Lin Chang’an, who had just made a breakthrough and was in a good mood, couldn’t help but widen his eyes when he saw that the Cyan-Horned Bull was still at Tier Two initial stage.

“How long has it been? Every year it consumes so many of my Spirit Stones. If you can’t break through to Tier Two middle stage within two years, find yourself a big cauldron.”

The bull’s eyes instantly widened, and it mooed pitifully in protest.

It’s unfair to the bull! Master, you’re consuming elixirs for cultivation, occasionally practicing Dual Cultivation Secret Technique, but what about it?

What does it have?

Just this little pond outside, not even a single cow, let alone elixirs.

“Moo, moo!”

Seeing the Cyan-Horned Bull’s grievance, Lin Chang’an remained indifferent. He decided to take the bull on a hunting trip to increase its intensity, hoping it might break through sooner.

Then, he placed the Cyan-Horned Bull into the Spirit Beast Bag.

But the bewildered Cyan-Horned Bull had no idea what kind of challenge awaited it on this trip.

“This time, give it your all. At that point, I’ll strive to get you an extra Demon Core to help you break through.”

Lin Chang’an then disguised himself, used the Breath Concealment Technique to control his cultivation to the early stage Foundation Establishment, and left the cave dwelling, heading towards the market trading area.

After purchasing some supplies, he disappeared from Celestial Profound City and headed towards the Cloud Mist Mountain Range.

A few days after Lin Chang’an left Celestial Profound City,

two Loose Cultivators, disguised, passed by the outskirts of Celestial Profound City, when one of them sensed movement in the Spirit Beast Bag at his waist.

“There’s prey coming out.”

“Let’s hurry back and report to Senior Brother Huang.”

“These ignorant Loose Cultivators have no idea about Senior Brother Huang’s Earth Dragon Beast’s mysteries.”

“Indeed, Senior Brother Huang is truly generous, using the young Earth Dragon Beast’s blood to cultivate Spirit Fruits. This aura can only be confirmed by that mother beast as her own child.”

The two cultivators, feigning as Loose Cultivators, secretly communicated with casual smiles as they headed into Celestial Profound City.

No one would have guessed that the notorious Tribulation Cultivators were hiding within Celestial Profound City all along.

However, Lin Chang’an was unaware of all this, cautiously delving deeper into the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, searching for suitable prey.

…

Inside Celestial Profound City.

One day, Chen Wen came to see Pill Master Song.

“Pill Master Song, if there’s nothing important, can you refrain from contacting me? It’s easy to get into trouble this way. And when exactly can I lead the Chen Family out of Celestial Profound City?”

Chen Wen’s face was ashen. Ever since he reached Foundation Establishment, he got entangled with these Tribulation Cultivators.

Fortunately, this group wasn’t purely Tribulation Cultivators; they were part of Li Huo Palace, which made him think about joining Li Huo Palace.

Going to Li Huo Palace, one of the Three Major Sects in Yue Kingdom, is better than being anxious in Celestial Profound City.

“Friend Chen, why be in such a hurry?”

“How can I not be anxious? You said Li Huo Palace would take in the Chen Family. Now I’m living in Celestial Profound City on edge, dreading the day my grandfather finds out.”

“Enough, the target you were watching finally left the city. It’s been a year.”

Pill Master Song sneered coldly; with such little courage, how could he be a Tribulation Cultivator?

If it weren’t for the Chen Family’s clear background, making them suitable candidates, he wouldn’t bother with such cowardly Loose Cultivators.

“Left the city!”

Upon hearing this, Chen Wen was initially stunned, then quickly realized.

He had sent out only two Spirit Fruits in total; one was traded at a trade fair, and that person disappeared half a year ago.

So it could only be the other one.

“Lin Chang’an!”

Thinking of this person, Chen Wen was filled with resentment. If Lin Chang’an had helped him exchange for two Foundation Establishment Pills back then, he wouldn’t have gotten entangled with the Tribulation Cultivators.

This is all Lin Chang’an’s fault!

“Rest assured, even if it fails, it won’t be connected to us. After all, we’re victims too. Who would have thought the Spirit Fruit was problematic?”

Pill Master Song, despite his age, maintained a calm demeanor. This wasn’t the first time such a thing happened.

All experienced Tribulation Cultivator friends know that staying calm at all times is crucial.

…

Deep in the Cloud Mist Mountain Range.

Amidst the dense miasma, came a shrill insect chirping, coupled with the angry roar of the Cyan-Horned Bull.

“Moo!”

With white steam snorting from its nostrils, the furious Cyan-Horned Bull impaled the insect that was painfully grabbing onto its face.

Simultaneously, blood-red Sword Aura attacked from all directions.

Amidst the splattering green poison, the demon beast emitted a piercing insect chirp.

This made Lin Chang’an frown. Holding the Cyan Bamboo Sword, with his meridians already injured inside, the forcibly activated sword aura’s power was even doubled.

“Puchi!”

Eventually, under the joint effort of both man and beast, the demon beast lost its life.

“That ear-piercing insect sound turned out to be a divine sense attack.”

Looking at the poisonous insect finally slain, Lin Chang’an frowned as he revealed a pained expression by the side of a large tree.

Now his head was truly buzzing with pain.

This was also the first time he encountered such a beast capable of launching a divine sense attack.

“Luckily, over the past few years, under the feedback of my Lifebound Spirit Plant, my divine sense has already matched the late-stage Foundation Establishment. Otherwise, today I wouldn’t have been half-alive from the pain.”

This kind of piercing pain on the divine sense is indescribable—dizziness, nausea, and a tingly pain all over, yet it wasn’t the pain of flesh and blood.

“Moo!”

If Lin Chang’an only experienced a pain in his divine sense, then the Cyan-Horned Bull venting its anger beside the corpse certainly endured the dual agony of the flesh.

Despite the armor’s protection, the poisonous insect’s sharp barbs carved trails of rolling blood and flesh on its head and body.

“Moo, moo!”

The Cyan-Horned Bull vented its anger, continuously puffing white smoke from its nostrils.

“Alright, I’ll heal you right away.”

Rubbing his temples, under the infusion of Evergreen Mana, the wounds on the Cyan-Horned Bull began visibly healing.

Demon beasts inherently have strong constitutions, and one like the Cyan-Horned Bull, with its thick skin and tough flesh, is even more formidable.

Now, with the aid of Lin Chang’an’s Evergreen Mana, its self-healing ability greatly increased.

“This Tier Two Middle Stage poisonous insect was not recorded in the Spirit Insect Treasure Manual; it should have come from deep within the Cloud Mist Mountain Range. Didn’t expect it to be so troublesome.”

Quickly tidying up the battlefield, Lin Chang’an carefully collected the insect’s mouthparts capable of launching a divine sense attack.

Then, mounting the Cyan-Horned Bull, Lin Chang’an left the place.

While on the road, atop the bull, he pulled out the Spirit Insect Treasure Manual he purchased from the market, which detailed the kinds and attack methods of spirit insects within the Cloud Mist Mountain Range.

But it’s ultimately a common item and lacks a full record.

Thus, Lin Chang’an took out a Spiritual Brush and documented the spirit insect in the blank section of a Jade Scroll.

At the same time, he was a bit in doubt about why spirit insects from deep within the Cloud Mist Mountain Range would come to the outside?

Two months later.

In an underground cave located in a place heavily infested with miasma.

The Cyan-Horned Bull let out ingratiating mooing sounds, and within this damp cave, it did not stink of corruption like outside.

However, the environment was extremely beautiful, surrounded by accompanying Spirit Grass.

“You gluttonous clumsy bull, these accompanying Spirit Grass are one of the main ingredients for refining Tier Two Elixirs, you can’t just waste them by gulping like this.”

With a face full of excitement, Lin Chang’an cautiously dug out each plant of Spirit Grass and stored them in his Storage Bag.

The Cyan-Horned Bull nearby was drooling with greed; it was at the peak of Tier Two initial stage.

When demon beasts are at a crucial threshold, their bloodline power makes them greedier for Spirit Grass and Spirit Fruits, which aid in breakthroughs.

This is also the instinct of demon beasts.

“Don’t worry, these few stalks need another ten years of nurture to reach optimal condition; when the time comes, there’ll be some for you.”

It’s not that Lin Chang’an was stingy, but these accompanying Spirit Grass were still young, which is why the lair’s demon beast hadn’t used them.

Otherwise, why would any be left for him?

“It’s just a pity about these Storage Bags and cultivators.”

After scouring the place, Lin Chang’an led the Cyan-Horned Bull out, looking at piles of bones outside the lair along with the cultivators’ Storage Bags and Dharma Robes.

Lin Chang’an shook his head with regret.

Miasma is highly toxic to living creatures, and even under long-term erosion, Magical Artifacts and Spiritual Energy would lose spirituality, ultimately becoming a pile of scrap iron.

There wasn’t a single one worth salvaging.

“It’s said that only the Magical Treasures of Core Formation Cultivators are impervious to most of the world’s toxins and remain unaffected even with the passage of time.”

Feeling wistful, Lin Chang’an was filled with longing for Core Formation Cultivators.

“I wonder when I will be able to achieve Core Formation!”

Thinking of this, Lin Chang’an sighed inwardly. Despite only being one stage away from Core Formation, the gap between mid-stage Foundation Establishment and Core Formation is as vast as the distance to the horizon.

Even in the entire Yue Kingdom, there are not two hundred late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, likely not even a hundred.

But only the Three Major Sects have achievers of Core Formation over the years.

Even Master Lu traveled far to the Demon Beast Abyss to achieve Core Formation.

It shows how difficult Core Formation is for cultivators.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep