Those demonic cultivators came without a sound and died even faster, like lightning.
Although there had been some commotion when they broke through the outermost Blazing Fire Flowing Flame Formation which was mostly decorative the moment they entered Pingyang Mountain, they vanished without a trace.
Even the cultivators living on the mountain might not have realized that their base was under siege, had they been a little slower to react.
If it weren't for certain individuals secretly keeping an eye on Pingyang Mountain, each with their intentions and ideas of following the demonic cultivators' example to plunder the place…
It's likely that even the Foundation Establishment cultivators currently licking their wounds and recovering in seclusion across the region would've remained completely unaware of this large-scale assault on Pingyang Mountain.
But now that word had spread, every cultivator who heard the news couldn't help but reevaluate their previous thoughts did they have the strength to act on them?
The four attackers were all demonic cultivators. The leader, Bihuazi, was a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator whose signature demonic flame techniques and bone-devil summons had earned him quite a reputation during the recent lava palace incident.
The other three, though only at early Foundation Establishment, each possessed vicious and unpredictable demonic arts with considerable combat power.
Even a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator caught in their ambush might struggle to survive, and a moment's carelessness could easily lead to death.
And yet, Li Ye a mere early Foundation Establishment cultivator faced these well-prepared attackers head-on. Even after they used talismans to suppress his greatest advantage formation techniques he still managed to annihilate them silently and completely.
That alone spoke volumes about how terrifyingly deep his hidden strength must be.
Anyone still harboring thoughts of targeting Li Ye who appeared to be a plump and defenseless sheep now had to seriously consider whether they were stronger than Bihuazi's crew.
If not… they'd best extinguish that foolish idea before they ended up throwing their lives away.
After this incident, the atmosphere in the Chi Region's mountain ranges shifted noticeably. With so many cultivators crowding the area and Foundation Establishment experts acting recklessly, things had been descending into chaos.
Now, the order began to return.
Everyone started behaving themselves. Even those who had snuck into the lava tunnels hoping to freeload without paying began showing up at Pingyang Mountain, offering to buy entrance tokens properly with a newfound air of courtesy and respect.
......
"Is this the grand result of the demonic cultivators you placed such high hopes in, Fellow Daoist Cai?"
Kong Changsheng's tone dripped with mockery.
From a distance, he gazed at the dense forest that had replaced the former Blazing Fire Flowing Flame Barrier and now fully shrouded Pingyang Mountain. A trace of apprehension flickered in his eyes despite himself.
According to their spies, once that group of demonic cultivators breached the outer formation and made it inside, they hadn't stirred up the slightest ripple.
Pingyang Mountain remained eerily calm. The grand formation only paused briefly before resuming its function, as if an invisible beast had silently swallowed the intruders in the dead of night.
Even someone as aggressive and domineering as Kong Changsheng couldn't help but feel a hint of relief thank the heavens those demonic cultivators went first. Had their side charged in blindly, despite having three formation masters among them, they likely would've suffered serious losses too.
After the demonic cultivators' attack, Li Ye seemed to abandon the former Blazing Fire Flowing Flame Formation, which served more to mark the boundaries than provide real defense. In its place, he set up a new wood-based formation, somewhat similar to the Green Vine Verdant Wood Array.
At a glance, it appeared ordinary nothing flashy or powerful like the previous flame shield but it now exuded a mysterious, unfathomable aura that deterred even the boldest from approaching lightly.
However, as Kong Changsheng turned to glance at the people behind him, those emotions quickly vanished, replaced by his usual domineering presence and subtle sarcasm.
"Li Ye's hidden methods are indeed beyond my expectations. I didn't think he would have progressed this far after so many years..." Cai Shiwei shook his head, his face still wearing a calm, confident smile.
"But thanks to a few reckless demonic cultivators, we've now gotten a read on the depth of his strength better than suffering losses ourselves by acting rashly."
As he spoke, he turned to the gaunt middle-aged man beside him.
"Master Luo, you and the other two can you see through the secrets of this formation?"
With three formation masters on their side, Li Ye's formations alone shouldn't pose a real threat.
But after exchanging glances, Master Luo and the two elderly formation experts spoke with a tinge of jealousy in their tone:
"We're unfamiliar with this array we've never seen it before… but after some observation, we can confirm that it contains preliminary traits of a third-rank formation, incorporating aspects of void power. Its defenses have increased significantly and it now has resistance against second-rank Disruption Talismans…"
Once a formation begins to incorporate the power of the void even if it hasn't fully reached third-rank levels it's no longer something ordinary second-rank techniques can compare to.
No wonder Bihuazi and his group had fallen so miserably.
"Unless we can produce a third-rank Disruption Talisman to forcibly break through, or use the blood-sacrifice talisman that the Grandmaster once gave to Junior Brother Cai which might force a flaw to appear there's no way the three of us could find and dismantle this formation in a short time…"
"If Li Ye truly chooses to stay holed up in his mountain stronghold, even if we all attack together, the chances of successfully capturing him are quite low…"
"And if we can't end this quickly, the resulting disturbance will surely attract the attention of other cultivators our identities may be exposed as a result…"
"If things reach that point, it may all backfire."
This was the shared stance of the three formation masters.
Though phrased diplomatically, their position was firm: they strongly advised against continuing with the plan to break the formation and capture Li Ye.
And this also meant they had little confidence in cracking the formation at all!
As the words were spoken, a sense of awe and envy appeared on all three formation masters' faces.
They were all second-rank formation experts, and even working together, they had to admit inferiority.
Were it not for the importance of the suspected Nascent Soul sect's inheritance beneath the lava palace, and the need to avoid ruining the bigger plan over personal pride, they would never have so openly admitted defeat!
Li Ye was still so young… and yet he had already cultivated such mastery in alchemy, and now had seemingly pushed his formation skills close to third rank as well?!
Could there truly be such a monstrous genius in the world gifted in all aspects of cultivation?
Even Cai Shiwei hadn't anticipated this, and his expression shifted a few times before he forced a bitter smile.
"The blood-sacrifice talisman the Grandmaster gave me back then was a rare find meant to serve as a life-saving measure during an ambush. I already used it to escape from the Purple Profound Sect… I don't have another."
As for a third-rank Disruption Talisman, everyone's expressions grew strange.
If they had such a rare treasure, they would've used it to attack a major rival sect not wasted it on someone like Li Ye.
As they spoke, the storm of emotions in Cai Shiwei's eyes surged to the point that the blood-colored markings on his face could no longer conceal it.
Only ten years had passed...
The one he once regarded as nothing more than an ant a man he had spared repeatedly, not out of mercy but merely to gain reputation and trust within the sect had somehow risen to such heights.
He had come here assuming he could still crush him easily…
And now, he found himself unable to act in the face of Li Ye's power.
The sheer contrast cut deeply no matter that his cultivation was still higher than Li Ye's, the wound to his pride was real.
Li Ye's very existence… made all his years of forbearance and hardship infiltrating Purple Profound Sect feel like a joke.
If he couldn't kill Li Ye his Dao heart would never be at peace!
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