Chapter 86 One Year! Fake Elixir!

Deep within the Taiyue Mountains, dozens of feet underground.

Xiao Jin used his earth-遁术 (earth-遁术 is a type of magic that allows one to move silently through rocks and soil).

The surrounding rock layers automatically separated the moment Xiao Jin touched them, and then slowly closed up behind them without leaving any trace.

Zhou Ding sat cross-legged on Xiao Jin's back, his eyes slightly closed and his breathing steady.

His body swayed slightly with Xiao Jin's movements, but his mind remained clear.

The divine sense, like an invisible thread, extended in all directions, covering an area of ​​dozens of miles.

"The Yan Family Fort Incident exposed the Ghost Spirit Sect's conspiracy, and the prelude to the invasion of the six demonic sects has begun. At this moment, the seven sects of Yue Kingdom are probably already in a state of panic, recruiting disciples everywhere to prepare for the impending all-out war."

Zhou Ding pondered for a moment, his gaze piercing through layers of rock and soil as he looked up at the hazy sky above.

He could imagine the scene in Yellow Maple Valley at this moment.

As the bell tolled, the disciples hurriedly packed their belongings, while the Core Formation cultivators gathered solemnly in the council hall. Transmission talismans flew out like shooting stars, summoning all disciples away from the mountain back.

Those Foundation Establishment cultivators who usually cultivate peacefully in their caves, whether they like it or not, will be incorporated into the ranks and sent to the most dangerous front lines.

Those familiar fellow disciples will all be swept into the torrent of this war.

Some will come back alive, while others will remain on the battlefield forever.

"Returning to the sect now would be tantamount to walking into a trap, being captured and sent to the front lines as a 'conscript.' It would be best to remain hidden and observe the situation first."

With the abilities of earth-遁术 (earth-遁术, a technique for escaping into the ground) and 地听术 (earth-listening technique), he could return to his cave without anyone noticing.

As long as he doesn't want to be discovered, no one can find him.

He could hide in his cave, cultivate in peace, wait for the war to pass and the teleportation array to be repaired, and then take Xin Ruyin and Xiao Mei and fly far away.

……

Outside the cave, the light screen of the Five Elements Spiritual Light Array continued to flow endlessly.

The five-colored light shone brightly in the twilight, like a jewel embedded in the valley.

Zhou Ding quietly emerged from underground and stood in front of the light screen.

He took a deep breath, feeling the familiar aura emanating from the cave, took out the jade tablet and gently shook it, causing a portal to open in the light barrier.

He slipped inside, and the light screen closed behind him, everything as usual.

Inside the cave, everything remained the same.

The Spirit Eye Spring continued to gush forth, its misty spiritual energy permeating the entire cave, flowing slowly like white fog under the glow of the luminous pearl.

In the hall, Xin Ruyin was sitting at a stone table, holding a jade scroll in her hands.

That was the "Heavenly Origin Array Manual." Her brows furrowed slightly, her fingers gently tracing lines in the air, her lips moving slightly as she murmured to herself, as if conversing with the array formations in the book.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up.

Those clear eyes lit up the moment they saw Zhou Ding, like fireworks suddenly bursting in the night sky, or like two bright lamps lit in the darkness.

"Zhou Lang!"

She put down the jade slip and quickly came forward, her skirt swaying gently at her feet.

Her steps were hurried, completely unlike her usual elegant and composed demeanor.

Zhou Ding opened his arms and embraced her.

Her body was light and soft, carrying a familiar fragrance.

"I'm back."

His voice was deep and gentle.

Xin Ruyin didn't say anything, but just hugged him tightly and buried her face in his chest.

Xiaomei peeked out of the quiet room, and when she saw this scene, she was stunned for a moment, then covered her mouth and secretly laughed.

She didn't disturb them, quietly retreated, and gently closed the door behind her.

After a long while, the two finally separated.

Xin Ruyin took Zhou Ding's hand and sat down at the stone table.

She looked him up and down, from his hair to his face, from his shoulders to his arms, from his chest to his waist, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she made sure he was not injured.

"Zhou Lang, I've heard about what happened at Yan Family Fortress. The Ghost Spirit Sect's conspiracy has been exposed, and the cultivators who went to participate in the treasure hunt... I heard that apart from Senior Brother Han and Senior Sister Dong, the others..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but the lingering fear in her eyes said it all.

Zhou Ding nodded, took her hand, and gently stroked the back of her hand to soothe her emotions.

"I know, didn't I say I didn't go to Yanling Fort at all?"

"Zhou Lang, what are your plans for the future?" she asked softly, her eyes full of concern.

Zhou Ding pondered for a moment, then looked out of the cave.

It was pitch black there, with only the light of the Five Elements Mystic Light Array flickering in the distance.

"This place is within the territory of Yue Kingdom, and the war will not reach here in the short term. I am here on orders to go to Yan Family Fortress. Now that such a major event has occurred in Yan Family Fortress, as long as I do not show myself, the sect will most likely assume that I have met with misfortune or gone missing in the incident. Once the situation has stabilized, I can then 'return after recovering from my injuries,' and I will have an excuse."

Xin Ruyin was intelligent and immediately understood Zhou Ding's plan.

A gleam of joy flashed in her eyes, and she nodded, saying, "Zhou Lang's move is brilliant. The battlefield is dangerous; if we were to be drafted to the front lines..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but Zhou Ding understood what she meant.

He reached out and put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him.

Her body leaned against him, soft and warm.

"Don't worry, I won't go to my death."

With the ability to hear the earth, Zhou Ding could detect the arrival of outsiders in advance, and he could also use the technique of escaping to hide.

He could hide indefinitely as long as he wanted, letting the sect believe he had perished at Yan Family Fortress.

Xin Ruyin nodded, leaned on his shoulder, and felt a little more at ease.

Then, Zhou Ding took out the jade slip containing the diagram of the ancient teleportation array from his storage bag and handed it to Xin Ruyin.

"Ruyin, this is the diagram of an ancient teleportation array. Take a look, with your current skill in array formations, how long do you think it will take to repair it?"

Xin Ruyin took the jade slip and probed it with her divine sense.

After a moment, her brows furrowed slightly, then slowly relaxed.

Her fingers traced lines lightly in the air, as if she were deducing something.

"This formation... is more complex than I imagined. The direction of the array patterns, the arrangement of the runes, and the design of the spirit stone slots are all completely different from current formations. But..."

Her eyes grew brighter and brighter, and her fingers traced faster and faster.

Those lines that were originally chaotic gradually became orderly in her eyes.

"However, the principle is the same. Once you understand its structure, you can find a way to repair it."

She raised her head and looked at Zhou Ding, her eyes full of confidence.

That confidence wasn't blind; it was built upon her profound mastery of formations.

She studied the Qingyang Array Manual, the Qinghe Array Manual, and the Tianyuan Array Manual.

Her current skill in formations far surpasses what she used to be.

"With my current skill in array formations, I can repair the array within a year."

Zhou Ding was overjoyed.

It seems that with the Qingyang Array Manual and Tianyuan Array Manual provided by herself, Xin Ruyin's array skills are much stronger than in the original work.

In the original story, it took her several years to repair the ancient teleportation array.

Now, she only needs a year.

"One year..." Zhou Ding murmured to himself.

He looked at Xin Ruyin, his gaze gentle yet earnest.

"Ruyin, once the teleportation array is repaired, I can go directly to its location and travel to an unfamiliar place."

He paused, carefully choosing his words.

He didn't know how to describe the Chaotic Star Sea, a place he only knew about from the original novel.

"This is an unfamiliar place, and I don't know anything about it. It might be full of opportunities, or it might be full of dangers. Would you... be willing to come with me?"

Xin Ruyin raised her head and looked at him.

In those clear eyes, there was no hesitation, no fear, only determination.

"Since I followed Zhou Lang, I will always follow him. No matter where we go, no matter what lies ahead, we will always be together."

Her voice was soft, yet as firm as a stone.

Every word was spoken clearly, as if making an eternal vow.

A warm feeling welled up in Zhou Ding's heart.

He held her tightly in his arms, as if he wanted to meld her into his own body.

With such a companion, what more could one ask for?

Xiao Mei emerged from the studio at some point and stood at the door, looking at them expectantly.

Her eyes were red, and her lips were slightly pouting, making her look like she was about to cry.

"Young master, young lady, I want to go too! Don't leave Xiaomei behind!"

Her voice carried a hint of urgency and a touch of grievance.

She had been with the young lady since she was a child and they had never been separated.

She couldn't imagine what she would do if the young lady left, leaving her alone here.

Zhou Ding couldn't help but laugh when he saw her pitiful appearance.

"Then you'd better work hard at cultivation. If your cultivation level is too low, I won't take you along."

Xiao Mei's heart tightened, and she quickly promised, "I will cultivate diligently and will never hold anyone back!"

She clenched her little fists, looking very serious; her expression was both cute and funny.

His eyes were wide open and his lips were tightly pursed, as if he were making a huge vow.

Xin Ruyin couldn't help but laugh out loud, and Xiao Mei laughed along with her.

Laughter echoed throughout the cave.

……

In the days that followed, Zhou Ding carefully placed the two Blood Jade Spider eggs into the Spirit Eye Spring.

The spring water of the Spirit Eye Spring contains rich spiritual energy, making it an ideal place to hatch spirit beast eggs.

He placed the eggs on a flat stone platform next to the spring, gently watered them with spring water, and set up a small spirit-gathering array around them to ensure that they could absorb enough spiritual energy.

The two eggs, nourished by spiritual energy, faintly shimmered with light.

Through the transparent eggshell, you could see the little spider inside move slightly, as if responding to something.

Their eight thin legs are folded under their bodies, and their bodies are translucent, with the internal organs faintly visible pulsating.

Zhou Ding nodded in satisfaction.

Once they hatch, they will be two new Blood Jade Spiders.

Although it is not as powerful as the mother spider, it has great potential. With proper training, it will surely become a valuable assistant in the future.

Back in the quiet room, Zhou Ding sat cross-legged and began to think about his next plan.

The Azure Origin Sword Technique he cultivates is equipped with the Three-Turn Rejuvenation Technique, which requires repeatedly compressing, purifying, and re-cultivating one's magical power after reaching the late stage of Foundation Establishment, for a total of three turns.

After the third transformation, the foundation is more solid and the magic power is purer than others of the same level, greatly increasing the chance of forming a core.

He is now at the late Foundation Establishment stage. "In Yellow Maple Valley, I Have a Demonic Beast Avatar!": A phenomenal success, receiving rave reviews! Logically, he should begin to dissipate his cultivation and rebuild.

However, this was during a time when the Yue Kingdom was at war with the demonic forces, and the situation was turbulent and unstable.

Giving up at this point would be extremely unwise.

After dissipating one's cultivation, one's cultivation level will drop to the early stage of Foundation Establishment or even lower, and it will take a long time to recover.

If danger were to be encountered during this period, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Zhou Ding decided to wait until they reached the Chaotic Star Sea. It was far from war, where he could cultivate in peace.

Moreover, Zhou Ding wanted to conduct an experiment.

Between him and Xiao Jin, if one makes a breakthrough, the other will receive a response.

This mysterious connection between them is one of the key reasons for his rapid increase in strength over the years.

Each breakthrough and each piece of feedback elevates his abilities to a new level.

Zhou Ding was preparing to break through the False Core Realm before dispersing his cultivation.

The False Core Realm is a transitional realm between the late Foundation Establishment stage and the Core Formation stage.

In the late Foundation Establishment stage, cultivators condense their magical power to its limit, forming a "pseudo-core" in their dantian that resembles a golden core. Although it cannot compare to a real golden core, the amount of magical power and the sensitivity to the spiritual energy of heaven and earth will be greatly enhanced.

After reaching the False Core stage, practicing the Three Revolutions Rejuvenation Technique will yield even better results.

This way, Xiao Jin can get one more feedback.

Furthermore, Zhou Ding didn't know whether Xiao Jin would continue to receive feedback after Zhou Ding broke through his cultivation and attempted another breakthrough.

If Xiao Jin receives feedback every time he re-cultivates to the Pseudo-Core stage after dispersing his cultivation, he wouldn't mind dispersing his cultivation a few more times to maximize Xiao Jin's potential.

It just takes a little more time.

In any case, given his current lifespan, he has no shortage of time to form his core.

Ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators should start thinking about their affairs when they reach two hundred years old.

He still has over three hundred years to slowly cultivate.

Three hundred years is enough time for him to lose his power several times over.

A glint of light flashed in Zhou Ding's eyes.

This experiment is worth trying.

……

In the days that followed, Zhou Ding devoted most of his time to learning alchemy and talisman making.

He took out the "Heavenly Talisman Secret Canon" and the "Heavenly Origin Elixir Classic" and began to study them one by one.

The "Heavenly Talisman Manual" is the complete inheritance of the Heavenly Talisman Sect, covering everything from the most basic principles of talismans to the construction ideas of advanced complex talisman arrays; from the talisman sealing techniques of common five-element spells to the production of some unorthodox, bizarre, and even extremely powerful special talismans.

Between the lines lies the culmination of a master of talismanic arts' life's work and a summary of his experience.

He followed the methods in the book and began practicing with the most basic spirit-gathering talisman.

One, two, ten, a hundred... Failure after failure, stacks of talismans burned.

Each time he failed, he would carefully examine the runes on the talisman paper and analyze where the problem lay.

I'll pay extra attention when I draw it next time.

The *Tian Yuan Dan Jing* records hundreds of ancient elixir formulas, covering everything from the Qi Refining stage to the Core Formation stage. He selected several formulas suitable for his current cultivation level and began attempting to refine them. The proportions of the medicinal ingredients, the control of the heat, and the required techniques in those formulas all required repeated practice to master.

Both alchemy and talisman making require a great deal of practice.

Fortunately, he had plenty of spiritual medicines, as well as talisman paper and ink, so he could practice without restraint.

It doesn't matter if I fail, I have plenty of materials anyway.

Time slips away quietly amidst our busy lives.

……

Time flies, and a year has passed.

In the hall, Xiaomei ran in excitedly from outside, her face flushed with excitement.

"Miss, I went to the market today and gathered quite a bit of information!"

Her voice was clear and resonant, echoing throughout the cave.

Xin Ruyin put down the array diagram in her hand, raised her head, and looked at him with concern in her eyes.

"What news?"

Xiao Mei ran to her side, lowered her voice, and said mysteriously, "It's said that the seven sects of Yue Kingdom and the demonic path suffered heavy losses this time and are preparing for a temporary ceasefire. Everyone in the market is saying this, so it must be true."

As she spoke, she took out a packet of spiritual tea from her bundle and handed it to Xin Ruyin like a precious treasure. "Miss, I also bought you your favorite spiritual tea. Your husband has been in seclusion for so long, and you've been studying formations every day without getting a proper rest."

Xin Ruyin felt a sense of relief.

As long as the seven sects of Yue Kingdom are not defeated, they can continue to cultivate in peace.

Although the war will not reach here for the time being, if the seven factions of Yue are defeated and the demonic cultivators advance unimpeded, the entire Yue Kingdom will fall.

At that point, it won't be safe to hide anywhere.

She looked at the restored ancient teleportation array diagram in her hand and smiled.

This array diagram is densely covered with various runes and lines.

She meticulously marked the direction of each array pattern, the shape of each rune, and the position of each spirit stone slot.

Those originally chaotic lines have now formed a complete and precise system. She deduced and understood those unfamiliar runes one by one, and now she has mastered them all.

She analyzed and optimized those seemingly illogical array patterns one by one, and now they are all straightened out.

For the past year, she has devoted almost all her time to studying this ancient teleportation array.

Finally, a month ago, she found a way to fix it.

Xiao Mei leaned over to take a look, her eyes filled with amazement.

"Miss, you've fixed the teleportation array? The young master will be so happy to emerge from seclusion!"

Xin Ruyin smiled slightly, about to speak—

Just then, a powerful aura emanated from the direction of the quiet room.

The aura surged forth like a tidal wave, instantly engulfing the entire cave.

The spring water of the Spirit Eye Spring was impacted by the breath, splashing up droplets that landed on the stone platform with a crisp sound.

Xin Ruyin and Xiao Mei both looked in that direction, their eyes flashing with surprise.

Zhou Yu is about to leave the pass!

……

Quiet room.

Zhou Ding sat cross-legged, his body enveloped in a mist of spiritual energy. The swirling spiritual energy of the Spirit Eye Spring surrounded him like a white fog, enveloping him within it.

Over the past year, he has spent most of his time refining pills and making talismans, but his cultivation level has not declined.

He would set aside time each day to cultivate, compressing and condensing his true essence little by little.

It was an extremely tedious process that required immense patience and perseverance.

True essence is like water; to compress it into ice requires constant effort.

Now, the true essence in the dantian has become so concentrated that it can no longer be compressed even slightly.

The cyan true essence solidified like liquid, slowly rotating in the dantian, forming a vortex.

The vortex grew larger and faster, sucking in all the surrounding true essence.

That was the prototype of a fake elixir.

finally--

"boom!"

A muffled rumble came from inside his body.

The vortex of true essence in his dantian suddenly contracted and then exploded!

The solidified true essence surged wildly in the dantian like a flood bursting its banks, then quickly condensed into a fist-sized, incredibly solid cyan light ball.

The ball of light slowly rotated in the dantian, emitting a faint blue light.

The blue light was not dazzling, but it contained an extremely terrifying power.

It is more condensed and purer than true essence. With each rotation, it draws power from the surrounding spiritual energy to strengthen itself.

The fake elixir is complete!

Zhou Ding opened his eyes, and two beams of light shot out from them, flashing in the void for a full three breaths before slowly dissipating.

His cultivation level broke through the limit of the Foundation Establishment stage and reached the Pseudo-Core stage!

The true essence within his body was more abundant and nearly doubled in quantity than before.

The feeling was like transforming from a rushing river into a bottomless lake.

The ball of blue light in the dantian is the center of that lake, the source of power.

With a thought, his divine sense surged forth like a tide, spreading outwards.

Quiet room... cave dwelling... valley... Taiyue Mountains...

The divine consciousness continued to extend, going further and further.

Ten li... twenty li... thirty li... forty li... fifty li!

Finally, at a distance of fifty miles, the divine sense detected the boundary.

Fifty miles!

Previously, his spiritual strength was forty miles.

That's the spiritual strength of someone at the peak of the mid-stage of Core Formation.

And now, it has risen to fifty li!

This is already the level of spiritual power of a typical late-stage Core Formation cultivator!

At the False Core stage, one possesses the divine sense of the late Core Formation stage.

What does this mean?

An overwhelming sense of excitement welled up inside Zhou Ding.

At the False Core stage, one possesses the divine sense of the late Core Formation stage.

After he forms his core, to what extent will his spiritual sense reach?

Perhaps it can directly rival baby babies?

He couldn't imagine it.

Before he could fully comprehend it, a familiar warmth surged from the mysterious connection between the two!

That's the power of feedback!

Every time he breaks through, Xiao Jin will be strengthened.

The heat, like boiling magma, surged into Xiao Jin's body in an instant, and began to frantically transform its body!

Xiao Jin huddled in the corner, his body trembling violently, letting out low growls.

The roar was filled with pain and struggle, making one's heart tremble.

Golden light flashed constantly on its body, and beneath its fur, it seemed as if countless small snakes were wriggling, bulging out in twisted protrusions.

Those bumps rolled under the skin, sometimes bulging up and sometimes flattening, a sight that was shocking to behold.

The layer of golden scales became thicker and the color became deeper, changing from light gold to dark gold, and gleamed with a metallic luster under the light of the luminous pearl.

The scales are arranged more tightly, layer upon layer, fitting together perfectly, like the most precise armor.

Zhou Ding's consciousness synchronized, and he instantly felt an immense pain sweep over his entire body.

That's the pain Xiao Jin is enduring.

The excruciating pain of bones shattering and reforming, the torment of meridians tearing and healing, and the agony of flesh being burned and reborn.

That kind of pain is like being pierced by a thousand arrows, or being burned by raging fire, enough to break any cultivator.

He gritted his teeth and endured it without uttering a sound.

Large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, sliding down his cheeks and dripping onto his clothes.

His face was pale, his lips were tightly pressed together, and his brows were furrowed, as if he were enduring immense pain.

Half an hour later, the heat finally subsided.

Zhou Ding's consciousness entered Xiao Jin's body and began to observe Xiao Jin's changes.