With subordinates now under his command, Li Ye found that having an established force at his disposal was far more efficient than doing everything himself.
Although second-tier spiritual rice was considered rare, it didn't require his involvement various factions under Pingyang Mountain, and even others within the alliance hoping to curry favor, had taken the initiative to help him search.
It hadn't been long since he took control of this region and sent out people to scout, and already someone had found the second-tier spiritual rice he needed Qingxuan Rice at Fengyang Market in the Wu Kingdom.
Luo Feibai had left this letter to inform him, and had already gone in person to purchase the rice, just around the same time Li Ye had returned from the lava palace and begun his closed-door alchemy retreat a perfect timing.
Once Luo Feibai returned with the goods, even if Li Ye didn't yet have the necessary pill recipes for advancing in the Foundation Establishment, he could begin planting and accumulating experience points.
With this, his progress in puppetry and formations would once again accelerate greatly aiding in further exploration of the lava palace.
Beyond spiritual rice, there were also whispers of cultivation techniques and inheritance clues starting to surface.
These still needed to be confirmed, but if they proved real, Li Ye might have to make a personal trip to secure them.
Just then, Li Ye's expression shifted slightly. He pulled out a formation flag and gave it a wave. A sound transmission talisman flew up from the foot of the mountain.
With a touch of spiritual power, a voice emerged.
"Reporting to the Alliance Master, we discovered two suspicious individuals lurking near the mountain gate. They've been captured... but they claim to be from the Ma Clan of Jing Kingdom. We dared not act rashly and await your judgment."
The Ma Clan!
Li Ye's eyes sharpened instantly, though a smile crept across his face.
He had previously sent people to investigate, but concrete leads had been slow to appear mainly because among the four nations, there were multiple Foundation Establishment clans with the surname Ma!
They had to cross-reference with the name "Ma Ying" to narrow it down. It wasn't until after his return from the lava palace that his men had locked onto the correct target and delivered the relevant intel.
He had just completed an intelligence sweep on the Ma Clan and now, not long after, they had shown up themselves...
There had been three Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Ma Clan, which explained why his subordinates didn't dare act on their own.
Wait no. After Ma Ying was slain by Li Ye, the Ma Clan had only two Foundation Establishment cultivators left.
Still, the fact that they had come to the Chidi Mountain Range so secretly and that they'd been keeping such a low profile for over a year, showed they had poured nearly all their efforts into clearing a path into the lava palace.
The few people in the Chidi Mountains who even knew Ma Ying's name had mostly died recently at Changcui Mountain sacrificed to feed the Void Realm Tree.
Which meant, most likely, no one outside the Ma Clan even knew that Ma Ying was already dead.
To the outside world, the Ma Clan was still regarded as a prominent Foundation Establishment clan.
Now the question was: had the Ma Clan sent their Foundation Establishment elders in person, or merely dispatched some Qi Refining juniors to gather intel?
"Two Foundation Establishment cultivators… if they both came at once, that'd be ideal. Save me the trouble."
"The only thing I'm unsure of is: how much detail did Ma Ying leave them about the lava palace?"
Li Ye pondered silently, a glint flashing in his eyes. With a flick of his sleeve, he flew toward the mountainside.
"We are proud descendants of the esteemed Foundation Establishment Ma Clan how dare you rabble treat us like this?!"
"Release us at once if you know what's good for you! When the Ma Clan's wrath descends, you'll have no chance to regret it!"
The prison walls shimmered with runes, exceptionally sturdy and imbued with a backlash effect.
Inside, two cultivators had their spiritual power sealed and wore rune-inscribed shackles. Even in such dire straits, they continued to shout and curse, showing not the slightest sign of surrender only growing more arrogant.
"These are the two Ma Clan members you captured…?"
Li Ye looked at the raving duo, his tone calm and unreadable.
Wen Chu, standing beside him, responded cautiously,
"Yes, it's them…"
He was one of the first to pledge loyalty after Li Ye seized Pingyang Mountain, right after Luo Feibai.
Now, he was one of the more influential stewards on the mountain.
With Luo Feibai away, certain responsibilities had fallen to him and the other stewards.
Wen Chu had originally hoped to use this situation to impress Li Ye. But before he could make his move, a troublesome matter landed in his lap!
If handled poorly and it offended the Ma Clan, he might be the one sacrificed to make peace.
However, to his relief, Li Ye didn't blame him at all. Instead, he nodded in approval.
"Well done. I'll go take a look myself… You wait here."
"Yes, sir!"
Wen Chu nodded and immediately backed off, knowing Li Ye likely wanted to interrogate the two in private. He quietly withdrew to the prison entrance to stand watch.
The formation around the prison was partially sealed, cutting off sound from within.
The two Ma Clan members continued their shouting and threats until they saw someone approaching.
"Good! So you've finally"
They were just about to speak when they got a clear look at the man's face. Their expressions changed instantly, a flicker of panic appearing in their eyes.
They had hoped to intimidate the local stewards of Pingyang Mountain.
But if their recent intel was accurate, this Li Ye was the same ruthless cultivator who, right after advancing to Foundation Establishment, had slain two other Foundation cultivators and seized Pingyang Mountain and the surrounding alliance!
For someone like him, no matter how powerful the Ma Clan might be, killing the two of them would be as easy as flicking a finger.
"Greetings, Senior Li!"
"We were merely passing through the Chidi Mountains on a training journey. We had no intention of intruding on Pingyang Mountain's territory and meant no harm whatsoever. Please, Senior Li, show mercy! The Ma Clan will remember your kindness!"
They immediately dropped to their knees and begged for mercy their change in attitude as smooth as flowing water.
"No rush, no rush."
Li Ye chuckled, and with a flick of his fingers, several talismans flew out, sealing the space further.
"Why you're here… I believe you know better than I do."
"Instead of playing games, how about you accept this gu parasite and tell me everything?"
"What are you doing?!"
The Ma Clan members' faces contorted in fear, but before they could move, Li Ye pressed down with one hand his terrifying spiritual power pinned them in place.
With his other hand, he casually made two slashing motions in the air. Razor-thin lines of energy cut open their chests with surgical precision.
Two plump, wriggling gu worms flew out at the flick of his fingers. As they licked the blood from the wounds, they burrowed straight into the openings and vanished inside.
The two men stared with wide, terrified eyes, their faces twisted in horror yet they couldn't move a muscle.
As the worms disappeared into their bodies, their gazes grew hazy and vacant, though they still showed slight signs of resistance.
"Heart-Bewitching Gu attaches to the heart veins and clouds the mind, leaving the host in a dazed state and fully suggestible…"
Li Ye recalled the effects of this gu parasite.
"It's only a first-rank gu, so its effectiveness on late-stage Qi Refining cultivators drops significantly… But with the divine sense technique I've developed, it should be more than enough!"
He gave a low shout. The seal in his hand changed, and his divine sense shot into their minds like a pair of steel needles. The two men jerked upright, their eyes locking with Li Ye's.
He questioned sharply:
"Where are you from?"
"The Ma Clan of Jing Kingdom…" they replied in a daze.
"Why did you come?"
"To gather intelligence on Li Ye of Pingyang Mountain and search for anomalies in the Chidi Mountains…"
"Do you know of the lava palace?"
"No…"
"Is any Foundation Establishment cultivator with you?"
"The ancestor has come in person…"
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