At the beginning, Gu Jinqin won two matches in a row.

In one of them, it was against Chen Xuanming, who had looked down on her.

Overcome with pride, Gu Jinqin boasted carelessly.

This alerted Jiang Wanli.

He was a direct disciple of Master Yuyang.

In the Artifact Refining Hall, he held a distinguished status.

The top-ranked direct disciples, due to their realm cultivation and age, disdained to take action against Gu Jinqin.

Jiang Wanli, who was in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, was the most suitable person for the arena duel on Jade Sun Peak.

Gu Jinqin didn't lose unjustly.

Spiritual Power, Divine Sense, Divine Soul, and Flesh Body—all were crushed by Jiang Wanli.

The maddening part was.

Both used high-tier magical treasures that were beyond their own small realm.

The Primordial Black Gold Hammer used by Jiang Wanli was a rare power-type tier two top-grade magical treasure.

It happened to restrain Gu Jinqin's recently refined Ancient Sacred Sound Zither.

Even though Jiang Wanli showed mercy.

Gu Jinqin still spat blood from the beating.

There was nothing she could do; her flesh body couldn't withstand it.

Shen Xuan wasn't present.

The Wu sisters watched the entire time.

It was their first time seeing Jiang Wanli in action.

Especially that Primordial Black Gold Hammer.

It was astonishingly powerful and made the two secretly gasp.

In the duel, Jiang Wanli held back.

Gu Jinqin still couldn't resist; she was only grazed but spat blood from the attack.

Shuiyue Residence.

Upon hearing the Wu sisters' account of the arena match.

He gently shook his head.

Never underestimate any direct disciple of a true master!

Jiang Wanli, among the direct disciples of true masters, was unknown.

And yet he wasn't even among the top elites.

Such was his strength.

"Senior Brother, you have to avenge Sister Jinqin!"

"Those Jade Sun Peak people are so despicable! How dare they be so harsh to Sister Jinqin!"

The Wu sisters spoke in unison.

Just trying to get Shen Xuan to step forward.

"Those people from Jade Sun Peak are so powerful, you shouldn't provoke them!"

Shen Xuan said lightly.

Gu Jinqin had her own Gu Family to back her up.

If it really comes to it, isn't there still the master?

How foolish would he have to be to rush forward and challenge the disciples of Jade Sun Peak?

Losing would cause serious injuries.

Winning yields no benefits and invites envy and jealousy.

What's the point!

...

After the arena duel.

The relationship between the disciples of Jade Sun Peak and Little Lone Peak became even more tense.

The two sides hardly interacted anymore.

Except for necessary official matters.

The people of Little Lone Peak avoided going to the Artifact Refining Hall as much as possible.

The Wu sisters also obediently stayed in Little Lone Peak, accompanying Gu Jinqin.

The injury wasn't severe.

A few months of recuperation would allow her to recover.

Yet, Gu Jinqin felt somewhat dispirited.

The defeat in the arena made her realize that her own strength was insufficient.

Shen Xuan had just broken through to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment.

Gu Jinqin held no hope for him.

Second Senior Sister Wen Luoying had just broken through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

Facing the late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators of Jade Sun Peak would not give her a good chance of victory.

Eventually, it was First Senior Sister Yun Chixin who stepped up.

To duel with the senior brother of Jade Sun Peak.

It's said that they fought for a full day and night without a decisive outcome.

After hearing this, Shen Xuan sighed silently.

The so-called no decisive outcome probably meant that the senior brother of Jade Sun Peak was allowing Yun Chixin to hold her ground.

Otherwise, the duel between cultivators wouldn't need to last so long!

...

Practice Room.

The Spiritual Qi was fully activated.

Shen Xuan sat cross-legged, five hearts facing the heavens, eyes closed in motion.

The jade talisman flashed momentarily.

[Talent: Infinite Strength Great Success (1388/1600)]

[Dao Rhyme: 5668]

[Spirit Root: Water 82/100]

This was the last essence blood of the Deep Water Hook Snake.

In three months' time, it was completely refined.

Not easy!

The Water Spirit Root finally increased by one point.

The Dao Rhyme accumulated to more than five thousand points.

Unfortunately, [Infinite Strength] still couldn't reach perfection.

The Primordial Black Gold Hammer of Jiang Wanli in the Artifact Refining Hall made him quite envious.

He, too, wanted to own a tier two top-grade power magical treasure.

But, in the Sect's Treasure Pavilion, there were simply no tier two top-grade magical treasures.

No amount of contribution points could exchange for one.

"I wonder if I could withstand Jiang Wanli's strength."

Shen Xuan pondered briefly, not dwelling on it.

If power doesn't work, then switch to speed.

You can't hang yourself on one tree.

In a cultivator's magical combat, use one's strengths to attack the opponent's weaknesses.

No need for stubborn confrontations.

Shen Xuan performed the [Divine Hidden Sea Technique].

The Dantian Spirit Sea surged again, spiritual power circulated through his internal organs, and a faint spiritual light emanated from his body.

He took a deep breath.

The Spiritual Qi in the practice room madly penetrated into his body.

"Indeed, Spirit Root Talent determines cultivation outcomes."

Shen Xuan sensed the effect after the enhancement of his Spirit Root.

The higher the Spirit Root Talent, the more Spiritual Qi is absorbed into the body, and the quicker it is refined.

Thus, the Dao Foundation Spirit Sea formed is even more magnificent.

"At a hundred and ten years old, I've only been at the middle stage for two years…"

Shen Xuan estimated.

With his current cultivation speed, it would take at least seven or eight more years to reach the fifth layer of Foundation Establishment.

This speed is already very fast.

Not slower than a Golden Core Inheritor.

Far surpassing all the senior and junior sisters of Little Lone Peak.

Moreover, what he practiced was the [Divine Hidden Sea Technique].

Which inherently progresses slowly.

It has the characteristics of health care and treatment, with spiritual power as vast as the sea.

The internal Dao Foundation Spirit Sea is much broader than that of cultivators of the same realm.

This also means that his spiritual power is more abundant and purer than that of cultivators of the same realm.

Shen Xuan closely sensed the Dao Foundation Spirit Sea within him.

His spiritual power was vigorous and endless.

Vastly different from other Foundation Establishments.

Because his spiritual power faintly emitted a weak azure spiritual light.

It already showed signs of condensing into substance.

"It is said that after the completion of the Divine Hidden Sea Technique, a divine power evolves that can make the physical body indestructible and rebirth from a drop of blood!"

Shen Xuan thought to himself.

If this were true, the ability to protect one's life would be greatly enhanced.

Do not be fooled by the current intense struggle between the Daoist and Demon sects.

Actually, it's merely a training exercise for the core formation seeds in the Daoist and Demon sects.

It's nothing significant.

If the Daoists and Demons truly go to war, with True Masters and the Demon Ancestor taking the field,

it would be a catastrophe.

Foundation Establishment cultivators facing True Masters and the Demon Ancestor would have a 90% chance of perishing on the spot.

Those who manage to escape with their lives are all top geniuses, one in a hundred.

Although the situation hasn't deteriorated to that extent,

Shen Xuan is unwilling to pin his hopes on the illusion of a peaceful era for his fate.

Only by becoming strong yourself can you determine your destiny.

The Divine Hidden Sea Technique is not just a simple health cultivation technique.

It treats one's own body as an ocean, nourishing the physical body and thriving with vitality.

With overwhelming and pure spiritual power, its might is in no way inferior to the True Master's personal technique.

Moreover, the vital organs transform into the Five Elements, the spiritual power circulates endlessly.

Plus, with the self-healing talent, the duration is very long.

If there is spirit water nearby, wielding the Water Spirit Absorption talent skill, the battle duration can be infinitely extended.

When Shen Xuan was at the third layer of Foundation Establishment, he could already contend against late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Now, his strength has greatly increased.

When facing ordinary late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, he holds a clear advantage.

Moreover, Shen Xuan usually does not engage in frontal hard battles.

He is accustomed to using corpse beasts as meat shields.

He also has high-grade Thunder Talismans, high-grade Poison Talismans, Shadow-devouring Demon Insects, and other methods at his disposal.

Most importantly,

Shen Xuan has three Divine Thunder Treasure Talismans.

Two of them have been nurtured for a full fourteen years.

The other one has been nurtured for nine years.

Back then, Shen Xuan used a Divine Thunder Treasure Talisman that had been nurtured for five years to easily kill a Divine Demon Projection.

The power was extremely terrifying.

This is his trump card.

With Shen Xuan's current combat strength,

if he were to go all out, a typical Foundation Establishment perfection cultivator might not be his match.

"Unfortunately, the quality of the Divine Thunder Treasure Talismans is still slightly lacking."

In Shen Xuan's opinion, the Divine Thunder Treasure Talisman should either not be used or used for a one-hit kill.

Among his magical treasures, the White Deceit Shield and Water Purification Bottle are useless.

The true game-changer in a battle is the Bishui Sword.

And the newly refined River and Sea Map.

With his fourth layer Foundation Establishment spiritual power, being able to simultaneously nurture these two magical treasures is not easy.

And he can also simultaneously control these two magical treasures.

If word got out, it would shock the sect.

Such strength is not inferior to any same-realm Golden Core direct disciple in the sect.

However, Shen Xuan is not satisfied.

The River and Sea Map requires an investment of more than six hundred thousand spirit stones to fully refine the myriad spirit waters within.

Yet, at this moment, he also has a newly acquired Purple Gold True Water Seal.

Also a Tier Two Top Grade magical treasure.

It's a power type, filling his shortcoming perfectly.

The problem is, refining this treasure is laborious.

Without two to three years, it's impossible to refine it properly.

Moreover, Shen Xuan estimates that even after refining it,

whether he can wield it well is still a question.

Nevertheless, as a cultivator lacking a sense of security, he will never be dissatisfied with having too many magical treasures.

Upon reaching the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, the power of magical treasures can directly determine the outcome of magical combat.

The more protective means, the better.

Shen Xuan's combat strength all originates from the demon beast bloodline talent skills he has plundered.

The late stage of Foundation Establishment is still very far away from him.

The urgent matter is to continue enhancing his strength.

At the very least, to a level where he can escape with his life under the hand of a True Master.

Thinking this,

Shen Xuan stood up, took a batch of brand new cinnabar and talisman paper from his storage pouch.

These cinnabar talisman papers emitted a faint sound of thunder.

This was the first batch of Thunder Sound Bamboo materials sent by Scholar Qianzhu.

"It's time to cultivate the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Talisman!"

Compared to the Breaking Evil Divine Thunder Talisman, the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Talisman is of a higher tier and more powerful.

This also means its creation requires more spiritual power and divine soul, with a higher difficulty.

If not for additional Dao Rhyme points from the Mysterious Jade Talisman,

it would take at least ten to eight years for Shen Xuan to master this talisman.

With the foundation of the Breaking Evil Divine Thunder Talisman,

plus the precise control of Thunder Spiritual Power after mastering Thunder God's Fury,

Shen Xuan took more than two months, consuming over five hundred sheets of talisman paper, to barely reach entry level.

Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Talisman: Entry Level (12/100)

Looking at the golden, ancient, and simple script displayed on the Mysterious Jade Talisman.

Shen Xuan was relieved.

This Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Talisman is incredibly difficult!

Come to think of it, this is normal.

Never mind the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Talisman.

Even lower tier Breaking Evil Divine Thunder Talismans cannot be crafted by ordinary Thunder Cultivators.

According to what Shen Xuan knows,

in Celestial Thunder Peak, only one Golden Core True Inheritance can create the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Talisman.

The success rate of talisman creation is unknown.

But it is not very high.

It is extremely rare within the Cyan Cloud Sect.

Shen Xuan gazed at the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Talisman on the table.

After a moment's contemplation.

He decided to use Dao Rhyme points.

Over five thousand Dao Rhyme points were all added.

Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Talisman: Proficient (58/200)

As expected.

Raising proficiency in the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Talisman requires consuming a large amount of Dao Rhyme points.

With over five thousand Dao Rhyme points, it could only be increased to this level.

Shen Xuan estimated.

Entry-level requires around thirty Dao Rhyme points to push one point.

After reaching proficiency, it requires sixty Dao Rhyme points.

To push to mastery, over eight thousand Dao Rhyme points are still needed.

This demonstrates the extraordinary nature of the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Talisman.

"So, I still underestimated the difficulty of the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Talisman."

"An ordinary Thunder Talisman Master would take ten to eight years just to reach entry-level."

"Even if they want to reach proficiency, it would take twenty to thirty years!"

And even at the proficient level, whether making the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Talisman would break even is still unknown.

Shen Xuan slowly digested the techniques and knowledge of the Thunder Talisman in his mind.

Three days later.

He picked up the talisman brush again.

He made ten sheets of talisman paper in one breath.

Depleting his spiritual power, his divine soul was exhausted.

He barely succeeded in making two sheets.

Shen Xuan thought for a moment, and realized where the problem was.

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