Ten li[1] east of the Xingji Sect.
A burly middle-aged man, covered in blood, stepped out from the Void. He glanced towards the Xingji Sect and grinned, "Luo Wuming, I struck it rich in the Heavenly Dao Battlefield this time! Got a full eighty Supreme-grade Spirit Crystals! Not low-grade, but supreme-grade! I really look forward to seeing your eyes turn green with envy."
Thinking this, the burly man flew rapidly towards the Xingji Sect with a smile.
"What's going on?"
"Is the Xingji Sect in danger?"
When the burly man approached the Xingji Sect and sensed the aura of the activated Sect-Protecting Grand Formation, his expression changed abruptly, Killing Intent surging in his eyes!
"That's not right?"
"There are no enemies outside? Isn't it just me?"
But soon, the burly man realized something was amiss. What enemies were there? Just him, an old friend.
... ...
"It just so happens I haven't witnessed the power of the Nine Star Sword Formation for many years. Let's see how many Nine Star Sword Lights my physical body can withstand now."
Without calling Luo Wuming out, the burly man prepared to enter the Sect-Protecting Grand Formation first to test it.
"Holy Crap!"
However, just as he stepped within the range of the Nine Star Sword Formation, a feeling of suffocation instantly filled his heart. Without any hesitation, the burly man fled the sword formation at his fastest speed.
Huff! Huff! Huff!
The burly man, having escaped the sword formation, stood there panting heavily, the terror in his eyes growing even stronger!
Certain death!
The burly man was certain that if he hadn't been fast enough just now, he would likely already be dead within the sword formation. A single Nine Star Sword Light was enough to obliterate him at will!
"The Xingji Sect's most powerful Sect-Protecting Grand Formation, the Nine Star Sword Formation, has actually been improved! Its power is countless times greater than before! Who on earth improved the sword formation to such a terrifying degree!"
The burly man fell into contemplation.
"Luo Kai! Are you mad? Can't you sense the Sect-Protecting Grand Formation is active?!"
Just then, Luo Wuming's urgent voice sounded from within the sect.
Seeing Luo Wuming fly out from the sect, Luo Kai's face held nothing but a wry smile. Who the hell knew your sect's protecting formation was an enhanced version!
"Come, let's talk inside."
Seeing Luo Kai was unharmed, Luo Wuming finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Luo Wuming, your sect activated its Sect-Protecting Grand Formation. Have powerful enemies been attacking recently?"
Walking beside Luo Wuming, Luo Kai asked with a serious expression.
"No, it's just that the sect has a few too many Spirit Crystals recently, so we decided to activate the sect formation permanently."
"By the way, you should have felt the power of the Nine Star Sword Formation just now, right? It's a full ten times stronger than before. Although the consumption also increased tenfold, that's just small potatoes."
Luo Wuming explained with a smile, radiating an air of immense wealth.
"Look at you showing off! Tell me then, how many Spirit Crystals does your sect have now?"
Seeing Luo Wuming acting cool like this, Luo Kai asked skeptically.
"Just received one hundred million Supreme-grade Spirit Crystals. Although the consumption has increased tenfold, it's still enough to sustain it for several months."
"Right, judging by your appearance, you just returned from the Heavenly Dao Battlefield? What brings you here?"
Luo Wuming looked at the blood-covered Luo Kai and asked curiously.
...
Hearing this question, Luo Kai's face instantly flushed with embarrassment. He and Luo Wuming were old friends of several decades. He knew the other wouldn't pull such a big joke on him. Since he said one hundred million Supreme-grade Spirit Crystals, there absolutely were that many, regardless of how they were obtained.
But thinking about how he wanted to show off with his eighty Supreme-grade Spirit Crystals, he now wanted to cry his eyes out, wishing he could find a hole to crawl into.
"Nothing much, wasn't it just a long time since we last went drinking? I thought I'd come over and have a good drink with you."
Luo Kai casually made up an excuse, but it didn't make Luo Wuming suspicious, as the two indeed hadn't properly gotten together for several years.
"Hm?"
"What's that smell? So fragrant?"
Just as they passed through the Inner Sect area, a rich meaty aroma drifted into their nostrils with the breeze.
A moment later.
When the two followed the fragrance to the Inner Sect Martial Arts Field and saw the half-remaining corpse of the Purple Thunder Violent Lion, their pupils contracted tightly as they exclaimed in unison, "Purple Thunder Violent Lion!"
"This aura!"
"This Purple Thunder Violent Lion has definitely withstood nine Heavenly Dao Thunder Tribulations! It's a terrifying Great Yao that could ascend at any moment!"
Even though it was just a corpse, sensing the heart-palpitating pressure emanating from the Purple Thunder Violent Lion, the two men's expressions changed drastically again.
"Wait!"
"What are those thousands of disciples below doing?"
"Roasting and eating the flesh of such a terrifying Great Yao? Luo Wuming, has your Xingji Sect become wealthy to this extent?!"
At this point, Luo Kai finally noticed the scene below where thousands of disciples were holding meat skewers and feasting heartily. He couldn't help but look at Luo Wuming and exclaim in shock.
Wealthy my ass!
It must be that prodigal son Ye Feng's doing!
Terrifying Great Yao! How precious must the Yao Beast Essence Blood extracted from the flesh of such a terrifying Great Yao be? Yet he... he actually used it for barbecue, and even gave it to these disciples to eat!
Thinking this, Luo Wuming nearly fainted. If the Five Great Ancestors saw this, wouldn't they directly vomit blood from anger?!
"That is!"
Just then, Luo Kai suddenly saw a terrifying scene that made his heart pound with fear. A disciple only at the Qi Movement Realm was actually holding a seemingly ordinary black dagger and casually cutting through the scaly armor covering the Purple Thunder Violent Lion's body!
What kind of Divine Weapon must that be to ignore the scaly armor of a Purple Thunder Violent Lion of such a realm, cutting through it just like that!
Crazy!
Having not visited for many years, Luo Kai, at this moment, even felt a sense of unfamiliarity towards the Xingji Sect. When did his old friend's sect become so terrifying?!
"Fifth Ancestor, hurry up and come over! That kid Ye Feng is being prodigal again! The corpse of a Purple Thunder Violent Lion that withstood nine Heavenly Dao Thunder Tribulations! He's actually barbecuing skewers for thousands of sect disciples to eat! If you don't come soon, they'll eat it all!"
Hm?
Hearing Luo Wuming beside him transmitting sound to his sect's ancestor using a Sound Transmission Jade Pendant, and seeing Luo Wuming's current devastated expression, Luo Kai suddenly felt perhaps he had guessed wrong. It seemed Luo Wuming himself was somewhat baffled by the current situation.
"Luo Wuming, who is this Ye Feng you just mentioned?"
"Why bother asking the Fifth Ancestor to come dissuade him? Can't you just go up and dissuade him yourself?"
Luo Kai looked at Luo Wuming with a face full of confusion.
"You think I don't want to?!"
"This Ye Feng was originally the sect's sixth Core Disciple. But yesterday, he gifted the sect one hundred million Supreme-grade Spirit Crystals and the enhanced Nine Star Sword Formation Compendium. They made an exception and made him the sect's Honorary Elder, with status equal to the Five Great Ancestors! Even I have to respectfully call him Elder Ye! How can I go dissuade him?"
Luo Wuming didn't conceal anything from Luo Kai.
(TL/N: Luo Wuming and Luo Kai's surname isn't the same, Luò wúmíng(洛无名) while Luó kǎi(罗凯).
[1] Unit of distance, approx. 5km or 3 miles