Lu Yi's face instantly stiffened. What terrible luck—he had encountered someone from the Blood Spirit Sect again?!

Last time it was a Foundation Establishment cultivator at the peak stage. But this time, it was a Golden Core cultivator.

This was still within the territory of the White Cloud Sect, so why was there another disciple of the Blood Spirit Sect here?

Lu Yi frowned deeply. He recalled the reminder from the elder at the Affairs Hall—lately, there had been an increasing number of Blood Spirit Sect disciples appearing within White Cloud Sect's territory. He didn't expect to run into them twice in a row while doing sect missions.

As for the Golden Core elder being hunted by the Blood Spirit Sect cultivator, Lu Yi wasn't entirely sure, but he figured the elder probably belonged to one of the cultivation families under the jurisdiction of the White Cloud Sect.

While Lu Yi was observing the two Golden Core cultivators, the Blood Spirit Sect cultivator was already about to catch up with the white-haired elder.

Sensing the aura behind him, the white-haired elder's face turned grim, and he roared, "Blood Spirit Sect scum! How dare you hunt cultivators within the White Cloud Sect's territory! Aren't you afraid of the White Cloud Sect's retaliation?!"

The Blood Spirit Sect disciple behind him sneered, "Once you're all dead, how will the White Cloud Sect ever know? Old man, stop struggling. You can't escape."

As he spoke, the Blood Spirit Sect cultivator formed a sword seal with his hands. Five blood-colored swords shot out from his body, transforming into streaks of light that pierced toward the white-haired elder.

The white-haired elder circulated his spiritual energy and summoned a white umbrella. The umbrella opened up like a shield, continuously deflecting the blood-colored swords.

Booming sounds echoed endlessly. Waves of spiritual energy spread out from the collisions, causing the trees on the ground to tremble violently as if they could be uprooted at any moment.

"Kill!" the Blood Spirit Sect disciple roared. A streak of blood light shot out and heavily struck the white umbrella. The umbrella shattered instantly.

The white-haired elder's hair and beard flared out as he roared in fury. Spiritual energy surged around him, and his robes billowed. He stretched out his hand, summoning a massive flaming hand that reached for the blood light.

The blood light and the flaming hand collided with a deafening explosion.

Amid the blasts, both the flaming hand and the blood light shattered, scattering fire rain that ignited the forest. The elder's face turned pale, and he was sent flying, coughing up blood from his mouth.

At that moment, the five blood-colored swords shot through the air toward him again.

The elder's expression changed. He hurriedly dodged but was still pierced through the abdomen by one of the blood swords, staining the sky with blood.

A massive hole appeared in his abdomen, revealing writhing internal organs. However, thanks to the powerful vitality of a Golden Core cultivator, he did not die immediately. Instead, he landed heavily on the ground, coughing blood while looking up at the Blood Spirit Sect disciple in the sky with unwilling eyes.

The Blood Spirit Sect disciple sneered and slowly descended, looking down at the elder. "I told you—you can't escape."

"Cough... The White Cloud Sect won't let you get away with this!"

The Blood Spirit Sect disciple laughed indifferently. "That's a problem for the future. By then, you'll already be reduced to blood essence. Golden Core blood essence—heh—what a great tonic."

He formed a hand seal, preparing to capture the elder alive.

Just then, an incomparably sharp sword intent erupted behind the Blood Spirit Sect disciple. The terrifying aura carried traces of destructive lightning, making the disciple's hair stand on end.

He roared and gathered his spiritual energy to defend, but before he could react, a sword light flashed across his neck.

His eyes widened in shock. Blood spurted as his vision spun. Before his consciousness faded, he saw a young boy holding a longsword—looking slightly immature—standing behind him. The boy's aura was clearly at the Qi Refining Stage.

Impossible! I'm a Golden Core cultivator!

With a heart full of unwillingness, the disciple's mind went blank as he died.

Lu Yi watched the Blood Spirit Sect disciple's body collapse and let out a light breath.

If these two Golden Core cultivators had flown overhead, Lu Yi would never have interfered.

But he hadn't expected them to land right next to him, leaving him no choice.

Lu Yi had trained his Breath Concealment Technique to the highest level. Combined with his ability to break the Heavenly Dao's limits, his control over his aura was extremely precise. It was easy to deceive the Golden Core cultivator's senses and deliver a fatal strike from behind.

Although ambushing from behind wasn't exactly honorable, Lu Yi felt no shame—only satisfaction.

He hadn't expected to kill a Golden Core cultivator so easily.

He glanced at his task panel.

[Task] Kill a Blood Spirit Sect Golden Core cultivator. (Completed)

Reward: Golden Core Sword Technique "Seven Mystic Sword Art."

Claim reward: Yes/No

That's right—before making his move, Lu Yi had assigned himself a task.

Although it was risky and might have caused a commotion, the reward was well worth it.

A Golden Core sword technique!

Currently, Lu Yi only practiced the White Cloud Sword Technique. While its perfected form was strong—comparable to powerful Foundation Establishment techniques—having a stronger method was naturally more appealing.

However, Golden Core techniques were notoriously difficult to master. Lu Yi wasn't sure how long it would take to cultivate it to a high level.

Of course, he wasn't in a hurry. He had plenty of time.

Lu Yi did not claim the reward yet. Instead, he turned to the white-haired elder.

At this moment, the elder was clutching his heavily wounded abdomen, staring blankly at Lu Yi.

His mind was in chaos. Moments ago, he thought he was doomed, but now the Golden Core Blood Spirit Sect disciple had been slain?

And his savior was just a Qi Refining Stage youth?!

If not for the intense pain from his abdominal wound and the constant blood loss, the elder might have thought he was dreaming.

Seeing Lu Yi approach, the elder coughed up blood and said, "I am Li Dongqi from the Li family. Many thanks for saving my life, young friend!"

Lu Yi noticed how badly the elder was coughing blood. His eyes lit up as a bold idea formed.

He thought to himself, I want to save this Golden Core cultivator.

[Task] Rescue Li Donglai.

Reward: 10 drops of Ten-Thousand-Year Spiritual Milk.

Accept: Yes/No

Lu Yi was pleasantly surprised.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Ten-Thousand-Year Spiritual Milk?

This was the first time Lu Yi had received such a cultivation reward. Even Thousand-Year Spiritual Milk was already extremely powerful. This Ten-Thousand-Year Spiritual Milk must be even stronger.

But before rescuing him...

Lu Yi circulated his spiritual energy and once again cast the Forget Dust Technique.

Li Donglai felt a wave of spiritual power strike him. His face changed as he prepared to resist, only to realize that he couldn't withstand the overwhelming mental force.

His mind grew dazed, and he fainted on the spot.

Lu Yi glanced at the unconscious Li Donglai and exhaled slightly. Sure enough, his mental strength was now strong enough to be on the verge of transformation, even surpassing that of Golden Core cultivators. Combined with the Forget Dust Technique, which had reached its maximum level, even Golden Core cultivators would likely struggle to resist it.

Of course, this only applied to ordinary Golden Core cultivators. Exceptional talents were another matter entirely.

Having cast the Forget Dust Technique on Li Donglai, Lu Yi felt reassured.

First, he picked up the spatial ring from the Blood Spirit Sect's Golden Core cultivator and erased all traces in the area before carrying Li Donglai away.

Lu Yi took Li Donglai to a nearby hilltop and examined the wound on his abdomen. The bleeding had stopped, but the wound hadn't healed yet.

The vitality of a Golden Core cultivator was indeed remarkable.

For Lu Yi, the task was simple—just keep Li Donglai safe from beasts and return him to a secure location to complete the rescue.

Of course, having healing pills would speed up Li Donglai's recovery.

Unfortunately, Lu Yi had few healing pills, most of which were for Qi Refining cultivators. He had none for Golden Core cultivators, so he could only leave Li Donglai to recover on his own.

Not long after, Li Donglai gradually woke up. As a Golden Core cultivator, his mental strength helped him recover quickly.

Upon waking, he instinctively tried to sit up, but the movement tugged at his abdominal wound, causing him to cough up blood again.

He immediately fell back down. "Where is this place?"

Lu Yi approached with a gentle smile. "Senior, I saw you unconscious on the ground and carried you to a safe place."

Hearing this, Li Donglai was stunned. A sharp pain struck his mind, and faint memories surfaced. He recalled that a disciple of the Blood Spirit Sect was about to take him away when an astonishing sword light flashed. After that, he lost consciousness amid a burst of spiritual energy.

Li Donglai suddenly understood and muttered, ‘Which fellow Daoist saved me?’

He quickly looked at Lu Yi and said, "Thank you for saving my life, young friend. Did you see anyone else there?"

Lu Yi shook his head. "No, I only saw you lying there."

"Just me?" Li Donglai was puzzled and then asked, "Was there no headless corpse in a blood robe?"

Lu Yi shook his head again. "I didn't see one."

Li Donglai was confused. The Blood Spirit Sect disciple's body was gone? Could it have been taken away by the mysterious Daoist who saved him?

Pondering this, Li Donglai couldn't figure out why someone would save him and then take the corpse. However, he had no time to dwell on it and quickly said, "Young friend, I am seriously injured and urgently need treatment. I must ask you to do something for me!"

Lu Yi was surprised and asked, "What is it?"

"The Nascent Soul cultivator's cave abode discovered by the Li family is a trap! It was a setup by the Blood Spirit Sect to ambush the cultivators of Beast City! You must notify the cultivators of White Cloud Sect in Beast City immediately!"

Lu Yi was stunned, his face filled with shock.

He had overheard parts of the conversation between the Blood Spirit Sect disciple and Li Donglai earlier, including mentions of an ambush. However, he hadn't associated it with the Nascent Soul cultivator's burial site.

Now it made sense. Lu Yi recalled Lin Ting mentioning that the Li family planned to raid the cave mansion. This old man must be the Li family's Golden Core cultivator.

Everything matched up.

Lu Yi's expression grew serious. This was a big deal.

Based on Lin Ting's words, the news about the Nascent Soul cultivator's cave abode had spread far and wide, attracting many cultivators. Lu Yi had also seen several Golden Core cultivators fighting earlier.

Could it be that those Golden Core cultivators had already been ambushed?

Lu Yi's face darkened, and he said, "Senior, don't worry. I will notify them."

"Go quickly! I can recover on my own." Li Donglai nodded.

Lu Yi nodded, stopped paying attention to Li Donglai, and looked toward the earlier battlefield. He hesitated.

He wasn't sure what other Blood Spirit Sect disciples were still there. If only Golden Core cultivators remained, he might be able to defeat them using all his trump cards.

But if a Nascent Soul cultivator appeared, it would be disastrous.

After careful consideration, Lu Yi decided to play it safe and seek help.

He figured that issuing a mission to rescue cultivators might yield a generous reward. However, he didn't take every mission lightly.

Even so, there were tasks worth accepting.

Lu Yi thought to himself, I need to notify White Cloud Sect about the Blood Spirit Sect's conspiracy.

[Task] Notify White Cloud Sect about the Blood Spirit Sect's conspiracy.

Reward: Foundation Establishment Pill Formula - "Blood Essence Pill."

Accept: Yes/No

Lu Yi was thrilled. A Blood Essence Pill?

This was an excellent body-refining pill for the Foundation Establishment stage, comparable to the Yellow Ming Pill's effect on Qi Refining cultivators.

Lu Yi was on the verge of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

It was time to start preparing for his cultivation at the next level.

He had no concerns about spiritual energy cultivation. With rewards like Ten-Thousand-Year Spiritual Milk and even Thousand-Year Spiritual Milk, he could sustain his training for now.

Not to mention, Lu Yi had also acquired a spirit food recipe for grilled meat ribs, which further enhanced cultivation speed.

The problem lay in body refinement and spirit cultivation.

Lu Yi had already cultivated the Jade Body Technique to its peak state. His physical body was incredibly strong and terrifying. He had tested it—even the Azure Spirit Sword, if not used with full force, could not leave a scratch on his body.

Not only that, but his recovery ability had also become extraordinarily powerful.

However, the Jade Body Technique was only a body-refining method for the Qi Refining Stage. Now that he is about to reach at the Foundation Establishment Stage, Lu Yi naturally had to cultivate a new technique. At that time, he would need resources for body refinement.

The Blood Essence Pill recipe had come at just the right moment. He could practice more now and make use of it later.

The next issue was spirit cultivation. The Spirit-Nurturing Dew he used during the Qi Refining Stage was still effective, but its effects were starting to diminish. This was even after Lu Yi had cultivated it to the highest grade.

Once he advanced to Foundation Establishment, he would likely need to find another method to enhance his spiritual power.

Lu Yi took note of this matter, planning to address it later.

For now, he focused on the task at hand.

Lu Yi accepted the mission. Streams of white clouds swirled around him, and he vanished from his original spot. After creating some distance from Li Donglai, Lu Yi switched to the Thunder Shadow Step. His body transformed into a streak of light, and he quickly arrived at the edge of the Myriad Beast Mountain Range.

Then, Lu Yi switched back to the White Cloud Step technique and rushed through the Myriad Beast Mountain Range, entering Myriad Beast City.

As the territory of the White Cloud Sect, Myriad Beast City served as the gateway to the Myriad Beast Mountain Range. Its strategic importance was high, and it had its own garrison, with even elders stationed there long-term.

Lu Yi arrived at the White Cloud Sect's garrison. Two gatekeeping servant disciples frowned when they saw him and blocked his path.

"Who are you? This is the White Cloud Sect's garrison!"

Lu Yi took out his inner sect token. "Lu Yi, an inner sect disciple of the White Cloud Sect. I have urgent matters to report to the stationed elder!"

Upon seeing the inner sect token, the two servant disciples' expressions immediately changed. They respectfully stepped aside.

Lu Yi quickly entered and soon encountered a man dressed in inner sect disciple robes.

The man was momentarily stunned before breaking into a joyful smile. "Junior Brother Lu? I didn’t expect to see you here!"

Lu Yi was also surprised. He hadn’t expected to run into someone he knew. He asked with some astonishment, "Senior Brother Mo Yu? Why are you here?"

This person was none other than Nangong Moyu, a Golden Core disciple from Ling Luo Peak.

Lu Yi had spent quite some time at Ling Luo Peak. Since the number of disciples there was quite small, they all had a good relationship. Naturally, Lu Yi knew them all.

Nangong Moyu had exceptional talent. He sometimes even ranked in the top ten on the Golden Core Trial Rankings, surpassing Senior Brother Xie Tianming. Lu Yi had a very deep impression of him.

However, Lu Yi had not expected to meet him here.

Nangong Moyu smiled and threw an arm around Lu Yi’s shoulder. "Of course, it’s for the mission. Guarding Myriad Beast City is a cushy job. It’s usually quite peaceful, allowing time for cultivation. The mission rewards are high, and we occasionally get to explore the Myriad Beast Mountain Range for extra gains. Everyone in the sect fights over this post. I had to beat up several competitors to get this position."

Lu Yi was a bit surprised after hearing this. He hadn’t expected the mission at Myriad Beast City to be so favorable.

"Come on, Junior Brother, since you’re here, let me take you around Myriad Beast City." Nangong Moyu enthusiastically tried to drag Lu Yi out for a tour.

Lu Yi quickly spoke up. "Senior Brother, I have urgent news for the elder stationed here."

Hearing this, Nangong Moyu paused and looked at Lu Yi in surprise. "What is it? Elder Yu is currently in closed-door cultivation. You can tell me. I can handle most things."

Lu Yi immediately said, "Recently, there have been rumors about the cave abode of a Nascent Soul cultivator in the Myriad Beast Mountain Range. Do you know about this, Senior Brother?"

Nangong Moyu nodded. "Of course, I know. Our White Cloud Sect didn’t get involved. The map was discovered by the Li family. Since they are affiliated with our sect, we wouldn’t compete with them. Besides, it’s just the cave abode of a Nascent Soul cultivator—it’s not a big deal for our sect. What’s wrong?"

Lu Yi’s expression grew serious. "I was training in the Myriad Beast Mountain Range and happened to rescue a Golden Core cultivator from the Li family. He told me that the cave abode is a trap! It was specifically set up by the Blood Spirit Sect to ambush cultivators in Myriad Beast City."

Upon hearing this, Nangong Moyu’s expression drastically changed. "Damn it!! This is serious. Junior Brother Lu, wait here!"

He immediately disappeared, shouting as he went. "Elder Yu! Come out quickly! Something major has happened!"

Not long after, an elder with gray hair emerged, following Nangong Moyu. This was Elder Yu.

Nangong Moyu introduced them. "Junior Brother, this is Elder Yu Lufei, the stationed elder here!"

Lu Yi found the name a bit odd. Dropping the surname, this elder could practically be a pirate king.

Yu Lufei’s expression was stern as he looked at Lu Yi. "There’s no need to introduce Lu Yi. No one in the inner sect doesn’t know him. Lu Yi, is what you said true?"

Lu Yi nodded. "Of course, it’s true."

Yu Lufei’s expression turned icy. "Those damned Blood Spirit Sect members! How dare they be so audacious! Where are they?"

"Over in that direction. Quite a distance from here." Lu Yi pointed toward the location where he had witnessed the battle.

Yu Lufei nodded. "I’ll head there first. Moyu, gather the others and follow later!"

As he spoke, Yu Lufei’s body vanished like foam, leaving only his voice echoing in the air.