After experiencing the effects of cultivation, Zhang Yuhe was very satisfied with the Five Elements Spirit Gathering Formation.
No one knew where Zhao Mingyue had obtained such a magical formation.
The Daosheng Sect certainly should not possess a formation capable of accelerating cultivation this dramatically.
There were rumors that Zhao Mingyue had experienced some extraordinary adventure.
Her ability to transform into various forms was said to have been gained through a fortuitous encounter.
This Five Elements Spirit Gathering Formation was perhaps another treasure Zhao Mingyue had acquired along with her many magical abilities.
Thinking about this, Zhang Yuhe couldn't help but feel a little strange.
It seemed as if the Daosheng Sect were villains, guilty of countless misdeeds, while Zhao Mingyue was the true protagonist of the story.
Zhao Mingyue had been born into a humble family. After her family was destroyed, she embarked on the path of a lone cultivator.
From that point on, it was as if this woman had been blessed by the heavens. She experienced countless adventures, and her cultivation improved rapidly.
Not only that, Zhao Mingyue was like an indestructible cockroach.
Starting from nothing, she founded the Demon God Cult and fought single-handedly against the Daosheng Sect, an entity that had ruled Yu Fantian for millions of years.
It was incredible that she hadn't been killed yet.
Wasn't this the perfect protagonist?
Zhang Yuhe decided he should try to stay far away from Zhao Mingyue in the future—unless he could kill her outright.Otherwise, it was best not to let her hear any news about him at all.
"Let's go back to the sect first," Zhang Yuhe said.
He walked out of the secret room, his figure transforming into a stream of light as he sped toward the teleportation array.
After resolving Jingkong's problem, Lu Mingfang had rewarded him with 500 merit points.
Five hundred merits were no small sum.
Under normal circumstances, relying only on years of service and contributions to the sect, it would take three or four hundred years to accumulate that much.
Now that he had merit points in hand, it was time to spend them.
Zhang Yuhe planned to return to the sect and visit the Sutra Tower to exchange them for a new magical power.
Exactly five hundred merits could get him a top-grade heavenly magical power.
After today's repeated battles, especially after killing the horned demon, Zhang Yuhe realized he still had many shortcomings.
His methods of combat were too simplistic.
Aside from his sword formation, he had almost no other techniques.
Although the Nine Heavens Hunyuan Sword Formation was extremely powerful, integrating both offense and defense—defending like a mountain and attacking like raging fire—it had a flaw.
As a formation, it could not be activated instantly; it required time to set up.
Especially now, lacking enough experience in combat, Zhang Yuhe was still clumsy with its deployment.
Each time he set up the sword formation, or switched between attack and defense, there were brief gaps.
Against weak enemies, this wasn't a major issue.
But once he encountered a strong opponent, those gaps could easily be exploited.
Clearly, the Nine Heavens Hunyuan Sword Formation alone wasn't enough.
Thus, Zhang Yuhe decided he needed to learn additional magical powers to strengthen himself.
Zhang Yuhe transferred through the teleportation arrays several times and soon arrived at Zhongzhou City.
Without delay, he sped through the city and flew straight toward the Daosheng Sect.
In less than half an hour, he reached the mountain gate.
The speed of the Tianhuang Feixian Technique was indeed formidable.
Thinking back, it had taken him several days to fly from Zhongzhou City to the Daosheng Sect before.
Of course, his current strength was far greater than it had been.
Soon, Zhang Yuhe reached the Sutra Tower.
The old man with the long beard, who guarded the tower, was still dozing with his eyes closed.
Zhang Yuhe quickly stepped forward and called out respectfully, "Disciple Zhang Yuhe greets Elder Fang."
The old man opened his cloudy eyes slowly. When he saw Zhang Yuhe, he looked slightly surprised.
"Hey, it's you again, kid. Didn't you just come here a few days ago?" Elder Fang said.
Before Zhang Yuhe could respond, Elder Fang slapped his forehead as if remembering something.
"Ah, that's right. I heard you killed a horned demon in the Void Refining Realm over in Yunzhong Prefecture."
"It was all thanks to Elder Lu and Senior Brother," Zhang Yuhe replied modestly. "I succeeded by sheer luck."
He was speechless—how had the news spread so fast?
It hadn't even been that long, yet even the old man guarding the Sutra Tower knew?
"Haha, what credit could they possibly claim?" Elder Fang said disdainfully.
"I know Lu Laogui's temper well. He wouldn't lift a finger unless you were about to die.As for that reckless fellow Li Tian, there's no need to even mention him. He's not even qualified to carry a Void Refining Horned Demon's shoes."
"I heard you used a powerful sword formation to grind the horned demon to death. Was that formation from the Hunyuan Heavenly Scripture?"
"Yes," Zhang Yuhe nodded helplessly in response to Elder Fang's stream of questions.
It seemed survival would become even harder now.
He had only acted once, and now everyone knew—not only that he killed a horned demon, but also what magical power he had used.
Who was the big mouth spreading this?
Lu Mingfang or Li Tian?
"It must be Lu Mingfang," Zhang Yuhe guessed silently.
Though he hadn't spent much time with Li Tian, judging by Li Tian's arrogant personality, he wouldn't boast about it everywhere.
That left Lu Mingfang.
There had been no one else present.
"I didn't expect Lu Mingfang, who always acts so serious, to be such a gossip," Zhang Yuhe thought bitterly.
Meanwhile, somewhere in a hall within the Daosheng Sect, Lu Mingfang, immersed in his work, suddenly yawned.
"What's going on? Someone cursing me?"He quickly calculated with his fingers, looking bewildered.
Elder Fang gazed at Zhang Yuhe with increasingly satisfied eyes.
Patting Zhang Yuhe's shoulder gently, he said with a smile, "Good, good. The future of the Daosheng Sect belongs to young people like you."
"By the way, are you here to exchange for another magical power?"
"Yes," Zhang Yuhe answered, holding back a sigh.
Wasn't it obvious? What else would someone come to the Sutra Tower for?
Elder Fang said seriously, "The more magical powers you have, the better. But you should focus on cultivation first. Magical powers are just tools. It's enough to have a few."
"Elder, it's fine. I'll exchange for magical powers first and comprehend them slowly. Cultivation won't be delayed," Zhang Yuhe said, feeling a little exasperated.
Why had Elder Fang suddenly become so enthusiastic?
During his previous visits, Elder Fang had barely paid him any attention.
Now, he was practically acting like an elder uncle doting on his nephew.
"Since you insist, I won't persuade you further. The path of cultivation is yours to walk. Just remember not to be distracted," Elder Fang said, handing him a thick booklet.
"Which magical power do you want to learn?"
Zhang Yuhe accepted the booklet respectfully but did not open it. Instead, he handed over his identity jade card and said firmly, "Elder, I would like to exchange for the Great Wilderness Prisoner Heaven Finger."