Chapter 124 Han Li Emerges from Seclusion! He is greatly shocked!

Time flies like an arrow.

Since acquiring the "Eight Gates Golden Light Mirror" and the ancient map of the "Heavenly Mirror," three years have quietly passed in the blink of an eye.

Inside the quiet chamber of the cave, Zhou Ding slowly opened his eyes. His eyes were devoid of sorrow or joy, and his aura was as deep and still as an ancient well. Compared to three years ago, he had made some indescribable progress.

In the past three years, he has not been in a hurry to rush into the late stage of Core Formation. Instead, he has focused most of his energy on consolidating his realm, studying the newly acquired treasures, and breaking through the bottleneck of the fourth level of the Great Evolution Technique.

With a slight thought, a flash of light appeared in the void before him, and eight exquisite little mirrors, each only an inch in size, dark gold in color, with flowing cloud patterns on their edges, silently appeared and slowly rotated around him.

Each small mirror emitted a faint golden halo, and their energy was subtly connected, forming a mysterious array.

This is the "Eight Gates Golden Light Mirror" that he initially refined and shrunk using his own essence and divine consciousness.

After three years of dedicated study, although limited by his cultivation level, he was unable to truly activate the treasure to set up the "Eight Gates Golden Light Array" and unleash its earth-shattering power, he had already gained a basic understanding of how to use his own magical power to communicate with, nurture, and, at the most basic level, activate one or two of the golden mirrors to release the "Golden Light Divine Flame".

This undoubtedly gave him an absolute trump card that could threaten or even kill a late-stage Core Formation cultivator.

However, this treasure consumes a lot of energy. Even with his current cultivation level, it would take him nearly half of his mana to fully activate the two golden mirrors and release a complete golden divine flame. Moreover, it cannot be sustained for long and can only be used as a trump card in critical moments.

Xin Ruyin's cultivation level has been completely stabilized at the early stage of Core Formation over the past three years. Furthermore, due to the "Heavenly Origin Array Canon" and her deeper understanding of the rules of heaven and earth after Core Formation, her array cultivation has made further progress, and her research on the "Five Elements Absolute Killing Array" has become more in-depth.

She occasionally emerged from seclusion to discuss formations with Zhou Ding, her confidence growing even stronger, her Daoist aura radiating from her.

Inspired by Xin Ruyin's successful formation of her core, Xiao Mei also put in a lot of effort and cultivated with extraordinary diligence.

With the unwavering support of Zhou Ding and Xin Ruyin, coupled with her own talent and the perfect match with the "Heavenly Talisman Scripture," her cultivation progressed rapidly, and she finally broke through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment not long ago!

We are one step closer to the long-awaited Core Formation realm.

The little girl was full of energy all day long, spending her time cultivating and studying talismans, clamoring to form her core as soon as possible so she could receive the "surprise" promised by her son-in-law.

Lingmu Peak is thriving, its tranquility brimming with vitality.

……

Meanwhile, to the southwest of Kuixing Island, a hundred miles away from the main island, lies a remote island called "Xiaohuan Island".

The spiritual energy here is thin, and the island is not large, consisting of only a few low hills and large reefs, rarely visited by cultivators.

Deep within one of the most remote mountain ranges, shrouded in thick clouds and mist year-round, beneath an inconspicuous cliff face entwined with vines, a heavy stone door covered in moss and dust, after remaining silent for twenty years, slowly slid open to both sides on this day, accompanied by a low, rumbling sound that seemed to come from the depths of the earth.

Dust settled down, and the long-awaited sunlight pierced through the dim cave.

A slightly thin but upright figure in a green robe walked slowly out from the depths of the cave with steady steps.

Sunlight streamed down, illuminating his youthful yet composed face, his deep and reserved eyes revealing Han Li, who had been in seclusion for twenty years.

He stood at the entrance of the cave, squinting slightly to adjust to the bright light outside, and took a deep breath of the long-lost air, which carried the salty and damp scent of the sea breeze and the fresh aroma of grass and trees.

An indescribable, surreal feeling welled up in my heart.

"Twenty years...it's been so long already."

Han Li muttered to himself, his voice carrying a dry, sandy quality, but it quickly returned to its clear tone.

For the past twenty years, he has spent almost all his time in this small cave, single-mindedly cultivating the first stage of the "Three Revolutions Rejuvenation Technique" and consolidating his somewhat weak late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation due to the excessive consumption of pills.

Fortunately, hard work pays off.

The first stage of the "Three Transformations of the Renewed Yuan Technique" has been completed. Although the process was arduous and fraught with danger several times, it has finally been completed.

Now, not only is his cultivation completely stable at the late Foundation Establishment stage, but his magical power is also far superior to that of his peers. His physical body and meridians have also been tempered to a certain extent through the operation of the cultivation technique. More importantly, he has laid a foundation that is far more solid than that of ordinary cultivators for his future attempt to break through to the Core Formation stage.

"Late stage of Foundation Establishment... I'm finally one step closer to Core Formation." Han Li clenched his fist, feeling the surging, refined, and pure mana within his body. A hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes, but more than that, he felt a clearer understanding of the path ahead and a sense of urgency.

The formation of the Golden Core is a crucial hurdle on the path to immortality, where countless exceptionally talented individuals have stopped.

Although he has the "Three Revolutions Rejuvenation Technique" to increase his chances of forming a Golden Core, the risk is still extremely high without the assistance of a Golden Core-forming spiritual object.

Although he has the "Three Revolutions Rejuvenation Technique" to increase his chances of forming a Golden Core, the risk is still extremely high without the assistance of a Golden Core-forming spiritual object.

My thoughts drifted far away, to the distant Yue Kingdom, to Huangfeng Valley, and to those familiar or now blurred faces.

Twenty years have passed. I wonder what the cultivation world of Yue Kingdom has become after the invasion of the demonic path.

Is Huangfeng Valley still standing?

What kind of fates did those fellow disciples and teachers have?

Especially... that mysterious and unpredictable "Senior Brother Zhou," who had repeatedly struck him as profound.

After the invasion by the demonic forces, Zhou Ding vanished without a trace.

After arriving at the Chaotic Star Sea via the ancient teleportation array, he had many guesses about the mysterious figure who activated the teleportation array before him, and the most suspicious one was Zhou Ding!

However, this is merely speculation and there is no concrete evidence.

If it really is Senior Brother Zhou, with his intelligence and opportunities, what kind of situation would he be in this unfamiliar chaotic star sea?

Are they, like me, quietly cultivating and accumulating strength in some corner?

Shaking his head, Han Li suppressed his chaotic thoughts. There was no point in dwelling on it; the most urgent task was to prepare for Core Formation.

He needs to obtain the spiritual items that aid in Core Formation—Snow Spirit Water and Heavenly Fire Liquid—as soon as possible.

Although these two spiritual items are not as extinct in the Chaotic Star Sea as they are in the Southern Sky, they are still quite valuable and not easy to obtain.

Kuixing Island, being a medium-sized island in the nearby sea, should be available for sale.

Without further delay, he mounted the azure flying sword he had obtained from the Yue Kingdom, transforming it into an inconspicuous azure rainbow. He discerned his direction and sped toward the location of the main island of Kui Xing Island.

……

Half an hour later, Han Li activated his escape technique and landed outside Kui Xing City.

Looking at the towering, majestic city wall, built of massive bluestones and engraved with defensive array patterns, and the endless stream of cultivators with different auras at the city gate, Han Li couldn't help but feel a hint of amazement.

"What a magnificent city for cultivating immortality!"

He secretly praised it in his heart.

The scale and prosperity of this Kui Xing City far surpassed any of the celestial cities he had ever seen in the Yue Kingdom.

The streets were wide, with towering buildings and shops lined up one after another. Cultivators occasionally flew by in the air, riding various magical artifacts and soaring through the air. Their auras varied in strength, but their overall level was clearly higher than that of the Yue Kingdom.

The air was filled with a rich spiritual energy mixed with the strange aromas of various elixirs and materials, bustling yet full of vitality.

This was his first time truly stepping into Kuixing City.

For the previous twenty years, he had been in seclusion on Xiaohuan Island and knew very little about the outside world.

After calming his mind, Han Li stepped into the city. Unlike newcomers who wander around aimlessly, he had a clear goal. While walking casually, he actually scanned the shop signs on both sides of the street with sharp eyes, and his divine sense also carefully perceived the surrounding environment and the cultivation level of the cultivators.

"The Six-Tiered Hall... the White Water Pavilion..."

He quickly identified his target.

Through inquiries, he learned that the "Six-Linked Palace" was a commercial organization that spanned the Inner Star Sea, and that it had a decent reputation and a relatively complete range of goods.

Baishuilou was one of the core shops of Liuliandian on Tiandu Street in Kuixing City. It was large in scale and had an eye-catching signboard.

After a moment's thought, he decided to go to Baishui Tower.

Firstly, Liuliandian has a good reputation and the transaction is relatively safe; secondly, such a large store has a full range of goods, so he might be able to buy everything he needs in one go; thirdly, he also wanted to inquire about the current situation of Kuixing Island and the surrounding waters to prepare for a possible long stay in the future.

Stepping into Baishuilou, the interior space appears more spacious and bright than the exterior.

A faint, refreshing scent of sandalwood mixed with medicinal herbs wafted towards me.

There were quite a few cultivators in the hall, most of whom were at the Foundation Establishment stage, with a few Qi Refining stage cultivators lingering in the lower-level areas. Immediately, a beautiful maid with a late-stage Qi Refining cultivation level came forward and respectfully inquired about their needs.

Han Li didn't say much, but simply showed his late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation level, indicating his desire to purchase high-level resources.

The maid understood and immediately led him to an elegant and quiet room on the second floor, served him spiritual tea, and invited a mid-Foundation Establishment stage steward from the shop to receive him.

The transaction went quite smoothly.

Han Li directly stated his needs—Snow Spirit Water and Heavenly Fire Liquid.

The steward was clearly adept at this kind of transaction and quickly brought out two jade boxes with sealing talismans affixed to them.

After carefully examining the items and confirming that they were of excellent quality, Han Li discussed the price with the steward.

Although he had expected it, Han Li's lips still twitched slightly when he heard the price quoted by the other party.

These two spiritual items nearly exhausted most of his spirit stone reserves, and he barely managed to scrape together enough with a few unused top-tier magic artifacts and some materials.

But this price must be paid in order to achieve the Core Formation.

After the transaction was completed, Han Li carefully put the two jade boxes into his storage bag. A huge weight was lifted from his heart, and a relaxed smile appeared on his face.

With these two spiritual items, his chances of breaking through to the Core Formation stage increased by at least 20%.

Leaving the quiet room and walking to the lobby on the first floor of Baishui Tower, Han Li was about to leave when he paused slightly.

His gaze swept across one side of the hall, where several seemingly well-informed but low-level cultivators were talking quietly with some guests, peddling something.

It's a hyacinth.

A thought suddenly flashed through my mind.

Now that we've arrived in Kuixing City and accomplished our main objective, why not take the opportunity to inquire about some news?

Especially... news about "Zhou Ding" and "Xin Ruyin".

If Senior Brother Zhou is really here, with his abilities, he might be able to leave some traces.

Even if you don't know anything about it, it would be good to find out about the local customs and power distribution on Kuixing Island.

He walked discreetly toward one of the older, more shrewd-looking hyacinths.

"Fellow Daoist, how much do you charge for asking some questions?" Han Li asked in a low voice.

Hyacinth's eyes lit up, and she immediately put on a smile: "Of course, of course! What kind of information do you want to ask, fellow Daoist? General information within Kui Xing Island itself, two spirit stones. Information involving high-level cultivators or secret matters, the price is negotiable."

Han Li took out ten spirit stones, placed them in the other person's hand, and asked directly, "I would like to inquire about two people, one named 'Zhou Ding' and the other named 'Xin Ruyin.' I wonder if these two fellow Daoists are on Kui Xing Island, or have ever appeared here?"

"Zhou Ding? Xin Ruyin?" The hyacinth was taken aback upon hearing this, and a very strange expression instantly appeared on her face. Her gaze quickly swept over Han Li, as if to confirm whether he was joking or had just crawled out from some secluded corner of the world.

"Fellow Daoist... are you inquiring about Elder Zhou Ding of the Six-Linked Hall, and his Daoist partner, True Person Xin Ruyin?" Hyacinth asked tentatively, her tone tinged with disbelief.

Han Li's heart skipped a beat!

"Elder Zhou"? "Master Xin"? These two titles...

He forcibly suppressed the shock in his heart, his expression unchanged, and nodded: "It should be. Is this Zhou Ding a Core Formation cultivator? And Xin Ruyin is too?"

"You must not address Elder Zhou by his given name!"

Hyacinth's voice unconsciously rose a little, but she immediately realized her mistake and quickly lowered her voice, her face showing a look of surprise that "you don't even know this" and a hint of barely perceptible superiority.

"Fellow Daoist, you're not a local cultivator from Kui Xing Island, are you? On this Kui Xing Island, who doesn't know Elder Zhou Ding of the Six Linked Halls? He successfully formed his Core form many years ago and is the Six Linked Halls' resident elder on Kui Xing Island, wielding power over six halls—a highly respected figure! As for True Person Xin Ruyin, she's Elder Zhou's Daoist partner; she also successfully formed her Core form three years ago, earning high praise even from Island Master Mulong! These two, along with Elder Zhou's cousin, True Person Zhou Jin, our Deputy Island Master of Kui Xing Island—these are the three Core Formation True Persons of the Spirit Wood Peak lineage! They are the strongest force on Kui Xing Island besides Island Master Mulong!"

Hyacinth spoke very quickly, with an air of pride and excitement, clearly finding it very interesting to be able to "popularize" the deeds of the island's important figures to visiting monks.

Han Li, however, was stunned, as if struck by a silent thunderbolt!

Zhou Ding... Elder?

The resident elder of the Six-Linked Palace on the island?

Xin Ruyin... has also reached the Core Formation stage??

Another cousin, Zhou Jin, is the deputy island lord.

Is it also the Core Formation stage?

Three Core Formation Realm cultivators from the Spiritwood Peak lineage?!

This series of messages, like a storm, instantly assaulted Han Li's mind, leaving his head buzzing!

He imagined that Zhou Ding might have also come to the Chaotic Star Sea, and might even have successfully established his foundation.

But to his utter surprise, this "Senior Brother Zhou" was not only actually here, but... had already reached such a high level!

An elder!

Their power and influence are immense!

Even his Daoist partner, Xin Ruyin, successfully formed her core!

In just twenty years!

He not only achieved Core Formation himself, but also helped his Daoist partner achieve Core Formation, and even had a cousin who was at the Core Formation stage!

What an amazing achievement!

What profound foundation and opportunity!

Compared to his own arduous cultivation over the past twenty years, having just reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment, and still struggling to acquire spiritual treasures for Core Formation, even having exhausted most of his savings... a complex and indescribable feeling instantly welled up in Han Li's heart.

It was shock, disbelief, realization, and also a faint sense of envy and urgency that even he himself was unwilling to admit.

Senior Brother Zhou... I didn't know you'd come this far.

Han Li murmured to himself, his eyes shifting rapidly.

It seems that he was indeed the one who left first using the ancient teleportation array back then.

And it seems that once again, he has been left far behind by this mysterious senior brother.

He composed himself, suppressing his turbulent emotions, and nodded to Hyacinth, who was still incessantly praising the prestige of Spiritwood Peak and Elder Zhou's prowess. He then tossed over a few spirit stones and said in a deep voice, "Thank you for informing me. Is there anything else I should be aware of regarding Spiritwood Peak and these True Immortals, or perhaps the location of their caves? Could you please tell me?"

Hyacinth deftly collected the spirit stones, her smile widening. Lowering her voice, she quickly recounted all the publicly available information she knew about Spiritwood Peak, Zhou Ding, and others, including the approximate location of their caves and some rumors and anecdotes. Finally, she added a reminder: "If you wish to visit Elder Zhou, it will likely be difficult. Spiritwood Peak's array is heavily fortified, making it hard for ordinary cultivators to approach. However, if you have a prior relationship with Elder Zhou, you could try sending a visiting card to White Water Pavilion; perhaps it will get through."

Han Li silently noted it down, bowed to Hyacinth in thanks, then turned around and quickly left Baishui Tower, merging into the crowd on the street.