"How dare he be so arrogant?!"
As soon as Li Ye's voice fell, one of the cultivators from Pingyang Mountain couldn't help but shout in anger.
But yelling was one thing none of them dared to take a single step closer to the mountain.
A second-tier formation was no joke!
Even Foundation Establishment cultivators might not escape unscathed if caught in it. As for them, mere Qi Refining cultivators, they were nothing more than ants to be crushed by its power!
"We only took our eyes off Li Ye for a little while, and he's already grown this formidable…"
Xie Yushu's expression darkened, his mind racing with thoughts.
Over a year ago, Li Ye already could easily break a near-second-tier formation in Tengyun Market. He may have already upgraded his formation to a true second-tier level back then…
In hindsight, the best chance to capture him was right after he submitted the diagram showing the formation's weaknesses.
Unfortunately, Xu Pingyang believed Li Ye still had value and dismissed his suggestion to act then.
Now that opportunity was gone. Without a Foundation Establishment cultivator making a move, Li Ye, hidden away on Changcui Mountain, was practically untouchable!
"What's your advice now?"
Xie Yushu turned to the ugly array master at his side.
Tu Zhiyong looked troubled, his face conflicted. "This formation… I can't break it."
Useless!
Xie Yushu was about to snap when Tu Zhiyong quickly added, "But this land only has a first-tier spiritual vein! Even though he's shrunk the formation's coverage and added a Spirit-Gathering Array to support it... such a method can't last!"
"Once time passes and the spiritual energy starts to deplete, the power of the formation will naturally weaken. If the Alliance Leader is willing to take action then, we might be able to exploit a weakness and break in!"
Xie Yushu's expression eased slightly.
"So you're saying this is just a temporary display of strength?"
"That... should be the case," Tu Zhiyong replied, not entirely confident.
"In that case…"
Xie Yushu's eyes flickered. "Gather forces from nearby peaks and surround the mountain. Leave no path for escape. I'll return to report to the Alliance Leader. The rest will be his decision!"
Orders were passed down.
The surrounding cultivators immediately began to act, calling for reinforcements and constructing a siege around the mountain.
Meanwhile, Xie Yushu flew closer to the mountain peak on his spirit crane and, amplifying his voice with spiritual power, called out loudly:
"Li Ye, I see you are talented, and I don't wish to kill you here today. Instead of fighting like a trapped beast, why not come out willingly? Hand over the mountain you've occupied and return it to the Lan family, kneel before the Alliance Leader and admit your fault. I will guarantee your life will be spared!"
"Even if your formation has reached the second tier, the spiritual vein here is only the first tier. How long can your formation hold out?"
"If you continue to be stubborn, once your formation weakens, don't blame us for storming the mountain and taking your head as an example to the cultivators of the surrounding mountains!"
His voice echoed across Changcui Mountain.
But after that, silence.
Xie Yushu waited for a while, yet received no response from Li Ye.
He frowned deeply, growing increasingly unsure of what trick Li Ye might be playing.
He didn't linger. Without another word, he turned and descended the mountain.
The Lan family members were left standing there in confusion.
They had thought that with Xie Yushu and Tu Zhiyong personally intervening, breaking through the formation and taking down Li Ye would be a simple task.
How did it end with them returning empty-handed, unable to even make a move?
Nervous and uncertain, they cautiously approached.
"Vice Alliance Leader… what should we do now?"
The Lan family's second great-uncle who had once tried to curry favor with the Luo family but was harshly scolded by Li Ye asked quickly.
Xie Yushu glanced at them, barely hiding his disgust.
If not for needing their name as a banner of "righteousness," he wouldn't have bothered with these useless relics.
"Li Ye's formation is strong, but it won't last. In time, it will weaken and can be broken. I need to report this to the Alliance Leader. You just stay here and keep watch!"
He spoke indifferently, then leaped onto his spirit crane and soared into the sky.
"Master…" Lan Ming tried to speak up.
But Tu Zhiyong didn't even spare him a glance. With a gloomy face, he boarded his spirit boat and followed after Xie Yushu.
Leaving behind the Lan family's old and young, staring at each other in panic and confusion.
Lan Xinyi quietly sighed as she watched this unfold. She gave one last glance to the densely wooded peak of the mountain and walked away alone.
As for Fang Ze...
No one even spared him a look.
By now, he lay sprawled on the ground, his chest soaked in blood completely lifeless.
......
"So they chose to surround the mountain…"
Sitting cross-legged beneath the Voidrealm Tree, Li Ye observed the movements outside through the formation and chuckled softly.
In different circumstances, their choice might have been harder to predict.
But with Tu Zhiyong, that formation master, present to offer counsel, once the formation's weaknesses were discovered, their response became all but inevitable.
"Although Xu Pingyang might still shamelessly choose to launch a direct assault, this formation though only second-tier has certain spatial attributes. It can last far longer than normal, and even without someone actively controlling it, it's not something he can easily break through…"
"Perhaps I'll have already broken through before the formation falls."
With everything in place, Li Ye no longer paid attention to the outside world. He raised his hand and activated a second-tier Earth Escape Talisman.
A dull yellow spiritual light enveloped him, and his body sank downward, bypassing the Voidrealm Tree's roots and descending deep into the mountain, eventually entering a hidden cave chamber untouched by the mountain's internal heat.
He had created this cave using the very same Earth Escape Talisman after his talisman crafting reached mid-second tier specifically as a safe place to undergo his Foundation Establishment breakthrough.
Even if the outer formation were breached, this deep within the mountain, unless a Foundation Establishment cultivator focused their divine sense carefully, it would be nearly impossible to detect him. It might just buy him the time he needed.
Everything was ready.
But Li Ye didn't rush to take the pill. Instead, he sat quietly, entering meditation to gradually adjust his internal state.
The experiences since his transmigration began to replay in his mind.
There was joy when the system panel appeared the moment he planted his first rice seed.
The calm with which he ignored the many doubts and voices from the outside world.
The happiness on Hu Zhiquan's face as he spoke of the birth of his son and later, the shock and resolve when he learned of the man's sudden death.
The sudden outbreak of the demon tide; his desperate journey across the Chidi Mountains in search of Foundation Establishment; and finally, the hope that bloomed as he found a spiritual land and planted the Voidrealm Tree, watching it grow tall and strong.
So many memories surged up from deep within him, only to gradually settle.
And in the end… they all crystallized into an unshakable resolve to pursue the Dao!
A day later, Li Ye's aura was fully harmonized, and his mental state had reached a peak of clarity and calm.
Without further hesitation, he took out the Single-Grain Foundation Establishment Pill, gave it one last look, and then swallowed it.
As the medicinal power surged through his body, Li Ye remained composed and began his assault on the Foundation Establishment.
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