Mortal: Starting by looting Han Laomo's entire herb garden

Several years have passed.

On this day, several stealthy streaks of light flew along the crests of waves on the sea near Sea Ape Island.

Three Foundation Establishment cultivators dressed in the colors of the Extreme Yin Island were muttering to themselves.

"Is this the place? Senior brother, this desolate island isn't even home to a single hair."

"The patriarch said that there will be a great reward for finding clues to the murderer of Uncle Wu."

"This intelligence was bought from Island Master Mu of Kui Xing Island at a high price. That old bastard's asking price is outrageous, a full five thousand spirit stones! Why doesn't he just rob us?"

"Alright, stop complaining. As long as we find the person, the blessings bestowed by our ancestor will be enough for us to live on for a lifetime."

As the three were talking, a silvery-white dragon silently peeked out from behind the reef.

The black dragon had already spotted these uninvited guests, but had been lying behind the reef waiting.

It only opened its mouth when the three people flew closer.

One bite at a time.

Before the three streaks of light could even utter a scream, they were swallowed whole by the black dragon.

The black dragon let out a burp, flicked its tail, and lay back down to continue sunbathing.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Not long after.

Above Sea Monkey Island, a streak of gray-black light flew in from the horizon at great speed, its spiritual pressure as heavy as a mountain.

The light stopped at the outer edge of the island, revealing the figure of an old man in a gray robe with a sinister face and a hood.

The Supreme Yin Ancestor.

However, it wasn't him personally; his true form was still in seclusion deep within the Extreme Yin Island, cultivating the Heavenly Capital Corpse Fire, and had no time to come in person.

However, even a wisp of divine power attached to a Core Formation stage disciple is enough to deal with a late-stage Core Formation stage disciple.

"This is it. Are those people silenced here?" Ji Yin looked down at the few pieces of clothing floating on the sea, which belonged to the three disciples.

He remained expressionless, raised his hand, and a gray-black spiritual light blasted towards the outer perimeter of the island's protective barrier.

boom!

The barrier light shield trembled violently, and cracks appeared everywhere.

Yuan Yao and Yan Li were meditating and cultivating in their cave when they sensed the spiritual pressure and opened their eyes at the same time.

The two exchanged a glance and stood up with solemn expressions.

"A Nascent Soul cultivator," Yanli whispered, her fingers already gripping the Fire Mirror.

Yuan Yao nodded, made hand seals, and activated the array set up on the island.

Layers of light shields lit up, protecting the entire Sea Ape Island.

Standing in mid-air, Ji Yin looked down at the thin layer of light and sneered, "If this formation were presided over by a Nascent Soul cultivator, it might be able to hold off me for a while. But two mere Core Formation cultivators?"

He raised his hand, and the gray-black spiritual light condensed again, aiming at the core of the formation.

Yuan Yao and Yan Li remained expressionless, one holding a mirror and the other a fan, their magical power infused into them, ready to fight to the death at any moment.

Yuan Yao glanced at Yan Li and said calmly, "Young Master is at a crucial moment in his cultivation. Even if it costs you your life, you must stop him."

Yanli nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips: "It seems we're going to die here today."

"I'll confess then." Yuan Yao stared in the direction of extreme yin, her eyes showing no fear: "Our lives were saved by you, young master."

Ji Yin overheard their conversation but scoffed disdainfully, "Two ants at the early stage of Core Formation dare to claim they can block you? They're overestimating themselves."

Just as he was about to make a move, he suddenly frowned and looked up towards the cave in the center of the island.

The sky suddenly darkened.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth within a radius of a hundred miles seemed to have been drained by something, and surged wildly towards the sky above Sea Ape Island.

The spiritual energy gathered into a visible vortex, spinning and churning, growing larger and faster.

Ji Yin's hand froze in mid-air, then he suddenly looked up.

Above the island, a massive vortex of spiritual energy is forming.

At the center of the vortex, a golden light could be faintly seen slowly rotating, emanating a chilling pressure.

"The Nascent Soul Formation phenomenon..." Ji Yin murmured, his eyes filled with disbelief: "At this time?"

Yuan Yao and Yan Li looked up at the same time, a hint of surprise flashing in their eyes.

Yanli's lips trembled slightly, and her voice was very low: "Young Master is about to succeed..."

Yuan Yao took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in her heart, and whispered, "Don't get distracted, protect the formation."

Ji Yin did not rush to make a move. He hovered in mid-air, his gaze fixed on the vortex of spiritual energy with a gloomy expression, his mind racing.

He muttered to himself, "The tribulation of inner demons is not so easy to overcome."

His thoughts involuntarily drifted back to the time when he formed his nascent soul.

"This person may not be able to pass. Even if he can shatter his core and condense his nascent soul, four out of ten will die during the tribulation of inner demons."

He decided to wait and see.

If the other party dies from the inner demon tribulation, he can reap the benefits; if the other party truly succeeds in forming a Nascent Soul…

The other party has just formed his Nascent Soul, his realm is not yet stable, and his magical power is weak. He probably wouldn't dare to cause trouble for me.

"Even if he really has formed a Nascent Soul," Ji Yin thought to himself, "I am no weaker than him."

Rumble!

Thunder roared in the sky, and the vortex of spiritual energy spun faster and faster.

The golden light at the center of the vortex suddenly exploded, the golden core shattered, and turned into countless fragments of spiritual energy, surging like a blooming golden lotus.

Shattered pills.

Ji Yin's face darkened. The other party had already gone this far.

At that moment, a golden bolt of lightning shot into the sky, piercing the clouds and splitting the dark clouds into pieces.

Wherever the lightning passed, the dark clouds dispersed, the world became clear, and a vast spiritual pressure spread out from the lightning, causing the sea surface to dent and even the extremely yin escape light to tremble.

The tribulation of inner demons is over.

The lightning dissipated.

A colossal phantom of spiritual energy appeared, hundreds of feet tall, with clear features and golden light flowing throughout, like a god descending to earth.

The nascent soul has been formed.

Yuan Yao and Yan Li looked at the statue and finally smiled.

Yanli clenched her fist tightly, while Yuanyao let out a long breath and relaxed her shoulders slightly.

The Yin Ancestor stared intently at the Dharma image, his expression shifting from shock to gloom, and then from gloom to fear.

The Dharma image slowly dissipated.

The sky cleared and the sea returned to calm, as if everything that had just happened was merely a dream.

However, the spiritual pressure belonging to a Nascent Soul cultivator truly enveloped the entire Sea Ape Island.

Then, Lu Yan's voice rang out.

The sound wasn't loud, but it carried clearly for miles around.

"My esteemed friend, why are you attacking Lu's cave?"

The face of the Yin Ancestor was as black as the bottom of a pot. He looked up at the cave on the island, where the restrictions on the stone door were dissipating layer by layer, and a figure slowly walked out from the depths of the cave.

Lu Yan, dressed in white, stepped into the air, each step creating a golden ripple in the void.

His breathing was still a bit unstable, after all, he had only just formed his Nascent Soul, but the pressure from a Nascent Soul cultivator was already pressing down on him.

"If you don't give me an explanation today," Lu Yan's voice paused, taking on a cold tinge, "it's unlikely to end well."