Huchen Wanmu looked at the slowly approaching Li Yan, feeling surprised himself. Although the poisons he had encountered in the first few dozen zhang were not too difficult for him, they had still forced him to use one of his only two "Frost-Condensing Pills." That was how he had safely arrived here. He had spent a great deal of effort to gather the raw materials for the Frost-Condensing Pills, spending over six thousand Spirit Stones in total, only to succeed in refining two. If it weren't for repaying Fourth Mother's kindness, he would have been unwilling to use one today. While this pill couldn't be said to cure a thousand poisons, it could certainly handle a hundred. The one he currently held in his mouth had already dissolved by forty percent.
As he had passed quickly through the first few dozen zhang, after a simple analysis of the potent poisons in the surrounding air, the Frost-Condensing Pill had played a crucial role, allowing him to advance like a hot knife through butter. But now, after he had been delayed for only half a cup of tea's time, that kid had also leisurely walked here. And from the looks of it, Li Yan didn't seem to have exerted much effort at all.
'Could he also have a pill similar to the Frost-Condensing Pill? Otherwise, how could he be so relaxed? Where on earth did this person come from? His cultivation is so strange,' Huchen Wanmu thought resentfully. He had been thinking here for nearly half a cup of tea's time and still hadn't come up with a foolproof plan to get through. Seeing Li Yan walking towards the front of the peach blossom forest, he couldn't help but want to see what would happen to him. He had no intention of warning Li Yan. The attacks from those petals alone were not something a tenth-level Qi Condensation cultivator could handle. It was an overwhelming attack, and a single petal was equivalent to the full cultivation of this cultivator surnamed Li before him.
If Li Yan could be seriously injured or killed by the petals, that would be even better. He would only need to advance to the edge of the peach blossom forest, and even if he didn't cross, he would still be closer to the summit. At that point, he would have completed the task given to him by Ye Luoyan.
Li Yan merely glanced at Huchen Wanmu before turning his gaze forward, his Divine Sense sweeping directly towards the peach blossom forest. The next moment, a look of confusion appeared in Li Yan's eyes. He didn't feel anything different about the peach trees or their blossoms, but he had already detected the nauseating Three-Legged Carrion Earthworms beneath the Stinking Earthworm Leaves. He was familiar with Stinking Earthworm Leaves and also knew about the parasitic little demonic beast, the Three-Legged Carrion Earthworm.
Li Yan pondered for a moment, then his body glowed brightly with spirit light as he walked straight ahead. He could see that the peach blossom forest ahead was unusual, but he was unwilling to linger here. If this forest concealed a potent poison, it was exactly what he needed. Now, every sliver of increase in his Spirit Power required a more violent poison to devour. This was much easier than months of bitter cultivation, even though each absorption brought him inexplicable pain.
In a few steps, Li Yan arrived before the peach blossom forest. The moment he approached, the petals, which had been as light as goose down, suddenly acted like ferocious beasts that had caught the scent of blood. Several petals shot towards his head like meteors. The sudden change in speed surprised even Li Yan. One moment they were like feathers, the next they were like meteorites from beyond the heavens, hurtling towards him with a terrifying whistle. Feeling the thunderous momentum of each petal, Li Yan formed a hand seal, and several fist-sized fireballs shot out like a string of meteors chasing the moon.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Amidst a series of explosions, fireballs collided with petals, erupting in a chain of dazzling flames in the air.
Li Yan took the opportunity to flicker backwards. As his body moved back, the petals and fireballs exploded simultaneously, creating a cloud of pink in the air. After Li Yan moved a few zhang away from the peach blossom forest, it returned to normal, with petals dancing like pink snow in the sky, lightly falling.
Li Yan's move caused Huchen Wanmu's gaze to sharpen, and he finally understood. 'So that's it. This kid is also a Foundation Establishment cultivator. I thought it was strange that he dared to participate in this assessment. He was indeed hiding his realm. But from the looks of it, he should only be at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment. But... so what? Even I, who am approaching the Pseudo-Core Realm, can't pass through easily. How could he? It just means my original hope of him being injured by that sudden attack is now impossible.'
'It seems I still have to get through here as soon as possible. But... in that case, I'll have to use that talisman.'
As Huchen Wanmu thought of this, he became conflicted. He had spent half his fortune to win that talisman at an auction. It was meant to save his own life. Was he really going to use it just for Ye Luoyan's faction? It wasn't worth it. He had thought of using the talisman before, but hesitated each time, unable to part with it. Now, faced with a potential stalemate, he would be unable to complete Ye Luoyan's task. The thought arose again, but he remained undecided.
Li Yan's sudden move, made to block the simultaneous attacks of several tenth-level Qi Condensation cultivators, meant he could no longer hide his cultivation. Many people in the plaza finally nodded. If Li Yan was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, even an initial-stage one, then it could be said he had a chance of winning. After all, this round of the assessment was not about the fundamental arts from the Ghostly Poison Scroll; some potent poisons could be resisted with abundant Spirit Power.
Huchen Huiqing's beautiful eyes danced, and she shot an annoyed glance at Huchen Wuding. "This friend of yours is clearly at the Foundation Establishment realm, yet you kept it hidden even when your second sister asked. Are you afraid I'd tell someone?"
Huchen Wuding was also in a daze, murmuring, "Second Sister, if I said I only just found out Brother Li is a Foundation Establishment cultivator, would you believe me? Let alone me, even Uncle Sang at the Pseudo-Core Realm couldn't see through Brother Li's cultivation. I really don't know what kind of cultivation method Brother Li practices, or perhaps he has a magical treasure that conceals his aura."
"You didn't know either? No way. For him to risk his life for you like this... this is an assessment set by the Ancestor himself. Although one's life is supposedly safe, a serious injury is still possible. Besides, the Ancestor himself said there are 'Fundamental Forbidden Art' zones inside. If you say you two aren't extremely close, I wouldn't believe it," Huchen Huiqing said with a puzzled expression after some thought.
"I'm telling the truth. As for some of the details, I can't reveal them right now. I really did just find out that Brother Li... oh, it should be Senior Li now, is a Foundation Establishment cultivator," Huchen Wuding replied earnestly. As soon as he said this, the usually taciturn Zhuo Lingfeng also nodded, which finally made Huchen Huiqing turn her suspicious gaze back to the huge light screen in the sky. She muttered to herself, "But he has so many magical treasures. Besides the one that hides his cultivation, he had a detoxification treasure before. Which family has such a profound heritage?"
Seeing Ye Luoyan's somewhat embarrassed expression, Xie Xiaoxiao on the other side let out a light laugh. "I thought that faction hadn't sent out their strongest person, but now it seems that might not be the case. This person is a Poison Cultivator, and a well-equipped one at that. Coupled with his Foundation Establishment strength, in a situation that isn't a direct confrontation, his powerful treasures might just give us a surprise."
At this moment, Xie Xiaoxiao felt a trace of delight. She had previously suppressed Huchen Wuding because he had no backing and yet was exceptionally talented, posing the greatest threat to her. But today, Huchen Jianghai's performance made her hatred for Ye Luoyan momentarily surpass even her feelings towards Huchen Wuding's side. It was the feeling of being deceived for over a decade, of being played like a fool. With her pride and the strength of the Xie family, being toyed with by someone who was merely a family ancestor at the Pseudo-Core Realm was a great humiliation. Now, seeing that Huchen Wuding had a chance to turn the tables, she felt a sense of satisfaction. In any case, she would likely gain nothing this time. If Huchen Wuding could win, it would not only foil Ye Luoyan's plans, which she would greatly enjoy, but Huchen Wuding, even if he won, would still have no backing. She would still have a chance to find an opportunity for a comeback. For a moment, she couldn't help but make a few sarcastic remarks.
Looking at Li Yan in the light screen, who had only retreated a few zhang and had exposed his true strength, Ye Luoyan, who had been full of confidence, now felt a little uneasy. The source of her unease was that Huchen Wanmu had been stuck in that place for too long. And this cultivator surnamed Li, after retreating, showed no sign of the anxiety she had hoped to see. Instead, his expression became even more serious.
"Mother, you... you don't have to worry. Didn't your son also... also hide his cultivation? Given the difficulty of this stage, even I am not confident I can pass. His realm is comparable to... to your son's, and he hasn't practiced the Ghostly Poison Scroll. No matter how good a Foundation Establishment cultivator's poison-warding items are, they can't be heaven-defying... items. Everyone understands the principle that possessing a treasure attracts envy when you are alone. Given his cultivation, his poison-warding item is not likely a major... major treasure, otherwise, would he use it so... so openly in front of everyone?" As Ye Luoyan's expression shifted, the awakened Huchen Jianghai, his face sallow, spoke up from her side.
After hearing Huchen Jianghai's words, Ye Luoyan thought about it and felt that her son had a point. At this moment, the Xie Family Ancestor, who had been silent, glanced at Huchen Jianghai. "The Spirit Power cultivated by this young man is extremely vigorous. Even a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator might not be stronger than him." His words made Ye Luoyan's face change again. Just now, he had also sent a voice transmission to his father, but the Ye Family Ancestor, with his Pseudo-Core Realm cultivation, still couldn't see Li Yan's specific cultivation level. The Xie Family Ancestor's words were undoubtedly a blow to their hopes.
When the Ye Family Ancestor heard this, he too felt some doubt. But the Chi Family Ancestor beside them nodded in agreement. "Fellow Daoist Xie is right. This young man doesn't seem to be hiding his cultivation with a powerful treasure. The degree to which he controls his Spirit Power seems to be a result of his own cultivation method. Which sect is this disciple from?"
The first half of the Chi Family Ancestor's sentence was in agreement with the Xie Family Ancestor, but the second half was a question directed at the Huchen Ancestor.
The Huchen Ancestor shook his head. "I also cannot identify the origin of his cultivation method, nor do I know where Wuding met this person." Although the Huchen Ancestor was suspicious of Li Yan's identity, he didn't care much. He was determined to find an opportunity to make this kid and Zhuo Lingfeng disappear from the world, so he had no intention of asking Huchen Wuding.
Li Yan stood in place, thinking. 'I must get through this peach blossom forest. The Stinking Earthworm Leaves here can maximally stimulate the Three-Legged Carrion Earthworms to spit out their saliva. Although the poison contained in this saliva is very potent, I cannot absorb and devour it.' The thought of those saliva-morphed maggots gathering in clumps inside his body or crawling along his meridians made Li Yan's scalp tingle and his stomach churn. How could he be willing to absorb such a poison?
'But after passing through the peach blossom forest, two situations will arise. One, because I am already ahead of Huchen Wanmu, the Huchen Ancestor will directly activate the so-called 'Fundamental Forbidden Art' attack to kill me and end this assessment quickly. The other is that he will wait for the outcome on Huchen Wanmu's side before finding an opportunity to kill me.'
'In the first scenario, the possibility of him attacking as soon as I cross the peach blossom forest is smaller. In that case, he would still have to take an extra step, which is to find a way to stop Huchen Wanmu's advance, or even have him perish in the peach blossom forest. He probably won't act so quickly. He might wait until I've advanced a bit further before making his move. The second scenario is more likely. After all, even after passing the peach blossom forest, there's still over one hundred and fifty zhang to the summit, which is half the distance. The difficulty of the assessment should increase, giving him a more ample reason to kill the two of us.'
Thinking this, Li Yan decided he should still break through. The front section of this magical treasure mountain, less than fifty zhang, had already given him great rewards. Further up, there might be even rarer poisonous herbs and beasts collected by the Huchen Ancestor. However, he wasn't confident he could withstand the Huchen Ancestor's sudden attack, which could come at any time. So now he had to think of a foolproof plan, one that would make the Huchen Ancestor not dare to act without scruples.