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

In the quiet room, the soft light of the luminous pearl shone down, illuminating the entire space as if it were daytime.

Zhou Ding sat cross-legged on the futon, his eyes slightly closed, his consciousness slowly sinking into Xiao Jin's body.

His consciousness flowed like water through Xiao Jin's body, exploring its changes inch by inch from head to torso, and from torso to limbs.

First and foremost is Xiao Jin's even more resilient and powerful physical body.

Xiao Jin's size remained unchanged, but Zhou Ding knew what terrifying power was contained within this small body.

It simply lay there, motionless, yet it exuded an invisible sense of oppression. It was the aura that naturally emanated from a body that had become powerful to a certain extent, like a sleeping ferocious beast. Although its eyes were closed, it made people afraid to approach.

He took out a golden sword blade, one of the thirty-six flying swords in the set. The blade was long and thin, as thin as a cicada's wing, and incomparably sharp, enough to cut through gold and jade.

He held his flying sword and lightly sliced ​​across Little Gold's scales.

"laugh--"

With a soft sound, the flying sword slashed past, leaving only a faint white mark on the scales, which disappeared in an instant.

Zhou Ding raised an eyebrow and increased his strength, slashing with all his might.

"when!"

Sparks flew everywhere, the flying sword was deflected, and his hand felt slightly numb.

There was still only a shallow mark left on the scales, a little deeper than before, but it was still not broken open, and not a trace of blood seeped out.

Zhou Ding was surprised.

With his current pseudo-core cultivation level, the power of the Golden Fiend Sword Blade far surpasses that of the past.

An ordinary late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator could be killed with a single sword strike.

Even a cultivator at the nascent stage would find it difficult to withstand the power of this sword.

But Xiao Jin was completely unharmed.

With a thought, he unleashed thirty-six golden sword blades simultaneously, forming a golden sword array in the air.

The moment the sword formation was completed, sharp sword energy surged in the quiet room, cutting the air and producing a piercing whistling sound.

Thirty-six flying swords circled in a ring, their tips pointing inwards, slowly rotating to form a giant sword wheel.

The sword wheel emitted a dazzling golden light, and even the temperature dropped a few degrees.

He manipulated the sword formation and slashed at Xiao Jin.

"Clang clang clang—"

A series of dense metallic clanging sounds rang out, like hundreds of hammers striking an anvil at the same time.

The flying swords in the sword formation rained down on Xiao Jin, scattering golden light and sparks.

White marks were cut into the scales on Xiao Jin's body, and in some places even fine cracks appeared, but those cracks were very shallow, no more than the thickness of a hair.

Zhou Ding retrieved his flying sword and carefully examined Xiao Jin's scales.

The white marks were slowly disappearing, and the fine cracks were gradually healing. Pale golden light seeped from the cracks, as if a living thing was repairing its wounds. Little Gold's regenerative ability was equally astonishing.

He secretly made his plans.

With his current pseudo-core cultivation level, coupled with the Golden Fiend Sword Formation, he can be considered to have achieved the limit of attack that a pseudo-core cultivator can accomplish.

A cultivator at the Pseudo-Core Formation stage possesses profound magical power and a powerful divine sense. When activating a sword formation composed of top-tier magical artifacts, its power is sufficient to kill any Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Even when facing ordinary early-stage Core Formation cultivators, he can hold his own.

But Xiao Jin was able to remain unharmed under such an attack.

In other words, apart from Core Formation cultivators, there is no one below Core Formation who can harm Xiao Jin now.

They couldn't even break through Xiao Jin's defenses.

Then he discovered that Xiao Jin had gained another talent.

With a thought, the golden scales on Xiao Jin's body suddenly emitted a layer of dazzling golden light!

The golden light was dazzling, like a small sun rising in the quiet room, turning the entire room golden.

Its brilliance was so great that it overshadowed even the radiance of the night-shining pearl.

Golden light condensed on the surface of the scales, forming a thin but incredibly tough light shield that enveloped Xiao Jin's entire body.

The light shield was like a second layer of scales, tightly fitting the golden scales without any flaws.

Golden light flowed slowly across the surface of the light barrier, as if it were alive, radiating a chilling pressure. That pressure was as heavy as a mountain, inspiring awe in all who beheld it.

Zhou Ding tentatively slashed with the Golden Fiend Sword.

"when--"

With a loud bang, the flying sword was flung away, tumbling several times in the air before clattering to the ground.

The golden light trembled slightly before returning to its original state without leaving a trace.

He then unleashed the Golden Fiend Sword Formation, launching a full-scale attack.

Thirty-six flying swords flew out simultaneously, forming a sword array in the air, with the sword wheels spinning and radiating golden light.

He gritted his teeth, pushed his magic power to the limit, and the sword formation, carrying a world-destroying momentum, slashed towards Xiao Jin.

"Clang clang clang—"

A series of rapid impacts rang out, golden light collided with golden light, and sparks flew everywhere.

The flying swords in the sword formation fell like a torrential rain, each strike enough to kill a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

But the golden light remained unmoved, like an impenetrable wall, blocking all attacks.

Little Gold's scales were completely unmarked.

Zhou Ding retrieved his flying sword, panting heavily, with fine beads of sweat already seeping from his forehead.

But his eyes were filled with ecstasy.

This layer of golden light further enhanced Xiao Jin's defenses several times over.

The Golden Fiend Sword Formation could originally leave marks on the scales, but now even the golden light cannot break through them.

He carefully sensed the intensity of the golden light and secretly made plans in his mind.

It can withstand even attacks from early-stage Core Formation cultivators for a while.

Keep in mind, Xiao Jin is only at level three.

A level three demonic beast is equivalent to a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator.

A Core Formation cultivator corresponds to a Level 5 demonic beast.

The defense of a level-five demonic beast is enough to drive a Foundation Establishment cultivator to despair.

It's unbelievable that Little Gold, at level three, possesses the defense of a level five demon beast.

This means that when facing enemies in the early stages of Core Formation in the future, Xiao Jin will be able to withstand their attacks head-on, giving him time to make a move.

Whether it's escaping or fighting back, we have a better chance of success.

Zhou Ding named this golden light ability the Golden Armor Technique.

Next, he began to examine changes in his other talents and abilities.

With a thought, he activated the Little Golden Earth Listening Technique at full power.

An invisible wave spread in all directions, penetrating the walls of the meditation room, the rock strata of the cave, and the array light barrier outside, extending into the depths of the Taiyue Mountains.

Ten li... twenty li... thirty li... forty li... fifty li!

Finally, at a distance of fifty miles, the fluctuations sensed the boundary.

Fifty miles!

It used to be forty li, but now it has increased to fifty li.

Within a 50-mile radius, no movement or disturbance can escape Xiao Jin's perception.

That feeling was like having eyes that could see a thousand miles and ears that could hear the wind.

The speed of the Earth-遁术 (Earth-遁术 is a type of magic that allows one to burrow underground) has increased

What surprised Zhou Ding even more was that his ability to control the land had been enhanced.

He let Xiao Jin try it out. It burrowed underground, and a moment later, dozens of sharp rock spikes suddenly emerged from the ground!

Those rock spikes shot out from the ground with lightning speed, their tips as sharp as spears, enough to pierce any enemy.

Zhou Ding was overjoyed.

This means that Xiao Jin has gained another offensive capability.

Previously, Xiao Jin could only rely on the Black Spirit Claw for close-range attacks, which put him at a disadvantage when facing ranged enemies.

Now with the rock spikes, it can attack enemies remotely from underground, making it impossible for them to defend against.

The enemy was still searching for its trail when suddenly dozens of rock spikes appeared under its feet, severely injuring it even if it didn't die.

The ability to create clones has also been improved.

With a thought, Xiao Jin separated three clones from its body.

The three clones were exactly the same as it—the same size, the same scales, the same golden light.

They stood in the quiet room, their movements synchronized, their breaths identical, making it impossible to distinguish which one was the real entity.

Zhou Ding had Xiao Jin control the clones to test them out, and found that each clone possessed some of the original's strength.

Although it is not as powerful as the original body, it is more than enough to deal with ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The Light of Breaking the Restriction and the Soul-Seizing Eyes haven't changed much.

The power of the Light that Breaks the Restriction is directly related to Xiao Jin's demonic energy; the more demonic energy he has, the longer the duration.

Now that Little Golden Demon's energy has greatly increased, the light that breaks the barrier can last for a longer period of time.

This means that in the future, when encountering large formations, there will be enough time to pass through them calmly.

The power of the Soul-Seizing Eye is related to Zhou Ding's divine sense. Under synchronized consciousness, the stronger Zhou Ding's divine sense is, the stronger the power of the Soul-Seizing Eye will be.

Now that his spiritual sense has reached the strength of the late Core Formation stage, the power of his Soul-Seizing Eyes has also increased accordingly.

Level 4 monsters can be enslaved more easily.

Perhaps a level-five monster could be worth a try.

In conclusion, this feedback has once again significantly enhanced Xiao Jin's strength and potential.

Zhou Ding snapped out of his daze and let out a long breath.

This little guy has evolved step by step from an ordinary mouse to what he is today.

Every breakthrough, every piece of feedback, makes it even stronger.

Its potential seems limitless.

Sometimes he wondered what Little Gold would eventually evolve into if things continued like this.

He shook his head and stopped thinking about it.

……

half a month later.

The door to the quiet room slowly opened, and Zhou Ding walked out.

His demeanor was more composed and reserved than it had been half a month ago.

His cultivation at the Pseudo-Core Formation level has been completely stabilized.

The ball of blue light in his dantian rotated steadily, emitting a soft glow.

With each rotation, it draws power from the surrounding spiritual energy to strengthen itself.

His steps were steady, his breathing even, and he looked like a deep pool of water, calm on the surface but containing terrifying power deep within.

In the hall, Xin Ruyin was sitting at a stone table, holding a scroll of array diagrams in her hands.

That was the restoration diagram of the ancient teleportation array. She had been studying it for a year and knew every detail by heart.

Her brows were slightly furrowed, her fingers lightly traced the array diagram, and her lips moved slightly as she murmured to herself, as if she were deducing something.

When she saw Zhou Ding come out, she looked up, a look of joy flashing in her eyes.

Those clear eyes lit up the moment they saw him, like fireworks suddenly bursting in the night sky.

"Zhou Lang, you've emerged from the pass?"

Her voice was soft and concerned.

Zhou Ding nodded and sat down next to her.

"My cultivation has stabilized."

Xin Ruyin smiled slightly and handed him the array diagram in her hand.

"Zhou Lang, I have completed the repair blueprints for the ancient teleportation array."

Zhou Ding took the array diagram and examined it carefully.

The array diagram was densely covered with various runes and lines.

She meticulously marked the direction of each array pattern, the shape of each rune, and the position of each spirit stone slot.

Those originally chaotic lines have now formed a complete and precise system.

She deduced and understood those unfamiliar runes one by one, and now she has mastered them all.

She analyzed and optimized those seemingly illogical array patterns one by one, and now they are all straightened out.

He noticed that the edges of the array diagram were covered with dense annotations, written in neat and legible handwriting, each stroke carefully executed.

Although Zhou Ding couldn't understand the profound principles of the formation, he could tell that this formation diagram was the culmination of Xin Ruyin's hard work.

Her skill in formations improved significantly during this year.

"Thanks a lot."

He took her hand and whispered.

Xin Ruyin shook her head, a smile appearing on her face.

That smile was like the warm spring sun, warm and bright.

"It's no trouble at all. I'm glad I can help Zhou Lang. Cola Novels, a professional novel website, provides the most comfortable reading experience."

Xiao Mei, watching from the side, couldn't help but interject, "Young Master, Miss has been working tirelessly for this array diagram for a year. Sometimes I would get up in the middle of the night and see her drawing under the lamp. Once, I woke up in the middle of the night and saw that the light in Miss's quiet room was still on. When I went in, I saw her asleep on the table, still holding a talisman brush in her hand, and her face was covered in ink."

As she spoke, she mimicked Xin Ruyin, lying on the table pretending to sleep, while making a gesture of holding a pen, her face serious.

Xin Ruyin glared at her, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"You talk too much."

Xiaomei stuck out her tongue, grinned, and hid to the side.

The ferret lay at her feet, looked up, then lowered its head to continue dozing.

Zhou Ding smiled slightly, a warm feeling welling up in his heart.

……

The next day.

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

Zhou Ding put on a cloak to conceal his identity, changed into an ordinary gray Taoist robe, suppressed his aura, and piloted the Divine Wind Boat towards the market.

The market was still bustling, but the atmosphere was noticeably more tense than before. The cultivators coming and going hurried by, their faces filled with worry, no longer strolling around leisurely as they used to.

Notices were posted at the entrances of various shops, indicating that they were buying up all kinds of supplies, and the prices were much higher than usual.

Prices of all kinds of supplies have risen, especially consumables such as pills, magical artifacts, and talismans, whose prices have more than doubled.

Some scarce goods are even available but unsellable.

Zhou Ding didn't linger and went straight to Wanbaoge.

"I need some materials. Here's the list; see if you can gather them all."

He handed a list to Manager Wan.

Listed there are all the materials needed to repair the ancient teleportation array.

There are various rare minerals—mysterious iron essence, star sand, void stone...

They were all compiled by Xin Ruyin from the array diagrams, and each one is indispensable.

Manager Wan took the list, looked it over carefully, and frowned slightly.

He put down the list, pondered for a moment, and then spoke.

"Many of these materials are rare, especially these kinds of ores, which are rarely seen on the market. Xuan Tie Jing is relatively easy to find, although it is expensive. Star Sand is much harder to find, as it is only found in meteorites from outer space and is extremely rare. And then there is Kong Ming Shi, which is even rarer."

Zhou Ding said calmly, "Price is not a problem. As long as we can gather the funds, any amount of spirit stones is acceptable."

Manager Wan's eyes lit up, and he patted his chest to guarantee it.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, rest assured, leave it to me! I, Wan, may not have many other skills, but I certainly have the ability to find things. Give me half a month, and I guarantee I'll gather them all! Stardust is hard to find, but I know a few independent cultivators who specialize in traveling overseas; they should have some. As for the Void Stone, I'll have to ask around, which may take more time."

Zhou Ding nodded, left a deposit, and turned to leave.

Two weeks later, he returned to Wanbaoge. Manager Wan kept his word and gathered all the materials on the list.

The stardust, contained in a transparent jade bottle, emitted a faint starlight; the void stone was grayish-white with fine lines on its surface, and felt extremely light, almost weightless. The spirit woods were all stored in specially made containers, perfectly preserved.

Zhou Ding paid with spirit stones, put the materials into his storage bag, and returned to his cave.

……

That day, Zhou Dingzheng and Xin Ruyin were discussing formations in the hall.

Xin Ruyin pointed to a spot on the array diagram and explained the key steps to repairing the ancient teleportation array.

Her fingers traced lightly across the array, her voice soft yet clear.

"Zhou Lang, look, the array patterns here are completely different from the current arrays. Their direction is reversed, not forward. Therefore, when repairing them, we can't use the conventional methods; we need to do it in reverse. Also, this rune here converts the spiritual energy in the spirit stone into spatial power. The shapes of these rune slots aren't randomly designed either; each shape corresponds to a different spirit stone..."

Zhou Ding listened attentively, nodding occasionally.

Although his skill in array formations was not as good as Xin Ruyin's, his foundation was solid enough that he could understand most of the content.

He would occasionally ask questions, which Xin Ruyin would patiently answer.

The two worked together seamlessly, asking and answering questions.

Sunlight streamed through the cracks in the cave ceiling, shining warmly and brightly upon them.

Suddenly, the array restrictions outside the cave were triggered.

Zhou Ding frowned, and with a thought, the Little Golden Earth Listening Technique was activated instantly.

An invisible wave spread in all directions, penetrating rocks, soil, and the array's light barrier.

A moment later, his expression changed slightly.

The person who arrived was Han Li.

He was taken aback.

Han Li is back?

He had already investigated and found out that Han Li was conscripted to the front lines after arriving at Yan Family Fort.

His return suggests a temporary truce between the Yue Kingdom and the demonic path.

He is currently missing and therefore cannot show his face.

The sect members thought he had died at Yan Family Fortress, and that his sudden appearance would only cause unnecessary trouble.

If asked where he went for the past year and why he only came back now, how should he explain it?

Xin Ruyin also sensed the commotion outside and looked at Zhou Ding with a questioning look in her eyes.

Zhou Ding said in a low voice, "It's Han Li. Have Xiao Mei go out and greet him, and tell him that I still haven't returned."

Xin Ruyin nodded, called Xiaomei over, and whispered a few words of advice.

"Xiao Mei, Young Master Han is here. Go out and greet him, and tell him that the young master hasn't returned yet. Remember, don't let it slip."

Xiaomei understood immediately and nodded.

She straightened her clothes, smoothed her hair, took a deep breath, and walked out of the cave.

……

Outside the cave, Han Li stood with his hands behind his back.

He remained the same unassuming man, dressed in a drab gray Taoist robe, with an ordinary face.

But compared to a year ago, his demeanor was more composed, and there was something more in his eyes.

That's the kind of profound understanding that comes from experiencing life and death.

His gaze was sharper and more reserved, like a drawn sword or a hidden knife.

When he saw Xiaomei come out, he bowed and greeted her politely.

"Little Mei."

Xiaomei quickly bowed as well, a polite smile on her face.

She imitated Xin Ruyin, bowing slightly with graceful and poised manners.

"Greetings, Young Master Han. I was unaware of your presence and apologize for not welcoming you properly."

Han Li shook his head and looked at the cave behind her.

The entrance to the cave was obscured by a protective array of light, making it impossible to see what was inside.

"Miss Xiaomei, has Senior Brother Zhou returned yet?"

Xiaomei looked worried and shook her head.

Her eyes were slightly red, and her voice was a little choked up.

"The young master has not returned. Since the day he was ordered to go to Yan Family Fort, there has been no news of him. Miss sent several people to inquire, and they all say... they all say..."

She didn't finish speaking, then lowered her head, seemingly trying to hold back tears.

Her concern was genuine; she had indeed worried about her son-in-law's safety.

Although the son-in-law has returned, his current worry is perfectly acted out.

Upon hearing this, Han Li frowned slightly, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

He was puzzled.

Why did Senior Brother Zhou disappear without a trace when he clearly didn't go to Yan Family Fort?

He remembered clearly that on that day, his senior brother Zhou reminded him outside Green Wave Cave, "Yan Family Fort is not a good place, please be careful."

The reminder came suddenly, but with remarkable precision.

At the time, he was still a little confused, not understanding why Senior Brother Zhou would suddenly say such a thing.

But when he arrived at Yanjiabao, he realized the weight of those words.

It was thanks to Senior Brother Zhou's reminder that he was extra careful in Yan Family Fort and successfully escaped that calamity.

Since Senior Brother Zhou knows there's a problem with Yan Family Fortress, nothing should happen to him.

Given his caution and competence, it's even less likely that he would encounter any misfortune.

But why hasn't it returned yet?

Could it be... that something else happened to him? Or is he deliberately hiding?

Han Li's mind raced, but he remained outwardly calm.

He took out a replica jade slip from his pocket and handed it to Xiaomei.

"Miss Xiaomei, this is the diagram of an ancient formation that I obtained by chance. Junior Sister Xin has exceptional skills in formations, and I would like to ask her to help repair it. This is the reward."

He then took out a medicinal herb from his storage bag and handed it to Xiaomei.

The herb was entirely blood-red, with intact roots, thick leaves, and a rich medicinal fragrance; it was a five-hundred-year-old Blood Spirit Flower.

He had carefully cultivated this medicinal herb in a small green bottle, intending to keep it for himself, but now that he needed its help, he had no choice but to part with it.

Xiao Mei took the jade slip and the elixir, her gaze falling on the jade slip.

She casually placed the jade slip on her forehead and probed it with her divine sense.

The array diagram was densely covered with various runes and lines.

Those runes were crooked and twisted, like tadpoles or bird tracks, completely different from the runes we see today.

The lines crisscross and interlock, forming a complex pattern.

The more she looked at it, the more familiar it seemed.

Those runes, those lines, those structures... are almost exactly the same as the array that Miss repaired!

The next moment, she blurted out, "An ancient teleportation array?"

As soon as those three words were uttered, she knew something was wrong.

Han Li was startled, and a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.

"Does Miss Mei recognize this formation?"

His voice remained calm, but there was a hint of scrutiny in his tone.

Those bright eyes were fixed on Xiaomei, not missing a single subtle expression.

Xiaomei then realized that she had been too talkative.

Her heart tightened, and her fingers unconsciously clenched the jade slip until her knuckles turned white.

She tried to remain calm, forcing a smile.

"I saw Miss studying this kind of formation before. She said it was an ancient teleportation array, very complex and difficult to repair. I was curious at the time, so I asked a few more questions and remembered the name."

Her words were half true and half false.

Miss has indeed studied this kind of formation, but not before; she is currently studying it.

She did ask a few more questions, but she didn't remember them at the time. It was only after watching the young lady study that she gradually became familiar with it.

A strange look flashed in Han Li's eyes, but he didn't ask any further questions.

"Junior Sister Xin's skill in array formations is indeed extraordinary. Even many Core Formation cultivators cannot repair such an ancient array formation."

He gave a sincere compliment, then bowed and took his leave.

"Miss Xiaomei, I'm entrusting you with my care, Junior Sister Xin. Farewell."

Xiao Mei quickly returned the greeting and watched him leave.

Han Li's escape light quickly disappeared into the clouds.

Xiao Mei finally breathed a sigh of relief, patted her chest, and turned back to her cave.

……

Inside the cave, Xiaomei handed the jade slip and the elixir to Zhou Ding.

"Young Master, this is the array diagram sent by Young Master Han."

Zhou Ding took the jade slip and probed it with his divine sense.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips.

It was indeed the diagram of an ancient teleportation array.

The runes, lines, and structure on that array diagram were almost identical to the array that Xin Ruyin had repaired.

Han Li also visited the spirit stone mine and discovered the existence of the ancient teleportation array.

In the original story, he was conscripted to the front line after the Yan Family Fort Incident, where he discovered the spirit stone mine and found the ancient teleportation array during the battle.

Although the plot has changed somewhat, he still embarked on this path.

Zhou Ding carefully put away the jade slip and pondered for a moment.

Han Li's visit to Xin Ruyin to repair the array diagram indicates that he also intends to go to the teleportation array.

He looked at Xin Ruyin and said softly, "Ruyin, help Junior Brother Han repair his array diagram. No need to rush, take your time."

Xin Ruyin nodded.

"it is good."