"Master... Master!"
Startled, Ye Tian rushed into the Ziyun Hall. Inside his cultivation room, his face was as pale as death, and large beads of cold sweat dripped down his forehead.
"He... is terrifying."
A flash of golden light appeared, and the phantom of an old man in a yellow robe emerged before Ye Tian. Although his form was illusory, his vertical pupils were filled with visible apprehension.
"Master, how did he know I have the Ten Lives Technique?! And he seems to have sensed your presence! You... you are a top-tier powerhouse from ancient times, right? How could a Golden Core stage cultivator detect your existence!"
Ye Tian's expression was filled with a cold killing intent, along with a fear and panic of being controlled.
"On the path of Dao, each cultivator has their own opportunities, and nothing is ever guaranteed."
The old man's phantom looked at Ye Tian, raised his hand, and a gentle light infused into Ye Tian's forehead, instantly smoothing out the anxious emotions.
"Tian'er, be cautious and avoid impatience. You possess great fortune, and you should have a mindset worthy of such fortune."
"Yes, Master, Tian'er understands." Ye Tian respectfully clasped his hands.
"However, that Yu Mu..."
"Do not provoke him for now. I have an ominous feeling. You have deeply grasped our clan's cautious ways, and you should know that a hidden dragon should not be used." The old man gently stroked Ye Tian's head, his expression kind.
Ye Tian also smiled respectfully and said, "Yes, Master, Tian'er understands. You can rest assured."
After the old man's figure disappeared, Ye Tian looked towards the direction of the Xingyun Hall, burying his unwillingness deep within.
What he displayed was only endless confidence.
"Yu Mu... I did not wish to settle this with you, but now, I must fight for it! I initially wanted to recruit you, but since you know my secret, it seems I cannot keep you."
"Just wait a little longer; it won't be too long."
After murmuring, a faint golden isolation formation rose in Ye Tian's cultivation room, sealing off all the aura in this space. With a wave of his hand, the Earth Vein energy emerged with a heavy intent. Ye Tian took a deep breath, and that terrifying power began to merge into his body, while his cultivation was not as it appeared to be at the early Core Formation stage! Instead, it was the Great Perfection of the Core Formation stage, even infinitely close to the Golden Core realm!
...
"That cat demon must be extraordinary."
Yu Mu had waited a long time without seeing Elder Yun return, so he lay down on a lounge chair under the grape trellis, gently waving a fan in his hand.
He looked at the clusters of unripe grapes and the mottled sunlight filtering through the lush leaves, closing his eyes slightly.
In his previous life, the ancient spirit cat was undoubtedly Ye Tian's greatest support. It was a remnant spirit that had fallen on the ancient battlefield, borrowing Ye Tian's fortune to be reborn, but it was truly devoted to Ye Tian, even more so than its own offspring.
It even gave Ye Tian nine lives! It was even thinking of using its last life to protect Ye Tian. Thus, during a battle, when Ye Tian was severely injured, he fled without looking back. When it was caught by the cat demon and crushed, it offered no resistance.
"How could such a great demon follow such a filthy character?" Yu Mu murmured as the sky seemed to change.
Upon introspection, he discovered that the Dao seed deep within his consciousness had already grown into a small sapling, looking vibrant and full of life. He also received some feedback; at the very least, he could recover quickly after dispersing his energy, which he needed to remember.
But... Yu Mu frowned slightly; it was ultimately a constraint, so it was better to pull it out. Thinking about this, Yu Mu decided to act.
With a thought, the immense soul power, nearly overwhelming for his physical body to bear, surged forth from his consciousness, transforming into a dark purple giant hand that fiercely grasped the Dao sapling!
"Buzz!!"
This time, even pain appeared on Yu Mu's face! But this pain clearly ignited his ferocity. The giant hand formed from soul power almost became tangible, focused solely on pulling out the sapling!
The Dao sapling was indeed resilient, but the consciousness... after all, it was Yu Mu's consciousness, and he could endure the pain! In just a moment, several fragile roots snapped.
"Emperor, stop! Stop it!!"
But at that moment, an immense force suddenly erupted from nowhere, repelling the giant hand.
Yu Mu raised his gaze, his eyes cold enough to freeze the air! He saw that the originally clear sky was now covered in dark clouds.
Within that ominous cloud, a sense of awe-inspiring pressure subtly approached! This pressure was targeted solely at him.
Deep within his consciousness, the Dao sapling radiated light points, which coalesced into a faceless visage that encompassed all worldly aspects, devoid of emotion yet blending countless feelings.
"Emperor! Please stop it!"
The expression on that visage ultimately froze in fear. It seemed to want to bow, but alas, it had no hands.
"Finally willing to show yourself."
The giant hand of the soul transformed into Yu Mu's figure, albeit in this state, he wore a luxurious imperial robe, exuding a pressure that was not inferior to that of the Dao visage.
He gazed at the Dao visage, his eyes equally devoid of waves, like a dead sea.
"Recovering nicely, tell me, how much of my soul power have you secretly absorbed?"
"You have wronged me, oh Emperor!"
The Dao visage was not the least bit embarrassed, instead, it cried out in grievance.
"Do you really think I know nothing?"
Seeing it refuse to admit, Yu Mu was about to act again to pull out the Dao sapling! This time, the visage was finally shocked. With teleportation, it directly blocked in front of Yu Mu.
"Emperor! Your soul has almost returned to its prime, but although I am the Heavenly Dao, I am also under the control of the Great Dao and must abide by the rules of the Great Dao. You have too much soul power, and you can't use it all! I... I swallowed a little, but it won't hurt you!"
This is true. Since Yu Mu came back, his soul power has been overflowing between heaven and earth every day. His body cannot bear such power. Although this overflow is a waste, it is harmless to him. On the contrary, it will make his current physique stronger.
In the past few days, he has also realized what the Heavenly Dao seed is used for. Forcing out the spirit of the Heavenly Dao today can be regarded as proving what he thinks in his heart.
"You only swallowed a little." The Heavenly Dao face did not speak.
"Moreover, you parasitized me without my consent. Most of your consciousness is probably here with me. You restored yourself through my soul power and used my great emperor's luck to confuse the Great Dao, so as to obtain more authority."
Yu Mu's voice was extremely calm, but the temperature in it was getting colder.
"In the last life, you used me as a tool to sharpen your Son of Destiny."
"In this life, you still want to use me as a tool to restrain the Son of Destiny you created with your own hands, the one who destroyed you. You are so calculating. You are worthy of being the spirit of heaven and the existence that dominates this world. Using others to save yourself, truly astonishing."
Yu Mu clapped his hands.
"You are so deceiving. Do you think... that I, the emperor, don't have the ability to sacrifice blood to this world?"