Immortality and cultivation: Heaven rewards diligence, and success is inevitable.

The two were evenly matched. Jiang Shi possessed the Silver Light Flying Sword, which, combined with the Five Elements Mutual Generation True Meaning, was extremely powerful.

The opponent possessed five exquisite magic mirrors, each with a unique and wondrous surface.

Both of them are Foundation Establishment stage cultivators with five spiritual roots, so it would probably take several days to determine a winner.

Unless both sides resort to desperate measures.

Jiang Shi has yet to unleash the phantoms of the Crimson Blood Ox and the Scarlet Blood Bat.

The other party must be from a top-tier power and must have means to protect themselves.

Since it's impossible to determine a winner in a short time, and other Foundation Establishment stage cultivators are about to arrive.

There was no point in dragging it out any longer, so the two of them tacitly stopped.

However, since the outcome of the battle for that Fire Spirit Diamond was still undecided, it was also impossible to determine who it belonged to.

Then, the female cultivator paid no attention to the fire spirit diamond. She put away the five Five Elements Treasure Mirrors, gave Jiang Shi a meaningful look, and then turned and left.

After the female cultivator left, Jiang Shi naturally dared not linger. Countless Foundation Establishment stage cultivators had entered this fire-elemental secret realm.

And who knows how many vicious or skilled individuals are among them?

It's best to retreat first. Jiang Shi waved his hand, and the Fire Spirit Diamond flew into his hand, where he put it into his storage bag.

Then Jiang Shi used his magic to sink into the ground and escape into the distance.

After Jiang Shi left, Foundation Establishment stage cultivators kept rushing over.

"The fluctuations of fire-elemental spiritual energy here are extremely strong; two experts must have fought here." An old man said, carefully examining the surroundings.

"This fire giant's chest cavity was opened, and something was taken out. The battle was probably caused by the treasure inside."

In just a few words, the old man analyzed everything that had happened here.

Just then, a strange light bloomed in the sky. Even in this secret realm filled with flames, that strange light was very eye-catching and extremely dazzling.

"What is that?!"

"A treasure has been discovered!"

Upon seeing this strange light, the Foundation Establishment stage cultivators all began to discuss it animatedly.

"Let's go!"

Finally, one group couldn't resist and flew towards the strange light first.

The other Foundation Establishment stage cultivators did not hesitate and rushed off in droves.

Jiang Shi, who was some distance away, had just obtained the Fire Spirit Diamond and hadn't yet confidently studied it when he discovered the strange light.

"Is this the birth of a treasure?" Jiang Shi thought for a moment, then went to take a look.

Even if you don't get any treasures, you can at least see how many Foundation Establishment stage cultivators are in this fire-type secret realm.

How many of them are from major sects and powerful forces?

After all, everyone is an enemy in the fire-type secret realm now.

They are all competitors; only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you win every battle.

With that thought in mind, Jiang Shi quietly crept toward the source of the strange light.

A group of Foundation Establishment stage cultivators rushed there.

It was a volcano, with black smoke and lava still rising from its top, clearly indicating that it had just erupted.

Seeing this scene, no one dared to approach.

The fire elemental energy here is ten times greater than in other places, and the level of danger is certainly many times greater as well.

If we approach rashly, we might cause some unexpected changes.

Just then, a dazzling beam of light shone out from the crater.

This time, everyone was closer, and their perception was even more profound.

"This is the birth of a spiritual artifact!" a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator exclaimed.

On his shoulder, a red-feathered sparrow was chirping excitedly.

"A magical artifact!" Everyone exclaimed in surprise upon hearing this.

You must know that spiritual artifacts are treasures that are one in ten thousand. In small sects, they are the sect's most prized possessions that only the sect leader can use.

It can be said that having a magical artifact allows one to establish a lineage and sect.

Even in major sects and top-tier powers, not everyone possesses a spiritual weapon.

Everyone present was deeply moved.

Even more extreme, some have already begun to make quiet preparations, ready to seize the treasure at any time.

"A magical artifact! We must obtain this magical artifact!"

"Don't be silly, look at the speaker, the sparrow on his shoulder."

"That's a Fire Feather Spirit Sparrow, a spirit beast that can reach the Golden Core stage upon maturity. This person must be a disciple of the Beast Taming Mountain of the Ten Great Sects."

One person revealed their identity.

These words calmed down many of the Foundation Establishment stage cultivators around them.

That's right, with such a magical artifact appearing, how could people from the ten major sects and top-tier forces not come?

The speaker should say that the emergence of such a treasure, a rare and precious gem, is precisely for those with great power and influence.

Only they are qualified to compete for these treasures.

Those minor sects can only pick up the scraps that others don't want and get a taste of the soup.

This is the reality of the cultivation world: the people of major sects and top-tier forces will only become more and more powerful.

Those minor sects could only barely survive.

In regions like Canglin, the three major sects can only produce a handful of Golden Core stage cultivators.

These Golden Core stage cultivators could never break through to the Nascent Soul stage, even until their deaths.

It seems that minor sects reach their peak at the Golden Core stage. Without resources, and relying solely on talent, breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage is extremely difficult.

Unless there's a miraculous encounter!

However, even if there are extraordinary encounters, these encounters are first snatched up by disciples of major sects and powerful forces.

Ordinary cultivators simply cannot compete; the difference in their foundation is too great.

If even small sects and minor sects are like this, then it goes without saying that those independent cultivators are even more difficult, struggling even to reach the Foundation Establishment stage.

Foundation Establishment requires Foundation Establishment Pills, Golden Core Stage requires Golden Core Spiritual Objects, and Nascent Soul Connection also requires a large number of rare and precious materials.

These resources are all in the hands of the upper class.

To advance further, one must either have their disciples and relatives join major sects or top-tier forces, or attach oneself to these top-tier forces and become their subordinate sect.

In other words, only Jiang Shi, with the destiny of "Heaven rewards diligence, and success is inevitable," is able to disregard these rules.

"So what if they are one of the top ten sects! I am a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. Now that we are here, we outnumber them and might have a chance to seize the spiritual artifact."

A Foundation Establishment cultivator is unwilling to give up. To have cultivated to the late Foundation Establishment stage, one must naturally have a heart that refuses to admit defeat.

Many cultivators from small sects, when united, can also form a powerful force.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator who was with the Fire Feather Spirit Sparrow didn't care about the surrounding conversation.

As a disciple of one of the ten major sects—Beast Taming Mountain—Xu Huan was confident in his abilities.

Just then, a streak of blood-red light flashed across the sky, and a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator crashed down like a meteor.

Everyone who sensed him was startled by the murderous intent, bloodlust, and malevolent aura emanating from him.

"This killing intent, bloodlust, and malevolent aura... it means the Xuanyuan clan of the Western Desert has arrived." A Foundation Establishment cultivator seemed to have realized something and quickly spoke up.