Chapter 134: Parting Ways

"What is it?" Zhang Yi immediately asked.

Zhang Yi had just arrived and had not yet had the chance to explain the situation to Zhang Cunzhong and the others when Wang Changsheng returned, clearly in a rush to leave.

"Let's leave first, then we can talk!" Wang Changsheng said immediately.

One must always be on guard. Wang Changsheng did not know what Caiyun was thinking, but he had to get out of Yungong Peak first. If he were to be detained at Yungong Peak by her, there would be nowhere to turn for help. Once they were out of Yungong Peak, with Wu Li and the others waiting to meet them, and a Golden Core expert presiding over the group, presumably Yungong Peak would have to think twice before making a move.

At this moment, Li Fusheng emerged from his room and asked in a deep voice, "Are you certain you want to leave Yungong Peak?"

Wang Changsheng nodded.

"I have already declined the offer to join forces with Yungong Peak. If I don't leave now, I fear I won't be able to leave at all," Wang Changsheng replied.

"That seems unlikely. Yungong Peak is, after all, a prestigious sect; they shouldn't stoop to such things. After all, we entered Yungong Peak openly and honestly," Li Fusheng said, shaking his head.

"It is better to be safe than sorry," Wang Changsheng said solemnly.

"Very well, I shall take my leave as well!" Li Fusheng immediately asked, "Wang Changsheng, when will you return my Cloud Boat to me?"

"The Cloud Boat was sent to return Fang Qing, and it hasn't come back yet. I suspect it may have already returned to the Li family," Wang Changsheng said. "After all, you stole it; without your command, it is highly likely that the Li family cultivators on board simply piloted the boat back."

Upon hearing Wang Changsheng's explanation, Li Fusheng frowned, appearing thoughtful. He felt that something was not quite right, yet what Wang Changsheng said sounded perfectly reasonable.

"Fine, I will head back to the Li family directly," Li Fusheng said. "If you happen to come across the Cloud Boat, tell them to return to the Li family immediately!"

"Understood!" Wang Changsheng replied.

Li Fusheng and Wang Changsheng left the small courtyard and parted ways.

When Wang Changsheng led Zhang Cunzhong and the others out of the gates of Yungong Peak, they were not met with any obstruction. Zhang Yi immediately contacted Wu Li and the others, and under Wu Li's guidance, they found the three of them.

The trio had established a simple temporary cave dwelling in a mountain hollow five hundred miles away from Yungong Peak. When Wang Changsheng and his party arrived, the three of them looked at him with confusion.

"Yungong Peak wanted to join forces, but after considering it, I decided that an alliance would be highly disadvantageous to us, so I declined," Wang Changsheng explained. "Yungong Peak is not a place to stay long-term, so for the sake of safety, I brought them out."

"Since that is the case, let us head directly to the place where the War God's Tomb will open. Once it opens, we will enter immediately," Wu Li said solemnly.

"Do you know where the War God's Tomb will open?" Wang Changsheng asked.

"We do," Wu Li replied. "We made inquiries while we were heading to Yungong Peak."

"Then let us head there directly," Wang Changsheng said.

As Wu Li led the group, Wang Changsheng deeply felt the disparity in power. The speed at which Wu Li traveled with them was so fast that Wang Changsheng could not even see the surrounding environment, and the pressure caused by the extreme velocity made him feel quite uncomfortable. Noticing this, Wu Li slowed down, and Wang Changsheng felt much better.

Wu Li led them until they arrived at a small town.

"This is the closest gathering place to the War God's Tomb," Wu Li said softly.

After some concealment, the group walked toward the small town. The town had no guards, and to Wang Changsheng, it appeared quite desolate. Upon entering, he realized his guess was correct; the town was indeed deserted, with very few people in sight. Occasionally, a few figures would pass by, and Wang Changsheng could sense the aura of cultivators from them, though he could not discern their cultivation levels.

"This town seems to be an abandoned one," Wang Changsheng remarked.

The town exuded an air of desolation, and the buildings were clearly beginning to weather. It seemed to him that this place was usually uninhabited.

Hearing this, Wu Li whispered, "Under normal circumstances, this town is indeed empty. Those who have come here now are likely all here for the War God's Tomb. I can sense at least several hundred people in this town, and their cultivation levels are not low—most have reached the Huayuan Realm."

"About ten percent have reached the Jiedan Realm," Wu Li added in a low voice.

"So many Jiedan Realm cultivators?" Wang Changsheng was shocked.

Chen Yuan also spoke up, "I can sense at least two or three auras that have reached the ninth level of the Jiedan Realm!"

As an expert at the ninth level of the Jiedan Realm himself, Chen Yuan could sense others at his level, and he believed these people were likely aware of his presence as well.

"To be precise, there are four," Wu Li said solemnly. "One of them has reached the peak of the Jiedan Realm; they are likely half a step away from entering the Golden Core Realm."

"Are there really so many experts in the cultivation world?" Zhang Cunzhong asked.

According to their understanding, a Jiedan Realm cultivator was considered a powerful figure in their own right, and one rarely saw even a few of them. Yet here, in a single small town, dozens of Jiedan Realm experts had gathered, along with four at the ninth level. Unless a Golden Core expert intervened, a cultivator at the ninth level of the Jiedan Realm was essentially at the pinnacle of the Shentian Realm.

There were many empty houses in the town, and as they showed no signs of recent habitation, Wang Changsheng and his group found a place in a secluded corner to settle down.

"Try not to go out. With the opening of the War God's Tomb this time, almost every sect in the Shentian Realm will come, and many of them are enemies of the Corpse Refining Sect," Wu Li warned.

With that, Wu Li found another room, sat cross-legged, and began to meditate. Wang Changsheng and the others could only offer bitter smiles. Since the opening of the War God's Tomb had brought together most of the sects in the Shentian Realm, including many enemies of the Corpse Refining Sect, Wang Changsheng’s cautious nature would have led him to avoid this event entirely. He could not understand what the elders of the Corpse Refining Sect were thinking—wasn't this just sending their disciples to their deaths? Yet, if he could foresee this, surely the elders could as well.

After staying in the small town for half a month, Wang Changsheng noticed it becoming increasingly lively. Several cultivators had tried to occupy their house, but upon seeing it was taken, they simply moved on. There were plenty of empty houses, so no one bothered to fight over one.

*Boom, boom, boom...*

As Wang Changsheng absorbed the spiritual energy from his spirit stones, the inner energy (Zhenyuan and Zhenqi) within his body began to churn. He realized that his Zhenyuan was increasing rapidly while his Zhenqi was diminishing.

"A good sign!" a voice of excitement echoed in his mind.

*Bang!*

An explosion resounded in his Dantian, and the turbulent Zhenyuan within him gradually settled. Wang Changsheng checked his Dantian and found it had expanded significantly; the Zhenyuan within it was nearly at the second level.

"Finally, I have broken through..."

The second level of the Huayuan Realm! Back at the Li family, while cultivating in the Fire Phoenix Pool, he had been confident that after refining the Fire Phoenix's true blood, he would reach the second level, and perhaps even the third, given the cocoon formed of solidified spiritual energy. However, his cultivation had been interrupted by Li Ziqi. She had not only severely injured him but also cost him a prime opportunity to advance. Fortunately, after so much effort, he had finally broken through to the second level.

Wang Changsheng opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath of stale air, only to be startled by the scene before him. The room was filled with people; except for Wu Li, every other cultivator from the Corpse Refining Sect was there.

"What's wrong?" Wang Changsheng asked in confusion. "Has something happened?"

Chen Yuan offered a bitter smile. "I say, Deacon Wang, don't you even know what happened?"

Wang Changsheng was even more bewildered; he had been in deep meditation the whole time.

Seeing his confusion, Chen Yuan said helplessly, "Deacon Wang, the disturbance you caused while breaking through was far too great! Are you certain you only broke through from the first level to the second level of the Huayuan Realm?"

"Yes!" Wang Changsheng nodded, even more baffled. Had his breakthrough really caused such a commotion?

"What happened?" he asked.

"Deacon Wang, the disturbance was too significant. To avoid drawing attention, Brother Chen had to conceal the aura of your breakthrough," Zhang Yi said with a wry smile.

Wang Changsheng was stunned. He had never encountered such a situation, and no one had ever told him what a breakthrough looked like from the outside. He had previously cultivated near Old Mou, where any disturbance would have been ignored, and in the Fire Phoenix Pool, the activity of the magma had far outweighed any noise he could have made.

"These are extraordinary times; if we had been discovered, it would have been disastrous," Chen Yuan said immediately. "That is why we took the liberty of concealing your aura. I hope you do not blame us."

Wang Changsheng nodded. "It was my recklessness. I should not have chosen to break through during such a sensitive time."

When they first arrived, there were only a few hundred people in the town, but now there were at least a thousand. If the disturbance from his breakthrough had attracted the attention of other cultivators, it would likely have exposed the presence of the Corpse Refining Sect. With so many enemies in the cultivation world, they might have ended up in a major battle before even entering the War God's Tomb.