otherwise all his previous efforts would be in vain, and he would be plunged into an abyss of eternal damnation.

One of the main reasons he had returned was to find Mu Guyue. Some things had to be explained to her.

In just one night, three known Void Refining experts had died. To the current Li Yan, a Void Refining cultivator was a mountain to be looked up to. After arriving in the Immortal Spirit Realm, although he had been cultivating desperately, the speed of his strength’s growth simply couldn’t keep up with the severity of the situations he encountered, and each one was more severe than the last. Thinking about the impending swarm of cultivators, Li Yan was not confident that he could completely protect his own life.

Li Yan didn’t have much time left. After briefly sorting things out, his divine sense immediately transformed into a phantom and entered the space of the spirit-storing ring where Mu Guyue was.

In the spirit-storing space, Mu Guyue was surrounded by some medicinal pills and a good number of Spirit Stones. She was in the middle of cultivating. The moment Li Yan appeared, Mu Guyue sensed him. Here, her divine sense was unobstructed, and Li Yan hadn’t deliberately hidden himself.

Mu Guyue, who was sitting cross-legged, immediately opened her beautiful eyes and saw the phantom formed by Li Yan floating in front of her. She looked at Li Yan in the air quietly, without speaking, but she had a premonition that something bad had happened. Li Yan had told her that he might only enter this place once every ten or twenty years. If she wasn’t mistaken, it had only been two or three years.

“I have come here to tell you something. You can decide for yourself. It may be dangerous for you to stay here any longer. Because some changes have occurred outside, and Void Refining cultivators have already fallen. Soon, I will be leaving the sect and may be targeted by Spirit Transformation cultivators at any time. If I were to fall, you would be helpless and fall into the hands of others. So, I suggest you leave the spirit-storing pouch.”

Li Yan’s face was calm as he looked down at Mu Guyue.

“You’re being hunted? For what reason? May I know?”

Upon hearing this, Mu Guyue’s heart skipped a beat. She subconsciously thought that perhaps the fact that she was no longer a Soul Slave had been exposed, which then implicated Li Yan. But then she thought again, that wasn’t right. How could a Void Refining cultivator have fallen? This was definitely not something Li Yan could have done.

“A rebellion has broken out here. The Soul Suppression Palace is fighting against the rebellious forces. As a disciple of the sect, I must also go to war…”

Li Yan did not hide anything and quickly gave a brief account of the changes currently taking place in the Soul Suppression Palace.

Upon hearing this, although Mu Guyue’s face remained cold, her heart relaxed. Fortunately, she had not implicated this human brat.

“After you go out, you have two paths to choose from. One, I will try my best to create an opportunity for you, and you can see if you can leave this place. But this method is very dangerous. The Soul Suppression Palace is surrounded. If you encounter a Soul Cultivator at the Spirit Transformation realm or above, your chances of survival are not high. But you can also consider whether to take this opportunity to completely escape the shackles of the Soul Suppression Palace.

“Then the second option is to stay with me for the time being after you come out, still acting as my Soul Slave. This time, we are allowed to bring Soul Slaves to battle. This way, at least you won’t be completely in a dangerous situation because of my fall. Then I will think about the next step, whether to escape from here or stay in the Soul Suppression Palace. The situation is not clear now, so we can only take it one step at a time.”

After saying this, Li Yan did not continue.

What he said was the truth. Not to mention being targeted by a Spirit Transformation cultivator, even if they were surrounded by a swarm of Golden Core Soul Cultivators, under that dense, rain-like attack, even a Spirit Transformation cultivator would probably have to avoid them. And Li Yan would not dare to easily expose his other non-Soul Cultivator methods unless it was absolutely necessary. There were too many people and prying eyes there.

Once he used methods like the “Five Elements Disarray Mantle” or the “Demon-Sealing Needle,” he might expose his secrets. At most, he could occasionally display a Body Cultivation method, which was acceptable. He now knew that among Soul Cultivators, there were also disciples who simultaneously cultivated Body Refining Arts. Under such circumstances, Li Yan’s overall strength was actually greatly reduced. He was really not sure if he would fall due to a moment of carelessness.

If Mu Guyue were to stay in the spirit-storing pouch, once he died, his belongings would definitely be looted by others. Mu Guyue had to go out so that she would not be completely helpless. Otherwise, all his hard work in saving her would have been in vain.

“Will you plant a soul seal on me?”

Mu Guyue nodded, indicating that she understood. But then she immediately asked a follow-up question. Li Yan had said he didn’t trust her.

“No need. This time, if you leave me, you will only die faster!”

Li Yan immediately gave his answer.

He had thought about this matter long ago. With so many Soul Cultivators around, unless Mu Guyue wanted to die, she would not ambush and kill him. Otherwise, without any reason to rely on, facing Soul Cultivators everywhere, death would come quickly for her. After being rescued by him, Mu Guyue had gained the ability to commit suicide, but she had not done so, which was enough to show that she herself did not want to die.

“In this situation, you all may not be able to break through the encirclement. As a Nascent Soul cultivator, and an Evil Spirit Cultivator at that, it’s even more impossible for me. Of the two paths you mentioned, there is actually only one path to take: to wait for an opportunity with you!”

As Mu Guyue spoke, she had already stood up. Two majestic peaks became even more prominent at the edge of the plain.

“How much have your injuries recovered? Tell me the truth, so I can make an accurate judgment in the upcoming battles!”

“Over seventy percent!”

Mu Guyue’s phoenix eyes narrowed. Her injuries had accumulated over the years, and she had been seriously injured again in the battle with the Storm Tiger. Fortunately, Grandmaster Lan had not wanted her to be severely injured, and the pills Li Yan had given her were good. She had recovered to over seventy percent of her strength.

…

Just a breath later, looking at Mu Guyue who had appeared in the cultivation chamber, Li Yan nodded at her and then turned to open the formation restrictions.

“Wait a moment, then we will leave!”

Then, Li Yan just said this one sentence lightly. The next moment, his figure flew out and quickly circled the entire courtyard.

Mu Guyue stood quietly on the spot, watching as Li Yan returned to her in just a moment.

“Alright, let’s go. After we get outside, try not to speak!”

Mu Guyue listened to Li Yan’s words and remained silent.

Then, the two of them left the courtyard. Mu Guyue followed behind Li Yan, and she thought of the extremely familiar movements he had just made.

‘He has collected several sets of restriction formations. It looks like he is ready to leave this place at any time. His movements are so familiar and smooth, it seems he is already very familiar with this kind of escape…’

This was the first time Mu Guyue had been so close to Li Yan in a state of full cultivation and clear mind.

Walking with Li Yan now, and not far from each other, gave Mu Guyue a very strange feeling.

This man, whom she had always wanted to find and grind his bones to dust, had appeared when she was at her weakest and most helpless.

Even now, Mu Guyue still had a sense of unreality. While she was healing in the spirit-storing space, she had always suspected Li Yan’s other motives. But this human cultivator, just as he had said, had not come to find her again, not even a single voice transmission. He had just left behind many medicinal pills and Spirit Stones as promised and then disappeared, only to suddenly appear before her today.

Mu Guyue herself could hardly describe her current mood.

As for wanting to kill him again, Mu Guyue herself had completely given up on that. The Demonic Clan was just like that, one is one, two is two.

Her initial hatred for Li Yan was the hatred between two races, the hatred of him for ruining the Demonic Clan’s plans.

The later hatred was the resentment of him for taking her, for making her no longer a virgin.

But as Mu Sha grew day by day, every time Mu Guyue thought of the incident in the underwater cave, she would have a strange idea of the karmic cycle.

If her race had not invaded the Desolate Moon Continent, then Li Yan would not have appeared to destroy the “Heaven-Shaking Thunder”; If Li Yan had not destroyed the “Heaven-Shaking Thunder,” then the Demonic Clan’s invasion of the Desolate Moon Continent might not have failed; If the invasion had not failed, she would not have been forced to flee back to the Forsaken Continent, and she would not have suffered so many accumulated injuries; If she had not had so many injuries to recover from, she would not have entered the “Demon-Swallowing Abyss”; If she had not entered the “Demon-Swallowing Abyss,” she would not have encountered that Heaven-Confounding Profound Gold Dragon; If she had not encountered that lecherous dragon, she would not have met Li Yan again; Without meeting Li Yan, she might have refined those aphrodisiac poisons and would not have lost her chastity; Without that ill-fated encounter with Li Yan, Li Yan would not have saved her…

And all of this, when she thought about it carefully, she realized it was a cycle, a cause and effect!