Chapter 485

Chapter 485: The Girl in the Purple Dress

After cultivating Thunder Spirit Qi, Ye Yun’s perception of thunder naturally differed from ordinary cultivators—at least tenfold, even a hundredfold more sensitive.

When Ye Yun and his companions released Thunder Spirit Qi combined with their spirit perception, they detected an unusual ripple in the Sea of Thunder within moments.

Behind where the Thunder Spirit Beast had originally resided—an area everyone overlooked—a sharp, lingering aura persisted, like a sword thrust into the clouds, dominating the horizon.

"What formidable sword intent!"

Yun Tianxing arrived first beside the aura, his brow twitching slightly.

Jun Ruolan, Ye Yun, and the others soon joined. Though the sword intent remained invisible to the naked eye, their spirit perception revealed it less than half a zhang away. The intent radiated such sharpness it seemed capable of piercing the thunder itself. Only such power could strip the seed of the mysteries of thunder from the Thunder Spirit Beast in an instant.

"To think a sword intent master entered Thunder Falls Valley," Ying Wujun muttered, his face pale. "This alone would crush the will of any cultivator below the sixth level of the Golden Core stage."

Su Xingyun wore a grim expression. He and Ying Wujun had once believed their combined strength made them invincible here. But their recent clash with Yun Tianxing and Jun Ruolan had shattered that confidence. Either of those two could only be defeated if both he and Ying Wujun risked their lives using their ultimate techniques.

Now, sensing this sword intent, their faces tightened further. Whoever wielded this power could crush them effortlessly—escape itself might prove impossible.

Exchanging defeated glances, they realized Thunder Falls Valley housed experts far beyond their reach. Even working together, securing the seed seemed hopeless.

"Where did all these masters come from?" Su Xingyun said bitterly. "This sword must’ve struck the Thunder Spirit Beast, stealing the seed silently. Without a miracle, it’s beyond us now."

Resentment flickered in their eyes as they glanced at Ye Yun’s group, only to find them equally solemn.

"Wait." Yun Tianxing’s voice cut through. "This sword intent didn’t kill the beast. Such brute force couldn’t have taken the seed unnoticed."

Ying Wujun and Su Xingyun froze. "Impossible!"

Jun Ruolan’s delicate brows furrowed. "Brother Yun’s right. This sword intent comes from someone pursuing the thief who stole the seed. The real culprit used subtler means."

The two men quickly grasped her meaning—this overwhelming sword intent lacked the stealth needed to extract the Thunder Spirit Beast’s core. Yet the beast had been at peak Golden Core strength. Even their entire group might’ve struggled to subdue it. Who could’ve stolen its heart so effortlessly?

Jue Chen and Zeng Xuan stayed silent. Shen Mo stood motionless—his Royal Dragon Aura useless in this Sea of Thunder.

Ye Yun remained quiet, his frown deepening.

Suddenly, his eyes flashed. "There’s an unfamiliar aura in the depths."

"What aura?" Jun Ruolan and Yun Tianxing asked together.

Ye Yun shook his head. "Faint, lingering. Our spiritual energy shares the same origin, but this… it’s alien. Like it doesn’t belong here. Maybe I lack the knowledge to identify it."

The two exchanged startled looks. All cultivation energy stemmed from the same source. For Ye Yun—a skilled cultivator—to call it "alien" suggested something beyond their world.

"Doesn’t the Demon Race use different energy?" Ye Yun pressed.

"No," Yun Tianxing said. "Demons refine beasts but still draw from worldly spiritual energy. Variations exist, but the root’s the same."

"Then this is truly strange." Ye Yun’s frown deepened.

Jun Ruolan stayed silent, her brows knitted tight. A flicker of fear crossed her eyes—uncharacteristic for the ever-composed woman.

"Can we track it?" she asked abruptly.

"No. Like the sword intent, it’s just a trace," Ye Yun replied.

"We must find that seed," Jun Ruolan declared. "Brother Yun, take Ying Wujun’s group. Ye Yun and I will search separately. Report any findings through the Sea of Thunder."

Yun Tianxing glanced at Ye Yun, then nodded. Ying Wujun’s group followed him reluctantly, unwilling to abandon the hunt.

"Let’s go," Jun Ruolan said.

"Wait." Ye Yun shook his head. "I can trace the sword intent’s path. Fewer competitors mean better chances."

Jun Ruolan studied him before nodding. "Find the seed, and I’ll add a low-quality Immortal artifact to your reward."

Ye Yun stared. "You’d chase this? Can you handle what we might find?"

"Nothing in Thunder Falls Valley threatens me," she said flatly, her pride undisguised.

Ye Yun smirked. "Then let’s go."

Thunder Spirit Qi erupted from him, spreading a hundred zhang in moments. With a wave, the Sea of Thunder parted, vanishing to reveal two figures:

A white-robed youth held a jade-like sword pointed earthward. Ten zhang away stood a purple-clad girl, her face veiled save for ink-black eyes that froze Ye Yun in shock.

"It’s… just like her!"