Chapter 694

Chapter 694: Essence

"Let’s go first. With this many people around, we won’t stand out." Ye Yun hid his aura. Anyone who noticed him would assume he was a hidden expert, never guessing his cultivation was merely at the lowly Golden Core stage. This was human nature—when facing an unknown opponent, people often overestimated their strength.

Ye Yun didn’t bother with formalities. He transformed into lightning and soared upward. No one dared block his path. The crowd watched him leave with reverence before hastily entering the third layer themselves.

"How useful are these runes?" The Ancestor of the Sword Path fiddled with Ye Yun’s twelve symbols. Though he recognized their rarity, their exact effects eluded him.

"Far from ordinary." Ye Yun’s terse reply emphasized their significance.

The Ancestor huffed, "Obviously they’re not ordinary! That’s why I asked about their power. I reckon they’re comparable to the self-destruct blast of a Sixth Level Nascent Soul cultivator. Any difference must be due to their age—their spiritual essence has likely faded."

"They’ve certainly lasted longer than your two-thousand-year existence," Ye Yun agreed calmly.

"I expected as much," the Ancestor retorted. "The Xumi Treasure opens every millennium. Anything surviving the natural nine great tribulations would endure. That’s why these runes feel ancient."

"Age alone doesn’t make them superior to you," Ye Yun remarked with a faint smile.

"Pfah! They’re just lifeless objects. That innate mountain beast you fought was older than me, yet its mind was cruder than a newborn’s—all instinct, no wit. Age means nothing."

Their conversation halted when distant shouts pierced the air. Ye Yun turned to see a familiar pair—a young man and woman—calling his name through the throng of cultivators.

"Admit it—you’re heaven’s favorite. What are the odds?" The Ancestor chuckled as Golden Ling’er and Jin An waved excitedly.

"I’d believe it myself if I weren’t mortal," Ye Yun sighed wryly. So much for avoiding attention.

"Fate works strangely," he mused. Lightning scattered around him as spatial laws activated. In a flash of white light, he materialized beside the duo.

"How did you recognize me?" he asked gently.

"Xiao Shui sensed you!" Golden Ling’er beamed, raising her hand to show the Water Spirit Python coiled around her finger. "And only you’d make Nascent Soul experts yield so boldly! When we saw that lightning streak, I just… called out." Her voice had trembled then, but now she glowed with relief.

"The Water Spirit Python will aid you well. You’ll manage fine without me." Ye Yun made to leave after confirming their safety.

"Senior!" Golden Ling’er blushed crimson, fists clenched. "Let me come! I’m weak, but I can help a little! Xiao Shui protects me, and Senior Brother Jin An… well, he’s somewhat useful too!"

The mentioned "senior brother" sighed in mock offense.

The Ancestor guffawed. "Bold lass! Let’s see you wiggle out of this, boy."

"I’ve no energy to babysit," Ye Yun warned.

"We’ll handle ourselves!" Jin An interjected. "Let her tag along. It’ll lift her spirits."

Golden Ling’er nodded fervently, eyes pleading.

"…Fine. Stay close." With a resigned wave, spatial energy enveloped them. White light flared, teleporting the trio past the second layer’s shattered boundary.

The third layer unfolded—an endless forest pulsing with wood spirit power. Life thrived here, every leaf radiating vitality.

Golden Ling’er gasped, lifting her serpent companion to share the view. Jin An stared, awestruck. Even the python’s tongue flickered in wonder.

"Here, we should avoid using Fire Spirit Qi for combat," Ye Yun frowned as Golden Ling’er and Jin An marveled at the expansive forest. He imagined fire-wielding cultivators potentially igniting the woodland, reducing it to ashes.

When Ye Yun landed, he first tested Fire Spirit Qi on a sapling as thick as a bowl. Despite intense burning, the flames mysteriously died after three breaths. Though puzzled by the phenomenon, he realized Fire Spirit Qi posed little danger here.

"The fire resistance is extraordinary. But where’s the treasure vault?" He scanned the dense green expanse with numerous paths, yet nothing remarkable caught his eye.

The endless trees formed a maze – whenever Ye Yun tried leaving, towering trunks blocked his path. Detours only returned him to starting points. Though capable of flying away, the forest’s strangeness held his attention.

What array could deceive his perception? Buried underground? Or was this entire forest a Deceptive Array? He dismissed human interference – with Ancestor of the Sword Path monitoring through soul power, no Nascent Soul stage cultivator could manipulate him unnoticed.

"Typical oddities." Ye Yun examined peculiar plants beneath a giant tree, feeling time slipping away. The third Xumi Treasure layer surely held deeper secrets.

"Ancestor, found anything?" Ye Yun asked as sword energy scanned thousand miles of woodland, coordinates imprinting despite momentary dizziness.

"A high-grade underground Deceptive Array. Notice the anomaly?" The Ancestor transmitted memory fragments with a chuckle.

"The absence of life?" Ye Yun responded.

"Exactly! Such vibrant land devoid of creatures except these skyscraping trees? Focus – they emit faint auras." The Ancestor’s tone turned serious.

"You mean… these trees are this layer’s inhabitants?" Ye Yun pressed his palm against bark, sensing subtle vibrations. "How to proceed?"

"Silence won’t last." A distant explosion interrupted as spiritual power clashed with true qi. Ye Yun’s brow furrowed at the disturbance.

"Not intervening?" The Ancestor teased.

"None of my concern." Ye Yun glanced at the blazing sun.

"Let’s investigate." The Ancestor persisted.

"Your meddling habit remains." Ye Yun relented – aimless wandering helped none. "Ling’er, Jin An – forward."

White light flashed through continuous teleportations. They arrived at two battling Third Level Nascent Soul groups. Finding no clues, Ye Yun snapped his fingers – Ice Spirit Qi flash-froze the battlefield.

Combatants stiffened in terror. Ye Yun approached their leaders: "Reason for fighting?"

"Senior! We sought soul power for Medicine King Valley’s reward!" The men stammered.

"Why does Medicine King Valley need this?" Ice Spirit Qi intensified, freezing the glowing green essence. Ye Yun recalled Yue Lengxuan’s warning about this layer being Medicine King Valley’s domain.

"We wanted top-tier Immortal Spirit Stones!" They trembled. "Yao Hongchen’s plans aren’t ours!"

Cold Aura encased several first-level Nascent Soul cultivators in ice statues. "Ten breaths to leave." Ye Yun’s command sent survivors scrambling.

Examining the frozen soul power, Ye Yun sensed overwhelming life essence. Though resurrection claims were exaggerated, its value was undeniable – an unexpected find in this bewildering forest.