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

At that moment, he nodded "solemnly," held up the "Soul Gathering Bowl" with one hand, made a strange hand seal with the other, and said in a deep voice to the bowl:

"Very well! I swear by this 'Soul Weapon' that once you truthfully reveal the location of the hidden storage bag, I will never kill you. If I break this oath, the Soul Weapon will shatter, my primordial spirit will be severely injured, and my Great Dao will be severed!"

His tone was solemn, and coupled with the ghostly howl of the "Soul Gathering Bowl" and the eerie black aura, he truly resembled a heretical cultivator making a poisonous oath.

The big man felt somewhat relieved to see that Zhou Yuan had truly made such a solemn oath to the "Soul Weapon".

For evil cultivators, the consequences of the backlash from the soul weapon are probably more terrifying than death.

He took a breath and said with difficulty:

"My physical body... was destroyed during the chase, but I hid my storage bag and some important items in a secluded cave about sixty miles to the west..."

He was about to continue describing the features and characteristics—

Just as he finished speaking and his mind relaxed slightly!

A cold glint flashed in Zhou Yuan's eyes.

He raised the Soul-Guiding Bell, which he had been holding in his right hand, once again!

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

A series of rapid and clear chimes suddenly rang out!

This time, it wasn't a gentle flick, but a full-force shake!

When the burly man saw Zhou Yuan take out the Soul-Guiding Bell, a look of panic flashed in his eyes, but then a ruthless and resolute expression appeared on his face.

He seemed to have been prepared. The moment the bell rang, he didn't dodge or evade. Instead, he gritted his teeth, raised his right hand, and punched his lower abdomen hard!

"puff!"

After the attack, he opened his mouth and spat out!

A pill the size of a longan, emerald green in color, radiating a soft yet solid green light, shot out from his mouth!

The pill appeared and immediately hovered three feet above his head, emitting a brilliant green light.

It transformed into a verdant light shield, firmly enveloping his entire body.

At the same time, the bell-shaped waves emitted by the Soul-Guiding Bell in Zhou Yuan's hand, which were specifically designed to target the restrictions within the "Qu Hun" body, struck the emerald green light shield. However, they were like mud oxen entering the sea, only causing ripples, but they could not penetrate the light shield and affect the burly man inside in the slightest!

The Soul-Guiding Bell has failed!

The burly man stood inside the green light shield, a sinister smile and smug satisfaction on his face.

He made the right bet!

Although the original owner of this puppet body possessed powerful techniques, he successfully withstood them after unleashing his trump card...

However, when Zhou Yuan saw this scene, there was no surprise or disappointment on his face. Instead, he showed a knowing look of "I knew it".

He shook the Soul-Guiding Bell, not expecting it to defeat his enemy.

His real purpose was to force the opponent to use their last trump card in a moment of haste—that emerald green pill!

This thing is the Golden Core that the cultivator of the Spirit Control Sect refined when he formed his Golden Core!

Although it was a Golden Core in the early stage of Core Formation, its power was greatly diminished due to the destruction of his physical body and the severe damage to his primordial spirit, leaving it with less than one-tenth of its original strength.

However, its essence remains, containing a trace of the power and pure essence of the Core Formation stage.

When activated at a critical moment, its defensive power is far beyond what Foundation Establishment stage techniques can easily break through.

It is more than capable of withstanding the Soul-Guiding Bell, a magical artifact designed to counter the restrictions on puppets.

The opponent used his Golden Core to protect himself, which seemed safe, but in reality... he exposed his last resort to Zhou Yuan and completely gave up the possibility of dodging or teleporting!

"die!"

Zhou Yuan coldly uttered a single word.

The next moment, a faint light flashed between his brows!

The Twelve Assassins of the Divine Court – Full Power Unleashed!

An invisible and intangible, extremely refined sharp spike, containing Zhou Yuan's powerful divine sense comparable to that of the early stage of Core Formation, ignored the physical and spiritual defenses of the emerald green golden core light shield. Like a red-hot steel needle piercing through thin paper, it instantly pierced the brow of the burly man inside the light shield!

This cultivator from the Yuling Sect, whose body he has now possessed, is only at the fifth or sixth level of Qi Refining. His primordial spirit is also extremely weak due to severe injuries and possession.

His spiritual strength is probably not even as strong as that of an ordinary early Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Faced with Zhou Yuan's all-out attack, which condensed the essence of the third layer of the "Great Evolution Technique" and was launched with the divine sense of the Core Formation stage, he had no chance to resist at all!

"Ugh—!"

A short, piercing scream abruptly stopped.

The smug grin on the big man's face froze instantly, turning into extreme pain and bewilderment. The light in his eyes quickly went out like a candle flickering in the wind, becoming empty and lifeless.

The emerald green golden elixir shield, having lost the support of its master's divine consciousness and magical power, dimmed and dissipated rapidly.

The emerald green golden pill also dimmed and plummeted downwards from mid-air.

Qu Hun's burly body, as if all the supporting blocks had been removed, fell straight backward and crashed onto the cold rocky ground with a "bang," devoid of any life force or spiritual fluctuations.

Zhou Yuan moved with lightning speed. In a flash, he appeared on the trajectory of the fall, reached out and caught the emerald green golden pill that was about to completely dissipate its spiritual energy in his palm!

The Golden Core felt cool to the touch, and one could clearly feel the pure elixir essence contained within, which, though thin, was of a higher level, as well as a faint trace of the laws governing the Core Formation stage.

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhou Yuan's mind stirred:

"equipment!"

The emerald green golden pill in his palm flashed and disappeared instantly, having already been equipped into the fourth empty equipment slot.

A pale blue light screen appeared in my mind, and the information was updated:

[Equipment Slot 4: Golden Core (Early Stage of Core Formation) (Tier 3)]

[Effect 1: Increases the success rate of Core Formation!]

[Effect 2: Increases cultivation speed during the Core Formation stage!]

"It actually works! And it can even increase the chances of forming a Core!"

Zhou Yuan felt an overwhelming surge of joy!

He had only guessed that this golden core, containing the essence of a Core Formation cultivator, might be recognized by the equipment slot and produce some kind of beneficial enhancement effect for Core Formation.

I can't believe it actually worked!

Although the indication is a slight improvement, small improvements add up!

For someone with his pseudo-spiritual root aptitude, any possibility of increasing the success rate of core formation is extremely precious!

Even though he possessed the remnants of the Heaven-Mending Pill to improve his aptitude, and cultivated the Azure Origin Sword Technique and its accompanying "Three Revolutions Rejuvenation Technique," which are secret methods that can increase the chances of forming a core.

However, the formation of a core from a pseudo-spiritual root remains fraught with difficulties and uncertainties.

This extra "micro" chance might be the last straw that breaks the camel's back, or a lifeline at a critical moment!

This golden elixir was as valuable to him as an ordinary magic weapon!

Suppressing his excitement, Zhou Yuan walked to the body of "Qu Hun".

This imposing puppet body is now an empty shell, making it an excellent material for refining the external avatar of the "Mysterious Yin Corpse Refining Technique".

Then, he carefully scanned the body with his divine sense and found a small sword about three inches long and green all over its body inside.

Green Blaze Sword!

This is precisely the natal magic weapon that the cultivator from the Spirit Control Sect refined back then!

However, with Zhou Yuan's current late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, he is not yet capable of controlling magical artifacts.

But... a magic weapon is a magic weapon!

It is more precious than most of the things I have acquired before.

Zhou Yuan carefully picked up the Green Radiance Sword.

The sword was cool to the touch, and a sharp aura emanated from it. Even after many years of silence, it was still extraordinary.

He tried equipping it in the second equipment slot.

The information on the light screen changed again:

[Equipment Slot 2: Magic Item - Green Blaze Sword (Damaged)]

[Effect 1: Greatly enhances swordsmanship comprehension!]

"As expected!" Zhou Yuan's eyes gleamed even brighter. "It seems I was born with a natural affinity for the way of the sword!"

With the support of the "Green Radiance Sword", his efficiency in comprehending any sword techniques, secret arts, or supernatural abilities will be greatly enhanced!

Whether you continue to explore the potential of the "Qingyuan Sword Manual" or learn other sword techniques, you will achieve twice the result with half the effort!

This trip to Lanzhou was far more fruitful than I expected!

Calming himself, Zhou Yuan turned his gaze westward. Next, he needed to retrieve the storage bag hidden by the Yu Ling Sect cultivator.

He took out the Soul-Guiding Bell again and shook it at the body of the "Qu Hun" on the ground.

"Follow me!"

Qu Hunkong followed Zhou Yuan onto the Divine Wind Boat. Zhou Yuan piloted the boat, speeding away in the direction the cultivator had indicated—about sixty miles to the west.

Half an incense stick later.

Zhou Yuan arrived at an even more desolate area with steep mountains and strange rocks.

Using his powerful divine sense to carefully explore, he quickly discovered a narrow cave entrance, barely wide enough for one person to pass through, on a steep mountain wall partially covered by vines and moss.

It is here.

However, Zhou Yuan did not enter immediately.

He stopped outside the cave entrance, his divine sense scanning every inch of the space inside the cave like mercury spilling onto the ground, penetrating several feet into the cave.

In the original story, the cultivator from the Yuling Sect was cunning. While handing over the storage bag, he also left Han Li with a vicious trap.

A level four monster!

If anyone breaks into the cave and tries to take the storage bag, it will awaken this demon beast, which is equivalent to the late Foundation Establishment stage.

The cultivator lured Han Li here with the intention of using the demonic beast to eliminate him.