Five Immortal Sects
Chapter 148: Take Those Two in Too

As Gan Shi uttered these words, the few people behind him, including Zhu Gaotai, were stunned, because Gan Shi was asking a Qi Condensation cultivator about the next arrangements.

“Next, we need to find Senior Brother Bai as soon as possible to see if we can join forces with him. However, let’s first collect their belongings.”

Li Yan seemed to be pondering something.

“We join forces? With Bai Liyuan and others? Oh, but collecting them now…”

Gan Shi was first taken aback, then thoughtfully pondered. Subsequently, he gazed intently at the sphere's internal space, which had already expanded to several hundred zhang, his eyes revealing hesitation. He did not easily step forward, and the four people behind him remained silent, all looking at Li Yan.

“Oh, then after I collect their belongings, you all can follow my footsteps out. We can discuss the rest outside.”

Li Yan smiled brightly, then his figure had already darted out. This was within his expectations.

He had longed for a Foundation Establishment cultivator's storage bag for a long time. Here, there were only four corpses, so Li Yan's speed in collecting the storage bags was naturally very fast.

By the time Li Yan returned to the formation, he already held four storage bags and one spirit storage bag, but there were still remnants of divine sense on them, making it impossible for Li Yan to open them immediately.

The spiritual artifacts scattered on the ground, along with Miao Zhengyi's renowned three hundred and sixty spiritual swords and sword box, were unceremoniously taken into Li Yan's own storage bag.

The spiritual artifacts of the few Qi Condensation cultivators were also three gleaming swords, which should be mid-grade spiritual artifacts, unlike Miao Zhengyi's three hundred and sixty spiritual swords, which were already at the magical tool level.

Due to the sheer number, Miao Zhengyi probably needed more resources to refine them into magical treasures, which even for a Pseudo-Core cultivator would be impossible.

These magical-tool-grade precious swords could already fetch sky-high prices outside, earning Li Yan a considerable windfall.

Li Yan muttered to himself.

“It's a pity sword cultivators are just sword cultivators, too singular. Both spiritual artifacts and magical tool are swords.”

Li Yan was not very proficient in flying swords. Therefore, although he had a low-grade spiritual artifact small sword in his storage bag, he had basically never used it.

He had been cultivating basic immortal arts and the Fractured Poison Body these past few years. He had also thought before that after leaving this secret realm, he would need to prepare a suitable spiritual artifact for himself, otherwise, he would be at a considerable disadvantage in combat.

But here, after entering the tenth level of Qi Condensation with the Guishui True Scripture, when reading the tenth-level Qi Condensation cultivation method, it already mentioned a special instrument of the Guishui Immortal Sect. Once he reached Foundation Establishment, he could search for materials to refine it into his natal treasure.

Before that, Li Yan planned to keep a few of Miao Zhengyi's precious swords. These were magical-tool-grade treasures. Although he wasn't proficient with them, their attacking power was far greater than his own low-grade spiritual artifact.

After Li Yan turned and returned to Gan Shi and the others, he didn't throw the four storage bags in his hand to Gan Shi. Instead, he naturally tied them to his waist, but he tossed the spirit storage bag over.

Gan Shi and the others had been staring at Li Yan. Seeing him return with several storage bags and tie them to his waist, especially Miao Zhengyi's, which was a Foundation Establishment cultivator's storage bag, how could it lack good items?

Just the storage bag itself was valuable; it couldn't be bought for less than a thousand spirit stones outside. But none of them spoke. If not for Li Yan, whether they could have made it this far was debatable.

Seeing Li Yan toss the spirit storage bag over, Gan Shi was stunned, but then he smiled. Among the four people behind him, two were still severely injured. At the same time, Li Yan spoke again.

“Elder Brother Gan, there are no signs of a passage appearing on the sphere wall. It seems there are still people alive from Ten-Step Court. It will still require Elder Brother to act quickly.”

Li Yan glanced at the surrounding sphere wall, then looked up at the dense black shadow that had silently covered the top of the sphere.

Gan Shi reached out to take the spirit storage bag. Upon hearing Li Yan’s words, his face was already filled with killing intent. Immediately, he tossed it to float in front of him and struck an incantation seal onto the spirit storage bag.

A ripple of divine sense emerged from the spirit storage bag, seemingly trying to deflect the incantation seal he cast. This was Miao Zhengyi's last lingering wisp of divine sense.

Gan Shi snorted coldly, his hand flashing brightly with spiritual light. With a crisp sound, like a mirror shattering, that lingering divine sense completely dispersed.

The next moment, his divine sense had already probed into the spirit storage bag. His face was gloomy, and with a flash of light from the spirit storage bag's opening, six streaks of light appeared on the ground in front.

The light slowly dispersed, and six figures appeared on the ground. Four were unconscious, two were conscious, all sprawled on the ground. Their clothing was precisely the white sect robes of Ten-Step Court.

The two conscious individuals looked bewildered, surveying their surroundings. They immediately saw Li Yan and the other six, and their faces changed instantly.

Their gaze swept again, and they saw the figure sitting on the ground with his head bowed to his chest, as well as three corpses in similar attire not far away. They immediately struggled, nearly rising, and at the same time, their hands clapped towards the storage bags at their waists.

But before they could act, several massive yellow wind blades had already flown towards the six of them. In an instant, the wind blades struck, blood splattered, and a red mist diffused. The bodies of the six people were split into dozens of pieces.

Gan Shi slowly retracted one hand, looking at the bloody mess with an unperturbed expression.

Zhu Gaotai and the others watched everything unfolding from behind. Only the petite Junior Sister Dai showed a look of unbearable sorrow, while the other three had only cold indifference in their eyes.

If Gan Shi had been killed, the severely injured fellow disciples in his spirit storage bag would have met the same fate. Otherwise, the passage to the next stage would not open; all enemies must die.

Just as the six Ten-Step Court cultivators died, a ripple surged on one side of the sphere wall, and concentric waves appeared before everyone's eyes.

Li Yan immediately lifted his leg and walked forward. Gan Shi and the others followed closely, step by step, even holding their breath.

However, as Li Yan passed the area of dismembered limbs and blood, he casually picked up six more storage bags, then directly tied them to his waist, as if he had forgotten the presence of others. Gan Shi and the others also simply ignored it.

Li Yan stepped into the rippling light of the sphere wall and disappeared. The few others also disappeared one after another from within the sphere, leaving no trace.

Inside the sphere, only one person remained, head bowed and motionless, along with a ground covered in dismembered limbs and blood…

This was a desolate battlefield. Under a gloomy sky, another small path wound its way towards the deep center of the battlefield, disappearing into the dark horizon.

On both sides of the path, broken armor and shattered weapons lay strewn across the ground. Some tattered banners were obliquely planted in the scorched earth, gently fluttering with the breeze, as if narrating the cruelty and bloodshed that once occurred here.

“I wonder how Senior Sister Gong’s side is doing. It should be the final stage for them too, right? I need to get back as soon as possible.”

Li Yan looked at everything before him, and scenes of Gong Chenying and the others fighting valiantly on the battlefield appeared in his mind, causing a hint of unease to rise within him.

Behind him, the sphere rippled with light, and Gan Shi and the others slowly materialized, arriving outside. Seeing the scene before them and the implied towering bloodlust, they were startled.

The final stage. Just looking at the environment, it was extremely perilous. Then, considering that with Li Yan, there were only four people capable of fighting, they couldn't help but feel a pang of bitterness.

Gan Shi looked ahead, then turned to the others and said.

“In a moment, Zhu Gaotai and Kong Si will also enter the spirit storage bag. Rui Feikai and Dai Jing should recover on the spot first.”

Gan Shi stared blankly at the battlefield ahead for a while, then emotionlessly looked at the few people beside him and whispered instructions, his spirit storage bag already open.

Zhu Gaotai and the other severely injured disciple gave a wry smile. They could finally enter the spirit storage bag for a little rest. However, the two thought of the fate of the six people from Ten-Step Court in the spirit storage bag earlier.

Looking at the remaining four combat-ready individuals here, their hearts were extremely uneasy. Nevertheless, they respectfully bowed to Gan Shi and Li Yan's backs.

Gan Shi nodded slightly. With spiritual energy surging, a suction force formed at the bag's opening. Zhu Gaotai and the disciple named Kong Si transformed into two streaks of light and flew towards the opening, where waves of spiritual energy were emanating.

“Take those two into the spirit storage bag as well.”

At this moment, Li Yan turned his head, his eyes glinting with brilliance as he swept his gaze over the remaining burly man and petite girl.

The two of them immediately changed their expressions upon hearing this. The burly man, Rui Feikai, looked extremely displeased and said,

“Little Uncle Li, Junior Sister Dai and I only have minor injuries. Each stage has about two hours of recuperation time. We only need about an hour of recuperation.

We believe that by then, Junior Sister Dai and I will also be able to contribute and won’t drag down Martial Uncle and Martial Aunt.”

When he said this, he was already somewhat impolite.

The petite girl bit her lip and also looked up at Li Yan.

“Little Uncle Li, neither of us are afraid of death, nor will we drag down our two seniors.”

Those who could make it to the secret realm were all top talents of their respective peaks, individuals of extreme pride. Upon hearing Li Yan's suggestion, they naturally felt very uncomfortable.

They just didn't dare to tell Li Yan directly, "You're only at the eighth level of Qi Condensation, even lower than us."

“Junior Brother Li, is this what you meant by joining forces with Bai?”

The yellow-haired man listened to what the two were saying, remaining unmoved. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. Although he had a rugged appearance, his mind was exceptionally meticulous, otherwise, how could he have gained such a renowned reputation among the Foundation Establishment cultivators of Four Symbols Peak?

Although Gan Shi had heard Li Yan speak of merging with Bai before, he thought it meant fighting their way through. But Li Yan’s words at this moment clearly did not imply forcing their way through this stage.

Li Yan nodded, looking seriously at the three of them.

“I want to exit this stage from here, instead of fighting further ahead, and then find Elder Brother Bai or Senior Sister Gong outside the stage passage. The specific situation depends on which purple ribbon is closest to us once we're outside.

But I'm not sure if I can take all of you out. After all, a single blue prism crystal can only be used by one person. Even with the additional prism crystal acquired from Ten-Step Court just now, that's only three. I can only guarantee that three people can exit.

Therefore, the two of you also need to enter the spirit storage bag. Only Elder Brother Gan and I will go out like this, or even Elder Brother Gan can enter the spirit storage bag, and I can take all of you out alone.”

Li Yan explained briefly. However, Rui Feikai and Dai Jing didn't quite understand, so they looked at Gan Shi confusedly.

“Then I understand. However, unless absolutely necessary, I don't want to enter the spirit storage bag. So, the two of you go in first.”

Gan Shi’s first half of the sentence was addressed to Li Yan, while the latter half was for Rui Feikai and the other.

For him, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, to enter the spirit storage bag would be tantamount to entrusting half his life to Li Yan. Although he trusted Li Yan, out of a powerful cultivator's instinct, he still wished to maintain control over himself at all times.

Moreover, Gan Shi genuinely wanted to see how this blue prism crystal could possess the miraculous properties Li Yan described.

(Chapter End)