Chapter 915: Illusion Cloud Exert Will Strike

Amidst the relentless slaughter, Ye Mo, driven by instinct, remained unaware of the thousands of earth scorpions surrounding him. Wave after wave, he felled them. An aerial observer would have witnessed an endless tide of earth scorpions surging toward a single figure, a wave inexplicably halted by some unseen force at its center.

Finally, Ye Mo closed his eyes, relying solely on his sense of danger to guide his sword rays. The intelligence within the rays grew with each attack, revealing itself through the bloody mist created as his sword rays intercepted the scorpions. Despite the relentless assault, some scorpions broke through, injuring him. However, these were always the weakest attacks; his intuitive defense, a burgeoning sword ray barrier, deflected the truly dangerous ones.

He replenished his dwindling cultivation essence with numerous essence recovery and spirit containment pills—countless supplies amassed for the Herb Valley battles. Pill poison held no fear for him.

Previously, his Illusion Cloud Division Strike could separate into countless sword rays, but he lacked control. Now, amidst the carnage, he gradually grasped that elusive intelligence, driven by fear of losing it if he ceased his onslaught.

Several cultivators, their flying swords traversing the desert, included a Golden Core cultivator. Witnessing the unending swarm of earth scorpions converging on Ye Mo, however, they fled in terror. Even Golden Core cultivators would surely perish surrounded by countless level 3, let alone the approaching level 4, earth scorpions.

The scorpion threat intensified, yet Ye Mo kept his eyes closed. Zi Xu continued to unleash sword rays, and he felt his control over them steadily increasing.

Suddenly, Zi Xu trembled. The sword rays scattered, and a searing pain pierced Ye Mo’s chest, accompanied by an overwhelming sense of danger, a primal fear of death. Instinctively, he coalesced his sword rays into a single attack, simultaneously opening his eyes.

To his astonishment, he had managed to unite the majority of his sword rays in that desperate moment.

Before he could celebrate, his attack collided with something, sending him flying. A level 3 beast was smashed aside. Agonizing pain returned as he spat blood, desperately channeling his cultivation essence for protection.

He finally surveyed his surroundings, and shock froze him. A hundred-meter radius was littered with earth scorpion corpses, forming a small hill, with countless more advancing from miles away; even level 4 carcasses were among the fallen. He was covered in blood, a deep gash marring his chest—the mark of the danger he had sensed.

A colossal earth scorpion, far larger than the others, glared at him with cold eyes: a level 5 middle-stage earth scorpion. Excitement surged through him. He had survived the onslaught of a level 5 earth scorpion—equivalent to a Golden Core middle-stage cultivator. He didn’t know how long he'd fought, but his power had undeniably increased.

He recalled his final strike, the one imbued with intelligence, the strike that had deflected the level 5 beast’s fatal blow. Had it failed…

Subconsciously, he raised Zi Xu. A sword ray, seemingly sentient, coiled around the blade, finally dissipating only after a long moment.

He had mastered the technique. Trembling with exhilaration, he understood the reason for the sword ray’s disappearance: insufficient cultivation essence. One day, with greater power, he would control countless rays at will.

Was this…sword will? He didn’t know, but this ability, derived from another, was his own creation. He had forged the Illusion Cloud's fourth strike.

"Illusion Cloud Exert Will Strike," Ye Mo declared, gripping Zi Xu. His battle will soared, focusing solely on the level 5 beast before him, ignoring his wounds and the surrounding horde.

The earth scorpion, observing Ye Mo casually unleashing sword rays, displayed concern. Its intelligence sensed Ye Mo's potent battle will. As his will peaked, the level 5 beast shrieked, and the endless scorpion tide retreated.

Ye Mo stared at the field of corpses, a disquieting feeling washing over him. He was ready, yet his opponent had fled. But he quickly composed himself. He needed opponents, but they didn't have to be earth scorpions.

He checked his storage ring, finding his recovery pills almost depleted, the result of approximately half a month of relentless combat. It was time to gather herbs.

Consuming stalagmite benefit pills and antidotes to purge the scorpion venom, he donned Nine Transformations and began harvesting scorpion stingers and beast cores. He felt confident he could escape a Golden Core peak cultivator, best without Nine Transformations. The sheer number of corpses prompted him to harvest only level 4 specimens.

Two hours later, prepared to depart with several hundred level 4 beast cores and stingers—a significant fortune—he heard the distinctive sound of flying swords. This was no ordinary flight; someone was fleeing at full speed.

Three cultivators soon appeared: one fleeing, pursued by two others. …