After returning to the Lingxi Mountain Range, Xu Yang didn't retreat to cultivate. He went to the Alchemy and Artifact Room and took out the Heavenly Escape Mirror and the Blood-Breaking Awl. Both artifacts had been damaged, and both had been damaged fighting the Golden Core giant serpent. Xu Yang put in considerable effort to repair them, then stowed them in his Qiankun Bag.
Thinking back over the battle, Xu Yang reviewed his gains and losses so he wouldn't make the same mistakes next time. He realized that his artifacts could no longer keep up with his fighting. Golden Core-level battles were too powerful for them to withstand, and they were easily damaged. The artifacts that had once been so formidable had all become next to useless, leaving Xu Yang deeply frustrated. For now, he still hadn't advanced to the Golden Core Realm...