Immortality begins with upgrading buildings

Chapter 348 [Heavenly Craft Workshop: lv3] (10,000 words, seeking monthly votes)

"What...what kind of tricks are these?!"

As the corpse looked at the wisp of green flame in Ji Yuan's hand, a feeling of fear unconsciously arose in its heart.

It's as if... this thing is its natural enemy.

The only response Ji Yuan received was the magical power surging into the Yin Corpse Demon Fire.

In the shortest amount of time, the Yin Corpse Demon Flame grew from the size of a fingertip to the size of a human head.

Seeing that things were going badly, the Yin Corpse roared and flew towards Ji Yuan.

"court death!"

Ji Yuan thought to himself and suddenly swung his right hand forward.

The thrown-out Yin Corpse Demon Fire exploded instantly, and in a flash, the area under the sky was filled with burning green ghost fire. Some of the fires burning in the air were fine, just small flames, but those that fell to the ground in the dense forest were a different story.

Ancient trees, wild grass, beasts, and birds.

Any creature that came into contact with this Yin Corpse Demon Fire was instantly devoured by the flames and turned into dust.

At the very moment the Yin Corpse Demon Fire exploded, the Yin Corpse, which had been so arrogant and ready to charge forward, felt fear and flew straight back, then quickly fled back to the cave where it had been.

"Trying to run away?"

With a wave of his right hand, Ji Yuan sent all the Yin Corpse Demon Fire flying back, transforming into a green halo of demon fire behind him.

The light emitted by the demonic fire cast a terrifying dark green glow on Ji Yuan's face, making him appear even more ferocious and horrifying!

He transformed into a beam of light and followed closely behind, disappearing into the abyss one after the other.

Previously, it was the Yin Corpse that was chasing Ji Yuan, but now it's Ji Yuan who is chasing the Yin Corpse.

In the short span of time, barely enough for a cup of tea, the balance of power shifted dramatically!

The moment his figure rushed into the cave, Ji Yuan released his divine sense, worried that the Yin Corpse would become desperate and destroy the Xuanbing Fire Lotus.

If that's the case, then this trip would be a complete waste of time and resources.

Fortunately, the Xuanbing Fire Lotus was growing safely in the middle of the cold pool, but the Yin Corpse that had escaped in... had disappeared without a trace.

Ji Yuan remained calm and flew straight towards the depths of the cave.

In no time at all, he arrived at the stone chamber.

He looked at the Xuanbing Fire Lotus floating in the middle of the icy pool, and flicked his right sword finger.

"go!"

A sword light flashed past, but before he could pluck the fire lotus, a Yin corpse suddenly emerged from the ground, using its body as a shield to block the flying sword.

"You're really persistent!"

The Yin Corpse looked at Ji Yuan, who was floating in mid-air, and said through gritted teeth.

Ji Yuan didn't speak; the only response he received were the nine flying sword embryos that appeared in unison.

As for the Yin Corpse Demon Fire... Ji Yuan dared not release it, fearing that releasing it would accidentally harm the fire lotus.

In an instant, nine flying swords struck the corpse, clanging incessantly.

Although he couldn't hurt the Yin Corpse, he managed to trap it. Just when Ji Yuan thought he could free his hands to pick the Fire Lotus, a strong Yin energy suddenly erupted from the Yin Corpse, knocking away all the flying swords in one fell swoop. At the same time, its figure instantly appeared behind Ji Yuan.

Thinking it had seized the opportunity, it suddenly punched Ji Yuan in the back.

"Bang—"

A muffled sound suddenly emanated from Ji Yuan's body, which was protected by the Soul-Devouring Armor, and then he staggered... but that was all!

"What?!"

Seeing that his all-out punch hadn't even shaken the person in front of him, the corpse finally felt a trace of fear.

Relying on its memories from its previous life, it vaguely guessed Ji Yuan's origins.

"You...you're actually a body cultivator!"

"This inheritance doesn't exist on the Abyss Continent. You're from another continent, Cang Luo... no, no, you're from the Ancient Desolate Continent!"

The corpse spoke in a trembling voice.

Ji Yuan did not turn around, but the Yin Corpse Demon Fire protecting him seized the opportunity and poured it all onto the Yin Corpse.

Previously, Ji Yuan had deliberately created a flaw, worried that the Yin Corpse wouldn't fall for it.

In retrospect, inanimate objects are indeed inanimate objects.

They are reckless and far less cunning and treacherous than cultivators.

"ah!!!!"

The Yin Corpse Demon Fire burns everything, and since the creature in front of it was itself a Yin Corpse, touching the Yin Corpse Demon Fire was like adding fuel to the fire. In the blink of an eye, the flames engulfed its entire body.

Thick streams of yin energy continuously surged from the corpse.

Clearly, it had many more tricks up its sleeve that it hadn't been able to use, but they were all destroyed in this cave along with this demonic fire.

Seeing that the yin energy emanating from all around was increasing, Ji Yuan did not waste any time.

With a thought, two banners flew out from behind him: the Yin Ghost Banner on the left and the Thousand Soul Banner on the right, along with the Yin Corpse Demon Fire burning in the cave at that moment.

In an instant, Ji Yuan was surrounded by overwhelming demonic energy!

Upon witnessing this scene, the corpse was utterly horrified and uttered its last words.

He seemed somewhat regretful, and also somewhat resentful.

"I...I'm also a member of the Yin Ghost Sect...Sect..."

Before it could finish speaking, the Yin Qi shield around its body finally gave way to the erosion of the demonic fire. The eerie green Yin Corpse Demonic Fire instantly devoured it, turning it into withered bones.

Ji Yuan, who was under the Soul Devouring Armor, lit up when he heard these words.

...Yingui Sect? !

This corpse was actually a member of the Yin Ghost Sect in its previous life?

But Ji Yuan thought about it again and realized that this was impossible, since the Yin Ghost Sect had been extinct for a long time.

Even if this cultivator in front of me turned into a Yin Corpse after death, how could a Yin Corpse that doesn't even have the cultivation of a Nascent Soul have survived to this day by crossing the river of time?

Most of them have long since disappeared into the dustbin of history.

More likely, this Yin Corpse, like Ji Yuan, simply obtained a portion of the Yin Ghost Sect's inheritance by chance during its lifetime.

That's why I can say such things.

Seeing that the battle was over, Ji Yuan didn't dare to delay. He immediately summoned the Canglan Sword and took down the mature Xuanbing Fire Lotus with one stroke.

He then packed it in a jade box and put it into his storage bag before he felt at ease.

Otherwise, with such a large-scale battle taking place here, it is highly likely to attract the attention of other Core Formation cultivators, which would be a troublesome matter.

In the short time it took to breathe, the Yin Corpse was finally burned to ashes by the demonic fire, and the demonic fire that burned a Core Formation stage Yin Corpse actually grew stronger!

"The Yin Corpse Demon Fire burns Yin Corpses, and it actually strengthens itself? It seems that if it's convenient in the future, I can find more Yin Corpses to cremate, which can also be considered a way to send them to the afterlife."

"Ding-dong—"

After the Yin Corpse Demon Fire burned away, something fell from the Yin Corpse with a crisp sound.

"Huh—"

With a casual gesture, Ji Yuan summoned the object and held it in his hand.

The token was carved into the shape of a skull. Perhaps because it had been burned by the Yin Corpse Demon Fire, it was somewhat cold to the touch, and there was no aura emanating from it.

But Ji Yuan still felt a very familiar feeling from this token.

The source of this feeling... was that Ji Yuan had seen this token before!

He obtained this very token from the old demon who was at the peak of the Core Formation stage when he killed him above the Fallen Immortal Valley.

Even the endless gales above the Fallen Immortal Gully couldn't damage the token.

Later, Ji Yuan learned through the skull ring that the token also came from the Yin Ghost Sect... Finally, he learned from Hu Li that the Yin Ghost Sect originated from the Extreme Abyss Continent.

"Aside from the related spells and the Yin Ghost Flag, which can be passed down through generations and made later, if we only consider external items, I have two skull rings and a skull token."

"Two skull rings, one obtained from Yun Yu Ze and the other from Gui Xun Tang, but the two skull rings eventually merged into one."

"The remaining token is the one I obtained from the Old Demon Crossing the Sea. Now I've acquired a second token. I wonder if these two tokens can be combined into one?"

Ji Yuan was thinking of giving it a try, but it was clearly not appropriate to be here now.

He put away the skull token, and then looked one last time at the remaining root of the Xuanbing Fire Lotus in the cold pool... Given time, this root will surely continue to grow and grow into a second Xuanbing Fire Lotus.

But by then I'll probably be gone, so what's the point of waiting? Am I supposed to leave it to someone else?!

Ji Yuan extended his right hand, and four flying sword embryos appeared from his hand, disappearing into the cold pool.

After a series of sounds of chiseling through the mountain wall, four flying swords brought back the roots of a Xuanbing Fire Lotus with many roots. Ji Yuan then filled a jade basin with some water from the cold pool, and finally added three drops of Ice Soul Dew to the water before packing the jade basin away.

Finally, after checking the cave with his divine sense to make sure there was nothing missing, he casually put away the Yin Ghost Flag and Thousand Soul Banner behind him, and then transformed into a beam of light and left the place.

But just as he emerged from the cave, a sweep of his divine sense revealed two streaks of light rapidly approaching from the north. Before they even got close, a loud shout rang out!

"Who dares to cause trouble in my Tian Sha Mountain!"

Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan's heart stirred.

"Cultivators from Tian Sha Mountain? They're certainly meddling in other people's business. They just want an excuse to brazenly steal treasure!"

"Ha, shameless demonic cultivator!"

Before Ji Yuan could escape, one of the streaks of light suddenly accelerated again, instantly appearing behind him and surrounding him from both sides.

...Isn't this escape technique the same one used by the three Core Formation cultivators from Tian Sha Mountain that I encountered when I first left the Fallen Immortal Valley?

This instantaneous speed-boosting escape technique looks really good. It's extremely useful for both escaping and chasing. I guess I'll have to find an opportunity to get my hands on it.

As the thought flashed through Ji Yuan's mind, he also clearly sensed the auras of the two Core Formation cultivators.

One in front and one behind, both were at the mid-stage of Core Formation.

In this way, dealing with Ji Yuan, a cultivator in the early stage of Core Formation... should be a piece of cake.

"Fellow Daoist, you look unfamiliar; you don't seem to be a cultivator from my Heavenly Fiend Mountain!"

The person directly in front of Ji Yuan said in a deep voice.

The man behind him immediately followed up, saying, "Further words are useless. How dare they cause trouble within the territory of my Heavenly Fiend Mountain! Let's settle this with killing them!"

"Hehe, as expected of a great cultivator from Tian Sha Mountain. I wish our Soul Refining Hall could be so domineering. Those who know, know; those who don't... might think you two are from the Black and White Divine Palace," Ji Yuan said in a hoarse voice.

Upon hearing the name "Soul Refining Hall," the two hesitated.

It goes without saying that Ji Yuan knew that at this moment, the two of them were probably hesitant to act, wondering whether or not to take action.

Before they could make a decision.

Ji Yuan snapped his fingers.

"Snap—"

A green ring of fire suddenly appeared behind him, and a chilling aura descended upon the area once more.

Ji Yuan turned to look at the two of them from both sides and smiled slightly, "Perfect timing. I recently obtained the ancestor's secret technique and accidentally cultivated this Yin Corpse Demon Fire... Why don't we borrow your two hands to test its power?"

"Walk!"

As fellow demonic cultivators, who doesn't know the formidable reputation of the Yin Corpse Demonic Flame?!

With this demonic fire present, not only the two of them, but even a late-stage Core Formation cultivator would probably have to avoid its sharp edge and seek other methods!

There's no way around it, this demonic fire... it's just too ruthless.

"Oh--"

Ji Yuan watched the two streaks of light disappear into the distance and sneered inwardly... What do you mean by Core Formation True Person?

They still bully the weak and fear the strong, and they still call for war and killing.

Ji Yuan put away the Yin Corpse Demon Fire behind him with a thought, and then called out softly.

"Chasing electricity".

As soon as the voice fell, there was a crackling sound, a flash of lightning, and he had vanished without a trace.

They come without a trace and go without a trace.

It's just... a bit too energy-consuming!

Even with Ji Yuan's early-stage Core Formation cultivation power, it was still disappearing at a visible rate...

You power-hungry idiot, don't you know how to use it sparingly!

But the speed was indeed fast. When Ji Yuan put away the Lightning Chasing Cloud and turned it into a wisp of energy to return to his body, he found that he had already arrived at the outer edge of the Heavenly Fiend Mountain Range.

In other words, Qinglu Sanren and Tiefu Xiansheng, who fled first, have not escaped yet!

Ji Yuan first used a magic incantation to disperse the demonic aura on his body, and then circulated his cultivation technique to make himself exude a sharp sword aura, thus providing a second layer of concealment.

He then quickly determined his direction and continued flying eastward.

This time, however, the flight was leisurely, and it also allowed for the restoration of magical power.

After arriving at the location where they had entered the mountain, he stopped and waited there for four or five days before seeing two streaks of light fly out from inside the Tian Sha Mountain Range.

Ji Yuan sensed that his magic power had been fully restored, so he quietly blew away the spirit stone dust around him, and then transformed into a beam of light and flew up, intercepting the two people in mid-air.

"Long...long-lived brothers?"

When Qinglu Sanren saw Ji Yuan, he even stammered a little.

The remaining Mr. Tie Fu immediately spoke up, "Brother Changshou, how come you... are so fast!"

Ji Yuan was keenly aware of the change in their way of addressing each other.

But I didn't say anything, because it's a very normal thing.

So at this moment, he could only manage a forced smile.

"I only managed to escape by using a secret treasure that I had obtained by chance before."

"Have you obtained the Mystic Ice Fire Lotus yet?"

Qinglu Sanren asked thoughtfully.

Ji Yuan sighed, "The fact that the three of us managed to escape is already a huge stroke of luck. We wouldn't dare to hope for the Xuanbing Fire Lotus."

Ji Yuan said this not because he wanted to monopolize the local treasure, but simply because it would be difficult to explain if he said it out loud.

Could it be that I used this secret treasure to retrieve the Mystic Ice Fire Lotus, and then managed to escape unscathed?

A treasure that manages to escape by sheer luck is already considered extremely powerful.

"However, just before I left, I saw two Core Formation cultivators coming from the direction of Tian Sha Mountain. I don't know if they have the strength to deal with that Yin Corpse. If they can, then the Xuanbing Fire Lotus will fall into their hands."

"That's alright."

Qinglu Sanren shook his head, somewhat remorsefully saying, "Actually, this is also my fault. If I had investigated the situation earlier, the three of us wouldn't have fallen into such a trap."

"It's a treasure hunt after all; who can really say for sure about these things?"

Although Mr. Tie Fu almost died at the hands of this Yin Corpse, he didn't blame Qing Lu Sanren much.

This alone is enough to reveal their character.

Ji Yuan muttered to himself... It seems I need to find an opportunity to repay them, otherwise I won't feel at ease holding onto this Xuanbing Fire Lotus.

According to the classification of Earthly Treasures, this Xuanbing Fire Lotus can be considered a mid-grade Earthly Treasure.

As for the ones harvested during the Qi Refining stage, they couldn't even reach the level of Earthly Treasures.

This mid-grade earth treasure is already considered very precious.

They were usually bartered and circulated only among Core Formation cultivators. The few times they appeared at auctions, they were sold for tens of thousands of mid-grade spirit stones.

"Let's go, let's go back first and talk about it later."

Although Qinglu Sanren was curious about what method this fellow Daoist Li Changshou had used when they left, he couldn't ask any further questions since the other party wouldn't tell him.

Just as Mr. Tie Fu said.

If they can stay behind to cover our retreat and rescue us, then they must be on the right path!

After the three returned to Xijing City, Ji Yuan offered to give them spirit stones.

After all, the purpose of this trip was to help Ji Yuan. They didn't get anything, so they couldn't just make a wasted trip, could they?

However, this move was met with their righteous refusal, and the inherently righteous Mr. Tie Fu even felt that Ji Yuan was insulting him.

He said that if it weren't for Ji Yuan holding the rear, he would have lost his life.

Moreover, among the three, Ji Yuan had already suffered the greatest loss, and now he's still accepting spirit stones... Is he even human?!

They can refuse to accept it, but Ji Yuan cannot be left unmentioned.

So after returning to West City, the three of them went their separate ways.

Ji Yuan also returned to his cave dwelling.

Mu Xueyao is not here, and no one knows where she went.

She was originally a rogue cultivator, and in fact, she had been used to going her own way all these years.

It was only after meeting Ji Yuan that the two were able to travel together.

The first thing Ji Yuan did upon returning to his cave was to take out the root of the Xuanbing Fire Lotus and plant it in the spirit field.

They even created a small paddy field just for it.

As for needing a cold pool or something, that's simple.

Ji Yuan released Tuesday and let it live in the paddy field.

If it were to be cultivated for a long time... it would be fine if the [Spirit Field] were taken into the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain. But nowadays people are content with whatever comes their way. Ji Yuan thinks it's better to find a trading fair for Core Formation cultivators and sell it as soon as possible.

After resolving this matter, Ji Yuan went to the meditation room to meditate.

He had just broken through to the Core Formation stage and hadn't even had time to properly nurture his soul and enhance his divine sense.

This is a process that takes time and patience, so you should make good use of the time you have.

After taking his seat, Ji Yuan began to nurture his spiritual consciousness while reviewing the trip.

There's not much to say about the journey itself; none of the three were complete novices, so they concealed their presence the entire way.

The main thing is the experience of fighting that Yin Corpse.

Without a doubt, this Yin Corpse was extremely powerful, and could even be considered the strongest opponent Ji Yuan had ever faced since he began his cultivation.

But it was also a stroke of luck that the Yin Corpse encountered its nemesis, the Yin Corpse Demon Fire.

Without this thing, Ji Yuan felt that it would take a lot of effort to take it down based on his physical strength alone.

"This Yin Corpse, in its lifetime... probably truly possessed the cultivation of the peak of the Core Formation stage. After death, its magical power nourished its body, so even as a Yin Corpse, it still possesses the strength of the late Core Formation stage."

Ji Yuan recalled the specific details of the battle, and there was nothing wrong with that.

They're all seasoned veterans who've fought countless battles; they still have basic combat skills.

In the end, he still suffered from not having a natal magic weapon.

The Lingtai Fangcun Mountain shouldn't be used casually in battle; we need to forge the Canglan Sword as soon as possible.

With this thought in mind, Ji Yuan glanced at the still-warm Xuanbing Fire Lotus in his storage bag, then took out the communication talisman for warming wine, infused it with a trace of spiritual energy, and sent a telepathic inquiry.

But after waiting for a while, he still didn't receive a reply from Wenjiu.

"Um?"

Ji Yuan's subconscious thought was, "Did Wen Jiu go somewhere else?"

After all, as long as one is within the Western City, the golden communication talisman can be used to make contact.

But his second thought was that Wen Jiu had run away with his three magical treasures... But then he dismissed that idea.

I do have the skills to judge people.

Wen Jiu is definitely not that kind of person. If he really is, then find an opportunity to kill him instantly!

Ji Yuan is only at the early stage of Core Formation, but his physique is already comparable to that of a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator.

How could they not kill him while he was still warming the wine?

As Ji Yuan was thinking, another communication talisman in his storage bag trembled slightly.

"Brother Ji, you're back?!"

Ji Yuan infused a wisp of spiritual energy into it, and Mu Xueyao's excited voice rang out in his sea of ​​consciousness.

"Brother Ji, a while ago a man named Wenjiu came looking for you, but you weren't there. He left a jade slip with me and asked me to give it to you."

This statement came out.

Ji Yuan had already transformed into a beam of light and arrived at the entrance of the cave.

Several months had passed, and Mu Xueyao still looked the same. She had used a shape-changing talisman given to her by Ji Yuan, so she looked... dark and thin, and short. Even though she was a cultivator in the early stage of Core Formation, no male cultivator would want to take a second look at her.

"Brother Ji, when did you get back?"

Mu Xueyao excitedly flew in and landed next to Ji Yuan.

"We just arrived, and haven't even sat down yet."

Ji Yuan smiled and asked, "What jade slip did Brother Wen leave for me?"

"oh."

Mu Xueyao rolled her eyes. "Brother Ji doesn't care about me anymore, does he? He doesn't even ask what I've been busy with lately, he only cares about others, hmph!"

Before Ji Yuan could answer, Mu Xueyao quickly added, "But I know that Brother Ji must have something urgent to tell me about this jade slip since he's in such a hurry to look at it, so I told him as soon as I got back!"

After Mu Xueyao finished speaking, she took out a jade slip from her storage bag, held it obediently in her hands, and handed it over with both hands.

This was the first time Ji Yuan had encountered a female cultivator with this kind of personality. She was different from Dong Qian's charm, different from Du Wanyi's gentleness, and even more different from Hua Yaoyue... Wait, why am I thinking about my master and second sister?

"What have you been busy with lately, Miss Mu?"

Ji Yuan took the jade slip and, while invading it with his divine sense, asked a question via telepathy.

The sound of warming wine echoed in his mind.

"Brother Li, I have prepared the Nine Luminaries Stone, but I have received an emergency mission and I need to go out on duty for about half a year. I will contact you after I return in six months."

Half a year...

When was this jade slip given to you?

"About three months ago, what happened?"

"fine."

Ji Yuan put away the jade slip. Three months ago, there were still about three months left. It would only be a blink of an eye. He could afford to wait.

"I've been busy with something big lately."

After seeing that Ji Yuan had finished reading the jade slip, Mu Xueyao began to talk about her own affairs.

"What's the big deal?"

Ji Yuan took out the tea set and began brewing tea under the peach tree nearby.

It was still midsummer when I broke through, but by the time I went out, it was already late autumn, with lonely peach trees and fallen leaves all over the ground.

Ji Yuan waved his hand to brush away the fallen leaves on the table before starting to brew tea.

Mu Xueyao then sat down opposite Ji Yuan, lowered her voice, and whispered:

"I should say, I've discovered something big."

"Speak."

"I've discovered that someone is stealing business from the Black and White Temple."

"Oh?"

Ji Yuan's subconscious reaction was, "Wen Jiu wouldn't be here to deal with this, would he?"

After all, Ji Yuan wouldn't doubt what Mu Xueyao said.

Especially things that have nothing to do with me.

"How so?"

"When I say 'rob,' I mean 'rob' in the literal sense. For example, the business of dealing in demonic beasts in Tian Sha Mountain is originally split 40/40 between Tian Sha Mountain and the Black and White Temple, with the remaining 20/40 going to the independent cultivators in Xijing City. But not long ago, someone robbed a lot of goods from the Black and White Temple, resulting in huge losses."

"Did Tian Sha Mountain dry it?"

Ji Yuan's first thought was this.

Otherwise, within the territory of West City, who would dare to provoke the Black and White Temple?

"No, Tian Sha Mountain was also robbed."

Mu Xueyao shook her head and continued, "I heard that a fourth-tier demon beast appeared in Tian Sha Mountain. They were dissatisfied with the slaughter of their people, so they rose up in rebellion."

"A fourth-tier demonic beast..."

Ji Yuan seemed to be deep in thought.

Once a monster grows to the fourth rank, its thinking becomes essentially no different from that of an ordinary person.

Moreover, undergoing the Transformation Tribulation is a mid-stage fourth-order event, so the fact that a fourth-order early-stage demon beast has grown up in Tian Sha Mountain... probably no one really knows about it for the time being.

"So what did you discover?"

Ji Yuan placed the freshly brewed spiritual tea in front of Mu Xueyao.

"I've noticed a strong demonic aura in the Western Border City lately. I feel like the demon race is really behind this."

When Mu Xueyao said this, she was already speaking through telepathy.

"Is there a strong demonic aura?"

Ji Yuan was just about to ask Mu Xueyao how she discovered this, but before he could ask, Mu Xueyao had already spoken up:

"I suppose this is a talent of us sinners. We are naturally able to sense demonic energy. For example, in your cave, Brother Ji... the demonic energy is very strong."

As Mu Xueyao spoke, she squinted at the depths of the cave and said meaningfully.

Ji Yuan didn't hide anything and said frankly, "I raised a third-tier spirit beast, so it's normal for it to have a strong demonic aura."

"What?! Brother Ji, you even raised a third-tier spirit beast?! How come I never knew?!"

Mu Xueyao was genuinely surprised.

Firstly, she didn't know about this, and secondly, raising a third-tier spirit beast is quite expensive!

Especially since these spirit beasts have to be raised from the first rank to the third rank, the resources consumed are... deadly for a rogue cultivator.

"You're a bit timid, aren't you? I'll show you in a bit and you'll see. But first, tell me what you discovered."

Ji Yuan was quite curious about this matter.

Could it be that the demon race has really attacked the human race?

Otherwise, even the Heavenly Fiend Mountain probably wouldn't dare to take action against the Black and White Temple.

"what?"

"I've finished speaking. The demonic aura in this Western City is very strong. I suspect that a fourth-tier transformed demon has infiltrated and orchestrated the attempt to seize the Black and White Temple."

Mu Xueyao held the teacup with both hands and sipped the tea slowly.

"It's not impossible."

For no apparent reason, Ji Yuan recalled his encounter at Tian Sha Mountain, where the third-tier cold water crocodile that Qinglu Sanren had mentioned had vanished without a trace.

He had initially thought that the cold water crocodile might have been killed by the Yin Corpse, but if it had been killed, there would have been bones left at the scene, right? But at that time, nothing was left at the scene.

Is it possible that it is related to this matter?

"And what about the Zhou family, Brother Ji? When will you contact them?" Mu Xueyao asked.

"Let's wait a while longer, what's wrong?"

Strength can only be improved step by step.

The most dangerous matter is obtaining the Void Stone, so it should naturally be left until last.

Let's focus on improving our skills first.

For example, for now, we should at least forge the first complete Canglan Sword.

Without his natal flying sword, Ji Yuan had no confidence even in a magical duel.

It doesn't feel reassuring.

"Because I was always the one trying to contact them and reach out to them, but recently they contacted me first and asked how many Void Stones I needed. I suspect they either have stock that they're in a hurry to sell, or there's some other problem."

Mu Xueyao guessed.

"The Void Stone is a rare commodity even in the entire Abyss Continent. It's impossible that someone has stock but can't sell it. There's probably some other problem."

Ji Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Then why don't we take this opportunity to contact them and see if we can buy some Void Stones at a lower price!"

Mu Xueyao's eyes lit up.

Admittedly, if that were the case, then now would undoubtedly be a good opportunity, but unfortunately, Ji Yuan does not think so.

"The situation is still unclear. If we make contact rashly, it will be easier to cause problems and may even put us in danger. Let's wait and see. You shouldn't rush to contact them either."

"All right."

Mu Xueyao looked up at Ji Yuan and said, "Brother Ji, I've noticed that you're really reliable in your work."

"If you want to say I'm afraid of death, just say so. There's no need to beat around the bush."

Ji Yuan got up and stretched.

"No, no, it's just that I've noticed your style of doing things is nothing like that of Old Demon Ji, but I feel like someone like you... seems more like an old demon."

Before Ji Yuan could speak again, Mu Xueyao smiled and transformed into a beam of light, disappearing from sight.

She even forgot about her request to see the third-tier demonic beast that Ji Yuan was raising.

After seeing her off, Ji Yuan pondered the matters of the demon race and the Zhou family before finally choosing to return to his cave and continue his secluded cultivation in the meditation room.

This seclusion lasted for a full four months before Ji Yuan received another message from Wen Jiu.

When Ji Yuan emerged from seclusion and they met him at a teahouse in Xijing City, they discovered that this Core Formation cultivator actually looked somewhat tired.

"These are the two Nine Luminaries Stones you requested, Brother Li. They're inside."

Wenjiu handed over a small storage bag.

Ji Yuan took it and saw that it was empty except for two stones.

It is dark in color, but its surface has a metallic sheen.

Ji Yuan could even feel the scorching heat emanating from the Nine Luminaries Stone.

Although Ji Yuan couldn't tell whether it was a Nine Luminaries Stone or not, he could recognize it from the panel.

Because at the very moment he took the storage bag.

The text on the panel flickered slightly.

The words "non-upgradeable" behind the name 【Tiangongfang】 have been changed to "upgradeable".

Become!

My Purple Cloud Stone, my Azure Wave Sword!

Ji Yuan subconsciously took a deep breath, quickly put away the storage bag, and then clasped his hands in a fist salute to Wen Jiu.

"Thank you so much, Brother Wen. I, Li, will remember this great favor."

"It was nothing, Brother Li, you're joking."

He waved his hand dismissively, holding the teacup in both hands as if lost in thought.

As a friend, it would be somewhat inappropriate not to ask a few questions at this time.

"Brother Wen, what trouble have you encountered? If you need my help, please don't hesitate to ask."

Ji Yuan's words seemed to have startled Wen Jiu awake.

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just a little tired from this mission. I'll be fine after a few days of rest."

Wen Jiu was saying that he had been busy sending Ji Yuan Nine Luminaries Stone as soon as he got back.

Ji Yuan could understand what this meant.

"Brother Wen, since you are capable, you will inevitably have to work hard."

"That's not how it works."

Wen Jiu shook his head with a wry smile, then sighed and said with a hint of bitterness, "Brother Li, what do you think of the Black and White Temple?"

"Our number one power on the Abyss Continent, the Black and White Temple, commands respect from all under heaven. There's no doubt about that."

Ji Yuan blurted it out.

In short, praising the Black and White Temple is the most correct thing to do in this Abyss Continent.

"No."

"If it were decades or a hundred years ago, that would certainly have been the case, but now..."

Wen Jiu took a deep breath, and his condition improved somewhat.

"Forget it, it's a rare day off, let's not talk about these unpleasant things. Come on, Brother Li, let's have a drink."

"Come on, drink."

"..."

After the banquet, the two parted ways.

On the way back, Ji Yuan pondered Wen Jiu's words.

"It sounds like there's something wrong with this Black and White Temple too?"

As for what the problem is, there's no need to elaborate; it's simply a matter of decline and the inescapable curse of waning power.

"But that's far from my reach. Our priority right now is to upgrade this [Heavenly Crafting Workshop]."

Thinking of this, Ji Yuan could no longer suppress his thoughts, and even accelerated his escape speed.

Not long after he returned to his cave dwelling, he immediately activated all the formations within it.

Even the Starry Cloud Barrier Array has been activated.

This posture clearly indicates that he is going into seclusion, and even Mu Xueyao would not easily disturb him.

Once everything was ready, Ji Yuan arrived at the [Tian Gong Fang].

5000 mid-grade spirit stones? That's nothing, just a drop in the ocean.

A Xuanbing Fire Lotus—yes, this was obtained by risking one's life, but not one's own; it almost cost the lives of Qinglu Sanren and Tiefu Xiansheng.

A piece of Purple Cloud Stone. I picked up two pieces in Thunderclap Marsh before, so there's no problem taking out another one now.

Two pieces of nine-star gemstones, just received, still warm.

I acquired the Gold-Eating Rat King Whiskers several years ago.

Finally, you need one third-tier demon core. Ji Yuan has 11 of those in his storage bag.

Since water was the most abundant element, he chose a third-tier water-type demon core.

With everything prepared, the next step is naturally to upgrade.

This is also the first upgrade after the merging of "Dan Zhen Fu Qi" (丹阵符器), and after upgrading to level 3, it can also possess the miraculous spiritual effect of "Heavenly Creation".

Ji Yuan was already looking forward to it.

If that's the case, then what are we waiting for?

"Upgrade the buildings!"

As Ji Yuan's thoughts settled, an unusual phenomenon occurred in the [Heavenly Craft Workshop] where he was located.

At first, there were these four walls.

Four types of alchemy arrays and talismans appeared on these four walls. For example, the wall that Ji Yuan was looking at was displaying the "Dao of Alchemy".

Amidst the interplay of light and shadow, he saw an old Taoist priest sitting cross-legged in front of the alchemy furnace, his hands forming hand seals to activate the fire.

Beside them were two fire-wielding boys holding palm-leaf fans, constantly fanning themselves.

The wall on the right manifests the "Way of Weapons". The scene that Ji Yuan sees is a big man holding a large iron hammer, hitting an iron block again and again, with sparks flying everywhere with each hit.

On the left is a long-haired man drawing talismans. He moves his talisman brush very quickly, and talismans are formed rapidly under his hands.

Ji Yuan turned around and looked behind him one last time.

The image that appeared on the wall was of a young man sitting cross-legged on a futon, with four array flags spinning around him and array patterns extending continuously from his feet.

But none of that is the most important thing. The most important thing is that Ji Yuan discovered what happened after he looked at these four images.

He gained many insights into alchemy, arrays, and talismans, which was as if he had increased his experience points in these four skills.

"So, this is the benefit of upgrading the [Heavenly Crafting Workshop]?"

The strange phenomenon lasted for a short while before quietly dissipating.

The four walls returned to normal, but after Ji Yuan activated the building's exterior, he could still see some golden patterns on the walls.

Not much, and it's bland.

It seems the building's grade is insufficient.

If the level increases, the patterns on it will become clearer, and perhaps I can gain some other insights through these patterns.

As for now...

After the building upgrade was completed, Ji Yuan looked around and saw three things appear in the air directly in front of him.

A familiar two-pattern Foundation Establishment Pill, which is no longer of any use to Ji Yuan.

It can only be exchanged for a few spirit stones.

But this is at least produced by a level 3 [Heavenly Crafting Workshop]. I just don't know what the next level 4 [Heavenly Crafting Workshop] will produce.

To the left of the two-pattern Foundation Establishment Pill, a talisman appeared.

With a flick of his right hand, Ji Yuan summoned the talisman into his hand.

The front of the talisman was engraved with the shape of a flying sword, and Ji Yuan's divine sense invaded it.

They quickly learned about the talisman.

Azure Dragon Sword

Cultivation techniques and talismans are somewhat useful for Ji Yuan these days.

Anyway, his spiritual sense is strong enough that he can release it during battles, which is the kind of thing where having more skills is never a bad thing.

The last thing left was the Purple Cloud Stone that Ji Yuan had been longing for.

Looking at the purple stone, and the lightning flashing around it.

With a wave of his hand, the Purple Cloud Stone fell into his hand.

The flashing Purple Heaven Divine Lightning could strike anything, and Ji Yuan couldn't directly use his physical body to take it, so he could only hold it loosely.

Feeling the Purple Cloud Stone in his hand, Ji Yuan suddenly felt that all the effort he had put in during this period of time had been worthwhile.

The effect of the [Heavenly Craft Workshop] is that you can obtain 1 Purple Cloud Stone every month.

According to the information Ji Yuan collected, to forge a flying sword with its own Purple Heaven Divine Thunder, at least three Purple Heaven Stones would be needed to make it powerful.

"If I calculate it, I can forge 4 swords a year. In at most two and a half years, I can forge nine complete Canglan swords. And that's just the mother sword. One mother sword can carry eight child swords. The Canglan Sword Formation, composed of a total of eighty-one Canglan swords, is the strongest killing move of the Canglan Nine Tribulations Sword Manual."

"We can only say that the task ahead is arduous and the road is long!"

Ji Yuan looked at the remaining Purple Cloud Stone in his storage bag, plus the one in his hand. He calculated that he could forge the first Azure Wave Sword in just one month!

Refine!

Train hard!

With this thought in mind, Ji Yuan summoned the control panel again.

He was quite looking forward to the effects of the level 4 [Heavenly Craft Workshop].

(End of this chapter)