Once the loose cultivators had left, everyone began setting up camp.

Master Yufeng, Liu Bo'an, took out a set of array plates and started arranging them around the entire entrance.

Not long after, a Quasi-Third Tier Array spanning dozens of miles was completed.

Looking at the cyan translucent light barrier, a name flashed in Zhou Xun's mind.

"Cyan Light Floating Shadow Array!"

Zhou Xun made use of local materials to construct a simple house, and the other cultivators did likewise.

Only Master Yufeng was different.

With a beckon toward his storage bag, a flash of white light landed on the open ground, turning into a yard about an acre in size.

"Celestial Secret House!" someone exclaimed aloud.

This is a wondrous item, refined to the size of a palm for portability, and can be equipped with potent restrictions when traveling.

It's an essential treasure for exploration.

Wang Erniu saw this and showed an envious expression.

"A true man should be like this!"

This Celestial Secret House is priced at no less than forty thousand Spirit Stones; with Zhou Xun's current wealth, he could barely afford it.

However, he wouldn't spend so many Spirit Stones on such luxury items.

Master Yufeng, due to being a Fake Pill Cultivator, unable to advance in cultivation, has shifted his focus beyond cultivation.

He's willing to spend lavishly on such extravagant treasures as the Celestial Secret House.

Zhou Xun is different; he has an exceedingly promising cultivation future, and naturally wouldn't be like that.

...

On the distant mountains, countless golden powerful qi roamed and darted up and down like golden little snakes.

Suddenly, the golden qi started to weaken, slowly dissipating visibly.

This weakening continued persistently.

Master Yufeng, Liu Bo'an, observed daily at the entrance, gazing from afar.

On the second day,

On the third day,

Until the fifth day.

The previously surging golden qi became extremely sparse, less than one-tenth of what it was five days ago.

"Alright, we can go in now!" Master Yufeng proclaimed with a slight smile on his otherwise emotionless face.

"The weakening of Gold Cloud Valley's qi lasts only thirty days. After entering, don't exceed fifteen days' journey; otherwise, you'll risk being trapped inside, and your life may be in danger. Remember! Remember!"

Before entering, Master Yufeng sternly warned.

"We heed the master's teachings!" everyone responded respectfully.

Soon, the three teams from White Cloud Immortal City took the lead and entered.

Flying was avoided because there was still plenty of Geng Metal Qi high up, and the strands of qi looked extremely terrifying!

Once cultivators fly into the sky, they are likely to attract the golden qi and suffer attacks.

Once, a Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator, confident in his profound cultivation, flew up but was attacked by a large amount of golden qi.

Gold Attribute qi is ranked first in power among the Five Elements, and Geng Metal Qi is extremely sharp; less than half a tea's time later, that Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator perished on the spot.

He became a cautionary tale for other cultivators.

Next were the friends and relatives, including Yean Lei and two others, who also entered. Lv Jingwu turned back to glance at Zhou Xun with a smug smile.

Seeing everyone enter, Wang Erniu prepared to get up and go in.

"Erniu, after entering, just focus on finding that Geng Metal Sharp Qi, and once found, return directly. I'll be here supporting you!"

"Big brother, rest assured!" Wang Erniu nodded and left.

"Come back alive!" Zhou Xun silently wished as he watched Wang Erniu depart.

...

With Wang Erniu having entered, Zhou Xun was left with nothing to do, and the spiritual qi here was sparse, making cultivation inefficient.

Zhou Xun thus took out his Array Manual and began studying it.

...

On the other side, after entering, Yean Lei and the two others quickly headed toward the spot marked on their map.

Wang Erniu did likewise; with the help of the Lin Family, he had acquired a map marking the location of the Geng Metal Sharp Qi.

Throughout the journey, Wang Erniu moved without pause. When encountering demon beasts, he detoured around them, having no intention to provoke.

Though capable of easily handling Tier One Top-Grade Demon Beasts.

As a sword cultivator, Wang Erniu's power was remarkably formidable; he could confront Early-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivators head-on, though his mana could not sustain prolonged battles.

Once, he was within a hundred feet of a Tier Two Low-Grade Golden Yuan Grass, which was guarded by a Tier One Top-Grade Earth Gold Insect.

Wang Erniu made no pause, choosing to bypass directly.

His aim was singular: the Geng Metal Sharp Qi, while disregarding other treasures along the way.

This approach proved extremely wise, unaware that the Golden Yuan Grass was guarded not by one Earth Gold Insect but a pair.

The pair defending together could delay an Early-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator for a substantial time.

Wang Erniu's action spared him much trouble.

Just half a day after Wang Erniu left, a Confucian Scholar-dressed youth arrived at the site.

Seeing the Tier Two Low-Grade Golden Yuan Grass, the young man rejoiced and hurried towards the Spirit Grass.

A wave of mana fluctuation erupted.

Only the two Earth-Gold Insects, each as big as an ox, were chewing, while the youth in Confucian Scholar attire had vanished without a trace.

...

And so, seven days passed in a flash.

During these seven days, Zhou Xun concentrated on studying arrays.

Progressing as estimated, Zhou Xun predicted that in at most five years, he could advance to become a Tier Two Low-Grade Array Master.

Then he could explore the Ancient Ruins.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door:

"Alchemist Zhou!"

"Alchemist Zhou!"

Zhou Xun immediately rose and opened the simple door.

The visitor wore a blue robe, appeared over forty, with a lean face and protruding cheekbones, and a goatee enhancing his scholarly appearance.

"Ah, Daoist Hu, what brings you here?" Zhou Xun asked with a salute.

The man's name was Hu Zhencai, also an Honored Guest Elder of the White Cloud Immortal City, a Tier Two Middle-Grade Rune Master with a Middle-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation.

"Just that since we're all here with some leisure time, Elder Sun suggested holding an exchange meeting to share resources!"

The middle-aged man smiled and saluted.

This Elder Sun was the square-faced man who had driven away loose cultivators that day, with Late-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation, ranking eighteenth among Master White Cloud's disciples.

"An exchange meeting, this is excellent news! I'll head there right away!"

With that, Zhou Xun and the lean middle-aged man proceeded to the exchange meeting venue, "Master Yufeng's Celestial Secret House."

No one expected Master Yufeng to be so generous, offering his temporary cave mansion.

Since his Foundation Establishment, it was Zhou Xun's first time attending a Foundation Establishment Cultivators' exchange meeting, though only nine cultivators were left at the entrance.

Stepping inside, the Celestial Secret House was as splendid as Zhou Xun's own cave mansion in Golden Spring Lane, intricately decorated and majestic.

By the time Zhou Xun arrived, everyone was already present.

To Zhou Xun's surprise, the only Fake Pill Great Power among the guardians, Master Yufeng, was also there.

Amidst the greetings, Zhou Xun found a seat and sat down!

...

Within Gold Cloud Valley,

Wang Erniu adhered to a principle of evasion, and on the seventh day, successfully found the location marked on the map.

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