Chapter 199: Chapter 200: Boundless Desert

Not only the crowd, but Su Mu himself was also taken aback, as this clearly exceeded his expectations.

"Hahaha!"

He burst into a boisterous laugh. Ten points—enough to look down on everyone here.

"We’ve barely been in here, and Su Mu already has ten points!"

"I heard he hunted down a few unlucky souls and obtained a Treasure Medicine. That’s why his points are so high."

Those in the know immediately started to murmur.

Ye Wushuang’s eyes narrowed as he, too, walked toward the azure stone.

"Kid, don’t make a fool of yourself."

Watching Ye Wushuang approach, Su Mu sneered and turned away from the azure stone.

’He was a dignified expert at the True Essence Sixth Layer, and it had taken him great effort—hunting down a group of Cultivators and seizing their Treasure Medicine—just to get ten points. How many could a piece of trash at the True Essence Third Layer possibly have?’

The crowd’s envious gazes were fixed on Su Mu; Ye Wushuang was completely ignored.

Ye Wushuang paid them no mind. All he wanted to understand now was how exactly the points were calculated.

He had come to this Earth Palace not only to find the Giant Spirit True Blood and cultivate the Giant Spirit Dao Skill, nor just to uncover the secret connection between the Demon God Statue and the Earth Palace. He also needed to accelerate his rise in power in preparation for the Barbarian God Battle Platform.

If his points were high enough, the rewards would be generous, which would certainly help him grow stronger.

Taking a light breath, and not trying to compete with anyone, Ye Wushuang placed a hand on the azure stone. He instantly felt as if he were touching a piece of warm jade, a gentle warmth spreading from it.

Immediately after, specks of blood-red light, like tiny scarlet stars, began to flicker within the azure stone.

Skinny Monkey, who had been watching Ye Wushuang the entire time, was suddenly astonished. "Ten points! He has ten points too!"

Ten points?

Hearing Skinny Monkey’s cry of surprise, Su Mu, who had just reached the steps, frowned. He spun around and stared intently at the azure stone.

The crowd’s gazes followed. Counting the blood-red specks of light, they saw ten points... no, wait. It wasn’t ten, but eleven—one more than Su Mu!

"This kid actually has eleven points!"

The crowd was stunned, looking at Ye Wushuang with odd expressions. ’Did this guy get some unbelievable luck? Did he stumble upon some peerless treasure?’

The Cultivators’ Divine Senses swept over Ye Wushuang repeatedly, probing his Cultivation level. They wanted to see if this guy was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Only after scanning him several times did the crowd confirm that Ye Wushuang wasn’t hiding his Cultivation. He was purely at the True Essence Third Layer.

This brought a flicker of delight to their hearts. Their gazes grew fiery as they stared at Ye Wushuang as if he were a fat sheep ready for slaughter.

Skinny Monkey froze at this, his expression turning exceedingly strange.

He’d had the very same idea before, preparing to hunt Ye Wushuang. The outcome? His companion was killed, and if he himself hadn’t proven to be of some use, he’d likely be a corpse right now too.

Meanwhile, Su Mu stared, his face turning from pale to purple, like a bruised eggplant.

He had just been telling Ye Wushuang not to make a fool of himself, yet he never imagined Ye Wushuang would instantly steal his spotlight.

And the most... the most infuriating part was that it seemed Ye Wushuang had done it on purpose. Having exactly one more point than him was like a resounding slap across his face.

At that moment, Ye Wushuang was oblivious to the gallery of expressions on the faces behind him. He was just trying to use this chance to figure out how points were calculated so he could have a clear goal for earning more.

’Eleven points... Since I came to the Earth Palace, I’ve only obtained the Ghost Fruit and killed two people. Don’t tell me the Ghost Fruit is worth ten points, and the two of them together are only worth one?’ Ye Wushuang wondered.

For now, though, it was the only explanation that made sense.

With this clear in his mind, Ye Wushuang had a better sense of things. He finally turned to leave. Seeing the fiery, greedy stares, how could he not understand what they implied?

He wasn’t worried, however. The strongest Cultivators here were no higher than the True Essence Sixth Layer; they posed no threat to him.

Having finished the test, Ye Wushuang didn’t linger. His priority was to find the Giant Spirit True Blood. He was incredibly eager to form the Giant Spirit Battle Body.

He walked down the steps, not even sparing Su Mu a glance, and headed down the Desolate Mountain. Just as he expected, a crowd followed him.

"Previously, we saw the Fiery Sun Sect head into the Endless Desert. They seemed to be looking for something. Does anyone want to go check it out?"

At the foot of the Desolate Mountain, a young man in black asked the few people beside him.

"Let’s go take a look. If we trail behind a Major Influence like them, even the scraps will be enough to significantly boost our Cultivation."

The others nodded and turned to leave.

Hearing the words "Fiery Sun Sect," Ye Wushuang’s interest was piqued. He immediately stepped forward and asked, "Brothers, may I join you?"

Hearing his voice, the men turned and sized up Ye Wushuang. "True Essence Third Layer... your strength is a bit low. But we’re all Loose Cultivators, and there’s strength in numbers. You can come."

"Many thanks, brothers." Seeing they were reasonable, Ye Wushuang didn’t put on any airs and offered a respectful, cupped-fist salute.

"Brother, we’re also Loose Cultivators. Can we join too?" A group from behind Ye Wushuang, including Su Mu of the True Essence Sixth Layer, hurried forward to ask.

The youth in black and his companions were stunned. An expert at the True Essence Sixth Layer wanted to join them? Weren’t they being given far too much credit?

Of course, they didn’t overthink it. They were overjoyed to have an expert of the True Essence Sixth Layer joining them and nodded eagerly.

Seeing this, the youths glanced back at Ye Wushuang, offered a cupped-fist salute with broad smiles. Anyone who didn’t know better might have thought it was a friendly gesture.

The corner of Ye Wushuang’s mouth curled up. He knew exactly what was on their minds. ’They’d better behave, or I won’t mind earning a few more points.’

The group’s sudden growth delighted the young man in black and his friends. They eagerly led the new, larger party away from the Desolate Mountain.

After crossing several mountain ridges, a desert unfolded before them—boundless and utterly desolate.

Endless yellow sand danced in the wind. Broken halberds lay buried in the dunes, testaments to the ravages of time.

As they stepped into the Endless Desert, they found that every few steps revealed an Ancient Spear thrust crookedly into the ground or an Ancient Sword half-buried in the sand. They were all covered in mottled rust and would crumble at the slightest touch.

These relics bore witness to a place that must have been bustling with activity in Ancient Times, yet now it was nothing but a bleak and mournful wasteland.

Some with weaker dispositions, overwhelmed by the atmosphere, immediately turned back and left.

At that, the young man in black, Xifeng, called out, "Let’s pick up the pace and try to catch up to the Fiery Sun Sect’s disciples! We might be able to get some treasures."

Hearing this, the group’s resolve hardened, and they pressed onward.

While the crowd had initially been intent on hunting Ye Wushuang for his points, their curiosity was now piqued by what the Fiery Sun Sect might be searching for. The prospect was too tempting to ignore.

Ye Wushuang remained silent, following at the back of the group. Beside him, Su Mu stared at him relentlessly, an occasional sneer twisting his lips.

Along the way, the young man in black, Xifeng, also noticed the group’s strange behavior. After a moment’s hesitation, he slowed his pace to fall in beside Ye Wushuang and warned him, "Brother, these people seem to have ill intentions. You should be careful."

Seeing Xifeng’s well-intentioned warning, Ye Wushuang smiled faintly and offered a cupped-fist salute. "Thank you for the reminder, Brother Feng!"