Chapter 1041: Gathering of Geniuses

“This isn’t just heaven flame; it’s red heaven flame! Who possesses it?” the first cultivator demanded.

Heaven flames were rare, their refinement even rarer. Many obtained them but never advanced their cultivation. Yet, some could elevate earth flames to blue.

Ye Mo remained unaware of the speculation surrounding his heaven flame. Upon returning, he immediately focused on refining the Nine Flavors. The Truth Fall Palace's opening loomed, and after encountering a nascent soul state level seven cultivator, he dared not be complacent. Though strong among nascent soul state cultivators, the world teemed with prodigies. Weakness wasn't always the cause of defeat; a sudden, unexpected attack could prove fatal.

Meanwhile, Truth Fall City buzzed with news: Lu Jianqiang, ranked 219th on the nascent soul state trial tablet, had been slain outside the city.

Speculation ran rampant. Lu Jianqiang, though ruthless, avoided confronting stronger opponents and excelled at escape. Yet, he'd died in a fierce battle, implying his killer was another nascent soul state cultivator—prompting suspicion to fall upon the city's most gifted nascent soul cultivators.

"What? He killed Lu Jianqiang?" Wen Caiyi exclaimed, incredulous. She suspected Lu Jianqiang was the cultivator who pursued Ye Mo, but wasn't certain. Lu Jianqiang's death confirmed her suspicions; it was clearly the work of that nascent soul state level three cultivator.

A core disciple of a nine-star sect and South Peace State's foremost beauty, Wen Caiyi possessed a haughty demeanor and a narrow-minded nature. However, she wasn't foolish; she understood the terrifying potential of true geniuses. Many surpassed her in strength.

Yet, none, no matter how powerful, could slay a nascent soul state level seven cultivator like Lu Jianqiang while only at nascent soul state level three. Even a regular level seven would have been difficult to accept. But Lu Jianqiang's prowess was well known; even some nascent soul state peak cultivators feared his Zero Life Demonic Mist.

Even her martial brother, Yuan Guannan, couldn't defeat Lu Jianqiang at nascent soul state level three. Just how overwhelming was this cultivator who had achieved such a feat?

The humiliation she felt towards Ye Mo vanished, replaced by profound concern. Encountering this cultivator in the wilderness would spell certain doom. The silent, efficient manner in which he lured Lu Jianqiang to his demise spoke volumes of his cunning.

After spirit-controlling his armor, Ye Mo cultivated for several days before departing Xu Changji's residence for the Sifan Hotel. Unbeknownst to him, Ge Lian and You Shanping were deeply worried. Ye Mo had only given them brief notice before leaving, and his whereabouts remained unknown.

The Truth Fall Palace's opening neared, and Ye Mo was still missing. Their anxiety was palpable.

Upon seeing Ye Mo, You Shanping rushed over, relief evident. He refrained from inquiring about Ye Mo's absence.

“Brother Ye, tomorrow you and the other cultivator will travel on the Green Pill sect's ship. We're superfluous; try to remain inconspicuous. Large sects' geniuses often travel on these ships, and offending one would be disastrous,” You Shanping cautioned.

“A ship?” Ye Mo questioned, expecting a teleportation formation like the one used at the herb plain.

Ge Lian nodded. “Yes, a ship is required to reach the Truth Fall Palace. Dao friend You’s advice is sound,” Ge Lian added, fearing Ye Mo’s temper might lead to trouble.

Ye Mo smiled. “I understand, don’t worry, Brothers Ge and You.”

Reassured, You Shanping whispered, “Did you hear about Lu Jianqiang, the powerful demonic cultivator slain outside the city? He was ranked 219th on the nascent soul state trial tablet. Staying low-profile is crucial.”

Ye Mo was startled. He knew the demonic cultivator was strong, but not this strong.

He now had a clearer understanding of his own strength. On the nascent soul state trial tablet, he might rank around 100. In the nascent soul state middle stage, he was confident of a top-ten ranking; in the tertiary stage, a top-three finish was assured.

However, Ye Mo held no interest in this. Even if he found Luo Ying and Ning Qingxue, what then? Given their renown, meeting them realistically seemed impossible. The daily onslaught of challengers might prove too much.

The following morning, Ge Lian and You Shanping brought Ye Mo and the golden core state cultivator to the Green Pill sect's gathering point.

The Green Pill sect leader, a body condensation state middle stage cultivator, assessed Ye Mo and the golden core state cultivator. Their unremarkable aura elicited a flicker of disappointment, but he nodded to Ge Lian. “You may leave; these two will accompany us to the Truth Fall Palace.”

“Yes, Elder Yang,” Ge Lian and You Shanping replied respectfully, departing immediately.

Ye Mo casually surveyed the sixteen sect members bound for the Truth Fall Palace; eight-star and nine-star sects would surely send more.

He spotted a familiar face: Qiu Xue from the herb plain, now a golden core state peak stage cultivator. The rapid advancement was likely due to the blue wen pill Ye Mo had given her. All the Green Pill Sect cultivators were now gathered before her.

Upon reaching Truth Fall Square, numerous sects had already assembled. Despite the square’s vastness, the atmosphere was boisterous. A large ship, presumably their transport to the Truth Fall Palace, was moored there.

He suppressed his power to nascent soul state level one, feigning instability. His caution proved wise; he felt several spirit senses probing his body, one possibly belonging to You Shanping.

As more boarded the ship, the square thinned. Ye Mo and Gu Wei were at the rear of the Green Pill Sect's line. Though the Green Pill Sect provided two extra rooms, they were occupied by two of their own hollow spirit state cultivators, not Ye Mo and Gu Wei.

Ye Mo and Gu Wei were relegated to the Solo Cultivator Alliance's quarters. Few solo cultivators attended the Truth Fall Palace, most recommended by the Alliance. However, the Alliance held far less influence here than in North Far State, which had Ling Zhongtian.

Ye Mo didn't mind; he desired to remain undetected. Arriving at the solo cultivator quarters, he found nearly two hundred cultivators crammed into a large hall, each with a designated space but no private room. A private room was paramount for a cultivator; the sheer overcrowding was striking.