How could a Liu-surnamed Foundation Establishment Cultivator possess an Evil-Sealing Artifact? He used a Supreme Grade Evil-Sealing Artifact to seal a Bizarre Demon? Impossible! He doesn't have enough strength... Sealing a Bizarre Demon isn't a simple matter; it's not possible to seal one just by carrying an Evil-Sealing Artifact. First, one must possess strength far surpassing that of the Bizarre Demon to defeat it. That Liu-surnamed Foundation Establishment Cultivator couldn't possibly do it alone. Did this object come from the Yuding Sect?

Jia Ren remembered the Bizarre Formation he had seen not long ago; it hadn't originated from the Yuding Sect.

It's probably something he stole. Who knows what he's planning? This thing must not remain here! Nor can the Bizarre Demon be released.

Jia Ren checked if there were any issues with the Evil-Sealing Artifact and indeed discovered an extremely concealed tracking restriction in an inconspicuous place.

Should I rashly take this object? The Liu-surnamed Foundation Establishment could use this to find me. Should I use this object as bait to lure someone to the Surging River? Have the Fathead Fish Demon strike and kill them?

Jia Ren, having witnessed the Bizarre Formation, knew there was a powerful force behind the Liu-surnamed Foundation Establishment.

What if it lures a powerful individual from that unknown force here? If a Golden Core powerhouse intervenes, both I and the Fathead Fish Demon will be on our knees. Act low-key.

He broke the tracking restriction with the Ban-breaking Finger. He carefully confirmed no hidden dangers or traces remained that could lead others to him before finally taking the Evil-Sealing Artifact and leaving.

He smoothly returned to the Water Mansion, where Jia Ren retracted his Insect External Incarnation and examined his newly acquired object.

His first focus was on the Evil-Sealing Artifact. I can't confirm what kind of Bizarre Demon is sealed within. The Inscriptions on the Evil-Sealing Artifact are still intact, so there's no possibility of the Bizarre Demon escaping. Not to mention the value of the concealed Bizarre Demon, the Evil-Sealing Artifact itself is of no small value. Could it be replicated?

It would be extremely difficult for others to replicate, but for Jia Ren, it would just take more time.

If I could master a method of sealing Bizarre Demons, the threat from relatively weaker ones would be greatly reduced.

This was not something that could be accomplished in a short time, so he put it aside for now.

What exactly is the identity of the Liu-surnamed Foundation Establishment? Why was he hiding in the Yuding Sect? What was his purpose? From which power did the Bizarre Formation originate? What was the purpose of taking away the artifact that sealed the Bizarre Demon?

Various thoughts swirled, and he couldn't form a clear picture. Such questions couldn't be asked directly; the answers might be found in mortal books.

Jia Ren spent time cleaning the books, checking each one for hidden seals or messages. After organizing them, he ended up with nothing. Unfortunately, without the corresponding methods to decipher them, searching was exhausting and taxing. With this time, Jia Ren could have enhanced the Proficiency Levels of several Spells. It wasn't worth wasting time.

I hate riddle-mongers the most; they're not forthright at all.

He temporarily set aside the books and dispatched several Spirit Insects to hide silently near the courtyard of the Liu-surnamed Foundation Establishment, keeping a close watch.

The Liu-surnamed Foundation Establishment had been absent for a considerable time. An entire month passed without his return; he seemed to have long forgotten this place.

Jia Ren focused his efforts on raising the Proficiency Level of his Insect External Incarnation and several secret techniques. At other times, he cultivated, studied Ancient Inscriptions, and imitated and learned the Inscriptions of the Evil-Sealing Artifact.

The Proficiency Level of the Insect External Incarnation is rising quickly, reaching Master Level.

With the Insect External Incarnation at Master Level, its control range changed drastically, extending over thirty miles at maximum. Its control strength improved significantly, and many issues were optimized.

Jia Ren had a premonition: Only at the Grandmaster Level and Great Grandmaster Level will it truly undergo a qualitative transformation. The current control distance barely allows me to send the Insect External Incarnation to Jade Cauldron Market to check things out.

The Insect External Incarnation made remarkable progress, while the Xuan Yuan Heavy Water and Xuan Shui Escape advanced slowly. The Six Xuan Yuan Heavy Water was still far in the future, and the Xuan Shui Escape was still at Proficiency Level.

Two Ancient Inscriptions were simplified into new versions. He had started refining them but needed more time to produce finished Magic Artifacts. Replicating the Supreme Grade Evil-Sealing Artifact was progressing slowly; it was not something that could be completed in a short time.

I've accumulated quite a few Breakthrough Points; it's time to consider breaking through an Extraordinary Saint Level spell.

There were many Spells to choose from: Spirit Eye Technique, Metal Finger Technique, Turtle Prime Spirit Armor, Thousand Fantasies Face, Spirit Attracting Bait...

Combat-related Spells are unnecessary. I plan to stay safely within the River Palace, protected by the Fathead Fish Demon, without venturing outside. The collection of materials can be left to the Insect External Incarnation. Improving auxiliary combat secret techniques won't enhance the Insect External Incarnation's combat strength, so I'll disregard them for the moment. It makes more sense to improve production-related Spells like Alchemy, Artifact Refining...

Among the elixirs were the Spirit Enhancement Pill, Profound Water Pill, Spirit Nourishing Pill, Spirit Attracting Bait, and Ancestral Worm Pill.

It's uncertain if breaking through the Spirit Enhancement Pill would be beneficial for Foundation Establishment Cultivators. If it failed, it would be a waste. Given that the Surging River is the most suitable place for my development, Spirit Attracting Bait is the best option. A constant supply of Ancestral Return Spirit Fish at my disposal... Break through the Spirit Attracting Bait then!

As the first money-making skill he acquired, the Bait Tempting Technique had nearly been abandoned by him. The Spirit Attracting Bait allowed his Body Refinement to improve and provided security for the development of the Fathead Fish Demon and the Water Mansion. He would rely on the Spirit Attracting Bait for a long time to come. It was his highest priority for a breakthrough.

Break through!

The recently accumulated Skill Breaking Points were exhausted, and the panel corresponding to the Spirit Attracting Bait became blurry. Moments later, a flood of memories surged into his mind. A brand new bait formula was born, its effect far more powerful than before.

Using Earth Dragon Worms, reverted by the Ancestral Worm Pill, as the main ingredient? It truly is a formula tailored for me...

Jia Ren looked at the main medicinal ingredients, both familiar and strange, his expression odd. In addition to fish farming, he now had to start farming Earth Dragon Worms. As the required age of the medicinal materials increased and many ingredients were substituted, the difficulty of gathering them soared. The Extraordinary Saint Level Spirit Attracting Bait was vastly different from its original version, far more powerful than its predecessor.

Might as well rename it Fish Saint Pill!

The option for Spirit Attracting Bait disappeared, replaced by Fish Saint Pill.

First, I need to refine more Spirit Attracting Bait.

His supply of Spirit Attracting Bait was depleted and needed replenishment. Jia Ren entered the Alchemy Room. After four hours, the scarce bait materials were exhausted, yielding a total of two thousand one hundred twenty-three pills.

"You go and gather new materials," Jia Ren instructed his incarnation. From this point onwards, the Extraordinary Saint Level Fish Saint Pill could completely replace the Spirit Attracting Bait.

Earth Dragon Worms are easy to find; a small amount of Spirit Rice is planted in town, so searching for them won't be difficult. All this time, the Earth Dragon Worms I acquired were mostly bought from the town. The only change is that instead of using the collected Earth Dragon Worms directly, I'll now feed them Ancestral Return Pills and use the reverted Spirit Insects. Other medicinal ingredients... If the ingredients for Spirit Attracting Bait are already unattainable, then those for the Fish Saint Pill will be even harder to find. The only option is to search outside, leaving it to my incarnation to take action.

The Earth Dragon Worms were the simplest to obtain. There were always cultivators in town willing to cooperate, and in no time, he purchased several dozen. Jia Ren, with the freshly acquired Earth Dragon Worms, could hardly wait to feed them the Ancestral Worm Pill to aid their reversion. He then tossed them into the backyard to raise them, awaiting their ancestral return. The backyard was different from a month ago; luxuriant young sprouts of Spiritual Medicines were now visible everywhere.

He cast the Spring Breeze Turns to Rain Technique. A peculiar energy within the light rain permeated the field, accelerating the growth of the Spiritual Medicines.

Having done everything, Jia Ren returned to the Cultivation Room to meditate and cultivate. He worked on simplifying Inscriptions and refining Magic Artifacts, occasionally switching his perspective to his Insect External Incarnation.

There weren't many cultivation resources in town. Not only were the materials for Spirit Attracting Bait depleted, but also those for Artifact Refining, Formations, and much of the Spirit Ink for Talismans; little remained of these. To undergo secluded, arduous cultivation at ease, a sufficient logistical supply was essential. Better to rely on oneself than others. Jia Ren planned to expand the Water Mansion, adding over ten acres of Spirit Field, to become self-sufficient to a certain extent. Next, he would send his Insect External Incarnation to collect materials and replenish Spiritual Medicine seeds.

The first destination was Jade Cauldron Market. He was unclear about the current situation. Two months had passed since he left Jade Cauldron Market, and the danger should have lessened. The Insect External Incarnation reverted to the form of a Sonic-Thief Mosquito King, relying on its mosquito wings to fly, reducing the consumption of infused Spiritual Power.

Spirit Insects differed from cultivators. Some Demonic Insects possessed demonic power, akin to Magical Beasts, and could cast demonic techniques. A rare exception was the Spirit Insects Jia Ren created using the Ancestral Worm Pill. Their strength didn't come from absorbing Spiritual Power or the essences of the sun and moon but was the result of bloodline reversion. The majority of their power came from their bloodline, much like the extinct Ancient Spirit Insects. They utilized innate Spells, and the bloodline power they consumed could be recovered through feeding and rest. This maximized the reduction of energy consumption by the Insect External Incarnation.

Thirty-odd miles was not a great distance for the Exotic Black Mosquito. Although not as fast as his original body, it could arrive in just over half an hour.

From a distance, he saw an area of blackened ruins. The ground was littered with a large number of bones and rotting corpses, where many carrion-eating Magical Beasts and animals had gathered to feast. Not a single cultivator was in sight, their whereabouts unknown. He searched the Market incessantly for any overlooked items, but the outcome was disappointing. After two months, this place had likely been visited countless times by surviving Loose Cultivators; anything of value was long gone.

The Insect External Incarnation activated its Spirit Eye Technique, searching all around. The Grandmaster Level Spirit Eye Technique couldn't compare to the Pupil Skills and secret techniques of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, but it was far superior to that of ordinary Loose Cultivators. It continued the search, gathering suspicious items. The protective glows of broken Formations were all but extinguished, and occasionally, he spotted numerous Magic Artifact fragments. The ground was scattered with many dismembered corpses, silently conveying the brutality of the battle. Thousands of Loose Cultivators were buried here forever, their bodies unclaimed and exposed to the wilderness. Jia Ren considered burning the corpses but hesitated for a moment before abandoning the idea to avoid wasting Spiritual Power.

Thoroughly scavenged!

Having inspected the area without success, the Insect External Incarnation was about to leave to search for other Markets that might exist nearby. If no Market was found within thirty-some miles of the Surging River, he'd have to venture into deep forests and old mountains to find possible Magical Beasts and Spiritual Medicines.

Just as the Insect External Incarnation was searching, Jia Ren's spiritual sense was faintly triggered; a Spirit Insect sent a warning. The warning wasn't from the Insect External Incarnation at Jade Cauldron Market, but from a Spirit Insect he had left to monitor the residence of the Liu-surnamed Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

A month had passed, and the Liu-surnamed Foundation Establishment Cultivator had not returned.

A cultivator, suspected of being at Foundation Establishment, stood in front of the small courtyard, took out a Token, and confidently entered. The anticipated Formation did not react, causing the visitor's expression to change drastically. He rushed into the courtyard, heading straight for the location where the Evil-Sealing Artifact had been buried. Only a pit remained, empty inside; the Evil-Sealing Artifact was gone without a trace.

"Who did this?!"

A terrifying aura surged to the heavens; the visitor was incandescent with rage.

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