Chapter 1182: Cross the Heartless Sea
A month later, a blue ray, Ye Mo's Blue Moon, darted tens of thousands of kilometers from Mo Yue City and vanished into the Heartless Sea. Ye Mo had encountered Ji Ling's essence spirit; though near dissipation, it was temporarily salvageable with his spirit cleansing bead. He knew, however, that without the Immortal Curl Flower, Ji Ling's survival remained impossible.
Legend held that the Immortal Curl Flower—capable of perfectly rebuilding a cultivator's body and essence spirit—existed only within the Heartless Sea, though no one had ever confirmed its presence. Finding it meant Ji Ling's salvation; failing to find it meant her certain death.
Ye Mo reinforced Blue Moon's formation with an additional stealth formation. He understood that the greatest challenge in traversing the Heartless Sea wasn't the time or distance, but the numerous powerful beings residing within. Offending a major faction there could doom even Truth Realization state cultivators, let alone himself.
Therefore, Ye Mo maintained a low profile. Were it not for Ji Ling, he wouldn't even attempt this journey. He placed the spirit cleansing bead on the herb king spirit range to nurture Ji Ling's weakened essence spirit. Following this, he established a surveillance formation on Blue Moon, affixed eight extreme-grade spirit stones, and entered the Golden Page World to cultivate using the time formation disk. Controlling Blue Moon with a portion of his spirit sense would slow its progress, but Ye Mo deemed it a necessary trade-off.
After another month's flight, Ye Mo found himself in the deep sea. He had reached Body Condensation state level five. Though he had given all his spirit marrow ponds to Luo Ying and the others, he possessed an extreme-grade spirit range—equally potent, if not denser in spirit chi. The only difference was its slower absorption rate, but this posed no problem thanks to his Bitter Bamboo.
This month passed without incident. Even encounters with spirit beasts proved inconsequential; Blue Moon's speed was too great for them to react. The only drawback was Blue Moon's consumption of eight extreme-grade spirit stones per month. Despite receiving some from Yue Qichao and gathering more himself, his current supply of approximately 100 stones would sustain Blue Moon for only a year.
As the second month drew to a close, Ye Mo attained Body Condensation state level six, nearing level seven, when a flying magic artifact, faster than Blue Moon, pursued him. The target was unmistakably Blue Moon. Startled, Ye Mo exited the Golden Page World, immediately accelerating Blue Moon. His full concentration pushed Blue Moon to its peak speed.
The pursuers responded in kind, matching his increased velocity. A sense of foreboding washed over Ye Mo, but seeing only three individuals, the strongest a Cauldron Filling state level three, he halted Blue Moon. Continuing the chase would inevitably reveal his position.
The pursuers' flying magic artifact was a chariot, piloted by a strikingly beautiful young woman with milky white skin, wavy hair cascading over her shoulders, and a slightly flushed face. Ye Mo was astonished by her exceptionally ample bosom, which evoked memories of his teacher, Yun Bing. While Yun Bing's figure was undeniably impressive, it paled in comparison to this girl's. This remembrance of Yun Bing brought a wave of sadness; since leaving Ning Hai, he had neither visited her nor Ting Ting, and the possibility of ever seeing them again seemed remote.
"Hmph." A sneer broke the silence, prompting Ye Mo to turn. The girl, appearing barely teenage, possessed the cultivation of a Hollow Spirit state middle stage.
"Why were you running?" she demanded coldly. "Did you do something wrong? Who gave you the right to go where you please here?"
Ye Mo frowned; the girl was either incredibly foolish or deliberately provoking him. He disregarded her, focusing instead on her two escorts—one Cauldron Filling state level two, the other level three—either of whom would present a formidable challenge. Their presence suggested her considerable status.
"Are you deaf?" she snapped, irritated by his silence.
Ye Mo responded icily, "What I do is none of your concern. Is the Heartless Sea your private property? Am I forbidden to pass?"
"You're asking for death!" the Cauldron Filling state level two roared, immediately unleashing a dark magic artifact. Before Ye Mo could react, the Cauldron Filling state level three intervened, restraining his colleague.
He addressed Ye Mo coldly, "You're correct, this is our mistress's territory. Considering this is your first offense, relinquish your flying magic artifact and you may depart."
Ye Mo instantly recognized the avarice in the girl's eyes; she craved his Blue Moon, but her desire would remain unfulfilled. He also noted a glint of cruelty in the Cauldron Filling state cultivator's eyes—surrender Blue Moon, and he would die.
"A mere Body Condensation state cultivator dares to cross the Heartless Sea—insolent!" the Cauldron Filling state level two sneered.
Ye Mo recognized them as cultivators, not spirit beasts, though the presence of cultivators in the Heartless Sea's depths puzzled him.
"Sorry, I'm not playing games," Ye Mo retorted, preparing to activate Blue Moon.
"If you want to die, I'll grant your wish," the Cauldron Filling state level two declared, launching a black ray towards Ye Mo.
Ye Mo sneered; if he truly wished to flee, he wouldn't have stopped. This was his first encounter with a Cauldron Filling state cultivator, and he was prepared. He instantly summoned his octagonal cauldron and Zi Xu.
As the dark magic artifact neared, Ye Mo felt a spatial anomaly; even his octagonal cauldron was immobile. His mind raced to the attack he'd created in the spirit marrow palace, recalling the cultivator's word—"domain."
Could this be a domain? The cultivator's domain was rudimentary, yet this glimpse, coupled with his past experience, illuminated the concept. He felt a sudden certainty; he could easily assimilate this binding force. This was not mere deduction; it was pure confidence.
Instantly, Zi Xu slashed, unleashing a long purple ray and a forceful intent to bind space.
"Fine cauldron..." the Cauldron Filling state cultivator commented, admiring Ye Mo's octagonal cauldron.
"Good thing, Er Wu! I want that cauldron too!" the young girl declared.
Ye Mo sneered, accelerating Zi Xu. The space binding him shattered.
"Domain..." the Cauldron Filling state level two muttered, realizing he could no longer restrict Ye Mo's magic artifact; instead, his own was constrained. He was baffled; how could a Body Condensation state cultivator comprehend domains? Even he, under the tutelage of his sect leader, only possessed a rudimentary understanding.
But his realization came too late; his magic artifact was completely halted.
Rumble Crack!
Zi Xu collided with the dark magic artifact, purple rays erupting everywhere. The Cauldron Filling state cultivator spat blood and flew backward, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.