Easily advancing to the fourth level of the Martial Master realm left Ye Tian both delighted and perplexed.
"This purple crystal... Hmm? What a fragrant aroma!" Ye Tian scooped up some of the purple crystal powder from the ground and brought it to his nose, a peculiar and refreshing scent wafting up immediately.
"It's a pity that my knowledge is too limited to identify what this treasure is. However, it must be a supreme heavenly material, capable of enhancing a warrior's cultivation!" Ye Tian mused silently.
He then turned to the side and asked softly, "Xiao Bai, where did you find this?"
Ye Tian patted Xiao Bai's large head and pointed at the purple crystal powder on the ground.
Xiao Bai, full of spirit, sensed Ye Tian's inquiry. His eyes sparkled as he let out a few low growls, raising his front paw and waving it in the air.
"Uh... What does this mean... Xiao Bai!" Ye Tian gaped, wearing a wry smile. Despite having watched Xiao Bai grow, he couldn't decipher what the creature was trying to convey.
"Roar!" Xiao Bai, sensing his frustration, grew anxious. He bit at Ye Tian's pants and tilted his head, waving his paw again before nipping at Ye Tian's trousers once more.
This time, Ye Tian understood. He pointed at himself and asked, "Are you telling me to follow you?"
"Roar!" Xiao Bai eagerly nodded and, with a swift motion, took the lead.
Ye Tian smiled slightly and quickly followed suit.
Though Xiao Bai was fast, Ye Tian was not slow, especially after his breakthrough to the fourth level of the Martial Master realm, which had significantly enhanced his strength, making him much stronger than Xiao Bai, who was only at the second level.
The moonlight bathed the landscape, illuminating a sky full of stars.
The duo, one human and one tiger, swiftly exited Ye City and dashed through the forest, disappearing into the dense underbrush in no time.
In the silent mountain woods at night, Ye Tian followed Xiao Bai, stealthily arriving at the entrance of a cave where flickering firelight could be seen within.
"Wait! Xiao Bai!" Suddenly, Ye Tian halted and pulled back the eager Xiao Bai, who was about to enter the cave.
"Roar!" Xiao Bai became anxious, raising his paw to point at the cave, growling lowly.
Ye Tian covered its mouth and whispered, "Alright, I understand what you mean. However, there are people inside, so let's be quiet."
At the cave entrance, Ye Tian could sense several powerful warrior presences within.
"Who's outside?"
Just then, Xiao Bai's low growl had drawn the attention of those inside, and a rugged voice called out.
Footsteps followed.
"Shh—" Ye Tian covered Xiao Bai's mouth and led it to hide in some nearby bushes.
Peering through the gaps in the foliage, Ye Tian soon spotted a tall figure emerging from the cave. The dim lighting obscured the person's features, but he could discern that it was a muscular man, possessing the strength of a level ten warrior.
"Old Zhang, find anything?" another tall figure stepped out of the cave.
"Nothing, it's probably just some low-level beast!" The first muscular man chuckled.
"Then let's head back in. Don't worry; with Third Brother and us four brothers stationed here, even a Martial Master-level beast won't pose a threat!"
"Hehe, Third Brother is a half-step Martial Master. Combined with our strength, we can easily handle an opponent at the Martial Master level!"
The voices gradually faded as the two entered the cave.
"Xiao Bai, stay here and don't enter the cave!" After the two had gone inside for a short while, Ye Tian whispered to Xiao Bai. Once Xiao Bai nodded, Ye Tian concealed his aura and stealthily approached the cave.
"According to my senses, there are five people inside. From the previous conversation, the strongest among them, 'Third Brother,' is only a half-step Martial Master, posing no threat to me!"
Ye Tian contemplated as he neared the cave entrance, immediately slowing his pace and entering cautiously.
Torches illuminated the cave, but there was nothing nearby to conceal his presence, causing Ye Tian to furrow his brow.
"Never mind. If I get discovered, I'll just eliminate them!" After a brief pause, a glint of cold light flashed in Ye Tian's eyes.
People look out for themselves; if there truly is something I desire within, then a bloody battle is inevitable.
Taking advantage of the flickering firelight, Ye Tian delved deeper into the cave while eavesdropping on the conversations around him.
"Xiao Zhang, you're making a fuss over nothing. I told you there's nothing here, but you still don't believe me and have to check, haha!"
"Third Brother, it's not that I'm being overly cautious about that white tiger trying to steal the Purple Spirit Stone again. The last time it took the Purple Spirit Stones, their combined worth was enough to amount to hundreds of thousands of silver!"
"Mm, Xiao Zhang, it's good to be vigilant. But don't worry; that white tiger is only a level one Martial Master. With our combined strength, it's definitely no match for us."
Ye Tian concealed himself behind a large rock, carefully observing the situation inside through a few gaps.
The cave opened into a spacious area where five black-armored warriors gathered around a pile of firewood, talking and laughing boisterously.
"It's the Black Armored Army!" Upon seeing their attire, Ye Tian's pupils constricted, and a look of astonishment crossed his face.
Not far from Blood Jade City, there lies a city known as Black Blood City.
The black blood horses ridden by Ye Tian's Blood Cloak Guards originated from Black Blood City, which holds considerable strength, even surpassing that of Blood Jade City.
The Black Armored Army serves as the most formidable combat force of Black Blood City, much like the Blood Cloak Guards of Blood Jade City.
"What brings these Black Armored soldiers thousands of miles to this place?" Now aware of their identity, Ye Tian's confusion only deepened.
Even with relentless travel, it takes at least half a month to reach here from Black Blood City.
Ye Tian couldn't comprehend why these individuals had traveled such a great distance.
"By the way, they just mentioned the Purple Spirit Stone. It must be the purple crystal Xiao Bai gave me. Could it be connected to this?" Suddenly, Ye Tian's eyes lit up as he began to suspect the reason for their long journey.
"Third Brother, this time the boss sent you here to guard against that white tiger coming to steal the Purple Spirit Stone again. It won't interfere with our mining progress, will it?"
At that moment, a voice from within the Black Armored Army echoed again.
Ye Tian quickly perked up his ears, listening intently.
"It's no trouble. We've nearly finished mining this Purple Spirit Stone vein. Just a few more days, and we'll be able to leave this backwater place."
"Third Brother, when I leave, you must kill that white tiger!"
"Mm, of course. How dare it steal our Purple Spirit Stones!"
"How strange, though. Those country bumpkins not only built a rundown city but also raised a beast at the Martial Master level. Truly astonishing."
"I've inquired about it. Among those bumpkins, there's a genius named Ye Tian, supposedly a sixteen-year-old level ten warrior who even killed a level one Martial Master. That white tiger is raised by this Ye Tian genius."
"Hiss... A sixteen-year-old level ten warrior? And he even killed a Martial Master? A talent of such caliber would be top-tier even in our Black Blood City."
"What does it matter? Even if he were here, he wouldn't stand a chance against our boss."
"Of course. Our boss is a level six Martial Master, and with these Purple Spirit Stones, it won't be long before he advances to level seven!"
Listening to the conversation of the five black-armored warriors within the cave, Ye Tian began to piece together the unfolding situation.
To his astonishment, even this impoverished, remote town of Baiyun had given rise to such a precious vein of Purple Spirit Stone, the origins of which remained a mystery as to how these black-armored soldiers had discovered it.
"This Purple Spirit Stone can enhance cultivation; if I could obtain it..." Stealing a glance at the pile of Purple Spirit Stones nestled in the cave's corner, Ye Tian swallowed hard, his eyes gleaming with fervor.
There was no doubt that, given his green martial soul's innate talent, acquiring these stones would accelerate his cultivation tremendously, allowing him to reach the seventh level of Martial Master in a remarkably short time. Moreover, if the Ye family were to possess these Purple Spirit Stones, their strength would undoubtedly surge, with Ye Shi and Ye Feng both likely to elevate to the Martial Master level.
"However... they mentioned their leader is a sixth-level Martial Master!" A flicker of hesitation crossed Ye Tian's eyes; possessing formidable offensive capabilities, he felt confident facing a fifth-level opponent with his fourth-level cultivation. Yet, the disparity in strength against their leader, a sixth-level Martial Master, was too great for him to overcome.
Furthermore, their mining operations for the Purple Spirit Stone were nearing completion. Even if he sought assistance from Blood Jade City at this moment, it would be of little help. More critically, Ye Tian coveted the stones for himself; should the Blood-Clothed Guards learn of this, he would be lucky to secure a few fragments, as most would surely be claimed by them.
"Never mind; I'll focus on seizing the Purple Spirit Stones in front of me!" After pondering for a while, Ye Tian shook his head, his gaze falling on the five men inside the cave, a chilling intent to kill igniting in his eyes.
At that moment—
"Third Brother, why do I suddenly feel a chill?"
"Are you foolish? The fire is right in front of you, and you're cold... Haha!"
"I feel it too..."
"Wait—" The "Third Brother" suddenly changed his expression, leaping to his feet and shouting, "Be careful, there's an enemy—"
Before he could finish, a streak of crimson light pierced through him, a half-step Martial Master, spilling his blood onto the ground.
"Ah..." The other four black-armored warriors in the cave were left stupefied by this scene.
"Truly impressive, the black-armored warriors possess keen instincts, but their strength is lamentably lacking!"
A figure materialized within the cave, charging toward the stunned quartet of black-armored warriors.
It was Ye Tian.
With his fourth-level Martial Master cultivation, dealing with these minor warriors, who had yet to reach even the first level, was child's play, effortless in the extreme.
In mere moments, the four tenth-level black-armored warriors fell beneath Ye Tian's blade, the battle swiftly concluding.