Chapter 8: Unexpected Gains
When the great fire ignited on the ground, Wu Yan relied on a low-level magical artifact that could withstand high temperatures, hiding at the edge of the sea of flames. Once the two cultivators finally shifted their attention to the fire after failing to find his trace outside, he quietly retreated to the side. However, as he left, he detonated the artifact in the sea of flames, creating the illusion that he was still within it. Only when the two of them had completely focused their attention on the fire did he release all of his ice spike talismans in one go, achieving a swift kill.
With a low shout from Wu Yan, a beam of white light pierced into the body of the ice toad like a flash of lightning. Almost simultaneously, Wu Yan's expression also became feeble. This strike was a method he had accidentally conceived while researching how to manipulate magical power, aimed at enhancing the power of the ice spike technique. However, this method was still in the conceptual stage, and had it not been for the urgency of the situation today, Wu Yan would never have employed it. Now, although the ice toad was killed, his entire magical power had been nearly depleted.
As he watched a layer of yellowish light rise, Wu Yan finally felt at ease. If everything went smoothly this time, the blood of these two Frost Toads would be sufficient for him to create over two hundred Ice Spike Talismans. Of course, the success rate of the production remained uncertain.
Wu Yan fled a hundred miles in one breath before finally stopping, his heart still filled with lingering fear. He had never anticipated that a high-level spirit beast was hidden in the cold pool, which was not particularly rich in spiritual energy. If he had not prepared a large amount of fire oil a few days ago, he would likely have found it difficult to escape this time.
The appearance of Wu Yan was naturally not unexpected. The three Tian Du Peak cultivators pursuing him did not regard a person with only the eighth level of Qi Refining as a threat. The Foundation Establishment cultivator merely gave a command, and the two cultivators behind him began to encircle Wu Yan. Upon realizing Wu Yan's cultivation level, the woman in white became even more despondent. She had originally thought that since Wu Yan could appear alone within the influence of Tian Du Peak, he must possess a high level of cultivation, which was why she had been relentlessly pursuing him. However, she did not expect that this person's cultivation was pitifully weak, fearing that he could not withstand even a single strike from the opponent. With a sigh, a look of determination appeared in the woman's eyes. She then flicked her hands, and immediately, dozens of fireballs whistled toward the two cultivators preparing to ambush Wu Yan. At the same time, the two flying swords suddenly exploded, forcing the Foundation Establishment cultivator to come to a sudden halt. Seizing this opportunity, the flying artifact beneath the woman accelerated, quickly creating a distance of several dozen zhang from the Foundation Establishment cultivator.
He is inside! Junior brother! Use the Thunderbolt Talisman to attack! That senior brother Yu shouted loudly, raising his hand to throw out several purple talismans. Immediately, dozens of purple lightning bolts, accompanied by the rumbling sound of thunder, shot towards the sea of fire. Instantly, the flames in the sea of fire were blown into the air, transforming the area within several hundred feet into a world of fire. However, at that moment, nearly a hundred ice spikes suddenly whistled in from behind the two cultivators. Before they had time to react, their bodies were already pierced by the ice spikes.
The sudden turn of events startled Wu Yan greatly. Drawing on years of life-preserving experience, he did not hesitate to fully activate his flying artifact to evade in another direction. Although he had not seen the combatants, Wu Yan was well aware that the level of this battle would be very high, far beyond what his cultivation could participate in. As he passed through the Tian Du Peak, he was not rushing at full speed but was carefully probing the situation ahead. Therefore, the combatants were definitely not already nearby; they had caught up from behind him. To be able to engage in combat while flying at high speed, one would need to be at least a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and even if not, they would likely need to possess a cultivation level above the tenth layer of Qi Refinement.
Wait! Junior Brother Wang, this fire is suspicious. You must know that it just rained yesterday. No matter how powerful those ten or so fireballs are, they cannot possibly create such a scale in an instant! This must be that person causing trouble! Oh! Junior Brother, be careful!
"Senior Brother, that brat must be nearby; he definitely won't escape far!" an anxious-looking cultivator said. If that fragile little cultivator were to escape right under their noses, not to mention the punishment from above, it would also be a blow to their own reputation.
At dusk two days later, in the area where Tiandu Peak meets Tianluo Peak, Wu Yan was maneuvering a flying artifact close to the ground. Although this method of travel was slow, it was very safe, allowing him to avoid detection by other cultivators. However, just as Wu Yan was about to enter the territory of Tianluo Peak, a sudden clashing sound of artifacts came from behind him, and judging by the sound, it was surprisingly close to his position
With a faint smile, Wu Yan glanced once more at the flames rapidly spreading in all directions before turning and quietly leaving
This series of events unfolded so rapidly that the two Tian Du Peak cultivators found themselves somewhat flustered. However, the Foundation Establishment cultivator merely paused momentarily in mid-air before immediately giving chase, completely disregarding Wu Yan's leap from the flying artifact, presumably believing that the remaining two could handle the situation. Yet, he did not anticipate that the two Tian Du Peak cultivators had not taken Wu Yan seriously at all. Although they were flanking him, most of their spiritual awareness was focused on the woman in white. The several fireballs further diverted their attention away from Wu Yan. At that moment, Wu Yan poured the blazing oil from his hands, and as the fireballs fell from the sky, the ground instantly transformed into a sea of raging flames, while Wu Yan vanished without a trace.
Upon arriving at the lifeless ice toad, Wu Yan found it hard to believe that he could unleash such a powerful Ice Spike spell. With that single strike, the ice toad's own defenses were easily breached. It seems that if the toad were not also of the ice attribute, the power of that strike might have been even greater. However, the aftereffects of releasing this enhanced Ice Spike spell were extremely severe; after casting it, he was almost rendered useless. If he could not eliminate his opponent in one blow, it would be he who faced death instead.
As the incantation echoed, a dozen ice spikes appeared out of thin air above Wu Yan's head, and then swiftly plunged down towards the Ice Toad below. A soft "puff" sound was heard as the spikes pierced the Ice Toad, transforming it into a pincushion. "How could it be so easy?" Wu Yan was momentarily stunned. However, before he could regain his composure, the spikes embedded in the Ice Toad suddenly began to change, melting away one by one. Once all the spikes had vanished, a thick layer of ice formed around the Ice Toad's body.
As Wu Yan turned in another direction and had just flown several dozen zhang, the sound of magical artifacts clashing behind him advanced significantly, seemingly in the same direction as Wu Yan's movement. This discovery made Wu Yan inwardly groan; there was no doubt that the person being pursued had noticed his presence and was thus trying to drag him into the fray. With a silent sigh, he found himself lacking the mood to curse the despicable individual being chased. The most important thing now was to figure out how to escape. However, it was evident that unless his flying speed surpassed that of his pursuer, he would be unable to shake him off under the circumstances of being locked onto by the opponent's divine sense.
Although he was still filled with trepidation, Wu Yan felt somewhat puzzled. Logically speaking, it was impossible for a spirit beast capable of resisting a Core Formation stage cultivator to appear in such a place, as their strength would allow them to occupy far better secluded locations. To Wu Yan's knowledge, in the northernmost part of the Yunmeng Mountain Range, there are numerous similar cold pools in the snowy mountains, and there is also a massive Xuanbing cave, where the cold air of the Xuanbing is several times more intense than ordinary cold air, making it a place that even Core Formation stage cultivators would not dare to take lightly. To Wu Yan's knowledge, in the northernmost part of the Yunmeng Mountain Range, there are numerous similar cold pools in the snowy mountains, and there is also a massive Xuanbing cave, where the cold air of the Xuanbing is several times more intense than ordinary cold air, making it a place that even Core Formation stage cultivators would not dare to take lightly.
It seems I have no choice but to try my own Ice Spike technique! However, using ice-type spells against ice attribute spirit beasts is indeed somewhat ineffective! Even so, Wu Yan still unleashed the Ice Spike technique on a Frost Toad, as it was the only attack method he had left at the moment
"Damn it, the defense of this thing is so abnormal!" Wu Yan, witnessing this scene, felt extremely frustrated. The more than ten ice spikes had consumed one-fifth of his magical power, and as a result, not only did he achieve no effect, but he also inadvertently gifted a piece of armor to the Ice Toad. "Is it possible that a cooked duck can still fly away?" Wu Yan glared fiercely at the two Ice Toads in front of him, his gaze flickering. He then activated the Ice Spike technique once more, but this time the target was another Ice Toad. Moreover, this time the ice spike was not made up of more than ten spikes, but rather merged into one. Although this ice spike was still as thick as an arm, it clearly contained a much more powerful force.
Soon, another ice toad, which had regained most of its magical power, was killed by Wu Yan. After collecting its blood and disposing of the ice toad's corpse, he cautiously released his flying magical tool and headed towards a nearby mine that produced vermilion.
In the brief pause of Wu Yan, the distance between the two fighting parties once again diminished. Wu Yan could even see fireballs flying chaotically. "Fireball technique? No, it should be a fireball talisman! This chase must have been going on for some time; neither side could afford to waste their mana on such minor spells. If that is the case, perhaps I can create some chaos and escape." With this thought, Wu Yan reached for a piece of cloth from his clothing to cover his face, then unexpectedly turned and charged towards the two combatants, holding a canister of blazing oil that he had somehow acquired.
In the air just a few miles from Wu Yan, a veiled woman in white was flying while skillfully wielding a magical artifact, simultaneously struggling to fend off the three pursuing cultivators with two flying swords. This woman was a disciple of Tianluo Peak, possessing a cultivation level of the thirteenth layer of Qi Refinement. The three individuals behind her appeared to be disciples of Tiandu Peak, with the leading one clearly being a cultivator in the early stage of Foundation Establishment. It was this person's blue magical artifact that was blocking the attacks of the two flying swords. The other two seemed to be at the eleventh layer of Qi Refinement; however, they did not unleash their magical artifacts to attack but instead used some talismans. Nevertheless, there seemed to be an invisible barrier around the woman in white, which completely neutralized the attacks from the two. Despite this, the woman in white was clearly at a disadvantage, as evidenced by the despair in her eyes. It was apparent that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, it would not be long before she would be defeated and perish.
While collecting the blood of the Ice Toad, Wu Yan pondered how to improve the enhanced Ice Spike technique. However, it seemed that aside from enhancing his own magical power, there were not many good methods available. "Sigh! It's again related to improving cultivation, but one must have enough spirit stones to purchase the Dragon Marrow Pill," Wu Yan muttered to himself. After collecting the blood, he quickly stored the Ice Toad's corpse in his storage bag. Although it was merely a first-level spirit beast, it might still fetch some spirit stones.
At that moment, Wu Yan's figure suddenly appeared from behind a nearby boulder, and then he calmly unfastened the storage bags from the two corpses. "I hope these two unfortunate fellows aren't broke! Otherwise, I will definitely incur a loss this time. One low-level magical artifact, plus seven ice spike talismans, tsk tsk! It's truly painful to think about!"
With a bitter smile, Wu Yan did not bother to look at his achievements. Instead, he quickly took out a soil mound talisman to bind the remaining ice-armored ice toad. He knew that in his current state, he could not deal with it. If it managed to escape, he would surely be heartbroken to the point of spitting blood.
Sigh! Whatever! Perhaps that creature was simply born to enjoy suffering! In any case, I will never set foot in that valley again, hehe! Although I lost a worthless magical artifact, I gained two first-level spirit beasts, so this trade is quite worthwhile. The only problem now is how to kill these two Ice Toads? Wu Yan rested his chin on his hand, looking at the two Ice Toads that were still struggling incessantly, feeling a bit of a headache. If I don't quickly kill them, I might end up wasting two Earth Mound Talismans.