Ascended Without Me: Cultivating with a Genius Son | Chapter 152 | A Timely Disappearance | Novela.app

“It seems they’ve both brought out their best,” remarked God-Monarch Chen Yuan of the Array Universe Sect. “That lad Xing Yuan has actually refined his Dragon-Trapping Formation to six gates. Not bad, not bad at all!” God-Monarch Zhi Yuan, another elder of the sect, nodded in approval. Originally, Xing Yuan’s formation had been the Five-Gate Dragon-Trapping Formation. A century ago, he had acquired a rare material specifically for refining array-tools. He spent the next hundred years upgrading the five gates to six, a testament to the massive breakthrough he had achieved in his mastery of formations. God-Monarch Feng Chi clearly possessed a deep understanding of arrays as well. He engaged in a spirited discussion with Chen Yuan and Zhi Yuan regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the Four-Gate Golden Lock Formation versus the Six-Gate Dragon-Trapping Formation. Li Xue and Li Lin, along with the other cultivators of the Array Universe Sect, listened intently to the three God-Monarchs. They gained significant inspiration and insight from the discourse, watching the competition with rapt attention. Yet, just as the battle between the two formations reached its peak, Li Xue and Li Lin vanished simultaneously. It wasn't until the match concluded that God-Monarch Feng Chi habitually swept his divine sense toward Li Xue’s position. His expression shifted instantly. “Fellow Daoist Feng Chi? Did something happen?” Chen Yuan asked, noticing the sudden change in his companion’s face. “Fellow Daoists, I have some private matters to attend to. I shall take my leave first!” Without waiting for a response, Feng Chi vanished in a teleportation blur, his divine sense expanding to its limit. Clearly, Li Xue and Li Lin were no longer on Planet Weihao. Outside the planet’s atmosphere, Feng Chi floated silently in the void. His gaze pierced through the vacuum as if trying to see through the fabric of space itself, his expression flickering with a complex array of emotions. After a long silence, he let out a soft sigh and turned back toward Planet Weihao, his silhouette appearing somewhat lonely. Inside the Dream Realm, Li Xue and Li Lin were leisurely observing the valley. Outside the valley, the landscape had transformed into dense woodlands and lush green meadows. A great river cut through the terrain, and beyond it lay a range of undulating, continuous mountain peaks. At the very edge of the horizon, however, there was still nothing but a vast, white expanse of mist. “Mistress, we won't be lacking spirit stones in the future; these mountains are filled with attribute raw stones!” Hei Yan remarked from the side. “It’s a pity we’re still missing Fire and Gold Spirits,” Li Xue said with a hint of regret. “Otherwise, the spiritual energy here would be even more suitable for everyone’s cultivation. You, Xiao Ming, Ru Feng, and the others would be able to reach the Nascent Soul stage much faster.” “Mistress, there is no need to worry. The spiritual energy here is already several times richer than in the outside world,” Hei Yan consoled her. “True. We should go see where Yun Xi has gotten to.” After speaking, Li Xue performed several hand seals. Following a ripple in space, Li Xue, Li Lin, and Hei Yan vanished from the Dream Realm. The moment the three of them stepped out of the Dream Realm, they were met with a thick, overwhelming wave of Yang spiritual power. Li Xue and Li Lin were momentarily stunned, followed quickly by a surge of joy. Li Lin practiced the Red Yang Divine Art, and the energy he cultivated was precisely Yang spiritual power. Such a dense concentration of it was a massive boon for him. His face flushed with excitement as he began greedily absorbing the energy. However, his reason reminded him that such an anomaly often signaled hidden danger. “Yun Xi, where are we?” Li Xue asked after taking several deep breaths of the Yang energy. She looked toward Yun Xi, who was staring fixedly at a certain spot. As a possessor of five spiritual roots, Yang energy was also highly beneficial to her. “Mistress, this place is very strange. Such dense Yang spiritual power either means a treasure is about to be born, or it’s a trap,” Yun Xi replied. “I actually sense a familiar aura,” Hei Yan said, sniffing the air suspiciously. Li Xue’s heart skipped a beat. *Could it be that another member of the God Race has appeared?* “That’s probably just because you’re too familiar with Xiao Lin,” Yun Xi said, glancing at Hei Yan. Hei Yan rubbed his nose and said sheepishly, “Well, the aura on Xiao Lin is indeed like this.” Li Lin had already summoned his Fengyang Sword to protect himself, slowly absorbing the Yang energy while the sword itself began to drink in the power. “Everyone, stay cautious,” Li Xue warned. She manifested her Five Elements Shuttle, which transformed into a five-colored phoenix. It spread its wings and circled in the air, a sight of breathtaking beauty. “Mistress’s Manifestation and Shape-shifting technique is becoming more and more proficient,” Hei Yan praised. “Hehe!” Li Xue smiled, accepting the compliment. She also thought the five-colored phoenix looked wonderful. This phoenix was far removed from the image of the Phoenix Clan in the God Realm; instead, Li Xue had modeled it after a phoenix mount from an online game in her previous life. Li Lin’s Fengyang Sword also took flight, manifesting into the form of a Golden Crow. A brilliant golden light suddenly filled the sky. *Skree!* A sharp cry rang out, echoing through the heavens. “Wow, Xiao Lin! You can already perform Sound Mimicry? That’s incredible!” Li Xue’s eyes sparkled with pride. The art of Manifestation and Shape-shifting consisted of two parts: first, the manifestation of form, and second, the mimicry of sound. Both Li Xue and Li Lin had only recently reached the Nascent Soul stage and were just becoming familiar with the first part. Li Xue was thrilled that Li Lin could already produce the creature's cry. Li Lin, however, looked at his Golden Crow manifestation with suspicion. He hadn't used any Sound Mimicry seals at all—where had that cry come from? The realization sent a jolt through him. With a flick of his divine sense, he activated the Ebon-Hidden Shield. A dark, shimmering light flared up as he prepared to protect the group. Suddenly, the surrounding Yang spiritual power began to riot. A spiritual energy storm was imminent. When spiritual energy reaches a certain density, it can explode; this was the same principle behind a cultivator’s self-detonation—compressing spiritual energy to a critical point to trigger a blast. Li Xue, Yun Xi, and Hei Yan sensed the anomaly at the same time and immediately used their treasures to shield themselves. “Retreat!” Li Lin shouted. The four of them, fully shielded, began to fly outward. *Skree-ah!* Another cry echoed. All the Yang spiritual power began to surge toward a single point—the very spot Yun Xi had been staring at. In less than a breath, a vortex of Yang spiritual power formed and chased after the retreating four. Yun Xi suddenly unfurled the wings on her back, intending to sweep up Li Xue and the others to teleport away. Unfortunately, she was a step too slow. The Yang spiritual vortex had already engulfed them. “Ah!” Li Lin cried out in terror as he felt his own spiritual power being drained uncontrollably from his body. “Xiao Lin, what’s wrong?” Li Xue saw Li Lin’s face turn pale with fright. Sensing his rapidly depleting energy, her heart clenched with anxiety. She formed a hand seal and pressed her palms against Li Lin’s back. Almost instantly, Li Xue felt her own spiritual power surging uncontrollably into Li Lin. Gritting her teeth, she used one hand to quickly pull out a bottle of Spirit-Replenishing Pills and poured the entire contents into her mouth. Seeing the mother and son in such a state, Hei Yan and Yun Xi were struck with profound dread. Hei Yan’s cultivation level was insufficient; he would be sucked dry in a single breath if he stepped in, leaving him pacing in frantic desperation. Yun Xi was equally anxious but did not dare use the secret technique of "Stealing Stars and Swapping the Moon." While the technique could save her mistress, it might leave Li Lin a withered husk. Hardening her heart, Yun Xi pulled out a treasured Divine Pill. For a mortal cultivator, consuming a Divine Pill usually meant their body would explode, but in this situation, perhaps the drainage would prevent that. With that thought, she moved to force the pill into Li Xue’s mouth.