Chapter 451

Chapter 451: You Go Scout!

"Boom!"

As Ji Yang’s punch exploded with intent, the cultivator in front of him was instantly sent flying dozens of meters away.

"This is the essence of the Way!"

The observing cultivators felt the unique profound essence surrounding Ji Yang and expressed their amazement.

Only those talented disciples from elite sects could master the essence of the Way at the Void Refinement stage; no one else could match that.

Even though the crowd did not know Ji Yang, it did not stop them from showing envy in their eyes.

At this moment, they finally understood where Ji Yang’s confidence came from when facing three cultivators of the same tier.

After just two rounds, two of the three were already heavily injured.

When Ji Yang looked at the last Mid Void Refinement stage cultivator, fear showed in the man’s eyes, and he involuntarily took a few steps back.

The miserable fates of the other two recent losses were still fresh in his mind—how could he dare to approach?

Feeling the profound essence swirling around Ji Yang, he was even more terrified; how could such a cultivator be unknown?

Had they known this man commanded the essence of the Way, they would never have dared to provoke him.

Seeing Ji Yang prepare to strike again, the Mid Void Refinement cultivator did not hesitate and summoned a talisman. The three figures vanished after the talisman was activated.

When the three fled, Ji Yang did not pursue them; after all, they had nothing of value in their possession.

The other cultivators took note of Ji Yang’s appearance and figure, then quickly departed, not wanting to remain near such a fierce individual.

As everyone scattered, Ji Yang continued to search the spiritual herb garden, hoping to find more spiritual plants; even finding seeds would be quite good.

Unfortunately, even after thoroughly searching the entire spiritual herb garden, he could not find a second seed.

Seeing there were no more rewards, Ji Yang did not linger and turned to leave the spiritual herb garden.

As Ji Yang exited, he heard numerous shouts from the cultivators nearby, accompanied by intense spiritual energy fluctuations—those were the effects of various cultivators engaged in battle.

When Ji Yang looked around, he realized many cultivators had already reached the center of the estate and began their explorations.

Earlier, outside the estate, everyone had been rather cordial, as their main task was to break the formation.

But now that they reached the estate’s center, all caution was gone; even without grievances, disputes could easily arise over treasures found within.

Ji Yang had no intention of getting involved in the battles among other cultivators.

He followed the path deeper into the estate, witnessing many cultivators demonstrating their techniques along the way.

Among them were those who had mastered the essence of the Way.

For instance, there was a late Void Refinement stage cultivator from the Golden Rock Sect, who stood firm on the ground, drawing on the earth’s essence to enhance his defenses.

Seeing other cultivators use the essence of the Way for the first time, Ji Yang couldn’t help but linger a moment. After observing, he realized that this man was not channeling the essence solely through his own power; he was utilizing a magical treasure to temporarily harness the power of the essence.

This realization caused Ji Yang’s raised arm to lower slowly.

After the late Void Refinement cultivator from the Golden Rock Sect defeated his enemy, he glanced around in confusion, feeling as if a cold wind had just blown past the back of his neck.

Before long, Ji Yang arrived at a huge palace.

"Temple of Heaven."

Looking at the characters on the plaque, Ji Yang felt a bit surprised; it seemed this building was extraordinary.

At this moment, the doors of the Temple of Heaven were wide open, and it appeared that some cultivators had already entered.

As Ji Yang walked through, he had not detected any trace of the essence of the Way outside; clearly, he needed to explore this unusual palace.

However, once Ji Yang entered the palace, he found it already filled with cultivators from various sects.

Among them were the two true heirs from the He Dao Sect and several late Void Refinement stage cultivators from other elite sects, some of whom radiated an extraordinary profound essence.

That was the essence of the Way!

Though these late Void Refinement cultivators from elite sects had not yet reached the Unity with the Dao stage, they indeed possessed mastery of the essence of the Way.

Seeing the chaotic scene inside, Ji Yang felt a bit confused.

Just moments ago, he had not sensed the presence of any cultivators outside the hall; it seemed this grand hall had the ability to shield primordial spirits.

But since he had already entered, Ji Yang did not intend to leave.

His entrance attracted the attention of many cultivators, but once they noticed Ji Yang was alone, they quickly lost interest.

"Hmph, why aren’t your He Dao Sect cultivators taking the lead?"

"Hehe, I want to, but your Heaven Demon Sect is known for deceit; what if we scout ahead and you attack us from behind?"

"Jin from Bell Tower, stop slandering my Heaven Demon Sect!"

"Does your Heaven Demon Sect really need slander?"

…

As the two sides exchanged words, the atmosphere grew tense again.

Ji Yang, having just entered the hall, focused his gaze at the front, where a unique bronze door stood, but outside the door lay the bodies of several cultivators.

It was clear that prior to this, some cultivators had ventured to scout, only to meet their demise here.

Clearly, some unknown danger lurked ahead of the hall.

It was precisely for this reason that these cultivators had gathered here.

If only one or two sects had reached this point, they might have ventured in alone, but as more cultivators from the Major Sects gathered, the situation became more complicated.

After all, with unknown dangers ahead, any losses or injuries might allow other sect cultivators to take advantage.

Thus, the current standoff arose.

All present were disciples from elite sects, and with late Void Refinement stage cultivators possessing the essence of the Way at the forefront, no one dared to take action, fearing it would further complicate matters.

The two true heirs from the He Dao Sect, Jin from Bell Tower and Yu, both had the essence of the Way flowing around them, clearly indicating they were not ordinary Void Refinement stage cultivators and were stronger than those from other sects.

However, even so, they did not act recklessly; aside from He Dao Sect, there were other sects present.

While one sect might not pose a threat, if they unified, it would be another story.

Now, everyone was once again at a standstill, yet their exchanges remained sharp.

Looking at the complex situation before him, Ji Yang made no immediate move, opting instead to stand to the side and wait.

Since so many cultivators had gathered here, it was evident that this place was different from others; there might be something related to the essence of the Way inside.

Strangely enough, Ji Yang had collected two essences outside, yet upon entering, he had not detected even one.

While he waited, Ji Yang shifted his scrutinizing gaze toward the untraveled space beyond the crowd, hoping to find a hint of the source of danger.

"Cough, cough, everyone, please stop arguing!"

"If we continue to argue, it won’t lead to any results. Since no one wants to take the lead, how about we have someone else scout ahead for us?"

"In that way, we won’t have to worry about being ambushed by others."

A cultivator from the Blood Separation Sect lightly spoke.

Hearing this, the arguing cultivators from the two sects closed their mouths and stopped talking.

Though the suggestion from the Blood Separation Sect cultivator was somewhat contemptible, it seemed there were no better options at the moment.

Previously, they had attempted to use puppets or spiritual beasts to scout ahead, but neither had worked well and had failed to convey any useful information.

If a cultivator could go ahead, they would understand what dangers lurked in this place.

Seeing no one speak against it, everyone began scanning the area, preparing to choose a scout.

It was nicely termed scouting, but less politely, it meant putting another cultivator at risk. However, to enter the bronze door, sacrifices were necessary.

Choosing a scout was not without its considerations.

For instance, cultivators from elite sects present, such as the He Dao Sect, Heaven Demon Sect, and Xuantian Sect, were naturally not candidates.

Additionally, those cultivators who had formed small alliances were also unsuitable; after all, a cornered rabbit still bites.

Thus, the remaining options for selecting a scout were limited, ideally someone acting alone, without disciples at their side, and their cultivation level should not be too low either, as they couldn’t afford to fall before discovering the danger ahead.

After some searching, they quickly found a target.

The Blood Separation Sect cultivator who suggested this idea now wore a smile on his face.

"Hey, kid! You, go scout ahead!"

As Ji Yang heard the order from the Blood Separation Sect cultivator and felt the eyes of everyone on him, he showed a hint of surprise:

"Me?"

"Hmph, who else could it be?"

"Don’t worry about scouting ahead, we have so many people behind you. You don’t need to be concerned. After it’s done, you’ll be well compensated; what do you think?"

With that, the Blood Separation Sect cultivator smiled at Ji Yang, while signaling to the others nearby to ensure he did not escape.

Alone and with a decent cultivation level, this was the perfect candidate for scouting.

Furthermore, Ji Yang did not seem like a cultivator from an elite sect, which meant there was less to worry about.

As the Blood Separation Sect cultivator finished speaking, the other cultivators remained silent, their gazes quietly fixed on Ji Yang, clearly accepting the decision.

Sending a stranger to scout was better than risking their own sect’s cultivators.

After all, who else would dare to go into the Temple of Heaven alone?

Feeling the weight of their stares, Ji Yang fell silent.

He hadn’t anticipated that merely being a bystander would bring him such unexpected trouble.

However, upon seeing that he was the only one left alone, Ji Yang understood the situation.

Yet understanding or not, having him scout for the other cultivators was out of the question.

"Hmph, what are you hesitating for? Hurry up and go!"