Hearing Nie Li's words, Li Xingyun felt a chill run through him. He glanced at Nie Li and understood his intentions.
Nie Li had a way to absorb the Divine Root — so as long as he was escorted to the center of the Divine Pool, the matter would be settled.
Capturing that medium-grade Divine Pool would actually be quite difficult, because it was guarded by numerous Dragon Blood Demon Beasts at the Celestial Transformation Realm, and one of them was even at the Dragon Dao Realm. If Li Xingyun wanted to seize that medium-grade Divine Pool, his own forces alone wouldn't be enough — he'd have to join forces with other factions.
But once other factions were brought in, the distribution of that medium-grade Divine Pool would no longer be up to him alone. That was precisely why he had been hesitating to attack the medium-grade Divine Pool for so long.
Compared to that, simply infiltrating the center of the Divine Pool was far easier than conquering it.
Since Nie Li needed his help, how could he possibly refuse?
"Fine. Since Brother Nie Li needs it, I'll gather my men and make the trip — help you secure the Divine Root from that pool!" Li Xingyun nodded. "When should we set out?"
"Two days from now," Nie Li said after a moment's thought. A medium-grade Divine Pool — once placed inside the Map of Ten Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains, its spirit stone output would be absolutely staggering. It was well worth the risk!
"Alright. I'll go assemble our forces and aim to succeed in one attempt!" Li Xingyun nodded.
Nie Li followed Li Xingyun and arrived at a Divine Pool where five or six hundred people had gathered — all of Li Xingyun's subordinates. This Divine Pool was one of Li Xingyun's footholds in the Outerworld.
Li Xingyun began mobilizing forces from various locations.
Ever since obtaining those Divine Roots, Nie Li could feel wisps of power flowing from the Map of Ten Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains, nourishing his soul. He suddenly gained a flash of insight, sat cross-legged on an open patch of ground near the Divine Pool, and began cultivating the Heavenly Dao Divine Art.
Among all techniques, the Heavenly Dao Divine Art was undoubtedly one of the most powerful cultivation methods in existence. As time passed, Nie Li slowly rose into the air, waves of immense power surging and roiling around him.
Within his Soul Sea, intricate Runic Patterns endlessly spiraled around that mysterious vine.
On the vine, the first flower slowly bloomed, releasing a fresh fragrance that filled the entire Soul Sea.
Then his two Life Souls blazed with sudden intensity. The impurities within them gradually dissolved, becoming utterly pure. The instant the fragrance was released, Nie Li felt his entire body burn with heat, as though he were standing in the middle of a flame.
Boom!
His Soul Sea suddenly seemed to detonate. Nie Li's face turned deathly pale from the pain, beads of sweat rolling down.
Though he no longer knew what kind of cultivation path he had embarked upon, Nie Li relied on his instincts to continuously temper his Life Souls. The three Demon Spirits within his Soul Sea were also being refined in the process.
Time slipped by — one hour, two hours.
With a soft pop, another Life Soul ignited within Nie Li's Soul Sea. He hadn't expected to break through to the Three-Life Realm so quickly. And this new Life Soul was actually yellow.
One red, one blue, one yellow — three colors.
These miraculous Life Souls left even Nie Li scratching his head in confusion. He felt that his cultivation was completely beyond his control — sometimes progressing at a maddeningly slow pace no matter how many spirit stones he absorbed, and other times breaking through to a new level at some random moment without any warning whatsoever.
Was it because of the Map of Ten Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains?
Still, an increase in cultivation was a good thing no matter what.
Nie Li continued to merge and refine his power, stabilizing his cultivation at the Three-Life Realm.
Just then, outside the Divine Pool, a lithe figure came sweeping in — a stunningly beautiful young girl.
"Who are you?" Li Xingyun's subordinates surrounded her.
"My name is
The men exchanged glances. They had heard that Long Yuyin hailed from the Dragon Seal Family, but whether she was actually Nie Li's disciple or not, they had no idea. Still, her cultivation was only at the Heavenly Fate Realm — well within manageable limits.
"Young Master Nie Li is currently cultivating. You cannot approach him. You'll have to sit here and wait until he's finished," said a Celestial Star Realm powerhouse nearby.