NOVEL WEB Chapter 204: Preparation
"Your Excellency, please do not act rashly. Right now, the Secret Realm is teeming with Yin Spirits. Any movement you cause will surely attract a large number of Yin Spirits nearby to investigate, and none of us will end up better off," the Demon Cultivator hurriedly said.
At the same time, he consciously lowered his stance, hoping Li Zhirui would let his guard down and not resort to violence without a word.
"Why are you here?" Li Zhirui demanded in a cold voice, his Spirit Light in hand not dispelled, but slightly retracted.
The Demon Cultivator replied with an innocent face, "Look at what you're saying, Excellency. I was hiding here early on. It is you who arrived afterwards."
Li Zhirui's expression faltered, but he did not entangle with him any further. While cautiously guarding against a sudden attack, he swiftly fled towards the distance.
Demon Cultivators and Cultivators are natural foes, but not out of any hatred. After all, both parties are low-rung Cultivators in the Cultivation World—the enmity between Cultivators and Demon Cultivators has little to do with them.
It mainly lies in the untrustworthiness of Demon Cultivators. Past bitter experiences have proven this point. As there is no so-called trust, there is naturally no need to stay and discuss any talk of joining forces.
Just as Li Zhirui was about to leave the Demon Cultivator's line of sight, he suddenly saw a glint of Spirit Light on the Demon Cultivator's hand, and his heart immediately sensed a great misfortune. He promptly accelerated his pace and fled farther away while releasing the Spell he had been accumulating in his hand.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Two Spells collided out of thin air, creating an extremely powerful shockwave. Such a grand commotion instantly drew the attention of all the nearby Yin Spirits.
"Damn bastard!" As he watched the Yin Spirits converging towards the spot, Li Zhirui cursed furiously, no longer caring about concealment, and immediately flashed into space.
As for the Demon Cultivator, he had made preparations to hide the moment he struck, and had long since vanished.
"Where is he?"
Facing the empty space before them, all the Yin Spirits that had rushed over were simultaneously filled with this doubt.
Not willing to give up nor at ease, the Yin Spirits searched the surrounding area for a long time, nearly turning the place upside down, but could never find a single living soul. Eventually, they had to leave the place unwillingly.
Li Zhirui remained in space for a full day before coming out. Seeing no Yin Spirits nearby, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and continued to rush toward the exit at high speed.
----
However, in the outside world, after many days of preparation, Yin Wind Cave had finally gathered all the materials needed to set up the Formation, but now there was a problem. If not resolved, progress could not continue.
That issue was the need for Cultivators to enter the Secret Realm and secure another set of Array Plates within the gateway to solidify the Secret Realm, which would allow them to enter the Secret Realm at any time via the Formation in the future.
But it goes without saying that the entrance of the Secret Realm is surely guarded by Yin Spirits, and with a vast number of Yin Spirits inside, weaker Disciples entering would simply be unable to complete the task.
As for the stronger Disciples, they are either sponsored by powerful backers or key Golden Core Seeds nurtured by Yin Wind Cave, not at all comparable to the Disciples treated as cannon fodder.
"Now we can only send more Disciples inside to protect that stronger Disciple in completing the task," a Golden Core frowned as he spoke.
"We have no choice but to do so, or else we'll have to watch the Secret Realm close," San Gui nodded in agreement. The Secret Realm's opening usually doesn't last long, and this one has already been open for more than ten days; it should be closing soon.
As for the fate of Cultivators like Li Zhirui, San Gui no longer cared. First, he believed they could not possibly come out of the Secret Realm alive, and second, with the reveal of the Secret Realm's value, as its 'discoverer,' he would receive a handsome reward from the Sect.
Under the arrangements of the three Golden Core Demon Cultivators, a large number of Foundation Establishment Disciples entered the Secret Realm. Among them, only one knew the true mission of this expedition.
"Protect yourself and don't let us down," a Golden Core Elder said earnestly.
"The disciple will definitely complete the mission!"
Because if he failed this mission, as a True Disciple, he would face punishment, which would be detrimental to his future status within the Sect, so he could not afford to fail!
——
"What is Yin Wind Cave up to?" Having arrived near the exit, waiting for the opportunity to leave the Secret Realm, Li Zhirui suddenly noticed many Demon Cultivators encircling the Yin Spirits.
"Attack!"
At the command, all the Demon Cultivators present launched their assault on the Yin Spirits. Caught off guard, and with the Demon Cultivators' fierce onslaught, the hastily defending Yin Spirits were quickly disposed of.
"Hurry, set up the Formation, our mission will be considered complete once we leave the Secret Realm, and then the Sect will reward us with a large amount of Spiritual Objects from last time!" the highest-ranked among them shouted.
Indeed, with the promise of rewards stirring them on, their enthusiasm was greatly boosted, and he also needed people to help fend off the Yin Spirits that might come at any time.
"They are..." Li Zhirui watched as the man solemnly pulled out an Array Plate, his fingers moving swiftly as if fluttering through flowers, an amazing sight to behold.
But his focus wasn't on this—the important thing was the Array Plate in the man's hands!
Initially, he didn't know the purpose of the Array Plate, assuming it was used to guard the exit, ensuring the Demon Cultivators could escape the Secret Realm.
But when Li Zhirui saw the man integrating the Array Plate with the portal, everything became clear at once!
Yin Wind Cave intended to fix the location of this Secret Realm in order to exploit it and harvest precious Spiritual Objects.
This way, Li Zhirui no longer had to worry about the timing of the Secret Realm's closure, but the downside was that in the short term, the outside world would be swarming with Demon Cultivators. If he chose to leave now, it would be even more dangerous.
Giving the Demon Cultivator who was setting up the Formation a long, hard look, Li Zhirui silently flickered into the space.
He now seriously considered whether to wait for Yin Wind Cave to take over the Secret Realm, reducing the concentration of Demon Cultivators outside, or to take a significant risk and leave the Secret Realm now.
The former option could take an unknown length of time—perhaps a month, or maybe a year or two, or even longer. After all, the Secret Realm didn't allow Golden Core Cultivators to enter it, and among the Yin Spirits, there were those nearing the third tier, so it all depended on Yin Wind Cave's resolve and the extent of their investment.
The latter option, the only and most significant downside, was that it was too dangerous!
The former was more cautious, but the latter could stimulate Li Zhirui, allowing him to break through his bottleneck under immense pressure.
If it had been the old Li Zhirui, he would have chosen the former option. After all, being steady and stable had always been his principle of action.
But now, vexed by his bottleneck for so long and eager to make a breakthrough to Golden Core, Li Zhirui, after hesitation and consideration, unprecedentedly chose the latter!
However, risky as it may be, he would not charge out unprepared; that would not be adventurous, but rather suicidal!
So, for the following few days, Li Zhirui spent his time in the space, making all sorts of preparations that he believed would help him escape and survive.