A crisp sound echoed in Yun Ze's ears as a hundred breaths passed.
He could feel his Qi Sea reaching its peak, and he also knew that it was now on the verge of its limit. No matter what immortal elixirs or special methods he used, it could not break through any further.
This was the realm of perfection!
Before Yun Ze could fully savor this profound feeling, a muffled sound reached his ears.
"Pfft!"
Hot liquid splashed onto his face.
Yun Ze's eyes snapped open, and he saw Bu Bu falling before him!
He caught her in his arms, intending to retrieve more pure spiritual liquid, but found her hand resting on his wrist.
Bu Bu was still conscious!
Yun Ze followed her arm to her face.
Her face was devoid of color, pale as snow, with a crimson stain at the corner of her mouth.
"I told you..."
Bu Bu parted her lips slightly, her breath incredibly faint, "Don't... don't mind me."
As soon as she finished speaking, she fainted completely.
It was as if her persistence until this moment was only to say this one sentence to Yun Ze.
"Ridiculous."
Yun Ze uttered two words, ignoring what Bu Bu had said. He casually took out pure spiritual liquid from his Sumeru ring and held it to her lips.
As the liquid trickled into her mouth, Yun Ze even took the time to flick Bu Bu's forehead, "You little brat, what do you know? You say don't mind me and I shouldn't? If you have the guts, jump up and stop me! Idiot!"
He only dared to say this after Bu Bu had fainted.
If Bu Bu were awake, he would never dare to speak to her in such a tone.
Yun Ze placed Bu Bu on the ground, feeding her with spiritual liquid in one hand, while taking out the sound transmission jade slip with the other.
As spiritual energy was infused, he received a flood of messages!
[Little Uncle-Master, we found forty-five companions. Including our original people, that's sixty-one in total, far more than we expected!]
[Little Uncle-Master, we are preparing to break through to Foundation Establishment. What about you? What's your situation now?]
[Little Uncle-Master, we now have fifty-nine Foundation Establishment cultivators. Only Xiao Shu and I haven't broken through yet. I want to wait a bit longer, you won't blame me for being selfish, right?]
[Xiao Shu has also broken through to Foundation Establishment. She did it when she was at the eighth level of Qi Sea. She said her mother told her... and she said she misses you. What stage are you at now?]
[Little Uncle-Master, it's so strange. After we collected fifty strands of Yuan Qi, the core of the Qi Refining stage spirit beasts can no longer condense Yuan Qi.]
[Little Uncle-Master, I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear?]
[Alright, you still don't want to answer me. The good news is that Foundation Establishment stage spirit beasts can still provide Yuan Qi. But the bad news... now, there are only Foundation Establishment and Core Formation stage spirit beasts left.]
[Someone died, and then someone else died. There are more and more Core Formation stage spirit beasts, and we are left with fifty-five people.]
[Fifty-three. We can barely hold on, Little Uncle-Master, are you still in the secret realm?]
[Fifty. Xiu Yun taught us a secret technique that can burn lifespan to temporarily increase strength at critical moments.
Each use costs ten years of lifespan, and each subsequent use will double.]
[I've broken through to Foundation Establishment, a normal Earth vein Foundation Establishment.]
[Forty-eight. Little Uncle-Master, are you really not going to care about us anymore?]
[Forty! A spirit beast has broken through to the middle stage of Core Formation! Yun Ze! Comrade Yun Ze! I believe you won't abandon us! I believe you!!]
[One hundred strands of Yuan Qi. Now only late-stage Foundation Establishment spirit beasts can produce Yuan Qi.]
[Thirty-five... Yun Ze, are you really still there?]
[Ten months have passed. This is the fifth time I've used the secret technique. Fortunately, I saved Xiao Shu. She... never mind, you don't care anyway.]
[Only two more strands needed! Yun Ze, if you truly care! Come out! At least, at least reply to me!]
Yun Ze's brow furrowed deeper as he looked at these unanswered messages!
He dared not delay and quickly sent a message to the other end of the sound transmission jade slip.
But as the spiritual energy emerged from the jade slip, it instantly dissipated in the air!
The message... couldn't be sent!
Yun Ze frowned, finally understanding why Bu Bu had been holding the sound transmission jade slip but refused to tell him the news.
Being in the void, messages simply couldn't be sent out, only passively received!
Although he didn't understand the principle behind it, if it were so, holding the jade slip and looking at these messages would undoubtedly shake his mind.
He looked down at the unconscious Bu Bu in his arms, his brow furrowed slightly, but he could only sigh.
"Alas..."
The situation outside was urgent. While helping Bu Bu wake up, he also needed to focus on his cultivation and hurry up and train!
Just as Yun Ze was about to put the sound transmission jade slip back into his embrace, a tremor suddenly came!
He quickly infused spiritual energy and looked at the latest message from Dan Chenyu!
[Brother Yun! Come out quickly! The spirit beasts have launched a general offensive, Sister Yu... they can't hold on!]
This tone was... Xiao Shu!
Dan Chenyu hadn't handed over the sound transmission jade slip for the entire year. Now that she had given it to Xiao Shu, it must be the most critical moment!
He had to go out now!
Yun Ze looked down at Bu Bu again.
But without Bu Bu's help, he couldn't leave the void at all!
No matter what!
Let's try first!
Trying is better than waiting here to die!
Yun Ze couldn't care about so much now. He casually stuffed the pure spiritual liquid into Bu Bu's mouth, held her hand, found the previous feeling, and took a step forward!
The two figures instantly disappeared from their original spot, but... they were still in the void.
No, this still wouldn't work!
He couldn't rush; the more he rushed, the more chaotic it would become!
Yun Ze stood still, his eyes closed, constantly taking deep breaths to adjust his state of mind.
Think.
Think carefully about how Bu Bu brought him in back then!
That feeling...
That feeling!
Right! Spatial rift!
Isn't this void the spatial rift between the Zhu Tian Secret Realm and the real world?
As long as he found the passage to the Zhu Tian Secret Realm, wouldn't that suffice?
Yun Ze opened his eyes. The "Universe Scripture" continuously circulated within him, and every inch he saw turned into a spatial crack.
There were at least hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of spatial cracks in the entire void, and they were constantly moving and flowing!
He had to find the most special one, the one leading to the Zhu Tian Secret Realm!
Even if someone told Yun Ze which one led to the Zhu Tian Secret Realm, by the time Yun Ze reacted, that spatial crack would have long since disappeared to who knows where.
To achieve this, besides extremely high talent, it also required a lot of luck.
This was why Xiu Long, despite having spatial spiritual roots and not weak talent, had never taken this step.
Hmm?
What is that?
Just as Yun Ze was searching calmly, a spatial crack suddenly showed unusual activity.
This feeling is...
Right! It's this one!
Yun Ze seized the opportunity, grabbed Bu Bu, and with a flash, leaped towards that spatial crack!
The two instantly vanished from the void, but a figure emerged from the void.
"Huh!?"
He had white hair, stroked his beard, sensed the surrounding space, and let out a confused roar, "Damn it, where did they go! They really ran away!?"
...
Instantly!
Yun Ze felt the air around him filled with the smell of blood!
He quickly pulled Bu Bu with him and dodged to a safe corner, scanning his surroundings, and soon saw the situation clearly...
The spirit beasts had launched a general offensive!
There were at least thirty Core Formation stage spirit beasts, and countless Foundation Establishment stage spirit beasts, heading towards the tents not far away!
They didn't seem to be in a hurry to attack the enemies in the tents, but rather were searching for something inch by inch.
Yun Ze dared not delay and quickly took out the sound transmission jade slip and infused it with spiritual energy.
The most important thing now was to stabilize morale!
Soon, an aged voice emerged from the sound transmission jade slip...
"Brother... Brother Yun?"
"You are... Xiao Shu!?"
Yun Ze couldn't believe it. Xiao Shu's voice now sounded as hoarse as Old Granny Wang from the village.
If not for her calling him that, he wouldn't have recognized her.
"Brother Yun! You're finally back! We... we can't hold on much longer!"
"I'll say it!"
Before Yun Ze could speak, another aged female voice rang out.
This... should be Xiao Yu's voice.
"What is your current realm? Can you fight a Core Formation cultivator?"
"I can fight!"
Yun Ze blurted out two words without hesitation.
Although he was only at the seventh level of Qi Refining, his Qi Sea was full. He could unleash at least ten Hidden Sword strikes, combined with the might of his current sword qi, he could slay a Core Formation spirit beast!
"Good!"
Dan Chenyu uttered one word and then quickly said, "Xiu Yun will open the way with an arrow shortly. You will provide support from the side. We'll talk after we leave!"
"Okay!"
Yun Ze had just responded when he saw a purple light explode from the tents!
Xiu Yun had shot his arrow!
He quickly put Bu Bu on his back and flashed towards the direction where the arrow's light shot out!
Everyone had fought for him for a year, so he had to carve out a path for them!
Hidden Sword!
Yun Ze's sword fell, its target not a specific Core Formation beast, but the nine Core Formation beasts blocking the arrow's path!
He hadn't wasted this year!
He could now combine the Hidden Sword secret technique with the Lingyun Sword Art, transforming one sword into nine, with each sword strike returning to its hidden form!
Each strike could accurately land on the spirit beasts' core!
Those nine Core Formation spirit beasts immediately cried out in pain and were heavily injured, but not killed.
This strike was still too hasty. Although he could combine the Hidden Sword and Lingyun Sword Art, it was still the first time he had used it like this, and its power still needed improvement.
"Run quickly!"
Yun Ze stood in the air and roared!
What he wanted to do was to attract all the spirit beasts' attention to himself, in exchange for everyone's safety.
Soon, a group of figures rushed out of the tents!
The spirit beasts also slowly raised their heads, looking at Yun Ze.
As if looking at some delicacy.