Although the middle-aged scholar smiled and nodded at him, Li Yan did not assume the man was benevolent. Among cultivators, those with friendly faces and venomous hearts were everywhere. One moment they might be like a warm spring breeze, and the next, they could make you wish for death. This was especially true for those with profound cultivation; their personalities were often eccentric and their moods unpredictable. A single glance from this middle-aged scholar had been enough to see through his "Stealthy Night Art," which already made Li Yan extremely wary.
'Could it be that this middle-aged scholar also intends to enter the palace under the pool? If so, I must stay far away from him. I need to avoid him at all costs, lest I offend him over some trivial matter.'
As Li Yan was thinking this, he also grew worried. If the other party was also after the Crimson Mother Essence, what should he do?
Blood Leaf Adept had said that the place where the Crimson Mother Essence was generated was a perilous area within the palace. After they had unintentionally obtained it, a fight had broken out, and dozens of people had died that day.
Although Blood Leaf Adept had said that most of those who knew about the matter had perished in the slaughter that day, a few, like himself, had survived. These people kept the secret, waiting until they were fully prepared to explore again. Therefore, whether this news had spread or not was anyone's guess.
Li Yan had come this time specifically to find the Crimson Mother Essence, but the chances were overwhelmingly slim. Blood Leaf Adept had said that cultivators rarely ever entered that place. They had just been lucky to be outside when a piece of Crimson Mother Essence was ejected. Such an opportunity was undoubtedly a once-in-a-millennium event.
When Li Yan reached that place this time, he would have to wait for a long time. It could be days, or even months, without any result. If nothing happened after half a year, he would wait for a year. If there was still nothing after a year, he would have to find another way.
Whether he would ultimately risk entering the depths of the place where the Crimson Mother Essence erupted from was something Li Yan couldn't decide now. He could only adapt to the circumstances when the time came.
While Li Yan was lost in thought, a small commotion suddenly rippled through the surroundings. When Li Yan looked up again, he saw a figure suddenly soar into the air. As this figure ascended, all the cultivators by the lake, except for the book-boy with the bamboo basket who was looking up at the sky, stood up one after another. Their expressions were wary, tinged with a hint of fear.
Even Li Yan felt his own spirit power stir. The middle-aged scholar who had been leaning against the tree had suddenly flown into the air, and no one knew what he was about to do.
There were no fluctuations of aura from the middle-aged scholar. If someone hadn't been watching him constantly, no one would have noticed he had flown into the air. The scholar wasn't deliberately hiding his aura; it was simply absent. If he wanted to kill everyone here, it would only take a single thought. No one here would have time to react before their souls returned to the underworld.
As everyone except the book-boy stood on guard, the figure in the air flickered once and then vanished. No one knew where he had gone.
The middle-aged scholar's actions left everyone else bewildered, not knowing if this unfathomably cultivated man had left or simply hidden himself.
Li Yan also gazed at the night sky where the scholar had disappeared, the light in his eyes flashing several times. In his senses, the oppressive feeling that had been present before was now gone. He too was trying to determine if this profoundly cultivated man had truly departed.
In the time that followed, even though the book-boy put down his bamboo basket and sat down against the giant tree, not a single person dared to approach him, let alone shout out a question.
Perhaps because of the uncertainty surrounding the middle-aged scholar, everyone stopped talking or whispering. They all sat down cross-legged and began to meditate and regulate their breathing. Several hours passed, and no one else arrived.
In this strange silence, Li Yan, who had his eyes closed, suddenly heard a few low shouts. "The palace gate is about to open."
Li Yan opened his eyes and followed the sound. He saw that the cultivators by the lake had begun to stand up. A few of them were looking at the center of the pool and discussing it in low voices. The originally mirror-like surface of the lake now had a patch of hazy golden light appearing from beneath the water in the center. It was growing clearer and clearer, as if something was slowly floating up from the bottom of the lake.
Li Yan also slowly stood up. He watched the large patch of yellow light in the center of the lake under the night sky, like a cluster of lanterns breaking the darkness. He looked up at the night sky again and judged that there was still about half an incense stick's worth of time until the Hour of the Rabbit. This matched the records in the jade slip. The yellow light under the lake's surface was the rising palace gate, a process that would take about a quarter of an hour.
The surrounding discussions gradually grew louder. Except for the five-person team led by only two late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, who remained still, the remaining twelve people, excluding Li Yan, began to watch each other. But their ultimate gazes fell in the direction of the book-boy. He had already shouldered his bamboo basket again and was looking at the lake's surface with an excited expression.
Looking at the scene before him, Li Yan still felt frustrated. In the moments before the palace gate fully emerged from the lake, the twelve spots for today's entry would be decided.
He had already assessed the distribution of cultivators here earlier. After the middle-aged scholar left, there were a total of eighteen people, including himself. The weakest here were himself and the book-boy, both lone mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. Then there was the five-person team led by two late-stage cultivators.
If nothing unexpected happened, when the book-boy stepped up to enter today, no one would dare to stop him. Who knew if the middle-aged scholar was nearby or not? It was even possible that the scholar would return at the last moment.
So, the book-boy would take one spot. Among the remaining people, the two Pseudo-Core Realm cultivators were currently the strongest here, so naturally, no one would compete with them.
The rest, aside from Li Yan, were mostly small teams with late-stage and Great Perfection Foundation Establishment cultivators. Of course, their teams also had initial and mid-stage members, but their overall combat strength was certainly determined by the strongest cultivator.
By this calculation, out of the eighteen people, the five-person team led by two late-stage cultivators and Li Yan himself were coincidentally excluded from the twelve spots.
It now seemed that the five-person team knew they had no hope of competing today and had directly given up on entering. But Li Yan had to enter today. He certainly wasn't willing to waste time here. If he hadn't reached Red Maple Pool, it would be one thing, but since he was here, every day he delayed, the variables in obtaining the Crimson Mother Essence increased. Naturally, the sooner he entered, the better. By that logic, he would have to snatch a spot.
Frustration was frustration, but Li Yan's face showed no emotion. Since he had run into a crowd, no one would stop him today. He would enter even if it meant exposing his true strength. But for now, Li Yan did not move first; he was in no hurry.
Amidst the crowd's discussions, the yellow light under the lake's surface grew brighter. The silhouette of a golden, glowing object became visible; it looked like the top of a doorframe being projected from the lakebed.
At this moment, a figure shot towards the center of the lake. As everyone focused their gaze on him, the man was already standing above the lake's surface. It was the Pseudo-Core cultivator who had been staring at the water in contemplation.
This man appeared to be in his fifties, a gray-robed elder with graying hair and a face like ancient bronze, etched with the vicissitudes of life. But his back was still straight and tall.
"Since all fellow Daoists are being so modest, then this Duan shall be the first to enter today. Does any fellow Daoist have an opinion?"
As the elder surnamed Duan spoke, someone below had already said, "It's 'Heavy Locks Hanging from the Heavens' Duan Weiran. This is not surprising. There aren't many here who are his match. With no other cultivators arriving, he was already guaranteed a spot to enter."
"Of course. Although Fellow Daoist Duan is a rogue cultivator, he cultivates an ancient immortal art, a heaven-defying cultivation method. If it weren't for his arrogant personality, and that time he..." The voices were extremely quiet, but they made no effort to hide their words from others. All here were cultivators, so of course, everyone, including Li Yan, heard clearly. It was just that one person stopped short before finishing his sentence.
Li Yan had noticed this person long ago. How could he not, when the man was one of the only two Pseudo-Core cultivators here? Furthermore, his spirit power was condensed and heavy, a notch or two higher than the other Pseudo-Core cultivator. It was clear he had been immersed in the Pseudo-Core Realm for many years.
Duan Weiran obviously heard the discussion below, but his expression remained unchanged. He stood quietly in the air, though he sighed in his heart. If not for the incident in his early years, he probably would have had a chance to reach the Golden Core realm. After all, he had obtained an ancient cultivation inheritance.
Now, his lifespan was nearing its end. This time, entering the palace beneath Red Maple Pool, he was heading to a certain place where he might be able to squeeze out his final potential. If he didn't form a Golden Core, he would remain inside forever.
But he also knew that although the palace under Red Maple Pool was isolated from the world, the power of its laws was not diminished in the slightest. Even if he squeezed out his final potential, whether he could withstand the heavenly tribulation was another matter.
He was a mere rogue cultivator. Whether it was cultivation resources or asking someone to protect him during his tribulation, the cost was substantial. He couldn't afford that many spirit stones.
Cultivators had their sorrows. No matter who they were, they would have their own friends. Duan Weiran had thought of asking a friend to protect him for free, but his only friend had already been requisitioned by the Jingtu Sect.
His old friend had left in a hurry, only vaguely saying that he would be gone for three to five years at the shortest. He didn't reveal any other useful information. With Duan Weiran's experience, he naturally guessed the meaning behind his friend's unsaid words.
He could guess that his old friend was likely on some secret mission for the Jingtu Sect. This mission was probably fraught with danger. For his old friend, a Golden Core stage cultivator, to be unable to predict his own outcome was telling.
"Hehehe, Fellow Daoist Duan naturally has the qualifications. In truth, it makes little difference whether one enters this Red Maple Pool a day earlier or a day later. However, this Sun will also enter today. After all, there are many matters in the sect, so it's best to return early."
Just as the discussion below started, another figure soared into the air and stood about a hundred feet opposite Duan Weiran.
Duan Weiran looked up at the newcomer. The man was lean and gaunt, with a long, fleshless face and a sallow complexion. A prominent aquiline nose jutted out from his face. Dressed in a black robe, he looked like a hawk. It was, of course, the other Pseudo-Core cultivator here.
Seeing him, Duan Weiran raised his hands and cupped them in a fist, saying nothing more. The two had already seen each other by the lake earlier, so his arrival was within expectations.
After the cultivator surnamed Sun went up, no one below spoke for a moment. Li Yan, however, saw fear flash in many people's eyes.
'Besides his high cultivation, this person must be a wicked character. It's obvious many people here recognize him, yet no one has spoken up. They must fear his evil reputation. I wonder which sect he comes from,' Li Yan thought.
For a time, the entire Red Maple Pool fell silent. The yellow light on the lake grew more brilliant, and the top of a doorframe gradually emerged from the water. Amidst the silence, there was only the splashing sound of the doorframe breaking the surface.
At this moment, a light laugh fell upon everyone's ears, and another person flew into the air.