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Inside the underwater cave, Su Ning gazed at "Wu Chou," who had just completed the possession, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

Zhang Tie was adapting to his new body, his slender fingers constantly opening and closing, trying to circulate the Yin energy unique to the Extreme Yin Island.

“Senior brother, the spiritual energy circulation path of this body is completely different from mine.” Zhang Tie frowned and said, his voice was now exactly the same as Wu Chou’s, but his tone still carried Zhang Tie’s unique straightforwardness. “The circulation of the Extreme Yin Great Law is much more complicated.”

Su Ning nodded slightly and took out a jade slip that glowed with a faint light from his storage bag: "This is the cultivation technique I just extracted from Wu Chou's memories. Familiarize yourself with it as soon as possible."

He paused, his gaze sharpening. "Now, let's tackle the most dangerous problem first."

Zhang Tie's expression hardened: "Senior brother, are you saying... a tracking restriction that the Extreme Yin Ancestor might have left behind?"

“Not bad.” Su Ning gently pressed his right hand on Zhang Tie’s forehead, and cautiously probed in with a wisp of divine sense. “The methods of the Nascent Soul old monster are extraordinary. Even if I use the Soul-Locking Finger to seal his divine sense, I cannot guarantee that everything will be foolproof.”

Su Ning carefully searched Wu Chou's body with his divine sense, and suddenly, his brows furrowed.

Deep within his Purple Mansion, he discovered a faint, almost imperceptible, chilling aura, lurking like a venomous snake.

"As expected!" Su Ning sneered, "The Yin Ancestor planted the 'Yin Soul Guide' in your Purple Mansion. Once triggered, it can be sensed within a thousand miles."

Zhang Tie's expression changed drastically: "Then what should we do? My current cultivation level is not high enough to dispel this kind of restriction on my own."

Su Ning smiled slightly: "It's alright, I have my own way of dealing with it."

As he spoke, he made a hand seal, and a golden light shot out from between his eyebrows, transforming into a phantom portal in the air. Within the portal, mountains and rivers could be vaguely seen, revealing a vast world.

"This is... a secret spatial realm?" Zhang Tie's eyes widened, even with Wu Chou's memories and knowledge, he was shocked, "Senior brother actually has such a treasure!"

"I obtained it by chance," Su Ning said briefly without further explanation, but he did give his spatial world a name. "My 'Tai Xu Realm' is a world of its own, which can isolate it from all external detection. You can enter it for now to cultivate and adapt. I will make further plans after I have dealt with your old physical body."

"it is good."

Zhang Tie stepped into the portal without hesitation, without any doubt about Su Ning, and his figure disappeared instantly.

Su Ning put away the light gate, his face slightly pale, clearly indicating that opening the space had consumed a lot of energy.

He quickly took out a pill the size of a longan and swallowed it, and his breathing finally stabilized.

“Next…” Su Ning’s gaze turned to Zhang Tie’s old body on the ground.

That imposing body lay quietly, like a sleeping giant.

He sighed softly, took out a silver talisman, and affixed it to the corpse's forehead to prevent the loss of spiritual energy.

After cleaning up the traces of the cave, Su Ning left using a one-time teleportation array.

After multiple teleportations, he traveled thousands of miles across the sea before finally stopping near an underwater volcano.

The fusion of scorching magma and icy seawater creates a naturally chaotic area of ​​spiritual energy, perfect for concealing one's presence.

There is a hidden cave entrance on the side of the volcano, which is another secret stronghold that Suning prepared many years ago.

The cave is dry and warm, isolated from the outside seawater, and the moonstones embedded in the walls emit a soft glow.

On the central stone platform, Su Ning carefully laid Zhang Tie's body flat.

He took out various materials from his storage bag: thousand-year-old ebony, gold essence, soul jade...

The most precious item is a bottle of liquid that shimmers with starlight—Star Essence, the core material for refining high-level puppets.

"The puppet-making method recorded in the 'Tiangong Baolu' can finally be tried today." Su Ning murmured to himself, his hands forming hand seals, and a wisp of alchemical fire rose from his palms, refining the materials one by one.

The refining process lasted for a full forty-nine days.

Suning was completely focused, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Zhang Tie's body was wrapped in various materials, gradually becoming as clear and lustrous as jade, with a faint golden light flowing beneath his skin.

At midnight on the forty-ninth day, a sudden burst of golden light shone brightly inside the cave.

Zhang Tie's physical body floated in the air, surrounded by densely packed chains of runes.

Su Ning bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the puppet's brow, and shouted, "Soul Imprint, complete!"

All the runes instantly disappeared into the body, and the puppet slowly opened its eyes, a flash of golden light disappearing from them.

It knelt on one knee and bowed to Suning. The movement was a little stiff, but it already showed signs of intelligence.

"It has retained 70% of its physical cultivation strength, equivalent to the combat power of a pseudo-core stage cultivator." Su Ning inspected the puppet with satisfaction. "Although it is not as agile as it was in life, it has the advantage of not feeling pain and not fearing death."

With a thought, the puppet transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into his sleeve.

At the very moment that Suning completed the creation of the puppet, turmoil was brewing overseas.

……

Extreme Yin Island, Black Fiend Palace.

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!" An old man in black robes was furious and smashed the black jade table in front of him to pieces with one palm.

His face was gaunt, his eyes were sunken, and he exuded a suffocating aura of pressure...

He was none other than Yin Sha Elder, one of the three great elders of Ji Yin Island, with a cultivation level of late Core Formation stage.

The dozen or so cultivators kneeling before His Highness fell silent, one of them, a Foundation Establishment Peak Deacon, forced himself to speak: "Elder, please calm down. We have searched the area within a thousand miles of the incident site, and there is indeed no trace of the Young Master."

He dared not utter the word "corpse".

"Keep searching!" the Yin Sha Elder roared, his voice shaking the entire hall. "I want to see them alive or dead! The Ancestor is currently in seclusion, striving to break through to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, preparing for the Void Heaven Palace. If he learns of this after emerging from seclusion... Hmph!"

All the cultivators couldn't help but shudder.

They were all too aware of the cruel methods of the Yin Ancestor.

"Send orders to all the branch altars on the islands," the Yin Sha Elder said coldly, "offer a reward of 100,000 spirit stones for any clues found. Capture all cultivators who have recently appeared in that sea area and have their souls searched!"

Meanwhile, the main hall of the Six-Linked Hall.

After listening to his subordinate's report, an old man with white eyebrows had a glint in his eyes: "What? Wu Chou was attacked? Interesting... Find out who did it. Anyone who dares to attack the young master of Ji Yin Island is either a madman or someone who is fearless."

“Palace Master, should we…” an elder made a throat-slitting gesture.

The white-browed elder shook his head: "Let's wait and see. After the Extreme Yin Old Monster emerges from seclusion, there will surely be a bloodbath in the Chaotic Star Sea. Pass down the order: all branch halls should be on high alert, but do not interfere in the affairs of Extreme Yin Island."

Similar scenarios played out among the various forces in the Chaotic Star Sea.

For a time, the sea was filled with tension and fear, and cultivators stayed indoors, afraid of being affected by the wrath of Jiyin Island.

Deep within the alien sea, Suning was completely unaware of the turmoil outside.

He was in seclusion in the deepest part of the cave, with three items floating in front of him: a golden jade slip containing the "Great Wilderness Manual", Wu Chou's storage bag, and a peculiar bronze array plate.

“A fragment of the Void Heaven Palace map…” Su Ning played with the tattered animal hide map he found in Wu Chou’s storage bag. Ancient runes were engraved on it. “No wonder Ancestor Ji Yin valued this grandson so much. It turns out that Wu Chou carried the key to enter the Void Heaven Palace.”

He put away the fragments of the Void Heaven Palace map and began to comprehend the next level of the Great Wilderness Technique.

As the cultivation technique was activated, the spiritual energy within the cave formed a vortex, continuously flowing into Su Ning's body.

His aura steadily improved, advancing towards the mid-stage of Core Formation.

……

In the nameless cave in the outer space, Su Ning slowly opened his eyes, a flash of golden lightning seemingly appearing and disappearing in them.

He exhaled a long breath, which shot out three feet away like an arrow, leaving a shallow mark on the stone wall.

"Ten years..." Su Ning murmured to himself, his voice exceptionally clear in the silent cave.

He looked inward at his dantian, where the golden core had solidified like glass, with nine golden patterns wrapped around its surface. It was only one more pattern away from reaching the mid-stage of the Core Formation realm.

But even this final step prevented him from breaking through after three years of seclusion.

Su Ning stood up, his bones cracking like popping beans.

After ten years of meditation, his body remained spotless; this was the cleansing effect that came with reaching a certain level in the cultivation of the Great Wilderness Technique.

He walked to a water mirror in the corner of the cave and looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar face reflected in it...

With sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, his features were well-defined, yet his eyes held a calm that came from having experienced many hardships.

"An unstable mind will only breed inner demons if you force a breakthrough." Su Ning sighed and waved his hand to disperse the water mirror. "It's time to go out for a walk."

He retrieved his top-tier magical artifact from the spatial world; its surface was engraved with intricate cloud patterns and felt icy to the touch.

This is the "Thousand Illusion Mask" he obtained from the ancient cultivator sect in the Crimson Forbidden Land, which is definitely one of the top disguise treasures in the entire cultivation world.

The "Thousand Illusion Mask" melted instantly like water when it was applied to Suning's skin, covering his entire face and body.

After a slight sting, a completely different face appeared in the mirror...

He was an ordinary-looking old cultivator with cloudy eyes and an unremarkable demeanor.

If Han Li and Zhang Tie saw Su Ning's face like this, they would definitely be shocked and their eyes would widen.

"From this day forward, I am Mo Juren, a rogue cultivator in the late Foundation Establishment stage." Su Ning practiced a few expressions in front of the water mirror, and after confirming that there were no flaws, he began to conceal his aura.

The spiritual energy fluctuations of the Core Formation stage are suppressed layer by layer, eventually stabilizing at the level of the late Foundation Establishment stage. This is also another function of the "Thousand Illusion Mask".

He waved his hand to remove the restrictions on the cave, and his figure transformed into a streak of light, disappearing into the deep sea.

Behind him, an underwater volcano suddenly erupted, the scorching lava completely engulfing the cave, leaving no trace. Taking one last look at the place where he had lived for ten years, Su Ning made a hand seal and cast a spell, his figure transforming into a streak of azure light as he vanished from the seabed.

The bright sunshine on the sea surface contrasted sharply with the dark seabed.

Suning squinted, enjoying the feeling of basking in the sunlight for the first time in ten years.

He took a deep breath, and the salty sea breeze filled his lungs, giving him a feeling of being in another world.

After determining the direction, Suning deployed an ordinary cyan flying boat...

This was something he had specially prepared to disguise his identity; the speed was neither too fast nor too slow, just in line with the wealth of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

The flying boat cut through the clouds and headed towards the Inner Star Sea.

Along the way, they encountered several groups of cultivators, most of whom were in a hurry. Occasionally, someone would cast a probing glance, but they would lose interest after sensing Su Ning's "late Foundation Establishment" cultivation level.

Seven days later, the majestic outline of Tianxing City appeared on the sea surface.

Even from dozens of miles away, one could feel the magnificent aura emanating from that giant city.

The towering city walls are made entirely of starlight stone, shimmering with a silvery-blue light in the sunlight; twelve towering towers in the city pierce the sky like sharp swords, which is the core of the Star Palace.

Upon reaching the city gate, Suning landed as per protocol.

A long queue formed at the city gate, where Star Palace disciples were checking the identity tokens of those entering the city one by one.

"Name? Background? Purpose?" When it was Su Ning's turn, a Star Palace disciple asked without looking up.

"Mo Juren, a rogue cultivator from overseas, has come to Tianxing City to purchase medicinal pills and also to inquire about the possibility of settling down here." Su Ning handed over the identity jade token that had been prepared beforehand...

He obtained this from a dead monk many years ago, and after careful modification, no problems could be found.

After the disciple checked and found nothing amiss, he collected ten spirit stones as an entrance fee and then let them pass.

As you pass through the long city gate passageway, a wave of noise washes over you.

Tianxing City is crisscrossed by streets, bustling with people, and lined with shops on both sides, where vendors' calls rise and fall.

Like a true Foundation Establishment cultivator, Su Ning curiously surveyed this renowned city of cultivation.

He first found an inconspicuous inn to stay in, and asked for a medium-sized room, which cost five spirit stones per day.

"Senior, do you need a guide? I know Tianxing City like the back of my hand, and it only costs two spirit stones a day!" A Qi Refining stage servant eagerly greeted him.

Su Ning sized up the clever young man and casually tossed him a mid-grade spirit stone: "Take me to the best teahouse first."

The boy's eyes lit up. A mid-grade spirit stone could be worth a hundred low-grade spirit stones. This was a big customer!
"Alright! The best teahouse in Tianxing City is 'Tingtao Pavilion,' not only for its superior quality spirit tea, but also for its excellent information network!"

Following the boy through the streets and alleys, Su Ning silently memorized the layout of Tianxing City.

Compared to ten years ago, there seem to be many unfamiliar faces in the city, and their cultivation levels are all quite high.

What's even stranger is that he sensed several deliberately concealed auras, which were clearly the fluctuations of a Core Formation cultivator.

"Has anything major happened in Tianxing City lately?" Su Ning asked casually.

The young man lowered his voice: "Senior, you may not know this, but it is rumored that the Void Heaven Palace is about to open, and various forces have sent people to gather information."

He looked around, his voice even softer, "I heard that the people from Extreme Yin Island had a conflict with Xing Palace a few days ago, apparently over investigating some murderer..."

Su Ning's eyes flickered slightly, and without making a sound, she rewarded the young man with another spirit stone.

Tingtao Pavilion is built on the shore of an artificial lake. It is a three-story wooden structure with upturned eaves and corners, exuding an ancient charm.

Suning reserved a private booth by the window and ordered a pot of "Nebula Mist"...

This is a specialty tea from Tianxing City, said to have the effect of clearing the mind and improving eyesight.

Just as the tea was served, a commotion suddenly broke out downstairs.

Several black-robed cultivators swaggered into the teahouse. The leader was a middle-aged man with a sinister face and a skull pattern embroidered on his chest—the symbol of the Extreme Yin Island.

"Listen up, everyone!" the middle-aged man said coldly. "Our Extreme Yin Island is investigating the murderer. Has anyone seen these two people recently?"

With a wave of his hand, two portraits appeared in the air, showing what Su Ning and Zhang Tie looked like ten years ago.

The teahouse fell silent instantly.

Suning lowered his head and sipped his tea, his heartbeat remaining unchanged.

Even Nascent Soul cultivators would have difficulty recognizing the Thousand Illusion Mask, let alone these Foundation Establishment stage disciples from the Extreme Yin Island.

Seeing no one respond, the middle-aged man sneered, "Anyone who knows but fails to report will be considered an accomplice!"

His gaze swept over the crowd, lingering on a few female cultivators for a moment, a lewd glint in his eyes.

Just then, a clear, cold female voice came from the third floor: "Hmph! Extreme Yin Island has quite the nerve, daring to run wild in Tianxing City?"

Everyone looked up and saw a woman in white standing by the railing. She looked to be in her early twenties, with beautiful features but a cold and aloof demeanor.

What is most eye-catching is the Star Palace token hanging from her waist, which is engraved with three golden stars—the symbol of a core disciple of the Star Palace.

The middle-aged man's expression changed, but he forced a smile and said, "So you are Fairy Chu from the Star Palace. I was merely following orders and had no intention of offending you."

"Get out." The woman in white uttered only one word, but it made the cultivators from Jiyin Island feel as if they had been granted a pardon, and they slunk out of the teahouse.

The teahouse was immediately abuzz with discussion.

Su Ning learned from the conversations of others that the woman in white was named Chu Yuqing, the personal disciple of the Grand Elder of the Star Palace. She had already reached the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment at a young age and was hailed as the most promising genius to form the Core Formation in the Star Palace in the past hundred years.

After the commotion subsided, Su Ning continued to enjoy his tea, but his ears caught various conversations inside the teahouse.

Besides the rumors about the Void Heaven Palace, the most attention-grabbing event is that a large-scale auction will be held in Tianxing City three months later, with the final item said to be related to breaking through the Core Formation bottleneck.

"Perhaps this is an opportunity..." Su Ning thought to himself.

His current status is late Foundation Establishment stage, so it's perfectly reasonable for him to participate in this kind of auction. He might even find an opportunity to break through to the mid-stage Core Formation stage.

After leaving the teahouse, Su Ning dismissed the young guide and wandered around Tianxing City alone.

He deliberately went to several shops that sold cultivation manuals, pretending to be interested in various Foundation Establishment stage cultivation techniques, but in reality, he was secretly looking for new opportunities to cultivate immortality.

In the evening, Suning arrived at the Free Market in the south of the city.

The stalls here are chaotic, and it's hard to tell the real from the fake, but it's a great place to find bargains.

He walked slowly past the stalls, then suddenly stopped in an inconspicuous corner.

The stall owner was a drowsy old man, and his stall displayed several broken magical artifacts and a few tattered books.

What caught Su Ning's attention was a tattered leather scroll with strange patterns drawn on it, which bore some resemblance to the operational route of the "Great Wilderness Technique" he was cultivating.

"How much for this picture?" Su Ning asked casually.

The old man opened his sleepy eyes and held up three fingers: "Three hundred spirit stones, no bargaining."

Suning frowned: "A mere fragment of a map is worth this much?"

"Buy it or don't, it's up to you." The old man snorted. "This picture was obtained from an ancient cultivator's cave and is related to an ancient cultivation technique. I wouldn't be selling it if I didn't urgently need spirit stones."

Su Ning pretended to hesitate, but finally gritted his teeth and bought the scroll. After all, the Great Wilderness Manual was his biggest trump card, and anything related to the Great Wilderness Manual had to be studied.

After leaving the market, he immediately returned to the inn, set up an isolation barrier in his room, and carefully studied the incomplete map.

"Indeed, it is similar to the cultivation route of the Great Wilderness Technique, but there are also obvious differences. It may be a cultivation method from the same period." Comparing it with his memories, Su Ning confirmed that the fragment of the map recorded a place called "Wilderness Secret Realm", which may contain rare opportunities and treasures.

What surprised him even more was that the location of the entrance marked on the map overlapped with the sea area where the Void Heaven Palace was rumored to have appeared!

Just as Su Ning was deep in thought, he suddenly sensed someone spying on him outside the inn.

He quickly put away the remaining map and pretended to meditate and regulate his breathing.

A moment later, a sound transmission talisman pierced through the barrier and hovered in front of him.

"Fellow Daoist Mo, let's meet at Tingtao Pavilion tomorrow at noon. —Chu Yuqing"

Su Ning raised an eyebrow. He had never met this Star Palace genius before, so why was he suddenly invited?
After a moment's thought, he decided to keep the appointment and find out for himself.

In the chaotic city of Tianxing, it's always better to have one more friend than one more enemy.

As night deepened, the twelve towers of Tianxing City lit up with dazzling starlight, illuminating the entire city as if it were daytime.

Standing by the window, gazing at the city that never sleeps, Su Ning was filled with mixed emotions.

Thirty years ago, he and Zhang Tie were hunted down like stray dogs by Jiyin Island. Now, they have returned to this place in different forms, but no one recognizes them.

“The Void Heaven Palace… the Desolate Heaven Secret Realm… the Great Wilderness Technique…” Su Ning murmured to himself, “It seems I made the right choice coming to Tianxing City.”

His gaze shifted to the most magnificent tower in the city center, where the Star Palace headquarters was located.

Tomorrow's meeting with Chu Yuqing may reveal more secrets.

Thinking of this, Su Ning raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a meaningful smile.

...(End of chapter)