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

Chapter 156 Seclusion!

On the forty-seventh floor of the sacred mountain, the "Flowing Clouds Zone" remains serene and tranquil, with the spiritual mist swirling around as usual.

The entrance to the "Cloud and Mist Cave" is hidden behind lush green bamboo and pale purple wisteria. The cave's restrictions are fully open, emanating a faint, reassuring spiritual energy fluctuation, exactly the same as when Zhou Ding left four years ago.

When Zhou Ding rode his escape light and landed silently in front of the cave, feeling the familiar array aura and the peace of his "home," his tense mind, which had been strained for days, finally relaxed completely.

No matter how dangerous the outer seas are, or how prosperous Tianxing City is, only here can he feel truly at peace and belonging.

He took out the guest elder token and cast a spell towards the entrance of the cave.

The restrictions rippled outwards like waves, and the portal quietly opened.

Almost the instant the door opened, a graceful white figure, like a swallow returning to its nest, suddenly rushed into his arms, bringing with it a familiar, delicate fragrance like orchids!

Her soft, delicate body trembled slightly, her arms tightly wrapped around his waist, as if she wanted to embed herself into his body. It was Xin Ruyin.

"Zhou Lang—you, you're finally back—" The worry, longing, and fear that had been suppressed for years finally turned into a choked whisper, overflowing from her mouth, and hot tears quickly soaked Zhou Ding's clothes.

She buried her face in his chest, her shoulders trembling slightly. The woman, usually so calm and composed, now looked like a child who had suffered a great injustice.

Zhou Ding felt a tremor in his heart, and his nose also felt a little sore.

He stretched out his arms and hugged his lover tightly, as if to dispel all her fear and unease.

He could clearly sense that Xin Ruyin's body had become thinner than before, indicating that she had not had a peaceful life in recent years.

"It's my fault, I made you worry."

Zhou Ding lowered his head and whispered in her ear, his voice filled with unprecedented tenderness and guilt. He gently stroked her cloud-like hair with his large hand: "I'm back. It's alright. Everything is fine."

"Young master! Young master! It really is you back!"

Another crisp, surprised voice followed.

Xiaomei rushed out of the quiet room like a gust of wind, her face filled with surprise and joy, her eyes instantly brimming with tears, yet she stubbornly held them back.

She ran over, looked at the two embracing tightly, hesitated for a moment, then, without thinking, rushed forward and hugged Zhou Ding's arm, pressing her face against his arm, her voice trembling with tears: "Young Master! You're finally back! I thought—I thought—"

"What did you think?" Zhou Ding rubbed Xiao Mei's head with his other hand, trying to keep his tone relaxed.

"I thought—you'd encountered some misfortune in outer space, and that you no longer wanted Miss and—me!"

Xiaomei sniffed, raised her tear-filled face, and suddenly pouted, a hint of grievance and complaint in her voice: "You have no idea how worried Miss has been these past four years! Every day she would stand at the door for a long time, staring blankly at the horizon. She couldn't concentrate on her cultivation, and she kept making mistakes when setting up formations—I even advised Miss that if all else failed, she should—she should find someone more reliable—"

As she spoke, her voice lowered, and she secretly glanced at Zhou Ding.

"Looking for something else?" Zhou Ding raised an eyebrow, feigning displeasure.

"N-nothing!"

Xiao Mei quickly waved her hand, sheepishly shrank back, and muttered under her breath, "I was just advising Miss to take it easy—we can't keep waiting like this forever—"

Her voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, until finally she buried her face back in Zhou Ding's arm.

"That's utter nonsense!"

Zhou Ding was both amused and annoyed. He curled his finger and gently tapped her smooth forehead: "Is your son-in-law such an easy person to get into trouble? Hmm?"

"Ouch!"

Xiao Mei covered her forehead, feigning pain, but her eyes were full of laughter. She tightened her grip on Zhou Ding's arm, as if afraid he would disappear again at any moment: "Who told you, young master, to be gone for four years without a word! The outer sea is so dangerous, how could we not worry!"

Xin Ruyin had calmed down a bit by then. She lifted her head from Zhou Ding's embrace, her beautiful eyes still glistening with tears, but now they had regained their usual gentleness and concern.

She carefully examined Zhou Ding and saw that although he was travel-worn and his aura was restrained, his expression was calm and his radiance was clear. He also had no obvious injuries, which put her at ease.

She gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and said softly, "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back safely. Zhou Lang, this journey—must have been arduous?"

"There were some ups and downs, but the gains were even greater."

Zhou Ding took Xin Ruyin's hand and put his arm around Xiao Mei's shoulder. The three of them walked into the front hall of the cave together.

The familiar furnishings and warm atmosphere brought Zhou Ding's heart, which had been wandering for years, to a complete sense of peace.

"Tell me quickly, young master, what exactly did you encounter on your trip to the outer space? Did you hunt any powerful monsters? Did you find any treasures?"

Xiao Mei, being the most lively of them all, immediately reverted to her usual gossipy and curious self once she confirmed that Zhou Ding was alright. She pulled Zhou Ding to sit down in the hall, quickly brewing him some spiritual tea while chattering away with her questions.

Xin Ruyin also sat down next to Zhou Ding, gently straightening his slightly disheveled clothes, her eyes smiling as she listened quietly.

Zhou Ding took a sip of hot tea, the warmth spreading from his throat to his lungs, dispelling the last trace of chill brought by the alien sea.

He didn't hide anything and recounted his experiences over the past four years in general.

From the initial caution upon entering the outer space, to encountering the probing of demon hunters like Li Mu; from exploring the ruins of the "Sky Mirror," breaking through the formation to obtain treasures, and burying the Sky Mirror Hermit; to encountering the level eight demon beast, the Azure Feather Black Crow, joining forces with Xiao Jin to slay it and obtain its demon core and treasures;

Then, he was chased by the Nascent Soul elder, fought fiercely for two days, narrowly escaped death, and finally scared away the powerful enemy. He then lay dormant in the depths of the outer star sea for three years, refining the "Nascent Soul Pill". Finally, he changed his appearance and quietly returned.

His narration was not thrilling, even somewhat bland, but how could Xin Ruyin and Xiao Mei not hear the danger and hardship it contained?

When they heard that Zhou Ding was being chased by a Nascent Soul cultivator and had fought fiercely for two days, only managing to scare the enemy away with the "Six Ding Heavenly Armor Talisman" and the "Soul-Destroying Thorn," both women's hearts were in their throats. Xiao Mei was so nervous that she clenched her little fists, her palms sweating profusely.

Upon hearing that Zhou Ding had successfully refined the "Infant Condensation Pill" and returned, the two women breathed a long sigh of relief, and smiles returned to their faces.

"Young Master, you are amazing! You even drove away a Nascent Soul stage monster!" Xiao Mei exclaimed with admiration, her eyes sparkling.

"Zhou Lang, you—"

Xin Ruyin was filled with lingering fear. She gripped Zhou Ding's hand slightly tighter, her beautiful eyes filled with heartache and relief. "Never take such risks again. Nascent Soul cultivators are not easy to deal with. It was truly a stroke of luck that we were able to escape unscathed this time."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Zhou Ding grasped her hand in return and said gently, "This experience, though dangerous, allowed me to see my own strength clearly and also brought me many opportunities. Most importantly—"

His gaze swept over Xin Ruyin and Xiao Mei, his eyes filled with warmth. "I know you're waiting for me here. No matter what, I will come back safely."

Upon hearing this, Xin Ruyin's eyes softened even more, and she gently leaned against his shoulder.

Xiao Mei also came over with a smile and hugged Zhou Ding's other arm.

A warm atmosphere filled the hall.

After a moment, Xiaomei's eyes lit up, and she began to plead sweetly again: "Young master, you've been gone for so long this time, making my young lady and I worry for four years. Shouldn't you—make it up to us?"

Zhou Ding chuckled and pinched her little nose: "You're always full of tricks. Don't worry, the gift has already been prepared."

"Really? What is it? What is it?" Xiaomei immediately perked up, staring at Zhou Ding expectantly.

Zhou Ding smiled slightly and first took out two jade slips with radiant inner light.

One is light gold, and the other is jet black.

He solemnly placed the two jade slips into Xin Ruyin's hands.

"Ruyin, take a look at this."

Xin Ruyin picked up the jade slip with curiosity, first looking at the pale gold one.

Her consciousness sank into it, and after a moment, her delicate body trembled slightly, her beautiful eyes widened suddenly, and an unbelievable, dazzling light burst forth from them, a mixture of ecstasy, shock, and fascination! The hand holding the jade slip even trembled slightly.

"This, this is—the *Qiankun Array Manual*?!" Her voice trembled slightly with extreme excitement. "So profound—such exquisite array principles! Many of the array principles within it are similar to, or even surpass—the first volume of the *Tianyuan Array Manual*! Many problems that I couldn't solve before seem to have new solutions and directions in this manual! This, this is practically tailor-made for me!"

She was obsessed with array formations and had thoroughly studied the first volume of the "Tian Yuan Array Classic" over the years. Just when she felt that she had no way to continue, the appearance of this "Qian Kun Array Classic" was like a timely rain after a long drought and a timely help in the snow for her!

In her mind, its value even surpassed that of many top-tier magical treasures and elixirs.

"Take a look at this one," Zhou Ding said gently, gesturing for her to examine the dark black jade slip.

Xin Ruyin suppressed her excitement and probed the black jade slip with her divine sense.

This time, her reaction was even stronger; a blush of excitement instantly rose to her face, and her breathing became a little rapid.

"The Nine Treasures Golden Manual! The Transformation, Transformation Divine Technique?! And the method for refining the Eight Gates Golden Light Mirror?!" She raised her head and looked at Zhou Ding, her eyes filled with shock and ecstasy.

Her cultivation technique was only meant to advance her to the late Core Formation stage, and in recent years she had been worrying about what to do next, even considering switching to another metal-based cultivation method. Unexpectedly, Zhou Ding brought back such a supreme manual that directly points to the Nascent Soul stage!

Moreover, the unique natal magic weapon recorded in it, the "Eight Gates Golden Light Mirror," is incredibly profound, combining offense and defense, and is simply the magic weapon she has always dreamed of!

With this cultivation technique and the method of crafting magical treasures, her path to enlightenment instantly transformed from a narrow and rugged road into a smooth and unobstructed path!

"Zhou Lang, this...this is too precious!" Xin Ruyin clutched the two jade slips tightly, as if holding the most precious treasure in the world. Tears welled up in her eyes again, tears of joy and emotion. "Thank you—"

There's no need for thanks between us.

Zhou Ding gently put his arm around her shoulder and said softly, "This technique and array manual are perfect for you. I hope you will diligently practice and comprehend them, and reach a higher level as soon as possible."

"Yes!" Xin Ruyin nodded vigorously, pressing the two jade slips tightly against her chest, her heart filled with boundless longing and determination for her future path.

She knew that with these two inheritances, her future would be completely different.

"Wow! Congratulations, miss!"

Xiao Mei was genuinely happy for Xin Ruyin and clapped her hands.

Then, she turned to Zhou Ding, her big eyes blinking expectantly: "Young Master, Miss's gift is so wonderful, what about mine? What about mine? Surely there won't be one?"

She deliberately put on a pitiful look, as if she was about to cry.

How could I forget you?

Zhou Ding chuckled, took out a delicate white jade bottle from his storage bag, and handed it to Xiao Mei, "Here, this is for you."

Xiaomei eagerly took it, uncorked it, and a pure, rich aroma of medicinal herbs immediately filled the air.

She poured a pill into her palm. The pill was about the size of a soybean, emerald green in color, with cloud patterns faintly visible on its surface, and shimmering with spiritual light.

"This is... Qingyuan Pill? No, the medicinal power seems even stronger..." Xiaomei is an expert in talisman making and also knows a little about pills. She carefully sensed the powerful spiritual energy in the pill and exclaimed in surprise.

"This is the Azure Wood Condensing Essence Pill," a superior-grade pill made primarily from several thousand-year-old wood-attribute spiritual herbs, supplemented with other precious materials. It is most suitable for early-stage Core Formation cultivators like yourself who practice water-wood attribute techniques. It can enhance magical power and stabilize cultivation.

"It nourishes the meridians. This bottle contains ten pills, enough for you to take for a while," Zhou Ding explained.

This elixir was made by him using some of the thousand-year-old spiritual herbs he obtained from the outer sea, combined with his own alchemy skills. It was of excellent quality and was just right for Xiao Mei, who had just formed her core and needed to stabilize her realm and enhance her magical power.

"Azure Wood Qi Condensation Pill!" Xiao Mei's face lit up with joy. She carefully placed the pill back into the bottle, sealed it, and happily put it into her storage bag. Then, she hugged Zhou Ding's arm and sweetly thanked him, "Thank you, young master! You're the best!"

Seeing the two women's joyful and satisfied expressions, Zhou Ding's heart was also filled with warmth and contentment.

The greatest significance of his adventure in the outer space is perhaps that he can protect them and enable them to walk more steadily and further on their path.

For the next two weeks, Zhou Ding barely cultivated.

He put aside all his chores and devoted all his time to spending time with Xin Ruyin and Xiao Mei.

He personally cooked a series of sumptuous and delicious spiritual dishes using the rare monster meat and spiritual plants he had brought back, and shared them with the two women.

He recounted the strange tales and customs of the outer sea, eliciting exclamations of surprise from Xiaomei, while Xin Ruyin listened with great interest.

He accompanied Xin Ruyin in the courtyard to enjoy tea and discuss the profound principles of array formations in the newly acquired "Qiankun Array Canon," inspiring each other and often sitting for half a day at a time. He guided Xiaomei in cultivation and talisman making, answered her questions, and accompanied her to test new talismans.

Inside the cave, a long-lost, warm and sweet atmosphere permeated the air.

In these two weeks, Zhou Ding made up for the four years of separation and completely soothed their worries and longing.

Half a month later, the cave returned to its former tranquility and order.

Xin Ruyin was completely immersed in the vast and profound mysteries of the "Qiankun Array Canon" and the "Nine Treasures Wonderful Gold Technique". She prepared a quiet room for herself, activated the strongest protective and spirit-gathering array, and began to study and cultivate without rest or food.

She poured immense enthusiasm into the crafting method of the "Eight Gates Golden Light Mirror," and began to deduce and prepare materials in advance.

Xiao Mei also put aside her playful nature and, under Zhou Ding's guidance, began to take the "Azure Wood Condensing Yuan Pill" to consolidate her cultivation in the early stages of Core Formation. At the same time, she continued to study the "Heavenly Talisman Scripture" and steadily improved her talisman-making skills.

After completely relaxing and spending time with his family, Zhou Ding finally focused his mind entirely on his spiritual practice.

The air was filled with the gentle fragrance of sandalwood incense.

Zhou Ding sat cross-legged on the jade bed, his expression calm and his gaze profound.

This trip to the outer star sea has yielded far more fruit than expected. Not only did they obtain the core inheritance of the Heavenly Mirror Hermit and several top-tier ancient treasures, but they also acquired several thousand-year-old spiritual herbs, rare materials, and the three crucial "Infant Condensation Pills."

His cultivation level had long been firmly established at the peak of the mid-stage Core Formation, just one step away from the late stage. His physical body and divine sense had reached an inconceivable level.

It's time to press on and break through to the late stage of Core Formation.

Only when he reaches the late stage of Core Formation can he truly stand on the threshold of Nascent Soul Formation and be qualified to plan and prepare for that final leap to Nascent Soul.

He took out several thousand-year-old spiritual herbs suitable for advancing his cultivation in the Core Formation stage, obtained from the medicinal garden of the Heavenly Mirror Hermit's cave and from hunting demonic beasts in the outer star sea, and carefully categorized them. These were his "resources" for this seclusion.

Everything is ready.

Zhou Ding closed his eyes, and the Azure Origin Sword Technique slowly circulated within his body.

His blood and energy surged like a dragon, his magical power surged like a tide, and his divine consciousness was as vast as the sea. Within the quiet room, the rich spiritual energy of heaven and earth was drawn in and began to slowly converge towards him.

During this seclusion, he will be completely focused and will not emerge until he breaks through to the late stage of Core Formation.