Chapter 1590: Strength After Entering

After Elder Fang finished speaking, the cultivators of both sects glanced at each other. Many of the Bright Flame Sect members clearly had unwillingness in their eyes.

It should be known that their overall strength could crush the Broken Army Sect. If both sides were to line up and have a hearty battle, the Bright Flame Sect felt that they could annihilate the Broken Army Sect in the shortest possible time.

But the other party was different now. Knowing that they couldn’t win, they would hide everywhere like rats.

Afterwards, the people on the Bright Flame Sect’s side would have to spend a great deal of energy just to find the enemy.

On the other hand, when the cultivators of the Broken Army Sect heard this, many of them felt a sense of secret joy.

The emergence of this situation was indeed beneficial to their side. Just as everyone was pondering this rule, a voice had already rung out.

“Senior Fang, how can we know for sure if there are still people alive on the other side? After all, this is a group battle, and there may be errors in calculating the battle losses for both our side and the other side!”

At this moment, Master Wei had already spoken up to ask. He knew that since the rules had been set, they would definitely not be changed based on his side’s wishes.

Although he could not participate in this round of the competition, he still had the qualification to ask questions for his sect.

And his question was actually what many people here had thought of in the first place.

After a group battle, especially in this kind of environment with a dense fog that affects divine sense and senses, it was really not necessarily clear whether you had truly killed the opponent.

Because they also didn’t know if this imprint incarnation, once it died, would leave a corpse lying there, or if it would completely dissipate.

After hearing this, Elder Fang nodded.

“After the imprint incarnations enter, I will send the actual number of people on both sides into a token on your waists. Green dots will represent the Bright Flame Sect, and red dots will represent the Broken Army Sect. You can take it out to check at any time. Whenever someone from either side dies, a corresponding light dot will disappear from the token.”

Elder Fang briefly explained.

But this explanation left Master Wei, Shangguan Tianque, and the other cultivators puzzled.

If that was the case, the cultivators who entered the Mountain River Diagram would be able to know the situation inside, but how would those of them on the outside know the battle losses?

Was it only Elder Fang, who controlled the Mountain River Diagram, or these few Void Refining cultivators, who had a way to know the situation inside, while the rest of them could only wait here?

However, this kind of situation did exist in many sect’s training grounds.

For example, in some sects that were good at alchemy, their sects often had places like an alchemy pagoda for the sect disciples to be assessed.

And for the disciples who entered the assessment, the evaluation for a certain pass might be to memorize how many names of herbs and trees, or to refine a certain grade of medicinal pill inside, and then they could pass that pass and enter a higher level.

Often, in order to protect the disciple’s refining methods, or pill formulas, and so on, only that disciple could enter the assessment alone.

If they failed, the alchemy pagoda would remain unresponsive. If they succeeded, the alchemy pagoda might show some kind of abnormality, or display that person’s name outside the alchemy pagoda, and so on.

But even under this situation, there would be many disciples of the sect who would just keep watch outside the alchemy pagoda. Although they couldn’t see the process inside, what they were looking forward to was a result.

So, now that the two sects’ cultivators were entering the Mountain River Diagram to pass the trial, perhaps this was the situation.

Now Elder Fang was answering rule questions, so if Master Wei and Shangguan Tianque didn’t raise this question, others wouldn’t interrupt to ask.

“Senior, after the imprint incarnation is materialized inside, will there be special restrictions on Body Cultivators, preventing them from using their abilities?”

Amidst the low voices of discussion, Li Yan also spoke up to ask.

His question was indeed within the consideration of some people. This Li Yan and that Mu Guyue were both powerful Body Cultivators.

And before, when Elder Fang introduced the imprint incarnation, she only said that it could exert seventy percent of the main body’s strength. This gave the impression that the magical power would be seventy percent of the main body’s, and the arts cast would be the same.

But the imprint incarnation was materialized, which made people unsure about the toughness of their bodies.

“The seventy percent strength includes special cultivators like Body Cultivators, and even Poison Cultivators. The imprint that entered your body relies on your main body’s activation to outline the strength of your qi and blood, divine sense, and magical power. Otherwise, the assessment wouldn’t have been chosen to be in the Mountain River Diagram. That would only allow ordinary Dharma Cultivators to enter. How could it reflect the comprehensive strength of a sect?”

Elder Fang immediately replied. In these two sects, it wasn’t just Li Yan and the other who were Body Cultivators; there were also some other Body Cultivators.

This answer also made those Body Cultivators’ hearts relax. It turned out that their combat power still existed. After hearing this, Li Yan immediately bowed to Elder Fang.

After Shangguan Tianque looked at the others and saw that they were all silent, he himself actually had no more questions.

Elder Fang had actually explained the rules of this pass very clearly. The only thing he could think of just now was the question raised by Master Wei.

As for whether he, on the outside, could know the situation inside the Mountain River Diagram, he had actually already thought of a possibility.

Master Wei and many other quick-witted people had also thought of it. Although they might not be able to see the entire process inside, they could see the changes in the main bodies of the two sects’ cultivators outside.

Elder Fang had already said that after the imprint incarnation inside died, the main body would suffer a backlash. In that case, they only needed to stare at the main bodies of the cultivators on both sides, and they would basically be able to tell.

Seeing that there were no more objections from the two sects below, Elder Fang nodded lightly.

“Since that’s the case, so be it. Now that you are seated, you can begin to communicate with the imprints in your bodies and enter the Mountain River Diagram. Until you hear the announcement to begin, you have one hour to scout out the terrain and topography inside!”

After she finished speaking, she sat down again.

Then, after exchanging a look with Chongyangzi and Elder Zhou, the three of them each sent out a wisp of their divine sense, flying directly to a certain place in the Mountain River Diagram in the sky.

There, Elder Fang would open an entrance. Although their figures would not be displayed, they would be able to overlook everything that happened inside.

And Wu Gouzi and the burly man from the Seven Tigers Alliance would also be able to, with the permission of the three, only see the images inside, but would not be able to send their divine sense in.

Following Elder Fang’s words, the cultivators of the two sects immediately flew to the two sides on the high platform.

Their main bodies, of course, did not want to be too close to these Void Refining cultivators. The pressure was too great, and it was also not very comfortable.

The people from the Broken Army Sect soon arrived at the edge of one side of the high platform. After Shangguan Tianque spoke a few words with Li Yan and the other two, he arranged for all the disciples to sit in different areas.

Li Yan sat in the front and center, with Mu Guyue and Ren Yanyu on his left and right. Behind him were the three Nascent Soul cultivators, including Yu Banjiang, and the Golden Core cultivators sat in the back.

After Li Yan and the other two exchanged a look, they immediately closed their eyes.

A wisp of Li Yan’s divine sense instantly communicated with the imprint in his body, and the gate of light he had seen before immediately appeared in the sky again.

However, the gate of light was now open. Li Yan did not see the figures of any other people nearby, nor did he see anyone entering.

He did not hesitate any longer, but sent his divine sense towards that gate of light.

The moment his divine sense entered the gate of light, he felt as if he had passed through a strange and colorful space in an instant…

Li Yan felt his vision blur, and then in front of him, a large valley filled with blooming flowers appeared.

The sun was shining brightly in the sky, and birds were flying with flapping wings, their chirping echoing throughout the valley.

The flowers in the valley also continuously emitted a faint fragrance…

Li Yan found himself standing among a large patch of flowers. The surrounding flowers surrounded his body, swaying gently in the mountain wind.

Li Yan looked down at himself and saw that his clothes were the same as in the outside world.

At the same time, figures also appeared beside him. And to his left and right, with a slight distortion of space, the figures of Mu Guyue and Ren Yanyu also appeared there.

They were also looking at themselves and their surroundings. Everything was so real. Li Yan could even feel the sunlight shining on his body, and a warmth appeared on his body.

And from the side of his hand, there was a tingling itch. It was the waist-deep flowers and grass, being blown by the valley wind, constantly brushing against the back of his hand.

And on his waist, there was a token hanging. After sending his divine sense in, he indeed saw two rows of green and red dots inside, but the red dots were much fewer.

‘This is the number of people from both sides who exist in the Mountain River Diagram!’

Li Yan thought to himself.

“Let’s go up and take a look!”

Ren Yanyu’s somewhat strange voice came. It was obvious that a very strange feeling had also appeared in her heart. Being here was like being here in her real body.

To this, Li Yan and Mu Guyue certainly had no objection. With a flicker of their figures, they flew into the sky.

And the three Nascent Soul cultivators, including Yu Banjiang, nearby, also, after exchanging a look, flew up high with some Golden Core cultivators…

The moment Li Yan took off, the magical power in his body circulated rapidly. He found that his cultivation was indeed still at the initial-stage Spirit Transformation realm.

It was just that there was no Nascent Soul in his body. As his magical power circulated, based on his own understanding, he found that his strength had indeed dropped by about thirty percent.

After flying to a height of several hundred zhang, Li Yan and the others could already see clearly that they were in a mountain hollow, surrounded by several large mountains.

And then, there was a large expanse of lush forest, and several large rivers running through the forest and between the mountain peaks…

Li Yan instantly released his divine sense, which in an instant, passed through the layers of mountains and rivers around him.

A moment later, he withdrew his divine sense. His divine sense power had also been weakened by more than thirty percent. Just as he was thinking, a voice came over.

“The sun in the sky here is not formed by the real laws of heaven and earth, but is an illusion. But those mountains and rivers, as well as the beasts and birds, are real. Our current position should be somewhere in the middle of the Mountain River Diagram. We need to figure out the terrain here as soon as possible.”

Ren Yanyu, in her flying red dress, also, after looking around, immediately spoke to the two.

“Let’s go down first. In the valley below, let everyone test the power of their arts and attacks, and then we’ll split into small teams and scout in four directions. The Golden Core realm cultivators will only scout within five thousand li. The Nascent Soul cultivators will scout ten thousand li. We will scout the entire area. Everyone is required to carve a map of their own during this process. After half an hour, we will gather here again. At that time, we will need to check everyone’s maps and then formulate a corresponding plan as soon as possible!”

Mu Guyue’s cold voice also rang out at this moment.

After Ren Yanyu and Li Yan heard this, they nodded immediately without hesitation. They each had their own plans in mind, but they were still largely similar to what Mu Guyue had said.

However, Mu Guyue’s suggestion to first figure out the effects of the arts controlled by the cultivators under them here was something the two of them had somewhat overlooked.

This was actually more important than checking the terrain. By letting everyone have a clear assessment of their own combat power, they could best arrange the follow-up plans.

Unlike Li Yan and Ren Yanyu, who actually focused more on their own combat power.

“Junior Sister Mu, you are skilled in this. You can make the arrangements here. Junior Brother Li and I will just give some suggestions.”

Ren Yanyu said with a smile on her face.

After hearing this, Mu Guyue also bowed to her. They had already divided the labor among themselves long ago.

Not long after, the entire valley was completely enveloped by an invisible restriction. Then, explosive sounds came from all over the valley.

Just a short while later, small teams of several people flew out in all directions. Li Yan and the other two also flew quickly in one direction each, while spreading out their divine sense.

All of them had tested their strength in the Mountain River Diagram, and Li Yan and the other two were no exception. Li Yan was not very clear about the strength of the other cultivators of the Broken Army Sect.

He could, however, guess Mu Guyue’s combat power based on his own situation.

And after he tested it, he himself was a bit depressed!

Here, what reduced Li Yan’s strength was not just a gap of about thirty percent, but a reduction of more than half.

Of course, this referred to Li Yan’s comprehensive strength. First of all, in the Mountain River Diagram, due to the existence of that imprint, this condensed body could indeed exert most of its physical strength.

But it was only sixty percent of Li Yan’s true physical strength. After asking Mu Guyue and Ren Yanyu, they also had this feeling.

Since that was the case, it meant that Elder Fang’s words were basically correct. The restriction on the physical body also applied to everyone.

However, here, soul cultivation methods were completely useless, because there was no soul in this body of theirs. It was only controlled by divine sense and imprints, and they could not use soul power.

This imprint body was much weaker than the clone that Li Yan could summon!

But then again, even if he could use soul arts here, it would be useless. Li Yan and Mu Guyue couldn’t possibly use soul arts to attack those so-called opponents.

After Li Yan and Mu Guyue secretly transmitted a message to each other, they both confirmed this point.

The two of them, regarding the inability to use soul arts, actually just felt in their hearts that their strength was weakened and they had lost a sense of security.

But they would not feel regretful because of this, because Li Yan had long told Mu Guyue that if they were to use soul arts, they must make sure their opponents died thoroughly and kept their mouths shut forever.

In the real Immortal Spirit Realm, no one could know that they were also Soul Cultivators. That would definitely bring about a fatal disaster.

And in the Mountain River Diagram, apart from those beasts and birds, what you killed were all illusory lives. That would only increase the risk of exposure.

In addition to this, Li Yan still lost more of his strength. That was, the Fragmented Poison Body also did not appear in this body.

So here, he could not use the Fragmented Poison.

This point made Li Yan start to feel depressed. Any cultivator, more or less, knew how to use poison.

Therefore, there was no danger of him being exposed!

If he needed to use it at a critical moment, he would of course still have to rely on it. As long as it was not too strange a poison, the other party would not suspect him.

Even the clone cultivated from “Parting the Flowers and Brushing the Willows” also disappeared here!