Li Changâan mused to himself.
The reason for his immense strength was that he had received successive Ancient Inheritances.
The Ancient Wood Sectâs Foundation Technique and the Yin Yang Sectâs Foundation Sword Array.
Two Sects served him and him alone.
But...
He worried that someone else might be like him, having also received an Ancient Sectâs inheritance and possessing heaven-defying killing techniques.
âThe waters of the Cultivation Immortality Realm run deep.â
Li Changâan silently warned himself that there might be people out there who were even better at hiding their strength than he was.
ăA few days later.ă
Changqing Mountain was attacked by Demon Beasts again.
This time, the attacking Demon Beasts werenât very strong, only at the Tier Two Early Stage.
Li Changâan dealt with them easily.
âLately, the frequency of Demon Beast attacks everywhere has dropped significantly.â
After so many years, the Beast Tide was starting to lose its momentum.
The various Tier Three Demon Kings hadnât been seen in a long time either.
Before long, Li Changâan received some news.
The Three Great Sects, the Seven Great Noble Families, and Yellow Crane Immortal City were planning to join forces. They would enter the Black Dragon Mountain Range once more to slay the Demon King behind this Beast Tide and end it for good!
âTheyâre finally making their move?â
Li Changâan stood atop the mountain, his gaze fixed on the Black Dragon Mountain Range.
He knew in his heart that this operation, regardless of success or failure, would unleash chaotic slaughter within the Black Dragon Mountain Range.
And that chaos was the very opportunity he needed.
âAs a Golden Core Disciple, Sima Rui will probably take part as well.â
Thinking of this, Li Changâan summoned Dahuang and ordered it to go to Yellow Crane Immortal City to keep an eye on the movements at Yellow Crane Mountain.
The moment Sima Rui left Yellow Crane Immortal City, it was to return and inform him immediately.
Dahuang nodded, but he suggested they kill Murong Kang first.
Murong Kang had promoted to the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment more recently, so logically, he should be weaker than Sima Rui and an easier target.
Li Changâan shook his head slightly and warned, "Murong Kang is likely a Demonic Cultivator. He is not to be underestimated. Dahuang, try to stay away from him. Weâll deal with Sima Rui first!"
"WOOF!"
Dahuang accepted the order and immediately transformed into a streak of Spiritual Light, burrowing into the earth.
A month later, he sent back news.
Cultivators from the various Golden Core Influences had started to mobilize, all surging toward the Black Dragon Mountain Range.
At dawn that day, over a dozen auras belonging to Core Formation Masters streaked across the sky, heading straight for the depths of the Black Dragon Mountain Range.
Feeling those astonishing auras, everyone realized that the Golden Core Influences were truly determined this time.
Before long, the allied Golden Core Influences released a new contribution board.
The more one contributed, the more Treasures one could exchange for.
This time, there werenât just Foundation Establishment Treasures. To everyoneâs shock, they discovered that near the top of the contribution board, there were actually Core Formation Treasures!
"The Moonlight Condensed Pearl!"
"Thatâs a Core Formation Spiritual Object!"
"That Spiritual Object can increase the success rate of Core Formation by five percent!"
Besides the Moonlight Condensed Pearl, there were several other Core Formation Spiritual Objects, each one priceless and incredibly rare.
These Treasures were almost completely monopolized by the Golden Core Influences.
Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivators would almost never see such things.
But now, several had suddenly appeared.
How could people not be moved?
Even more astonishingly, listed in the top three of the contribution board were the words: "One Inferior Grade Five Elements Golden Condensation Pill"!
"Itâs a Five Elements Golden Condensation Pill! How could the Golden Core Influences bear to part with such a Treasure?"
"No matter what, this is an opportunity for us."
"But the contribution required is just too much..."
Amidst their excitement, the crowd did the math.
The contribution points needed to exchange for that Inferior Grade Golden Condensation Pill were equivalent to killing a Tier Three Demon King!
It was as difficult as ascending to heaven!
Even so, quite a few Foundation Establishment Cultivators still set out.
Even if they couldnât get the Golden Condensation Pill, there was still hope for the other Core Formation Treasures.
It wasnât just them.
Even Li Changâan on Changqing Mountain was quite tempted.
âAn Inferior Grade Five Elements Golden Condensation Pill... If I could get my hands on it, it would give me another layer of security for my Core Formation.â
âAnd then there are those Core Formation Spiritual Objects...â
Core Formation Treasures were simply too hard to come by; he had to start preparing early.
A moment later, Li Changâan slowly exhaled, suppressing the various thoughts in his mind.
âThe greater the opportunity, the greater the crisis.â
âThe Golden Core Influences are most likely offering so many Treasures because theyâve anticipated how difficult this expedition will be.â
Li Changâan warned himself not to be blinded by the Treasures.
He still had over four hundred years of life left.
It wouldnât matter even if he didnât obtain any Core Formation Treasures.
At worst, he could just slowly bide his time, spending a few hundred years cultivating the Evergreen Vine to upgrade his Spiritual Root to Celestial Grade.
A Celestial Spirit Root came with a fifty percent success rate for Core Formation on its own. Adding the thirty percent from the Ancient Wood Evergreen Technique, that would be a full eighty percent!
âAs for Core Formation Treasures, if fate allows, Iâll take them. If not, so be it. I canât force it.â
ăIn the following days.ă
A steady stream of news came in.
More and more Loose Cultivators were flocking to the Black Dragon Mountain Range, risking their lives to hunt Demon Beasts for contribution points.
As for Yellow Crane Immortal City,
both Huang He Master and his eldest disciple, He Qianshan, had entered the Black Dragon Mountain Range. The second disciple, Xiahou Hong, remained behind to guard Yellow Crane Mountain.
Several Foundation Establishment Disciples also entered the Black Dragon Mountain Range one by one to slay demons.
ăSeven days later.ă
Dahuang returned from Yellow Crane Immortal City with the latest news.
Sima Rui had left Yellow Crane Immortal City and entered the Black Dragon Mountain Range along with three of the cityâs Honored Guest Elders.
"What are the Cultivation levels of those three Honored Guest Elders?" Li Changâan asked carefully.
Dahuang reported that two of them were at the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment, and one was at the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment.
With a lineup like that, as long as they didnât run into a Tier Three Demon King in the Black Dragon Mountain Range, they would almost certainly be fine.
After hearing this, Li Changâan pondered for a moment.
âEven with a Late Stage of Foundation Establishment Cultivator present, as long as nothing unexpected happens, I can kill them!â
He immediately began his preparations.
...
Half an hour later, Li Changâanâs preparations were complete. Before leaving, he instructed Jiang Muyu to look after the house.
He didnât go directly to the Black Dragon Mountain Range. Instead, he changed into his Li Fan identity and made a trip to a stronghold of the Huanghe Alliance to ask about the Five Poison Wanderer.
Ye Hao informed him, "Daoist Li, the Five Poison Wanderer entered the Black Dragon Mountain Range with several of his disciples. Itâs suspected theyâre going to hunt a Tier Two Poison Toad."
"Alright, thank you for the information."
Li Changâanâs mind stirred as he silently calculated.
The Five Poison Wanderer had also conveniently entered the mountains. He would make for an excellent scapegoat.