I am in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have a demonic beast clone!

Qingyun Mountain Range, with its uniquely shaped rock peaks.

This peak is quite unique among the thirty-six son peaks. Its mountain body is rugged, with many strangely shaped blue and brown rocks, some resembling crouching beasts, others like sharp swords pointing to the sky.

The mountain's overall spiritual energy isn't particularly abundant, but its geothermal resources are relatively active, attracting many weapon refiners and alchemists to open caves here and hone their skills by utilizing the power of geothermal energy.

On the western side of Qishi Peak, on the mountainside, lies a rather secluded and unremarkable cave. Inside the Earth Fire Chamber, waves of heat surge, and a crimson forging furnace, half a person's height, is scorched red by the earth fire, the runes engraved on its surface flickering intermittently.

Before the furnace sat a man dressed in a gray-brown short jacket, with slightly disheveled hair and an ordinary face but a focused expression. He was none other than Li Mu, the master of the cave.

He was a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator who, in his early years, accidentally obtained a jade slip containing the weapon-refining inheritance of an ancient cultivator and became devoted to the art of weapon refining.

In order to have a stable underground fire and a relatively peaceful environment to study ancient weapon-making techniques, he settled on Kuixing Island several years ago. He lives a secluded life and rarely interacts with outsiders except when purchasing necessary weapon-making materials.

At this moment, he was completely focused on controlling the furnace fire, his divine sense seeping into the furnace, sensing the process of a piece of "red gold" slowly melting under the high temperature and the effect of the magic, and carefully removing the impurities.

This is a crucial step in his crafting of the "Gold-Splitting Sword," a magical artifact that allows no room for distraction.

suddenly!

Li Mu felt a slight tingling of the hairs on the back of his neck, as an extremely subtle yet soul-stirring disturbance came from behind him!

He didn't even have time to think about where this anomaly came from, nor did he have time to react in any way.

"Bang!"

A fist, seemingly forged from refined iron and carrying immense force, was firmly imprinted on his back!

The moment the fists made contact, the thin, self-activated protective aura shattered like paper!

An overwhelming force penetrated his body, and Li Mu felt his internal organs shift instantly. He felt a sweet taste in his throat and spat out a mouthful of blood. He was like a stone thrown by a catapult, flying forward violently!

"Boom!"

His body slammed heavily against the solid stone wall, then rolled awkwardly to the ground. The furnace shook violently from the aftershocks, and the fire in the furnace dimmed for a moment.

The excruciating pain and dizziness overwhelmed him like a tidal wave, and his vision blurred in waves.

"who……"

Li Mu struggled to lift his head and see the attacker clearly, while trying his best to mobilize the chaotic magical power within his body.

However, a foot clad in a black soft boot silently pressed down on his chest. The force was neither too light nor too heavy, yet it felt like a mountain crashing down, instantly dissipating the sliver of magical power he had just mustered. He suffocated, unable to move.

Only then could Li Mu barely make out the attacker's appearance.

The other person was completely shrouded in a large black cloak, with even their face hidden in the shadow of the hood. Only a pair of cold, indifferent eyes, devoid of any emotion, reflected the faint glow of the furnace fire in the dimly lit fire chamber.

The other person stood there casually, yet exuded a chilling, ferocious aura, like a prehistoric beast, and an unfathomable spiritual pressure.

This is something that even a Foundation Establishment cultivator cannot possess!

How did this person manage to break through the several layers of not-so-weak warning and protective barriers surrounding the cave, silently infiltrate the core of this earth fire chamber, and launch a precise attack when he was completely unprepared?

A surge of immense fear and a sense of absurdity welled up within Li Mu. Although the restrictions on his cave dwelling were not as powerful as those of Core Formation cultivators, they were still sufficient to withstand cultivators of the same level for a short time, let alone trigger an alarm.

But in front of this person, it was as if they were nothing at all!

"S-Senior, spare my life!"

The instinct for survival overwhelmed all doubt and anger. Li Mu, enduring excruciating pain and fear, spoke in a trembling voice, "Junior...Junior Li Mu, I don't know where I've offended you, senior. Please, senior, show mercy! Everything in the cave...you may take as you wish, senior, I only beg...I only beg you to spare my life!"

He was incoherent, only wanting to save his life. Faced with a terrifying being who could easily break through the restrictions and severely injure him with a single punch, any resistance was futile.

The man in black ignored his pleas for mercy, merely glancing at him coldly before turning his gaze to Li Mu's waist.

A hand wearing a thin black glove emerged from under the cloak, moving with lightning speed, and gently removed Li Mu's storage bag.

Li Mu felt a chill in his heart, but dared not make the slightest move.

The man in black held the storage bag and seemed to probe inside with his divine sense.

With his other hand, he took out another ordinary-looking gray storage bag from his waist and casually tossed it on the ground next to Li Mu.

"This..." Li Mu was stunned, not understanding.

Before he could react, the foot that was stepping on his chest lifted slightly and kicked Li Mu in the head.

"Pop".

With a soft sound, Li Mu felt as if his sea of ​​consciousness had been struck by a heavy hammer. His vision went completely black, and he fainted without even uttering a sound, losing consciousness completely.

The man in black withdrew his foot, no longer glancing at the unconscious Li Mu.

His figure flickered, disappearing into the shadows of the corner of the fire chamber like a ghost. Then, the ground rippled slightly, and his figure vanished completely, as if he had never been there.

Only the flickering subterranean fire, the unconscious Li Mu on the ground, and the conspicuous gray storage bag testify to what had just happened.

……

Deep within the cave at Lingmu Peak.

The floor of the quiet room rose slightly, and a yellowish-brown spiritual light flashed. Xiao Jin quietly emerged from underground with Zhou Ding.

The large black robe Zhou Ding was wearing for disguise was instantly put into his storage bag, revealing his original blue robe.

His expression was calm, showing no sign of anything amiss, as if he had simply gone for a walk.

In this operation, he used Xiao Jin's earth-遁术 (earth-遁术, a technique that allows one to burrow underground) and 破禁之光 (破禁之光, a technique that allows one to break through barriers) to easily bypass all the warning formations on Qishi Peak and silently infiltrate Li Mu's cave.

With his early Core Formation cultivation and Nascent Soul level divine sense, dealing with a Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivator who was completely unprepared and immersed in refining weapons was naturally a piece of cake and effortless.

With that final kick, he controlled the force perfectly, enough to make Li Mu unconscious for several hours. When he woke up, apart from some dizziness and bruises on his back, he would be fine and his foundation would not be damaged.

Zhou Ding walked into the quiet room next door, casually set up a few soundproof barriers, and then took out the storage bag he had obtained from Li Mu.

The divine sense imprint on the storage bag of a Foundation Establishment cultivator is extremely fragile to him.

With a gentle surge of divine sense, it was wiped away, and the bag opened wide.

He reached inside and, after a brief exploration, touched something that was cold to the touch and had a peculiar texture.

Take it out and hold it in your palm.

It was a "purple" crystal, about the size of an egg, with a deep, pure color that seemed to absorb all light!

The crystal wasn't completely transparent, but its interior seemed to contain a slowly flowing galaxy, emanating a mysterious, stable, and strange aura imbued with spatial fluctuations. It was heavy in the hand, several times heavier than a similarly sized piece of refined gold.

"This thing..."

A glint flashed in Zhou Ding's eyes as he carefully sensed the unique energy rhythm and spatial properties within the crystal. A name came to mind: "Could it be... Amethyst Marrow?"

Amethyst!

A rare and top-tier material for refining and setting up formations, even in the Chaotic Star Sea!

It has an irreplaceable and miraculous effect, especially for refining spatial magical artifacts, setting up stable formations, or involving spatial teleportation!

A piece of amethyst marrow the size of a thumb can fetch an astronomical price at auction, often remaining unavailable even when priced. The piece he held, however, was the size of an egg, and its quality appeared to be excellent; its value… was probably no less than 100,000 spirit stones!

Even higher, because these things often don't appear in regular trading markets.

"As expected of a treasure of the blue-light level!" Zhou Ding felt a surge of joy.

The Heavenly Hearing Technique was indeed extraordinary, directly guiding him to this rare material.

Zhou Ding carefully placed the amethyst marrow into a specially made jade box and stored it away. He then continued to examine Li Mu's storage bag.

There weren't many items inside; most were refining materials, such as various grades of refined iron, copper essence, silver sand, and fire-melting jade, etc., of varying quality. They were probably used by Li Mu for his daily practice or preparation for refining weapons.

There are also some finished or semi-finished magical artifacts, including swords, hammers, and shields, but most of them are of ordinary quality. The best ones are only at the level of top-tier magical artifacts, which are of little use to Zhou Ding now.

His gaze finally settled on a few jade slips in the corner of the storage bag.

His divine sense swept through them one by one, and most of them were some basic weapon-refining tips, material diagrams, or Li Mu's own weapon-refining notes.

Until his divine sense probed into the last jade slip, which was yellowish in color and looked quite ancient—

"Heavenly Cloud Refining"!

Four ancient characters entered his mind. The jade slip contained detailed records of the lifelong weapon-refining experience, unique techniques, and crafting diagrams and explanations for dozens of rare magical artifacts by an ancient cultivator who called himself "Tian Yunzi"!

It even includes several powerful and unique methods for crafting ancient treasures!

Its refining philosophy, rune combinations, and material processing techniques far surpass the ordinary refining techniques circulating in the cultivation world today. For cultivators aspiring to master the art of refining, it is an invaluable treasure!

"I didn't expect such an unexpected gain." Zhou Ding smiled.

The value of this "Heavenly Cloud Refining" inheritance may be no less than that piece of amethyst marrow, especially for a cultivator like him who is not a specialist in refining weapons, it is a godsend.

His original weapon-refining skills were just ordinary. With this inheritance, if he studies it carefully, he will definitely avoid many detours in the future weapon-refining path.

"It's not like I took your things for nothing."

The gray storage bag he left for Li Mu contained a full ten thousand low-grade spirit stones.

"It's not like I took your things for nothing."

The gray storage bag he left for Li Mu contained a full ten thousand low-grade spirit stones.

For Li Mu, a mid-Foundation Establishment stage cultivator specializing in weapon crafting, 10,000 spirit stones was no small sum, serving as a small compensation for the "loss" of losing the Purple Crystal Marrow.

As for the other treasure that emitted a blue light, Zhou Ding had already confirmed its location through the Heavenly Hearing Technique. It was clearly located in the core area of ​​this Heavenly Pillar Peak, and most likely in the hands of True Person Wood Dragon.

The other party was a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator with profound cultivation, so Zhou Ding decisively suppressed his desire to seize the treasure.

Even the finest treasures are useless if you're not alive to enjoy them.

……

The next day, the sky was clear and bright.

Zhou Ding and Zhou Jin left Lingmu Peak together, riding on their escape light, and once again arrived at Tianzhu Peak, the main peak of the Qingyun Mountains.

It was Chen Yong, a disciple of Master Mulong, who was waiting at the cloud platform early in the morning.

Upon seeing Zhou Ding and Zhou Jin arrive together, a hint of surprise flashed in Chen Yong's eyes, but he quickly concealed it and became even more respectful, leading the two into "Qianlong Residence".

Inside the cave's reception room, Master Mulong was already waiting.

Upon seeing Zhou Ding, he immediately broke into a very warm smile and stood up to greet him.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou Ding! I have been waiting for you for quite some time!"

Master Mulong's gaze swept over Zhou Ding, sensing the completely stabilized, refined, and restrained aura emanating from him. Even he found it somewhat unfathomable, and a chill ran through him. Yet, his smile grew even brighter: "Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Zhou Ding, on achieving the Golden Core stage and officially joining the ranks of our high-level cultivators! In just two short years, Spiritwood Peak has produced two outstanding talents—truly a once-in-a-century event for Kuixing Island! I am deeply honored!"

"Senior Mulong, you flatter me."

Zhou Ding returned the greeting with a respectful but not servile attitude and a polite smile: "My success was due to the quiet place provided by you and Kui Xing Island."

The Island Master of Wood Dragon Island exchanged a few polite words, then gestured for the two to sit down, and a servant offered them spiritual tea.

After chatting for a while, he pondered and said, "Fellow Daoist Zhou Ding has just formed his core and needs to stabilize his realm, familiarize himself with his power, and explore the path ahead. Although my Kui Xing Island is not a giant, it is rich in resources. Moreover, Fellow Daoist Zhou Jin serves as the deputy island lord here, so it is very convenient for us to take care of each other. Why don't you also take on the position of deputy island lord on this Kui Xing Island?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ding politely declined, saying, "I'm truly sorry, but I have no intention of staying on Kui Xing Island for long. I'd like to leave this position of deputy island lord to other fellow Daoists."

Island Master Mulong was taken aback: "Fellow Daoist Zhou Ding is leaving? But is there any place on my Kui Xing Island that cannot accommodate you?"

"The island owner has misunderstood."

Zhou Ding shook his head, his tone sincere: "Kui Xing Island is a place of outstanding people and abundant resources. Senior and the two deputy island lords have taken great care of me, so how can I say that I have been neglected? It's just that I am naturally unrestrained and yearn for a wider world. Now that I have been fortunate enough to form my core, I would like to travel around in the future, to see the magnificent waves of the Chaotic Star Sea, to seek opportunities, and to temper my Dao heart. This Kui Xing Island... is not a place for me to stay for long."

Zhou Ding's words were indeed sincere.

The position of deputy island master for Kui Xing Island can be filled by Zhou Jin.

The Star Palace is the overlord of the Chaotic Star Sea. Zhou Jin, the deputy island lord, has joined the official forces and may be useful in the future.

As for Zhou Ding himself, he indeed had no intention of staying on Kui Xing Island indefinitely.

With Xiao Jin's Heavenly Hearing Technique, one can detect treasures within a hundred miles.

He should travel around and look for the baby; that's the best course of action.

Master Mulong looked at Zhou Ding, then glanced at Zhou Jin, who stood silently beside him, exuding a chilling aura, his mind racing.

His original plan was to recruit Zhou Ding, who seemed to have a deeper foundation and greater potential, as the deputy island master of Kui Xing Island, just as he had recruited Zhou Jin.

With two peaks reaching the Core Formation stage and both holding positions on the island, Kui Xing Island's strength and prestige will be elevated to a whole new level. This will be a tremendous achievement and boost for him, the island's lord.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Ding had no interest in this matter and directly expressed his intention to leave.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou Ding has lofty aspirations, which are admirable."

Master Mulong sighed softly, a look of regret on his face: "Traveling and honing one's skills is indeed an excellent way to advance on the path of cultivation. However, our Kui Xing Island is currently in need of capable individuals. If a talent like you, Fellow Daoist, were to leave, it would be a great loss to the island. I wonder... if Fellow Daoist would be willing to reconsider? If you are willing to stay, the position of Deputy Island Lord will be vacant. The island's resources can also be allocated to you. At that time, you and your brothers will work together to govern Kui Xing Island. Wouldn't that be a wonderful story?"

Zhou Ding picked up the spiritual tea, took a sip, put down the teacup, and calmly looked at True Person Mulong. He slowly shook his head, his tone still gentle, yet carrying an unwavering firmness: "Island Lord's kindness is appreciated. However, those who cultivate immortality should follow their hearts, indulge in the beauty of nature, and seek the Great Dao. This position and responsibility may bind my Dao heart, which would be undesirable. I hope Senior will understand."

Having said all that, Master Mulong knew that forcing him to stay would be pointless and might even offend him.

Even if you can't be friends with a Core Formation cultivator, especially one with great potential, you should never easily become their enemy.

"must."

Zhou Ding stood up and bowed respectfully to Master Mulong.

"Zhou takes his leave."

"Fellow Daoist Zhou Jin, Fellow Daoist Zhou Ding, take care."

Master Mulong also got up and personally escorted the two to the entrance of the cave, always maintaining a polite and considerate attitude.

Watching Zhou Ding and Zhou Jin transform into streaks of light and disappear into the sea of ​​clouds, the smile on Master Mulong's face gradually faded. He stood with his hands behind his back on the mountaintop, his gaze deep and unfathomable, lost in thought.

After a long while, he gently shook his head, turned around, and returned to his cave.