Compared to his peak, the Great World Realm seemed insignificant. But the same could be said from their current situation. Wu Tian's cultivation was insignificant in front of a Lord. A vast problem now awaited them ahead. The Tehma Portal, where the most precious and useful of resources would gather, was now brimming with danger.

A Lord was obviously beyond the Star Realm.

This meant that Guizou's soul might be seen by the other party.

We can't get close... even if the kid becomes a Nine Stars and I take control, I'm still not sure if I can cross so many levels. We'll have to see then. Until we are forced, we might as well keep our heads low and lurk around.

Reorganizing his thoughts, Guizou had a list of things to do. The first was to practice, absorb Qi and increase his spiritual energy reserves. All the while cultivating the [Basic Soul Method].

Second, they would need a Cyan Foundation Herb, the only missing component for the Cyan Star Pill. For the Green and Lime Star Pills, the ingredients needed were ones they lacked.

The Green Star Pill required the Green Foundation Herb and a high grade Nature Lotus. The Lime Star Pill needed the obvious Lime Foundation Herb and the middle grade Peace Flower. Both pills must also be refined with a Cleansing Water Bead each.

Then came the slightly easier Yellow, Orange and Red Star Pills, all three mainly requiring their respective Foundation Herbs and the already owned Yang Flowers of all three grades. This part would be much safer and easier with a steady increase compared to the rest.

Especially when it came to the last two parts. The ninth layer of the [Ten Paths Method] demanded a special pill before the last one. An Eight Marks Convergence Pill. After which, they would need the last White Condensation Pill.

The last two... if we can get four Cleansing Water Beads and two high grade Convergence Stalks, it'll be much easier down the line. The problem comes from the most precious ingredients.

Either the rare Path Making Sapling only found where biomes clash with one another, or the Seven Colored Crystal Lotus only formed when a desert blessed by luck is struck by heavenly lightning, turning its blessed sand into glass while a rainbow appears above at the same time, also needing a damn spirit with talent to be born also at the same time inside the glass, absorbing the rainbow as if nothing and fuse with it.

All of that for a single one! A single damn Seven Colored Crystal Lotus!

The high grade Core Forming White Lotus shouldn't be too hard. Maybe we can find one in the snowy mountains.

Guizou suddenly felt the difficulty of gathering these otherwise simple ingredients. In the Fairy Land, it was possible to cultivate them. Using talented disciples of great sects, they could use their tribulations to forcefully create and mass produce these Seven Colored Crystal Lotuses among many others.

Maybe if I force a tribulation? If I use enough spiritual energy, could I fake a Nine Stars' breakthrough point? Maybe fake a peak Lord level cultivation on the verge of breaking through? How much would it require? For a lowly flower...

Aiz!

Both spending years in seclusion, the seasons arrived and left heartlessly. Three years well spent, Wu Tian was finally at the limit, a peak level three Warrior.

In the meantime, he had yet to see Guizou exit the pendant. He was somewhat worried. What is he doing in there? What can a soul do? I never miss my part and gave him so much Qi over the years, he shouldn't be dead, right?

Shaking his head, Wu Tian left the cave. In front of him were three wolves. "Tsk! Stop pestering me you beasts! Leave me alone!" Planting his feet into the ground, his body gained a robust earthly shine. Scales made out of rocks and dirt covered him, from the tip of his toes to his very scalp. He became humanoid only. No resemblance to a human left to be seen other than his hair.

Feeling the danger, the three purple wolves whimpered. "Ha! Don't think I'll let you guys go if you beg now!" His transformation over, Wu Tian was very pleased. Only two seconds to fully activate the [Ten Blossoming Mountains]'s first part.

Turning oneself into a mountain, it was the very first part, [Mountainous Incarnation].

Running at full speed, he closed on the wolves in a heartbeat, previously a dozen meters apart. "Eat my fist you dumb dogs!" Smashing his right fist on one of them, it felt like punching the air. No resistance from the flesh and bones. Brain matter rained down, having killed a Mortal Beast in the blink of an eye.

The next two were swiftly taken care of as well. Being a Warrior alone would provide one with enough strength to rule a region. Being almost a level four one meant being one of the top experts. However, when comparing with his master, he still felt lacking. The difference between them was too high on every single aspects of life.

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Doesn't mean I can't surpass him one day...

Just as he reentered the cave, Guizou came out of the pendant. "Yawn~" Frowning at the sight, Wu Tian rubbed his eyes. "Master... why are you purple?"

Answered by a grin, Guizou was very happy. Not bad! Not bad at all! Even outside I feel well. In the years of secluded cultivation, Guizou had upgraded his soul by a whole level. He now had a so called Heart Soul. If he were to possess Wu Tian now, rivalling a fully fledged level seven Warrior would not be too difficult.

It feels great. Maybe I'll surpass my real cultivation with my soul cultivation? Haha! How could that be? A soul is just a soul in the end. Too frail in the physical world.

Guizou was yet to feel able enough deep inside. The two problems, also known as the two Lords of the Tehma Portal, were too strong right now. His current self had no chance. Possession could not do too much. Even if he absorbed the Qi of the entire mountain range in one go, rivalling the superior quality of Qi from the Fairy Land would be very difficult. Quality versus quantity. It was a rather difficult metric to gauge. At least, he hoped for the two Lords to stay holed inside their residence and wait.

Since, the more Qi of their reserve they exhausted, the less power they would be able to unleash while in the Mortal Land.

In the worst case scenario, I'll play with them. If I can bait their offensive for long enough, putting them barely on the level of a Great Master could be feasible... But even then, I would need this idiot to be a Master already.

"Hey kid, if you become a Nine Stars, I'll teach you the [Yorhn Method]!" The moment you cultivate to that level, you won't be able to defy me anyway.

A few months later, on a morning, their completely inexistent preparations were finally over. Wu Tian left the cave, Guizou still cultivating inside the pendant. The next stop was the Forgotten Soul level, an unremarkable tint of blue already showing.

He travelled through the dense forest, damp air and a slight layer of mud dirtying him each step forward. It only took him until sunset to reach the end. He was wearing a loose hooded robe. It was a dark color, torn in some places.

Greeting him outside the dark green forest was an almost lime meadow. The sun was facing him, almost forcing tears out. Stupid sun! Argh! My eyes! I wasn't expecting it! Covering his head like a hermit meeting the outside world for the first time in a millennium, Wu Tian hurried ahead. He jogged without difficulties, his haggard appearance a mismatch to his healthy flesh.

The meadow clearly underestimated, the unexpectedly tall blades of grass annoyed him further. As night came, darkness looming around and above, Wu Tian sat down after flattening a small area. Cross-legged, he faced a roughly made campfire. The warmth was pleasing, the least wished outcome being sickness grasping his body.

No beasts came over, the night was almost silent. The cold wind brushed the meadow in its entirety. The swaying of grass was like a melody of peace.

Opening his eyes wide, Wu Tian gently raised his drooped head. He immediately caught sight of a small group.

Uncaring, he let them approach. At some point, two voices rang out from the stillness of darkness.

"Hello there!"

"Hi sir! Excuse our rudeness!" It was a man and a woman followed by another man who had yet to speak. Gently analyzing them, Wu Tian almost scoffed aloud. His residual uneasiness having faded right then.

After training for so many years, and thankful to Guizou's guidance, Wu Tian could tell their overall strength. Not a single Warrior, none having even reached the fifth layer of the Mortal Realm.

They were nothing but kids in front of him. Probably much worse.

They look so frail. I bet I could snap their spines with two fingers...

Ignoring the strange hooded man's chuckle, they warily sat down on the opposite side of this makeshift campfire. They saw it to be nothing but heaps of grass put on fire.

Taking a closer look, they believed Wu Tian to be an old man. At least middle aged. His blue beard and sparse wrinkles quite eye catching next to the orange flames.

Heat spreading to them as well, they relaxed, the warmth attaining deeper into their cold bodies. They themselves looked not much better than him. Brown fur clothing, some torn portions. The woman even had her whole left shoulder and breast areas almost missing everything, an iron plate left behind with a clear claw indentation.

The trio glanced at one another for a few moments. Hours then began to pass.

Suddenly, the group of three stood up. Ignoring them, it would appear to many that they did not want to linger around too long. But Wu Tian was not blind. Guess I'll find out now. Readying his right index and middle fingers, Wu Tian awaited.

After ten minutes of staring, the crackling from the fire interrupting every now and then, the three of them took action. The woman rushed to Wu Tian's left, the man speaking at the beginning on the opposite side. The last man directly jumped over the fire, brandishing a dagger.

The moment three dull blades reached the seated Wu Tian, they felt a supple toughness followed by a simple soft sound. Without realizing it, their blades had impaled nothing but the flattened grass and the gentle dirt.

Wu Tian was already standing behind the crouched middle man, glaring down at him from the void of his shadowed hood. His piercing white eyes made the target shiver even without seeing anything. He could feel a suffocating icy air to be freezing his back.

Time stood still when comparing them. A Warrior was faster than light to the eyes of mere mortals. Impatience leading the front, Wu Tian's right hand blurred, his index and middle fingers coiling around the man's spine. "Huff!" Said man almost fainting from the sudden burst of pain and weakness.

His two fingers attempting to exchange places, the middle man's spine snapped in two on the spot, the soft sound an eerie gentleness. "Huuu!" Trashing his upper body around, his lower body limped, the man could not feel anything from his stomach down any longer. "Wuuuu!!" Wailing, Wu Tian stomped on his turned over chest, soon reaching the laid grass on the other side.

Everything lacked impact. It was nothing but normalcy to a Warrior. His aged voice was then heard, causing the remaining two to panic. "Do you guys never think? I bet you couldn't tell my cultivation, yet you still attacked me." Shaking his head, his robe fluttered, his two arms blurring.

Before they could react, their visions suddenly spun at high speed, a tearing sensation from the neck. Two heads rolled on the grass shortly after.

"What a way to ruin the mood..." Gazing at the starry sky, Wu Tian exhaled.