Several days later, deep underground.
A formidable aura spread out, and dazzling radiance shrouded the entire cavern.
The azure radiance lasted a full half day before slowly fading, gradually revealing a figure seated cross-legged.
Joy showed on Xu Yan's face. Just as he had expected, after swallowing three Golden Marrow Jade Dew Pills and one Five-Phase Essence-Consolidating Pill, he had successfully broken through to the middle stage of foundation establishment.
With his breakthrough, his strength had multiplied severalfold. His reserves of magic power already surpassed those of ordinary foundation establishment perfection cultivators. Combined with his formidable physique, they were enough to rival a Half-Step Golden Core cultivator.
His divine sense had also exceeded the thousand-zhang range of ordinary foundation establishment perfection cultivators, reaching around twelve hundred zhang. Though that was nothing compared to the several-thousand-zhang range Golden Core cultivators routinely possessed, it already made him as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns among foundation establishment cultivators.
With that, even Elder Qi would find it difficult to threaten him.
It could be said that only after breaking through to the middle stage of foundation establishment had he earned the right to compete for the Spirit Treasure in the Inner Region.
Before seizing that Spirit Treasure, however, he needed to enslave a cultivator as a helper.
Once a cultivator had been branded with the Ancient Demon Slave Talisman, he would not only gain a helper but could also consume that cultivator's essence blood to unleash extraordinary combat power. This was another heaven-defying aspect of the Ancient Demon Slave Talisman.
"Who should I brand with this slave talisman?" A thoughtful look appeared in Xu Yan's eyes.
The figures of various cultivators surfaced in his mind. If he chose based on cultivation, his first choices would be the leaders of the four major