Neither Li Guanqi nor Ye Feng knew what Cao Yan was enduring at that moment.
Yet the two of them had given Cao Yan immense support!
It was Li Guanqi who had granted him hope for life, enabled him to cultivate once more, and shouldered the karma that trailed behind him.
Though Cao Yan did not know the full extent of the karma Li Guanqi had borne on his behalf, he knew that dispelling the restriction within his body back then must have come at a tremendous cost!
Otherwise, he would never have remained a cripple for so many years.
Atop the mountain summit, Li Guanqi helped Ye Feng review their entire spar.
He pointed out every flaw throughout the exchange, as well as that ferociously powerful sword momentum.
"In swordplay, speed overcomes all."
"While that move of yours possesses immense power and sheer presence, the execution is far too sluggish."
"Find a way to streamline it further."
Ye Feng scratched his head and frowned. "Boss, you saw it yourself. That technique is all about steadily accumulating momentum as it unfolds."
"Only at the very end is all that power unleashed."
Li Guanqi smiled. "Then can you weave that buildup into our earlier clash?"
"Cut out the visible accumulation so that you erupt directly in the end."
Ye Feng's eyes lit up at once, and he sank into deep thought.
Seeing him lost in contemplation, Li Guanqi did not disturb him. He walked over to the edge of the peak, brought out a wine gourd, and took a drink.
His gaze turned profound as he looked into the distance, watching the rising sun as he murmured, "You have to survive!"
In truth, he had already made plans. For their next step, he would likely take Ye Feng straight to a mountain range overrun with demonic beasts to temper themselves.
On one hand, it would hone their strength—after all, the physical bodies of demonic beasts were far sturdier than those of human cultivators.
On the other hand, they could search for ingredients needed to refine the Longevity Pill.
More importantly, the two of them were flat broke.
Looking at the motionless Ye Feng, Li Guanqi simply took flight toward an adjacent peak to practice his swordplay.
Before swinging his blade, he went through dozens of boxing routines. Once his muscles and bones were thoroughly loosened, he raised his sword and set into motion!
Only when the sun began to set did Li Guanqi finally lower his blade, drenched in sweat.
He looked down at the sword in his hand, feeling a subtle realization stir within him.
Ever since his resolve to become strong had solidified, he felt as though his strikes were coming out just a bit faster throughout today's practice.
"Boss, I've got an inkling of an idea, but I still can't quite puzzle it out," Ye Feng said with a bitter grimace.
Li Guanqi smiled faintly and said softly, "If you can't figure it out right now, then don't dwell on it."
"Come on, time to hit the road!"
Ye Feng flickered over to Li Guanqi's side in a flash, grinning. "Boss, where are we heading?"
A mysterious smile curved Li Guanqi's lips as he answered softly, "The Purgatory Mountain Range!"
Hearing those words, Ye Feng's heart gave a violent leap!
Swallowing hard with some difficulty, he stammered, "B-Boss... you don't mean..."
"You can't possibly mean the Purgatory Mountain Range in the Eastern Domain—the place known as the Core Formation Forbidden Land?!"
Seeing the youth merely standing there with a smile, Ye Feng pulled at him with a wailing face.
"Boss, training is training, but seeking death is seeking death!"
"Is there really any need for this...?"
Li Guanqi said nothing else, only asking softly, "Do you want to get stronger?"
Ye Feng fell silent. Of course he wanted to get stronger!
"Then we go."
Ye Feng gritted his teeth, a sharp light glinting in his eyes.
Li Guanqi smiled, and the two set off on the road to the Purgatory Mountain Range.
The Purgatory Mountain Range was known as the Core Formation Forbidden Land.
The reason was the staggering abundance of demonic beasts within, especially rank three and rank four beasts.
There were even rumors that rank five beasts, or perhaps even greater beings, lurked within its depths!
Hardly any Core Formation cultivator who ventured in ever made it out alive.
Yet within that mountain range, there were still numerous hunting squads formed by cultivators seeking to make a fortune.
Most of them were rogue cultivators unaffiliated with any sect or clan; they had no choice but to huddle together for warmth, hunting demonic beasts side by side to earn cultivation resources.
In short, the Purgatory Mountain Range was an exceptionally perilous place, fraught with crisis at every turn.
At the same time, it was filled with opportunities and fortunate encounters.
The two journeyed through the air, occasionally riding on cloud boats.
Whenever they passed through a city, they casually bought a few black robes to keep on hand.
Staring into his empty storage bag, Li Guanqi was even tempted to pry off some of the spirit stones incubating the dragon egg.
Yet after a moment's thought, he refrained, only glaring fiercely at the slightly enlarged dragon egg and muttering curses under his breath.
According to the sword spirit, by this point he could begin feeding it a bit of fresh blood each day.
This would forge a bond between them, allowing him to naturally tame this thunder dragon when it hatched.
The two traveled across vast distances for several dozen days. During that time, Li Guanqi also sent word through intermediaries to contact Yunding Auction House.
Yet Qianqiusui seemed determined not to meddle, offering not the slightest reply.
Both of them were deeply worried about Cao Yan, but Cao Yan had not contacted them either.
Suddenly, the boatmaster's rough voice boomed across the cloud boat: "Alright, we're almost at the Purgatory Mountain Range!!"
The two snapped out of their cultivation state. A sizable crowd had already gathered on the deck.
Without exception, every single one of them was in the Core Formation realm, their auras robust and imposing.
Many wore beast teeth and draped themselves in animal pelts, their eyes sharp and vigilant.
It was clear at a glance that these people routinely mingled in these parts; they even carried the faint stench of beast blood.
Seeing the pair cloaked in black robes, none of the onlookers found it particularly surprising.
Rogue cultivators like them—seeking tempering or scouring for specific items—were everywhere around the Purgatory Mountain Range.
As the cloud boat pulled into the dock, a clamor of hawking and shouting instantly washed over their ears.
"Rank three frenzied python gall! A supreme tonic for body refinement cultivators! Only thirty mid-grade spirit stones!"
"Rank three raging bear paws! Consuming them heals damaged vitality, not to mention they're an exquisite delicacy!"
"Rank three frost vortex crocodile hide! Perfect for crafting soft armor with peerless defense! Come take a look, everyone!"
Cries of all kinds rang out continuously, and the stalls and shops along the way were bustling with excitement.
Here, Li Guanqi even spotted numerous alchemists and weapon refiners, as well as talisman masters and array masters, who were seldom seen in ordinary places.
These people routinely required materials from demonic beasts, so they favored browsing around here.
Li Guanqi could not help marveling at how numerous the Core Formation cultivators were in this place.
A rough sweep revealed over a hundred Core Formation cultivators in the dock area alone.
Slowly raising his head beyond the low-roofed shops, he could already see the endless mountain range stretching out behind them.
Towering, ancient trees cast dark, heavy shadows over the entire range.
The colossal peaks carried an inexplicable sense of oppression, yet a faint thrill stirred in Li Guanqi's heart.
Ye Feng marvelled, wide-eyed, "Boss, this place is really lively!"
"There are demonic beast materials here that even I've never seen before!"
Chapter 245