I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

"cough!"

"cough!"

Upon hearing Zhou Yuan mention "what happened back then," a barely perceptible hint of embarrassment flashed across the faces of Miao and Gu, the two elders of the Sixth Hall.

Both of them coughed lightly.

They naturally remembered that back then, relying on his status as a Core Formation Elder, he almost forcibly made Zhou Yuan, who was then a "fake Core Formation cultivator," refine pills for them privately. Afterwards, he not only did not give them any compensation, but also did not offer a decent word of thanks. He was simply using his power to oppress them.

In their ingrained belief, Core Formation cultivators are inherently superior.

It is only natural to ask a Foundation Establishment stage (fake Core Formation) alchemist for a "tribute," and I have never felt there was anything wrong with it.

However, today is different.

The Zhou Yuan before them had a calm and composed aura, and his spiritual pressure was contained. He was clearly a Core Formation cultivator on par with them!

Looking back on that "little thing" from back then, it seems a bit embarrassing now.

In an effort to ease tensions and mend any potential misunderstandings, the two did indeed bring gifts for their visit.

Elder Miao smiled and took out a jade box, opening it to reveal a black iron block about the size of an egg, gleaming with a dark metallic luster.

"Master Zhou, this is just a small gift, nothing more. Congratulations on your successful completion of the Golden Core! This is a small piece of 'Iron Essence.' Although it's not much, it's still effective in enhancing the sharpness and toughness of flying swords and other magical artifacts."

This piece of iron essence is worth about six or seven thousand spirit stones, which is considered a moderate gift for a Core Formation cultivator.

Elder Gu quickly took out a brocade box containing a round, azure-blue demon core, radiating pure water attribute energy: "Alchemist Zhou, congratulations! This is the inner core of a level six demon beast, the 'Azure Water Python,' of excellent quality, worth nearly ten thousand spirit stones. Please accept it."

"You two elders are too kind. I am unworthy of such praise."

Zhou Yuan's smile remained unchanged, and he accepted the two congratulatory gifts without hesitation.

This amount of money is nothing to him now, but since the other party has shown goodwill, he doesn't need to offend them.

Seeing that Zhou Yuan accepted the gift, Miao and Gu's expressions softened slightly.

Elder Miao seized the opportunity to speak:

"Master Zhou, to be honest, we have come here not only to offer our congratulations, but also on the behalf of a great figure in the hall."

"Oh? May I ask which senior you are?" Zhou Yuan's heart stirred.

"This is the headquarters of my Six-Hall Alliance, and besides the Hall Master, the most powerful person there is Elder Qi Yuan, whose cultivation has reached the mid-stage of the Core Formation realm!"

Elder Gu picked up the conversation, his tone filled with a mixture of awe and pride, "Elder Qi has heard that Master Zhou's alchemy skills are superb, and that you have now successfully formed your core, and he greatly admires you..."

He specifically instructed the two of us that he would like to invite Master Zhou to accompany us to the headquarters on Dengxing Island, as Elder Qi wishes to meet you in person.

Qi Yuan? Mid-stage Core Formation?

The second most powerful person in the Six-Hall Palace?

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan's brows furrowed slightly, almost imperceptibly.

The original memories were instantly stirred up—decades later, a rebellion would occur within the Six-Linked Palace, and an ambitious subordinate would successfully seize power and become the new palace master.

Afterwards, he led the entire Six Palaces to openly surrender to the Rebel Alliance, which opposed the Star Palace!

Zhou Yuan was almost 100% certain that the Miao and Gu people in front of him had already joined the Reverse Star Alliance's forces in the Six-Linked Palace.

They were so eager to introduce themselves to Elder Qi...

"I'm afraid this Elder Qi is one of the leaders of the Reverse Star Alliance within the Six-Linked Palace! He might even be the 'subordinate' who launched the rebellion and seized the position of Palace Master in the original story!" Alarm bells rang in Zhou Yuan's mind.

"His summons me now must be because he values ​​my recent Core Formation, my unstable foundation, and my clear background. He wants to recruit me into the Reverse Star Alliance to bolster their future plans!"

"This summons is very likely a trap! They'll use diplomacy first, then force. If I'm sensible enough to agree, I'll probably be forced to swear an oath of allegiance to their inner demons, leaving me with no control over my own destiny. If I don't comply... given their mid-stage Core Formation cultivation and the possibility of an ambush, they believe taking down a 'newly promoted Core Formation alchemist' like me will be a piece of cake. To prevent the news from leaking out, they'll definitely have to 'deal with' me!"

"We absolutely must not go!"

Zhou Yuan made a decision in an instant.

Chapter Update Notice: Chapter 135 The Recruitment of the Reverse Star Alliance! Preparing to Run Away!, Read here.

Going there would be like entering a dragon's den or a tiger's lair; the risks would be enormous.

Even if he were to break through the encirclement with his true mid-stage Core Formation cultivation, powerful divine sense, and numerous methods, he would inevitably expose his strength and forge a deadly feud with the Reverse Star Alliance.

The Reverse Star Alliance is backed by a behemoth led by the Righteous Path Myriad Laws Sect and the Six Paths Extreme Saint, the number one figure in the Demonic Path, and has many Nascent Soul cultivators.

Being secretly hunted by such a terrorist organization, he either had to live in hiding and go into hiding, or he would be forced to seek refuge with its mortal enemy, Xinggong.

Whether it's getting caught up in the brutal battle between the Star Palace and the Reverse Star Alliance, or being relentlessly hunted down by the Reverse Star Alliance, neither is something Zhou Yuan wants.

He only wanted to focus on cultivation and pursue immortality, and did not want to get involved in the vortex of these two major forces.

"Master Zhou, what's wrong? Is there some difficulty?"

Zhou Yuan quickly composed himself, his face showing just the right amount of apology and a hint of helplessness: "It's nothing, it's just... a key cultivation technique I've been practicing recently has reached a critical juncture, requiring continuous seclusion and arduous training. I'm afraid I won't be able to travel far for the next few years. At least... it will be another ten years before I have any free time."

He naturally wouldn't refuse directly, as that would be tantamount to a direct slap in the face and could immediately escalate the conflict.

Using the tactic of "delay" and citing the cultivation of martial arts as an excuse to postpone the time to ten years later is currently the safest approach.

Ten years is a long time; too many variables can occur in that time. He has enough time to make arrangements at his own pace, and he might even be able to make the other party temporarily give up the idea or find someone else.

"ten years?"

Elder Miao and Elder Gu exchanged a glance, their brows furrowing slightly, but they seemed to understand.

It is common for cultivators to go into seclusion for several years or even decades. Ten years is indeed not a long time for a Core Formation cultivator.

"Ten years...it's fine."

Elder Miao nodded. "For us cultivators, ten years is but a blink of an eye. Since Master Zhou's cultivation technique has reached a critical moment, we should naturally prioritize cultivation. Then the two of us will return to Dengxing Island to report back. Ten years later, we will come to bother Master Zhou again, and at that time we will go together to pay our respects to Elder Qi."

"Very well, I, Zhou, will certainly welcome you with open arms." Zhou Yuan cupped his hands in a polite manner.

Miao and Gu said no more, exchanged a few more polite words, and then took their leave.

As he watched the two figures disappear into the horizon, Zhou Yuan's smile gradually faded, and his brows furrowed.

He handed the refined pills to Gong Yan, who was waiting nearby, gave her a few brief instructions, and then quickly returned to his cave at Yuqi Peak.

"Brother Zhou, what's wrong? You look like you have something on your mind."

The observant Yuan Yao and Yan Li immediately noticed that Zhou Yuan's expression was unusual and surrounded him with concern.

Looking at the two beautiful women before him who trusted him completely, Zhou Yuan hesitated for a moment and decided to tell them part of the truth:

"It's nothing serious, it's just... we might have to leave Kuixing Island in a while."

"Leave Kuixing Island?"

Both women were taken aback. Yanli couldn't help but ask, "Why? Isn't it fine here? With Island Master Mulong and the others looking after us..."

"Some trouble has come knocking, it's not safe to stay here any longer."

Zhou Yuan did not explain the matter of the Reverse Star Alliance in detail, so as not to cause them unnecessary worry:

"I don't plan to have any further cooperation with the Six-Hall Alliance in the future."

"No matter where you go, Brother Zhou, we sisters will follow you to the death!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Yuan Yao and Yan Li exchanged a glance and spoke in unison.

The two of them had long regarded Zhou Yuan as their only support and refuge.

Zhou Yuan nodded and began to make arrangements:

"I will head to Tianxing City first on business. After I leave, you two should find a suitable time to pack up the things in the cave, and then also set off for Tianxing City to meet me."

He chose Tianxing City as his base because it was the Star Palace's stronghold and the safest place in the Chaotic Star Sea with the strictest order.

All private fights are strictly prohibited within the city.

Even Nascent Soul cultivators dare not openly violate the rules set by the Star Palace.

This city has almost no restrictions on cultivators entering and leaving. Except for paying spirit stones for long-term stays, the Star Palace will generally not interfere as long as they do not cause trouble.