A Mortal's Start in the Spirit Beast Mountain

Chapter 454 The Method of Breaking the Restriction

Luo Ming then looked down at the blood pool, which was gradually returning to calm and full of spiritual energy, and the four stone statues beside the pool that had fallen silent again, yet seemed to have a faint connection with him.

The cave was deathly silent, save for the faint sound of the blood pool slowly flowing and the two women's weak breathing. A faint scent of blood mixed with spiritual energy filled the air.

After an unknown amount of time, a faint whimper filled with pain broke the silence.

Ling Yuling's long eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes. Her beautiful eyes were somewhat confused at first, but in the next instant, vigilance and fear quickly replaced the confusion.

She almost instinctively tried to sit up, but the movement aggravated her internal injuries, causing her to groan and turn even paler.

She suppressed her discomfort and immediately used her divine sense to examine herself, quickly checking her body. Her magical power was exhausted, her meridians were damaged, and her soul was shaken; her injuries were not minor—but fortunately, her primordial yin was intact, and there were no other abnormal restrictions or foreign energies remaining in her body.

Only after confirming that the worst-case scenario had not occurred did she breathe a sigh of relief, her tense body relaxing slightly.

"Now that Fairy Ling has awakened, she should first calm down and recuperate to recover from her injuries. Once her condition stabilizes, we need to devise a plan to break through the outer layer of the Four Symbols Gathering Spirit Array and leave this place." A calm and steady male voice came from not far away.

Hearing the sound, Ling Yuling turned her head sharply. She saw Luo Ming standing with his back to her at the edge of the blood pool, which was much calmer but still filled with spiritual energy. He was slightly bent over, as if he was carefully observing something in the pool or at the bottom. His figure was somewhat blurry in the dim cave, but it carried a sense of peace that came after surviving a disaster.

Ling Yuling felt a little calmer, but then, as if she remembered something, her expression changed, and she hurriedly turned her stiff neck, her eyes scanning her surroundings anxiously.

As far as the eye could see, there was a scene of devastation. The trenches and bloodstains left by the battle were everywhere, and the air was filled with violent energy fluctuations. However, the Ninth Elder and Blood Fiend were nowhere to be seen. Only the unconscious Fairy Miaoyu was not far away, and Luo Ming was standing by the pool.

"Senior Luo—" Ling Yuling's voice trembled slightly, her gaze fixed on Luo Ming, and she asked with a sliver of hope, "I wonder—have you seen Elder Luo? Where—where is he now?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Ming slowly turned around. His face was also somewhat pale and tired, but his eyes remained clear and steady.

He looked at Ling Yuling, sighed softly, his tone heavy with sorrow and regret: "Please accept my condolences, Fairy Ling. The Ninth Elder and Fellow Daoist Blood Fiend of the Reverse Star Alliance, in their fierce battle with the remnant soul of that Nascent Soul demon cultivator, unfortunately—have both perished. Now, only the three of us remain within this formation."

He paused, then continued, "It was extremely dangerous just now. That demon cultivator's remnant soul was cunning and ferocious. If I hadn't been lucky enough to activate some kind of sealing power of the four ancient stone statues by the pool at the last moment, suppressing the demon soul back into the demon bones at the bottom of the pool, I'm afraid we—would all have already met our demise."

Despite having a bad feeling, Ling Yuling's body still trembled violently when she heard the confirmation of the Ninth Elder's death. Her already pale face instantly lost all color, and she unconsciously bit her lower lip. A deep sorrow and confusion flashed in her beautiful eyes.

The Ninth Elder was not only the pillar of the Star Palace on Silver Shark Island, but also an elder who watched her grow up. His death was not only an emotional blow, but also represented a serious lack of high-end combat power for the Star Palace in this area. The balance of power on Silver Shark Island and even the surrounding seas would be completely broken, and the consequences would be unimaginable!

Countless thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant: the internal competition within the Star Palace, the covetous eyes of the Reverse Star Alliance, the ambitions of other forces—Silver Shark Island was likely to descend into chaos.

Just as Ling Yuling was churning with emotions and trying to calm herself down to think about what to do next, on the other side, Fairy Miaoyu, who was lying on the ground, also trembled her long eyelashes a few times, and then slowly opened her eyes.

Unlike Ling Yuling's initial panic upon waking, Fairy Miaoyu did not immediately move or make a sound after opening her eyes. Instead, she quietly closed her eyes for several breaths, seemingly silently sensing her internal condition and the movements of the outside world.

When she opened her charming eyes again, they were clear, but deep within them was a complex mix of relief and joy at surviving a calamity.

She took a deep breath, enduring her discomfort, and rose with slightly difficulty but still maintaining her elegance. She straightened her slightly disheveled clothes, then bowed solemnly and gracefully in the direction of Luo Ming, her voice tinged with gratitude: "Junior Miaoyu thanks Senior Luo for saving our lives. If it weren't for your miraculous intervention, my sister Ling and I would likely have perished. Senior's extraordinary abilities are truly admirable; you managed to protect us from such a bizarre and terrifying being."

She adopted a humble posture and spoke earnestly, but her gaze subtly swept quickly across the messy surroundings, especially Luo Ming's calm face, as thoughts raced through her mind.

She actually regained consciousness a moment earlier than Ling Yuling, but pretended to be unconscious, secretly observing and listening. Now the situation is clear: all the Nascent Soul cultivators from the Star Palace and the Reverse Star Alliance in this area have been wiped out. The only Nascent Soul cultivator in the Silver Shark Island waters is Senior Luo, who appears to be only at the early Nascent Soul stage but has repeatedly displayed astonishing abilities.

Although her company, Fengle Trading Company, had some influence within the Reverse Star Alliance, now that Blood Fiend had fallen, it needed to find a new ally, and Luo Ming was undoubtedly the most direct, and perhaps only, choice at present.

The only way to protect one's own interests and even advance further is to learn how to get along with this senior and gain their favor and support.

Luo Ming took in the reactions of the two women and sighed inwardly that Ling Yuling was ultimately a hothouse flower, and it was inevitable that she would lose her composure in the face of such a sudden change. Miaoyu, on the other hand, was clear-headed and realistic, adapted very quickly, and was good at assessing the situation.

His expression remained unchanged as he calmly said, "There's no need for such formalities, fairies. I merely saved myself. The crisis is temporarily averted, but the predicament remains. The most important matter is how to break through the outer Four Symbols Gathering Spirit Array and leave this place. I wonder if Fairy Ling possesses any treasures similar to that Breakthrough Talisman from before?"

Upon hearing this, Ling Yuling snapped out of her reverie, a bitter and regretful expression appearing on her beautiful face. She shook her head and said, "Senior Luo, you are wise. The method for crafting the 'Breakthrough Talisman' has long been lost; it is an ancient treasure, extremely rare. I only had one, which was destroyed by that demon cultivator when I tried to activate it. There is no second one."

Luo Ming frowned slightly, nodded, and spoke calmly, but then presented a more sobering reality: "In that case, things become complicated. This Four Symbols Gathering Spirit Array is exceptionally profound. According to my observation, unlike ordinary arrays that 'defend against the outside but not the inside,' its power is more effective at sealing the interior. Breaking the array from the inside is much more difficult than breaking it from the outside. Moreover, this array requires the combined efforts of at least four Nascent Soul stage cultivators to have any hope of forcibly breaking open even a single gap. Now—"

His gaze swept over Ling Yuling and Miaoyu. "Even though the two fairies are exceptionally talented and have the potential to form their Nascent Souls in the future, the spiritual energy here is limited and sealed by an array, which is insufficient to support the massive amount of spiritual energy required for Nascent Soul formation."

Unless he is willing to use his treasured high-grade spirit stones to help the two women form their nascent souls, it might be possible for them to succeed. But this is obviously unlikely. High-grade spirit stones are extremely precious. Luo Ming has no relation to them, so why would he make such a sacrifice?

Upon hearing Luo Ming's analysis, Ling Yuling and Fairy Miaoyu's expressions finally changed completely.

Previously, they were only concerned with surviving the disaster and the changes in power, but now they suddenly realized that they might be trapped in this dark and sunless ancient forbidden land forever! Without enough spiritual energy, they could not form a Nascent Soul, and therefore could not gather four Nascent Soul cultivators to break the formation—it was almost a vicious cycle!

Ling Yuling bit her lip, her beautiful eyes flickering uncertainly. Finally, she took a deep breath, suppressing her panic, and looked at Luo Ming, her tone carrying a hint of hope: "Senior Luo was able to activate the Four Symbols Seal to counter the demon soul in a desperate situation, so you must also have some knowledge of formations. Senior—"

"Is there any other way to help us escape this predicament? If there is anything needed, or if my cooperation is required, Yu Ling will do her utmost without hesitation!"

Looking at the suppressed panic and forced composure in Ling Yuling's eyes, and at the way Miaoyu Fairy listened attentively despite her lowered eyes, Luo Ming's lips twitched slightly, revealing an elusive smile.

He pointed to the pool of blood beside him, which, though its water level had dropped considerably, still shimmered with a palpable aura of blood and spiritual light. He spoke slowly, his voice echoing in the empty cave: "There is a method, it's not that there isn't. However—it will require a considerable amount of time, and even more so, a large amount of resources. Conservatively speaking, we'll have to stay here for at least ten or twenty years, or even longer."

Upon hearing this, both women followed Luo Ming's finger and their gazes fell simultaneously on the eerie pool of blood. The pool water was crimson, radiating an intense, almost impenetrable aura of blood energy; even from a distance, one could feel the subtle, restless movement of the blood energy beneath their skin.

Luo Ming didn't keep them in suspense and directly revealed his plan.

That is to rely on this pool of Fang Ling's blood to help him break through the Body Refinement Realm.

According to the information he obtained from the wisp of the demon soul he refined, this pool of myriad spirits' blood was actually made primarily from the essence of the flesh and blood of the Nascent Soul demon cultivator sealed at the bottom of the pool, supplemented with various rare and precious materials.

Its greatest effect is that it can quickly give birth to spirit beasts, temper the bodies of demon beasts, accumulate abundant blood and qi, and help them break through bottlenecks, reach the peak of level seven, and touch the threshold of transformation.

Of course, in theory, human body cultivators can also use this water to temper their bodies, as the principle is the same. However, the blood and qi power within it is too violent and domineering, and it also contains the ferocious and malevolent energy left over from the demon cultivators. One must be extremely careful when refining it, as the slightest carelessness may cause one's mind to be eroded by the malevolent energy or damage to the foundation of one's meridians.

It's not as rumored, that cultivators will greatly improve their strength simply by soaking in this Myriad Spirits Blood Water for a period of time.