Bottleneck

For an entire month afterward.

Yun Long successively refined three rare Heavenly Spirit Flowers. There were also countless spiritual herbs and miraculous medicines that Li Pinghu, Shi Tie, and his father Yun Ji had risked their lives to find from deep mountain dangers. Riding this favorable wind, his cultivation finally broke through the shackles and reached the peak of the Xiantian realm!

At this moment, Yun Long's strength was no longer what it once was. In terms of pure physical defense alone, even if his father Yun Ji, Li Pinghu, and Shi Tie joined forces, they could hardly shake him in the slightest.

Yun Ji watched this, joy swelling in his heart. This meant that Yun Long possessed a life-saving trump card far surpassing theirs. In these perilous deep mountains, his hope of survival was undoubtedly far greater than that of their old bones. As long as he didn't encounter some freak beyond the Xiantian realm, Yun Long had a very good chance of escaping unscathed.

However, as the group continued to explore deeper into the more secluded heart of the mountain range, Yun Long subsequently consumed many more precious medicinal herbs. Yet his cultivation seemed to hit an invisible, thick wall, making it impossible to advance even a hair's breadth. As his technique circulated, that final thin barrier remained stubbornly resilient, despairingly unbreakable.

His true qi was still not pure enough. His foundation was also not deep enough. He still needed a more vast accumulation.

Searching through the endless deep mountains, Yun Long finally came to personally understand the deep-seated gravity and worry etched between the brows of his father Yun Ji, Li Pinghu, and Shi Tie. With their pace and grid-like search, in the first few days, they could occasionally run into one or two other martial artists also entering the mountains to find herbs. But as they pressed deeper, especially in the last ten days or so, as far as the eye could see, they hadn't even caught a glimpse of another person.

Dead silence. The entire deep mountain range exuded a chilling, heart-stopping stillness. There were almost no traces of battle to be seen, let alone bloodstains left by injured martial artists. Even the roars and howls of fierce beasts had become sparse. Yun Ji and the others had only encountered two attacks from reckless beasts in the first few days of entering this area.

At first, Li Pinghu was still quite anxious. He would frequently urge Yun Ji to pick up the pace, afraid that if they arrived too late, all the rare spiritual herbs in the mountains would be picked clean by others. But the deeper they went, the less anxiety showed on Li Pinghu's face. Because the precious medicinal herbs in the mountains were unexpectedly abundant. Some ancient spiritual plants even grew brazenly in plain sight, as if waiting to be plucked.

This was far too abnormal! By common sense, herbs of this level could never be so easily handed to them. Li Pinghu no longer mentioned speeding up. There was more vigilance and unease in his eyes.

Yun Long understood perfectly in his heart. That invisible crisis was closing in on them step by step.

"Ah Long," Li Pinghu lowered his voice, breaking the silence. "Carefully estimate—roughly how much more medicinal power do you need to truly break through?"

Yun Long pondered for a moment before giving his answer: "If we're talking True Essence Pills, about four or five pills' worth of pure medicinal power should be enough." He paused, then added, "If it's a heavenly spiritual essence on the level of a Heavenly Spirit Flower, perhaps one would give me a chance; with two, I'd definitely succeed!"

True Essence Pill! The moment those three words left his mouth, the air itself seemed to freeze. In their current situation, trapped in these perilous deep forests, where could they find a True Essence Pill, a treasure priceless and rarely sold? As for the Heavenly Spirit Flower... that kind of spiritual object born from heaven and earth was even more a matter of chance, not something one could seek out. In all his long life, Li Pinghu had only seen one by sheer coincidence.

Silence fell over the group once more. A stifling atmosphere spread through the party.

"We're changing direction."

Finally, it was Yun Ji who broke the deathly silence, his voice steady and resolute: "No more heading deeper. We'll switch to a lateral sweep."

"Search more carefully."

The entire journey had been calm and uneventful, without encountering the slightest danger.

That, in itself, was the greatest danger!

Li Pinghu and Shi Tie exchanged glances at his words, each catching a trace of lingering fear and resolve in the other's eyes.

They nodded without hesitation.

Indeed, they dared not blindly charge inward any longer.

A lateral detour, continuing the search for herbs—that was the only option now.

All of it, for the sake of grasping that sliver of hope, to help Yun Long break through successfully!

Half a day of searching passed.

The group found several more rare medicinal herbs.

But now was not the right time to refine their medicinal power.

They still needed to find a hidden spot to rest and adjust their breathing before they could safely consume them.

"Stop!"

Yun Long let out a low shout, his gaze sharp as lightning, suddenly fixed on the dense forest deep to the left.

Having reached the peak of the Xiantian realm, his senses were far keener than Yun Ji and the others.

Unbeknownst to them, he had long become the anchor of this team.

It was only because the journey had been smooth so far, with no real danger encountered, that this strength had remained hidden.

Yun Ji, Li Pinghu, and Shi Tie heard him and belatedly followed Yun Long's line of sight.

In the distant woods, two figures clad in Black Fish-Dragon Robes were rushing toward them with swift momentum, cutting through the air.

That attire was the hallmark of the Ninth Prince's personal guards!

Their intentions were hostile!

The two made no effort to conceal their auras—both were clearly experts at Late Xiantian!

Their condensed qi was, if anything, even stronger than Li Pinghu's.

Their target was obvious—Yun Long's group!

Yun Ji and the other two exchanged looks, seeing the gravity in each other's eyes.

They turned to Yun Long in unison, their gazes carrying both inquiry and resolve.

Yun Long gave a slight nod, signaling his understanding.

Over the past half-month, the search parties sent by the Ninth Prince had already brought back several batches of martial artists.

Yun Long's team, having yet to show themselves, had long drawn the Ninth Prince's displeasure.

If the target remained unfound, these guards tasked with the search would inevitably face the prince's thunderous wrath.

Conversely, whoever captured Yun Long and his group would earn a great merit before the Ninth Prince, with a promising future ahead!

These two were Zhang San and Li Xi.

They never imagined such immense fortune would fall into their laps!

They had watched Yun Long's match with Ning Wuhui from afar, and his burly figure left a deep impression, easy to recognize.

In the blink of an eye, Zhang San and Li Xi arrived before them, exuding an air of superiority.

Zhang San cleared his throat and spoke with a hint of arrogance: "You don't need to search the mountain anymore."

"Someone found the ruins two days ago."

"The Ninth Prince commands you to head to the ruins immediately, assist in repairs, and search for an important item."

"Once it's done, rewards will be given when you descend the mountain."

Yun Ji, seasoned in such matters, quickly bowed and replied, "Yes, we obey your orders."

Yun Long also made a deep bow, his posture humble and submissive, betraying nothing unusual.

Seeing this, Zhang San and Li Xi curled their lips in disdain.

These rustic martial artists were always so cowering before the prince's guards.

Even if some unruly thorns appeared, they wouldn't cause much trouble.

A necessary caution was there, but to say they took it seriously—hardly.

"Follow us!" Li Xi snorted coldly, turning with Zhang San to lead the way.

Yun Long and the others followed in silence, close behind.