The Three Kingdoms of Wei, Jin, and Liang, Lying in Wait!

The Jade Slip contained very little information.

But it was enough to keep Shi Jian lying there, pondering for almost half an hour.

Blood Sha Sect.

They have quite a background.

This sect is not affiliated with the Wei Kingdom, but rather originates from the Jin Kingdom, another cultivation kingdom bordering the southwestern border of the Wei Kingdom!

The Jin Kingdom was founded on the path of demonic cultivation, with five major Nascent Soul sects standing side by side within its borders, known as the "Five Devil Dao Sects Cultivation," which rivaled the three major sects of the Wei Kingdom.

In the southeastern border region of the Wei Kingdom, there was another country called Liang Kingdom, which took the Hao Ran Law as its doctrine and revered the Four Righteous Dao Sects.

The three kingdoms stood in a tripartite balance, each checking and balancing the others, with none able to conquer the other.

Shi Jian had vaguely heard disciples of White Cloud Temple mention this layout before, but never in such detail...

The Jade Slip contained the notes of an elder of the Blood Sha Sect.

The Blood Sha Sect, while not considered a top-tier power in the Jin Kingdom, is protected by a Nascent Soul Devil Lord, and is merely Golden Core sect.

However, a few years ago, the Nascent Soul Devil Lord passed away, and the Blood Sha Sect lost its backer, so it was swallowed up by several other sects...

The patriarch perished, the sect was destroyed, and the disciples scattered.

These seven black-robed cultivators were the remaining disciples who had fled to the Wei Kingdom, relying on the Blood Refining Blood Pearl to sustain their cultivation and cover their expenses during their escape.

These are nothing.

What made Shi Jian's pupils shrink was the content of the second half of the notes.

At its peak, the Blood Sha Sect had planted a large number of spies in the Wei Kingdom.

Some infiltrated minor sects as outer disciples, some operated businesses in the markets as Rogue Cultivator, and there was even a Golden Core ancestor who lived in seclusion under an alias in a certain county of the Wei Kingdom.

Secretly gathering intelligence and transporting resources for the Blood Sha Sect...

The journal listed seven names, three locations, and two covert communication lines.

The seven disciples who escaped had come with the intention of following the hidden network to find these moles and seek refuge...

Shi Jian read through the information in the Jade Slip three times to make sure nothing was missing before swallowing Jade Slip.

He wasn't excited.

On the contrary, an instinctive alertness spread from the spine to the limbs.

Golden Core Elixir Ancestor.

An undercover agent in the demonic path.

Numerous underlying themes.

Any one of these is something a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Demon Beast like him can't touch; getting involved would mean certain death!

Regardless of his combat prowess, the mere mention of the "Golden Core" title of that reclusive Golden Core ancestor in the Wei Kingdom was enough to dispel any rash thoughts from Shi Jian.

His current strength is top-tier in White Cloud Commandery, but in the entire Wei Kingdom's cultivation world, he wouldn't even make a ripple.

Shi Jian licked the bear paw and did some mental calculations.

Report these undercover agents? Hand them over to White Cloud Temple?

Don't even think about it!

He's just a Demon Beast; if this information leaks out, and it gets involved in something else, he won't be able to cover it up...

One wrong move and you'll be burned to the ground, leaving not even ashes!

As for utilizing these undercover agents...

There's no rush.

With the Blood Sha Sect destroyed, these undercover agents have lost their foundation and will only shrink back more tightly in the short term, fearing exposure of their identities.

The greatest value of such a person lies not in the present moment...

It lies in the future!

Wait until the storm passes, until he becomes stronger, until the time is right...

These hidden pieces might come in handy later. As the saying goes, "Haste makes waste, and patience brings peace."

All of this is still too far away for him.

The most important thing for the next hundred years is to honestly find a way to Core Formation.

"Ancestor?"

Sun Lin came closer, carrying various odds and ends he had taken from the black-robed cultivator.

What good stuff do you have?

"There are 327 Spirit Stone, three Blood Pearl, some scattered Law Artifact, all of low grade, and a few Cultivation Method, all of which are heretical and unorthodox."

Sun Lin laid the items out on the ground one by one, paused, and then pulled out a half-tattered Storage Bag from the corner:

"There are two spiritual herbs here, but I don't quite recognize them."

Shi Jian glanced down at it.

Two dark red spiritual herbs, their roots intertwined and tangled, with a faint blood-red glow at the edges of their leaves...

Blood Flame Grass, First-Tier Superior-Grade Spirit Plant.

Auxiliary materials for Devil Cultivator to cultivate spirit worms and flesh puppets...

It's useless to him, but if we take it back and give it to Sun Caiya to study, she might be able to come up with something interesting. That woman's obsession with Spirit Plant is extremely rare, so this thing might have some use for her.

"Keep them all safe. Give me the Blood Pearl and Spirit Stone, and the rest are yours."

Shi Jian swallowed the three Blood Pearl one by one. The warm Qi and Blood dissolved in his body. Although it was not as amazing as the first one, it was better than nothing and was still a tonic.

It can also heal injuries, which is not bad.

After consuming everything, Shi Jian looked at the corpses scattered throughout the valley and remained silent for a moment.

"Sun Lin, set a fire."

Sun Lin sighed, took out a fire talisman, and activated his spiritual power.

A huge fire broke out immediately.

The remains, magic array, and large black iron vat in the valley were all engulfed by the raging fire. Thick smoke, carrying the smell of burning, rose into the sky and scattered into a gray-white expanse in the night.

Shi Jian turned around without looking back.

The firelight behind him cast flickering shadows on his dark fur.

"Let's go home."

Three days later, on the back of the main peak.

"Ancestor, you must be tired from your journey."

Sun Bo'an greeted him with a smile, but Shi Jian snorted and pushed several jade boxes containing Spirit Plant and six bags of white crystalline powder in front of Sun Bo'an.

"Thunder Radiance Grass, Purple Lightning Moss, and Thunder-Patterned Fungus are all Spirit Plant of the Thunder genus. Give them to Caiya so she can transplant them into the Thunder Essence Fruit and grow alongside the fruit trees."

"This white powder is a natural crystal formed when lightning strikes. It's not of high quality, but there's plenty of it."

"We'll make plans after we've thoroughly investigated the matter."

Sun Bo'an took them one by one, and his brows twitched slightly when he saw the six heavy Storage Bag.

"Also, Sun Lin performed well on this trip."

Shi Jian lay back down in his usual spot in front of the cave abode, speaking casually, "He has some talent in talismanic arts. Give him more resources later, and let him explore array formations as well..."

Upon hearing this, Sun Bo'an made a mental note of it.

In recent years, the number of young people who have received personal praise from the ancestor can be counted on one hand.

"In addition..."

Shi Jian's voice suddenly lowered slightly as he said, "On my journey, I encountered a few wandering Devil Cultivator, but I have already dealt with them."

"Devil Cultivator? What's their background?"

"These are like stray dogs that fled from the Jin Kingdom; they pose no threat whatsoever."

"The body was burned, I collected the belongings, and I left no loose ends."

As for the list of undercover agents, Golden Core cultivators, and transnational spies in the Jade Slip, Shi Jian didn't mention a single word about them...

Some cards are only truly yours if you hold them in your own hand.

If you tell others, it will become a handle for them to use against you.

Although Sun Bo'an was a confidant, this level of secrecy was a burden he could not bear, and it was also a way for him to leave himself a way out.

Moreover, Shi Jian has never been the type to be completely honest and straightforward.

He is a demon.

The demon's creed is simple: if you can eat alone, never share!

"Alright, you may leave for now. I'm going into seclusion. I sustained some injuries during my recent trip, so please don't disturb me unless it's absolutely necessary."

"Yes, Ancestor."

Sun Bo'an bowed and took his leave.

The stone door to the cave abode descended, and the array's light screen lit up once more.

Shi Jian lay on the stone bed, closing his eyes and pretending to sleep.

On the surface of the Demon Core inside his body, the circle of silver electric arcs was quietly circling and moving around.

With the nurturing of the Thunder Essence Fruit, the tempering of the Heavenly Lightning Body Refinement, and the consumption of the Thunder Leopard Demon Core, the foundation of the Lightning Origin has been firmly established in his Nascent Soul Middle Stage.

Although small, it is growing.

Like a seed, it has sprouted and is waiting for sunshine and rain.

Shi Jian focused his consciousness into his Dantian and began to sort out all the gains he had made in the past six months. Overall, he found that he had gained a lot.

On the physical level: Heavenly Lightning Body Refinement, honing the limits of the physical body, and the Qi and Blood have reached a new level, making the physical body even stronger!

At the Demon Essence level: the Lightning Origin has taken initial root in the Demon Core, though weak, it is already able to actively guide and operate.

External layout: Clear Wind Mountain has been incorporated into the Stone Forest, guarded by Lei Huan, and can return once a year to receive a baptism of heavenly lightning.

Hidden trump card: The list of the Blood Sha Sect spies, including clues to the whereabouts of a Golden Core elder. Once exposed, it will surely attract the attention of Nascent Soul.

In the darkness, Shi Jian slowly opened his eyes, and a glint of silver light flashed and disappeared deep within his pupils!

not enough.

That's far from enough.

The path to the Golden Core is still long.

But at least he has seen the direction of that road.

The fusion of power and lightning, the perfect combination of an ultimate physical body and Violent Thunder!

Shi Jian fell into a deep slumber, his breathing gradually becoming long and deep...

Inside the cave abode, all was silent.

Only the silver arcs of electricity on that Demon Core continued to spin tirelessly, circle after circle, in the endless darkness.