Essence-Locking and Qi-Solidifying

[Essence-Locking Ring: Locks in essence and qi, preventing the leakage of one's source.]

[Equipped Attributes: Essence-Locking and Qi-Solidifying (Green).]

[Essence-Locking and Qi-Solidifying (Green): Your source will not leak, and essence and qi will continuously accumulate, strengthening your source.]

[Solidification Condition: Abstain from sex for three thousand days.]

[Equip?]

"This is an Essence-Locking Ring. It can help preserve your source."

Jiang Rui explained.

Afterward, she added:

"I've never used this one."

Looking at the magical artifact, Zhou Er fell into thought.

It might not do much, but its attribute seemed pretty good.

The solidification condition was just a little too harsh.

Something was better than nothing.

"Thank you, Senior Sister."

Zhou Er accepted the ring-shaped artifact and thanked her gratefully.

He was about to say something else when he felt someone jab at his Spiritual Sense. Not far away, Zhu Yan glared at him.

He immediately left and went with Zhu Yan to an unoccupied spot.

"What were you whispering about with that little bitch just now?"

Zhu Yan grabbed Zhou Er by the ear and said furiously.

"She used to be my senior sister. I was just catching up with her. I didn't know she'd joined the Hehuan Sect."

Zhou Er hurriedly explained.

"That still doesn't make it okay!"

Zhu Yan was still furious.

After they had their way with each other, Zhou Er was glad he had quietly equipped the Essence-Locking Ring beforehand.

Zhu Yan hadn't noticed. She simply tidied herself up and went to see the guests again.

After seeing off the guests, Zhu Ying came over to Zhou Er with a few things in her hands.

"Daddy, look!"

Zhu Ying showed him the gifts she had received.

Zhou Er took a look. They were all fine spirit materials.

[Underworld Ganoderma: A ganoderma that grows on thousand-year-old coffins. It benefits the Spiritual Soul.]

[Equipped Attributes: Nether Devour (Blue).]

[Nether Devour (Blue): After killing an evil, yin-aligned target, you can absorb its remnant soul.]

[Solidification Condition: Absorb one hundred remnant souls.]

[Equip?]

It was the first time Zhou Er had seen a blue attribute, and he was immediately tempted.

Zhu Yan wasn't around, so he could quietly keep it for himself.

"Sweetie, would you give this Underworld Ganoderma to Daddy?"

Zhou Er held out his hand and asked.

"No! It's my treasure."

Zhu Ying immediately stuffed the Underworld Ganoderma in her hand into her clothes.

Zhou Er grew nervous. Zhu Yan might come back at any moment.

"Sweetie, do you like Daddy?"

Zhou Er asked.

"I do."

Zhu Ying replied.

"Then give Daddy the Underworld Ganoderma, and Daddy will give you something even better."

Zhou Er thought for a moment, then took out the Turtle Shell Shield he had put away earlier.

The Turtle Shell Shield was much bigger than the Underworld Ganoderma, and Zhu Ying was already tired of playing with the one in her hand. She immediately took it out and traded it.

After equipping the Underworld Ganoderma, Zhou Er said:

"Sweetie, don't tell your mother you gave Daddy the Underworld Ganoderma. This is our secret."

Zhu Ying obediently nodded.

Zhou Er reminded Zhu Ying several more times before he finally felt at ease.

But even if Zhu Ying let their secret slip, it wouldn't matter. At worst, Zhou Er would simply take the Underworld Ganoderma back out.

After seeing off the guests, Zhu Yan saw the father and daughter playing together and smiled.

If they could keep living such an ordinary life, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.

Perhaps there had been too many gifts; Zhu Yan didn't notice that the Underworld Ganoderma was missing.

Zhou Er didn't know what special use the Underworld Ganoderma's attribute might have, but something was better than nothing.

At present, he had very few ways to obtain new attributes.

He no longer wanted to be the City Lord of Bashui City, this damned place.

Over the following years, the entire Cultivation World was engulfed in endless warfare, with battles flaring up and dying down.

Bashui City wasn't affected too much. Zhou Er continued cultivating bit by bit, relying on the Essence-Locking and Qi-Solidifying attribute to barely restore some of his source. He also cultivated through Moon Absorption and broke through to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

His Spiritual Sense grew stronger as well.

When he looked inward with his Spiritual Sense, he noticed a small shadow near his heart.

[Heart-Eating Gu: A Gu insect that lives attached to the heart.]

[Equipped Attributes: Blood Puppet (Blue).]

[Blood Puppet (Blue): Use your own essence blood as a catalyst to create a Blood Seed, then use it to control another person.]

[Solidification Condition: Consume ten thousand jin of blood.]

[Equip?]

Looking at this attribute, Zhou Er more or less figured out what the Heart-Eating Gu was.

This centipede-like Gu insect was probably the larva of the Bone-Eating Devil Lord's Natal Gu Insect.

The eggs had been hidden inside the Heart-Eating Pills. Once people took the pills, the eggs would begin to hatch and take root in their hearts, where they would grow. The Bone-Eating Devil Lord could then use the Gu to control them.

Now, Zhou Er could equip the Heart-Eating Gu through the Equipment Slot.

That would let him find a way to escape the Bone-Eating Devil Lord's control and eliminate the effects of the Heart-Eating Gu.

He had figured out how to break free, but escaping the Bone-Eating Devil Lord's grasp altogether was still impossible.

For one thing, even Zhu Yan wouldn't let him leave.

Still, discovering the Heart-Eating Gu was a good thing. At the very least, he no longer felt as hopeless as before.

The odds were slim, but Zhou Er still had a chance to escape Bashui City.

In the days that followed, Zhou Er carefully considered how to get out of Bashui City.

He couldn't let himself get caught and dragged back by someone again, like last time.

After turning it over in his mind, he figured that if he flew away, Zhu Yan would probably catch him and bring him back before long.

In the end, Zhou Er concluded that if he wanted to escape, his only chance was by water.

He would follow Wangyue Lake downstream, letting the current carry him all the way out of the mainland and away from this region. Only then would he have a chance to survive.

He kept making plans, and before he knew it, Zhu Ying was ten years old.

She was now practicing an ancient method called the Ancient Wood Evergreen Technique. Her cultivation was slow, but she had reached the Qi Refining Fifth Layer. Among her generation, she was unquestionably a prodigy.

It was impossible for Zhou Er to have no feelings for his adorable daughter.

But he knew he probably had only another thirty-odd years to live. If he kept wasting away here under Zhu Yan's control, he might not just fail to attain the Dao and ascend to immortality—he might end up in the grave first.

So, while Zhu Yan was in seclusion, Zhou Er quietly left the Bashui City City Lord's Mansion, found a waterway, and plunged in.

Thanks to the Underwater Breathing attribute, he felt like a fish in water as soon as he entered. Before long, he had followed the waterway out of Wangyue Lake.

Riding the waves, he swam on for an unknown number of days—at least hundreds of days and nights—and finally reached the estuary.

At the estuary, Zhou Er gazed at the Wansheng Continent from afar. After a moment's hesitation, he turned and left without looking back.

Now that he had decided to run, he couldn't afford to worry about so much. He had to keep heading out to sea.

The mainland was in chaos. He might as well go overseas and wait until the situation stabilized and his cultivation was strong enough to establish himself on the Wansheng Continent. He could return for revenge then.

And so Zhou Er continued swimming through the sea like a fish.

The vast ocean stretched on without end.

Though Zhou Er had no idea where he had swum to, he had regained the freedom he had missed for so long. Even swimming aimlessly filled him with ease.

After swimming for several days, Zhou Er spotted a flock of enormous birds with gaping beaks and huge wings.

"If I follow this flock, I should be able to find somewhere to settle."

Zhou Er observed that these birds weren't ordinary creatures. They were all first-tier Spirit Beasts.

And these birds couldn't fly around forever. They would surely find somewhere to land and rest, giving him the perfect chance to follow the Big-Mouth Birds and find a place where he could catch his breath.

Before long, Zhou Er followed the Big-Mouth Birds to an Isolated Island.

He rose into the air using his qi and surveyed the island from above. It was roughly crescent-shaped.

After circling the island, he confirmed that no one lived there. The strongest creatures on it were the Big-Mouth Birds he had seen earlier.

Seeing that, Zhou Er descended and made the island his temporary resting place.

After reaching shore, the first thing Zhou Er did was look for a place to build his future Cave Mansion.

Sweeping every inch with his Spiritual Sense, he found the ideal location beside a pool in the center of the island.

It was the only source of fresh water on Yueya Island, and a flock of Big-Mouth Birds had gathered around it.

The Big-Mouth Birds were deeply wary of Zhou Er. The moment he appeared, they fixed their eyes on him.

Zhou Er also noticed the largest bird among them. Its wingspan must have been four or five meters.

It seemed to be at the mid-first-tier, about on par with Zhou Er.

The moment the Big-Mouth Bird met his eyes, it realized Zhou Er meant trouble. It spread its wings and swooped at him at full speed.

Zhou Er didn't panic. He fought the bird with his bare hands.

The Big-Mouth Bird's iron feathers scraped across the scales covering Zhou Er's body, throwing off sparks.

Man and bird grappled, crashing through several trees so thick it would have taken three or four people to wrap their arms around them.

Zhou Er's body was powerful, and years of Moon Absorption Cultivation had tempered his Spiritual Sense again and again. He could fight even a second-tier Demonic Beast with his bare hands.

After only half a quarter of an hour, the Big-Mouth Bird realized it was no match for Zhou Er.

But by then, it was too late for the bird to break free.

Zhou Er grabbed the Big-Mouth Bird by the neck and bared four sharp fangs. He sank them into the bird in one bite and injected Azure Nether Poison.

It was an innate talent he had gained after fusing with his Life-Bound Gu.

Once he had injected the poison, Zhou Er released the Big-Mouth Bird.

The bird staggered through the air for a few flaps, then plummeted into the water.

Seeing this, Zhou Er quickly swam over and dragged the barely breathing bird onto the sandy shore.

As the Big-Mouth Bird's breathing grew weaker, Zhou Er checked his panel.

[Name: Zhou Er]

[Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Middle Stage (97.13%)]

[Equipment Slot (3/3): Essence-Locking Ring, Underworld Ganoderma, Heart-Eating Gu]

[Unsolidified Attributes: Essence-Locking and Qi-Solidifying (Green), Nether Devour (Blue), Blood Puppet (Blue)]

[Solidified Attributes: Moon Absorption (White), Hundred Poisons Immunity (Green), ...]

Ever since he had obtained the Blood Puppet attribute, Zhou Er hadn't used it.

He looked at the Big-Mouth Bird, which was still panting, and asked:

"Do you want to live?"

With his Beast Language Mastery talent, Zhou Er could get his meaning across to the Big-Mouth Bird. It blinked hard in response.

Seeing that, Zhou Er held out his hand and used a finger as a blade to cut a wound into his palm.

Dark red blood welled up.

Though years of Poison Cultivation had left his blood tainted with plenty of toxins, it could still, to some extent, counteract the Azure Nether Poison.

The Big-Mouth Bird drank Zhou Er's blood. Its eyelids grew heavy, and before long they closed.

"Is it dead?"

Zhou Er hadn't expected the Big-Mouth Bird to be so weak against poison.

He tested the bird's breathing with his hand. It was still breathing, though faintly.

Zhou Er dragged it over beside the freshwater pool and left it there to recover.

Several days later, the Big-Mouth Bird slowly regained its strength and was finally able to fly again.

Among Demonic Beasts and Spirit Beasts, strength ruled.

After Zhou Er defeated it, the Big-Mouth Bird immediately acknowledged him as its master.

Of course, even if the Big-Mouth Bird refused to obey, Zhou Er had already planted a Blood Seed inside it and could control it completely.

With the leader subdued, the other Big-Mouth Birds on the island naturally fell into line.

To tell it apart from the others, Zhou Er named the leader Big Mouth.

Over the past few days, Zhou Er had also made good progress developing his Cave Mansion.

He didn't understand formations, so he couldn't set up a defensive formation to keep enemies out.

But having the Big-Mouth Birds guard the area was far more effective than a formation.

Zhou Er had left the Demonic Person of Poison Dragon Cave behind. Even though he was cultivating all alone on Yueya Island, he didn't feel lonely.

Without any poisonous insects, Zhou Er's Poison Cultivation became far less efficient.

Besides, he didn't particularly like cultivating this technique anyway.

So he simply set it aside for the time being and returned to the Bi-Sea Tide Sound Technique he had once abandoned.

The underground pool was rich in Water Attribute Spirit Energy. During the day, Zhou Er sank to the bottom to cultivate.

At night, he searched for a high place on Yueya Island, practiced Moon Absorption Cultivation, and honed his Spiritual Soul.

A few days later, Zhou Er's Spiritual Sense grew stronger once more.

With his powerful Spiritual Sense, the bottleneck between Foundation Establishment Middle Stage and Foundation Establishment Late Stage was as flimsy as paper. One charge was all it took to break through.

His Spiritual Sense now reached more than five hundred meters, far beyond that of cultivators at the same level.

When he wasn't cultivating, Zhou Er explored the island.

Unfortunately, the island was ancient and seemed untouched by anyone. Zhou Er found no trace of those who had come before him.

Still, that was for the best. At least no one would disturb him.

He could stay here for a while, devote himself to cultivation, and hone his skills.

Cultivation knew no time. In the blink of an eye, ten years had passed.

He had now reached Foundation Establishment Peak, and his body and Spiritual Soul had both improved to the point of near perfection.

But Golden Core formation required a Golden Core cultivation method and spiritual materials to assist. Back when he was in Bashui City, Zhu Yan had always kept an eye on him. She would never have given him the later parts of the Myriad Poison Heaven-Devouring Scripture.

As for the Golden Core method in the Bi-Sea Tide Sound Technique, without external assistance, the chance of success was less than one in ten.

If he tried to form his Golden Core recklessly, he would only end up dead, his cultivation destroyed.

Zhou Er naturally wasn't about to take that risk.

During his ten years on the island, Zhou Er had seen powerful members of the Demon Race frolicking on the surface of the sea.

On one occasion, he had also seen a senior from the cultivation world fly overhead.

He reckoned there were other forces nearby. If he flew in the direction that senior had gone, he would probably find a gathering place for cultivators.

There, he might be able to obtain Golden Core spiritual materials and seek out an opportunity to form his Golden Core.

Leaving Big Mouth to look after Yueya Island, Zhou Er swam in the direction the senior had flown.

He discovered that with the help of Underwater Breathing, he could swim much faster than he could fly, so he decided to make the journey underwater.