Shrouding the Heavens: Starting by joining the Holy Land of Yao Guang

Chapter 262 Finding a Master for the Boss

After breaking through to the eighth level of the Saint Realm, Li Yao's speed increased even further.

With the increase in his base speed, plus the "Xing" secret technique, even without triggering the "Shen" and "Jie" secret techniques, he would probably reach the level of an early Great Sage.

Although he only used 70% of his speed just now, it still far surpassed that of an ordinary Saint King. Only a Heavenly King could barely compare.

In other words, the speed of this He Shou Wu is faster than that of a Heavenly King-level expert, and no less than that of an early-stage Great Sage.

This isn't even at full power; with a divine medicine like this, one can burn their own essence to escape.

"Susu!"

Apart from the emerald green vines and leaves, the Polygonum multiflorum, about a foot and a half long, shimmered with golden light and exuded a rich fragrance. It knelt there, its two roots resembling arms, bowing repeatedly. The vines and leaves swayed and made a rustling sound.

It was very intelligent, begging Li Yao to spare its life, but at the same time it remained vigilant. If anything went wrong, it would immediately burrow underground and enter the depths of the killing formation.

Although it lacks extraordinary spiritual power, it has a strong sense of malice.

Li Yao was very envious, but he did not act rashly. Instead, he carefully considered how to trick He Shou Wu into handing over his hands.

As a demigod drug, if one does not willingly follow, even if caught, one can escape at any time unless taken on the spot.

Therefore, the best approach is to outsmart him and make He Shou Wu willingly follow him. Only in this way can he truly obtain a semi-divine herb.

Just like back in the Dragon Nest, if he had the True Dragon Treasure Technique back then, he might have actually managed to trick someone into giving him a divine herb.

After a moment of contemplation, Li Yao suddenly stretched out his hand, and a bright green light emerged from his palm. The surrounding vegetation began to grow wildly, and a rich vitality permeated the air.

He Shou Wu, who was bowing with his hands clasped, was stunned and stared blankly at Li Yao's palm, attracted by the vitality emanating from the green liquid.

Even the most miraculous medicine cannot escape the yearning for life. The divine lightning of wood has a natural attraction for plants; it is a yearning that comes from the very source.

"Want some? Follow me, and you can eat your fill." Li Yao waved his hand, and the liquid formed from the divine lightning of wood rippled, like the tribulation liquid within the divine lightning.

He Shou Wu took a step, but quickly retreated with difficulty. It longed for the divine thunder of wood, but did not want to make the decision to follow it.

Li Yao is very powerful, but he has not yet reached the point where he can obtain divine medicine.

Whether it's the Divine Silkworm Ridge, the Victorious Fighting Ape Clan, the Ji Family, the Jiang Family, etc., all of them have the Great Sage in charge, but the divine medicine still manages to escape.

Even with the combined power of an ultimate imperial weapon, an imperial formation, and a great sage—enough to be invincible in the starry sky—they couldn't hold onto the divine medicine, demonstrating just how high their requirements are for their followers.

Although He Shou Wu is a semi-divine medicine, the one who must follow it is at least a quasi-emperor level being.

Li Yao is not qualified yet; the only attractive thing about him is probably the God of Wood Thunder.

"Forget it if you don't want to."

Seeing He Shouwu hesitate, Li Yao dispersed the Wood Divine Thunder, did not linger, and turned to leave.

He had something more important to do on this trip: the White Tiger Divine Medicine was his real target. As for the Polygonum multiflorum, he would take it later if he had the chance.

Since He Shou Wu won't leave Kunlun Mountain anyway, the most urgent task is to upgrade the allure of the Heavenly Book.

Just then, He Shou Wu, which had been hesitating within the killing formation, took two steps out of the formation, its two roots rubbing together as if a human were rubbing his hands.

Li Yao raised an eyebrow, turned to look at He Shou Wu, and chuckled. A semi-divine herb, yet it evoked conflicted emotions.

It was unwilling to follow someone who could not protect it, but at the same time it longed to obtain the Wood God Thunder.

"You want the Wood God Thunder, are you willing to lead the way for me?" Li Yao was somewhat speechless upon receiving the vague message from He Shou Wu.

He Shou Wu nodded, and one of its roots touched the back of its head, like a child begging for candy.

After thinking for a moment, Li Yao stretched out his hand, activated his divine power to create a bolt of wood-based divine lightning, and threw it at He Shou Wu.

"Here's your payment, now lead the way."

He Shou Wu, with its two roots cradling the Divine Thunder of Wood, nodded gratefully repeatedly. After carefully putting away the Divine Thunder of Wood, it took the initiative to run ahead and lead the way.

Taking this opportunity, Li Yao began to inquire about the situation in Kunlun Mountain from He Shou Wu.

Although He Shouwu was exceptionally intelligent, he was also very simple-minded and had no intention of hiding anything. He told Li Yao everything about Kunlun Mountain without hesitation.

For example, in the Kunlun Mountains, there is an incredibly powerful deity who also revealed information about the White Tiger Divine Medicine.

But that's all it knows; it has no further information.

For example, what kind of existence a deity is, what its true form is like, He Shou Wu doesn't know these things, and can't even say where a deity is.

However, the White Tiger Divine Medicine knew the approximate location of the opponent, which saved Li Yao some trouble.

Under He Shouwu's guidance, Li Yao's speed in navigating the killing formation increased significantly.

A hazy consciousness returned, and He Shouwu said it would take him to a secret place, claiming it was a divine relic left by an ancient immortal. Long ago, it had seen a fairy here, whose beauty was unparalleled throughout history and whose combat power was unmatched, stronger than anyone else who had come to this place.

He Shou Wu has existed for an incredibly long time. Although it does not possess any extraordinary powers, it is immortal and untouched by the passage of time.

Over countless years, it has witnessed many secrets in the Kunlun Mountains and has also seen god-like figures.

For example, the description of Rong Chengshi in modern times by He Shouwu is very detailed. Even though Li Yao had never seen it, he had a general understanding of what happened here thousands of years ago.

Even the ginseng fruit tree actively followed Rong Chengshi, which shows that his cultivation was extremely profound and he was definitely a quasi-emperor.

But even such a person was far inferior to that fairy in He Shouwu's eyes; the difference between the two was like heaven and earth.

Li Yao nodded in agreement. He knew who that female immortal was. Even Rong Chengshi was not as good as her, and she had been to Kunlun. So it could only be the Ruthless Great Emperor.

If that's the case, then the saying "the difference between heaven and earth" is not an exaggeration at all, and even Rong Chengshi himself couldn't find any way to refute it.

He Shouwu chattered on and on, beginning to describe the appearance of the female immortal. She had a great treasure bottle hanging above her head, and wherever she went, all things would avoid her and all paths would be destroyed. She was the only one who was supreme in heaven and earth.

It's clear that it greatly admires the Ruthless Great Emperor. It's likely that it was among the divine medicines it requested to follow, but it was ignored.

Li Yao couldn't help but sigh, wondering how sad the ruthless man must have been back then, that he would even disregard the elixir of immortality.

"This is it." He Shouwu led Li Yao forward, and soon they arrived at a cliff.

"Boom!"

A waterfall thousands of feet long crashes down, almost completely obscuring the cliff face. But this waterfall is not a body of water; rather, it is a long dragon composed of chaotic energy, cascading down from the cliff wall in a vast expanse.

He Shouwu transmitted its divine thoughts, informing Li Yao that this was the miracle left behind by that fairy. On that day, Kunlun Mountain shook and almost collapsed, and heaven and earth seemed to be destroyed.

Long ago, a Heavenly Emperor, invincible throughout the nine heavens and ten earths, and supreme in the universe, was overcome with grief. Here, he roared to the heavens, shaking eight of the nine moons from the sky.
Even though nothing was done, the heavens and earth were moved and almost collapsed because of it.

Li Yao was deeply moved. He was fascinated by the Emperor's divine power. With just a thought, the heavens and earth could be moved. What incredible power that was!

"I once saw her from afar, raising her hand to cut down the stars in the sky and forging a monument here." He Shouwu's divine sense fluctuated, as if it were trembling.

Li Yao's eyes flickered as he looked toward one side of the cliff, where a blood-stained robe, immortal for hundreds of thousands of years, protected by chaos and isolated from time, floated on the cliff. Beside it, there was also a monument, shimmering with starlight, eternally brilliant.

The stone tablet was forged from a star, shimmering with silver light that has never faded since ancient times. It bears the Dao traces left by a ruthless person and is surrounded by surging chaotic energy, protecting the blood-stained robe.

This is absolutely a treasure. Even if it was just casually crafted by a ruthless person, Li Yao has no doubt that if it can be activated, it can rival an imperial weapon.

However, throughout history, no one has been able to approach it. Anyone who dares to touch the stone tablet will surely be punished by the gods, and will die and perish.

Li Yao turned his gaze from the stone tablet to the blood-stained clothes on the side.

"I'm going to die... but what about my sister?"

On the blood-stained clothes, there was a line of words, very brief, which showed that the owner wrote it in a great hurry. He must have had a premonition that his life was coming to an end, but he had a huge regret in his heart that he could not let go of no matter what.

Li Yao felt a chill run down his spine. He could imagine how Kunlun Mountain must have trembled that night hundreds of thousands of years ago. Even the Imperial Array must have been shaking, fearing that the ruthless man might destroy it at will.

"See that chaotic area? It all flows from the ancient characters on the stone tablet and has never dried up. It is a place of miracles," said He Shouwu.

For hundreds of thousands of years, whenever a powerful creature descends, it has sought to forge weapons here. By drawing down a wisp of chaotic divine fire, the quality of the weapon can be greatly enhanced.

Li Yao gazed at the chaotic river, reached out and drew down a wisp, carefully sensing the traces of the Dao within it.

At that time, the ruthless man was already the Chaos Heavenly Emperor, possessing a fully formed Chaos Body, and the Dao traces he left behind carried a strong sense of the laws of chaos.

"Among three people walking together, there must be one who can teach me." Ruthless is undoubtedly a predecessor who transformed into a chaotic body. If Li Yao can gain some insights, it will definitely be of great help to his transformation into a chaotic body.

Sure enough, as the chaotic energy approached, the Yin-Yang Holy Power within his body became much more active, and the speed at which he generated chaotic energy increased significantly.

To this day, he has come a long way on the path of transforming mortal body into chaos, with half of his origin transformed into chaos. He originally thought it would take hundreds of years, but in reality, it happened much faster than expected.

In just one or two decades, he has almost achieved half of his goal. Now, his physique is no longer that of an ordinary person. If you really want to talk about it, you can barely say that he is a Chaos Body that is half-incomplete.

Although Li Yao had already sensed that the transformation of the Chaos Origin became increasingly difficult as time went on, and the speed was several times slower than at the beginning.

Even so, he was confident that within two hundred years, he would definitely transform into a flawless chaotic body and reach the pinnacle.

Therefore, no matter what, he now has the means to resist the dark turmoil, and the huge weight that was originally pressing on his heart has now been half lifted.

The rest are unforeseen circumstances. What if the restricted area detects his presence and tries to eliminate him beforehand? So, there is still danger.

"After upgrading the Heavenly Book, I can come here to cultivate for a period of time to accelerate the transformation of my Chaotic Body," Li Yao thought to himself. This Chaotic Waterfall would undoubtedly be of great help to his transformation into a Chaotic Body. Such a place is rare even across the entire universe. It was the work of a Heavenly Emperor and can be considered a rare blessing. Now that he had encountered it, he certainly couldn't miss it.

He continued forward, but He Shou Wu took his leave, saying that there were deities ahead and it dared not approach for fear of being captured.

Li Yao did not force him to leave, and instead created a ball of wood-based divine lightning and threw it to the other party.

He never intended to give up on this demigod herb, after all, even a quasi-emperor would be tempted by such a treasure, let alone him.

Forcing them won't work; even if they catch them, they'll have to guard against the fleeing of the Polygonum multiflorum every day.

He planned to outsmart it; since He Shou Wu longed for the divine thunder of wood, he would give it to it.

Fishing is impossible without bait.

Furthermore, he made up his mind that on the eve of his departure, he must comprehend the laws of thunder once, so that the divine thunder of wood could generate more vitality.

He'd hang the he shou wu again then, and he didn't believe the other party would still refuse to leave with him.

"Roar……"

After traveling hundreds of miles, a huge roar suddenly resounded throughout the heavens and earth. Li Yao looked in the direction of the sound and saw a strange beast roaring.

It was a three-headed lion, its body radiating a dazzling golden light that was incredibly bright. With a single breath, it devoured all the vital energy within a radius of dozens of miles, taking it all into its mouth.

This is a strange beast with the strength of a sect leader, and its bloodline is extraordinary, far surpassing that of ordinary sect leaders.

Earth's spiritual energy has dried up, but Kunlun is not among them. Because of the great formation, the life essence of the entire planet has gathered here. Naturally, there are many auspicious beasts and divine insects here. Each one would be a top performer in its own realm if placed in the outside world.

The golden lion's eyes shone brightly, and it spotted Li Yao at a glance, opening its huge mouth to devour him.

Li Yao remained silent, but released his aura, and the ferocious golden lion immediately cowered and turned into a trembling kitten.

“Little thing, you should know there’s treasure in Kunlun. Lead the way for me, and I’ll spare your life.”

Just as the golden lion was gripped by extreme fear, thinking he was doomed, he was filled with grief. But upon hearing Li Yao's words, he was overjoyed and nodded excitedly.

Li Yao chuckled and withdrew his imposing aura, causing the fearful golden lion to breathe a sigh of relief.

It didn't even think about running away. That aura from just now was terrifying beyond measure, far more terrifying than the boss's. For such an existence, taking its life would be a matter of a single thought; there was no way it could escape.

On the contrary, if it obeys, it might still have a chance to live. After all, to such a person, it is nothing but a fart, completely insignificant. Whether to kill it or not depends entirely on its mood.

Thinking this, the golden lion felt relieved and then began to ponder where the treasure might be.

Ancient medicine, Little Medicine King... and the eldest, it is a dragon horse, a naturally auspicious creature, a mount of the gods, and also a great treasure.

"My lord, please come with me. I know where there are treasures." The golden lion transmitted its divine thoughts.

For some reason, Li Yao could see a strong sense of fawning on the lion's face, and coupled with its bowing and scraping manner, it was clearly the work of a bestial traitor.

With the golden lion leading the way, Li Yao reaped more and more rewards.

The golden lion had lived in the Kunlun Mountains for hundreds of years and was extremely familiar with its surroundings. It knew that many places contained treasures but were also dangerous areas, which it dared not enter.

However, Li Yao moved through dangerous places like the Golden Lion as if they were flat ground, easily obtaining treasures.

In just a few days, he harvested five ancient herbs that were 20,000 to 30,000 years old, as well as two small medicinal kings that were 50,000 years old.

Such a gain is nothing short of astonishing, even faster than snatching resources.

Moreover, because he had been constantly moving through the killing formations, his understanding of the formation principles had been fully digested, and he could re-enter the realm of creation.

There's no reason to hesitate. We're currently in the Kunlun Mountains, surrounded by killing formations, and in the center, there's even an imperial formation.

In such a place, he would have no choice but to study the Dao of Array Formations.

After taking out 70,000 jin of pure source and letting the Heavenly Book absorb it, he entered the realm of creation.

On one side, the golden lion saw Li Yao begin to comprehend the Dao and cultivate. It wanted to run away, but as soon as the thought arose, it was filled with fear.

In the void, a furnace radiating five-colored divine light appeared, for refining five kinds of supreme materials, becoming a supreme artifact.

The divine furnace floated beside Li Yao, protecting him. Although it did not reveal any power, anyone who looked directly at it could feel their own insignificance.

As dusk fell and the light dimmed, Li Yao ended his meditation and came to his senses.

The moment he opened his eyes, crimson divine light burst forth, like two divine lamps. His eyes seemed to have transformed into two divine furnaces, but upon closer inspection, one could discern that they were array patterns composed of countless lines.

It's just that his understanding of the Dao is so profound that his eyes have become the medium through which it is revealed.

In fact, if Li Yao so desired, the divine light shooting from his eyes could transform into a divine array, possessing unparalleled power.

Given his current mastery of the Hengyu Imperial Array, if he were to arrive at Beidou for the first time and impersonate the imperial son left behind by Hengyu, the Jiang family would likely believe him to some extent.

Because in the world today, no one has mastered the Hengyu Emperor Formation. Even the Great Sage of the Jiang family is a step behind him.

If a sage's cultivation has reached this level, the Jiang family members themselves might actually believe it if they didn't investigate the bloodline.

Even an imperial prince cannot achieve this level of attainment at the Saint realm; even a Saint King would struggle. Only those with extraordinary talent might have a one or two percent chance of success.

He gained a lot from this study of the Hengyu Emperor Formation. The most obvious benefit was that the killing formation of Kunlun Mountain became much simpler for him. He could grasp most of it with just a glance.

He stood on the shoulders of giants, disdainful of these killing formations.

"My understanding of the Emperor Formation is almost 30% complete. Now that I've unleashed the Hengyu Emperor Formation, even an early-stage Great Saint would have to temporarily avoid its edge. Anyone who dares to obstruct me will surely be suppressed and killed by the killing formation." Li Yao was somewhat excited.

This can be considered a trump card. Of course, it requires prior preparation, using top-quality divine materials to inscribe the Emperor Formation. Without relying on divine materials, its power is reduced by 30%.

However, this is nothing. As the Lord of Yao Guang, he has no shortage of divine materials and carries them with him at all times.

Li Yao recalled the Immortal Gold Furnace and summoned the Golden Lion, who was almost ready to set off.

Now he moves more easily through the killing formations. To save time, he even took the trembling golden lion twice via shortcuts, passing through two incredibly deadly formations.

"If you keep shaking like this, I won't wait for you anymore. I'll leave you to fend for yourself in the killing formation." Li Yao said disdainfully, looking at the golden lion that was shaking like a leaf.

This is already the third major formation, yet this stupid lion still doesn't believe in his abilities and keeps trembling.

"M-My lord, I was wrong." When the golden lion heard that Li Yao was going to abandon it, it felt utterly hopeless. It forced down its fear and said calmly.

Li Yao's lips curled up; he finally understood why some people enjoyed teasing cats and dogs—it was indeed very interesting.

Honestly, he was just saying it casually. These killing formations are incredibly terrifying. Even a saint who falls into them would be cut into blood and gore, dying and disappearing.

It's probably normal for a Golden Lion to be a cult-level beast, after all, it only has one life.

"boom!"

The chaotic energy surged, and nine stars hung in the killing formation, dazzling and radiant, releasing unparalleled killing intent. If one were caught in the blast, the outcome would be tragic.

Li Yao's eyes were filled with countless runes, all composed of array patterns. He could see every corner of the killing array clearly. He was extremely calm and composed, moving freely within the killing array like a god surveying the world.

Soon, they passed through the third large formation and arrived at the safe zone.

The bright moon reappeared in the sky, and starlight rained down. The golden lion could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

Each time it landed on one of the three killing formations, it felt like gambling with its life, knowing that it would be engulfed by boundless killing intent in the next moment, leaving not even a trace of its bones.

This feeling is so stimulating that it's unbearable for a beast's heart.

Li Yao stood calmly to the side, nodding in satisfaction after sensing the array. The three arrays allowed him to digest 20% of his insights. If he continued to traverse between the arrays, the insights left by the Hengyu Emperor Array would be quickly digested.

After ascending to the ancestral temple, he found another shortcut. If he makes good use of it, his mastery of array formations will advance by leaps and bounds.

If he could comprehend 40% of the Hengyu Emperor Formation, then even a Great Sage would be in his presence. If he dared to act recklessly, he could simply unleash the Emperor Formation and see if the Great Sage could withstand it.

The Heavenly Court's Executive Vice Emperor, Black Empress, was a master of array formations, but she was nothing compared to him.

"If I remember correctly, the Black Emperor possesses the Boundless Killing Array and a fragment of the Void Emperor Array. I'll try to make a deal with him sometime." Li Yao suddenly realized that the Black Emperor was actually a treasure trove, but due to his personality, it was impossible for anyone to associate him with that.

The path of formations is also a great road to heaven; to put it bluntly, it is also a kind of formation path.

Li Yao desires to be invincible throughout history, to forge the strongest path, and to reach the pinnacle of all great paths.

This way, the Heavenly Book can be fully utilized; otherwise, following only one path would be a huge waste.

"Get up, let's continue on our way." Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Li Yao kicked the golden lion.

Forced by Li Yao's tyranny, the Golden Lion reluctantly got up and began to lead the way to the next treasure land.

The dragon-horse is an auspicious symbol of heaven and earth, and was the exclusive mount of ancient emperors. Every powerful cultivator desires such a mount.

My dear boss! I've found you a master, a very powerful one, who has the potential to attain enlightenment.

For a junior member to reach this level, who throughout history can compare?

The golden lion thought to itself.

(End of this chapter)