Mortal: I'm in Tianxing City, intelligence updates daily.

As he spoke, the one-eyed cultivator retreated rapidly, trying to escape the area as quickly as possible.

Then, after fleeing for only about twenty feet, his path was blocked by a blue array of light that suddenly appeared.

Watching his opponent flee in disarray, Li Shizhou held the array plate and said with a half-smile, "Do you think you're the only one who can set up arrays? Since you dare to become a Tribulation Cultivator, you should be prepared to perish at any time."

The one-eyed cultivator was now ashen-faced, his gaze fixed on the "Blood Demon" below. His only hope of survival now rested on this demon.

The demon and the beast on the ground roared and transformed into streaks of light, rushing towards each other.

However, the "Blood Demon" was artificially created using special methods, and its strength barely reached the early stage of Core Formation.

It was no match for a proper level 5 demon beast, especially since the Purple-Eyed Bix possessed the bloodline of a true spirit, making it far stronger than ordinary level 5 demon beasts.

With a single palm strike, the "Blood Demon's" body flew backward like a rag doll.

Before it could even get up after landing, the Level 5 Purple-Eyed Bix had already arrived. It stepped on the "Blood Demon's" body and smashed its head to pieces with a single slap, sending dark red blood splattering everywhere.

After killing the "Blood Demon," the Purple-Eyed Bixie even poked at the corpse with its claws a few times with great interest before looking up at the one-eyed cultivator in mid-air.

With just one glance, the one-eyed cultivator felt his soul scatter and begged for mercy: "Fellow Daoist, spare my life! It was all because Gu Qingyang was bewitched that he instigated me to ambush you all. I just..."

Before he could finish speaking, a giant hand smashed the top-tier defensive magic artifact in front of him to pieces.

Before the one-eyed cultivator could even scream, his throat was bitten off, and his body fell to the ground, already dead.

After annihilating the enemy, the Purple-Eyed Beast ran towards Li Shizhou.

Gu Ci and Gu Linyuan, standing to the side, looked tense and took a few steps back in unison.

The Purple-Eyed Bi reached Li Shizhou, shook off the bloodstains on its body, and obediently lay down on the ground, just like a big cat.

With a flash of inspiration, Li Shizhou put away the spirit beast and then took the storage bags of the bald man and the one-eyed cultivator into his hands.

The two members of the Gu family were lucky to have escaped death, so naturally they dared not have any objections.

After collecting the spoils, Li Shizhou waved his hand, and several battle flags flew in from all directions, landing in his palm.

After packing up his equipment, he said, "Let's go, let's hurry back to Tianxing City."

"It's all up to Senior Brother Li to decide," Gu Linyuan replied respectfully, cupping his hands in greeting.

The island where the Gu family cultivated the "Illusion Heart Grass" was not too far into the outer sea and was not particularly dangerous. The three of them flew along the way and it was a bit easier than when they left. Soon they arrived at "Ningcui Island" where the teleportation array was located.

The Star Palace cultivator responsible for guarding the formation was still meditating with his eyes closed, and it seemed that he hadn't moved an inch in all these days.

Hearing someone enter the stone house, he took out spirit stones from his storage bag and placed them on the teleportation array.

After a flash of dazzling white light, Li Shizhou and the other two returned to the "Starry Sky Palace".

The hall was more lively than last time. There were thirty or forty cultivators waiting to be teleported in the main hall, and occasionally cultivators who had been teleported back to the city would walk out of the formation.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the "Starry Sky Palace," Gu Ci bid farewell: "Brother Li, thanks to your escort this time. I'll discuss with the clan elders whether we can give you an extra Golden Core Inquiry Talisman. My brother and I will head back first, and I'll personally deliver it to your cave once it's finished."

Li Shizhou nodded, and then the three of them flew away on their respective magical artifacts.

Back in the cave on the fifty-third floor of the sacred mountain, two communication talismans were affixed to the array light screen.

Li Shizhou opened the receiver and found that the "Dust-Reducing Pills" he had ordered from the two pharmacies had arrived, a double blessing indeed.

Zhuo Ruting was still in seclusion. Li Shizhou went to the market to retrieve the pills, then settled the spirit beasts, and lazily sat on a wooden chair on the open-air viewing platform.

The golden sunlight shone on me, warm and comforting.

He spent almost a month in the outer sea, a place where you could fly for days without seeing a single person. Looking at the crowds coming and going on the streets of Tianxing City below, and the occasional figure of a cultivator passing by in mid-air, he felt a great sense of familiarity and relaxed a lot.

However, barring unforeseen circumstances, this tranquility will be broken in about sixty years.

At that time, who knows how many cultivators in the city will perish.

......

Two weeks later, Gu Ci paid a visit.

After taking his seat in the reception room, he took out a jade box from his storage bag, opened it, and placed it on the tea table. Inside lay two blue talismans, with intricate and mysterious runes drawn on the thin paper.

"Brother Li, this time we refined a total of seven Golden Core Inquiry Talismans. Half a month ago, after I returned, I discussed it with the elders of the eldest branch of the clan, and they agreed to give you two as payment for the last escort. Please accept them."

After pouring Gu Ci a cup of tea, Li Shizhou said, "Then I shall accept it without hesitation."

The Golden Core Dao Inquiry Talisman is only effective for Foundation Establishment cultivators the first time they use it, but Zhuo Ruting can use it later. Even if it doesn't work, it's still good to trade it later.

So after he finished speaking, he took the talisman in his hand, looked at it for a few moments, and then put it into his storage bag.

Now that everything was ready, after Gu Ci left, Li Shizhou gave a few instructions to Zhuo Ruting, who had just come out of seclusion: if anyone came to see him during this period, he should politely refuse them.

Afterwards, he set up several new formations in the main stone chamber to prevent disturbance, and even the dog was driven out and fed in a separate stone chamber.

He stayed inside alone for a month, meditating daily to adjust his mindset.

Only when his mind was completely calm did Li Shizhou take out a "Golden Core Inquiry Talisman" from his storage bag.

......

Three years later, on a certain day.

The weather in Tianxing City was excellent, with a clear, cloudless sky and protective formations.

However, above a cave on the fifty-third level of the sacred mountain, a dark cloud suddenly appeared, growing larger and larger until it was about a mile in size.

At the same time, spiritual energy from over a hundred miles around surged toward this cave, forming a visible vortex of spiritual energy.

Many cultivators living nearby were drawn by the strange phenomenon and came out of their stone chambers to look in the direction of the dark clouds.

The cultivators living nearby, whose cultivation level was at least at the early Foundation Establishment stage, naturally knew that this strange phenomenon meant that someone had successfully formed their Core.

The cultivators had various expressions on their faces; some were full of envy, while others showed signs of jealousy.

After the strange phenomenon dissipated, the cultivators returned with mixed feelings.

Inside Li Shizhou's cave.

Feeling the immense magical power within him, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Finally, I've formed my core."

After taking a few deep breaths to calm his mind, Li Shizhou did not get up immediately, but continued to sit cross-legged to absorb spiritual energy.

After some time had passed and his cultivation had become completely stable, he got out of bed, opened the array in the main stone chamber, and went out.