Bai Muqing's face turned pale, and her aura became unstable.
She furrowed her brows tightly and then gave Su Rihe a wry smile, saying, "That person is already six hundred li away, exceeding the maximum pursuit range of my Spirit Seeking Heavenly Eye."
Upon hearing this, Su Rihe's expression turned ashen, but he still refused to give up. "Towards the direction you last sensed it, we continue the pursuit!"
At this moment, over six hundred li away, a streak of light streaked across the sky before landing on the side of an inconspicuous low mountain, revealing Ning Fa's figure.
He looked dispirited, his face pale, and he even seemed somewhat weak, clearly indicating a significant depletion of his vital energy.
This was because he had just used the Illusory Demon Blood Escape from the Illusory Demon Steps.
This escape technique burned one's vital blood to greatly increase escape speed. Due to the Heaven Tier grade of the Illusory Demon Steps, the Illusory Demon Blood Escape was also a top-tier blood escape technique.
Ning Fa had originally intended to escape three hundred li away and then use other means to stall.
However, he discovered that as he increased the distance between himself and the two pursuers behind him, the strange eye above his head grew fainter.
Ning Fa immediately understood that once he exceeded a certain distance, the mysterious eye's pursuit would likely cease.
Therefore, Ning Fa decisively burned his vital blood again and used the Illusory Demon Blood Escape, escaping six hundred li in one go.
Only when the mysterious eye above his head finally disappeared completely, and the strange sensation of being locked onto vanished, did Ning Fa breathe a sigh of relief. He didn't continue fleeing but decided to find a hidden spot to heal first.
After all, using the Illusory Demon Blood Escape twice in a row had severely depleted his vital blood.
Fortunately, he dual cultivated both body and law, and with the enhancement of his Thunder Body, his body cultivation realm was also very high, which allowed him to persevere.
Ning Fa casually found a spot on a mountain wall, and with a flash of sword light, a simple cave was quickly carved out.
Ning Fa burrowed into it and immediately used large rocks to block the entrance.
Then, Ning Fa set up a high-grade concealment array formation before finally feeling a bit more at ease.
He immediately patted the air in front of him, and several medicinal bottles appeared.
Ning Fa poured the pills from the bottles into his mouth, especially one from a Purifying Bottle.
Inside it was a drop of special vital blood, which had now transformed into a miniature whale, appearing very spiritual and emitting an extremely powerful aura of vital energy.
Ning Fa looked at it, his eyes flashing.
This was a drop of Heart Blood Essence from a Fourth-Grade Vast Sea Thunder Whale, a top-tier Body Refining Spiritual Material. If it were put up for auction, it would definitely fetch a high price exceeding five million Spirit Stones.
This was obtained from the storage ring of Sun Xiong, a dual cultivator of body and law whom Ning Fa had killed in the Sky Furnace Fire Marsh.
It was even more precious to him now, as it should be able to restore about seventy to eighty percent of his depleted vital blood.
With this thought, Ning Fa no longer hesitated. He directly opened his mouth and swallowed it. Then, he sat down cross-legged, with a faint blood-red light flickering around him as he regulated his breathing.
Thus, Ning Fa remained in this nameless mountain, recovering, oblivious to the outside world.
Meanwhile, the war on the Cangyuan front against Tianli intensified.
Although Cangyuan had not been idle during the ten years of peace and the front lines were well-prepared, Tianli's offensive was sharp, and with the assistance of powerful forces like the Myriad Bone Gate, many front-line strongholds were under immense pressure.
Especially since several Great Cultivators were unable to provide support due to other pressing matters, after Huangdang Mountain fell, the other two front-line strongholds, Luohun Mountain and Mount Qiyun, were also successively breached.
Subsequently, the Cangyuan front-line army began a strategic retreat, gradually gathering towards Tianyu City, clearly intending to use this fortified city to resist the enemy forces.
Amidst the fierce war, the name Ning Fa began to gain prominence again.
Most of the defenders of Huangdang Mountain had managed to escape and merged with other defense forces.
These were all individuals who had witnessed Ning Fa's formidable strength, so when they met others, they naturally spoke of him with great enthusiasm.
And due to the Star Ranking, the name Ning Fa was not unfamiliar to most of Cangyuan's high-level cultivators.
However, as Ning Fa had been missing for over fifty years, many had already assumed he had perished.
Upon hearing the news, others were surprised that Ning Fa had not only returned after forming his Nascent Soul but also possessed such astonishing strength.
After all, the cultivators who had participated in the defense of Huangdang Mountain had all asserted with certainty that although Ning Fa was only at the early Nascent Soul stage, his strength had definitely reached the level of a Great Cultivator.
Although this sounded like a tall tale, the fact that so many Nascent Soul cultivators said it made others somewhat believe it, though still skeptical.
However, later, when Fairy Biwu, the First Elder of He Yi Gate, who held considerable prestige among Cangyuan's high-level cultivators and ranked in the top twenty on the Profound Ranking, personally confirmed this matter, most people finally believed it and became excited.
In such difficult times, the return of a powerful individual like Ning Fa was naturally morale-boosting.
Especially a cultivator with such extraordinary potential as Ning Fa, who was only at the early Nascent Soul stage, his future strength was unimaginable.
It was precisely because of this that many high-level cultivators who were pessimistic about the war situation regained some of their morale.
Where there was joy, there was also sorrow.
To the south of Wu Kingdom lay a mountain range stretching for a hundred thousand li, known as the Southern Heng Mountain Range, which contained numerous Spirit Vein locations.
In the center of the Southern Heng Mountain Range, there were many Fourth-Grade Spirit Veins, making it a renowned cultivation area for the Yunhuang Alliance.
Originally, this mountain range belonged to the Divine Heart Sect, the strongest sect in the Yunhuang Alliance. Later, due to the war, the Yunhuang Alliance lost most of its territory, and the Divine Heart Sect ceded the Southern Heng Mountain Range.
Similarly, the Heaven Sword Sect and He Yi Gate did the same. These Spirit Vein Dojo were uniformly planned by the Elder Council and allocated based on military achievements.
Those who managed to obtain a Spirit Vein Dojo in the Southern Heng Mountain Range were generally the stronger sects.
It turns out that the three strongest sects in Xu Kingdom—Tianyang Sect, Giant Cauldron Gate, and Flying Star Sect—have now moved to the Nanheng Mountain Range.
Especially Tianyang Sect, which has obtained over a dozen spirit mountains in the core area of the Nanheng Mountain Range, with three of them even being fourth-grade spirit veins.
Although it cannot compare to their original location in Xu Kingdom, under the current circumstances, it is already quite good compared to other forces.
After all, Tianyang Sect not only has the top expert True Lord Tianyang, who is on the Profound Ranking, but also the fourth-grade Pill Refining Master True Lord Baidan.
Especially in the past few decades, True Lord Baidan has not only advanced to the Mid Nascent Soul realm, but his pill refining skill has also taken a big step, advancing to a Fourth-grade Mid-tier Pill Master. He can even barely refine some legendary top-grade fourth-grade pills.
Because of this, even those Great Cultivators treat him with courtesy.
True Lord Baidan doesn't even need to go to the front lines to fight; he can earn a large amount of military merits just by refining pills.
As a result, many rogue cultivators, as well as cultivators whose sects or families were destroyed, have come to join Tianyang Sect.
Therefore, Tianyang Sect's strength is now even stronger than before.
However, during these recent times, the Tianyang Sect mountain gate has been filled with a quiet, even silent atmosphere.
The many disciples who remained were all cautious, not even daring to speak loudly. They moved about the sect in a hurry, their faces filled with worry. Especially when passing by a certain spirit peak, they had to detour.
This spirit peak is named Miao Dan Peak, and it belongs to the Second Elder of Tianyang Sect, True Lord Baidan. It is also currently the spirit peak with the best spirit veins in Tianyang Sect.
This also shows the status of True Lord Baidan in Tianyang Sect; many times, even True Lord Tianyang has to go along with his wishes.
But recently, True Lord Baidan has been in a very bad mood and has often taken his anger out on some disciples. Many disciples have unfortunately fallen victim to his severe punishments, including even his personal disciples.
Everyone in Tianyang Sect knows the reason for this. While worried, they also became even more fearful and silent, which is why things have become like this.
One day, in a pavilion with carved beams and painted pillars, green tiles, and red eaves on the summit of Miao Dan Peak, a roar could be heard.
"Your Zhou Family is causing trouble for the Ning Family, what does that have to do with me? Did I instruct you to do this?
If you cannot produce evidence and dare to speak nonsense again, I will kill you right now!
Get out, and keep your mouth shut!"
Not long after, a middle-aged cultivator in a long robe hurried out of the pavilion.
This person was at the Late Core Formation realm, and his originally majestic face was now filled with panic. His body was even trembling uncontrollably.
After a long while, he finally let out a long sigh and flew south in a daze.
At this moment, an old man inside the building was pacing back and forth restlessly.
This old man was dressed in luxurious robes, with a Dragon Elephant Jade Belt around his waist. His index fingers were adorned with various spirit rings, all of which were clearly extremely precious at a glance. His face was as tender and rosy as a baby's, and his two white eyebrows hung down long.
Although he was short and stout, his every move carried immense power, exuding an aura of grace and nobility.
This old man was naturally the True Lord Baidan.
But he, who always paid attention to cultivating his composure, was now full of vexation.
After pacing around the room a few times, he glared at the attendant beside him, who didn't even dare to breathe loudly, and said angrily, "Who told you to bring that person here? Remember this, from now on, do not bring such irrelevant people before me! Get out!"
The attendant acted as if he had received a great pardon, quickly bowed deeply, and left.
However, True Lord Baidan's inner turmoil could still not be alleviated. He occasionally took out a palm-sized jade plate to examine it. After confirming that it still showed no reaction, he became even more disappointed and agitated.
Just then, a sound of breaking wind suddenly rang out, and a tall figure walked in.
This person was dressed in black, about forty years old, with a full forehead and a hooked nose. He possessed a natural presence of a poised and dignified man, and the spiritual pressure emanating from him had indeed reached the Peak Mid Nascent Soul realm.
He was the First Elder of Tianyang Sect, True Lord Tianyang, and also a top expert ranked forty-third on the Profound Ranking.
Upon seeing True Lord Tianyang arrive, True Lord Baidan immediately breathed a sigh of relief, complaining, "Senior Brother, why did you take so long to arrive? I was waiting for you to discuss this."