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

"Alright, that's settled here, I should be leaving now!"

Lei Wanhe glanced one last time at the wreckage on the ground, then at Zhou Yuan and Han Li. Seemingly feeling there was nothing more to say, he casually uttered a sentence, and his body suddenly shone with silver light.

The next moment, the huge silver light, more than ten feet long, gathered again, enveloping his obese figure and emitting a low rumble of thunder.

It then transformed into a dazzling silver rainbow, piercing the sky in an instant and disappearing into the horizon.

As for Senior Brother Lin's storage bag, Lei Wanhe completely ignored it, presumably because as a Core Formation cultivator, he wouldn't care about a Foundation Establishment cultivator's collection.

in situ.

Only Zhou Yuan and Han Li remained.

The oppressive aura of the Core Formation cultivator dissipated abruptly, and the mountains and forests returned to tranquility, with only the rustling of the wind through the grass and trees.

The atmosphere was subtly tense.

Zhou Yuan stood still, looking calmly at Han Li.

He knew very well that Han Li's hiding nearby was not merely for "observation".

Given Han Li's cautious and conservative nature, he's most likely looking for an opportunity to exploit a conflict between two rivals.

If he and the people of the Thousand Bamboo Sect fought to the point of mutual destruction, or if Lei Wanhe had not arrived, it was hard to say what choice this Junior Brother Han would make.

Han Li's heart was also in turmoil at this moment. Although he maintained a calm expression, deep in his eyes was a strong sense of fear and suspicion.

He never expected that in just over four years, this Senior Brother Zhou would have quietly broken through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage!

He relied on the small green bottle to accelerate the ripening of spiritual herbs and refine pills, and he cultivated diligently day and night, barely managing to stabilize his early Foundation Establishment stage.

There is still some distance to go before the mid-term.

Zhou Yuan's cultivation speed is simply astonishing, even more exaggerated than the legendary Heavenly Spirit Root cultivators!

But if Zhou Yuan was truly a person of extraordinary talent, why would he have risked his life to enter the Crimson Forbidden Land to fight, just to obtain one or two more Foundation Establishment Pills?

Sects have always treated their talented disciples with preferential treatment.

For true dual spiritual roots or unique spiritual roots, one Foundation Establishment Pill is enough, and the sect may even bestow it upon them. As for heavenly spiritual roots, it is rumored that one can easily establish a foundation without needing a Foundation Establishment Pill!

Zhou Yuan's actions are contradictory.

It has an eerie feel to it.

The two stared at each other for a moment, the air thick with silent probing and speculation.

Finally, Han Li broke the silence first. He forced a smile, cupped his hands, and said, "Senior Brother Zhou, it has been more than four years since we last parted ways at the Crimson Forbidden Land."

I never expected my senior brother's cultivation to improve so rapidly; it truly puts me, his junior brother, to shame!

His words, though seemingly flattering, actually carried a subtle hint of inquiry.

Zhou Yuan smiled slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Junior Brother Han, you flatter me. Junior Brother has now successfully established his foundation, his foundation is solid, and his future is limitless."

He paused, then asked casually, "By the way, has Junior Brother gone to pay his respects to Master?"

"I'm on my way," Han Li replied, then asked, "Senior Brother, you must have already gone? Did Master give any instructions?"

"Yes, I went there a while ago." Zhou Yuan nodded, his tone calm. "My master has officially accepted me as a disciple."

"Congratulations, Senior Brother! From now on, we are truly fellow disciples. I hope you will continue to guide and mentor us in the future."

Han Li immediately showed a "joyful" expression and cupped his hands again, but in his heart he thought to himself, "Just as I expected."

Li Huayuan's formal acceptance of Zhou Yuan as a disciple signifies that Zhou Yuan's position within the sect is more secure, which explains why he has abundant cultivation resources and progresses so quickly.

As he spoke, he subtly shifted his feet, already preparing to take his leave.

This place has just experienced a change, and I'm alone with this mysterious and unpredictable Senior Brother Zhou.

It made him feel quite uncomfortable, and he just wanted to leave as soon as possible.

"Junior Brother Han, please wait."

Zhou Yuan called out to him.

Han Li paused, a slight increase in alertness in his heart, but his expression remained questioning:

"Is there anything else you need, Senior Brother?"

Zhou Yuan did not answer immediately, but hesitated for a moment, his gaze lingering on Han Li's face for a while before he slowly spoke. His voice was not loud, but it carried a peculiar penetrating power:

"Junior Brother Han, I've heard... that your spiritual root aptitude seems to be a pseudo-spiritual root?"

Han Li felt a chill run down his spine.

His gaze sharpened instantly.

Spiritual root aptitude is a cultivator's secret. Although it is not a top secret, when it is mentioned to his face, especially by a "senior brother" whose strength far surpasses his own, he always feels like he is being spied on.

His smile remained unchanged as he countered, "Why did you suddenly bring this up, Senior Brother?"

"There was no other intention."

Zhou Yuan waved his hand, a hint of "shared misfortune" on his face.

"It's just a spontaneous thought. For those of us with such spiritual talent, the path to immortality is a hundred times more difficult than for others."

As he spoke, he flipped his hand, and a pale blue jade slip appeared in his palm.

The jade slip has a warm and smooth texture and an inner spiritual light, clearly indicating that it is no ordinary item.

"What is this, Senior Brother?" Han Li's gaze fell on the jade slip, and doubts arose in his heart.

"This item might be useful to my junior brother."

Zhou Yuan handed the jade slip to Han Li, his tone frank, "By chance, I obtained a fairly good cultivation technique. Seeing you today, Junior Brother, I remembered that we both have pseudo-spiritual roots, and cultivation is not easy. So I thought it might be of some help to you. Why don't you take a look first?"

Han Li hesitated for a moment.

Be vigilant.

There is no free lunch in the world.

Zhou Yuan's move was too abrupt.

However, he was indeed curious about the "cultivation technique" that Zhou Yuan mentioned, especially since the other party had specifically pointed out that it was a "pseudo-spiritual root".

He accepted the jade slip.

He cautiously probed into it with his divine sense.

In an instant, a flood of information rushed into my mind.

"The Azure Origin Sword Technique...thirteen levels...directly leading to the Nascent Soul stage?!"

Han Li was deeply shocked!

This is actually a complete top-tier cultivation technique inheritance! It's even more complete than the Azure Origin Sword Technique that he cultivated after reaching Foundation Establishment due to an excess of medicinal power in his body.

What terrified him even more was the secret technique appended to the cultivation method—the "Three Revolutions Rejuvenation Technique"! This method actually simulates the embryonic form of the Golden Core by dispersing one's cultivation and compressing one's true essence to the extreme, thereby greatly increasing the success rate of forming the Golden Core!

In addition, there is the method for crafting the matching natal magic weapon, the "Azure Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword".

All the necessary materials, refining steps, and nurturing methods are included!

This...this is practically tailor-made for you!

For a pseudo-spiritual root cultivator like him, the conventional path to Core Formation was fraught with hope, while this "Three Revolutions Rejuvenation Technique" was nothing short of a beacon in the darkness!

Although the process is arduous, requiring multiple periods of retraining and taking a very long time, it at least points out a feasible path!

A huge surprise and a deeper doubt welled up in Han Li's mind at the same time.

Why would Zhou Yuan so easily give away such a precious legacy to himself?

Just because of "shared suffering"?

Seemingly sensing Han Li's doubts, Zhou Yuan withdrew his hand and stood with his hands behind his back.

His tone was calm yet carried a strange sincerity: "Junior brother, there's no need to have excessive doubts. This technique is more than enough for me."

"I'm giving this to my junior brother out of consideration for our shared sect and the bond we formed during our battles in the Bloodstained Forbidden Land..."