Chapter 842: Strong Foundation
"Foundation establishment state?" Li Bailin exclaimed, his voice laced with disbelief. "Impossible! You can't be at foundation establishment state!"
Ye Mo didn't bother with a response. His flying sword unleashed a sword ray at Li Bailin, which quickly multiplied into two, four, eight, and more. Knowing Li Bailin possessed impressive swordsmanship, Ye Mo opted for a swift, decisive strike, immediately employing his Three Birth Sword Ray.
Li Bailin, recovering from his shock, deflected the barrage with his flying sword, creating a protective veil. Though not exceptionally powerful, his swordsmanship was undeniably skillful. The sword veil proved far stronger than a typical cultivation chi veil, allowing Li Bailin not only to defend but also to prepare a counterattack.
Seeing Li Bailin reach for a rune, Ye Mo realized the man possessed valuable resources. Preventing its use, Ye Mo poured more cultivation essence into his attack, generating a rapidly expanding array of sword rays: 32, 64, 256…
The sword rays coalesced into a dense net, shattering Li Bailin's sword veil. Surrounded, Li Bailin could only use his flying sword to protect his head. The realization that he, a second-ranked master on the chi gathering Hall of Fame, was defenseless against a chi gathering stage 8 cultivator, struck him hard.
Numerous sword rays pierced his body, sending him flying hundreds of meters before he crashed to the ground. Shaken, Li Bailin frantically swallowed several pills, staring at Ye Mo in horror. "Martial Brother, I'm sorry! I'll compensate you. My elder brother is Li Baisen. You can't—"
He recognized Ye Mo wasn't at foundation establishment; he was a chi gathering cultivator, but one whose cultivation chi had transformed into cultivation essence, resulting in that terrifying sword technique.
Ye Mo reflected that while his Three Birth Sword Ray was a potent killing move, its power remained incomplete. Otherwise, Li Bailin's veil wouldn't have held. Using the technique at full power had drastically depleted his cultivation essence. Had it been cultivation chi instead, he likely wouldn't have been able to move afterward.
Ignoring Li Bailin's pleas, Ye Mo decapitated him.
The remaining cultivator watched in terror, speechless. Aside from the woman nearing foundation establishment, no one would have dared claim superiority over Li Bailin in the chi gathering stage. Yet, this unknown cultivator had killed him in mere minutes. Had Ye Mo been on the Hall of Fame, he would undoubtedly have secured first place.
The cultivator’s fear quickly gave way to a desperate plea, but before he could speak, Ye Mo's flying sword met his fate.
Ye Mo collected the storage bags and the crocodile corpse, swiftly incinerating the bodies. Instead of exiting, he delved deeper into the All Herbs Mountain Ranges.
Soon after, a small patrol arrived, surveying the scene. "It looks like a battle took place recently, and there was a level 3 Metal Spine Crocodile!" the leading young man observed.
"It must have been a foundation establishment cultivator who fought the level 3 beast. We should leave quickly!" His companion's face paled, and they hurried away, the others following suit.
Unbeknownst to Ye Mo, the moment he killed Li Bailin, deep within the Zheng Yuan Sword Sect, a place saturated with spirit chi, a howl pierced the air. A man in his thirties, levitating, roared, "No matter who you are, I will cut you into a million pieces and burn your soul for killing my brother!" He then vanished in a flash of red light, hurtling towards the All Herbs Mountain Ranges.
Two golden core elders appeared outside the man's cultivation chamber. The thinner one sighed, "Martial Niece Li can levitate without a magic artifact. It seems he's reached the fake core state. Soon, he'll reach golden core. Why did he leave now?"
"His brother was killed. Li Bailin was a genius of our sect, about to become a core disciple. He was killed in the All Herbs Ranges. No wonder his brother is enraged. Such a pity," the other elder lamented.
"I hope he returns after his revenge, having achieved golden core."
The two elders departed.
Li Baisen swiftly arrived at the scene of his brother's death, meticulously examining the area before pursuing a single trail—the same direction the patrol had taken.
…
Employing the Three Birth Chant's stealth capabilities to their fullest, Ye Mo evaded countless beasts, flying for two days without rest until he encountered a level 4 beast. His caution stemmed from his knowledge of Li Baisen's strength—peak foundation establishment, possibly even golden core. Li Baisen would inevitably trace his brother's body, and a confrontation would prove fatal.
Ye Mo located a secluded valley, constructing a cultivation chamber several hundred meters within its heart. Anticipating the commotion his cultivation would cause, he erected numerous formations before beginning. He chose the domain of a level 4 Hun Bear—powerful but unintelligent. Even powerful spirit whirlpools would likely go unnoticed. Deep within the ranges, he was confident no other beast would dare approach, providing him with a formidable, albeit unwitting, bodyguard.
Deep within the valley, a spirit chi whirlpool formed, growing steadily until a smaller one emerged beside it. This process repeated, until eight whirlpools coalesced. Ye Mo maintained a calm façade, though he was surprised by the rapid absorption of spirit chi.
It seemed that once his cultivation essence filled his meridians and chakra points, the Three Birth Chant became self-sustaining. He could cultivate while performing other tasks.
The stage 9 barrier shattered effortlessly. Stage 9 primary, middle, tertiary stages—all passed swiftly. Spirit chi flowed ceaselessly, transforming into cultivation essence and expanding his chi sea. Reaching stage 9 peak, he discovered his cultivation essence flowed freely, each chakra point brimming with explosive potential.
Ye Mo gasped. A mixed spirit root? Could such speed be possible? The Three Birth Chant was overwhelmingly powerful.
Ceasing his cultivation, Ye Mo used his spirit sense, shocked to find it was merely daybreak. He'd reached stage 9 peak in a single night. The cultivation speed was astonishing. Suppressing his elation, Ye Mo focused on consolidating his power, postponing the breakthrough to foundation establishment.