Immortality begins with upgrading buildings

Chapter 353 Rapidly Improving Strength [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

The Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, which was initially a light green, deepened in color as it turned.

Just like when there are more trees on a mountain, it looks greener.

But the immediate change was... it got heavier!

Ji Yuan could clearly feel that Lingtai Fangcun Mountain had become heavier after accommodating these three buildings.

The natal magic weapon, which was originally floating in the air, began to feel a slight downward pull.

For Ji Yuan, it means that while the power of his natal magic weapon has increased, his own strength hasn't, so he finds it difficult to wield it.

That's why there's this heavy feeling.

In terms of the Canglan Sword, Ji Yuan, who could originally only operate one Canglan Sword, was suddenly given nine. As a result, both his divine sense and magical power would be somewhat insufficient, which is why this happened.

"But it shouldn't be that bad. My spiritual sense is almost at the peak of the Golden Core stage. Even if my magical power is not far superior to other cultivators of the same level, it is definitely stronger than that of ordinary early-stage Core Formation cultivators."

"The reason I'm finding it difficult right now is simply because I'm not familiar with it yet."

Ji Yuan thought about it and tried to manipulate the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain to surround himself.

They might suppress or smash.

In less than half an hour, the natal magic weapon, which was not yet familiar to him, was immediately used as if it were his own arm.

The feeling of satisfaction has returned.

So, it's just that it contained three buildings at once, which caused the magic weapon to strengthen too quickly, and it couldn't adapt.

However, judging from the current situation... Ji Yuan is sensing the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

It got hard, and it got bigger.

Of course, if we're talking about changes that are to our liking, we could also say that it's become smaller.

Ji Yuan immediately stepped into the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, and his natal magic treasure turned into a speck of dust, slowly drifting to the ground.

Before the cave, Ji Yuan looked at the small pond in front of him, where the water flowed gently and the sound of the spring was pleasant.

With pebbles forming the bottom, the pond water is crystal clear.

Ji Yuan gently patted his waist, and four streams of light, light blue, fell into the fishpond, transforming into four small dragons about the length of an arm, which rolled around happily in the fishpond.

Ji Yuan initially thought that this "fishpond" was just a small piece of land, or rather, a tiny area.

But once he truly immersed himself in this "fishpond," he discovered that its vastness was far beyond his imagination.

Just like those four ice dragons, Ji Yuan saw them as four tiny dragons, no longer than an arm, inside the cave.

But when he actually came in, he realized that this was not a dragon the length of an arm, but two sea dragons, so large that they could stir up huge waves with a casual movement.

As for the remaining two first-tier ice dragons, they did indeed appear to be about the length of an arm.

"The building looks great; we can raise as many water-type spirit beasts as we want without any problem."

After viewing the fishpond, Ji Yuan arrived at the second level of Lingtai Fangcun Mountain and entered the wine cellar.

As soon as Ji Yuan arrived, he felt what it meant to be in a vast and boundless space.

It stretches as far as the eye can see.

Unfortunately, the wine cellar could only be used to store spirit wine, so Ji Yuan took out all the spirit wine from his storage bag and put it in the wine cellar.

Finally, he arrived at the first level, the "pigsty".

Looking at this equally boundless space, Ji Yuan felt that his breeding business could begin.

Previously, they were unable to care for animals because there were no suitable shelters.

But now... Tu Yue will have to suffer a little longer. The task of raising pigs and feeding chickens every day will probably still fall on her shoulders.

Fortunately, being at the Foundation Establishment stage, handling these matters was simply a matter of making a few more trips back and forth.

"Next, let's go to Winter City and buy more spirit fish, spirit pigs, and spirit chickens. We'll put them all into the Spirit Platform Square Inch Mountain. Advancement doesn't matter, since the building can accommodate everything."

With these three buildings at his disposal, plus the [Spirit Vein] in hand, Ji Yuan could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

No matter where the cave dwelling is located or how many protective formations it has, it is far less secure than having one carried with you.

"Once this is over, I'll have to figure out how to make money."

"Relying solely on the [Spirit Vein] is definitely not enough. It produces over 36000 mid-grade spirit stones a year, which seems like a lot, but it can only buy three catties of Void Stones, not even enough to house a single building."

"How can we get so many spirit stones?"

After much deliberation, Ji Yuan realized he had no choice but to return to his old profession.

The four elements of alchemy, array, talisman, and artifact are all indispensable.

Moreover, now that my cultivation has advanced to the Golden Core stage, I really need to find a way to upgrade my skills in alchemy, array formation, talisman, and artifact to the third tier as soon as possible.

Take this Level 2 [Psionic Cannon] for example. To advance it to Level 3 [Meteor Cannon], one of the important conditions is to become a Level 3 Array Master and a Level 3 Weapon Refiner.

Therefore, from any perspective, these four skills deserve improvement.

The same applies to alchemy.

After the Nascent Soul stage, one still needs to refine the Profound Infant Pill. If one's alchemy skills are insufficient, even obtaining the pill formula will be useless.

Next comes slaying the demons.

This has to be a way to make money quickly. Although it's dangerous, it's necessary for Ji Yuan now that he has reached the Core Formation stage.

He is currently experiencing a period of rapid improvement in his abilities, so he needs to constantly adapt and adjust to his new strengths.

Otherwise, even if you improve your skills, you won't be able to utilize them effectively, which will also cause you trouble.

Therefore, killing demons is the fastest way to adapt to one's strength. It involves life-or-death battles, and after killing demons, one can obtain demon cores and various resources to sell for money.

This can be considered killing two birds with one stone.

Killing someone... could be a solution, but it can only be done incidentally. If someone is blind, killing them is fine. But if you keep looking for someone to kill, wouldn't you just become a pure cultivator of tribulation?

Ji Yuan is not capable of doing this.

Having made his decision, Ji Yuan didn't linger in the temporary cave dwelling. Instead, he went straight back to his own cave and began his money-making career.

And that's good too. It allows us to hone our skills for a few years and wait for the Purple Cloud Stone, so that we can complete the forging of these nine Azure Wave Swords as soon as possible.

"..."

Winterhold, an unknown mansion.

After Zhou Jin transformed into a beam of light and arrived at this place, he met an elderly man wearing a black overcoat.

"father."

Zhou Jin looked at the old man with his back to her, took a step forward, and called out softly.

"Um."

Zhou Xinghu turned around, his old eyes drooping. He glanced at Zhou Jin first, then activated the restrictions on the place. As a gray light enveloped the room, he sat down.

"You did a good job on this. Are you sure that person is clean?"

"Absolutely clean."

Zhou Jin said confidently, "We had been in contact with these people in Xijing City for several years before we dared to trade with them. Otherwise, how could I have dared to trade such a large quantity at once?"

"Um."

Zhou Xinghu nodded slightly, his right hand lightly tapping the armrest of the chair, and slowly said:

"Now, the sect is pressing us harder and harder, and they even want to give up our share of the profits on Zhusha Island."

"Damn it! He's just trying to wipe us out!"

Zhou Jin cursed under her breath.

"You only realize it now? It was already the day he took power. He held the reins of the sect, and no one dared to oppose him. The entire sect's resources were used to support his and his wife's cultivation. Aren't we, the families that have lost power, exactly the kind of people they want to devour?"

Zhou Xinghu said expressionlessly.

"But if it weren't for our Zhou family, without our ancestor, where would the Bone Nightmare Sect come from? How could they be so cruel as to discard us after we've served our purpose!"

Zhou Jin still couldn't accept this.

Zhou Xinghu glanced at his only son and sighed heavily.

"Isn't this how the world has always been? If you can bring benefits to others, you're like a father, but once the benefits are gone, even if you're someone's son, they'll still despise you for being ugly."

Zhou Jin fell silent. He felt that his father was scolding him, but he had no evidence.

So after a moment of silence, he changed the subject.

"Father, what about the Black and White Temple... what did they say?"

This was something the Zhou family had decided on long ago.

Since the Bone Nightmare Sect can't accommodate the Zhou family, then if they won't stay here, there are plenty of other places that will.

And the best place for this is naturally the Black and White Temple.

Otherwise, if he went out and started his own business, he might not even know how he died.

Only the Black and White Temple can protect these old-established Nascent Soul families.

Speaking of this, Zhou Xinghu's eyes grew increasingly gloomy. "It's difficult. They want to take 80% of us right off the bat, and they won't even let us bargain."

"Eighty percent? What's the difference between that and outright robbery!"

Zhou Jin spread her hands, almost cursing out loud.

"How did it go with your contact with Tian Sha Mountain?" Zhou Xinghu asked.

Speaking of this, Zhou Jin's face also turned ugly.

"When I was in Xijing City, I saw Ma Gui. He was involved with the cultivators of Tian Sha Mountain. After I saw this, I cut off all my informants and stopped contacting him."

"That ghost? It's truly relentless!"

Zhou Xinghu slammed his hand on the chair as he spoke, but for the Zhou family now, all they could do was rage in vain.

So the father and son, both with somber expressions, remained silent for a long time. Finally, Zhou Xinghu sighed deeply:

"Could it be that Heaven is truly determined to destroy the Zhou family?!"

"..."

"Father, I think that Li Changgeng, who I've been in contact with, is probably one of the Eight Sacred Lands behind me. I suspect he's a cultivator from Tiangong Valley. Should I try to make contact with him?" Zhou Jin suggested.

Zhou Xinghu raised his head and said softly, "You mean, join the righteous path?"

"What kind of world is this? Everyone's looking out for themselves! What's the difference between good and evil now!"

Zhou Jin spoke these words very quickly, and was quite excited.

"No, what I mean is, if it really is those old fogies from Tiangong Valley, I'm afraid they won't accept us."

Zhou Xinghu shook his head, but then nodded.

"Let's give it a try. Anyway, the sect is pressuring us so hard, so it's best to get rid of everything we have."

"Well, I'll try to contact Li Changgeng in the meantime and see if I can get any news."

"..."

Six months have passed in the blink of an eye.

In the past six months, Ji Yuan first forged the Flowing Firefly Sword, and then participated in two auctions, from which he acquired two third-tier pill formulas.

There is a pill called "Exorcism Pill". If you are affected by some evil tricks of demonic cultivators, taking this Exorcism Pill can have an excellent effect.

The other one is called "Benefiting the Spirit Pill," which has a much more powerful effect.

Long-term use can slowly nourish a cultivator's soul.

Once the soul becomes strong, the consciousness will also become strong. Moreover, if one encounters any trouble, having a strong soul will bring much peace of mind.

In addition, Ji Yuan also happened to encounter someone auctioning dragon blood stone.

Three pieces, the auction price is not low.

In the end, Ji Yuan still exhausted all his resources to acquire it, because this thing was the best material for forging the Dragon Fortune Flying Sword.

There's nothing we can do if we haven't met them.

If I encounter it, I definitely have to win it over.

As for third-tier talismans, Ji Yuan had already acquired several while he was still on the Canglu Continent, so there was no need to buy more.

The remaining three-tier formations... these are the most difficult.

Even with the assistance of the Enlightenment Chamber, Ji Yuan still found it extremely difficult to break through, mainly because the level of the Enlightenment Chamber was too low.

As for killing demons, Ji Yuan hasn't rushed to take action yet. The past six months have mainly been spent laying the groundwork for making money, and he needs to open up the market in Winter City first.

Regarding elixirs, Ji Yuan specifically changed his identity and named himself "Huang Yaoshi".

Unexpectedly, among the many pills that Ji Yuan refined, the best-selling one was not the Divine Enhancement Pill that he had painstakingly crafted.

Instead, they were some other low-level pills.

One type is called "Qingtian Dan" and the other is called "Sishui Dan".

Male-specific Qingtian Dan (a traditional Chinese medicine).

Women's Water-like Elixir.

These were all effective remedies that Ji Yuan had learned from the Joyful Palace when he was on the Canglu Continent.

Although Winter City is known as the Demon City, the nearby Bone Nightmare Sect and Soul Refining Hall are also renowned holy sites of the demonic path.

However, the Bone Nightmare Sect excels in both nightmares and bone cultivation.

The Soul Refining Hall specializes in targeting the souls of cultivators, as well as various demonic methods.

In terms of research on the path of joy, it is indeed inferior to that of the Palace of Joy.

Therefore, there is not much research on this kind of elixir suitable for dual cultivation.

In this way, Jiyuan's market can be considered to have been completely opened up.

At first, he was unaware of the situation and treated the pills as ordinary first or second-tier pills, so he sold a batch of them at a low price.

But when he realized what was happening, he immediately used the scarcity of raw materials as an excuse to reduce production.

This forced prices to rise sharply.

The market exists, but it's a market monopolized by Ji Yuan, so naturally, the amount of spirit stones earned is also greater.

They even quickly made a name for themselves.

All the Core Formation cultivators in the entire Winter City knew that a new third-tier alchemist had emerged, named "Huang Yaoshi." Of course, everyone preferred to call him... the Dual Cultivation Alchemist.

For example, when Ji Yuan went to the trade fair several times afterward, as soon as he arrived, those demonic cultivators hurriedly gave up their seats and said with a smile, "Welcome, dual cultivation pharmacist."

Ji Yuanqi first disliked this title.

But later, after discovering that their enthusiasm for the "Sky-Supporting Pill" was too high (they were giving it too much), they just let them be.

As long as you give enough, don't even mention calling yourself a dual-cultivation pharmacist.

Even if it meant accompanying them in dual cultivation... that's still not acceptable; there must be a bottom line.

As for whether other third-tier alchemists could possibly analyze the formulas for the "Sky-Supporting Pill" and the "Water-like Pill," that is indeed possible.

Because some high-level alchemists can deduce the formula by dissecting the pill.

But Ji Yuan wasn't flustered, because although most of the ingredients for his two kinds of pills were bought in Winter City, a few key ones were brought from the Canglu Continent.

He even went so far as to search for these few medicinal herbs, but they were nowhere to be found in the entire Abyss Continent.

So it's very safe, and there's absolutely no need to worry about losing market share.

In addition, Ji Yuan also used the [Tian Gong Fang] to draw many third-tier talismans, which he sold. For this purpose, he created a new alias for himself, named "Golden Talisman Master".

As for weapon crafting, Ji Yuan had tried it, but it was too time-consuming.

Moreover, most of what he crafted were swords, all for the purpose of upgrading the [Sword Pavilion], so he did not gain much benefit from weapon crafting.

As for formations, Ji Yuan hasn't even crossed the threshold of the third tier.

Even the Yin Ghost Flag is still being nurtured in the [Mass Burial Mound], waiting for the right time to see if it can help the two Yin Ghosts break through to the Core Formation stage, thus enriching the formation and making it a third-tier formation.

While I can't handle the third-tier formation yet, the second-tier formation is still worth a lot of spirit stones.

A complete second-tier formation is worth at least one or two thousand mid-grade spirit stones.

Ji Yuan made no attempt to hide his identity as an array master, as he wanted to use this identity to make connections with Huang Hun of the Soul Refining Hall and see if he could obtain some Soul-Eating Ghost Willow or something similar.

During the past six months, Ji Yuan has been tinkering with the four arts of alchemy, array, talisman, and artifact.

He hasn't yet taken any action regarding going out to sea to kill demons.

However, he also used his identity as a dual-cultivation pharmacist to find out that the main place for killing demons in Winter City was in a huge bay called "Yazhou Bay" to the east of Winter City.

That bay connects to the mouth of the Beijiang River, and is rich in food, hence it is also teeming with monsters.

It is the first place for cultivators in Winter City to kill demons.

Otherwise, you can only go to the North Sea or the Northwest Sand Prison, but the monsters in those two places are not as dense.

Besides that, there are these demon-hunting cultivators... Ji Yuan has heard quite a bit about them.

Those who can make a great name for themselves by hunting demons are all people who are extremely skilled in killing and their strength is among the top in their level.

For example, the woman in black carrying a golden bow who lives in the cave next to Ji Yuan.

His name is Xing Shuang, and he is in the mid-stage of Core Formation. However, with his superb archery skills, he has even hunted down late-stage third-tier demon beasts, making him quite famous among the demon-hunting cultivators in Winter City.

Some cultivators would ask her for help when they encountered monsters they couldn't handle.

During the past six months, although Xing Shuang had been staying in Winter City, Ji Yuan had not had much contact with her. They only knew each other's names and were just nodding acquaintances.

Six months later, another six months passed.

Normally, a spiritual vein produces only about 30,000 mid-grade spirit stones a year, but this year, Ji Yuan managed to produce 100,000.

Only those who have endured the hardships know the extent of their suffering.

But there were some effects. Not only did the skills of alchemy, array formation, talisman, and artifact improve, but four flying swords were also forged as a result.

The remaining four will have to wait until next year to continue.

Just when he had finally saved up 10 mid-grade spirit stones, he received a message from Zhou Jin for the first time, which surprised Ji Yuan.

Zhou Jin's message was simple: she gave him an address and asked if he had time to come over for a visit.

Ji Yuan wasn't worried about the other party making a move in Winter City, but he also didn't want to be taken advantage of. So he agreed to the matter, but rescheduled the meeting place.

Zhou Jin readily agreed.

is the day.

In the heart of Winterfell, not far from the Black and White Temple, Ji Yuan met Zhou Jin, the young master of the Zhou family, at a restaurant.

"Speak, what is it? As for the Void Stones, let's talk about them next year. We haven't finished using the ones we got last year."

Ji Yuan went straight to the point.

Of course, the main reason is that he can only buy 10 jin of Void Stones right now.

These 10 jin of Void Stones... can only be used to house the [Kitchen].

Void Stones are precious, and Ji Yuan doesn't want to waste them on a trivial building like the [Kitchen].

"Oh, that's alright. I invited you out today to discuss other matters."

Zhou Jinqiang laughed.

"Other things? What else do we have to talk about?"

Ji Yuan asked without any politeness.

Zhou Jin was truly overwhelmed by his overtly aggressive words.

So after forcing a few smiles without success, he simply gave up.

The truth has come out.

"I wonder which of the Eight Sacred Lands you're from?"

"What? Do I need to investigate the background of a Void Stone to buy it? Why don't you tell me where this Void Stone came from, Young Master Zhou?"

Ji Yuan grinned maliciously.

Duan perfectly portrayed a domineering and unreasonable demonic cultivator.

That's not what I meant.

Zhou Jin twitched the corner of his mouth and quickly continued, "I'm sure you've heard about the current situation of our Zhou family, so I won't go into details. I just want to ask if the sacred land behind you has any designs on our Zhou family?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan's disdain and mockery subsided somewhat.

Indeed, during his year in Winterhold...

He made some cronies who wanted the Sky-Supporting Pill, and from them he earned a lot of spirit stones and also got a lot of information.

Among them, the Zhou family... was a family that Ji Yuan had been particularly curious about, so he did know a little about them.

The Zhou family were founding members of the Bone Nightmare Sect, but unfortunately, since then, the Zhou family has never produced a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Gradually, the Zhou family was devoured by emerging forces within the Bone Nightmare Sect, and they themselves had no way to deal with it.

Over time, this has led to the current situation.

So as soon as Zhou Jin opened his mouth, Ji Yuan knew what he meant: he wanted to change allegiance and seek refuge elsewhere.

If Ke Jiyuan truly has such a relationship, then a simple introduction would suffice.

But he was just a rogue cultivator, so he was about to refuse when he heard Zhou Jin say:

"If you're willing to help with this, from now on, every ten catties of Void Stone will be worth ninety thousand coins. How about it?"

As Zhou Jin spoke, she rubbed her fingers together and instantly gave up 10,000 in profit.

Originally, ten catties of Void Stones would have cost 100,000 spirit stones, but now they only cost 90,000.

What should we do with the extra 10,000 spirit stones?

Naturally, it would end up in Ji Yuan's pocket, the middleman. Of course, this was Zhou Jin's idea.

These words silenced Ji Yuan, who was about to speak.

If that's the case, the benefits will be enormous. Ji Yuan needs a large amount of Void Stones, and if they can all be obtained from the Zhou family, it could save tens of thousands of mid-grade spirit stones.

Such a large deal...

"This... is a bit of a dilemma." Ji Yuan frowned and said in a deep voice, "You must know better than anyone else the current situation of your Zhou family. If things go wrong, it will damage our relationship with the Bone Nightmare Sect."

"How about this, ten catties for eighty-five thousand!"

Zhou Jin gritted his teeth and said, "This is the Zhou family's bottom line. If you are truly willing to help, we will reward you handsomely after it's done!"

"Alright! I'll go back to the sect in a bit to discuss it with the sect leader, and also try to make some connections with the other elders. But if it works out, what about the Zhou family..."

Ji Yuan didn't explain it very clearly.

"Don't worry, we definitely won't skimp on things that shouldn't be skimped on."

"Alright, then let's start with ten catties of Void Stones. I'll take them back with me so I can report back."

As Ji Yuan spoke, he took out a storage bag.

In the process, he not only gained ten catties of Void Stones, but also had 15000 mid-grade spirit stones left.

How can this business not be done?

As for the future, we'll just drag it out. We'll get as many Void Stones as we can first.

In fact, Ji Yuan had an even bolder idea: to find an opportunity to kill Zhou Jin and see how many Void Stones he actually possessed.

Unfortunately, if that's the case, it would be a one-off deal.

After the deal was made, Ji Yuan didn't stay any longer and left immediately.

After arriving in the north of the city from the city center and changing his identity, he swaggered back to his own cave dwelling.

Perfect timing! I can use this opportunity to get rid of the Zhou family. After accumulating more spirit stones next year, I can trade with them again and see if I can get more Void Stones to accommodate more buildings.

is the day.

About half a month after meeting Zhou Jin, Ji Yuan, who was refining a batch of Water-like Pills in the [Heavenly Craft Workshop], suddenly discovered that someone was loitering outside his cave.

He knew who it was with just a little perception.

It was his neighbor, Xing Shuang.

"What does she want from me?"

Ji Yuan frowned slightly, recalling what had happened between the two of them... Nothing had happened, they hadn't even exchanged communication talismans, they had only exchanged names.

After thinking it over, Ji Yuan decided to let her in.

If they don't even let you in through the door, it will only arouse more suspicion.

After a while.

Inside Ji Yuan's cave, after exchanging greetings, Xing Shuang, whose face was covered by a half-mask, went straight to the point:

"It's like this, I've heard that Fellow Daoist Chang Geng has quite a bit of knowledge about formations. I'm currently facing a rather tricky problem, and I wonder if you would be willing to lend a hand?"

"A formation?"

Ji Yuan's first reaction was not whether or not to help, but to wonder who had leaked the news that he was a formation cultivator, so that Xing Shuang knew about it.

"Exactly..."

Xing Shuang was clearly a smart woman, and immediately saw through Ji Yuan's worries, so she smiled and explained:

"That's right. I find the array formation in your cave dwelling quite ingenious, which is why I made this guess."

"I see."

Ji Yuan seemed to breathe a sigh of relief before speaking again, "I wonder how I can help you, my friend?"

If it were necessary to go out, Ji Yuan would definitely refuse immediately.

"I have already imprinted that array diagram, and I brought it with me this time. Please take a look, fellow Daoist."

After Xing Shuang finished speaking, she took out a large piece of parchment from her storage bag and spread it out on the stone table between the two of them. It was covered with many array patterns.

Ji Yuan scanned the area with his divine sense and immediately understood the general situation.

"This is...an illusion array?"

"Indeed, fellow Daoist is truly remarkable."

Xing Shuang first praised him, then tentatively asked, "Would you have time to come with me to take a look?"

Ji Yuan looked up and glanced at her.

The latter crossed his hands in front of him and smiled slightly: "The secret realm guarantees at least the death cave of a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator. As for people, I already have three mid-Core Formation cultivators on my side. I am good at killing, and there are others who are good at defense and close combat. Currently, the only thing missing is a formation master. If you are willing to go, we can discuss the rewards in detail."

It's perfectly normal for cultivators to team up to explore secret realms, especially those at the Core Formation stage or higher...

After all, once you reach the Core Formation stage, further advancement in cultivation is not as straightforward as during the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages, where you can simply meditate, go into seclusion, and take a pill to achieve a breakthrough.

After reaching the Core Formation stage, how easy is it to break through to the next level without some fortuitous opportunity?

Therefore, exploring secret realms and teaming up to seize treasures are quite normal things.

Ji Yuan neither agreed nor refused immediately.

Instead, he got up and paced around the cave several times before finally turning around with his hands behind his back and saying, "With Fellow Daoist Xing's connections in Winter City, surely you can find at least one array master? Why would you need to come looking for a newcomer like me?"

Xing Shuang seemed to have anticipated this question, so she stood up, smiled, and then looked around the cave before saying:

"I used to have a friend who was an expert in array formations."

Ji Yuan understood immediately upon hearing this.

It's most likely the cultivator who used to live in this cave. I remember Xing Shuang asked about it when she came back.

Looking back now, it's likely that she already had some ideas at the time?

So after much deliberation, Ji Yuan finally made up his mind and said, "Let's skip the matter of exploring the secret realm. I just broke through to the next realm and haven't even refined my natal magic weapon yet, so I won't burden Fellow Daoist Xing."

"As for this formation, I can only say that I will do my best. If I have any further ideas, I will come to you again."

Ji Yuan bowed to her as he spoke.

That was a tactful solution.

Xing Shuang didn't say much, just thanked him, and then wanted to pay some spirit stones in advance, but Ji Yuan refused.

It just so happens that he had some things he wanted to ask Xing Shuang.

If everything is settled with spirit stones, what's the point of these social interactions?

Xing Shuang left, and Ji Yuan returned to the Enlightenment Chamber with these array patterns.

He had already realized that this was only a third-order illusion array. If he could comprehend it, it would greatly enhance his mastery of array formations.

So, in the following period of time, in addition to refining pills and drawing talismans, Ji Yuan also had the task of studying this formation.

Relying on his exceptional talent, and with some help from the Enlightenment Chamber, Ji Yuan finally comprehended the illusion array a month later.

Without delay, he immediately sent a message to Xing Shuang.

The latter happened to be in the cave as well, and after only a short while, she hurried over. She looked as if she had just finished bathing, and her body carried a fragrance that she hadn't had before.

But Ji Yuan's current appearance is that of an old man, so it's best not to look at him too much, lest it arouse suspicion.

"The illusion array that Fellow Daoist Xing encountered should be a sandstorm array. It appears to be a way out everywhere, but in reality, no matter where you go, it is a dead end."

Ji Yuan pondered for a moment.

"Yes, yes, yes."

Xing Shuang nodded hurriedly, "That's how it is... To be honest, the secret realm I discovered is located in the Northwest Sand Prison. When I went in last time, I didn't even realize that I had entered an illusion, which is why I was trapped there for several years."

The Northwest Sand Prison is already filled with yellow sand, and if you enter this illusion array, unless you are skilled in array formations, you probably won't be able to find out what's going on for a while.

And since the Northwest Sand Prison was vast and boundless, Xing Shuang wasn't worried that revealing it would expose anything.

"That is indeed a difficult situation."

Ji Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking.

"May I ask, fellow Daoist, is there any solution?"

Xing Shuang asked thoughtfully.

"Fellow Daoist has come seeking me; presumably, you have nothing left to ward off illusions."

Ji Yuan stood up, put his hands behind his back, and slowly paced around.

"No, treasures that can resist illusions are too precious. They are usually only found in the Eight Sacred Lands. It's too difficult for us rogue cultivators to possess such items."

Xing Shuang shook her head.

"In that case, Fellow Daoist Xing, the next time you enter this formation, head straight for the northwest. No matter what's in the northwest, just go forward without hesitation."

After Ji Yuan finished speaking, Xing Shuang was about to speak, but he interrupted first, saying, "The directions are usually reversed in the illusion, so you'll need to find something to orient yourself within the illusion. As for the northwest direction... I'm 90% sure!"

Xing Shuang thought for a moment, then had an idea in mind and immediately nodded:

"Alright, then I thank Fellow Daoist Chang Geng for this matter."

As she spoke, she stood up, took out a storage bag, and handed it over with both hands.

Before she could speak, Ji Yuan waved his hand in refusal.

"If you think it's not enough, you can make more after I leave this secret realm."

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant. I just have a few things I'd like to ask Fellow Daoist Xing about."

Ji Yuan smiled sheepishly.

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this explanation, Xing Shuang glanced down at the storage bag in her hand, but didn't rush to put it away. Instead, she asked, "What does Fellow Daoist Chang Geng wish to ask?"

Ji Yuan hesitated for a moment before smiling sheepishly.

"I have only recently formed my core, and the process has already consumed too many resources. In addition, I am now working on refining my natal magic weapon. I am not only running around frantically, but I have also incurred a lot of debt."

"So I'm thinking that after I refine my natal magic weapon, I'll go to Yazhou Bay to train and set up some formations to see if I can kill a few third-tier demonic beasts."

"However, I am not very familiar with that area. I have heard that Fellow Daoist Xing is unparalleled in killing and often goes to Yazhou Bay to hunt demons. Therefore, I would like to ask him for some advice. I hope that Fellow Daoist will not hesitate to teach me."

After Ji Yuan finished speaking, he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards her.

Xing Shuang returned the greeting, then put away the storage bag in her hand with relief. She then smiled and said, "Since that's the case, please rest assured, Fellow Daoist Chang Geng. I may not be very familiar with other places, but I am quite familiar with Yazhou Bay."

After she finished speaking, she took out a nautical chart from her storage bag and spread it out again on the stone table.

"Fellow Daoist, look, this is Yazhou Bay..."

"..."

For the next half day, Xing Shuang gave Ji Yuan a detailed introduction to the situation of Yazhou Bay.

She even told us in detail which sea area had peak third-tier demonic beasts, which island was suitable for setting up formations, and which islands were often used to encounter lone third-tier sea beasts.

After he finished speaking, he presented the nautical chart to Ji Yuan.

This nautical chart was clearly discovered and drawn by Xing Shuang herself, so the reward... is actually quite substantial.

Ji Yuan couldn't refuse, so he had no choice but to accept it.

"If Brother Chang Geng is worried, you can wait until I come out of this secret realm. I will personally take you to familiarize yourself with it, and then you can act on your own."

Xing Shuang is quite righteous.

Ji Yuan readily accepted this kind offer with a smile.

After saying goodbye to her neighbor, she waited less than a month before bidding farewell to Ji Yuan and setting off with several friends to explore the secret realm.

Ji Yuan, on the other hand, resumed his career of alchemy, talisman drawing, and sword forging.

Another six months later.

After Ji Yuan had forged six Canglan swords, he finally chose to go to sea and head to Yazhou Bay to adapt to his rapidly improving strength.

Or rather, he began his monster-hunting career.

However, while hunting demons sounds simple, it is actually extremely difficult.

Especially these third-tier demonic beasts, which already possess some intelligence, are extremely cunning. Finding a lone third-tier demonic beast and luring it into the formation is even more difficult.

Since Ji Yuan didn't have anything to lure the monsters, he decided to go all the way and simply abandon the formation.

They immediately took two Tier 3 Frost Dragons and began a frenzied hunt in Yazhou Bay.

The two Frost Dragons were mainly there to cover the formation and prevent the monsters from escaping. This time, Ji Yuan completely abandoned other methods, such as body cultivation, spirit-devouring bees, and corpse puppets.

He relied entirely on the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain in his left hand and the Canglan Sword in his right.

They killed demons along the way.

The early stages of Tier 3 are manageable, the middle stages are manageable, and the late stages are when you have to start running for your life.

If it were a peak third-tier opponent, Ji Yuan wouldn't even dare to get close.

After all, he had already reached the peak of the third tier. If he could just step on a little more, he would become a legendary fourth-tier great demon.

Killing demons is fun for a while, and killing demons all the time is even more fun.

The key point is that whenever Ji Yuan finally adapts to his new strength, he often forges the next Canglan Sword.

Although with his current level of magical power, he can only control three Canglan swords at the same time.

But once the rest are refined, you still need to familiarize yourself with them.

The nine Canglan swords each have a different function and are suitable for different situations.

The Canglan Sword is the main sword, no question about it. No matter how it's fused, you still need the main sword in your hand.

The Dragon Fortune Flying Sword is best suited for slaying demons, as it has a natural restraining effect on monsters.

The Cloud Sword and the Flowing Firefly Sword are suitable to be used together. The misty illusion they create can trap monsters, and that's when you can set up an array.

The Blood Slaughter Sword is all about killing. Once this flying sword is used, it basically means that the upper hand has been gained and the forceful suppression has begun.

The Flame Sword is not suitable for water.

The Thunderstrike Sword is unparalleled.

The Giant Sword transforms the user into a massive sword, making them invincible and incredibly powerful.

The last sword, Evergreen, was kept around him, ready to heal at any time.

So it was three years later before all nine flying swords were finished being forged and thoroughly familiarized with.

During these three years, Ji Yuan did nothing but refine and practice swordsmanship.

All the profits from killing demons and refining pills were traded with the Zhou family.

During this time, Zhou Jin inevitably questioned him, and Ji Yuan had no choice but to reveal his true identity.

Coming from Tiangong Valley, he reported the matter to the Zhou family. The sect is currently discussing it, with many elders holding different opinions. In the end, they had no choice but to leave it to the Supreme Elder to decide.

The Supreme Elders are naturally those Nascent Soul stage monsters.

Unfortunately, the Supreme Elder had gone into seclusion, and the disciples dared not disturb him.

So we can only wait.

We may have to wait, but the business still needs to be done, right?

Over the course of those three years, Ji Yuan successively fused 30 jin of [Mass Burial Ground] and 20 jin of [Honeycomb].

The remaining construction work is still underway.

After merging these two buildings, Ji Yuan found it quite difficult to control Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

To continue the fusion, they will most likely have to wait for a breakthrough in their cultivation level.

Although the buildings can no longer be integrated, the Void Stone cannot be stopped.

So, on an ordinary afternoon, Ji Yuan, having collected 100,000 spirit stones, met with Zhou Jin again.

But it was during this meeting that Ji Yuan discovered that this Young Master Zhou... seemed a little different.

(End of this chapter)