Chapter 287: Core Formation Perfected!

Yunhe confirmed that the two Fourth Level demon beasts had really left, then messaged Bai Ning and Qing Yao, "I'm going out for a bit, you guys watch the home."

Having said that, he retracted all his belongings and swiftly pursued in a direction.

After chasing for a while, Yunhe's movements gradually stopped; he furrowed his brows, scanned again with his divine sense, and sighed.

"No wonder it's the old turtle's subordinate; it really can run."

Just now, his demon sense detected the subterranean soil's wriggling traces.

Although he didn't find the demon beast that left those soil traces, he had already guessed eight or nine out of ten that it must be the remaining late-stage Third Level demon beast subordinate of Land Mountain Turtle, the Thick Soil Rat.

If Yunhe weren't also somewhat sensitive to earth-attribute spiritual energy, he wouldn't have detected this trace.

However, because he traded with the two great Fourth Level demon beasts, he lost a lot of time.

Moreover, this Thick Soil Rat is quite adept at escape techniques; it seemed to sense Yunhe's pursuit, and when Yunhe tracked to a spot, he found the soil traces split into several strands, causing his pursuit to lose direction.

"Forget it, I've already earned enough Third Level late-stage demon beast cores today; one more doesn't matter."

"It's better not to run around randomly now; if those two Fourth Level demon beasts happen to change their minds and come back, it would be troublesome."

With that thought, Yunhe returned to Huanhu Dao.

As for speaking of Land Mountain Turtle

This old turtle can no longer do anything to Huanhu Dao now; in the rest of its life, it will never be able to affect Huanhu Dao, and what awaits it next is Yunhe going to find trouble for it.

Xiong Wu Ji and Zhuan Chou Jun can't do anything about that old turtle's shell, but that doesn't mean he can't deal with the old turtle himself.

Cultivators have plenty of methods.

On the way back to Huanhu Dao, Yunhe was still thinking about how to develop Huanhu Dao into a market for the demon beast world.

Actually, he had already had this idea for a while.

After all, the demon beast world is vast, its material resources abundant; relying solely on himself plus the myriad demon beasts of Huanhu Dao, it's impossible to cover everything and scavenge it all.

Moreover, many places have powerful demon beasts garrisoned, making approach difficult.

But if he could do it through trade, he could make the materials of the entire demon beast world, at least half of it, his own, and the price he'd need to pay would be far less than what he gains.

However, the demon beasts he could contact back then mostly had unopened or only partially opened spiritual intelligence, lacking even the concept of "trade".

Now his strength has increased; even when facing Fourth Level demon beasts he can barely protect himself, finally giving him a chance to communicate on equal terms with Fourth Level demon beasts, thus providing a trading partner and opportunity.

"Huanhu Dao, grudges settled, myriad nations come to trade. Not bad, not bad."

If he puts this sign out there and has the ability to make it solid, then in the future his Huanhu Dao will become a major "holy land" of the demon beast world.

Yunhe felt a slight anticipation.

The cultivation world.

Ice Spirit Pavilion's Ice Heart Cave Alchemy Chamber.

"In the short term, I no longer need to worry about Third Level late-stage demon beast inner cores."

This transaction alone yielded him seventeen Third Level late-stage demon beast inner cores; with his current pill-making level, he can at least refine dozens of Spirit Grain Pills, enough to greatly advance his cultivation.

"If all goes well, I could even trick—cough, trade—some Third Level late-stage demon beast inner cores from those two Fourth Level demon beasts, perhaps allowing me to smoothly reach the perfected Core Formation realm."

Yunhe narrowed his eyes slightly.

Originally he thought that reaching perfected Core Formation would only be a slow grind, occasionally obtaining a few Third Level late-stage demon beast inner cores to refine Spirit Grain Pills.

But he never expected.

Because of a single attack by Land Mountain Turtle, he smoothly met Xiong Wu Ji and Zhuan Chou Jun, opening the demon beast world's "trade channel," thereby turning fortunes around and seeing the speed of his cultivation advancement increase.

"In that case, this Land Mountain Turtle actually counts as my benefactor."

Yunhe chuckled with a hint of teasing, muttering to himself.

The first time he saw Land Mountain Turtle was when it was undergoing its tribulation to transform into human form; not only did it let him witness the scene of a demon beast's tribulation and the preparations needed, it also allowed him to gather a lot of scattered heavenly thunder power, and moreover he harvested two pieces of Fourth Level turtle shell, which he forged into his current strongest defensive magic treasure, the Demon-Subduing Armor.

Thereafter, although he didn't see it right away, Land Mountain Turtle can be considered to have provided him with many Third Level late-stage demon beast inner cores.

When he saw it the second time, Land Mountain Turtle not only gave him the qualification to face Fourth Level demon beasts directly, but also brought him two genuine Fourth Level demon beasts, enabling him to trade for many Third Level late-stage demon beast inner cores.

"I have a feeling that when I meet that old turtle for the third time, it might still be able to give me a surprise."

In a good mood, Yunhe began alchemy.

Regarding the Spirit Grain Pill, he had already refined it hundreds of times over; the method was clear in his mind, his technique extremely proficient, so naturally there would be few errors.

One Third Level late-stage demon beast inner core yields eight finished Spirit Grain Pills!

Thereafter, he also did not stop alchemy.

Instead, in one go he refined ten whole Third Level late-stage demon beast inner cores into seventy-eight Spirit Grain Pills.

If these pills were taken out, they could probably stir up quite a storm in the cultivation world.

After all, other Core Formation cultivators aren't as extravagant as he is; even if their bodies have developed some resistance, they still stubbornly resist it to advance their cultivation.

No matter how you say it, it's also faster than relying solely on absorbing spiritual energy.

Combining pills with cultivation naturally speeds things up considerably.

Three months later.

The demon beast world.

Within the territory of Huanhu Dao, significant changes occurred.

The original Huanhu Dao hadn't changed much, but on the land it expanded outward, a sizable tower suddenly sprang up!

This tower was built jointly by the demon beasts of the Giant Rock Stone Monster clan.

Given the traits of the Giant Rock Stone Monster clan, the tower may not be beautiful, but its hardness is strong enough that even an early-stage Third Level demon beast would find it hard to break, and after Yunhe laid down his restrictions and formations, even a late-stage Third Level demon beast would find it extremely hard to destroy.

And hanging on the front of this tower is a plaque inscribed with the three characters "Hall of Hundred Treasures."

And it is written in the demon beast script.

"Hahahaha—Fellow Daoist Yun, no need to see me off; this old man has troubled you, troubled you."

Then came a hearty, vigorous, and powerful laugh from the top of the tower.

By using the divine ability Wish-Fulfilling to shrink his form, Yunhe, who could also move freely in this building, twitched the corner of his mouth and forced out a smile.

"Song Daoist friend, you're being polite, polite."

Yunhe clasped his hands with his claws.

"Well then, I'll take my leave."

As his words fell, a green-robed old man flew out from the building.

But after he had gone less than a hundred meters, he turned into a green mist like foam and vanished.

"Old coot."

After the other party left, Yunhe couldn't help but curl his lip.

Among Fourth Level Demon Beasts, not all are easy to deceive or trade with; the older the old coot, the harder he is to fool.

"What's wrong, Yunhe?"

Qingyao, fluttering its wings, flapped its wings and landed on the top floor's railing.

"An old coot who's lived who-knows-how-many years, so sly even a fox can't compare."

"Eh?"

Bai Ning's light figure also leapt in from the window, bringing a hint of doubt.

Yunhe rubbed its head and said, "An old pine tree that transformed via demonic power, as sly as a monkey."

That old man was also a Fourth Level Demon Beast, but an extremely rare plant-type Demon Beast; reportedly he got the news from Xiongwu Ji and obtained many Elixirs from Yunhe.

The other party's purpose was clear to Yunhe: nothing more than wanting to reverse-engineer the refining method from these Elixirs.

However, the Elixirs Yunhe produced were quite ordinary for him, not even a single one reaching Third Level; even if that old coot spent great effort and time to truly figure it out, it wouldn't mean much.

"Did you lose?" Qingyao landed on his turtle shell and asked.

Bai Ning also couldn't help but show a curious look.

"Hmph." Yunhe couldn't help but snicker, "Although it's sly, it's impossible to lose; at most it would just earn a little less."

"Then you still look indignant."

"If I weren't indignant, that old coot would think he'd lost, so I have to go along with his act."

Upon hearing that, Qingyao and Bai Ning couldn't help but exchange a glance.

Good, this is very Yunhe.

"However, the demon beasts that came are really few, far fewer than I imagined; it seems the Fourth Level Demon Beasts of the Yao Shou Shijie are also far fewer than I imagined, or perhaps they just don't trust my Hundred Treasures Tower."

Yunhe muttered to himself and walked out of this tall building.

But it doesn't matter anymore.

It's rare to have a few come, and that already gave him a bountiful harvest.

Enough for him to raise his cultivation base to Golden Core Perfection.

At that time, if his Cultivator Body successfully forms a Nascent Soul, and his Demon Beast Body smoothly breaks through Fourth Level, then his Huanhu Dao can truly become a market in the Yao Shou Shijie.

"Let's go."

Cultivation knows no years.

Yunhe once again entered deep closed-door cultivation.

Even Formation Dao, Elixir Dao, Weapon Dao, Talisman Dao, Insect Control and Poison Cultivation, and all matters were cast aside by him.

After all, compared to his own cultivation base, everything else is illusory.

These Formation, Elixir, Weapon, Talisman arts—the hundred arts of cultivation—are fundamentally just to make cultivation base increase more smoothly; now that he already has a smooth path, he naturally need not divert extra energy and mind.

Time flows, spring ends and autumn arrives, summer passes and winter approaches.

In the blink of an eye, twenty-five years have passed!

This day.

Inside the cave abode cultivation chamber.

Vast spiritual energy swirls above the Congealed Fat Ice-Clear Lotus, thick and misty spiritual energy like substance, like mist like illusion.

On Yunhe's face, a five-colored light rose, then quickly retracted inward.

In the suddenly opened eyes, the five colors again surfaced, flowing without cease, flashing nine times before gradually calming.

He slightly opened his mouth and exhaled a mouthful of turbid qi.

In this turbid qi, there actually seemed to be traces of foul odor, a mixed quality flowing from his limbs and bones.

After the five colors in Yunhe's eyes fully retracted inward, his gaze gradually regained clarity, slowly refocused, and then a smile appeared on his face.

"Double joy has arrived!"

He slightly clenched his fist, emitting a faint sound, yet it could shake the surrounding spiritual energy.

"His fleshly body has reached the mid-stage of the third level!"

The next moment.

He opened his fist, turned his palm over, and a mass of round five-element spiritual power appeared in his palm.

This spiritual power is rich and full, flowing smoothly as desired.

"But more importantly, it is the perfected Golden Core stage!"

From Late Jie Dan Stage to perfected Jie Dan there is no bottleneck; as long as spiritual power is sufficient, one can reach the end directly.

It took such a long time.

He finally cultivated to the perfected Jie Dan realm!

Suddenly.

Yunhe's heart stirred slightly, and the smile on his face grew a bit richer.

"This is three blessings arriving!"

He lightly tapped his dantian, and heard a hum, five five-colored flying swords fluttered out.

Although they are five flying swords, and each can match a third-level supreme-grade magic treasure, but because Yunhe used the Five Elements Sword Formation when refining them, these five flying swords constitute a magic treasure.

And at this moment, Yunhe felt a faint sense of closeness from these five flying swords.

Closeness.

That is emotion!

This also indicates that his five flying swords have actually given birth to their own spiritual consciousness!

Although this spiritual consciousness is still extremely weak, almost negligible, it also indicates that his set of Five Elements Heavenly Thunder Sword has already advanced from a magic treasure to a spiritual treasure!

A magic treasure that has a spirit will naturally protect its master.

The meteoric thunder essence he infused when refining this treasure back then must have exerted considerable effect.

However, this spirit is still very weak now; he needs to diligently perform sacrificial refinement and continuously nourish it with magical power, so that this spiritual consciousness can smoothly awaken and become a true spiritual treasure.

"Actually, I feel a bit like I'm dragging you down." Yunhe lightly stroked the sword body and chuckled, "If I successfully attain Nascent Soul, you might be able to advance to a fourth-level spiritual treasure in an instant, right?"

Hummm—

The long sword's blade sings, carrying its own meaning.

(End of chapter)