80: Chapter 80 Li Liuyun Encounters Demon Attack, Sword Formation Displays Power to Clear the Field

The map of the star tear gold mine was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples in Ye Qing's heart.

However, his instinct for steady development made him suppress the urge to set off immediately.

He lingered in Liuyun City for another half month.

During this time, through Shopkeeper Zhou Ming and the black market, he gradually cleared out most of the resources he didn't need, exchanging them for a massive amount of Spirit Stones, as well as several supplementary Formation Materials, rare spiritual plant seeds, and several Jade Slips containing information about the distribution of Yao Beasts and dangerous areas on the periphery of the Dragonfall Abyss.

The newly refined thirty-six "zhou tian star formation flags" were now easy to use after repeated adjustments and micro-engraving of Formation patterns.

The "Hunxu" main sword and the twelve light swords, nurtured in his Dantian, were also gradually increasing in spirituality and containing their sharpness under the continuous nourishment of the Dantian's elemental energy and the Star Power of the Cave Heaven World.

His own cultivation was steadily advancing under the nourishment of the star source liquid and the feedback from the Cave Heaven World; although there was still a distance to the Golden Core Middle Stage, his Foundation was becoming increasingly solid.

Feeling that preparations were mostly complete, Ye Qing decided to set off.

The target was the secret rift valley where the star tear gold mine was located.

Before leaving, he went to Baicao Hall to settle the final payment with Shopkeeper Zhou Ming and prepaid a sum of Spirit Stones, entrusting him to continue keeping an eye out for high-grade star Materials and special intelligence.

Shopkeeper Zhou Ming naturally agreed readily. In his eyes, Ye Qing had become increasingly mysterious and profound, a major client worth investing in for the long term.

Leaving Baicao Hall, Ye Qing did not alert anyone. He quietly returned to the inn and checked out of his room.

He changed his appearance and aura several times within the city, and after confirming that no one was paying attention, he followed the flow of people leaving the city, passed the city gate inspection in a low-key manner, and left this massive city shrouded in the clouds of war.

A hundred miles out of the city, human traces became sparse.

Ye Qing no longer concealed himself. He used an escape technique, his figure turning into a pale golden stream of light, speeding towards the northwest in the direction of the rift valley marked on the map.

According to the map's estimation, with his current escape speed, traveling at full speed would take about five or six days.

Along the way, he needed to cross several wastelands and mountain ranges occupied by Yao Beasts, as well as a few dangerous areas gathered by small factions or Loose Cultivators, which carried no small risk.

But Ye Qing was bold due to his high skill; his Golden Core cultivation, combined with his powerful Divine Sense, was enough to avoid the vast majority of dangers in advance. Even if an occasional blind Yao Beast bumped into him, it would just be an extra meal for the Cave Heaven World.

The first two days were calm and uneventful.

On the afternoon of the third day, when flying over a gloomy mountain range called "Ghost Howl Forest," an unexpected change occurred.

From the mountain forest below, several tyrannical Demonic Qi erupted without warning, and there were sharp screeches mixed with the angry shouts and screams of Cultivators!

The spiritual power fluctuations were intense; clearly, a fierce battle had broken out.

Ye Qing originally didn't want to meddle in other people's business, but his Divine Sense habitually swept over the battlefield, and his brows furrowed slightly.

The two sides fighting: one side consisted of five Cultivators wearing the standard leather armor of Liuyun City, all at the Foundation Establishment Stage—three in the Middle Stage and two in the Early Stage. They were back-to-back, forming a Formation and struggling to hold on, all of them injured and looking panicked.

The other side consisted of seven pitch-black Yao Beasts, shaped like leopards, with bone spurs on their backs, spitting dark green poisonous fire—"Shadow Poison Zhen." All were Tier 2, and the two leading ones had actually reached the Tier 2 Late Stage, equivalent to Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivators.

The Shadow Poison Zhen were extremely fast, skilled at hiding and sneak attacks, with fierce toxicity and tacit cooperation, surrounding the five Cultivators and attacking like a tide.

On the ground already lay two Cultivator corpses, as well as one Shadow Poison Zhen that had been killed, blood staining the ground red.

"Is this a patrol team from Liuyun City? It looks like they encountered an ambush by a Yao Race squad." Ye Qing judged the situation instantly.

He had no interest in saving people, but the Materials from the corpses of those Shadow Poison Zhen below, especially their Yao Cores, were decent "snacks" for the Cave Heaven World. Moreover, he vaguely felt that deep in the mountain forest below, there seemed to be an even more obscure and cold Demonic Qi hidden, watching the battlefield like a poisonous snake.

"There's a big guy hiding too? Fine, I'll clear them out while I'm at it, consider it acting for the public good, and use the opportunity to test the power of the newly refined sword Formation."

With a thought, Ye Qing pressed down his escape light and quietly landed on a branch of an ancient tree at the edge of the battlefield, restraining his aura and watching coldly.

The battle below was already in a precarious state.

Another Foundation Establishment Early Stage Cultivator was grazed by the poisonous fire spat out by a Shadow Poison Zhen. Their protective spiritual light dissipated, and they fell to the ground rolling and screaming, their skin rapidly turning black and festering.

The remaining four were filled with rage but were powerless to rescue, and their Formation became even more scattered.

The leading Tier 2 Late Stage Shadow Poison Zhen flashed with cruelty and triumph in its eyes. It let out a low growl, its figure suddenly blurred, turning into a black line, and pounced towards the female Cultivator with the weakest aura in the Formation, its sharp claws aiming directly for her throat!

The female Cultivator's face turned pale with fright, and she barely swung her sword to block.

It looked like she was about to perish.

Just at this moment.

A bright star point, silent and soundless, shot down from the tree canopy above, arriving first despite being launched later, precisely hitting the void in front of the Shadow Poison Zhen's pouncing trajectory.

"Fix."

A plain word rang out.

That star point suddenly exploded, turning into a pale silver void ripple circulating with star light spots, instantly enveloping the area of a few feet centered on the Shadow Poison Zhen.

The Shadow Poison Zhen's forward pouncing momentum suddenly stalled, as if it had crashed into an invisible quagmire. Its speed plummeted, its whole body's Demonic Qi circulation was obstructed, and horror appeared in its eyes.

Before it could struggle, the green-robed figure on the tree canopy had already disappeared.

The next moment, Ye Qing appeared above the battlefield, standing in the void, his clothes fluttering.

He didn't even look at the suspicious Cultivators and Yao Beasts below, raising his right hand and slightly spreading his five fingers.

"Out."

In his Dantian, the Hunxu main sword let out a clear sword hum, turning into a three-foot pale silver stream of light, flying out from his palm and hovering in front of him.

Immediately after, twelve slightly thinner pale silver sword lights differentiated from the main sword, like loyal guards, slowly rotating around the main sword, sword light spitting and swallowing, the void appearing and disappearing, stars dotted about.

The Hunxu Zhou Tian Star Sword Formation, first time facing an enemy!

Without needing Ye Qing to urge it, the sword Formation generated its own resonance, locking onto the Shadow Poison Zhen below, emitting a sharp, peerless sharpness and the vast pressure of the stars.

Below, whether it was the Liuyun City Cultivators or the Shadow Poison Zhen, all were shocked by this sudden turn of events and the terrifying pressure of the sword Formation, momentarily forgetting to fight.

"Go."

Ye Qing flicked his finger.

The main sword "Hunxu" let out a joyful tremor, carrying the twelve light swords, transforming into thirteen pale silver meteors, dragging fine star light tails, cutting through the air with a sharp whistle, and sweeping towards the Yao Beasts below!

Before the sword light arrived, the cold, bone-chilling Sword Intent and the sharpness that cut through the void had already made the Shadow Poison Zhen's fur stand on end. They instinctively felt a fatal threat, one after another hissing, spitting poisonous fire, waving claws to block, or attempting to dodge.

However, the sword light was too fast, too tricky!

The thirteen sword lights did not attack in a straight line but, as if possessed of life, drew mysterious and unpredictable trajectories in the air, echoing each other, vaguely forming the prototype of a simple sword Formation, sealing off all evasion space for the seven Shadow Poison Zhen.

Chi chi chi chi—!

The light sounds of sharp blades slicing through leather rang out one after another, mixed with the short, sharp screams of the Yao Beasts.

Where the sword light passed, poisonous fire dissipated, sharp claws snapped, and Yao blood sprayed.

The two Tier 2 Late Stage Shadow Poison Zhen leaders roared and erupted with all their Demonic Qi, dark light armor appearing on their bodies, attempting to resist hard.

However, the pale silver stream of light transformed by the main sword "Hunxu," like a hot knife cutting through butter, penetrated the armor without any obstruction, circling around the neck of one leader.

A massive head flew into the sky.

The other leader was crossed through by three light swords, its body instantly cut into several pieces.

The remaining five Shadow Poison Zhen were even worse off, dying almost instantly under the shredding of the light swords.

From the moment Ye Qing appeared to the moment all seven Shadow Poison Zhen were executed, it was but the blink of an eye.

The thirteen sword lights completed their task, let out a clear chime, flew back in front of Ye Qing, and transformed back into the main sword and twelve light swords, circling and dancing, light flowing, not a drop of blood contaminated.

Below, there was dead silence.

The four surviving Liuyun City Cultivators were dumbstruck, looking at the green-robed figure standing in the void with sword light circling his body, and then at the seven fierce Yao Beasts that had died instantly on the ground, shocked beyond measure.

What kind of means was this? What kind of sword Formation?

Killing Tier 2 Yao Beasts like cutting grass, without even seeing how he moved!

"Th... Thank you Senior for saving our lives!" The leading Foundation Establishment Middle Stage Cultivator was the first to react, hurriedly bowing, his voice trembling and full of awe.

The other three also woke up from a dream, bowing one after another, looking at Ye Qing as if looking up at a god.

Ye Qing ignored them, his gaze sweeping lightly over the battlefield, confirming that those Shadow Poison Zhen were dead.

He raised his hand and beckoned; the seven Yao Beast corpses, along with the one killed earlier, as well as their Yao Cores, sharp claws, poison sacs, and other valuable Materials, all flew up and disappeared into his sleeve—in reality, they were sent into the waste area of the Cave Heaven World.

The movement was fluid, so skilled it made people feel pained.

Then, he looked at the four Cultivators, his voice plain: "Why did you encounter an ambush here? Have you discovered any other abnormalities?"

The leading Cultivator dared not hide anything, hurriedly saying: "Reporting to Senior, we are the 17th patrol squad of Liuyun City, ordered to patrol within three hundred miles of this area. An incense stick of time ago, we encountered an ambush by this group of Shadow Poison Zhen. These beasts seemed to have a plan, cooperating tacitly; they are not like ordinary wandering Yao Beasts. Moreover... we seemed to sense earlier that deep in the mountain forest, there was another more obscure and powerful Demonic Qi that flashed by, but we couldn't lock onto it."

Sure enough, there was a big guy. Ye Qing nodded slightly, his Divine Sense carefully sweeping towards the depths of the mountain forest below again.

Suddenly, his gaze narrowed, locking onto the shadow of an inconspicuous dead tree several hundred feet away.

There, space had an extremely subtle, abnormal distortion, and a cold, resentful, and slightly fishy-sweet Demonic Qi was trying to merge with the surrounding environment and quietly flee.

"Still want to run?"

Ye Qing's mouth curled slightly, and with a thought.

Among the twelve light swords circling his body, three suddenly changed direction, their tips locking onto that shadow, turning into three pale silver streams of light, shooting over in a 'pin' character Formation, as fast as lightning, and carrying Sword Intent that sealed the space.

"Squeak—!"

A sharp, ear-piercing hiss, as if it could pierce the Divine Soul, erupted from the shadow!

The dead tree shadow suddenly exploded, and a slender black shadow shot out from it, trying to burrow into the ground.

That was actually a strange snake only three feet long, entirely emerald green, with a fleshy crest on its head and four pairs of transparent thin wings on its back!

The strange snake's aura was fierce, actually reaching the False Core level, equivalent to the limit of human Foundation Establishment Perfection, and even touching a trace of the Golden Core threshold! Its emerald green body was nearly transparent, blending into the environment, its speed extremely fast, and it emitted a dizzying fishy-sweet poisonous gas.

"Emerald Scaled Four-Winged Snake? And a mutated one? No wonder it could hide so deeply that even I was almost deceived. This snake's toxicity is fierce, and it excels at hiding and sneak attacks; it is indeed rare."

Ye Qing was not surprised but delighted. A False Core level poisonous snake, its material value far exceeded those Shadow Poison Zhen.

The three light swords had already arrived, sealing all retreat paths for the strange snake.

The strange snake hissed fiercely, opening its mouth to spit out a large cloud of emerald green poison mist. The fishy-sweet breath instantly permeated; surrounding vegetation withered upon contact, and rocks were corroded with a sizzling sound.

At the same time, its slender body twisted strangely, and in a moment of extreme danger, it drilled out from the gaps between the three light swords, its four wings vibrating rapidly, turning into an emerald green afterimage, fleeing desperately towards the dense forest in the distance, its speed far exceeding that of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

"Quite slippery."

Ye Qing chuckled; this time he did not hold back.

With a slight movement of his mind, the main sword "Hunxu" let out a clear tremor, the sword body's light burst forth, and a more vast, more sharp Sword Intent containing the power of void cutting soared into the sky.

"Void, Slash."

The main sword slashed through the air.

A pale silver sword radiance, thin as a cicada's wing, nearly transparent, with fine spatial ripples undulating at the edges, flew off the sword. Ignoring distance, it arrived first despite being launched later, instantly cutting through several hundred feet of space, appearing in front of the escaping Emerald Scaled Four-Winged Snake, and lightly circled.

The strange snake's rapidly flying figure suddenly stiffened.

Its slender body was silently cut into two halves, the cut as smooth as a mirror. Before the emerald green blood could spray out, it was mostly annihilated by the void power contained in the sword radiance.

The two halves of the snake body fell powerlessly, their vitality extinguished.

False Core level Emerald Scaled Four-Winged Snake, killed.

The three light swords flew over and rolled back the two halves of the snake corpse.

Ye Qing raised his hand to put them away, also sending them into the Cave Heaven World. This snake's poison sac, fangs, gall, and even that pair of fleshy crests were all precious Materials for refining poison-attribute Magic Treasures or special Medicinal Pills, of high value.

The battle was completely over.

From Ye Qing's attack to the total destruction of the Shadow Poison Zhen, and then to the execution of the Emerald Scaled Four-Winged Snake, it took no more than ten breaths in total.

The four Liuyun City Cultivators were already dumbstruck, their minds shocked beyond measure.

With a gesture, the sword Formation was magnificent, slaughtering Yao Beasts like picking grass. Even a False Core level Yao Beast was just a matter of one sword strike.

To what extent had this Senior's strength reached?

They dared not think, and even less dared to ask.

Ye Qing finished cleaning up the battlefield, then looked at the four again, casually throwing out a jade bottle.

"The Medicinal Pill in the bottle can neutralize the remaining poison of this snake, for both external application and internal consumption. This place is not suitable for staying long; you should quickly return to the city to report."

Having said that, he did not say more, his figure flickered, and he had already turned into a pale golden escape light, soaring into the sky, disappearing into the northwestern horizon in an instant, crisp and neat, without any hesitation.

The four Cultivators scrambled to catch the jade bottle, looking in the direction where Ye Qing disappeared, filled with both gratitude and awe.

After a long time, the leading Cultivator sighed: "To meet such a Senior today is truly our great fortune. Quick, clean up, return to the city immediately!"

The four hurriedly packed up their companions' belongings, not daring to stay, and set up their escape lights, fleeing in panic towards Liuyun City.

The mountain forest returned to silence, only the faint smell of blood and burnt odor remaining in the air, telling of the brief and one-sided slaughter that had just occurred.

High in the sky, Ye Qing sped along, feeling refreshed.

Using the Hunxu Zhou Tian Star Sword Formation to face an enemy for the first time, the effect satisfied him. The sword Formation was full of spirituality, the power was astonishing, and the changes between reality and illusion were already beginning to show. In time, if he could evolve more sword lights and set up a true Zhou Tian Star sword Formation, the power would surely be even more terrifying.

Inside the Cave Heaven World, the newly collected eight Tier 2 Yao Beasts and one False Core level snake corpse were being rapidly decomposed and absorbed, feeding back pure Chaos Star Essence, continuously nourishing his Golden Core and the Cave Heaven World.

"A good start. It seems my luck won't be too bad on this trip for star tear gold."

He chuckled, his escape speed increasing by another three points, as he firmly moved towards his destination.

Inside his body, the thousand-foot Cave Heaven, stars revolved, digesting the newly obtained "nutrients," feeding back vast energy, pushing his cultivation steadily towards the Golden Core Middle Stage.