Chương 106: Startles a Late-Stage Core Cultivator! 1. Two Years of Lifespan!

1. Two Years of Lifespan!

This transformation, which originated from the top-grade demon blood stone and a long period of accumulation, was violent and arduous, lasting for three days and three nights.

On the deserted island, dark clouds rolled and lightning snakes danced wildly. Under the dual impact of terrifying heavenly might and surging demonic power within, the light curtain of the Inverted Five Elements Array flickered like a lone lamp in a storm, stubbornly holding onto the last barrier and locking most of the strange phenomena and energy fluctuations within the island.

At the heart of the formation, Zhou Ding sat cross-legged, his expression solemn.

His forehead was already soaked with sweat, and the robe on his back clung tightly to his skin, revealing his strong physique.

His mind was constantly on edge, like a fully drawn bowstring.

Through their soul connection, he could clearly feel every bit of Xiao Jin's pain, every struggle, and every wisp of demonic energy going berserk.

The excruciating pain—the feeling of blood surging, bones being reshaped, and the soul being torn apart—caused Zhou Ding, who was in the shared state, to furrow his brow and clench his teeth.

He could "feel" that Xiao Jin's body was floating in a vortex of pain and sublimation, sometimes blurry, sometimes bursting out with an indomitable roar.

"Hang in there... we're almost there..." Zhou Ding silently encouraged himself, his eyes filled with determination.

He knew full well what this step meant for Xiao Jin, and he also understood the enormous boost this feedback would bring to him.

Risk and reward always go hand in hand.

At the core of the formation, Xiao Jin's enormous figure was undergoing a complete and transformative change under the alternating baptism of blood light, demonic energy, and lightning.

The most obvious difference is body shape!

Its body expanded wildly as if inflated, its bones cracking and its muscles bulging. From a dozen feet before its advancement, it broke through all the way and finally stabilized at an astonishing twenty feet!

Like a moving, dark gold mountain, it simply lay there quietly, occupying a large part of the core area of the deserted island, casting shadows that carried a suffocating sense of oppression.

The originally smooth lines became more rugged and powerful, the limbs were like pillars of heaven, and the claws and toes gripped the ground, easily sinking into the hard reef.

Its neck became even thicker, and when its head was raised, it possessed an air of majesty as if it were looking down upon all living beings.

The most significant change, and the one that most captivated Zhou Ding, was the crimson-gold scale armor.

The originally dazzling crimson gold color has settled down, becoming deep and restrained, faintly exuding a dark gold, ancient metallic texture as if it has been tempered by the earth's fire and settled by the years, its light dimmed but appearing more profound.

Each scale had grown several times larger, not only incredibly thick, but also with edges naturally forming sharp serrations and strange natural runes, fitting tightly and seamlessly onto the massive body, forming a set of perfectly formed, seemingly innate, killing armor.

Under the occasional pale lightning bolts that pierced through the blood-red light, countless scales simultaneously reflected a cold, hard, and chilling gleam, as if they were not the shells of living beings, but some kind of divine weapon born for war.

Especially on its back, the row of thick, sharp bone spurs that bulge out like inverted swords extends all the way to its tail, with a faint dark red glow flowing around the top, making it look even more ferocious, fierce, and inviolable.

Its head became even larger and more imposing, with a protruding snout like a battering ram, and its exposed fangs gleaming coldly, their length comparable to a magical flying sword.

In his scarlet eyes, the ferocity and pain of the advancement process were gradually replaced by a deep, dark red, as profound as a blood abyss. His eyes shone brightly with every blink, and when he looked around, he exuded the ferocity and majesty of the king of beasts.

With each breath, scorching air gushed out, subtly forming a small spiritual whirlwind that stirred up sand and gravel.

A powerful, fierce, ancient, and indescribably noble aura, unique to level five demonic beasts, slowly spread out like a prehistoric overlord awakening. Even through the still-operating Inverted Five Elements Array, it caused Zhou Ding, who was at the array's core, to tremble and his blood to surge slightly.

He clearly sensed that not only had Xiao Jin successfully advanced, but its bloodline potential, under the extreme stimulation of that top-grade demon blood stone, seemed to have undergone some kind of incredible leap. Its life level and foundation far exceeded that of ordinary level 5 demon beasts in his understanding, and even gave him the illusion of facing a primordial alien species.

……

Meanwhile, over the azure sea about forty or fifty miles away from the deserted island.

A streak of silvery-white light streaked slowly across the sky, leaving a striking trail between the azure sea and the white clouds.

Within the shimmering light was a middle-aged Taoist priest, dressed in a brocade blue robe with cloud patterns, with a lean yet vigorous face, three long black beards flowing down his chest, and an air of otherworldly elegance.

With his hands behind his back, he appeared relaxed, riding a gleaming silver shuttle as if treading on waves. His gaze, sharp as a hawk's, swept across the shimmering sea and scattered islands below. Though seemingly casual, his divine sense had already spread out like an invisible net, probing every movement within a hundred miles.

The immense spiritual pressure emanating from his body, undisguised and as deep and heavy as a towering mountain, clearly demonstrated his lofty status and powerful strength as a late-stage Core Formation cultivator!

This person is the owner of Xuanxing Island, a medium-sized island in the nearby sea that is richer in resources and slightly larger in scale. His surname is Nangong and his given name is Yu.

He is an island lord officially appointed and recorded by the Star Palace. He possesses profound cultivation and has been operating in this sea area for over two hundred years. He is a powerful and influential figure with deep roots.

Recently, he has been conducting routine patrols in the outer sea areas under his jurisdiction in accordance with the Star Palace Regulations and his own practices. This is partly to deter any potential villains and restless forces, and partly to search for rare and precious materials or to see if any new resource points have been discovered.

Just now, as he was finding the patrol rather uneventful and somewhat boring, he faintly detected an unusually strong and persistent fluctuation of spiritual energy coming from the northeast, mixed with a trace of…

The fierce and tyrannical aura, unique to high-level demonic beasts, was quite familiar to him. Although the aura was being concealed by some force, the fleeting "essence" could not completely escape the keen perception of this late-stage Core Formation cultivator.

"Oh? Such violent fluctuations in spiritual energy, mixed with a considerable amount of demonic energy... This fluctuation has been ongoing for several days, sometimes strong, sometimes weak, and the nature of the energy at its core is changing drastically..."

Nangong Yu slowed his flight slightly, a glint of shrewdness and inquiry flashing in his eyes, and a playful smile unconsciously curving his lips.

With his extensive experience and broad knowledge, he instantly discerned several possibilities, the one that most intrigued him being: "Could it be that a demonic beast is attempting to reach a higher rank in this remote sea area?"

He quickly recalled the relevant sea map, where there were only a few barren reefs and islands, lacking spiritual energy, not ideal for monsters to nest or cultivate in.

But precisely because it is remote, it is more likely to be the choice of powerful monsters that prefer solitude or need a secluded environment to advance.

"Judging from the scale of the gathering of spiritual energy and the extent of the leakage of demonic energy... it's probably at least a level 5 demonic beast attempting to break through to level 6! Or even... a level 6 demonic beast stabilizing its realm or undergoing some kind of transformation?" Nangong Yu's mind raced, and the more he speculated, the more excited he became.

Newly promoted demon beasts, regardless of their original level, will experience a period of relative weakness, whether long or short, after passing through the Heavenly Tribulation and completing their initial transformation. They will also be unfamiliar with controlling their newly acquired immense power. This is simply a perfect opportunity bestowed by heaven to hunt them down and seize their demon core and all their materials!

A level 5 demon beast is a treasure from head to toe. Its demon core, essence blood, bones, leather, claws, etc., can be broken down and are worth nearly 100, 000 spirit stones, enough to make even a Core Formation cultivator envious.

If it's level six... then it's an extremely rare and precious treasure, its value immeasurable!

Thinking of this, even with his late-stage Core Formation stage and his composure accustomed to storms, he couldn't help but feel a surge of heat in his heart, and his Dao heart, which had been calm for many years, was stirred.

His powerful divine sense was no longer held back; like invisible tentacles, it recklessly extended and probed towards the source of the fluctuations.

Sure enough, dozens of miles away, his divine sense "saw" a desolate island shrouded in dense demonic energy, chaotic spiritual energy, and faint remnants of heavenly tribulation.

Although the aura of the demonic beasts on the island was being concealed and distorted by a sophisticated array, the chilling pressure of their life force, characteristic of high-level demonic beasts, and the unstable energy turbulence unique to their advancement, were like torches in the night, difficult to completely hide. In the perception of a cultivator of his caliber, they were even more prominent.

"Good! Just as expected! Moreover, this formation... seems to focus on concealment and protection, rather than killing or trapping formations. The person who set up the formation may just be the master of that demon beast, or... another cultivator who also wants a share of the spoils?" Nangong Yu felt certain, and a sense of ambition and a faint sense of superiority rose within him.

In either case, once he encountered a newly advanced, priceless high-level demonic beast, there was absolutely no reason for him to let it go.

As for potential "competitors" or "guardians," as a late-stage Core Formation cultivator and the master of Star Palace Island, what is there to fear in this sea area?

With a thought, the silver shuttle beneath his feet shone brightly, increasing its speed as it shot straight toward the deserted island.

However, his divine sense also clearly detected that there were three or four other streaks of light, much weaker than his, with only the fluctuations of the early to mid-stage Foundation Establishment stage. Like sharks that had smelled blood, they were also sneaking and dodging towards the sea area where the deserted island was located from different directions. They were obviously low-level rogue cultivators who had also been attracted by the strange phenomenon and were hoping for a lucky break.

"Hmph, you ignorant fools! How dare an ant covet food that's practically at the dragon's mouth?"

A hint of undisguised contempt and coldness flashed in Nangong Yu's eyes, as if he could see a few flies buzzing around the feast.

In his eyes, several Foundation Establishment stage cultivators were no different from roadside pebbles or sea creatures; he could annihilate them into ashes with a wave of his hand.

He didn't take these people seriously at all. He just planned to get rid of them when they arrived at their destination, treating it as cleaning up the battlefield and preventing them from making noise and leaking information.

As the distance rapidly closed, the deserted island gradually came into view, and the chaotic spiritual and demonic energy became increasingly palpable.

Nangong Yu assessed the possible state of the monsters on the island and the strength of the protective formation, considering whether to wait until the monsters were fully upgraded and at their weakest before making a move, or to strike swiftly at a critical moment.

Just as he approached within a dozen miles of the deserted island, he focused his divine sense, preparing to investigate the island's specific situation more thoroughly, especially to confirm the specific type of the formation, its nodes, and whether there were any other cultivators present.

A sudden change has occurred!

A vast, majestic, and icy aura, seemingly originating from the highest heavens or directly from the deepest part of his soul, emanated from a terrifying divine sense that carried an aura of absolute crushing power over life.

Without any warning, it crashed down like a towering iceberg from the heavens, ignoring the protective aura that automatically rose from his body, and slammed down firmly and solidly on his sea of consciousness!

"Buzz—!"

Nangong Yu felt an indescribable, violent roar in his mind, as if thousands of bronze bells were ringing in his skull at the same time!

In an instant, stars flashed before his eyes, his vision went black, and the powerful magic power that had been flowing smoothly within his body suddenly stopped, as if he had crashed into an invisible iron wall. His blood and qi surged backward, and he felt a sweet taste in his throat, almost spitting out blood!

The silver flying shuttle, his prized flying artifact that he had nurtured for many years, suddenly dimmed, let out a mournful cry, and shook violently a few times, almost causing him to fall from the sky!

The strength, refinement, and superiority of that divine sense far surpassed any Core Formation cultivator he knew, including several late-stage Core Formation cultivators or even Great Perfection cultivators he had met!

The cold will it contained, which disregarded all living beings and regarded lower life as worthless, made his soul tremble, giving rise to an instinctive sense of insignificance and fear, like an ant facing the heavens!

"roll!"

A simple, direct, domineering, and indifferent character, devoid of any human emotion and seemingly a divine decree, exploded like a thunderbolt from the heavens, ignoring spatial distance, directly in the deepest part of his consciousness!

The voice wasn't loud, but it contained an unquestionable and irresistible supreme majesty and chilling killing intent, which shook his soul and made his Dao foundation slightly unstable!

"Yuan... Nascent Soul stage?! It's the divine sense pressure of a Nascent Soul stage cultivator?!"

Nangong Yu's face turned deathly pale instantly, his pupils contracted to pinpoints, his heart almost stopped beating, and an overwhelming chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head!

His whole body was ice-cold, as if his blood was about to freeze.

He never expected that on this seemingly desolate and remote island with only one advanced demon beast, besides the coveted prey, there was actually a Nascent Soul stage old monster hidden!

Moreover, this senior was clearly in a bad mood or disliked being disturbed, so he directly used the most brutal method, crushing him with his divine sense, and issued the most severe order to leave!

Cold sweat instantly soaked Nangong Yu's back, and the brocade blue robe clung tightly to his skin, bringing a cool touch.

The greed, murderous intent, and ambition that had just surged in his heart were instantly replaced by boundless fear, lingering apprehension, and relief.

Nascent Soul Stage!

That is a truly terrifying existence standing at the very top of the Chaotic Star Sea!

Crushing a late-stage Core Formation cultivator like him is no more effort than crushing an ant!

Offending a Nascent Soul cultivator is a serious matter. Even the behemoth Star Palace behind him, let alone the mere island lord of Xuanxing Island, might not easily forge a life-or-death feud with a Nascent Soul cultivator of the same level for the sake of a "peripheral island lord" like him, unless it involves core interests.

"Please forgive me, Senior! I am Nangong Yu, the island lord of Xuanxing Island under the Xing Palace. I was ordered to patrol the sea and had no intention of disturbing your peaceful cultivation! I will leave now! I will leave now! I would never dare to bother you again!"

Without any hesitation, Nangong Yu forcibly stabilized his almost collapsing mind and suppressed his surging blood and qi.

He quickly suppressed all his outward spiritual sense and aura, even minimizing the spiritual light of the flying shuttle beneath his feet, and hurriedly headed towards the deserted island.

He bowed deeply with the utmost respect and humility, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

At the same time, he focused his mind and spoke rapidly and fearfully toward the deserted island, revealing his identity, expressing his sincerest apologies, and promising to leave immediately.

He didn't even dare to use his divine sense to "look" at the deserted island again, fearing that any slight probing action of his would cause the bad-tempered "Nascent Soul senior" to misunderstand and bring about his annihilation.

Having said that, he dared not linger for even a moment, and without even paying attention to the few Foundation Establishment escape lights, he abruptly changed the direction of the escape lights.

He poured all his magical power into the flying shuttle beneath his feet, causing a surge of silvery-white light that transformed into a dazzling streak of light. At a speed several times faster than when he arrived, he fled in panic, like a stray dog, without looking back, heading back the way he came.

The light streaked across the sky in an instant and disappeared at the horizon, as if afraid that if he was even a step too slow, the terrifying divine sense would turn into a tangible attack and leave him completely trapped in this sea area.

He poured all his magical power into the flying shuttle beneath his feet, causing a surge of silvery-white light that transformed into a dazzling streak of light. At a speed several times faster than when he arrived, he fled in panic, like a stray dog, without looking back, heading back the way he came.

The light streaked across the sky in an instant and disappeared at the horizon, as if afraid that if he was even a step too slow, the terrifying divine sense would turn into a tangible attack and leave him completely trapped in this sea area.

Those Foundation Establishment cultivators who had been sneaking close, dreaming of catching a bargain, naturally noticed Nangong Yu's disheveled escape as a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, as well as the terrifying pressure that had just flashed by, freezing their souls and almost causing their mana to dissipate.

At that moment, no one dared to harbor even the slightest bit of wishful thinking or greed; they were all terrified, their faces ashen.

They hastily used various methods, some wielding magical artifacts, others employing talismans, scattering like birds and beasts, desperately fleeing in the opposite direction from the deserted island. In an instant, they vanished without a trace, leaving only the empty sea and the lonely deserted island behind.

……

On the deserted island, at the core of the Inverted Five Elements Formation.

Zhou Ding slowly withdrew his terrifying divine sense, which had reached the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and his tense mind relaxed slightly. He let out a long, slow breath of pent-up turbid air.

Only then did he realize that the back of his robe was also soaked with cold sweat, clinging to his skin and bringing a cold, sticky feeling.

Maintaining the great formation against the heavenly might had already been extremely taxing, and then he had to exert all his strength to use his divine sense to simulate the pressure of a nascent soul to intimidate others, which put a considerable strain on his mental and magical power.

"Thank goodness... I managed to scare them at least." Zhou Ding thought to himself, feeling a wave of relief mixed with a sense of relief.

He had just made a desperate gamble, fully activating his divine sense, which far exceeded his cultivation level, in an attempt to "scare away" the other party.

In truth, I was quite uneasy.

After all, his spiritual strength had only reached the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm; his actual magical power cultivation was still at the Core Formation stage.

If Nangong Yu were a reckless fool, or experienced, bold yet meticulous, recklessly charging in to test the waters, or possessed some kind of secret treasure or eye technique that could discern truth from falsehood, he would probably be able to detect the truth behind Nangong Yu's outward strength after only a few rounds of fighting.

At that point, the situation will take a sharp turn for the worse and become extremely dangerous.

"Fortunately, this person's cultivation is profound, which makes him even more afraid of death and he has many concerns. He is also burdened by his identity as the Star Palace Island Master, and he has to consider the reputation of the Star Palace and the possible consequences when he acts, so he dares not take risks easily and has formed a deadly feud with a 'Nascent Soul cultivator'." Zhou Ding analyzed calmly.

With his current overall strength, if he were to use all his trump cards, he might be able to hold his own against this person, or even severely injure him by taking advantage of the terrain and the element of surprise. However, if he wanted to completely capture or kill him, he would have to pay a huge price, and the outcome would be fifty-fifty.

More importantly, the other party is the officially appointed and recorded lord of an island by the Star Palace, making their identity sensitive.

Once killed, the Star Palace will certainly not let it go and will definitely send experts to investigate.

At that time, he will have no peace in this sea area, and may even be forced to abandon his base on Kuixing Island and become a fugitive again.

To subdue the enemy without fighting and frighten away a powerful foe is undoubtedly the best outcome.

Several hours later, the dark clouds over the deserted island finally began to slowly dissipate, like ink receding from the tide, revealing the clear sky behind it.

The rampant spiritual energy of heaven and earth gradually subsided, and the sea breeze became gentle again.

The light of the Reversed Five Elements Array gradually dimmed, maintaining only its most basic concealment function.

"roar--!!!"

A roar, louder, more powerful, and filled with unparalleled strength and catharsis than ever before, suddenly resounded from the formation. The sound waves, like a tangible tsunami, rolled out in all directions, shaking the sea surface and proclaiming the final victory of this arduous transformation, as well as announcing the birth of a powerful king to this world!

The great array of light gradually receded, like a water curtain falling.

The billowing smoke and lingering crimson demonic aura slowly dissipated, revealing a brand-new figure within, resembling an ancient demonic mountain.

The colossal beast, over twenty feet tall, stood proudly on the broken rocky beach. Its dark golden, ferocious scales reflected a cold, hard, and intimidating metallic luster under the newly fallen sunlight. The shadow cast by its massive body seemed to devour even the light.

With each blink of its blood-red eyes, a sharp light shone forth, exuding an aura of power and majesty. A vast, ferocious, ancient, and noble aura, belonging to a level five demon beast, poured out like mercury, filling and suppressing every inch of the desolate island without any concealment, even the sound of the wind seemed to freeze.

"It's done! Great! Excellent!"

Zhou Ding was overjoyed, his fatigue vanished, and he strode forward, his eyes filled with admiration and excitement.

He could clearly sense the vast, condensed, and terrifying demonic power within Xiao Jin's body, as well as the explosive power contained within that body.

This will undoubtedly become a powerful trump card in his hand, capable of changing the course of the battle!

However, just as this immense joy surged into his heart like a tide, before it could fully spread and transform into a smile, Zhou Ding's expression suddenly changed!

"They're here!"

A familiar yet extremely violent warm current erupted suddenly, like a supervolcano that had been dormant for thousands of years.

It was like a galaxy bursting its banks or a celestial river overflowing its banks. It surged and poured into his body without reservation from the mysterious, inseparable, and unbreakable soul contract between him and Xiao Jin, instantly flooding into his limbs, meridians, internal organs, and dantian!

The power of feedback!

The unprecedented and terrifying energy feedback, originating from Xiao Jin's advancement to level five and the true qualitative change in his life level, finally arrived with a thunderous roar at this moment!

"Ugh—!"

Even with Zhou Ding's current pure cultivation at the peak of the early stage of Core Formation, and his resilient and extraordinary physical body refined by the Heaven-Mending Pill, he couldn't help but let out a low, suppressed roar of pain.

This force is too immense, too high in quality, far exceeding the sum of any previous feedback!

In an instant, Zhou Ding felt as if he had been thrown into a furnace of heaven and earth.

That force was like billions of red-hot, barbed needles of law, frantically piercing and churning every inch of his flesh and every cell.

It is like the most violent chaotic lava, surging and crashing in his widening and resilient veins, transforming, tearing, shattering, and then recombining in a more perfect and powerful way.

Furthermore, a vast spiritual torrent and the origin of life, as boundless as the sea of stars and as heavy as Mount Sumeru, fiercely impacted, infused, and refined his consciousness and soul, as if trying to break and reshape his spirit and soul, synchronizing it with that new, more advanced life form.

The immense pain, far exceeding any pain he had ever experienced before, was like an endless black tide that instantly and completely engulfed him.

Zhou Ding's vision went black, his ears rang, and his body began to tremble violently uncontrollably. The veins on his skin bulged like dragons, sometimes cracking and oozing blood, and sometimes healing instantly under the feedback force, becoming even more smooth and resilient.

The bones emitted a dense, crackling sound, like popping beans or the clanging of metal, as if they were being forged through countless hammerings.

From each of the seven orifices, faint golden blood energy carrying a strange fragrance emanated.

He groaned and could no longer stand. He immediately sat down cross-legged, palms facing upwards, clenched his teeth, and his face was slightly contorted with extreme pain.

He dared not be negligent in the slightest and immediately began to fully circulate the cultivation path of the "Azure Origin Sword Technique." The three-colored golden pill in his dantian spun wildly at an unprecedented speed, emitting a strong suction force. At the same time, a wisp of pure pill fire was separated and circulated throughout his body, desperately guiding, taming, absorbing, and refining this wild and unparalleled gift of heaven and earth.

On the surface of his body, blue, gold, and red light shone and merged alternately with unprecedented brightness, as if undergoing another unknown and more profound leap in life.

The energy surged violently, sometimes flickering like a candle in the wind, and sometimes rising steadily like a volcanic eruption, causing the surrounding air to distort and hum due to the intense energy fluctuations.

This feedback, in terms of intensity, quality, and duration, far surpasses that of the past.

A full day passed. As the sun began to set and dyed the sea a golden-red hue, the violent power that had ravaged Zhou Ding's entire body, seemingly trying to completely transform him from the inside out, finally subsided like the receding tide. Like all rivers flowing into the sea, it completely and perfectly merged into the origin of his body, the core of his golden core, and the depths of his soul, disappearing without a trace, leaving only a sense of fulfillment and power, as if he had been reborn.

Zhou Ding slowly opened his eyes, his movements seemingly slow, yet carrying a strange rhythm.

The moment he opened his eyes, his gaze was filled with a divine light, sharp as a divine sword that could cleave the heavens, and deep as an endless sea of stars, as if the sun, moon, and stars were being born and dying within it. After a while, the astonishing phenomenon gradually subsided and returned to calm.

He exhaled a long, drawn-out breath, which condensed and did not dissipate. It flew several feet away before slowly dissipating into the air, faintly carrying the sound of wind and thunder.

Ignoring both mental and physical exhaustion and the slight discomfort after being overly "full," he immediately immersed himself in the task, like the most meticulous craftsman, meticulously examining and scrutinizing the earth-shattering, unrecognizable changes in himself.

First, there is the physical body.

He didn't even need to consciously clench his fist; with just a slight thought, he could clearly feel the terrifying power surging and roaring beneath his skin, in his bones, and in his blood—a power like the awakening of an ancient dragon.

This power is so real, so surging, that it seems as if a slight movement could shake mountains and tear the sky apart.

He casually raised his right hand, gently clenched his five fingers, and made a grasping motion toward a hard, black reef several meters tall beside him.

He was confident that with the strength of his physical body alone, he could now withstand and even crush a level six demonic beast!

At this moment, his physical strength, resilience, recovery ability, and precise control over power have been elevated to a completely new level that even surprises him.

Every inch of his skin was as smooth and lustrous as jade, yet it contained the power to shatter magical treasures; every bone was as white as ivory, yet the sound of striking it was like the clinking of gold and jade; the sound of his blood flowing was faintly like the surging of the Yangtze River.

Secondly, there is the divine consciousness.

With a slight thought, like a king surveying his territory, his vast divine sense spread out silently yet irresistibly, instantly covering his surroundings. Ten miles, fifty miles, one hundred miles, one hundred and twenty miles, one hundred and fifty miles!

In the end, the range of divine sense steadily stopped at a radius of 150 miles!

It has increased by a full fifty miles compared to the previous one hundred miles!

This has already reached the limit of the divine sense of an ordinary early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, and even... it has touched, or even stepped halfway into, the threshold of the mid-stage Nascent Soul!

It should be noted that many cultivators who have just entered the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm and whose realm is not yet fully stable have a spiritual sense range of only about 160 miles.

And yet, at the peak of the early stage of Core Formation, he already possesses such terrifying divine sense!

What does this mean?

This means that in future battles, he will have an unparalleled advantage, keen observation, absolute control over a vast battlefield, and overwhelming advantage over cultivators of the same or even slightly higher level in terms of their spiritual souls!

Many secret techniques and magical treasures that require divine sense to activate will become much more powerful in his hands.

Finally, and most importantly, is lifespan!

He closed his eyes and carefully and attentively sensed the surging, vigorous, and boundless life essence within his body, flowing endlessly and circulating like a vast, inexhaustible galaxy.

Within the dantian, the three-colored golden elixir seemed to have also received indescribable benefits from this feedback. Its size did not change significantly, but its color became purer and more restrained. As the three-colored rays of light flowed, Daoist charm appeared and disappeared. Its connection with the physical body, meridians, and soul reached an unprecedented level of closeness and harmony. Together, the three formed a perfect, powerful, and ever-renewing great cycle of life.

A crystal-clear perception, originating from the very source of life, arises in the mind like a brand, requiring no calculation and arising naturally.

Twelve hundred years!

His lifespan reached an astonishing 1, 200 years, enough to make any Core Formation cultivator madly jealous and even Nascent Soul cultivators take notice!

It has increased by a full three hundred years compared to before!

This has already far exceeded the lifespan limit of one thousand years for a Nascent Soul cultivator!

With his current cultivation level at the early stage of Core Formation, he possesses such a long and almost luxurious lifespan, which is simply a heaven-defying foundation!

What does this mean?

This means he has several times more time than others of his level to solidify the foundation of each realm, accumulate massive resources, learn various supernatural powers and secret techniques, and calmly seek and wait for opportunities to break through to higher realms. His margin for error is greatly increased, and his future path is bright!

The path to immortality seemed to be showing him a glimmer of hope.

"A lifespan of one thousand two hundred years..." Zhou Ding repeated in a low voice, his voice trembling slightly.

This gift is infinitely more precious than any ancient treasure, any elixir, or any cultivation technique!

This is the most solid and widest staircase leading to that vague path to immortality!

He could almost see himself standing at an unprecedented height, looking back on the road he had traveled and gazing ahead.

After a long while, the sea breeze gently caressed his cheeks, which were slightly flushed from excitement, and he slowly calmed down his turbulent emotions from this extreme joy and boundless anticipation for the future.

His gaze fell upon Little Gold, a creature resembling a prehistoric beast, which was not far away, its head lowered, gently nuzzling against him with its enormous, ferocious, yet now incredibly docile and affectionate head.

The dark golden scales gleamed with a warm glow in the setting sun.

Then, he focused his mind, preparing to carefully examine this hardworking and meritorious partner whose fate was closely intertwined with his own.

After overcoming numerous hardships and successfully advancing to level five, what new and exciting abilities and incredible changes have they gained?

This advancement was so extraordinary, and the feedback it brought was so tremendous. The changes in Xiao Jin himself will probably also exceed his expectations.