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

Zhou Yuan returned to his cave.

"Zhou Lang, why are you back so soon? Did you find anything?" Yuan Yao came forward to greet him and asked with concern when she saw that he looked strange.

"The Wonderful Sound Sect has indeed obtained the Spirit Bamboo."

Zhou Yuan sat down on the stone bench, picked up the spirit tea and took a sip. "However, that spirit bamboo has now been stolen by a group of cultivators. They asked me to help them take revenge, but I refused."

"You refused?"

Yuan Yao was slightly taken aback, then nodded and said, "Cultivators each sweep the snow from their own doorstep..."

It's best to avoid getting involved in such fighting. Zhou Yu did the right thing.

Zhou Yuan nodded, offering no further explanation.

He sat there, sipping his tea, his mind racing with thoughts.

Thunder Bamboo...

If you miss it, who knows when you'll be able to find a rooted Thunder Bamboo again.

But if you get involved.

However, it would inevitably expose their identities.

A moment later, he suddenly put down his teacup and stood up.

"Yao-mei, I'm going out for a bit."

"Going out again?" Yuan Yao was a little surprised, but didn't ask any further questions. "Come back soon."

Zhou Yuan nodded and hurriedly left the cave.

He flew down to the forty-sixth floor, to the cave he had been away from for so long.

Golden House Cave.

Standing in front of the cave entrance, Zhou Yuan raised his hand and sent out a sound transmission talisman.

A moment later, the stone door slid open silently.

A beautiful figure appeared at the door; it was Fan Jingmei!

She was dressed in a red palace gown today, which made her skin appear even whiter, making her radiant and beautiful, exuding a unique charm characteristic of Chengzi. Upon seeing Zhou Yuan, her eyes flashed with barely suppressed joy, and she immediately knelt to greet him:

"Master! You...you finally remember me!"

She knelt on the ground, her beautiful waistline perfectly displayed, just like it was back then.

Zhou Yuan stepped forward, reached out and pinched her chin, examining her beautiful face.

More than a decade has passed since they last met. Fan Jingmei's cultivation has reached the peak of the late Foundation Establishment stage, just one step away from forming the Core.

But where would she, a maid who was "bought," get the materials to form a Golden Core?

Zhou Yuan put his arm around her waist and led her into the cave.

Fan Jingmei undressed him and made him tea, then obediently sat on his lap, nestled in his arms. Zhou Yuan smelled her familiar fragrance, and a long-lost passion welled up in his heart.

That night, he pampered this woman.

It must be said that Fan Jingmei is very good at serving people.

Even after more than a decade apart, her service remained as attentive as ever, and perhaps even more skillful.

Zhou Yuan found it quite pleasing.

After a night of passion.

"Jingmei, your cultivation has now reached the peak of Foundation Establishment. Are you ready to form your Core?"

Zhou Yuan leaned against the headboard and asked casually.

Fan Jingmei knelt on the bed, a hint of expectation flashing in her eyes upon hearing this, yet tinged with trepidation: "This servant...this servant wishes to form a core, but..."

"This is a Core Formation spiritual item, take it." Zhou Yuan took out a brocade box from his storage bag and placed it in her hand.

When Fan Jingmei opened it, her eyes widened in surprise.

The box contained not only three common Core Formation materials—Snow Spirit Water, Heavenly Fire Liquid, and Dust-Subduing Pill—but also another uncommon but extremely valuable auxiliary pill.

These few Core Formation spiritual items alone are worth more than 30,000 spirit stones!

"Master...you are so good to me!"

Fan Jingmei's eyes reddened with emotion, and she knelt on the couch, kowtowing repeatedly.

The resentment she had harbored for over a decade vanished in that instant. She served Zhou Yuan with even greater zeal, massaging his shoulders and back with utmost care.

"By the way," Zhou Yuan suddenly spoke, his tone casual, "I recently heard that something happened at the Miaoyin Sect, and Sect Master Wang died. If you wish to go and pay your respects, I'll grant you permission to leave for a day."

Fan Jingmei paused, a look of surprise on her face: "Is that so? Master Wang was kind to me back then."

Although I am no longer a member of the Miaoyin Sect, it is my duty to offer my condolences.

"Go."

Zhou Yuan waved his hand, "It's said he was killed by a traitorous cultivator, but I don't know which one, they were so ruthless. If you go, don't mention me."

"Yes, Master, rest assured."

Fan Jingmei nodded in agreement.

……

One day later.

Fan Jingmei returned to Jinwudong.

"Are you done offering condolences?" Zhou Yuan asked.

"Um."

Fan Jingmei nodded, a complex expression on her face. "Sister Ziling is in a bad mood, and..."

"What else?"

"And... he even muttered a complaint about his master in his heart." Fan Jingmei glanced at Zhou Yuan cautiously.

Zhou Yuan smiled, unconcerned: "Oh? Does she mean I, Zhou Yuan, am heartless? Let her be. I, Zhou Yuan, do not need others to tell me what to do."

Seeing that he wasn't angry, Fan Jingmei felt a little relieved and continued, "Those cultivators who have undergone tribulation are probably nearing the end of their good days. Sister Ziling is planning to ask a well-known late-stage Core Formation cultivator for help in taking revenge. That woman Zhuo Ruting is also looking for other Core Formation cultivators to help her."

"Those cultivators must be quite far away, right?" Zhou Yuan picked up his teacup and asked casually.

"It's quite far."

Without much thought, Fan Jingmei answered truthfully, "According to Zhuo Ruting, the sect did some tampering with the stolen goods and sent out Golden Cicada Bees to track them down, confirming that the robbers were on an unnamed deserted island south of Shuixin Island."

"That's quite a distance." Zhou Yuan nodded. "I also need to go into seclusion because of a problem with my cultivation technique. It's unfortunate."

He remained calm on the surface, but he had already memorized the location in his heart.

I came to Fan Jingmei's place this time just to try my luck.

Let's see if we can get the location of the Tribulation Cultivator out of her, this former elite of the Myriad Sounds Sect.

I came to Fan Jingmei's place this time just to try my luck.

Let's see if we can get the location of the Tribulation Cultivator out of her, this former elite of the Myriad Sounds Sect.

Because in the original work, it was only described that the island was half a month's journey from Tianxing City.

The exact location is unclear.

He can't just search aimlessly.

Now that we know the exact location, things will be much easier.

He could do what he did back then, intercepting the baby carp beast in the waters near Kuixing Island.

They concealed their identities and went ahead of time.

Settle everything!

"Then the master can't stay for long?" Fan Jingmei asked, a hint of resentment in her eyes.

"It's alright, we can stay another day." Zhou Yuan put down his teacup and put his arm around her waist.

A look of surprise flashed in Fan Jingmei's eyes, followed by a charming smile as she began to undress.

"Then... let this servant serve my master well."

( words omitted here)

After feeling better again.

Zhou Yuanqi got dressed.

"Cultivate diligently and strive to form your core as soon as possible."

He left those words behind and departed from Jinwudong.

……

After leaving the cave, Zhou Yuan did not return to Wuya Cave, but flew directly down the Holy Mountain.

Leave through the gates of Tianxing City.

Once outside the city, he immediately mounted his escape light and sped off towards the open sea.

Water Heart Island.

At Zhou Yuan's current speed, he could escape at full speed in less than half a month.

In just four or five days, he arrived near the island.

He did not approach rashly, but instead descended from a distance, concealing his aura and hiding his figure in the vast sea fog.

Then, skimming the surface of the sea, he flew silently toward the south of Water Heart Island.

At the same time, his terrifying divine sense, covering 160 miles, spread out like invisible mercury, meticulously searching every inch of the sea.

After flying hundreds of miles—

His divine sense detected the anomaly.

A hundred miles ahead lies a deserted island. And on that nameless island, the auras of several Core Formation cultivators are clearly visible!