Chapter 164: Chapter 68: Late Stage of Foundation Establishment

Linglong Island is located at the westernmost edge of the Five Elders Association Sea Domain, serving as the first point of contact with the mainland.

At present, the entire Linglong Island is under heavy guard, with strict vigilance.

The Five Elders Association Sea Domain has maintained its heritage for over a thousand years, rich in marine resources, and has been in contact with the mainland for hundreds of years, yet it has never suffered an attack from any mainland force.

The reason for this is mainly twofold:

Firstly, the distance between the mainland and the sea domain is considerable, with frequent spirit energy storms. Without special spirit ships or cultivators beyond the True Core Level, it is difficult to cross safely.

Secondly, although the highest cultivator in the Five Elders Association Sea Domain is only at the early stage of True Core, with only one such cultivator and three Fake Pill cultivators beneath him,

the unconventional Foundation Establishment method passed down through the years has resulted in a large number of Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators across the various islands in the sea domain.

Even Linglong Island alone has no less than a thousand Foundation Establishment cultivators, all serving as guards for the Island Lord, boasting overall strength superior to that of the cultivation countries south of the Spirit Scarce lands of the Eastern Desolate Southern Domain mainland.

Li Jizhou slowly approached.

“Who goes there?” The defense guards blocked Li Jizhou.

“I am just a resident of the island,” Li Jizhou spoke while pulling out his identity jade talisman.

The guards verified it without error and returned the talisman to Li Jizhou: “Old man, try not to wander around lately; stay put on the island.”

“May I ask, what has happened?”

“Don’t ask too much, we’re all here guarding under the Island Lord’s orders, just go back!”

Li Jizhou nodded slightly, speaking no more, and returned to his residence.

He wasn’t much concerned with the island’s upheaval.

With a thorough understanding of the Five Elders Association Sea Domain’s situation, Li Jizhou no longer trembled like he used to at Inverted Mountain.

This confidence now mainly comes from the Tier Three Great Demon Gua Gua.

Activating the restriction, regardless of the impending storm outside, Li Jizhou first checked on Gua Gua to confirm that only recuperation was needed, and recovery would be possible in half a month.

Then, he communicated with Bai Yi via divine sense; ever since Gua Gua formed a demon pill half a year ago, it offered a drop of essence, which has been nurtured in the dantian for over half a year, and is almost fully restored.

Once his most secret and strongest trump card was Bai Yi, now Gua Gua and Bai Yi are on equal footing, called the twin aces.

“The loss of three quasi-Third Tier puppets needs quick replenishment!”

However, what concerned Li Jizhou most at this moment was his life weapon.

Once he crafts his life weapon and nurtures it for over ten years, it could almost communicate with his mind, as effortlessly controlled as a limb, surpassing even the control over a magical artifact. Crucially, it doesn’t require the corresponding divine soul and vast magical power like controlling a magical artifact, and its power will gradually increase with the nurturing time.

It’s foreseeable that once Li Jizhou obtains a life weapon, one day it will be his greatest trump card.

What a stunning emergence!

Taking out the Tier Four Dragon Saliva Cold Gold, Li Jizhou’s face showed anticipation.

“Bai Yi!” A gentle call, the now-energetic Bai Yi emerged from the dantian.

“Try it!”

Li Jizhou led Bai Yi to the Artifact Refining Room, set up with a three-layer Tier One fire gathering array.

In the center of the Artifact Refining Room is a framework built with Tier Two materials.

The initial experiment to see if Bai Yi can melt Tier Four materials, Li Jizhou dared not try it inside the dantian.

In case Bai Yi gets fierce and unintentionally unleashes the destructive power of True Flame, it could be somewhat dangerous.

Li Jizhou placed the Dragon Saliva Cold Gold on the framework, Bai Yi cleverly jumped over, as if melting Tier Two puppet materials without a shred of pressure.

However, after Bai Yi’s True Flame roasted it for a moment, whereas Tier Two metals should have melted, the Dragon Saliva Cold Gold remained unmoving, showing no signs of melting.

“?” Having ingested the Four Nether True Flame, Bai Yi’s flames showed hints of division, and it was slightly bewildered.

“This is Tier Four material, try harder.” Li Jizhou smiled encouragingly.

Bai Yi instantly understood and immediately intensified the fire…

Two hours later, Li Jizhou nodded, putting away the exhausted Bai Yi.

“It’s alright, you did very well!”

Then, looking at the slightly melted Dragon Saliva Cold Gold, he shook his head helplessly.

No wonder it’s Tier Four material on par with Nascent Soul True Monarch.

For Bai Yi to melt a bit of it now is already quite impressive.

“Either wait for Bai Yi’s advancement to Tier Three Late Stage in hopes of success, or… try to get a high-level Tier Two Gang Fire Array as support…” But whichever option, none are immediately doable for Li Jizhou at present.

For now, the plan to craft his life weapon is set aside.

Li Jizhou did not inquire about worldly matters and focused on cultivation.

Half a year later, Jiang Li visited.

Since ten months ago, when the main island restricted Jiang Li’s purchase of Tier Two Late Stage demon cores, resulting in injuries during his personal hunt of Tier Two demon beasts with his guard team, there was no further treatment.

But this time, visiting, Li Jizhou perceived that his mood seemed rather good.

However, Li Jizhou didn’t ask about the island’s changes, nor did Jiang Li bring it up.

Only routinely delivering demon cores for treatment.

Regarding Jiang Li, Li Jizhou has already gauged her character. Despite appearing respectful in his presence, in the hearts of the island’s residents,

she is seen as the island’s empress!

Strategic, skilled, and bold.

After Jiang Li left, Li Jizhou carefully screened the high-grade Tier Two demon cores brought this time.

In recent years, every time Jiang Li delivered demon cores, Li Jizhou would retain two to refine Blood Spirit Pills for Gua Gua as a form of compensation.

And now, with Gua Gua’s successful advancement, there’s no need to reserve any for Gua Gua, but he still needs to refine two quasi-Third Tier puppets fused with demon cores.

Three months ago, after Gua Gua recovered, with its Tier Three Great Demon strength and proficiency in concealing its presence and Earth Escape, it roamed freely in and out of Linglong Island.

In these three months, Gua Gua brought back a wealth of materials to Li Jizhou, enough to craft two puppets.

After sensing each high-grade Tier Two demon core brought by Jiang Li, Li Jizhou felt slightly disappointed as none exhibited special talents suitable for puppets.

“You still need to hunt two demon beasts of at least Late Stage Tier Two with special bloodline abilities, preferably those with explosive attack types!” Li Jizhou could only place his hopes on Guagua once more.

He had told Guagua about this three months ago.

Yet, for three whole months, with its Tier Three Great Demon strength, it still hadn’t brought back a single Demon Core!

Li Jizhou was somewhat dissatisfied with this, but a Tier Three Great Demon like Guagua could no longer be threatened as he had before.

“Gua~” Guagua nodded reluctantly.

——

Pearl Jade Island.

“Smash!” Yan Wenjue shattered the Communication Jade Talisman from Han Zhuo into pieces.

Since the last time a cultivator with the surname Huang successfully formed a Core with a Spirit Pet, Han Zhuo had completely vanished without a trace, failing to respond to countless messages.

Just now, it was discovered that the opponent’s Communication Talisman had long been broken.

“That ingrate! Has he forgotten the protection we offered him in our past days together after obtaining a Tier Three demon beast? Has he forgotten the nights I spent with him?”

“At a time when we need him most, he’s disappeared!”

Yan Wenjue was fuming with anger.

Just then, someone walked in from outside.

“Wenjue, still no contact from him?”

“Father, no…”

Yan Zhen wore a sullen expression, silent for a long while.

Six months ago, the main island suddenly ordered the Seven Islands to cease contact with the mainland, to close the sea and lock the island.

This decree was especially directed at Linglong Island, which had the most frequent exchanges with the mainland.

And the girl from Linglong Island showed no resistance during the main island’s leadership meeting, yet upon returning to Linglong Island, she publicly opposed it, listing twenty pros and cons of trade with righteous indignation.

The majority of these points favored the Sea Domain and could fundamentally change the future development of the Sea Domain.

The main proposal was to give hope to the ambitious to reach new heights.

It could be said that it publicly slapped the visibly conceited Five Elders Association in the face.

Her strong stance surprised and commanded the respect of the other six islands.

The deeds of the main island of the Five Elders Association, once having allied with the Three Nether Demons to harm the Sea Domain’s compatriots, were remembered by all.

Subsequently, the situation gradually escalated, and the main island’s four real men of the Han family threatened to annihilate Jiang Li for disrupting the Sea Domain’s stability.

However, Jiang Li was already prepared, with eight thousand island guards standing by and quickly forming an alliance with Yellow Sand Island to jointly resist the main island.

The main island then ordered the other five islands to join them in suppression.

The result was, Pearl Jade Island and the other five islands obeyed the proclamation but ignored the command.

In half a year, the main island gradually fell into a disadvantage in the standoff with Linglong Island and Yellow Sand Island.

Pearl Jade Island had long harbored intentions of overthrowing the main island but remained indecisive.

During this time, Yan Zhen was waiting for a response from Han Zhuo.

Once Han Zhuo returned, his Four Nether Demon Flame, plus the newly emerged Tier Three Great Demon, would be a sharp blade.

The three Tier Three Fake Pill Level demon beasts secretly cultivated by Pearl Jade Island, combined with Han Zhuo, had the confidence to join forces with Linglong Island to overthrow the main island in one fell swoop and directly take the Five Elders Association’s seat, uniting the Sea Domain!

Now that Han Zhuo was unheard of, Yan Zhen worried that even if they overthrew the main island’s Han family now, they might not be confident enough to take their place.

Especially considering the greatest treasure Han Zhuo told him about, the Profound Crystal Fruit, meant for Golden Core Formation, would not be his to monopolize!

“Keep searching!” Eventually, Yan Zhen decided to wait a little longer.

——-

A year later,

On this day, Li Jizhou slowly ended his cultivation, a faint smile appearing on his face.

“Late Stage of Foundation Establishment!”

At the age of seventy, Li Jizhou finally stepped into the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment.

He reached Foundation Establishment at forty, and the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment at fifty-four,

nearly fifty years earlier than in his past life!

Apart from the Middle Grade Spirit Root in this life, the characteristic of the Evergreen Skill, which cycled one revolution per day and one round per year, offered increasing benefits over time.

Of course, this was still incomparable to Top-Grade Spirit Root, Earth Spirit Root, and Celestial Spirit Root.

However, Li Jizhou was already very satisfied with this.

He had great hopes of achieving Core Formation before the age of one hundred in this life!

“Core Formation!” Li Jizhou slowly looked toward the main island.

There lies the Profound Crystal Fruit, one of the top three spiritual objects for Core Formation in the area.

It was his hope for Golden Core Formation and even his chance to aspire to the Nascent Soul.

Throughout this year, he occasionally heard the sounds of military array battles, but they seemed to focus on the Sea Domain between the main island and Linglong Island.

As for the outcome, Li Jizhou hadn’t seen it.

But, one emperor, plus seven great vassals.

This situation already destined the conclusion.

Who ultimately sat on the imperial throne was irrelevant to him, and he didn’t care; he only watched carefully when the main island would be breached!

Half a year ago, he had already directed Guagua to bury several Tier Two Eavesdropping Talismans around the main island.

Once there was any commotion, he would be the first to know.

Thinking of Guagua, Li Jizhou frowned slightly. A year had passed, and that fellow still had not brought back a single Demon Core!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep