Fantasy: Starting with a bowl, you can exchange it for endless cultivation.

Ordinary fourth-grade spiritual herbs can only nourish the physical body and improve cultivation, with negligible enhancement to the soul. But this fourth-grade Lycoris Radiata is completely different.

It naturally contains the duality of Yin and Yang and the power of the soul's origin. It can not only help cultivators in the Core Formation stage break through the Grandmaster barrier, but also temper the soul and strengthen its power. Even ordinary third-grade Grandmaster level experts would flock to it and fight for it like crazy.

With his current soul strength at the peak of the Grandmaster realm, refining this flower will surely allow his soul to advance further, reaching the Sage level.

At that time, the power of "Soul Piercer" will also increase dramatically, and its trump card will become even more formidable.

Just as Gu Chen moved slightly, preparing to step onto the water and pluck the heart flower of the lake.

Beneath the surface of the lake, the once calm waters suddenly surged, and towering mist burst forth!

Boom!

A violent burst of water-based demonic power erupted, and the icy water pressure swept across the entire lake surface. The lake water churned wildly, forming a huge whirlpool. A chilling, ferocious, and heavy demonic pressure locked onto Gu Chen on the shore!

Splash!

A huge splash of water shot into the sky, and a jet-black behemoth, tens of feet long, burst out of the water. Its scales were menacing and gleamed with a cold light. It was covered with the unique Xuan Shui patterns of ancient alien species. Each scale was as hard as black iron and reflected a cold light.

Its head was ferocious and its vertical pupils were blood-red. Its forked tongue carried a deadly and chilling aura. Its massive body was coiled on the lake surface, and the aura it emitted alone was enough to suppress the surrounding spiritual energy and stop its flow.

Mysterious Water Python!

This is the guardian beast of this rare and precious plant, an ancient and exotic bloodline!

Gu Chen's eyes narrowed, and he instantly saw through the other party's background.

This Xuan Shui Python, on the surface, is only at the Great Perfection of the Fourth-Rank Core Formation Realm, seemingly on par with the Flame Demon Crocodile of the Flame Mountain. However, due to the pure ancient Xuan Shui bloodline flowing in its body, it possesses unique talent and is blessed with water-based Dao principles throughout its body. Its physical body, defense, explosive power, and water-based supernatural abilities all far surpass those of ordinary Fourth-Rank demonic beasts.

His true combat strength has already firmly entered the early stage of the third-grade Grandmaster realm!

Equivalent to a true human grandmaster!

The enormous snake eyes stared intently at Gu Chen, filled with extreme ferocity and vigilance.

It has guarded this four-turn spider lily for hundreds of years, and has long since designated this place as its absolute territory, never allowing any outsiders to trespass.

A deep roar rolled out from the depths of its throat, the sound waves causing ripples to spread across the lake. A vast amount of water-based spiritual energy condensed around it, and countless water blades formed in mid-air, flashing with cold light and exuding a chilling killing intent.

Gu Chen held the Blood-Transforming Blade, his grip on the hilt slightly loose. A faint blood-red halo flowed across the dark blade, his killing intent restrained, and his aura calm and undisturbed.

The copper body quietly began to operate, and the terrifying power hidden within its flesh and muscles was poised to be unleashed. The divine soul, comparable to that of a late-stage Grandmaster, spread out and enveloped the entire lake area.

Every fluctuation of demonic power and every premonition of movement of the Xuan Shui Python was clearly perceived by him.

A man and a python stand facing off across the distance, a great battle is about to break out!

Just then, a series of sharp, piercing sounds came from the sky, the sword light was fierce and the sound of it cutting through the air was ear-piercing!

Dozens of bluish-white sword lights pierced the sky, carrying a uniform sword momentum, and sped towards the lake in the center.

This group of people exuded a sharp aura and maintained excellent order, clearly indicating that they were a team from a major sect that had already assembled in this region.

People from the Qingyun Sword Sect!

Gu Chen's eyes turned slightly cold as he instantly recognized the other party's sect-style blue-white sword robe and the rhythm of the sword light.

A cold laugh escaped his lips; it truly was a case of enemies meeting again.

In mid-air, thirty-seven figures stood on swords, hovering neatly above the lake. They were all dressed in the uniform of the Qingyun Sword Sect, each carrying a sword, and their bodies were surrounded by sword energy.

These thirty-seven people are at least at the late True Essence Realm, most are at the Breaking Aperture Realm, and the rest are at the Transformation Sea Realm and Core Formation Realm. The team is complete and their combat strength is not bad.

They are among the stronger teams in the eight factions.

At the very front of the group stood a tall, handsome young man in white robes carrying a sword. His face was cold and stern, and his brows held the arrogance and indifference of a disciple from a prestigious sect. His sword energy was as condensed as water, and his aura was heavy and steady. He was none other than Lin Feng, the leader of this district of the Qingyun Sword Sect!

A cultivator at the Great Perfection of the Fourth-Rank Core Formation Realm!

As a talented young disciple of the Qingyun Sword Sect, Lin Feng has a solid foundation, exquisite skills, and is proficient in the Qingyun Sword Sect's inherited sword formation.

Thirty-seven disciples joined forces to set up the Azure Cloud Heavenly Sword Formation. With the enhancement of the formation, his overall combat power was able to surge instantly, forcibly touching the threshold of the early stage of the third-grade Grandmaster realm.

The power to rank among the songs.

First, the dynasty; second, the gate; third, the outer gate; fourth, the sect; fifth, the family.

Six palaces, seven halls, eight factions, nine top streams, and ten merchant guilds.

They all possess considerable cultural and intellectual heritage.

The disciples who enter the secret realm will eventually gather into a team.

At that time, the leader at the Core Formation stage will deploy a joint formation.

This can improve the overall strength of the entire team.

This is the difference between top-tier forces and independent cultivators.

This is also why even the strongest rogue cultivators dare not provoke those from top-tier forces.

The gazes of the Qingyun Sword Sect members instantly focused on Gu Chen on the shore, then turned to the two-colored flower in the center of the lake, their eyes instantly filled with greed and cold killing intent.

"Has someone discovered this medicinal herb first?"

"He seems to be a rogue cultivator in the late stage of the Core Formation Realm, judging from his clothes and appearance."

The disciples leading the group whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with the arrogance and disdain unique to top disciples, completely disregarding Gu Chen, who was all alone.

Lin Feng glanced at him indifferently, and with a simple scan of Gu Chen's cultivation level, he confirmed that the other party was only at the late stage of the Core Formation Realm. His disdain deepened.

In the secret realm, rogue cultivators are the most lowly. Without the support of sect techniques, the assistance of formations, or the accumulation of resources, they are always inferior to sect disciples of the same realm.

Although Gu Chen's strength reached the fourth rank.

In his view, it was simply overestimating his own abilities for a lone cultivator in the late stage of Core Formation to covet a fourth-grade spiritual flower.

At this moment, the disciple in the group who had been spared by Gu Chen when he rescued Xiao Fan frowned slightly. After carefully checking the information on Gu Chen, he whispered, "Senior Brother Lin, this rogue cultivator seems to be the same one who killed our junior brother at the Sea Transformation Realm a few days ago and rescued Xiao Fan from us!"

Gu Chen's attire had just changed, and his aura had broken through from the mid-stage of the Core Formation Realm to the late-stage of the Core Formation Realm.

This made him somewhat uncertain.

Only after carefully confirming the aura on Gu Chen's body and the Blood-Transforming Blade.

Only then could I be certain.

He spoke up, addressing the others who had been spared by Gu Chen earlier.

They all chimed in, "That's right, it's him."

"He robbed all of our things a few days ago and even rescued Xiao Fan."

Upon hearing this, the entire Qingyun Sword Sect team instantly turned icy cold, and all eyes locked onto Gu Chen, filled with murderous intent.

Upon hearing this, Lin Feng's brows furrowed with icy intent, and his previously indifferent eyes were now completely veiled in murderous intent: "So it was you."

They have been searching for Gu Chen for the past few days, but despite asking around with some allied forces, they still haven't found any news about him.

I never expected to run into you here today.