133134: Cultivating in Seclusion; The War Zone's End; Luo Bing's Choice

A west wind blows across ten thousand miles of battle armor, yellow flowers cover the ground as wild geese fly south.

In the blink of an eye, spring has turned to autumn, and half a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

In the Evergreen Sect, on a hillside covered with yellow flowers, Chen Dengming went out to walk his leopard. He climbed high and looked into the distance, feeling a mix of emotions. He leaned against the railing alone, watching the sunset.

Since he brought Jiang Qiang back to the Mountain Gate from the Turtle Snake Peak pass half a year ago, he has settled Jiang Qiang in his private Gu-refining ground.

The Gu Refining Grounds are located near the First-Rank Spirit Vein of the Evergreen Sect, making it quite peaceful. The cultivation environment is only slightly worse than the core rental area of Changle Workshop, but comparable to the environment of Brocade Workshop.

For Jiang Qiang, it was more than enough.

Most importantly, there's no need to worry about any rent fees anymore; you can simply focus on your practice and do your own thing each day.

With the foundation Chen Dengming has built within the Evergreen Sect, this is nothing more than a simple matter.

But it's the kind of treatment any Rogue Cultivator without a background would dream of.

Jiang Qiang cherished and was extremely grateful. In his spare time from cultivation, he studied how to refine various Formation to upgrade the security of the Gu Refining Ground.

He also knew that the Formation he had created was now useless to Chen Dengming.

But as long as he could provide even the slightest help to Brother Chen, he would feel incredibly satisfied as a way of repaying a debt of gratitude.

For example, using my own strong algorithm to help Brother Chen manage the price of Gu Creatures as well as possible, and earning Brother Chen even a little more money, would be a good thing.

"Recently, the profits from the Gu Refining Grounds have increased by about 20% to 30% each month compared to previous months."

Chen Dengming rode the Black Cloud Leopard down the hillside, opened his Storage Bag, checked his current savings, and no longer needed to rub his forehead or close his eyes; a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

He now possesses twenty-five High-grade Spirit Crystal and over four hundred Mid-grade Spirit Crystal.

With such savings, one can hardly call oneself a poor wretch among Foundation Establishment cultivators.

We're at least middle class now; I never dared to dream of it before.

In addition to these spirit crystals, his Law Artifact Heart-Illuminating Mirror of Shattering Delusions, also underwent a reforging and upgrade, reaching the standard of a mid-level second-tier Law Artifact, and its power was also enhanced once again.

The last time this treasure mirror struck He Li Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator, it only caused him minor injuries. Now that it's been upgraded, it can at least inflict moderate damage.

"Half a year has passed, and my Technique Method have basically all improved. Except for second-tier Dao techniques, my Qi Refining Stage Dao techniques have all been upgraded to the master level. The Golden Spear Technique and the Golden Gang Spirit Venerable Technique are even close to breaking through to the master level. I wonder how strong the Technique Method will be after breaking through to the master level?"

Chen Dengming pondered secretly, feeling quite expectant, but the thought that he still hadn't figured out the path to Martial Immortal made him slightly irritated.

He never gave up on his attempt to combine martial arts with the path of immortality.

After all, whether it's the Flowing Qi Turning Gold Technique or the Artifact Control Technique, when combined with martial arts, the martial arts can leverage Spiritual Qi, greatly increasing their power and becoming the 'Divine Ability' of High Antiquity legends in the Cultivation World. It seems that they have already touched upon the secrets of the Daoist lineage regarding the martial arts of human immortals.

However, combining martial arts with Technique Method to manipulate the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi is not an easy task.

Even in a state close to Unity of Heaven and Man, it is very difficult to achieve.

Chen Dengming felt that he needed to find something that resonated with his inspiration and shared common ground in order to continue to comprehend new 'Divine Ability', which made him even more interested in the so-called lineage that the Sha Star had obtained.

The other party likely used some kind of 'key' within that lineage to unlock the door to the Human Immortal Martial Dao, which combines martial arts and immortality.

This is why he was able to demonstrate superhuman combat power, even managing to defeat a Nascent Soul in the Golden Core Late Stage.

But the Sha Star was really too dangerous. Even though they were from the same hometown, he was afraid of seeing someone from the same hometown, and his kidneys would tremble. He didn't want to get close to this kind of big shot for the time being.

The path of the Sha Star is to conquer all directions and kill throughout the world. Its Golden Finger, the Human Immortal Orthodox Lineage, must also be related to enhancing combat power.

His "Golden Finger," however, is longevity and health preservation; the two have different focuses in their development.

However, he also came from Nanxun and has already come into contact with Divine Ability through his own understanding of martial arts. If he can continue to develop in the future and master more Divine Ability as a method to protect his longevity, that would be quite good.

"Junior Brother Chen, it's time for your study session today. You're late."

Just as they arrived near the cave abode, He Yingyu's voice called out.

Chen Dengming looked up and saw He Yingyu hanging clothes to dry near the backyard of her cave abode, waving at him.

Female cultivators are indeed different from male cultivators when it comes to cleanliness and personal hygiene.

Even if a Cleansing Technique could solve the problem of keeping clothes clean, people still go to the extra step of taking them out to air them in the sun, as if that would make them even cleaner.

Chen Dengming watched the clothes fluttering about, inwardly complaining. Without him even needing to signal, the Black Cloud Leopard grinned and went over as if smiling.

He Yingyu had said that she disliked the big, furry, black leopard, but perhaps because of her close relationship with Chen Dengming, she would often visit him and bring some spiritual vegetables and meat to feed the Black Cloud Leopard.

As time went on, Black Cloud Leopard grew to find the neighbor's girl more and more pleasing to the eye.

"Go! Go eat over there."

He Yingyu skillfully tossed out a piece of spiritual meat to send the Black Cloud Leopard away, then called Chen Dengming into the house. She transformed from an enthusiastic senior sister into a strict mentor, guiding Chen Dengming in his weapon-refining skills.

A cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage can cultivate the Three Yang Spiritual Flames in the upper, middle, and lower Dantian, and then begin to engage in true alchemy and weapon crafting.

Before this Qi Refining Stage, using ordinary fire or some spiritual fire with spiritual energy to refine pills was nothing more than refining ordinary pills or minor spiritual pills.

Only when one reaches the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, with the three manifestations of sunlight appearing on the forehead, chest, and abdomen, and the abundant spiritual energy condensing into the Three Yang Fire, can one refine a Great Perfection Elixir or a Second-Order Law Artifact. This is the true meaning of alchemy and weapon crafting.

Three months ago, when Chen Dengming received the Heart-Illuminating Mirror of Shattering Delusions after it had been reforged by He Yingyu, he casually mentioned that he wanted to learn the art of weapon forging from her.

Unexpectedly, He Yingyu agreed without much consideration.

So for more than three months, he would ask He Yingyu to check his homework every few days to fill in any gaps in his knowledge.

With the added bonus from the panel, his learning speed was astonishing, and his talent earned He Yingyu's high praise.

"Excellent, Junior Brother, you've mastered the technique very well lately. If you continue learning like this, after you break through to the Golden Core stage, you'll be able to use the Samadhi True Fire generated by your Golden Core to refine your own Law Treasure."

At this moment, inside the cave abode, He Yingyu looked with satisfaction at the mid-level Qi Refining magic Law Artifact that Chen Dengming had crafted using the Three Yang Fire, and a smile appeared on her lips.

Upon hearing this, Chen Dengming couldn't help but feel excited.

He will soon be able to attempt to refine Qi Cultivation High Level Law Artifact.

Even the worst Qi Cultivation High Level Law Artifact can sell for more than twenty Mid-grade Spirit Stone. After deducting the cost and his own effort, he can make a net profit of about ten Mid-grade Spirit Stones.

Of course, this isn't the most profitable part. The most profitable part is when he can refine second-tier Law Artifact in the future. At that time, he can gradually become a wealthy cultivator.

As soon as his mind wandered, the Three Yang Flames gathered in his chest fluctuated slightly, and the liquid refined within the flames made a 'popping' sound, bubbling out.

Chen Dengming quickly calmed himself down.

But a moment later, looking at the Law Artifact flying sword that he had successfully crafted and was now hovering in front of him, a hint of embarrassment appeared on his face.

The vortex at the tip of the flying sword wasn't natural enough, and there were even some flaws on its surface.

It can only be considered the worst type of mid-level magic Law Artifact in terms of crafting quality; it is substandard.

"You're just too easily flattered," He Yingyu said with a playful shake of her head and a smile. She gracefully carried the tea, flicked a strand of hair behind her ear, and said.

"You've already mastered the secrets of weapon forging during the Refining stage. As for the Foundation Establishment Realm, those are my most treasured skills. If you want to learn them further, you'll have to pay a fee."

Chen Dengming was surprised, but immediately smiled politely and said, "Of course, there's no such thing as a free lunch. I'm already very satisfied that you taught me weapon crafting for free, Senior Sister."

"Just kidding. I can teach you if you want to learn in the future."

He Yingyu touched the teacup with her moist lips, took a sip of tea, and shook her head, saying, "However, the art of weapon crafting is vast and profound. I have only mastered the technique of weapon crafting, but I have not yet explored the technique of weapon crafting inscription."

To learn the art of weapon crafting and engraving, one must also delve into the art of Formation, which is further subdivided into many different types of Formation.

A person's energy is ultimately limited. Trying to balance spiritual practice with learning so many unrelated skills is really too difficult, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to achieve great things in the future.

Therefore, I also advise you, senior sister, to learn weapon crafting techniques, but that's enough.

Other techniques such as engraving and Formation can be gradually explored later when there is a real chance of attaining the Nascent Soul and enjoying a lifespan of two thousand years."

"Senior sister, you are absolutely right." Chen Dengming nodded solemnly, deeply agreeing.

Now that he has mastered weapon crafting, in order to prevent rust and strive for perfection, he must dedicate at least one hour each day to studying weapon crafting.

This results in less time available for practicing other Technique Method.

He's still within his tolerance range, and his Lifespan Limit is long enough, so there's no problem.

However, if he were to also cultivate side arts such as artifact engraving and Formation, his energy would be further scattered, which would inevitably affect his main cultivation.

Even if he has enough lifespan, he can slowly train and hone his skills.

But he's not a robot; he gets bored and tired after practicing for too long, and he needs to de-stress.

Therefore, it is still possible to distinguish between primary and secondary matters.

"Combining weapon crafting and engraving techniques with Formation, and engraving the Formation formations onto the Law Artifact, will greatly enhance the Law Artifact's power."

For example, inscribing the Azure Dragon Speed Array will increase your Divine Transformation Blade's escape speed by at least 20%, but if the inscription fails, it will damage your Divine Transformation Blade.

Secondly, the lifespan of Spirit Artifact after the Formation is inscribed will be shortened; these are things to be aware of.

Seeing that Chen Dengming was listening attentively, He Yingyu nodded slightly, parted her red lips, and asked with a sparkle in her eyes, "Junior Brother Chen, how well have I, as your master, performed?"

Chen Dengming was taken aback. "Of course."

He Yingyu winked playfully, "Then in the future, if I ever need your help with something, you can't refuse, can you?"

Chen Dengming was surprised, then suddenly laughed, "Senior sister, what are you up to now?"

He Yingyu smiled mysteriously, "I won't tell you for now, but this matter is coming soon. It's related to my future breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Perfection, and it's a secret place recorded by the sect."

But don't worry, that secret place has already been explored by my predecessors, and Senior Brother Liang has been there before. It wasn't very dangerous, and there were even some benefits. Otherwise, I wouldn't have invited you."

"You're too kind, senior sister. Please contact me again later."

Chen Dengming smiled and nodded.

Not to mention that He Yingyu did indeed help him a lot, even the matter of protecting the Dharma that she once mentioned was all bark and no bite, with almost no danger, but rather some benefits.

When the other party offered to help again, he readily agreed; it's a two-way street.

"Then Junior Brother, focus on your cultivation and strive to reach the Foundation Establishment Late Stage as soon as possible. Let's have a competition and see if you reach the Foundation Establishment Late Stage first, or if I break through to the Foundation Establishment Perfection first."

"Haha! Senior Sister flatters me too much. You'll definitely be the first to break through and reach the Foundation Establishment Perfection..."

For Chen Dengming, the Foundation Establishment Late Stage were nothing more than a matter of gradual refinement; as long as he put in the hard work, his skills would naturally deepen.

More than half a year has passed, and his Evergreen Merit has broken through to the fourth level, making his Law Power about 50% more profound.

As expected, the fifth level of the Evergreen Merit, when fully mastered, had a proficiency level of 20,000 points.

At his current cultivation speed, which is combined with the Spirit Seizing Formation, he can cultivate the <Evergreen Merit> to 52 points of Cultivation Method proficiency in a single day.

It only takes a little over a year and a dozen days to reach the fifth level.

However, the first-tier Spirit Seizing Formation that he's currently using to cultivate doesn't seem to be working very well for him anymore.

After all, the range of Formation that a first-order Formation can encompass is too small.

And the Spiritual Qi he needs for cultivation now is far greater than when he was in the Qi Refining stage.

Even with the frequent changes in training locations, and the Little Array Spirit's more energetic dancing, it was no longer enough to satisfy his ever-growing needs.

Perhaps it won't be long before the first-order Spirit Seizing Formation becomes useless to him after he breaks through to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, and his cultivation speed will be drastically reduced as a result.

Aside from joining the Longevity Sect in the future and residing in a better Spirit Vein cave abode, Chen Dengming currently has no better solution.

In the past six months, Jiang Qiang has inquired about it from various sources, but there is absolutely no information about a second-tier Spirit Seizing Formation on the market.

For now, we can only take it one step at a time.

He entered the cave abode and cast several Cleansing Techniques on himself and the long-neglected cave abode, then rode the Black Cloud Leopard to the Gu refining field.

"Martial Uncle Chen"

"Junior Brother Chen! Off to the Gu Refining Field again? You're such a busy man, haha."

Along the way, when he encountered some disciples, they immediately bowed respectfully to him. When he met fellow Foundation Establishment disciples such as Bao Wen and Wang Xuanfei, they also stopped to greet him politely, showing a kindness that was unlike their past minor grudges.

All of this is a benefit brought about by strength and fame.

Six months ago, he became famous in the War Zone. Even if he wanted to keep a low profile, Zhou Yunji a big mouth, and Qi Fen, who had always admired him, would still tell him about his performance on the Battlefield.

In addition, the merit list is full of real achievements, so many sect cultivators in the War Zone know that the Evergreen Sect has a newly promoted Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator named Chen Ming, who is very capable. His combat strength is praised by Cao Yan of the Longevity Sect. He is much stronger than the average Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator. Otherwise, why would Qi Fen and Zhou Yunji and others have to boast about him?

As a result, when Chen Dengming returned to his sect, he found that everyone around him had become increasingly friendly.

The rumors that once lingered between him and Senior Sister He gradually disappeared, replaced by all sorts of praise and flattery.

"Whoosh--"

With a flap of its wings, the Black Cloud Leopard quickly carried Chen Dengming to the outside of the Gu Refining Field.

"Greetings, Senior Chen!"

Inside the Gu-refining field, some Rogue Cultivator who were busy performing Cleansing Technique on the Gu Creatures immediately put down their work and respectfully bowed to Chen Dengming.

"Brother Chen."

Jiang Qiang immediately came out of the house and went to greet him.

Chen Dengming waved his hand, signaling the others to continue working, leaving Jiang Qiang behind to walk and talk. He asked about the current situation of the Gu Creatures market, and the two gradually walked to the deepest part of the Gu refining field.

This place has been protected by the Earthly Fiend Mystic Azure Formation set up by Jiang Qiang.

Once the Formation is activated and you enter, you will see a huge pit filled with countless blood-red centipedes with their limbs swaying.

Blood Centipede Gu Pit.

This pit can produce hundreds of Blood Centipede Gu every month without the need for blood refining, which are quite popular among low-level Qi Refining cultivators.

But what Chen Dengming cares about now is not the wealth brought by these Blood Centipede Gu, but the centipede larvae lurking in the blood cocoon deep within the Demon Beast corpse at the center of these tens of thousands of Blood Centipede Gu.

Now, his "Gu Refining Art" is increasingly approaching the level of a master.

He had already tried to refine the old Golden Silkworm Gu and Blood Centipede Gu using the most primitive Gu-raising strategy, drawing Sha Qi from the Gu Pit to cultivate the King Gu recorded in the Gu Refining Art.

The Gu Refining Art is only a low-level Gu refining technique. It only records the existence of the Gu King, the king of Gu, and briefly describes the conditions for refining it, but does not describe the refining process and methods in detail.

However, with the experience and theories he had accumulated as he was about to break through to the master level of the <Gu Refining Art>, he gradually figured out the insights and techniques he had gained from refining Gu with blood in the past.

Several months ago, he began to try to cultivate the Gu King.

They didn't hesitate to use the Flesh and Blood of the Foundation Establishment demon Ice Python Demon, which they had received as a share of half a year ago, to cultivate the King Gu.

Besides the Blood Centipede Gu Pit, at another crossroads deep within the Gu Refining Field, it was also isolated by the Sky-Piercing Primordial Formation. The formation was filled with golden threads that were constantly raging and fighting together, each one of which was a Golden Silkworm Gu that would fetch a high price if it were to flow into the market.

However, Chen Dengming would not allow these Golden Silkworm Gu to easily circulate in the market.

He would rather these Golden Silkworm Gu fight to the death within the formation, becoming the sacrifices for his number one Golden Silkworm Gu to advance to the King Gu.

The blood and Sha Qi from the battles of countless Golden Silkworm Gu are absorbed by the King Gu, making its bloodline purer and facilitating its advancement.

The rarer the Golden Silkworm Gu is on the market, the more expensive it becomes, attracting more Qi Refining disciples from various Lineage to bid for it.

When something is too abundant, it becomes worthless, just like how in the past, people hoarded cars and refused to sell them, preferring to scrap them all.

"Brother Chen, don't worry, I'll take care of your treasures."

Jiang Qiang stood to the side, smiling and patting his chest.

"Yes, of course I'm relieved."

Chen Dengming nodded and glanced at the panel.

"<The Gu Refining Art> (Master 94/100)"

A breakthrough is truly not far off.

He turned around, reached out and patted Jiang Qiang on the shoulder, "Qiangzi, you still need to keep an eye on the news about the second-tier Spirit Seizing Formation for me."

Jiang Qiang's expression turned solemn, and he immediately nodded in agreement.

"Haha, no need to be so serious and tense. If we can find it, great; if not, well, let fate decide."

Chen Dengming shook his head, smiled, turned around, mounted the Black Cloud Leopard, and rode away.

Now that we have more money and are wealthier, we also have more people working for us.

Even regarding the safety of the Gu Creatures being shipped to Chang'an Workshop, he had already re-established contact with the bandit cultivator Black Wind and, by leveraging Black Wind's connections in the underworld, handled the matter very well.

Therefore, he no longer needed to worry about or manage many trivial matters, as Jiang Qiang would naturally take care of them for him, leaving him with more free time for cultivation.

At the same time.

Within the Jiamu Pass area of War Zone, in the continuous mountain range where the Wonderful Sound Sect is located.

Inside a cave filled with dim light, seemingly a bottomless abyss.

The cave was surrounded by strange, dark rocks and dead trees, some of which were already rotten and withered, emitting a nauseating stench in the cold air.

The damp moss hanging from the rock face, with its fine, spiderweb-like strands, seems to silently warn everyone not to set foot here.

Further in, one can even see some broken skeletons buried deep in the soil, a few abandoned altars and strange stone pillars, as if sealing some kind of evil power, making one feel uneasy and terrified.

Yet, in this somber setting, a graceful woman sat quietly beneath an altar.

She wore simple, elegant clothes, the folds of which were light and flowing, like pure white snow. Her face was slender, her skin fair, her eyebrows and eyes exquisite, and her eyes deep and unfathomable, as if they could see through everything.

Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and suddenly a strong spiritual aura emanated from her body, forming tangible ripples of Spiritual Qi that dispelled the evil aura in the surrounding air.

Foundation Establishment Middle Stage!

She made a breakthrough.

In just over two years, she progressed from the Foundation Establishment Early Stage to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage without consuming too many resources, which is a testament to her exceptional talent High-grade Spiritual Root.

Breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage meant that she could leave the Repentance Cave, this secret place that had filled her with deep doubt and unease.

The Wonderful Sound Sect is considered a righteous sect, so why would it have such an evil place? In the past six months, she has even frequently felt some kind of the Unseen summons coming from the altar in front of her.

But she knew she couldn't get close, so she always restrained herself and hid many secret thoughts in her mind. Now that she could finally leave, Lüo Bing finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She tapped it with her long, slender fingers.

A beam of light shot out, enveloping her figure, and instantly flew out of this dark, mysterious place filled with evil and sin.

Almost immediately after she disappeared.

A strong, putrid stench suddenly emanated from the altar.

The light in the cave seemed to have dimmed imperceptibly, and a deep, dark atmosphere permeated the air, making one feel as if they had fallen into an ice cave.

The shadow of some enormous creature seemed to sweep past beneath the altar, then suddenly stopped. It was as if a malevolent, ferocious gaze was peering through the altar, fixed on the direction Lüo Bing had gone. For a long, long time, a cruel smile appeared in its eyes.

A dozen or so breaths later.

A beam of light suddenly appeared like a sparkling pearl in the magnificent sea of clouds at the Wonderful Sound Sect, resembling a flowing waterfall, and stopped in front of the passing light.

"Junior Sister Luo, you... you actually walked out of the Repentance Cave! Congratulations!"

Among the several beams of light, a handsome man's expression changed slightly as he sensed the intense, still uncontained spiritual power emanating from Lüo Bing, and he was taken aback.

"Junior Sister has broken through in just over two years! This is truly a cause for celebration, a double blessing! Junior Sister truly deserves her High-grade Spiritual Root aptitude."

The other two fellow cultivators both glanced at Lüo Bing with evasive and uncertain eyes, wanting to look but not daring to.

In their eyes, this ice queen's face, though cold and aloof, exuded a mysterious charm that was irresistible.

That charm might stem from a certain detached emotion hidden deep within her heart, or perhaps from her unique, aloof yet proud temperament and formidable strength, making any man yearn to tear away her cold exterior and reveal her fiery side, to ravage her mercilessly.

Lüo Bing calmly stared at the people opposite her. Her deep eyes easily saw through the restlessness beneath the hypocritical expressions of these people she had become accustomed to. She remained proud and indifferent, and said coldly.

"Where is the sect leader?"

"Ah? Sect Leader Han should be in Chongyin Pavilion right now."

"Whoosh--"

Lüo Bing's figure vanished in an instant, leaving behind several soul-stirring gazes.

After a cup of tea.

Inside the Chongyin Pavilion.

A figure exuding a faint, oppressive spiritual aura floated down from the high pavilion, hands behind his back, and transmitted his voice to Lüo Bing, who was waiting outside the pavilion.

"Foolish child, have you figured it out?"

Lüo Bing frowned slightly and said calmly, "Sect Leader, I don't understand."

A sigh drifted out from inside the pavilion.

"Whether you understand it or not, in the end it's just a matter of what doesn't work here, it works elsewhere. Since you don't want to accept the coercion of the Luo Family Ancestor and make a ten-year agreement with him, you might as well make your own choice."

Now that Chen Dengming has shown his potential, as long as you find him and unite with him, I will personally intervene to resolve the coercion from the Luo Family Ancestor. Elder Ke, the Golden Core cultivator from the Dan Sect behind him, will not refuse my request.

Afterwards, if you can find the hidden Human Immortal Orthodox Lineage in Nanxun through Chen Dengming, then my Wonderful Sound Sect will truly be considered a higher-ranking Immortal Sect with a proper lineage!

Lüo Bing pondered for a moment, his facial expression subtly changing, sometimes like a gentle spring breeze, sometimes as calm and profound as a glacier, before suddenly shaking his head.

"Sect Leader, Chen Dengming may have secrets, and he may even be related to the Human Immortal Orthodox Lineage, but these are all just our speculations at the moment."

"Hehehe guess"

Sect Leader Han chuckled, his tone slightly playful and disdainful, and said, "I have received news that Old Ghost Gu of the Moon Reflection Sect has once again made contact with their sect's Nascent Soul Ancestor, Feng Qingbo."

It's no longer important who initiated the contact; what matters is that the Sha Star already knew of Chen Dengming's existence and was quite interested in him.

Lüo Bing's pretty face changed slightly.

"Foolish child, you should now know what decision to make. Whatever your thoughts, your interests do not conflict with those of the sect. I can help you, and the sect can help you as well."

Lüo Bing remained silent for a moment, then slowly closed her beautiful eyes.

How much time do I have?

"The war in the Northeast War Zone has been going on for a long time, and both sides have lost their patience. Two of the four War Zone commands are already nearing their end. In at most another year, this great war will reach its climax."

Flowers bloom and fade.

Autumn has passed and winter has arrived.

More than a year has passed in the blink of an eye, and the Eastern Region has once again entered the depths of winter.

As Wonderful Sound Sect Xinqing, the Golden Core Master of the Han Xinqing Sect, said, the long-standing war in the Northeast Corner War Zone broke out completely in this midwinter, but it did not reach a fever pitch; rather, it was an almost one-sided battle.

The Third Ancestor Longevity Sect Nascent Soul, together with the Nascent Soul Nascent Soul Ancestor of the Five Elements Escape Sect and the Dragon Transformation Sect, launched a joint attack, attempting to decisively end the war, reclaim the lost northeast corner, and drive the Western Region Devil Cultivator back to the Western Region.

As a result, the punch that had been building up for so long landed on nothing.

Among the Devil Cultivators, not a single Nascent Soul Devil Lord stepped forward to fight, and even the Golden Core Cultivator retreated ahead of time.

There was no intense battle between Nascent Soul cultivators as expected, and even Golden Core Cultivator did not clash.

A war of invasion by Devil Cultivator that had lasted for several years suddenly broke out and ended absurdly, appearing to have a promising start but an unsatisfactory finish, leaving people completely baffled by the tactics of the Devil Cultivator from the Western Regions.

Also in this year, Chen Dengming crossed the threshold of 86 years old, becoming an 87-year-old old man. Four years had passed since he came to the Cultivation World from Nanxun, and he was now in his fifth year.

After more than a year of arduous training, he successfully broke through to the sixth level of his Evergreen Merit, and his Law Power increased by more than 80% compared to before.

At this moment, deep within the Mist River Beach.

The sound of rushing water, a fierce roar like that of a water monster, shook the mist and carried far into the distance.

Suddenly, with a loud "bang," a jet of water shot out from the misty river surface, containing a strong and abundant malevolent spiritual Spiritual Qi, and rushed straight towards a beam of spiritual light above.

"Good timing!"

Chen Dengming chuckled softly, then suddenly made a series of hand seals simultaneously. In the blink of an eye, an immense amount of Metal Elemental Spiritual Energy condensed and transformed into two spiraling, sharp, almost tangible golden spears, which 'whooshed' through the air.

'Bang!'

The water column was instantly torn apart and collapsed, turning into countless tiny water droplets that dissipated in the air.

Two Golden Light flashed by like lightning, disappearing into the river below at incredible speed. With two sharp "swoosh" sounds, the spiraling golden spear tore through the hard, slippery scales of a water monster, instantly pinning it to the riverbed and stirring up a large amount of murky water.

"Roar!--"

The enormous water monster roared and howled, writhing in agony, stirring up turbulent currents and waves with astonishing force.

Chen Dengming casually made a hand seal and grabbed.

The two golden spears burst into golden light in an instant, and the even more surging and concentrated Metal Elemental Spiritual Energy instantly transformed into two huge golden hands, which directly grabbed the water monster that resembled Flood Dragon from the bottom of the river and stirred up huge waves.

"Splash--"

The river rises in an arc resembling a golden mountain peak, and as the water flows down, it reveals a golden giant that looks like a small mountain.

The Flood Dragon- like water monster roared, its massive body twisting violently as it tried to overturn and throw the golden giant aside.

However, a huge golden fist suddenly fell, smashing into the water monster's head with a loud 'clang'. Scales shattered, blood splattered, and the water monster's eye ruptured instantly. A long, bloody tongue spit out from its mouth full of sharp teeth and fangs, and it fainted.

"Junior Brother Chen, that's enough, that's enough, be gentle."

A flash of light appeared, revealing the figure of a slender, tall, and shapely female cultivator. Her wide green robe flowed with a soft, water-like texture, and her slender waist was cinched, showcasing her perfect proportions.

Chen Dengming smiled as he looked at the woman who had flown in and said, "Senior Sister He, this is supposed to be Foundation Establishment water monster, how come it looks so fragile? Its bones are as brittle as a loach."

He Yingyu rolled her eyes reproachfully, "Your Spirit Venerable status is condensed from Metal Elemental Spiritual Energy, extremely strong and indestructible. Few spiritual beings in the same realm can compare to your hard bones."

However, even this Foundation Establishment water monster, with its thick skin and tough flesh, couldn't withstand a punch from you, a Spirit Venerable. I didn't even see you channel much spiritual energy into it, yet the Spirit Venerable summoned by your Qi Refining Technique Method is astonishingly strong."

"Perhaps it's because I, your Junior Brother, have cultivated this technique to a higher level," Chen Dengming said with a smile.

Now, a year has passed. Not only has he broken through the Evergreen Merit, but he is only one level away from the Foundation Establishment Late Stage. Furthermore, his Golden Spear Technique, Wood Escape Technique, and Golden Gang Spirit Venerable Technique Method have all broken through to the Master level and reached the Grandmaster level.

The power amplification of a master-level Technique Method exceeded Chen Dengming's imagination.

With techniques like the Golden Spear Technique, he can now unleash two to six spears simultaneously, each spear being larger and at least twice as lethal. Despite being only a first-tier, level-one Technique Method, its lethality is comparable to a typical first-tier, level-five Technique Method, and the energy consumption is negligible for Chen Dengming.

As for the Grandmaster-level Golden Gang Spirit Venerable, its power is greatly enhanced. Ordinary second-tier low-grade Law Artifact can hardly seriously injure it. Its offensive power is comparable to the power of a single blow from Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator. With the increase of spiritual energy, it will be further enhanced. Its value in actual combat will surpass that of Foundation Establishment spirit pet, causing the Black Cloud Leopard to walk with its tail between its legs every time it sees it.

At this moment, He Yingyu had already put the water monster away with her Beast Taming Bag and said, "Junior Brother, now that we have captured this Foundation Establishment water monster, we can head to that secret place."

Later, once the War Zone is completely over and many fellow cultivators have returned, the competition for the secret realm will become fierce, and many fellow cultivators will surely go there."

Chen Dengming nodded slightly and pondered for a moment, "Senior Sister He, now that the war in the War Zone is over, I plan to accompany you to the secret realm, and then go to Jiamu Pass. I still need you to look after matters within the sect for me..."

He Yingyu's beautiful eyes flashed, "Are you going to find your close old friend?"

Before Chen Dengming could even reply, she covered her mouth and chuckled, changing the subject. "Junior Brother, you only have one Gu Refining Field to look after in the sect, nothing else to worry about..."

(A friend came over today, so I was very busy and the update was a bit slow, but I still managed to write over 8,000 words. Please keep voting for me!)