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

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The next day.

The morning sun shone on the Taiyue Mountains, dispelling the thin mist in the mountains.

The mountains appeared exceptionally verdant under the sunlight, and the waterfalls and streams shimmered with crystal-clear light. Occasionally, a few birds would flit by, emitting clear and melodious calls.

The air is filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees, mixed with a faint spiritual energy, which makes people feel relaxed and happy.

Zhou Ding brought Xin Ruyin to Green Wave Cave again.

As soon as the two landed, they saw another gray figure arrive at the same time.

It was Han Li.

He still looked the same as always, wearing a drab gray Taoist robe.

Han Li's eyes held a hint of anticipation, clearly showing his longing for his master's reward.

He stood there with his hands hanging at his sides, seemingly relaxed, but in reality, he was calculating what type of pill formula to choose later.

"Senior Brother Zhou, Sister-in-law," Han Li greeted respectfully with clasped hands.

Xin Ruyin bowed slightly in return, a gentle smile on her face.

Zhou Ding nodded: "Junior Brother Han's alchemy skills yesterday truly broadened my horizons."

Han Li replied modestly, "Not at all, my formation is far less exquisite than my sister-in-law's."

After exchanging pleasantries, the three of them entered the Green Wave Cave together.

……

Inside the Green Wave Cave, in the main hall.

Li Huayuan was sitting behind the long sandalwood table, holding a cup of spirit tea in his hands, looking relaxed.

The morning sunlight streamed through the cracks in the cave ceiling, illuminating him and giving him a golden halo, making him appear even more otherworldly.

Seeing the three enter, he put down his teacup and glanced at Zhou Ding, Han Li, and Xin Ruyin with a look of satisfaction in his eyes.

He was in a good mood thinking about the treasure he had won yesterday.

Although the old Taoist priest Fuyunzi had a bad temper, he was indeed a good gambler.

The contents of that storage bag were rare and valuable items, enough to make him happy for quite some time.

All of this is thanks to these three disciples.

Especially Zhou Ding and Han Li.

One brought a Daoist partner who was a genius in array formations, allowing him to easily win the array formation competition; the other was a master alchemist, crushing his opponents in the alchemy competition.

That really made him look good.

He stroked his beard and asked, "Zhou Ding, Han Li, what kind of treasure do you two want?"

His voice was gentle, with a hint of approval.

Zhou Ding stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Master, our victory in this formation competition was entirely due to Ru Yin's skill. Therefore, I would like to ask her to go and select the treasures."

He felt he lacked nothing.

He possesses top-tier magical artifacts such as the Black Dragon Spear, the White Scale Shield, and the Divine Wind Boat.

He has many medicinal herbs, and he can also refine pills himself, so he is never short of them.

Over the years, he has been exploring for treasures in the Taiyue Mountains and has collected a lot of rare and precious medicinal herbs, enough for him to refine various elixirs.

As for cultivation techniques, he has the Azure Origin Sword Technique, the Hundred Beasts Body Forging Technique, the Great Evolution Technique, and the Yin-Yang Creation Technique, which are enough for him to cultivate.

He truly lacks nothing.

Therefore, he gave this opportunity to Xin Ruyin.

Xin Ruyin was taken aback upon hearing this, and looked at Zhou Ding with a look of gratitude in her eyes.

"Zhou Lang..."

Her voice was soft, yet tinged with complexity.

She never expected that Zhou Ding would give her such a precious opportunity.

That's the treasure vault of a Core Formation cultivator; any single item inside is priceless.

Magical artifacts, elixirs, talismans, cultivation techniques, secret arts... any one of these items could provide endless benefits to a low-level cultivator.

And Zhou Ding just gave it to her like that.

This gesture warmed her heart.

Zhou Ding shook his head, said nothing more, and simply reached out to shake her hand.

Those palms were warm and dry, offering a silent comfort.

Xin Ruyin didn't say anything more, but just looked at him deeply and kept his feelings in her heart.

Li Huayuan watched this scene with a hint of admiration in his eyes.

"You two are truly devoted to each other."

He paused, then said, "Alright, I'm in a good mood today, you two go and pick one out."

Zhou Ding was overjoyed.

He would naturally not refuse to get a treasure for free.

Now that his master has spoken, it would be pretentious for him to refuse.

"Thank you, Master!"

Xin Ruyin was equally pleased and quickly followed suit in bowing.

"Thank you, Master!"

Her voice was filled with undisguised joy.

Li Huayuan nodded and then looked at Han Li.

"Han Li, what about you? What type of treasure do you want?"

Han Li thought for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "Master, this disciple wishes to obtain the ancient elixir formula."

His voice was calm, but his eyes held anticipation.

Ancient elixirs were more important to him than anything else.

With the little green bottle, he had no shortage of elixirs; what he lacked was the recipe for the pill.

As long as he has enough pill formulas, he can refine all kinds of pills and quickly improve his cultivation level.

Over the years, he has exchanged several prescriptions from Zhou Ding, but it is far from enough.

His cultivation level is still improving too slowly.

Li Huayuan nodded.

"it is good."

He stood up and led the three of them toward the treasure vault.

……

A moment later, the group arrived outside Li Huayuan's treasure vault.

It was a heavy stone door, carved entirely from oak and covered with intricate runes.

The runes were layered and interlocked, with a faint spiritual light flowing around them, clearly indicating that it was an extremely powerful restriction.

Li Huayuan raised his hand and waved, casting a spell on the stone gate.

The runes lit up instantly, and as the light flickered, the stone door slowly opened, revealing a deep passage.

The passageway is inlaid with luminous pearls on both sides, which emit a soft light and illuminate the way forward.

"Go in. You can only stay for half an hour," Li Huayuan said.

The three responded in unison and stepped inside.

……

Inside the treasure vault lies a hidden paradise.

This was a huge stone chamber, several tens of feet square, filled with tall wooden shelves. On these shelves were displayed a dazzling array of treasures—magical artifacts, elixirs, talismans, materials, scriptures, secret techniques…

Each piece exudes a faint, ethereal glow, signifying their extraordinary nature.

The intertwined lights illuminated the entire stone chamber in a kaleidoscope of colors, making it feel like being immersed in an ocean of treasures.

Xin Ruyin glanced around and then walked towards the section of cultivation techniques and secret manuals.

Her goal was clear—to study the classics of battle formations.

For her, no magical artifacts, elixirs, or talismans could compare to a good book on array formations.

That was her livelihood, the thing she loved most.

She has had a special affection for formations since she was a child. Those complex runes and mysterious formations are like the most beautiful pictures in the world to her.

She walked to the wooden shelf and glanced at the jade slips.

"Introduction to Basic Formations", "Detailed Explanation of Five Elements Formations", "Essentials of Enemy Trapping Formations", "Analysis of Killing Formations"...

She read through the scrolls one by one, a look of disappointment flashing in her eyes.

These classic texts are good, but they are all too basic.

With her current mastery of formations, she no longer needs these things.

She continued walking forward.

Finally, on a wooden shelf in a corner, she saw an ancient jade scroll.

The jade slip was pale blue all over, with a faint spiritual light flowing across its surface; it was clearly no ordinary item. She reached out and picked it up, probing it with her divine sense.

The Qinghe Battle Formation!

Four ancient and simple characters came into view.

Xin Ruyin's eyes lit up, and she continued reading.

A moment later, an uncontrollable look of joy appeared on her face.

This "Qinghe Array Manual" is the culmination of the life's work of a Core Formation cultivator named Qinghe Zhenren.

It contains dozens of formations, ranging from basic to advanced, from trapping enemies to killing them, from defense to support, covering everything.

There are also many of Master Qinghe's own insights into formations, which are priceless treasures for formation enthusiasts.

That's it!

Xin Ruyin gripped the jade scroll tightly, a surge of indescribable joy welling up in her heart.

……

Han Li then headed towards the section of alchemical texts.

His goal was also very clear—the ancient elixir formula.

With the recipes, he could refine all kinds of pills and quickly improve his cultivation.

As for magical artifacts, he doesn't lack them for the time being.

Over the years, he has accumulated a lot of spirit stones and bought several nice magical artifacts.

He walked to the wooden shelf and glanced at the jade slips.

Introduction to Alchemy, Complete Collection of Basic Alchemy Formulas, Commonly Used Alchemy Formulas for Foundation Establishment Stage...

He shook his head and continued forward.

He already had most of these prescriptions, or they were too basic for him to use.

What he needs are ancient elixir formulas, those long-lost, highly effective formulas.

Finally, on a wooden shelf in a corner, he saw a pale purple jade slip.

The jade slip was pale purple all over, with a faint medicinal fragrance emanating from its surface, clearly indicating that it was a classic text recording elixirs.

He reached out and picked it up, probing it with his divine sense.

The Purple Cloud Elixir Book!

Four ancient and simple characters came into view.

Han Li's heart stirred, and he continued reading.

A moment later, a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.

This "Purple Cloud Elixir Book" records more than a dozen ancient elixir formulas, covering everything from the Foundation Establishment stage to the Elixir Formation stage.

Several of them were ones he had never seen before.

In particular, those pill formulas for the Core Formation stage will be of great help to him in his future attempts to break through to the Core Formation stage.

That's it!

Han Li gripped the jade slip tightly, an overwhelming joy welling up inside him.

……

As for Zhou Ding, he wandered around the various areas, looking for things that might be useful to him.

The treasure vault of a Core Formation cultivator is indeed quite wealthy.

However, Zhou Ding was also quite wealthy, so he didn't really care for these rare treasures that were extremely valuable to ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators.

After walking around, he finally stopped in the area for magical artifacts.

The wooden shelf was filled with all sorts of magical artifacts—knives, spears, halberds, axes, hooks, and forks, you name it.

Each one is a top-tier magical artifact, radiating powerful spiritual pressure.

He picked up a blue longsword and examined it carefully.

The sword had a smooth blade and a sharp edge, engraved with the words "Azure Rainbow." He infused it with a trace of magic power, and the longsword immediately emitted a clear ringing sound, its tip gleaming with azure light.

He then picked up a pair of golden bronze hammers and weighed them in his hands. Each one weighed several hundred pounds, and swung them with great force. If used by a body-refining cultivator, their power would certainly be extraordinary.

Zhou Ding glanced at them and shook his head.

These magical artifacts were decent, but they were still inferior to the finest ones he had crafted using materials from the Black Dragon. The sharpness of the Black Dragon Spear, the defense of the White Scale Shield, and the speed of the Divine Wind Boat were all unmatched by these artifacts.

Just then, his gaze fell on an inconspicuous corner.

There was a wooden shelf there, on which sat an exquisite jade box.

There was a wooden shelf there, on which sat an exquisite jade box.

Zhou Ding opened the jade box, and his eyes immediately lit up.

It was a stack of miniature flying swords.

Each one is only an inch long, as thin as a cicada's wing, and is pale gold in color, exuding a sharp aura.

They were neatly stacked together, a total of thirty-six, and when stacked, they were no thicker than the palm of a hand.

Zhou Ding picked up one of the weapons and examined it carefully.

The sword has a smooth blade and a sharp edge, covered with intricate runes.

The runes were layered upon each other, with a faint golden light flowing through them.

He gently flicked the blade, producing a clear, resonant hum, like a dragon's roar.

He infused a trace of magic power into the flying sword, which immediately trembled slightly, emitting a soft humming sound, and a golden light shone from its tip.

The golden light was incredibly sharp, as if it could cut through everything.

Zhou Ding's heart stirred.

This is... a set of magical artifacts?

He quickly picked up the jade slip next to him, which recorded the origin and usage of this set of flying swords.

The Golden Fiend Swords consist of a set of thirty-six blades, each equivalent to a top-tier flying sword magic weapon. When combined, the thirty-six blades form the Golden Fiend Sword Formation, capable of annihilating everything and possessing terrifying destructive power.

Once the sword formation, condensed from the golden aura, is unleashed, it will envelop an area of ​​dozens of feet in sword light, leaving nothing but barren land.

No matter how many enemies you have, they will all be torn to pieces by the sword formation.

Its power is enough to cause a qualitative change in the strength of a Foundation Establishment cultivator and threaten a Pseudo Core cultivator.

Zhou Ding was overjoyed.

That's it!

He glanced at the time; it was exactly half an hour.

He took the stack of flying swords and strode out of the treasure vault.

……

Outside the treasure vault, Li Huayuan stood with his hands behind his back.

As the three came out, his gaze swept over them one by one.

Xin Ruyin held a jade scroll in her hand, on which were engraved the four ancient characters "Qinghe Array Manual". Her face was filled with undisguised joy, and her eyes sparkled with excitement, clearly indicating that she was very satisfied with this manual.

Li Huayuan nodded. This woman is obsessed with formations, so choosing this book is quite suitable.

Han Li also held a jade scroll in his hand, inscribed with the "Purple Cloud Elixir Book." His expression was calm, but a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes, clearly indicating that he had also chosen something he desired.

Li Huayuan nodded again.

Han Li's alchemy skills are superb, so it is only natural that he would choose alchemy books.

As for Zhou Ding...

Li Huayuan's gaze fell on the stack of flying swords in his hand, and he was immediately stunned.

"You actually chose this set of Golden Fiend Swords?"

His voice held a hint of surprise.

Zhou Ding nodded.

"Exactly."

Li Huayuan remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Although this is a top-grade set of magic weapons, it requires powerful divine sense to activate. Thirty-six flying swords need to be controlled simultaneously, which places extremely high demands on divine sense. Ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators are lucky to be able to control three to five at the same time. Those who can control more than ten are experts whose divine sense far surpasses that of their peers. To be able to control all thirty-six, one must at least be a Core Formation cultivator."

He paused, then looked at Zhou Ding.

Are you confident?

He suddenly stopped talking at this point.

He realized that Zhou Ding had cultivated the Great Evolution Technique.

He was also practicing that mysterious art of alchemy.

He has now cultivated to the third level, and his spiritual sense has greatly increased.

With his cultivation at the early stage of Core Formation, his divine sense was already comparable to that of the late stage of Core Formation, which could be described as having endless uses.

Whether it's manipulating magical artifacts or casting spells, it's much easier than before.

This Great Evolution Technique was presented to us by Zhou Ding.

Zhou Ding has cultivated the Great Evolution Technique, so his spiritual strength should also be quite impressive.

Although not as good as himself, he should be more than capable of controlling this set of golden demonic sword blades.

He nodded.

"I was overthinking it. This set of Golden Fiend Swords is indeed extremely suitable for you."

His gaze became increasingly kind, and his eyes showed more affection towards Zhou Ding.

This young man not only offered him the Great Evolution Technique, which greatly enhanced his spiritual sense, but also brought along a Daoist partner who was a genius in the art of array formations, thus winning the bet for him.

He is truly a good disciple.

"Alright, now that you've made your choice, let's leave."

The three of them agreed in unison, then took their leave.

……

After a while.

Zhou Ding and Xin Ruyin have returned to their cave dwelling.

Xin Ruyin couldn't wait to grab the scroll of "Qinghe Array Manual" and go into her quiet room to study it.

The excitement on her face was greater than if she had obtained any treasure.

Upon entering the quiet room, he sat cross-legged, placed the jade slip against his forehead, and began to read it with great eagerness, probing it with his divine sense.

Zhou Ding looked at her impatient expression and shook his head with a smile.

He went to his quiet room, sat down cross-legged, and took out the set of golden demonic swords.

Thirty-six miniature flying swords were neatly arranged in front of him.

He picked one up and examined it closely.

The sword has a smooth blade and a sharp edge, covered with intricate runes.

The runes shimmered with a faint golden light under the lamplight, and there was a subtle aura of malevolence emanating from them.

He could sense a connection between the runes, as if they were calling to each other.

He infused a trace of magic power into the flying sword, which immediately trembled slightly, emitting a soft humming sound, and a golden light shone from its tip.

He picked up another one and infused it with magic in the same way.

The two flying swords hummed simultaneously, as if echoing each other, their sounds rising and falling, like a conversation.

With a thought, Zhou Ding sent two flying swords soaring into the air and circling around.

They danced around him, sometimes side by side, sometimes intersecting, like two golden fish.

He continued to pour in his magic power, and one after another, all thirty-six flying swords took flight, swirling and dancing above his head like a school of golden fish swimming through the quiet room.

Zhou Ding closed his eyes, his divine sense enveloping each flying sword.

He could clearly sense the position, angle, and speed of each flying sword and adjust their trajectory at any time.

The feeling was like having thirty-six eyes at the same time, observing everything around you from thirty-six angles.

This is the benefit of having a strong divine sense.

If a cultivator is in the early stages of Foundation Establishment, it would be quite good if they could control three to five flying swords at the same time.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator with slightly stronger spiritual awareness can control seven or eight swords.

Those who can control more than ten must be at least late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.

To be able to control thirty-six handles, one must be a pseudo-core stage cultivator.

He, at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, could easily control these thirty-six flying swords without any effort.

With a thought, the thirty-six flying swords instantly changed formation, transforming from a scattered spiral into a neat array.

One after another, they were arranged in a straight line, like a long golden dragon winding and swimming in the air.

He moved again, and the flying swords changed once more, forming a circle with the tips pointing inwards, creating a sword wheel that slowly rotated.

The sword wheel exuded a sharp sword aura, as if it could shred everything.

With another movement, the flying swords scattered, filling the entire quiet room and forming a three-dimensional sword array that enveloped him in the center.

Every inch of space, up, down, left, right, front, and back, was covered by sword light, making it completely impenetrable.

Each flying sword exudes a sharp sword aura, echoing each other to form a complete whole.

He could feel that the sword energies were interconnected, forming a huge force field that enveloped the entire quiet room.

Zhou Ding opened his eyes, a look of satisfaction flashing in them.

This Golden Fiend Sword Formation is indeed incredibly powerful.

He estimated that with his current strength, if he were to use this formation, he would be able to fight against a pseudo-core cultivator.

It might even be possible to defeat the opponent.

Although the fake Core cultivator had more profound magical power than him, he might not necessarily fare well against this impenetrable sword formation.

Previously, his strongest offensive magic weapon was the Black Dragon Claw, forged from the Ink Dragon Claw.

Those claw blades were incredibly sharp, possessing the immense strength of a dragon, and their power was astonishing.

But now that we have this Golden Fiend Sword, Wulongduo can only take a backseat.

The power of this set of flying swords far surpasses that of a single magical artifact.

The sword formation composed of thirty-six flying swords is not simply thirty-six times more powerful, but rather an increase in power exponentially.

Zhou Ding sheathed his flying sword, a surge of heroic spirit welling up within him.

With this set of golden demonic swords, his strength has reached a new level.

……

A month later.

Zhou Ding walked out of the alchemy room.

His face showed some fatigue, but his eyes sparkled with excitement, and the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned.

He held a jade bottle in his hand, which contained several round pills.

That's a Body Tempering Pill.

This pill is extremely helpful for body cultivators, and can greatly enhance the strength of the physical body.

The main ingredient used in the refining process was the Blood Spirit Flower that had been traded with Han Li.

That 500-year-old Blood Spirit Flower, entirely blood-red and brimming with medicinal power, is an excellent material for refining Body Tempering Pills.

Zhou Ding looked at the jade bottle in his hand, a look of relief on his face.

"Fortunately, it wasn't ruined."

He muttered to himself, his voice tinged with lingering fear.

With his current alchemy skills, refining this Body Tempering Pill is still quite difficult for him.

The formula for the Body Tempering Pill is complex, and it requires extremely high standards in terms of heat, technique, and time; failure can occur if one is not careful.

Although he only produced five pills, it was enough for him.

If you ruin it, you'll have wasted a 500-year-old Blood Spirit Flower.

He arrived in the hall.

Xiao Mei immediately brewed a cup of spiritual tea.

"Young Master, have you finished refining the elixir?"

Xiaomei walked over with a teacup in her hand, her eyes filled with concern.

Zhou Ding took the spirit tea, took a sip, and nodded.

"Where is Ruyin?"

Xiao Mei pointed towards Xin Ruyin's quiet room and sighed helplessly.

"Miss, she's gone mad with cultivation, still engrossed in that Qinghe Formation Manual. For the past month, she's been glued to that book. I've asked her to come out for some fresh air, but she refuses."

As she spoke, a look of heartache appeared on her face.

"Young master, don't you think Miss will tire herself out doing this?"

Zhou Ding chuckled to himself.

Xin Ruyin's mastery of formations is not only due to her exceptional talent, but also largely due to her focused dedication.

Her obsession with formations had reached the point where she neglected to eat and sleep.

Back in the bamboo grove courtyard, she spent a long time deducing the ancient seal on the golden treasure chest, eventually exhausting her energy and fainting.

This focus, this obsession, is precisely why she can go so far in the art of array formations.

He was also interested in formations, but not to the same extent as her.

"Let her study it. Don't bother her."

Xiaomei nodded, but she was still a little worried.

"Then, young master, you should persuade Miss not to overwork her."

Zhou Ding smiled and agreed.

He first prepared a bucket of auxiliary medicine.

It was a bucket of black liquid, emitting a strong medicinal aroma. Several auxiliary medicinal herbs had been added to it to enhance the effects of the Body Tempering Pill while reducing damage to the body.

He carefully selected those medicinal herbs; some were for warming and nourishing the meridians, some for replenishing qi and blood, and some for protecting the heart.

He poured the medicine into a large wooden tub, then took off his clothes and sat inside.

The warm medicinal liquid enveloped his body and nourished his skin.

He could feel the medicinal power seeping into his body through his pores, nourishing his meridians and flesh.

Zhou Ding took a deep breath, took out a Body Tempering Pill, and put it in his mouth.

The pill melted upon entering the mouth, transforming into a warm medicinal force that flowed down the throat.

A moment later—

A terrifying medicinal power exploded within his body!

The medicinal power, like boiling magma, instantly surged into his limbs and bones, and began to frantically temper his body!

That kind of pain is like being pierced by a thousand arrows, or being burned by raging fire, enough to break any cultivator.

Zhou Ding gritted his teeth and endured it without uttering a sound.

Large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, sliding down his cheeks and dripping into the medicine, making a "drip-drip" sound.

His face was as pale as paper, his lips were tightly pressed together, his brows were furrowed, and he looked as if he were enduring immense pain.

The medicinal properties of the liquid were also working at the same time, nourishing his body and alleviating his pain.

The gentle medicinal power flowed like a clear spring through the torn meridians, relieving the excruciating pain.

Time passed by, second by second.

One hour.

Two hours.

Three hours.

……

Two weeks later.

Zhou Ding walked out of the quiet room.

He looked radiant, his eyes sparkling with intelligence, as if he had been reborn.

There was a faint sheen flowing beneath the skin; that's the kind of sheen that only appears when the physical body is strong enough.

He went to the hall, picked up a piece of spirit iron, and held it in his hand.

It was a piece of top-quality black iron, incredibly hard; ordinary magical weapons could only leave a white mark when they struck it.

Even for a Foundation Establishment cultivator, it wouldn't be easy to destroy this piece of black iron by activating a magic weapon.

Zhou Ding exerted force with his five fingers.

"Creak—"

He actually managed to deform that piece of spirit iron by squeezing it!

He released his grip, and the piece of spirit iron was twisted into a ball, with his fingerprints clearly imprinted on it, deeply indented.

Zhou Ding's lips curled up slightly.

When he broke through to the sixth level of the Hundred Beasts Body Forging Technique, his physical strength was already comparable to that of an ordinary level four demon beast.

A level four demonic beast is equivalent to the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

Their physical bodies are inherently much stronger than those of cultivators of the same level.

Now, thanks to the effects of the Body Tempering Pill, his physical strength has increased once again.

He was confident he could fight even a peak level four demonic beast!

He clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within him.

That power, like a primordial beast, roared within him, ready to burst forth at any moment.

With a light flick of his fist, a loud bang echoed through the air—the sound of his fist tearing through the air.

Now his physical strength and spiritual awareness have surpassed his cultivation level.

Its physical body is comparable to that of a peak level four demonic beast.

His spiritual sense is comparable to that of a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator.

Next, I should focus on cultivating the Azure Origin Sword Technique and the Dual Cultivation Yin-Yang Creation Technique.

I hope to raise my cultivation level to the late Foundation Establishment stage as soon as possible.

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