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

Several days later, a sound transmission talisman flew into the cave again.

Zhou Ding was meditating and regulating his breathing in the quiet room. His true essence was slowly circulating in his body, and the misty spiritual energy of the Spirit Eye Spring surrounded him.

Sensing the aura of the talisman, he opened his eyes and reached out.

As soon as the talisman was in hand, Li Huayuan's voice rang in his ears, still in that unhurried tone, but with an undeniable air of authority.

"Zhou Ding, come to Green Wave Cave."

Zhou Ding got up and walked out of the quiet room.

In the hall, Xin Ruyin was studying the "Tianyuan Array Canon". She held the golden jade slip in her hands, her expression focused, and her fingers gently traced in the air, deducing the array within.

Xiao Mei was serving him, holding the sable in her arms and stroking its fur gently. The sable squinted comfortably and made soft whimpering sounds.

Seeing him come out, Xin Ruyin looked up, a look of concern flashing in her eyes.

"Zhou Lang, is your master calling you again?"

Zhou Ding nodded, walked over, took her hand, and gently squeezed it.

"I must have something to say about the treasure hunt. I'll be right back."

Xin Ruyin said softly, "Come back soon."

Her voice was gentle, but carried a hint of unease.

These past few days, she'd felt that Zhou Ding had something on his mind, but he didn't say anything, and she didn't ask.

She simply watched and waited silently.

Zhou Ding responded, released her hand, and turned to leave the cave.

He summoned the Divine Wind Boat, which transformed into a white streak of light and flew towards Green Wave Cave.

……

Inside the Green Wave Cave, Li Huayuan remained seated behind the long sandalwood table, holding a cup of spiritual tea, looking relaxed.

The aroma of tea wafted through the hall, mingling with the spiritual energy of the spring water in the cave.

His Daoist partner was not there; he was alone in the hall.

When Zhou Ding came in, he put down his teacup and glanced at him.

"They're here."

Zhou Ding bowed respectfully.

"Disciple greets Master."

Li Huayuan nodded, gesturing for him to sit down. Zhou Ding complied and sat down on the stone bench beside him, his back straight and his expression respectful.

He noticed that there were two gold-embossed invitations on the table in front of Li Huayuan.

Li Huayuan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and slowly said, "You know about the treasure hunt. Let me give you a few more words of advice."

"Please enlighten me, Master."

"Although the Yan family is merely a cultivation family, they have operated in the Yue Kingdom for many years and have dealings with various forces. This treasure-hunting event has invited Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Yue Kingdom and neighboring countries to participate, making it a grand affair. You will be representing Huangfeng Valley, so be mindful of your words and actions and do not tarnish the reputation of Huangfeng Valley."

Li Huayuan's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.

His gaze lingered on Zhou Ding's face for a moment, as if to confirm whether he had taken it to heart.

"Yes, disciple understands." Zhou Ding nodded in agreement, his expression calm.

"in addition."

Li Huayuan paused, his gaze lingering on Zhou Ding's face for a moment, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes, "Your junior brother Han Li will also be going to Yanling Fort this time."

Zhou Ding looked puzzled.

"Is Junior Brother Han going too?"

Is it really necessary to send two people together for a treasure hunt?

Although there are quite a few Foundation Establishment cultivators in Huangfeng Valley, it is usually enough to send one representative for such matters.

Sending two people would seem a bit deliberate and could easily lead people to misunderstand that Huangfeng Valley is taking this treasure-hunting event too seriously.

A hint of helplessness appeared on Li Huayuan's face. He picked up his teacup and took another sip, seemingly considering his words. He put down the teacup and sighed softly.

"Previously, your senior sister Hong Fu was choosing a cultivation partner for her disciple Dong Xuan'er and took a liking to your junior brother Han. However, that boy Han Li was resistant and asked me to politely decline."

He shook his head, his tone tinged with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

Given Dong Xuan'er's circumstances.

The prized disciple of a Core Formation cultivator, she possesses outstanding talent and exceptional beauty, earning her a renowned reputation throughout Yellow Maple Valley.

Han Li's refusal surprised him somewhat.

"Your senior sister Hong Fu... hasn't given up yet. She arranged for Han Li and Dong Xuan'er to travel together, ostensibly to look after each other, but actually to let them spend more time together on the road and develop their relationship. You two brothers should go your separate ways; there's no need for you to travel together."

Zhou Ding immediately understood.

Master Hongfu is determined to bring Han Li and Dong Xuan'er together, even binding their missions together.

Dong Xuan'er is Hong Fu's prized disciple. She is exceptionally talented and has a first-rate appearance, making her famous in Huangfeng Valley.

Hong Fu probably felt that, given Dong Xuan'er's conditions, Han Li had no reason to refuse.

If the two spend more time together, Han Li will naturally be moved.

Master Hongfu's good intentions were misplaced.

Han Li, that guy, only cares about the path to immortality and has absolutely no interest in romantic relationships.

Even if a celestial being descended to earth, he wouldn't give them a second glance.

However, this suited him perfectly.

He never intended to travel with Han Li, and he was even less willing to get involved in the entanglement between the two.

Han Li has his own opportunities, and he has his own plans; it's best if they go their separate ways.

"Disciple obeys." Zhou Ding replied respectfully, having already made up his mind.

Li Huayuan nodded and waved.

Go ahead. Be careful on the road.

Zhou Ding stood up, bowed, and turned to leave.

……

As Zhou Ding was about to summon the Divine Wind Boat to return to his cave after leaving Green Wave Cave, he saw a gray figure standing not far away, seemingly waiting for someone.

It was Han Li.

He remained the same unassuming man, dressed in a drab gray Taoist robe, with an ordinary face, standing there inconspicuously, like a roadside stone.

He stood there, his hands hanging at his sides, seemingly somewhat absent-minded.

Upon seeing Zhou Ding emerge, a glint flashed in Han Li's eyes. He stepped forward, cupped his hands, and bowed in greeting.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Zhou."

Zhou Ding nodded.

"Junior Brother Han, what are you doing here?"

Han Li hesitated for a moment, seemingly considering his words.

His eyes flickered before he finally spoke, "Master said that Senior Brother Zhou is also going to the treasure hunt?"

Zhou Ding nodded.

"Exactly."

A look of anticipation flashed in Han Li's eyes.

He rubbed his hands together, seemingly a little embarrassed.

"I wonder if Senior Brother Zhou would be willing to travel with me? It would be good to have someone to look after me on the journey."

His tone was sincere, with a hint of expectation.

In his opinion, Senior Brother Zhou was highly skilled and steady, and it was much better to travel with him than to be alone with Dong Xuan'er.

Zhou Ding shook his head, a wry smile on his face.

He patted Han Li on the shoulder, his tone slightly teasing.

"I just came from my master's place. He instructed me not to travel with you and Junior Sister Dong Xuan'er. He said it was Senior Sister Hong Fu's arrangement for the two of you to go together. If I go with you, I will only get in the way."

Upon hearing this, Han Li's expectant expression vanished instantly, replaced by helplessness and distress.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back. His brows furrowed, his lips drooped slightly, and he exuded a sense of depression.

He naturally understood what his master and his senior sister Hongfu meant.

This is an attempt to force a match between him and Dong Xuan'er.

But he only had the path to immortality in his heart and had no interest in romantic relationships.

Moreover, he simply couldn't handle Dong Xuan'er's personality.

Although that junior sister was outstanding in appearance, she was willful and arrogant, and he had a headache whenever he saw her.

He sighed, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, and his voice carried a hint of resignation.

"In that case, I'll take my leave now."

He turned to leave, his steps heavy, clearly feeling quite depressed.

As Zhou Ding watched his departing figure, a thought of the original plot stirred within him.

Yanling Fortress is a dangerous place.

In the original story, apart from Han Li and Dong Xuan'er, almost all the other Yue Kingdom cultivators who went to the meeting were wiped out.

Han Li was lucky, but what if something unexpected happened...?

The two were, after all, fellow disciples, and Zhou Ding didn't want his appearance to cause a change in the plot, leading to Han Li's demise at Yan Family Fortress.

Although he doesn't have the ability to change the overall situation, he can still offer a reminder.

He called out to Han Li.

"Junior Brother Han."

Han Li turned around, his eyes filled with doubt.

"Does Senior Brother have any further instructions?"

Zhou Ding pondered for a moment, carefully considering his words.

He couldn't be too blunt, nor could he reveal too much.

"Yan Family Fortress is not a safe place; proceed with caution."

His voice was calm, but his tone was very serious.

He believed that Han Li could understand what he meant.

Given Han Li's cautious nature, as long as he is careful, he should be able to escape alive, just like in the original story.

Han Li was taken aback, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

His gaze lingered on Zhou Ding's face for a moment, as if trying to discern something from the other's expression.

But Zhou Ding's expression remained calm, showing no sign of anything unusual.

After a moment, Han Li nodded solemnly. Gratitude flashed in his eyes. Although he didn't know why Zhou Ding had given him such a reminder, he knew that his senior brother wouldn't speak without reason.

"Thank you for the reminder, senior brother. I will be careful."

He bowed again, then turned and left.

His figure gradually disappeared into the morning light, eventually becoming a blurry little dot.

Zhou Ding watched his departing figure, shook his head, and turned to fly towards the cave.

That's all he can do.

……

Two days later.

Above the vast expanse of the "Wind Plains".

The kamikaze flew smoothly under a thin layer of clouds, with endless gray-yellow land below, sparsely covered with vegetation, only a few scattered, drought-resistant low shrubs.

The shrubs were grayish, with small, thick leaves that grew close to the ground, as if trying to avoid the howling wind.

Their roots penetrate deep into the sand, drawing water from the limited amount available underground.

The gale whipped up sand and dust, forming moving columns of yellowish-brown smoke that drifted slowly across the plains like giant ghosts wandering the wilderness.

The sound of the wind was mixed with the rustling of sand grains hitting each other, and occasionally there was a sharp whistling sound, which was the sound of the wind passing through the cracks in the rocks, like the howling of ghosts and wolves, which made people's hearts go cold.

The entire plain appeared desolate and barren, as if it were a corner forgotten by the world.

There are no birdsong, no fragrance of flowers, only the sound of wind and sand.

The sky was overcast, the sun obscured by clouds, with only a hazy ray of light filtering through. The distant horizon was blurred, blending into the gloomy sky.

Occasionally, one can see some low-level monsters of level one running or lurking on the sand.

A tan sand fox poked its head out of its burrow, warily surveying the sky. Its fur blended almost seamlessly with the sand, only its bright black eyes revealing its location.

Sensing the presence of the Divine Wind Boat, the demonic beasts all hid themselves, not daring to show their faces.

Although they are not highly intelligent, their instincts tell them that the thing in the sky is dangerous and should not be provoked. (Read "In Yellow Maple Valley, I Have a Demonic Beast Doppelganger!" and enjoy your reading time.)

Zhou Ding stood at the bow of the boat, his blue robe motionless in the howling wind.

His robes, embroidered with simple cloud patterns, fluttered slightly in the wind, contrasting sharply with the desolation around him. His gaze was calm as still water, fixed on the distance, as if looking at something, yet also as if looking at nothing at all.

Zhou Ding's divine sense had already spread out like a tide, exploring the surrounding area for dozens of miles.

Every inch of land, every rock, every shrub was laid bare in his perception.

According to the original text, the entrance to the spirit stone mine was concealed by an extremely sophisticated illusion array.

Ordinary cultivators passing by from the outside would not notice anything unusual.

The illusion array blended perfectly with the surrounding environment, even mimicking the fluctuations of spiritual energy. Only those who knew the inside story could detect the array's fluctuations.

Zhou Ding possesses a divine sense far exceeding that of others of the same level, along with the Lesser Gold, the Earth Listening Technique, and the Light that Breaks Restrictions.

These are his reliance.

He believed that with these things, he would surely be able to find the hidden canyon.

A moment later, his divine sense made a discovery.

Several miles ahead, there was a rolling hilly area that seemed no different from the surroundings. Above it, there was a very thin, hazy light barrier that blended almost completely with the surrounding light and spiritual energy environment.

The light shield was as thin as a cicada's wing; if his divine sense hadn't been strong enough, he wouldn't have been able to detect it at all.

It's like a transparent veil, subtly "wiping away" or "distorting" an area beyond ordinary perception.

From the outside, it looked like an ordinary hilly area, overgrown with weeds and littered with rocks, no different from its surroundings.

However, if you sense it carefully, you can find that the light there is slightly distorted and the spiritual energy fluctuations are also somewhat abnormal.

This is a fluctuation in the formation.

The presence of an array in such an ordinary place signifies something unusual.

Moreover, this formation is extremely sophisticated and cannot be set up by ordinary cultivators.

If I'm not mistaken, then Luo Hun Canyon is hidden within this formation.

A glint of light flashed in Zhou Ding's eyes.

He maneuvered the Divine Wind Boat to land in a depression several miles away from the formation.

The depression is surrounded by low mounds, forming a natural shelter.

He put away his magical artifacts and released Little Gold.

Xiao Jin instantly burrowed underground, activating his Earth Listening Technique at full power.

An invisible wave emanated from Xiao Jin, spreading in all directions, penetrating the soil, the rocks, and the illusion array.

Those ripples, like waves in water, spread out in concentric circles, feeding back all the information they passed through.

A moment later, the array several miles away, and the scene within it, were clearly presented to Zhou Ding's perception.

The formation does indeed contain a canyon.

The canyon was hundreds of feet deep and several miles wide, with steep cliffs on both sides, where not a blade of grass grew.

The rocks on the cliff face are grayish-black with a smooth, mirror-like surface, formed by years of weathering.

At the bottom of the canyon, there is a dry riverbed. The pebbles on the riverbed have been smoothed by wind and sand, and they are scattered on the cracked riverbed.

There were about a dozen cultivators in the canyon, only one of whom was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, while the rest were Qi Refining cultivators.

They were scattered throughout the canyon. Some were mining spirit stones, wielding pickaxes to knock pieces of raw spirit stone ore off the rock walls; some were patrolling, walking back and forth along the edge of the canyon, their eyes scanning the surroundings warily; and some were meditating and cultivating, absorbing the spiritual energy emitted by the spirit stone veins.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator was an old man dressed in a black Daoist robe, sitting cross-legged in a cave, meditating with his eyes closed.

His breathing was steady and his foundation was solid, but he was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

With such a lineup, they pose no threat to Zhou Ding at all.

With his current strength, even a pseudo-core cultivator wouldn't fare well, let alone a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Once the Golden Fiend Sword Blade was unleashed, thirty-six flying swords were launched simultaneously, which even several early Foundation Establishment cultivators could not withstand.

Those Qi Refining cultivators are not worth mentioning; they can be easily rendered incapable of fighting.

Zhou Ding felt much more at ease.

He directly manipulated Xiao Jin, using his earth-遁术 (earth-遁术 is a type of magic that allows one to escape into the ground) to carry him towards the canyon.

Purple light flashed around Xiao Jin, and the light that broke the barrier enveloped the two of them, allowing them to easily pass through the illusion array.

Although the illusion array was sophisticated, it was useless against the light that broke through the barrier.

The moment the purple light touched the array's light barrier, the barrier rippled like water, silently opening a gap that allowed the person and beast to pass through easily.

The entire process went unnoticed and without triggering any alarms, as if they didn't exist at all.

……

Canyon underground.

Xiao Jin carried Zhou Ding through the underground, moving as smoothly and freely as a fish swimming in water.

Under the purple light, the surrounding soil and rocks parted automatically, making way for a passage, and then slowly closed up behind them without leaving any trace.

The cultivators of Tianque Fortress who guarded the spirit stone mines were at most at the early Foundation Establishment stage, and they couldn't sense any movement underground.

They patrolled, mined, and practiced on the ground, completely unaware of what was happening beneath their feet.

Zhou Ding's divine sense spread out, exploring the layout of the entire spirit stone mine.

This spirit stone mine is quite large, with veins stretching for several miles and rich in spirit stones.

The cultivators from Tianque Fortress have already mined quite a bit, piling up small mountains of spirit stone ore in the canyon.

The raw ores varied in size and shape, some as big as a fist and others as big as a millstone, shimmering with different colors of light.

But Zhou Ding was not interested in these things.

His targets were the Blood Jade Spider, the ancient teleportation array, and the Great Teleportation Token.

Xiao Jin used his Earth Listening Technique to begin covering the entire Spirit Stone Mine.

An invisible wave spread in all directions, penetrating layer after layer of rock and exploring every corner of the vein clearly.

A moment later, Zhou Ding sensed the aura of a level four demonic beast.

The aura was deep within the mine, hundreds of feet below the surface, in a huge underground cavern.

Its aura was deep and profound, carrying an ancient and eerie feeling, as if it had been asleep for a long time, yet it still exuded a chilling pressure.

With each breath, the breath would ripple slightly, like the tide, slow and powerful.

Zhou Ding was overjoyed.

That's it!

He knew that this monster must be the Blood Jade Spider.

In the original story, it was this Blood Jade Spider that guarded the ancient teleportation array, preventing anyone from getting close.

Zhou Ding manipulated Xiao Jin to use the Earth Escape Technique, heading directly towards the location of the demonic beast.

A moment later, Zhou Ding stopped a few hundred meters away from the monster.

He had Xiao Jin lead him to the ground and hide him behind a secluded rock.

The rock was about ten feet tall, blocking his view.

He concealed his aura, suppressing his spiritual pressure to the lowest level, making even his breathing barely perceptible.

Then, his divine sense slowly extended out, like an invisible tentacle, spreading towards the direction of the demonic beast.

His divine sense pierced through layers of rock, bypassed stone pillars, and avoided rocks, finally reaching the cave.

He saw it.

Deep within the mine, in a massive cavern, a colossal creature lay silently.

The cave was several tens of feet square, with a high dome and stalactites hanging upside down like sharp spears.

The cave walls shimmered with various colors of spiritual light, which was the light emitted by the spiritual stone veins, illuminating the entire cave in a colorful glow.

In the center of the cave, a huge creature lay there.

Its body is several meters long, and its entire body is crystal clear and white, as if it were carved from the finest mutton fat jade.

Its body is oval-shaped with a raised back and eight thick, long legs tucked under its body. The joints have faint blood-red lines, as if blood seeped into jade.

The crimson lines were most prominent at its leg joints, spreading out like blood vessels, standing out against its white body, and glowing slightly with its breath.

Its head was small and disproportionate to its massive body, but its compound eyes were particularly striking, gleaming with a cold light in the darkness.

The compound eye is composed of countless tiny crystals, each of which is slightly rotating, capturing everything around it.

Its menacing jaws opened and closed slightly, revealing sharp teeth that gleamed with a cold light. The teeth were barbed, with fine serrations along the edges, clearly extremely sharp enough to tear through any defense.

Its abdomen rose and fell slightly, and with each breath, the blood-red patterns on its body would light up and then dim, like a heartbeat.

The spiritual energy in the surrounding air flows slowly with its breathing, being inhaled and exhaled, forming a slow cycle.

It was a level four demonic beast—the Blood Jade Spider!

A level four demonic beast is equivalent to a cultivator in the early stage of Core Formation.

Even if a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator comes, we must be careful.

But Zhou Ding's gaze only lingered on the Blood Jade Spider for a moment before he impatiently moved to what was behind it!

Behind the Blood Jade Spider's enormous body were piles of raw spirit stone ore that had been mined but not yet completely stripped of its waste rock.

The raw ores varied in size and shape, some as big as a fist and others as big as a millstone, and were piled up randomly on the ground like small mountains.

Amidst these raw minerals, an ancient and rustic hexagonal stone formation, exuding an aura of time and vicissitudes, stands out prominently!

The formation was about ten feet in size, in the shape of a regular hexagon, with a stone pillar at each corner, and the stone pillars were engraved with ancient runes.

The runes were crooked and twisted, like tadpoles or bird tracks, completely different from the runes of today, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.

The array's lines are simple and ancient, outlined with some unknown silver metal, and deeply embedded in the stone slabs of the ground.

Although those lines are covered in dust, you can still feel the exquisite structure and ancient atmosphere of them.

They form a complex pattern, like a miniature starry sky, containing the mysteries of space.

Each of the six corners has a recessed rune groove, with different shapes, some round, some square, and some triangular.

The rune slots were empty, but faint spiritual light flowed within them, as if waiting for something. Zhou Ding knew that those were the slots for spirit stones.

This formation can only be activated if enough spirit stones are added.

Ancient teleportation array!

Zhou Ding's heart was pounding, and his blood was boiling.

His hands trembled slightly, and his breathing became rapid.

found it!

This is the ancient teleportation array leading to the Chaotic Star Sea! This is his hope of leaving the Yue Kingdom!

On one side of the teleportation array, about three feet above the ground, a complete skeleton floated in the void, maintaining a cross-legged sitting posture!

The skeleton was extremely strange. The bones were not the usual grayish-white color, but rather faintly shimmered with five colors: blue, yellow, red, white, and black. They were crystal clear, as if carved from glass and precious jade.

Five colors of light flowed slowly across the surface of the bones, like a living thing, exuding a mysterious and profound aura.

The skeleton held its hands in front of its body, and in its palms was a token about the size of a palm, which was deep blue in color, with complex spatial runes engraved on its surface, and was emitting a faint blue halo!

Great Relocation Order!

The key to activating the ancient teleportation array!

Zhou Ding's pupils suddenly contracted, and his breath caught in his throat for a moment.

Blood Jade Spider! Ancient Teleportation Array! Great Teleportation Token!

It's all here!