Sage of Humanity

Cultivators had many impurities inside their bodies, which would be expelled during the Body Refining process, not only impurities but also pill poison.

Those disciples from big sects came here, utilizing the Dragon Spring for Body Tempering was one aspect, but the main purpose was to expel the accumulated pill poison within their bodies.

Before coming here, they would consume large amounts of elixir pills to increase their cultivation without paying attention to the accumulation of pill poison.

A trip through the Dragon Spring and the pill poison would be cleared, thus allowing them to greatly enhance their cultivation in a short period of time.

This resulted in a crowd of people who all smelled unbearably bad… Ninety-eight people gathered together in an unventilated underground space, the sour and refreshing odor was imaginable, no wonder the beauty-loving female cultivators were nauseated by the smell.

Upon arrival, everyone was leisurely, but the return was as fast as thunderbolts, and in no time they walked into the great hall on the mountain.

Immediately, people from Mount Qingyu led everyone to a nearby mountain spring for bathing, which had almost become a standard procedure after Body Tempering; the springs were plentiful, and naturally, men and women bathed separately.

One hour later, Lu Ye had cleaned his body and changed his clothes, feeling much fresher.

Xie Jin came over with a smile, "Junior Brother, how was your gain?"

"Not bad."

"That's good, but the effect of this Body Tempering seemed not as good as before. I wonder if you noticed, Junior Brother, that the mist inside the secret chamber noticeably lightened a lot in the last two days, and by the time we came out, it was almost gone."

"Isn't that normal?" Lu Ye was somewhat guilty.

"It's not necessarily abnormal, but it's just that it's different from what I heard. The reason why the Dragon Spring is only opened once every three years is because the light red mist needs time to accumulate.

Consuming too much at once means those who enter later won't be able to undergo Body Tempering." As he said this, he smiled somewhat schadenfreudely, "The Tailuo Sect probably doesn't even know what's happening. The group going in three days later will probably return empty-handed."

"That's tough for them."

Xie Jin laughed, "Anyway, we from Qing Yu have finished our part here, and whatever comes next doesn't concern us."

Lu Ye nodded, then said, "Thank you, Senior Brother Xie, with matters here concluded, I must take my leave." He was merely passing by and got involved in the Dragon Spring Meet, gaining many benefits, not to mention the merits and Spirit Stones, but just the Dragon Spring Body Tempering alone was a significant opportunity.

Although it took ten days, overall, it was worth it.

He still needed to hurry to the Righteous Blood Sect's location and didn't wish to stay here any longer.

Xie Jin looked around and said, "Junior Brother, don't rush off. It might not be safe for you to leave at this moment."

Lu Ye thoughtfully said, "The Tailuo Sect and the Qin family?"

Xie Jin nodded, "You need not worry about the Qin family; the key is that woman from the Tailuo Sect named Han. Junior Brother, you put in too much effort during the Dragon Spring Meet, and if you leave now without protection, how could that woman named Han let you go?

Earlier, Senior Brother Tang specifically instructed me to ask Junior Brother to stay with me for a while until he finishes up his business and can personally escort Junior Brother away."

Lu Ye felt slightly reassured; his hurry to leave was precisely because he was wary of the female cultivator from the Tailuo Sect. He hadn't forgotten the way she looked at him when he entered the great hall.

At this moment, the disciples of the Tailuo Sect were undergoing Body Tempering at the Dragon Spring, and she couldn't leave her duties, so Lu Ye felt if he was going to escape, he needed to do it quickly. Otherwise, once she was free, he wouldn't be able to leave even if he wanted to.

However, Qing Yu had also considered this, which was why Tang Wu had instructed Xie Jin accordingly.

"Qiao Qiao'er and Song Xie, those two independent cultivators who fought alongside me…" Lu Ye then remembered the two cultivators who had fought alongside him.

Xie Jin just laughed, "Junior Brother need not worry about those two. Senior Brother Tang has already asked the sect, and after we return this time, they will be taken under the sect's wing."

Lu Ye inwardly praised Mount Qingyu for their shrewd calculation. In this way, the only outsider to split the benefits from the Dragon Spring Body Tempering was himself. However, even though Qiao Qiao'er and Song Xie were of independent origin, they were in no way inferior to the cultivators from Qing Yu.

Their performance at the Dragon Spring Meet was also quite remarkable, making them deserving of being accepted by Qing Yu; they would no longer be unaffiliated independent cultivators but would be members of a sect.

Qing Yu hadn't extended any invitation to Lu Ye, because in their view, Lu Ye was definitely a disciple from a big sect who had ventured out to temper himself; they assumed a mighty big tree was backing him, so why would he consider Qing Yu, a minor sect?

As the two chatted for a while, the disciples of Qing Yu began to gather; the Dragon Spring Meet had ended, and they were to return to the sect.

In the great hall, Han Zheyue looked unwillingly at Tang Wu, "Eight hundred Spirit Stones and three hundred merit points, personally from me, unrelated to the sect!"

Qin Wanli stood by, looking down at his feet, as if deaf to everything around him.

Tang Wu's expression was mildly furious, "Are you trying to insult me or pick a fight?" His gaze sharply glared at Han Zheyue, "Another word and don't blame me for stripping you of your dignity!"

With that said, he strode out of the great hall, not giving Han Zheyue a chance to continue talking. Reaching the door, he tossed out an object, stepped on it, leapt into the sky, and swept away in an instant.

Watching him leave, Han Zheyue clenched her teeth, "Bastard!"

She wouldn't have offered Tang Wu so many benefits for no reason; eight hundred Spirit Stones and three hundred merit points were essentially hush money, paid for Lu Ye's life!n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Unfortunately, Tang Wu refused her. The Dragon Spring Meet wasn't just this one time. Tang naturally wouldn't do something like 'a cornered rabbit, a cooked dog.' If he really did that, how could he recruit independent cultivators to work for them in the future?

From Central Peak to the Mount Qingyu residence took two days; the journey was neither too far nor too close. The grand procession moved forward, and halfway through, Xie Jin received a message. After a brief check, he looked up at Lu Ye, "Junior Brother Yiye, please wait here for a moment; Senior Brother Tang will be here shortly."

Lu Ye nodded.

Everyone knew that it was time to part. Qiao Qiao'er rode forward on her massive wild boar, smiling as she looked at Lu Ye, "Junior Brother Yiye, remember to think of your sister and come visit me when you miss me."

Before Lu Ye could respond, Amber beneath him let out a low growl. Qiao Qiao'er immediately scowled, backed away, and conceded, "I can't provoke this one."

Song Xie sat cross-legged on his scorpion, passing by and cupping his fist towards Lu Ye, "Take care!"

Lu Ye returned the gesture, "Take care!"

Xie Jin and Tao Tiangang also bid him farewell one by one.

Soon, the team from Mount Qingyu crossed the mountaintop and disappeared from sight.

Lu Ye waited briefly with Amber in place until a streak of fleeing light approached from the horizon, the intense spirit force fluctuations highly conspicuous.

When the light drew near, its true form was revealed as a flat boat, with Tang Wu standing at the front with his hands behind his back, looking very debonair. He slightly raised his eyebrows and commanded, "Get on!"

Lu Ye thanked him and led Amber onto the flat boat.

"Rise!" Tang Wu formed a hand seal with one hand, his spirit force surged, and the flat boat soared into the sky. Amber, experiencing such a spectacle for the first time, immediately roared and crouched low, fearing he might fall off.

Lu Ye soothed him a bit before he settled down.

"Where does Junior Brother wish to go?" asked Tang Wu. Find more chapters on empire

Lu Ye really wanted to ask how far he could take him. If possible, he would, of course, like Tang Wu to drop him near the Righteous Blood Sect, so he wouldn't have to journey there on his own.

But that was obviously impossible. There was a long way to go to the Righteous Blood Sect, and Tang Wu was offering a ride merely out of kindness, to prevent him from being targeted by Han Zheyue. Given Tang Wu's good intention, Lu Ye naturally had to be sensible.

"Please wait a moment, Senior Brother," said Lu Ye, taking out the ten-part map to check.

Seeing this, Tang Wu smiled slightly and said, "I can transport Junior Brother for the next two days; after that, I have an appointment I need to keep to." He added this precautionary note, fearing Lu Ye might point him to a far-off location.

Lu Ye passed the ten-part map to him straightforwardly, "Head west, Senior Brother, follow wherever it leads us."

Tang Wu laughed, received the map to check it briefly, and suggested, "How about Yi'an City, Junior Brother? What do you think?"

After returning the map, Lu Ye found the direction to Yi'an City and nodded, "Let's follow what Senior Brother suggests. Thank you, Senior Brother."

"It's nothing," Tang Wu waved his hand, feeling somewhat nostalgic. Indeed, the origins are not ordinary; a map worth several hundred Spirit Stones is always at his disposal. He remembered when he was venturing out; he couldn't even afford a three-part map, let alone a ten-part map. Now at his level of cultivation, he wouldn't covet a ten-part map, but he couldn't help feeling a bit of sentiment.

In terms of value, Tang Wu's flat boat was much more precious than the ten-part map.

Cultivators at the Spirit Stream Realm level are incapable of flying through air by their bodies alone; only those at the Cloud River Realm have such capability.

However, with sufficient strength in cultivation, one could fly using Spiritual Artifacts, though it's quite the energy drain. Still, it makes traveling much more convenient.

Lu Ye didn't know exactly what level of cultivation was required for weapon control flying, but Level 7 clearly wasn't enough because the last time Dong Shuye chased him, he hadn't used any Spiritual Artifact and had glided over, which was far inferior to flying.

Both unfamiliar and not particularly outgoing, their journey was marked by silence.

Every four to six hours, Tang Wu would descend to rest and build up his spirit force.

Lu Ye didn't think Tang Wu would deplete all his spirit force. This method was to keep his combat strength up since walking through the Spirit Stream battlefield, one never knew when danger might strike. Keeping his spirit force at optimal levels would prepare him for any sudden incidents.

With someone alongside, Lu Ye refrained from consuming too many elixir pills for cultivation, and relying on Spirit Stones was futile, so he could only construct Gathering Spirit Spirit Runes within his spiritual orifice and pretend to cultivate while seated cross-legged.

Two days later, their fleeing light landed in front of a city—Yi'an City had arrived.

Lu Ye stepped down from the flat boat with Amber and turned to bow, "Thank you, Senior Brother for the escort along the way."

Tang Wu smiled, "It was no trouble. Let's part here then, may we meet again!"

"May we meet again!"

Watching the fleeing light speed away, Lu Ye felt envious, wishing he too could be that carefree someday. But roads are traveled one step at a time, and meals are eaten one bite at a time. Compared to other cultivators, he was already progressing at a fast pace.

Just about five months after entering the Spirit Stream Battlefield, he had already opened fifty-four orifices—an achievement nearly impossible for cultivators in the early stages.

Turning around, he gazed at the city ahead, mounted Amber, and given it was already late and he was unfamiliar with the place, decided it was best to enter the city for the night's rest. Besides, he needed to stock up on some supplies.