Seeking immortality begins with daily intelligence reports.

In the cultivation world, strength is paramount, a fact that Li Shen has come to understand more and more deeply lately.

All the conveniences we enjoy today are inseparable from our own strength.

Otherwise, why would Du Shanyan, the manager of Duobao Pavilion, be on friendly terms with a rogue cultivator like you?

It's simply because he displayed strength far exceeding that of his peers.

Back in the courtyard, after closing the doors and windows, Li Shen methodically arranged the remaining time.

First, he studied the formation and learned that the Golden-Striped Leopard feared fire, so Li Shen focused on the [Fire Rain Formation] and studied which aspects could be optimized based on the inheritance of the Formation Dao Sect.

These days, Li Shen has been immersing himself in comparing the array formation knowledge passed down by the Array Dao Sect with that of the Zhou family, and he can't help but feel a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi - mixed feelings/reflections).

The difference between the two is truly like heaven and earth.

The Zhou family's knowledge of formations remains superficial, or can only be described as basic common sense.

The lineage of the Array Dao Sect has long since delved into the essence of array principles, not only exploring the mysteries of array modification within arrays, but also deducing the subtle interplay and multifaceted applications of arrays.

Therefore, even without a ready-made array plate, the first-order fire attribute array in the "Thirty-Six Array Diagrams" is still within the scope of Li Shen's key research.

When you get tired of studying, use your internal energy to regulate your breathing; once you're done, continue studying...

And so it came to the night of the fifth day.

Li Shen put away the array plate of the Fire Rain Array, having already gained a thorough understanding of it.

However, since it was inconvenient to set up the setup in the market, Li Shen had no choice but to wait until he set off for Laoshan to find an opportunity to test it out.

He was preparing to take a moment to calm his mind when suddenly his expression changed, and he quickly took out the Yin Soul Banner from his storage bag.

The once calm banner began to tremble slightly without any wind, and a chilling aura several times stronger than before began to emanate from it.

Li Shen quickly set up the Spirit Wall Formation.

With Li Shen's improvements, the formation gained a certain degree of sound insulation, and he then probed the banner with his divine sense.

In the dim space, the soul slave's curled-up body trembled violently.

Since Li Shen personally crafted it, he could naturally sense the current state of the Soul Slave.

The gas filling the soul slave's body was spinning wildly, compressing inward and gradually solidifying.

"It's going to be successful!"

Overjoyed, Li Shen subconsciously held his breath.

The whole process lasted about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Suddenly, the Soul Slave's body trembled violently, and even Li Shen's divine sense felt a slight pulling sensation.

The next moment, a powerful surge of energy erupted in three directions, sweeping across the entire space within the banner like waves.

Li Shen's consciousness jolted, and he saw a solid, snake-shaped soul slave, shrouded in a faint black aura, quietly coiled in the center of the banner.

A pair of scarlet dots slowly lit up on his face, staring at Li Shen, and seemed to have become slightly smarter.

The Yin energy emanating from his body was indeed identical to that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"This is a second-tier soul slave."

Li Shen sighed silently in his heart. With it in hand, he felt much more confident in facing the Golden-striped Leopard and other dangers that might arise on this trip.

He withdrew his divine sense and summoned the Soul Slave.

He then took out the Yin Soul Pill and fed it to the other party.

Fearing its aura would leak out, Li Shen didn't let it linger outside for long, instead sending it back into the banner to nurture and consolidate its power. He then quickly put away the Yin Soul Banner.

At midnight tonight, the intelligence was updated as scheduled:

[No wind, no rain.]

"Great weather, perfect for going out."

Li Shen smiled and commented in a low voice.

He then continued to devote himself to cultivation.

On the sixth day, the morning mist had not yet dissipated.

Li Shen quietly opened his eyes, his gaze clear and sharp.

He got dressed and then pushed open the door and went out.

The weather was slightly cool. Li Shen moved swiftly, his cloud-walking shoes flashing with light, and he swept out of the courtyard like a wisp of smoke, heading towards Laoshan.

About half an hour later, the undulating and menacing Laoshan Mountain Range came into view.

A thin mist hung in the air, carrying the scents of grass, trees, and earth, and faintly mixed with the fishy smell unique to demonic beasts.

Following the route recorded in the "Summary of the Investigation of Laoshan", Li Shen used a concealment talisman to scan the surrounding area with his divine sense, and ventured deeper into the eastern part of Laoshan.

The mountains and forests are not peaceful.

In the distance, the occasional low growls and hisses of monsters, or the sharp cries of unknown birds could be heard.

The uneven distribution of spiritual energy in the air, with some areas being significantly denser, often indicates the presence of stronger demonic beasts.

Li Shen was completely focused, relying on the concealment talisman to avoid the demonic beasts he encountered along the way. With the power of a high-grade talisman, Li Shen walked right past them without these low-level demonic beasts noticing.

After traveling for most of the day, by afternoon, Li Shen estimated that they had penetrated about sixty li into the Laoshan Mountains.

The trees here are even taller and denser, the light is dim, and the ground is covered with a thick layer of decaying leaves, which are soft and silent when stepped on.

The concentration of spiritual energy in the air has increased significantly, but this also means that the probability of encountering higher-level demonic beasts in this area has greatly increased.

He stopped, found an ancient tree that would take several people to encircle, climbed to the middle section, and found a place to rest and recuperate.

He swallowed a Qi-restoring pill and silently circulated the Evergreen Technique to recover his depleted spiritual power.

At the same time, he immersed his divine sense into the Yin Soul Banner to observe the state of the soul slaves.

After being nourished by the Yin Soul Pill, the Soul Slave's aura has completely stabilized at the early stage of the second tier.

In those scarlet soul eyes, amidst the coldness and ferocity, there seemed to be a touch of liveliness.

"Good buddy, you'll be needed soon."

Li Shen silently recited it in his heart.

Although the purpose of this trip was to obtain the Cleansing Pulse Fruit, Li Shen did not want to let go of the Golden-Striped Leopard, which was at the peak of the late stage of the first tier, unless something unexpected happened.

After resting for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Li Shen was preparing to continue his journey when his ear suddenly twitched slightly.

His eyes suddenly flashed with a blue light, and he quickly realized that four people were rapidly approaching him!

Li Shen immediately summoned a high-grade concealment talisman, pressed his body tightly against the side and back of the tree trunk, and looked out through the gaps in the branches and leaves.

The four people happened to stop under the ancient tree where Li Shen was.

Looking down from his vantage point, Li Shen saw the four men clearly and was immediately taken aback.

The leader was a burly, middle-aged man with a gloomy face. He did not conceal his aura and was already at the peak of Qi Refining.

The three people following behind were all at the late stage of Qi Refining, two at the ninth level of Qi Refining and one at the eighth level of Qi Refining.

Li Shen even knew one of them.

It was Tang Wu, the third young master of the Tang family, whom I had met at the Zhao family banquet.

His current cultivation level is the eighth level of Qi Refining.

"Could a team of this strength also be after the Cleansing Pulse Fruit?"

A thought flashed through Li Shen's mind.

The Purifying Vein Fruit ripens only once every three hundred years, making it a rare and precious natural treasure. I am not the only one who knows its exact ripening location and time.

Li Shen had anticipated this situation.

The four of them only rested under the tree for a short while before continuing their journey.

After their figures disappeared into the depths of the forest, Li Shen waited a few more moments to make sure no one was following them before quietly sliding down the ancient tree.

"Now that Tang Wu has broken through his cultivation and his confinement has been lifted, why don't we use the Golden-Striped Leopard to eliminate this person here?"

Li Shen frowned slightly, pondering in his heart.

However, for now, the priority is to seize the Cleansing Pulse Fruit.