"Ye Bufan, come out! We know you're nearby because you can't escape," Murakoshi Ryu shouted, his voice amplified by his true qi, scattering into the surroundings.
After a long while, Murakoshi Ryu and Nikkei Tomo still hadn't received the response they desired.
Hiding in the shadows, Ye Bufan let out a cold smile, patiently waiting for the next move of the two individuals.
"Did he actually run off?" Nikkei Tomo frowned, momentarily unsure.
Murakoshi Ryu took a deep breath and, with lingering unwillingness, scanned the vicinity again with his spiritual sense. There was still no disturbance, no anomaly.
"Let's secure Iketachi's body first, then head to Sakura Island," Murakoshi Ryu said.
"Alright!" Nikkei Tomo and Murakoshi Ryu approached Iketachi's side, preparing to collect his body.
As the two men laid Iketachi Kenjin's body down, a fireball the size of an egg suddenly shot out from his body.
"Careful!" Nikkei Tomo yelled, but it was too late.
The egg-sized fireball instantly exploded, powerful energy waves radiating outwards. Ye Bufan chuckled, quite satisfied with his contraption.
He had compressed the Violet Nether Cold Fire with his true qi and sword qi, using the spirit minerals and jade from the Taiyi Ring to temporarily create an energy ball, imbued with array formations and runes to condense energy.
To inflict damage on two cultivators at the Core Formation mid-stage, Ye Bufan had even used several spirit stones.
Ye Bufan didn't rush to reveal himself. He knew this single strike couldn't significantly harm two cultivators at the Core Formation mid-stage. The fact that Nikkei Tomo and Murakoshi Ryu hadn't immediately flown out suggested they might be plotting something.
When the smoke and fire dissipated, two figures emerged.
"He still hasn't appeared," Nikkei Tomo scanned the surroundings again with his spiritual sense, a wide sweep, but still found no trace of Ye Bufan. A surge of annoyance filled him.
"Murakoshi Ryu, I shouldn't have listened to you. Now look, even Iketachi's body is gone," Nikkei Tomo said with some displeasure towards Murakoshi Ryu.
"Nikkei, you should be able to see this yourself without me reminding you. Iketachi's body was bait set by Ye Bufan. This was a trap he left for us, designed to make us suffer," Murakoshi Ryu snarled. "Ye Bufan has escaped. We must now reach Jinhe before him and assassinate him using his own methods."
Nikkei Tomo, jolted by Murakoshi Ryu's sharp words, seemed to regain his clarity.
Ye Bufan, hidden in the shadows, naturally heard Murakoshi Ryu's words. A chill ran down his spine, and his killing intent intensified.
Murakoshi Ryu took a step forward, and with a 'crack,' something seemed to shatter. The surroundings suddenly changed. The forest vanished, and their feet landed on a stone bridge. Below the bridge was raging lava, and in the distance, thunder rumbled across the sky.
Ye Bufan smiled faintly, sighing, "Finally, they've fallen for it."
What Murakoshi Ryu and Nikkei Tomo were experiencing now was the trial Ye Bufan had faced when he entered the secret realm and headed for the main hall. Ever since Ye Bufan obtained the inheritance, he could use these trial formations individually, though it required the spatial abilities of the Taiyi Ring.
Previously, Ye Bufan had tried to bring Yan Yuzhu into the space. Though it was a bit taxing, it wasn't overly difficult. Bringing two people in at once this time would be slightly more strenuous.
Ye Bufan estimated that with his current strength, he could allow three people to enter the Taiyi Divine Sect's ring space.
As soon as the two entered, Ye Bufan’s mind stirred, and a bolt of lightning descended from the sky, striking both of them.
This formation couldn't kill them, but it could exhaust them completely.
Nikkei Tomo and Murakoshi Ryu were thoroughly struck by the lightning and lay on the ground for a long time, unable to recover.
Subsequently, Ye Bufan unleashed more lightning and celestial fire, bombarding them alternately. The two countered by circulating their true qi.
Ye Bufan took a deep breath and then summoned his Sword Domain.
"Come out!"
Ye Bufan instantly teleported Nikkei Tomo out using the spatial ring. Just as he was about to be attacked by lightning and fire, Nikkei Tomo felt a sudden lightness, the lightning disappeared, and he found himself back in the forest.
As Nikkei Tomo reappeared, Ye Bufan immediately launched his attack, leaving him no time to react.
The broken sword pierced through his heart. Nikkei Tomo hadn't even understood what happened. He merely saw Ye Bufan standing before him, surrounded by sword qi.
"Ye... Ye Bufan..."
Ye Bufan smiled and said, "You want to kill me? And wait for me at Jinhe? You won't get the chance."
Violet Nether Cold Fire swiftly engulfed Nikkei Tomo, and he was consumed by flames, eventually vanishing.
"One left," Ye Bufan took a deep breath, realizing how incredibly useful the Taiyi Ring was as a magic artifact when facing cultivators stronger than himself.
However, its limitations were also significant. If the two hadn't been caught off guard, it would have been quite difficult for him to get them inside.
"You're the only one left." Ye Bufan turned his gaze towards Murakoshi Ryu. This Murakoshi Ryu, however, was indeed formidable. He managed to evade the relentless attacks of lightning and celestial fire, even showing an ability to refine the lightning energy.
Seeing this, Ye Bufan prepared to pull him out of the ring's space.
Murakoshi Ryu gradually discerned the pattern of the lightning and celestial fire, and was about to use the lightning to temper his body. Suddenly, his vision went dark, and he found himself back in the forest.
Ye Bufan employed the same tactic, but Murakoshi Ryu's senses were exceptionally sharp. Almost simultaneously, he sensed danger and leaped from the ground. Ye Bufan's broken sword narrowly missed.
"Fall!"
The broken sword missed, and above Murakoshi Ryu's head, sword qi gathered and descended towards his crown.
"Baka!" Murakoshi Ryu's peripheral vision caught sight of Ye Bufan, and he roared with fury. All his energy erupted from his body, and a black-gold long saber appeared in his hand.
"Break!"
With a swing of his saber, Murakoshi Ryu cleaved through Ye Bufan's sword qi. Ye Bufan was greatly alarmed, not expecting this cultivator from Sakura Island to be so difficult to handle.
Ye Bufan formed a sword seal and waved his hand. The sword qi, condensed from the spiritual energy within the Sword Domain, transformed into a giant sword. Following Ye Bufan's command, it surged towards Murakoshi Ryu once more.
Murakoshi Ryu let out a cold laugh, mocking, "A mere early Core Formation cultivator is nothing before my mid-Core Formation strength. You're like a mantis trying to stop a chariot!"
With that, Murakoshi Ryu swung his black-gold long saber, its light flashing.