"Senior, I am unable to reach Master Shi..."

"The only communication artifact was destroyed."

Xue Feng'e's face turned deathly pale as she stared blankly at the fragments of the Communication Bead, her eyes brimming with despair. The Communication Bead was a one-time-use artifact, which would be damaged after activation, whether the attempt was successful or not. There was only one Communication Bead given by Shi Bai, and it was impossible to make further contact.

Further away, the Sword Washing Pavilion Master Mei Shuye and Mei Chengyan lay on the ground, their faces as white as ash. Fist-sized holes bled profusely in their abdomens, and their spiritual power was rapidly draining.

"HAHA! Everything is ruined! HAHA!" Mei Shuye's hair looked withered, his face carried the gloom of impending death, and he let out a maniacal laugh.

Though not yet dead, with their Dantian destroyed, their fate was not much different from death. The Dantian is the lifeline of a cultivator; once breached, there might be a chance for recovery if attended to promptly. Once their realm plummeted and their spiritual power was lost, they turned into ordinary people with no cultivation. Having already exceeded a mortal's lifespan, their remaining days were few. For a Golden Core Mid-Stage Cultivator to end up like this was too tragic.

I shouldn't have meddled...

Ah! It was I who caused your doom...

Mei Chengyan's hair was streaked with white, his face resembled dead ashes, gone was his previous air of refinement and grace, and his eyes were filled with regret. The father he cherished and the beautiful Dao companion he was about to marry had all perished by his own hands. All of this... was the result of his own folly.

The Mei father and son had obtained two Top Grade Golden Core Formation Pills; one was reserved for Mei Chengyan to use for Core Condensation. The other was exchanged for three ordinary Golden Core Formation Pills. These were taken back to the Sword Washing Pavilion to complete their task, an arrangement that, up to that point, seemed satisfactory. Exchanging one Top Grade Golden Core Formation Pill for three ordinary ones was not difficult, and they found Seven Seas Tower for the exchange. Top Grade Golden Core Formation Pills were rare. Seven Seas Tower had no reason not to trade and mobilized its resources to gather three ordinary Golden Core Formation Pills. The exchange went smoothly, and all seemed well.

"Which Grandmaster crafted this pill?" This question from a Golden Core expert of Seven Seas Tower completely changed the trio's fate. Seven Seas Tower hadn't held much expectation and had only asked casually. They could have easily brushed off the question without any trouble.

Displeased with Shi Bai, Mei Chengyan began to harbor thoughts of using this situation to eliminate Shi Bai and gain some benefits. To lend credibility, he presented a Condensing Spirit Pill, a Red Spirit Pill, and a Spirit Origin Pill, each bearing three elixir patterns. Three-Patterned Pills, Top Grade Golden Core Formation Pills... all attested to the level of an Alchemy Grandmaster. Seven Seas Tower's strongest Alchemist was far inferior. With such an Alchemist, how could the Sect not prosper and produce a generation of talents! No matter where this person came from, Seven Seas Tower was willing to snatch them up! As long as things were done cleanly, the trouble would be within an acceptable range.

The Nascent Soul True Monarch of Seven Seas Tower was even alerted and personally came to the Eastern Forest Market to oversee the situation. To ensure the news wouldn't leak and attract the revenge of this person's powerful backers, they had to kill to silence anyone involved.

Mei Chengyan, coveting the rewards he anticipated, had revealed everything. Seven Seas Tower, however, wasn't just interested in the Alchemy Grandmaster; they also coveted the Top Grade Golden Core Formation Pill and planned to make it a 'no-cost transaction'—taking both and eliminating the source. Mei Chengyan's attempt to steal a chicken had only led to him losing the rice; he didn't get the Top Grade Golden Core Formation Pill and instead ended up in such a dire situation. He was green with regret! With the Top Grade Golden Core Formation Pill, his future had been bright, ruined by a single moment of folly...

Mei Shuye, betrayed by his son, couldn't escape the consequences. Xue Feng'e, suffering an undeserved calamity, was caught along with them. She was made responsible for luring Shi Bai over. Everything was prepared meticulously, guaranteed to be foolproof, but in the end... the connection failed.

"The communication artifact is a consumable type—he's certainly a cautious fellow! The Alchemy Grandmaster can no longer be contacted."

"Kill them!" an indifferent voice sounded from above the high platform, pronouncing the trio's fate.

The Seven Seas True Monarch strode out from the shadows, his eyes devoid of any emotion.

"I can find a way to bring that person here, and I am willing to become your concubine..." Terror flooded Xue Feng'e's eyes. She regretted not leaving immediately after receiving the Golden Core Formation Pill, thus being dragged into the Mei family's plight. Alas, it was too late for regrets. Desperate to live, Xue Feng'e had to cast aside her pride and grovel. This was the only way to survive, and she would pay any price.

As a Nascent Soul Cultivator who had seen countless beauties, the Seven Seas True Monarch found Xue Feng'e's attractiveness insufficient to change his mind.

"I have another way. I know a woman who has an extraordinary relationship with Shi Bai; she surely has a means to contact him." Realizing her beauty was futile against a Nascent Soul Cultivator, Xue Feng'e clung to her last straw, begging for her life.

"Very well, I'll give you one chance," the Seven Seas True Monarch said, a smile flickering at the corner of his mouth. "As long as you can invite the Alchemy Grandmaster here, you may live."

Xue Feng'e muttered desolately to herself, tears streaming down her cheeks, "I'm sorry, I just want... to survive."

She tried contacting Luo Yuzhu with the communication artifact; Luo Yuzhu had an unusual relationship with Shi Bai and would likely be able to reach him. But there was no response from the communication artifact... Luo Yuzhu was not within contact range. She remembered Luo Yuzhu had departed with her master on a long journey; she just hadn't expected it to be during these very days.

"NO!!!!"

Xue Feng'e completely lost all means to contact Shi Bai.

「…」

A Five-Pattern Golden Core Formation Pill increases the success rate of Core Condensation by sixty percent, making it one of the highest quality Golden Core Formation Pills ever. This is a treasured dream sought after by countless individuals! With this pill in hand, there's no need to maximize the Seven Revolutions Mysterious Primordial Secret Technique to guarantee the highest chance of forming a Golden Core.

Jia Ren solemnly stored away the freshly refined Five-Pattern Golden Core Formation Pill, unable to hide his smile. Successfully forming a Golden Core was almost certain. The only possible disruption would be external threats.

The location for Core Condensation was of utmost importance, affecting one's safety and the success of the process. The Eastern Forest Market, teeming with mixed crowds, was not a good place for Core Condensation. Jia Ren had previously undergone Foundation Establishment in the Black Desert Marketplace. There, he encountered an invasion by a Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre, an experience he did not wish to repeat. No one could guarantee that the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre hadn't infiltrated the Eastern Forest Market and spread Heart Demon Seeds. Forming my core here would mean a high probability of attracting it, wouldn't it? The Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre was still lying in wait for him to form his core, eager for action. If he dared to proceed with Core Condensation in the Eastern Forest Market, it would be as if he thought the success rate was too high and wanted to add some difficulty to his life.

The Eastern Forest Market—no, the entire Western Wasteland Domain was not a good choice. Remote areas visited by few are best, free from all external influences.

Better to return to the Qunxing Archipelago and find a suitable location there. With the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre advancing toward the Western Wasteland Domain and the enemy situation unclear, the entire domain was practically a forbidden zone. The Western Extreme Sea, situated far away from the Barren Extreme Land and Western Wasteland Domain, still remains a sanctuary.

It's time to go!

This journey to the Western Wasteland Domain yielded the desired Thousand-Year Snow Lotus and resulted in the creation of a Five-Pattern Golden Core Formation Pill. The only regret was not securing the crafting method of the Demon-Sealing Tower Treasure. Although an exchange was possible, he dared not proceed. The Star Pole Island's Town Demon League Command Token cannot be used, so the solution is to find a way to get a new one. After forming his Golden Core and establishing a new Sect, he could return to exchange for the crafting method of the Demon-Sealing Tower Treasure. It would not be too late then. The crafting method for the Demon-Sealing Tower Treasure wasn't like the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus, which would be snatched away if he were too slow. This crafting method, however, could always be exchanged for later, so there was no immediate rush. After forming the Golden Core, his strength would be at a whole new level, capable of repairing and learning the Divine Ability Mirror Flower Water Moon, enhancing his survival capabilities. By then, he could slowly plan his next move.

It seems someone tried to contact me...

Jia Ren remembered being contacted via the Communication Bead while he was in the middle of alchemy. The Core Condensation Technique was critical for refining higher quality Golden Core Formation Pills. At such a crucial juncture in crafting, he dared not get distracted, and thus the communication was severed.

Who could be trying to contact me?

There were only five people Jia Ren had given a Communication Bead to: Yang Shengwu, Yang Bingzhi, Zhang Peng Peng, Luo Yuzhu, and Xue Feng'e. Fortunately, he had marked each Communication Bead he had given out, so he could confirm who was trying to reach him.

Xue Feng'e?!

His relationship with Xue Feng'e was average at best. He had exchanged the Xuanling Cha Infant Secret Array with her, and there were no other transactions or benefits between them. It probably wasn't anything significant. At most, it might be about the notes left by the Five Elements Ancestor. That item was unimportant; having it or not made little difference.

This is the drawback of using consumable Magic Artifacts; once the connection fails, it's lost. Disposable communication artifacts have many advantages, the greatest being that once used, they sever all links, preventing the possibility of tracking. They also prevent falling into enemy hands and being used to set a trap to harm oneself. The downside is they only allow for a single use. If an accident interrupts the communication, it's challenging to reconnect.

Having missed the opportunity to communicate, Jia Ren wished to contact the other party but was powerless to do so.

Forget the notes, better to focus on Core Condensation! Better to avoid extra trouble. With this thought, he abandoned the idea of seeking her out.

Jia Ren quickly left the Eastern Forest Market, heading in the direction of the Qunxing Island Domain. This action spared him from immense trouble.

He had come in haste and left just as swiftly, traveling at top speed. He encountered no trouble along the way, with a smooth and unobstructed journey.

After more than half a month, he once again saw the endless sea.

I have returned!

Jia Ren changed his appearance and arrived near the Qunxing Archipelago. The Qunxing Archipelago appeared much as it had when he left—calm and peaceful, with Star Pole Island visibly prospering.

No problems is the biggest problem. The Internal Affairs Director He Yuan and the Nascent Soul Cultivator from the Demon-Sealing Tower wouldn't let him go. After the disappearance of Island Master Xingji, the Qunxing Archipelago was the only chance they had to catch him.

He successively used the Spirit Eye Technique and the Soul Breaking Technique to search for anything out of the ordinary and indeed made some discoveries. A few places in the Qunxing Archipelago pulsed with hidden Qi. He faintly sensed several presences, but they were indistinct, making it impossible to confirm their nature or ensure safety without closer inspection. The grade of the Spirit Eye Technique was too low, and the proficiency level of the Soul Breaking Technique was not high enough.

Qingzhu Island is fine.

The formations on Qingzhu Island were intact, and the connection with the Fathead Fish Demon remained. Jia Ren confirmed his home base on Qingzhu Island hadn't been compromised, and he breathed a sigh of relief. The Heart Demon Tribulation associated with Core Condensation was extraordinary; even the slightest mental flaw could be magnified infinitely. Setting his heart at ease allowed him to proceed with tranquility.

Without lingering, Jia Ren swiftly left the Qunxing Archipelago, activated a Demon-Spotting Talisman, and flew towards the depths of the Western Extreme Sea. He sought out a secure location within the Western Extreme Sea to undergo Core Condensation.

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