Chapter 912: Angry But Not Daring to Speak

“It’s you, punk!” Boss He immediately eyed Ye Mo’s storage ring. “Kid, that girl outside interfered, letting you escape. This time, I’ll see how you get away!”

He Chong lunged, axe raised.

Ye Mo responded silently, unleashing sword rays from Zi Xu. He Chong, a cultivator at the false core state—far weaker than a true golden core—could deflect only 30% of the attack. The rest pierced his cultivation essence barrier.

“Arghh!” He Chong cried out in pain as his axe flew from his grasp. The remaining sword rays ripped through him, leaving a bloody mist.

Ye Mo stared, bewildered. He Chong, a technically tertiary-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, possessed a false core, placing him nominally above Ye Mo. Yet he fell without landing a single blow. Ye Mo shook his head, sheathing Zi Xu.

Seeing He Chong lying dead, eyes wide, Ye Mo retrieved his storage bag, saying coldly, “Actually, what you said is exactly what I wanted to say.”

The remaining two cultivators finally reacted. Weaker than He Chong, they knew, witnessing his instant demise at the hands of a Foundation Establishment level seven cultivator, that they were no match for Ye Mo, even combined.

The bald cultivator finally understood why Ye Mo had inquired about their willingness to kill before entering. He had intended to eliminate them all along. The bald man opened his mouth to speak, but Ye Mo, impatient with further delays, unleashed countless purple rays, swiftly dismembering both men.

Ye Mo collected their storage bags, unearthed the Lin Blue Fruit Tree, and transferred it to his Golden Page world. After obliterating any trace of his presence, he found a secluded spot to cultivate and recover.

A day later, fully refreshed, Ye Mo bathed and changed clothes. He knew a golden core cultivator, likely bearing ill will, would soon learn of his actions. However, he was not yet powerful enough to challenge such a figure.

He sorted through the bandits’ meager spoils: low-grade pills and mid-grade spirit stones. In contrast, the golden core cultivator’s storage bag contained hundreds of thousands of top-grade spirit stones, two million mid-grade stones, and superior-quality pills. Most excitingly, he found an extreme-grade spirit stone—a first for Ye Mo. Its vibrant beauty and powerful spiritual energy were unmistakable.

Ye Mo stored the stones and examined a jade card inscribed with “Demon Spirit Sect” and the character “Su,” revealing the golden core cultivator’s affiliation. He deposited everything into the Golden Page world.

He then crafted several vials of clear essence oil from a Zhou Huan Flower. The incident reinforced his weakness; any golden core cultivator could easily kill him. Knowing the Herbal Valley likely teems with such individuals, Ye Mo decided to find a location with ample spiritual energy and cultivate intensely for a month, prioritizing his own survival above herb collection.

He gathered nearby herbs before mounting Zi Xu and departing.

…

Several hundred kilometers away, a deep explosion echoed. Ye Mo, hearing it, instinctively looked toward the source. More explosions followed, suggesting an assault on some formation. Numerous sword rays guided him towards the disturbances.

He soon reached an ancient, circular structure, surrounded by at least thirty cultivators, including about ten golden core state individuals. A powerful restriction protected the building. Ye Mo wondered about the purpose of this siege.

“It’s a spirit marrow ruin!” A golden core cultivator exclaimed joyfully upon seeing the structure.

Ye Mo's heart pounded. Spirit marrow was the most easily absorbed spiritual substance for cultivators; mere contact facilitated absorption. A spirit marrow pond promised rapid advancement. He could reach peak Foundation Establishment within a fortnight, enabling imminent golden core formation and protection from other golden core cultivators.

His eyes gleamed. He had to enter.

The other cultivators were equally eager. A golden core cultivator halted the attack on the restriction, announcing, “The spirit marrow pond is a treasure, but there are too many of us. To be fair, after breaking the restriction, Foundation Establishment cultivators may only cultivate for a single day.”

No Foundation Establishment cultivator dared object. Ye Mo, though angry, remained silent; even an order to leave would be impossible to defy. The golden core cultivator, a level seven (tertiary-stage), could easily kill him.

He joined the assault. A single day was better than none.

Fifteen minutes later, the restriction crumbled. The cultivators surged forward, Ye Mo among them. The vast spirit marrow pond was visible, its dense spiritual energy palpable. Even without entering, the air was invigorating. The pond easily accommodated three hundred people; crystals lined its edges.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator rushed toward the crystals, only to be struck by a white light. His head flew off as a golden core cultivator retrieved his flying sword, declaring, “Foundation Establishment cultivators receive no spirit crystals. Golden core cultivators receive them based on their level—level one gets one, level two gets two…”

This level nine golden core cultivator's authority was unquestioned.