"Sigh, they're used up so quickly…"

In over three years, Jia Ren had gathered a large amount of Spiritual Medicine from the Blood Demon Sect. Most of it had a medicinal age of around one hundred years. There were also some Three-Hundred-Year Spiritual Medicines, but they made up less than one-twentieth of the total. Not all of these Spiritual Medicines could be used for Alchemy; only a small portion could be used to refine the Ancestral Fish Sage Pill. With an insufficient amount of suitable Three-Hundred-Year Spiritual Medicine, the number of Ancestral Fish Sage Pills that could be refined was affected.

Three-Hundred-Year Spiritual Medicine is not easy to find…

There were no avenues for purchasing such high-level Spiritual Medicines, and few people were willing to part with them. Jia Ren checked the Water Curtain Cave and the Water Mansion Spiritual Field, but the age of suitable Spiritual Medicine was insufficient; none could be used.

Wait another two to three hundred years? By then, the opportunity would be long gone. Most importantly, my lifespan isn't even three hundred years…

Jia Ren had a total of twenty-seven Ancestral Fish Sage Pills, which should be enough to meet the Fathead Fish Demon's advancement needs. The Fathead Fish Demon sidled up. It could smell the delightful scent lingering on Jia Ren and couldn't help but let out soft, pleading WHIMPERS. It shamelessly crowded closer, wanting to beg for food.

Just as Jia Ren was about to feed it the Ancestral Fish Sage Pill, he thought of a potential danger. According to estimates, the Ancestral Fish Sage Pill should satisfy the conditions for the Fathead Fish Demon to advance to the Third Rank. The first concern was whether the Fathead Fish Demon could succeed in its advancement! Advancing from the Qi Refinement Realm to the Foundation Establishment Stage had an extremely low success rate, just as it was from Foundation Establishment Stage to the Golden Core Stage. The further one advanced, the more difficult the breakthrough became. Unlike breaking through minor Realms, which was safe, major Realm breakthroughs not only caused quite a stir but also held the risk of advancement failure and death.

Upstream of the Poisonous Miasma Lake, there lurked a Third-Order Turtle Demon that usually remained silent, no different from being dead. But it's not really dead! Would it remain indifferent once a Third-Order Monster Beast is born? Moreover, the presence of several powerful Foundation Establishment Cultivators had been detected in the Blood Demon Sect's territory. If the Fathead Fish Demon advanced now, it would attract their attention as well. The timing and location were unsuitable; it was not an opportune moment. A breakthrough would require finding a safer location to avoid accidents. Additionally, it would be best to help the Fathead Fish Demon gather a few auxiliary treasures to increase the likelihood of a breakthrough.

"Here you go!"

After hesitating for a moment, Jia Ren decided to feed it several ordinary Fish Saint Pills instead. The Fathead Fish Demon looked doubtful with an almost human skepticism in its eyes, feeling that the taste was different from the scent it had smelled. The Fish Saint Pill was an unimaginably supreme Elixir. The Fathead Fish Demon, having never tasted the Ancestral Fish Sage Pill, didn't know what it was missing and looked content.

Before assisting the Fathead Fish Demon with its breakthrough, Jia Ren decided to first forge a spatial-type Magic Artifact. If the Fathead Fish Demon encountered problems during its advancement to the Third Rank, he would be able to carry it and flee in time.

In the following days, Jia Ren focused all his efforts on replicating the River Mountain Bag to increase his Proficiency Level. The replicated River Mountain Bags mainly used Dark Gold Silk and Soul-Devouring Spider Silk as primary materials and were inscribed with Inscriptions derived from three types of Ancient Inscriptions, paired with special Inscriptions from the original River Mountain Bag, Storage Bags, and Spirit Beast Bags. As his Proficiency Level increased, the Inscriptions were continually optimized and combined, gradually approaching perfection.

Break the limit!

Grandmaster Level!

After years of effort, his Proficiency Level finally reached the peak of Grandmaster Level and broke through in one fell swoop. After reaching Grandmaster Level, his understanding of the River Mountain Bag ascended to a new height. The student surpasses the master.

Let's begin!

Instead of continuing to replicate the River Mountain Bag, Jia Ren took out a flawless, round pearl. It was a superior material obtained from his first trade with the Fathead Fish Demon, far more suitable than the Dark Gold Silk and Soul-Devouring Spider Silk. The new spatial Magic Artifact he was crafting was named the Mountain and River Pearl! Replicating the River Mountain Bag was to increase skill Proficiency, as he feared wasting the only rare materials he possessed. The Mountain and River Pearl was the treasure Jia Ren sought after with great effort.

Years of effort, and today is the day to see the results.

The Extraordinary Saint Level Flame Control Pill Technique operated, precisely using every bit of fire to refine the Void Profound Stone, without damaging the materials. Thousand Mountains Stone, Dark Spirit Treasured Jade… Many materials had been collected over the years or obtained through the Blood Demon Sect, all prepared and ready. The last was the precious flawless pearl, the core of the Mountain and River Pearl. Several refined materials merged, with the flawless pearl as the base, gradually fusing into one. The White Jade Pearl was crystal clear, with numerous ancient patterns emerging on its surface.

Days passed. Half a month later, Jia Ren finally emerged from seclusion. He held in his hand a White Jade Pearl with mountain and river patterns, unable to suppress the smile on his face.

Years of hard work have finally paid off!

Supreme Grade Magic Artifact! The Mountain and River Pearl! This treasure was not a common attack or Defense Artifact and had no combat abilities. It was sought purely for its storage capabilities, aimed at maximizing its spatial capacity. A rare, space-focused Magic Artifact. The Hundred Directions Storage Bag commonly found in the outside world was already considered the limit; larger Storage Bags had never been seen. Forged with Jia Ren's painstaking efforts, the Mountain and River Pearl he crafted would not have such a small amount of space. To put it accurately, even the replicated River Mountain Bags he crafted had more than one hundred cubic meters of space. This was even truer for the Mountain and River Pearl, into which he had poured his heart's blood and used the Void Profound Stone. Its internal space totaled 35,937 cubic meters. This was the limit of the materials, impossible to increase by even a fraction. The internal space was stable and possessed characteristics similar to a Spirit Beast Bag, capable of holding living creatures. Illusory mountains and rivers had condensed within the Mountain and River Pearl, allowing Spirit Fish and Spirit Beasts to roam and grow inside without worry. From then on, Spirit Fish could be carried around, which was convenient for escaping.

The space is still not enough...

The space within the Mountain and River Pearl was astonishing for Cultivators. A Hundred Directions Storage Bag was rare, let alone the Mountain and River Pearl, whose space was nearly 36,000 cubic meters. Growing a large amount of Spiritual Medicine inside the space and carrying it all the time seemed like a pipe dream.

People really do become more greedy. I was clearly satisfied with being able to hold the Fathead Fish Demon and many Spirit Fish, yet now I'm thinking about farming on the go.

The space required to plant a Spirit Field was too large; likely only a specially crafted Magical Treasure would suffice. Magical Treasures were exclusive to Golden Core Cultivators. The materials required were more than ten times those needed for crafting the Mountain and River Pearl, making it impossible to craft one in the short term.

"Xiao Ying! Come to your new home!"

Jia Ren communicated with the Fathead Fish Demon through his thoughts, summoning it before him. With a thought, the unresisting Fathead Fish Demon vanished from sight. The rounded space gradually changed, with rivers and streams appearing, making it more suitable for the Fathead Fish Demon. Storing the Fathead Fish Demon was not a problem; it could roam freely within the space of the Mountain and River Pearl.

"Not bad!"

Jia Ren could feel the Fathead Fish Demon's delight; it was very satisfied with its new home. Compared to the previously used River Mountain Bag, the Mountain and River Pearl was undoubtedly much more comfortable. He then released the Fathead Fish Demon, which was overjoyed.

Next was to assist the Fathead Fish Demon in breaking through to the Golden Core Stage. Jia Ren knew of few treasures that aided in breakthroughs. So far, he only knew of the Bright Spirit Heart Milk, which helped overcome the Heart Demon, and the most famous one, the Golden Core Formation Pill. The Golden Core Formation Pill is like the Foundation Establishment Pill for transitioning from the Qi Refinement Realm to the Foundation Establishment Stage, likewise increasing the success rate of forming a Golden Core. The Foundation Establishment Pill is extremely precious and rare, to say nothing of the Golden Core Formation Pill. The Five Elements Sect probably didn't even have this treasure; otherwise, it wouldn't have failed to produce a single Golden Core Cultivator for so many years. Relying solely on the Ancestral Fish Sage Pill, the success rate of the Fathead Fish Demon's breakthrough was unpredictable. A failed attempt at breaking through the Third Rank would result in a significant chance of death on the spot.

Not only would I fail to gain a powerful ally, but I would also lose a key subordinate.

It's a pity there's no Golden Core secret record; otherwise, I could have avoided many detours. Jia Ren recalled the Minor Foundation Establishment Explanation he had once obtained from Fang Zhenchuan, which enlightened him about the Foundation Establishment Life-and-Death Three Passes, saving him many detours. Unfortunately, the chance of obtaining a similar record for Golden Core formation seems slim. He didn't just want the Golden Core secret record for the Fathead Fish Demon but also for himself. After the Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage comes the Foundation Establishment Late Stage. I'm getting ever closer to the Golden Core; preparations must be made in advance. The most hopeful sources would be the Five Elements Sect, the Heavenly Sword Sect, and also the newly arrived forces from the Western Wasteland Domain: the Cold Moon Palace and the Thousand Illusion Sect. The Yuding Sect had fallen, the status of the Black Soul Sect and Thousand Beasts Mountain was unknown, and the Blood Demon Sect might also possess one. Whichever Sect it is, acquiring it won't be easy. Any information related to breaking through to the Golden Core Stage would undoubtedly be tightly sealed, inaccessible to anyone outside the core disciples.

I almost forgot! Jia Ren suddenly remembered... Cang Hai True Man, who was the former owner of the Fathead Fish Demon. Cang Hai True Man had once attempted to reach the Golden Core Stage but failed. He should still retain some information about the Golden Core. Thinking of this, Jia Ren hurriedly summoned the Fathead Fish Demon from the Mountain and River Pearl.

'My former master told me that reaching the Golden Core is not easy; ninety percent of Cultivators fail to condense the liquid into a core.'

'This was the stage where he was stuck, unable to break through. After condensing the liquid into a core, there will be an internal Fire Tribulation. The Fire Tribulation refines the true core, and Cultivators who fail to pass the Fire Tribulation after the core is formed, will perish along with their Dao.'

'The last part is the Heart Demon Tribulation, which is even more powerful than the Heart Demon Tribulation of the Foundation Establishment Stage...'

'My former master did not record the information but passed it to me verbally, and instructed me, if the next master treats me badly, not to tell him!'

You crafty fish, still hiding things? After all the bait I've fed you, is this how you repay me?!

'Master, your strength is still far from forming a Golden Core. I just hadn't found the right time to inform you.' The Fathead Fish Demon gazed with pitiful eyes, indicating it wasn't deliberately concealing information but rather waiting for the right moment. It still wanted to rely on its master for food in the future, so it didn't dare to offend him.

'I also have a Seven Revolutions Mysterious Primordial Secret Technique left by my former master, which can only be practiced after reaching the Foundation Establishment Late Stage and allows the condensation of Spiritual Power seven times over, making it easier to form a Golden Core.'

Merely making it easier to form a Golden Core doesn't guarantee success. Otherwise, Cang Hai True Man wouldn't have been stuck at the stage of condensing the Golden Core. To stumble upon such a treasure trove of information after searching high and low! Cang Hai True Man's experiences regarding Golden Core formation held significant reference value and could teach valuable lessons, allowing him to avoid many pitfalls. The Seven Revolutions Mysterious Primordial Secret Technique, as relayed by the Fathead Fish Demon, was now firmly engraved in Jia Ren's mind.

"Is there anything else you are hiding?" Jia Ren stared at the Fathead Fish Demon with an unfriendly gaze.

The Fathead Fish Demon looked guilty, shaking its head like a rattle-drum.

'No more, that's truly all.'

Jia Ren felt a bit disappointed; he had hoped Cang Hai True Man's legacy would be even more bountiful.

"Do you want to break through and become a Third-Order Great Demon?"

The Fathead Fish Demon widened its eyes, looking incredulously at its master. Break through to the Third Rank?

"I have several Elixirs that might assist you in reaching the Third Rank. There's a good chance you could break through if you take them."

"Are you ready?"

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