For a time, the scene fell into a stalemate.
The Yin Sha Dragon King roared outside the Five Elements Grand Formation, spewing out Yin Sha Qi repeatedly, trying to break through the Formation, while the Cultivators inside the Five Elements Grand Formation looked at the Yin Sha Dragon King, helpless.
Time was pressing, and Li Mu was unwilling to delay any longer, so he decided to give it a try. He looked at Commander Wan and signaled, “Commander Wan, order two Thunder Warships to cooperate with me. I’ll attempt an attack.”
Upon hearing this, Wan Shaoming was slightly stunned. He was one Realm higher than Li Mu, at the Void Refining Realm, yet he wasn't confident in inflicting fatal damage on that Yin Sha Dragon King. However, Li Mu, who was only at the Soul Transformation Realm, actually dared to propose attacking the Yin Sha Dragon King. This couldn't help but surprise him.
But thinking of Li Mu's ability to subdue five transformed Great Yao Beasts, and even the existence of a Seventh-tier True Dragon and a Seventh-tier Plant Yao Spirit, the powerful strength and profound background he displayed, Wan Shaoming couldn't help but feel a hint of anticipation.
“Alright, Great Master Li, I’ll have someone prepare immediately.” Wan Shaoming nodded to Li Mu, then swiftly ordered the Cultivators to prepare two Thunder Warships to cooperate with Li Mu’s attack.
The two Thunder Warships also received the order. They quickly adjusted the angle of their cannons, aiming at the Yin Sha Dragon King. Purple lightning power wildly condensed at the muzzles, emitting a powerful thunderous pressure.
Under everyone's gaze, a sharp glint flashed in Li Mu's eyes. He formed hand seals, muttering incantations, and the Five Elements Spiritual Power of heaven and earth began to gather madly around him, thick and vast.
The next moment, five Sixth-tier Spirit Swords appeared behind Li Mu one after another. Each Spirit Sword exuded a sharp aura, with a faint spiritual light flowing on its blade.
As Li Mu continued to input his Five Elements True Essence, the five Spirit Swords began to emit increasingly powerful spiritual light, and their sword hums buzzed, as if cheering, or perhaps softly chanting.
Seeing this scene, Wan Shaoming and the Cultivators of Wanbao Pavilion were greatly shocked, their faces all showing disbelief. Many of them had Cultivated for many years and were well-informed, but someone like Li Mu who Cultivated all Five Elements, and whose cultivation had reached the Soul Transformation Realm, was unheard of.
“Cultivating all Five Elements, I didn’t expect Great Master Li to be Cultivating the Five Elements Technique.” Wan Shaoming muttered to himself, his eyes full of shock. He had Cultivated for many years and knew how difficult the Five Elements Technique was to Cultivate; a slight mistake could lead to Qi Deviation, let alone someone like Li Mu who Cultivated all Five Elements and reached such a Realm.
“Too powerful! He can even advance to the Soul Transformation Realm by Cultivating the Five Elements Technique.” A Soul Transformation Cultivator from Wanbao Pavilion couldn’t help but exclaim, his eyes sparkling with admiration, his respect for Li Mu overflowing.
“Controlling five Sixth-tier Spirit Swords simultaneously, how strong must his Divine Soul be?!” Another Soul Transformation Cultivator also couldn't help but exclaim. Manipulating one Sixth-tier Spirit Sword was enough to consume a Soul Transformation Cultivator's Divine Thought, yet Li Mu could simultaneously control five Sixth-tier Spirit Swords. This simply exceeded their imagination.
“Too strong!”
“Controlling five swords simultaneously, Great Master Li is about to unleash a Sword Formation technique!”
...
As soon as Li Mu displayed his opening Move, it immediately shocked the Cultivators present, sparking widespread discussion.
As fellow Soul Transformation Cultivators, the strength Li Mu displayed made them feel inferior, only able to look up to him.
Under Li Mu's control, the five Sixth-tier Spirit Swords vibrated violently, spiritual light flickering, like five colorful sword dragons coiling in the air. Sword Qi crisscrossed, and the spiritual light of the five Spirit Swords grew increasingly intense, releasing powerful Sword Intent, as if to tear the entire area apart.
Suddenly, Li Mu stopped forming hand seals. The five Spirit Swords abruptly ceased their flight and arranged themselves in a specific orientation, forming a peculiar sword Formation.
“Commander Wan!” Li Mu looked at Wan Shaoming and signaled.
“Attack!”
Receiving Li Mu's instruction, Wan Shaoming immediately gave the order.
The next moment, the two Thunder Warships fired simultaneously. The purple lightning light streaked across the sky, like two bolts of lightning, shooting towards the Yin Sha Dragon King, aiming directly at the weak point on its chest.
“Go!”
Li Mu pointed his finger, and the five Spirit Swords followed closely, trailing the Purple Lightning, shooting out rapidly, their swords pointing at the Yin Sha Dragon King's chest.
Under the cover of the lightning, the five Spirit Swords merged into one during their rapid flight, unleashing astonishing Sword Intent.
The Yin Sha Dragon King felt a fatal threat and let out an earth-shattering roar. The Yin Sha Qi around its body surged violently, attempting to resist the combined attack of the lightning and Sword Qi.
With a loud 'boom', the thick Purple Lightning arrived in an instant, striking heavily on the Yin Sha Dragon King's chest, erupting into dazzling purple light and deafening thunder. The Purple Lightning fired by the Thunder Warships was specifically designed to counter Yin Sha Qi, instantly overwhelming the dense Yin Sha Qi shield.
With a 'poof', the Five Elements Giant Sword followed closely, penetrating the Yin Sha Qi's defense and fiercely piercing into the Yin Sha Dragon King's chest, passing straight through.
“Aaaah!”
Under the double attack of the Purple Lightning and the Five Elements Giant Sword, the Yin Sha Dragon King's body trembled violently, and thick black smoke billowed from its chest. It was instantly severely wounded. It let out a mournful roar, glared at Li Mu with hatred, flapped its tail, and dragged its heavily injured body, attempting to flee.
“Trying to run!”
Li Mu sneered, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes. He would never give this Yin Sha Dragon King a chance to escape, otherwise, the troubles would be endless. Who knew how many of its companions were still in the Yin Sha Storm.
“Qing Yue!”
Li Mu glanced at the five controlled beasts, and at the same time, he performed the Spirit Control Art, unleashing the Divine Ability - Spirit Control Soul Fusion.
Soon, under Li Mu's control, the five controlled beasts fully output their magical power, handing over the control of the Five Elements Grand Formation to him.
Under Li Mu's manipulation, the defensive state of the Five Elements Grand Formation changed, condensing into a massive Five Elements Sword Qi, carrying a world-destroying might, and shooting towards the direction the Yin Sha Dragon King was fleeing.
The Sword Qi sliced through the sky, emitting a piercing whistle. Wherever it passed, space seemed to be torn apart. The Yin Sha Dragon King felt this fatal threat, and a hint of terror flashed in its eyes. It desperately accelerated its escape, trying to flee from the pursuit of this terrifying Sword Qi.
However, the Five Elements Sword Qi was faster, instantly catching up to the Yin Sha Dragon King, descending from the sky, and fiercely piercing into its back.
With a thunderous 'boom' that shook heaven and earth, the Yin Sha Dragon King's body instantly disintegrated under the Sword Qi's bombardment, turning into a dense cloud of Yin Sha Qi that scattered in all directions.
Soon, as the Yin Sha Dragon King dissipated, crystal clear spiritual beads, like spiritual rain, sprinkled down.
“Extreme Yin Beads, they’re all Extreme Yin Beads!”
“Oh my god! We’re rich!”
...
Looking at the sparkling spiritual beads falling like spiritual rain, a hint of wild joy flashed in the eyes of the Cultivators of Wanbao Pavilion. These spiritual beads were like stars adorning the night sky, dazzling and radiating an alluring luster. They all took action, some condensing their magical power into hands, others sacrificing their Magic Treasures, collecting the falling Extreme Yin Beads one by one into their Storage Pouches.
The quality of these Extreme Yin Beads was extremely high, approaching Sixth-tier. Each bead contained a rich Yin Sha Qi, as if it had a spirit, gently pulsating in the Cultivators' palms. Their quantity was also immense, densely packed, pouring down like a waterfall. It was simply a windfall from heaven!
All the Cultivators were fully rewarded, their faces beaming with joyful smiles, ecstatic. For them, these Extreme Yin Beads were not only a huge fortune but could also be exchanged for other high-tier spiritual materials.
However, just as they were immersed in the joy of their harvest, they quickly realized a problem. Although they had collected these Extreme Yin Beads, it was Li Mu who had truly killed the Yin Sha Dragon King. Without his help, they would probably have perished in the Yellow Springs, let alone obtained these Extreme Yin Beads.
Therefore, the Cultivators’ gazes all turned towards Li Mu. These Extreme Yin Beads should rightfully belong to him.
At this moment, Li Mu withdrew his five Sixth-tier Spirit Swords, and put the Azure Moon True Dragon, Crimson Refining Fire Phoenix, and the others into the spirit control treasure bracelet to rest. As for the spoils of war, the most precious Extreme Yin Spirit Crystal dropped by the Yin Sha Dragon King had already been collected by him into the nine storage spiritual pearl, and he had also casually collected thousands of Extreme Yin Beads.
Some self-aware Cultivators had already silently taken out the Extreme Yin Beads in their hands and walked up to Wan Shaoming, handing them over for unified collection.
Wan Shaoming naturally wouldn't be polite with them and collected them all. Those unaware Cultivators, under his stern gaze, reluctantly handed over the Extreme Yin Beads they had harvested.
Wan Shaoming walked excitedly to Li Mu, cupping his hands in thanks: “Great Master Li, it is all thanks to you that we were able to eliminate the Yin Sha Dragon King this time!”
“Commander Wan, there’s no need for such courtesy. We are all in the same boat, I merely did what I should have done!” Li Mu smiled and waved his hand, politely saying.
“Great Master Li, these Extreme Yin Beads! They are the spoils of war from your killing of the Yin Sha Dragon King.” Wan Shaoming said, then handed a Storage Pouch full of Extreme Yin Beads to Li Mu, gesturing.
Li Mu looked at the Storage Pouch Wan Shaoming handed over, gently shook his head, and said, “Commander Wan, everyone has contributed. This is what they gained, I cannot hog it all!”
Upon hearing this, Wan Shaoming’s face showed a hint of embarrassment. These Extreme Yin Beads were extremely valuable, and Li Mu’s strength and contribution far surpassed theirs. These Extreme Yin Beads were a hot potato, and he absolutely could not listen to him, so he quickly said, “Great Master Li, you exaggerate. These Extreme Yin Beads are useful to you, and none of us can use them. Please do not refuse!”
“Great Master Li, if it weren’t for your intervention this time, we would probably have perished in the mouth of that Yin Dragon.”
“That’s right! Great Master Li! Please accept them all!”
“You are our savior, these Extreme Yin Beads should rightfully belong to you.”
...
Other Cultivators also chimed in, their faces showing sincerity and admiration, genuinely grateful for Li Mu's assistance.
“Thank you all, then I will accept them. However, everyone here contributed, so I’ll buy a portion of them with Spirit Stones!” Li Mu said, then took out a bag of Spirit Stones and handed it to Wan Shaoming.
Seeing this, Wan Shaoming quickly waved his hand in refusal: “Great Master Li, this is unacceptable. You have already helped us greatly. These Extreme Yin Beads are a small token of our appreciation. How can we possibly accept your Spirit Stones?”
As Li Mu feigned anger, Wan Shaoming could only reluctantly accept and distribute them equally among the Cultivators.
All the Cultivators felt a surge of excitement upon receiving the Spirit Stones.
“Great Master Li, you are truly too polite!” A Nascent Soul cultivator looked at Li Mu, expressing his heartfelt gratitude.
“That’s right, Great Master Li, we truly benefited from your presence!” Another Nascent Soul cultivator also chimed in.
“You’re welcome!” Li Mu smiled slightly, looked at Wan Shaoming, and signaled, “Commander Wan! We can depart now, right! This time, let’s take a detour!”
Wan Shaoming glanced at the still powerful Yin Sha Storm ahead, fearing that another Yin Sha Dragon King might emerge from it. He quickly nodded and said, “As Great Master says, we will take a detour now to avoid any unnecessary dangers.”
Soon, the Earth Element Spirit Ship and the two Thunder Warships sped up again, carefully avoiding the most intense areas of the Yin Sha Storm, advancing along a relatively safe path.
After several days of rapid travel, the three Spirit Ships finally bypassed the affected area of the Yin Sha Storm. A calm Extreme Northern Ice Field, with its vast snowy landscape, once again came into view. Although the biting cold wind was constant, there was significantly less Yin Sha Qi.
As the group delved deeper into the Extreme Northern Ice Field, dangers gradually increased. Sometimes they would encounter fierce ice plain Yao Beasts, and sometimes they would face extremely cold blizzards. However, these were far less terrifying than the Yin Sha Storm, and could be handled by the defensive capabilities of the three high-tier Spirit Ships themselves.
On the deck of the Earth Element Spirit Ship.
Li Mu and Wan Shaoming sat opposite each other, drinking. The fragrance of spiritual tea mingled with the fleeting snowy scenery, creating a unique sense of refined elegance.
“Commander Wan, how many more days until we can rendezvous with the treasure hunting team?” Li Mu took a sip of spiritual tea, looking at Wan Shaoming and asking with concern.
Wan Shaoming smiled slightly, put down his teacup, and replied, “If nothing unexpected happens, we should be able to rendezvous with the treasure hunting team around this time tomorrow. They are currently stationed in the Ice Abyss Spirit Valley, where they have set up a temporary base.”
The two continued to chat while sipping tea, and the topic gradually shifted from the treasure hunting team to the Extreme Northern Ice Field, and various legends and secrets of the Central Continent Spirit Domain and other Spirit Domains.
Wan Shaoming, working for Wanbao Pavilion, often traveled extensively and was well-informed, having a deep understanding of many places. Li Mu listened with great interest to his accounts of various encounters.
Time flew by. On the morning of the next day, as the first rays of sunlight fell upon the Earth Element Spirit Ship, the three Spirit Ships were still cutting through the waves in the morning light, their speed becoming increasingly swift.
The scene of the Ice Abyss Spirit Valley gradually unfolded before everyone's eyes. On a vast ice plain, majestic ice peaks stood tall, exuding a biting cold. Yet, between these ice peaks, there was a valley filled with Spiritual Qi, like a paradise on earth. However, it was enveloped by a dense mist of snow, making it difficult to see clearly.
“That is the Ice Abyss Spirit Valley, and the Restriction is located beneath this Spirit Valley.” Wan Shaoming pointed ahead, introducing it to Li Mu.
Li Mu nodded, feeling a bit impatient.
As the Spirit Ships rapidly approached their destination, a sharp glint flashed in Li Mu's eyes, and his outward Divine Sense detected the existence of the concealing Formation.
Wan Shaoming took out a token, gathered his magical power to activate it, and then spiritual energy fluctuations spread out. The snow mist ahead slowly dispersed, revealing a passage leading to the Ice Abyss Spirit Valley, which was obscured by the Formation.
“This is the secret path to enter the Ice Abyss Spirit Valley.” Wan Shaoming introduced it to Li Mu, and then the three Spirit Ships headed towards the passage.
The three Spirit Ships entered one after another, passing through the misty passage, and finally arrived at the entrance of the Ice Abyss Spirit Valley. A richer Spiritual Qi rushed towards them, invigorating their spirits. (End of Chapter)
