I run a casino in the immortal realm.

In the days that followed, Zheng Yifei's life was like a finely tuned gear, never stopping.

During the day, he would conduct almost brutal, devilish training for the three hundred inner disciples in the training ground.

From the most basic odds calculations to cracking complex cheating techniques, and even how to judge a gambler's psychological defenses through micro-expressions.

Although demonic cultivators are exceptionally gifted in killing, they are like a group of children just beginning to learn when it comes to this kind of meticulous psychological game and probability management.

Zheng Yifei ruthlessly implemented the bottom-ranking elimination system. In just half a month, more than fifty disciples who failed in mathematics or could not control their murderous aura and were unable to achieve "harmony brings wealth" were kicked back to the inner sect.

The remaining two hundred-plus people, lured by the extremely high base salary in spirit stones and the commission-based pay, unleashed an astonishing enthusiasm for learning.

In particular, the female cultivator named Hongxiu has shown exceptional talent in card dealing skills and the psychology of seduction, and has already been listed by Zheng Yifei as one of the candidates for the future Grand Steward.

In addition to the training at the gambling den, Zheng Yifei also had to spend two hours every day listening to Green Snake and White Deer's reports on the "Heavenly Demon Daily" and the Heavenly Demon Logistics Department.

The newspaper's circulation has stabilized at 250 million copies per day, and the bidding for GG pages has repeatedly reached new highs.

The logistics department has completely opened up the commercial lifeline in the southern part of the Southern Wilderness. Every day, the handling fees and insurance fees for collecting payments are a huge sum of money that would make medium-sized sects envious.

However, no matter how busy he was during the day, every time night fell, Zheng Yifei would enter the secret room without fail, activate the highest level of defensive formation, and calm down to cultivate.

Inside the secret chamber, the spirit-gathering array was operating at full speed, and the dense spiritual energy almost turned into white mist droplets.

Zheng Yifei sat cross-legged on the jade futon, the Soul-Gathering Warm Jade given to him by the "Blood Hand" vengeful spirit emitting a soft white light, enveloping his entire body in a gentle halo.

"breathe--"

As Zheng Yifei breathed steadily, the surrounding spiritual energy surged into his body through every pore of his body, like rivers flowing into the sea.

If there were outsiders here at this moment, they would be shocked to find that his speed of absorbing spiritual energy was more than twice as fast as that of an ordinary late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator!

This is the miraculous effect of the Marrow Cleansing Pool in changing one's destiny.

Originally, his mixed constitution with five spiritual roots was transformed by the powerful medicinal effects of the Marrow Cleansing Pool. His meridians were widened several times over, his bones became crystal clear, and his affinity for the spiritual energy of heaven and earth reached an incredible level.

With the continued nourishment from the immense medicinal power of the remaining Earth Spirit Marrow within his body, his current cultivation speed is even comparable to that of so-called geniuses with Heavenly Spirit Roots.

What surprised Zheng Yifei even more was the transformation of his soul brought about by the Soul-Condensing Warm Jade.

A cultivator's spiritual consciousness is usually linked to their cultivation level.

The limit of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator's spiritual sense is about three hundred meters in radius. But Zheng Yifei's eyes were closed at the moment, yet an invisible fluctuation rippled out from between his brows.

His divine sense was like an invisible net, penetrating the array of the secret chamber and the thick rock layers, spreading wildly outwards.

Within a radius of 500 meters, 800 meters... up to a radius of 1,000 meters!

Within this kilometer-long range, the chirping of autumn insects, the trails of falling leaves, and even the suppressed breathing of the patrolling disciples were all vividly reflected in his mind.

This sense of complete control put Zheng Yifei at ease.

The power of his divine sense not only means that he can detect danger in advance, but also that his success rate in resisting the backlash of inner demons when he forms his core in the future will be greatly increased.

"At my current cultivation pace, I should be able to reach the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment stage in one to two years at most."

Zheng Yifei slowly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in his deep eyes.

To leap from the mid-Foundation Establishment stage to the peak Foundation Establishment stage in just one or two years is an absolutely astonishing speed in the history of the Xuantian Sect.

But Zheng Yifei knew very well that this was all achieved by forcefully using the Heavenly Demon Sect's top-tier resources.

However, reaching the Foundation Establishment stage is just a threshold; the real life-or-death challenge is breaking through to the Golden Core stage.

For those with five spiritual roots to form a core is as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Over the tens of thousands of years of Xuantian Sect, there have been very few examples of cultivators with five spiritual roots successfully forming their cores. Without exception, they all relied on the assistance of a fourth-grade top-quality Golden Core and a top-quality Breakthrough Pill to forcibly break through the shackles of heaven and earth. Even so, the success rate was not high.

"Looks like I'll have to sound out Ye Tianqiong."

Zheng Yifei put away his cultivation technique, stood up, and realized that Zhao Ling would need at least five years to break through to the Golden Core stage and become a fourth-level alchemist. He couldn't wait any longer.

The next morning, at the main peak of the Heavenly Demon.

Ye Tianqiong leaned back on the large obsidian throne, flipping through the financial summary for last month that Zheng Yifei had just presented to him.

Looking at the string of zeros that made his heart race, even this seasoned demonic giant couldn't help but let a wild smile creep up his lips.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Ye Tianqiong said "good" three times in a row, slammed the financial statement heavily on the table, and looked at Zheng Yifei with undisguised admiration: "Yifei, you've only been in the Heavenly Demon Sect for a few months, but the spirit stones you've earned for the sect are already equivalent to the total of the past ten years!"

Yesterday, Jade Rakshasa praised you in front of me, saying that you are simply a living treasure trove.

"Tell me, what reward do you want this time? Whatever I can offer, I will give without hesitation!"

Zheng Yifei bowed slightly, his expression respectful yet neither humble nor arrogant: "Vice Sect Master is too kind. I owe my success today entirely to the platform of the Heavenly Demon Sect and the strong support of the three Vice Sect Masters."

However, I have indeed come today with a request.

"Oh? Tell me about it."

Ye Tianqiong put down his teacup and looked at him with great interest.

Zheng Yifei took a deep breath and got straight to the point: "To be honest, after being cleansed by the Marrow Cleansing Pool and with the effects of the Earth Spirit Marrow, my cultivation speed has increased by leaps and bounds."

At the current pace, I should be able to reach the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment stage within one or two years at most, and then prepare to attempt the Golden Core stage.

A hint of surprise flashed in Ye Tianqiong's eyes.

He knew that Zheng Yifei had broken through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment, but he didn't expect the kid to be so ambitious, scheduling his Core Formation process so tightly.

"This is a good thing."

Ye Tianqiong nodded. "If you can form a Golden Core, your lifespan will increase to five hundred years, allowing you to serve my Heavenly Demon Sect for even longer. What do you need?"

"This junior is dull-witted and possesses only the five spiritual roots."

Zheng Yifei raised his head and looked directly at Ye Tianqiong: "If you want to form your core safely, you must rely on external forces."

Therefore, this junior would like to humbly inquire of the Vice Sect Master whether the Heavenly Demon Sect's treasury contains any top-grade fourth-tier 'Golden Core Pills' and 'Barrier Breakthrough Pills'?

If there are no readily available pills, I wonder if any fourth-level alchemy masters in the sect could refine some for me?

"I'm willing to use my share of the profits to cover all the necessary spiritual herbs and materials, and even the alchemist's appearance fee."

Upon hearing the names "Golden Core" and "Barrier Breaking Pill," Ye Tianqiong was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahaha... Yifei, you're incredibly smart, how could you make such a mistake on this matter?"

Ye Tianqiong laughed and shook his head repeatedly, pointing at Zheng Yifei and saying, "Have you been staying in the Xuantian Sect for too long and come to think that all cultivators in the world use the same method to form their core?"

Zheng Yifei frowned slightly, a vague sense of unease rising in his heart: "What does the Vice Sect Master mean by this? Does it mean that cultivators of the Heavenly Demon Sect do not need to form a Golden Core?"

"Of course not!"

Ye Tianqiong's smile vanished, replaced by an arrogant and cold expression: "The Golden Core and Barrier Breaking Pills you speak of are things used by those hypocrites from the Xuantian Sect who claim to be righteous and advocate 'moderation, peace, and conformity to the Way of Heaven'!"

They feared death, the backlash, and their inner demons, which is why they used lukewarm pills to carefully protect their meridians and slowly condense the golden core.

Ye Tianqiong stood up, and a violent Nascent Soul stage aura flashed through the hall, like a prehistoric beast awakening: "But our Heavenly Demon Sect is different! We cultivate the demonic path and walk the path of defying the heavens and seizing life!"

The cultivation techniques of the Heavenly Demon Sect and its subordinate sects have always been known for being extreme, domineering, and even evil.

He walked up to Zheng Yifei, looked down at him, and said in a deep, thunderous voice: "In the demonic path, to form a core, one does not rely on the nourishment of pills, but on a desperate burst of energy that leads to survival!"

For example, when disciples of the Blood Sea Sect form their core, they need to drain the blood and qi of all the demonic beasts within a hundred miles and forcibly compress it into a Blood Fiend Golden Core within their bodies.

For example, the "Hehuan Sect" relies on absorbing and replenishing the energy of extreme yin or yang, and the yin and yang converge to break through the bottleneck in an instant.

For example, my Heavenly Demon Sect's "Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique" requires shattering all the meridians in the body before forming the Golden Core, and then reshaping it amidst extreme pain and destruction!

Zheng Yifei gasped in shock.

Shattered meridians rebuilt into the golden elixir? Drained qi and blood?

This isn't cultivation; it's a reckless test of the gates of hell! No wonder they're called heretics by outsiders; the mortality rate for this kind of cultivation is ridiculously high.

"So, do you understand now?"

Ye Tianqiong patted Zheng Yifei on the shoulder: "Most of the alchemists in the Heavenly Demon Sect are proficient in poison pills, berserk pills, or potent medicines that replenish qi and blood."

As for the "Supreme Golden Elixir" and "Supreme Barrier-Breaking Elixir" that the Xuantian Sect emphasizes in terms of stability and balance, we not only do not have them readily available here, but we also do not have the relevant formulas.

Because for demonic cultivators, those kinds of pills are too mild in their effects, completely unable to stimulate their desperate potential; they are utterly useless.

Zheng Yifei's heart sank.

There's no Golden Core! Not even a formula.