"Dream on! I only have three of these Cloud Talismans, used one already, and if you take the other two, what am I supposed to do?" Mo Qianqian protested."Fine, just one then," Ye Hao replied, grinning at her in a way that made her skin crawl.Mo Qianqian shivered. Who knew what this rogue might do if she refused?"Take it!" she said, pulling a softly glowing talisman from her storage pouch and tossing it to Ye Hao.He caught it and examined it with his mind. The two basic formations on the talisman were rough, but for now, anything was better than nothing.In the land of Shenzhou, talismans were a luxury. Even a low-level talisman with a single basic formation was a rare treasure among young cultivators, often selling for over a hundred spirit stones. A talisman with two formations could easily fetch double that. Talismancers were in short supply, and since talismans required no magical power to activate, their value was significantly inflated.Back in the Haotian Secret Realm, talismancers were as common as dirt. Talismans, talismanic treasures, and even higher-level celestial talismans were not uncommon. But Shenzhou was no Haotian Secret Realm, and Ye Hao knew this well. For now, his broken body needed whatever life-saving measures he could find.Mo Qianqian summoned her flying artifact, which transformed into a large purple leaf hovering in mid-air.Despite the decline of talismancers, Shenzhou's artifact smiths flourished. Most disciples from major sects had flying artifacts that could be activated at the eighth Qi level.However, most flying artifacts weren't very fast, only about ten times the speed of a horse at best. To truly fly with artifacts, one needed to reach the foundation stage, at which point the speed would be a hundred times that of a horse. This milestone marked a significant divide in the cultivation journey. Only by entering the foundation stage did one truly step into the realm of immortality.Mo Qianqian leaped onto the purple leaf, with Ye Hao following."Use your own flying artifact. Carrying two people on this Purple Green Leaf is too much for me," she snapped."Grandpa Ye is just a wandering cultivator. Not like you disciples of major sects, all with your fancy flying artifacts," Ye Hao shrugged."Hmph, wasn't it you who called the Yanling Pill a low-grade healing potion? What a pauper, all talk and no substance," Mo Qianqian retorted. After a night's rest, her fear of Ye Hao had lessened considerably.Ye Hao rolled his eyes. He was a tiger fallen to the plains, a dragon trapped in shallow waters. No point in arguing.Mo Qianqian directed the Purple Green Leaf towards Yanxia Mountain, home of the Yanxia Sect. While not as formidable as the Lotus Sect, the Yanxia Sect still held considerable influence among the tens of thousands of sects and families in the surrounding area.A few days later, they reached the outskirts of Yanxia Mountain, where the spiritual energy was several times denser than outside."I need a break," Mo Qianqian said, halting and retracting the Purple Green Leaf. She took out two low-grade spirit stones to replenish her spent energy.Ye Hao sat on a large tree, contemplating his future.From the eighth tribulation level to the second fetal stage, soon to abolish his cultivation and start anew, it was a fall from the clouds to the mud. For anyone, this would be hard to accept. For Ye Hao, it was the same.But he didn't dwell on it for long. Having narrowly escaped death, he was grateful for a second chance, especially with the precious half of the Sky-Supporting Art. This could be his great fortune.His previous rapid advancement to the eighth tribulation level in just 800 years, seen as monstrous talent, had its downsides. Rapid progress concealed hidden pitfalls, difficult to notice in the brilliance of quick success.Each stage of cultivation required its own mindset and insights. Some could not be gained through understanding alone but needed time to mature, ensuring a flawless foundation.Even if he ascended after overcoming the nine tribulations, hidden flaws could be his undoing in the fiercely competitive immortal realm. Now, with a chance to perfect each stage, he could aim for the legendary great perfection in cultivation. This meant achieving the utmost integration of Dao and technique at every level. Such perfection was said to confer unparalleled advantages in the immortal realm.While Ye Hao hadn't been to the immortal realm and didn't fully grasp the nature of these advantages, he knew there was truth in the claim.Suddenly, his protective mental field picked up a disturbance.Someone was approaching!With a twitch of instinct, Ye Hao concealed himself within the dense foliage of the tree.
Two figures zipped through the air towards them, a man and a woman. The man was as skinny as a rail, his black daoist robe hanging loosely on his frame, emitting an aura of gloom. The woman, in her thirties, was voluptuous and dressed in a thin pink dress that left most of her pale bosom exposed.
They didn't look like decent folks, which made it all the more surprising to see them in the territory of the prestigious Yanxia Sect.
Mo Qianqian, sluggish as she might be, was now wide awake. Her spiritual power was only half recovered, and seeing these two strangers while Ye Hao had seemingly vanished made her uneasy. Still, she wasn't overly worried. This was Yanxia Sect land; once she revealed her identity, surely these two wouldn't dare cause trouble.

"Little sister, are you a disciple of the Yanxia Sect?" the flirtatious woman asked with a seductive smile.
"Yes, I am. Who might you two be?" Mo Qianqian replied, not wanting to interact with them but feeling it impolite to show her dislike given their friendly demeanor.
From his hidden perch, Ye Hao shook his head. Silly girl, these two are clearly up to no good. Why waste time with chit-chat? Either make a move or get out of there! Couldn't she see the man was quietly casting a restraining spell while they talked?
"Ah, a disciple of the Yanxia Sect, excellent," the seductive woman laughed, her voice like tinkling bells. "Ghost Daoist, now!"
In an instant, she flicked her wrist, and a cloud of pink smoke billowed toward Mo Qianqian.
Startled, Mo Qianqian leaped back, forming a series of hand seals to activate the sensory compass on her body. She couldn't believe these two would dare to attack her on Yanxia Sect territory.