What puzzled Li Fan somewhat was that, according to the records he had consulted earlier, this secret reservoir cultivation method should be restricted by the laws of heaven and earth once one's cultivation reached a strength equivalent to the Golden Core realm. One's progress ought to slow down progressively.
Yet in Ye Feipeng, Li Fan saw no sign of this restriction taking effect.
At the very least, not yet.
"Is it because of his demon beast bloodline? Does it make distinctions?"
Li Fan was somewhat perplexed.
"Perhaps I can find an opportunity to test it."
Stroking his chin, Li Fan began scheming in his heart.
...
During the two months of Ye Feipeng's meteoric progress, Zhang Haobo and Su Xiaomei had already departed the Congyun Sea and reached the borders of Jiushan Province, near the boundary with Shilin Province.
Looking at the boundless White Mist Barrier spanning heaven and earth, the two were deeply shaken in mind and spirit.
Having never seen such a wondrous spectacle before, they paused to gaze at it for a long while before continuing toward the Chaoyuan Sect ruins in Jiushan Province.
Awed by this magnificent scene of heaven and earth, Su Xiaomei felt her own insignificance for the first time.
Along the way, she restrained herself considerably, acting low-key and simply hurrying on their journey.
This allowed Zhang Haobo to breathe a sigh of relief as well.
This little ancestor was truly difficult to look after—short-tempered and a massive headache.
Moreover, this was her first long journey since "growing up," and whenever anything happened, she loved to crowd in and join the excitement.
Seeing her acting like a precocious child, others would occasionally tease her with a remark or two.
Yet she could not tolerate it at all.
In mere moments, she would be ready to pick a fight.
Along the way, such incidents had already occurred several times.
Fortunately, Su Xiaomei only had a fiery temper; she was not stupid.
She would only strike first after confirming that the other party was a Foundation Establishment cultivator whom she could beat.
Once Su Xiaomei got entangled in battle, Zhang Haobo could hardly stand by with folded arms.
He had no choice but to join hands with her, teach the opponent a lesson, and leave in a hurry.
"Hopefully, this peaceful spell will last a bit longer," Zhang Haobo thought to himself as he looked at Su Xiaomei, who had grown uncharacteristically quiet.
However, things going against one's wishes was the true norm of the world.
After traveling through Jiushan Province for a time and arriving before the first transverse mountain range, Su Xiaomei grew restless again, slipping back into her old ways.
For in front of the mountain pass traversing the first mountain range, Shixi Mountain, a checkpoint had actually been established.
Any cultivator wishing to pass had to pay a certain amount of contribution points or spirit stones before being allowed through.
According to the information marked on the map Ye Feipeng had given them, each of the nine mountains of Jiushan Province possessed distinct wonders, and cultivators could not fly above them.
Therefore, to cross Shixi Mountain, unless one was willing to take on the hardship and brave unknown risks to scale the mountains and ridges, one could only take these passes cutting through the mountains.
As for spirit stones, the two had naturally prepared some before departing.
During their earlier fights, they had also taken a bit along the way.
So they were not lacking in them.
However, seeing Su Xiaomei glaring fixedly at the person collecting spirit stones ahead, her big eyes darting about as if plotting something dangerous, Zhang Haobo's heart instantly leapt into his throat.
Without strength and backing, how could anyone dare set up a checkpoint to collect tolls in a place like this?
This group clearly was not to be trifled with.
He hastily tugged at her clothes, signaling with his eyes for Su Xiaomei not to stir up trouble.
Su Xiaomei rolled her eyes at him and transmitted her voice: "Am I that stupid? So many people here chose to pay obediently, even those Golden Core cultivators. It's just a few spirit stones; why would I recklessly make trouble?"
Zhang Haobo couldn't help but feel surprised and asked, "Then what are you plotting?"
"Hee-hee, if I don't step forward, someone else will.
"Look at that guy!" Su Xiaomei subtly pointed toward a cultivator ahead.
Zhang Haobo looked in that direction and saw that the man was already approaching the toll collection point.
However...
Only then did Zhang Haobo notice that a mocking smirk had been plastered across the man's face the entire time.
He seemed utterly contemptuous of the cultivators who had obediently handed over their spirit stones.
"There's a good show to watch!" said Su Xiaomei excitedly, ever eager for chaos.
Zhang Haobo grew interested as well.
He knew that the cultivation method Xiaomei practiced was exceptionally sensitive to changes in surrounding emotions.
For her to say this meant that this cultivator was almost certain to clash with the toll-collecting organization.
Yet what made Zhang Haobo curious was where this man got his confidence when he clearly appeared to possess only Foundation Establishment cultivation.
Could he be some grandmaster concealing his cultivation?
Fortunately, he did not have to wait long.
"One hundred low-grade spirit stones."
The man stood with his head held high before the passage, unmoving for a long while. The black-robed cultivator responsible for collecting the fee grew somewhat impatient and urged him.
"Don't have any!"
The man snorted coldly, looking sideways with condescension.
"Don't have any? Why is a pauper crowding in? Move aside!" The black-robed cultivator glared, about to shove him away.
However, upon catching the man's gaze—as if looking at an ant—his heart trembled, and he hesitated.
Making one's way in the world, discerning eyes were crucial.
In this Jiushan Province where dragons and snakes mingled, countless cultivators had provoked people they shouldn't have and were casually slapped to death.
Judging by this man's posture, if he wasn't out of his mind, then he was concealing his cultivation and intentionally looking for trouble.
The black-robed cultivator pondered for a moment and did not rush to act.
Instead, he stepped back slightly to open up some distance.
Then, he began calling for backup.
After all, he was merely a hired hand earning wages.
It wasn't worth risking his life for such modest pay.
If he couldn't handle it, someone else naturally could.
"You just wait!"
He threw down a harsh threat, then retreated inside the protective formation within the mountain pass.
Soon, four or five cultivators arrived one after another from within the pass.
Leading them was a long-haired, effeminate Nascent Soul cultivator.
He came before the troublemaking man, sizing him up with keen interest.
"You're quite an amusing one. If you have no spirit stones, just turn back. What is the meaning of blocking the way here?
"Could it be that you think our Lingyuan Sect is easy to bully?"
The effeminate man spoke with a smile, yet his eyes were laden with killing intent.
Above his head, a Peach Blossom Grotto-Heaven suddenly manifested.
Pink petals drifted with the wind, and the formidable pressure belonging to a Nascent Soul cultivator instantly spread out.
Caught in the Nascent Soul pressure, many Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators instantly turned pale, their bodies trembling.
Yet to the astonishment of all the cultivators present, the Nascent Soul pressure seemed to have no effect on the troublemaker at all.
Instead, he smiled faintly and exposed the effeminate man's identity outright: "Shen Yurou, you're still as sissified as ever."
Shen Yurou's face changed drastically upon hearing this, and the Peach Blossom Grotto-Heaven above his head abruptly vanished.
Stern and vigilant, he stared warily at the troublemaker before him.
"Who on earth are you?"
The troublemaking man dusted off his clothes and said rather casually, "Just because I changed my clothes, you don't recognize me?"
Following his words, the blue cloth robe on the man instantly flared with golden radiance, turning into a glittering suit of golden armor.
Shen Yurou was stunned at first, then seemed to recall something as he gasped in horror, "Wo Wudi?!"
In an instant, his figure retreated explosively.
After putting a great distance between them, he suddenly came to a halt.
Turning around, he looked at Wo Wudi and asked with suspicion, "Didn't you break through to Soul Formation? How have you become a Foundation Establishment cultivator again?"
Wo Wudi shrugged with an air of complete nonchalance: "Felt like I cultivated the wrong way, so I just started over."
Chapter 279