A moment later, Yuan Ming landed eagerly on another island.

His eyes brimmed with threads of blood, a consequence of the demonic influence that eroded him while he controlled the White Ape through the possession of the soul crow.

As the White Ape's strength surged, so did the evil energy within its body become increasingly dense. Using the soul crow to manipulate it placed a burden on his own Divine Soul, which would have grown severalfold had it not been for his Moonlight Technique reaching the third layer—without it, he couldn't have lasted until now.

Yuan Ming quickly found a secluded spot on the island to sit down, where he used the Four Directions Sealing Spirit Talisman to set up a barrier and then began to sit cross-legged on the ground, closing his eyes to circulate the Moonlight Technique.

No sooner had he sat down when he felt a sensation of the world spinning, his entire body unbearably hot. Yet the continuous flow of warmth from the Stealing Heaven Tripod mark on his arm kept the last bit of clarity in his mind.

"Uh... Ah!"

With a bite of his tongue tip, Yuan Ming let out a low growl he purposely suppressed, filled with a bloodthirsty ferocity, yet finally regained some control over his body.

He hurriedly circulated the Moonlight Technique throughout his body, and soon his Divine Sense cleared up.

After a quarter of an hour, aided by the combined power of the Moonlight Technique and the Stealing Heaven Tripod, he managed to rid his mind of all the malevolent thoughts that filled it.

Yuan Ming let out a heavy sigh of relief, opened his eyes, and lightly brushed away the sweat on his forehead.

At this moment, he further realized why Soul Cultivation was so unwelcome in the Cultivation World.

Soul Cultivation was exceedingly perilous, both in its practice and when casting spells, deterring most people. Yet, because of the formidable power of Soul Cultivation Methods, there were always those unafraid of death who pressed on with the practice. Eventually, the few who succeeded could nearly sweep across their rank, even beyond.

Naturally, this was a situation most people didn't want to see.

Chen Cangqiong, the Great Elder of Biluo Cave, wouldn't need to resort to immoral acts. As long as there was a chance for his cultivation to break through the late-stage Core Formation, Dawn—or rather, the powers behind it—probably would find other reasons to swiftly dispose of him.

It seemed he would need to be more cautious in his actions from now on, especially once he returned to the Central Plains. It would be best not to reveal his identity as a Soul Cultivator in front of others.

He composed himself, took out the carcass of the Vortex Beast, and began to probe its interior with his Divine Sense.

Both his soul crows and the Black Needle Magical Artifact were inside the creature, and he had yet to extract them, which was truly strange.

Yuan Ming carefully explored the Vortex Beast's carcass with his Divine Sense, finding nothing until his Divine Sense swept through its stomach, which made him raise an eyebrow.

It seemed as though a special power within the pitch-black stomach of the Vortex Beast was blocking his Divine Sense. Could the Black Needle Magical Artifact and the soul crows be inside?

According to the Sea Beast Manual, though many parts of the Vortex Beast's body were valuable spiritual materials, the stomach wasn't included.

Yuan Ming took out the Cold Star Sword, carefully cut out the stomach, and removed it.

As soon as the stomach was separated from the body of the Vortex Beast, the special power inside began to leak out. Yuan Ming distinctly sensed the aura of the Black Needle and the soul crows within the stomach.

He carefully cut open the stomach, and out flew the Black Needle and the two soul crows.

Yuan Ming put away the Black Needle and soul crows and continued to cut open the stomach, soon splitting it completely.

A silver token quietly laid inside, engraved with strange patterns, which was the source of that special power.

When Yuan Ming tried to check it with his Divine Sense, he found it was impossible to get close to the token; an invisible force bounced his Divine Sense away from it within about a foot's distance.

He pondered for a moment and then cast the Exorcism Technique; the silver token floated up without any abnormalities.

Yuan Ming then wrapped a stream of Mana around the silver token. The token still showed no unusual reactions, so he felt safe to pick it up.

The silver token was cool to the touch and smooth, as if it were entirely carved from a piece of Cold Jade.

When he circulated his Mana into it, the surface of the token emitted a faint silver glow, with no other abnormalities.

Yuan Ming was not convinced and continued to turn it over, trying to investigate, but unfortunately still had no clue.

He thought of something and picked up the Vortex Beast's stomach again, only to find that it now showed no signs of anomaly and was no different from usual internal organs.

Yuan Ming's gaze shifted, and he placed the token back into the stomach. The stomach displayed no changes.

He let out a wry smile, not understanding the reason and deciding not to bother any longer. He was about to place the token into his Storage Ring.

The moment his palm touched the Vortex Beast's stomach, it was covered in mucus. The silver token, also slippery, slid down from his fingertips and fell to the ground.

Once the token touched the ground, the surface suddenly burst out with a liquid-like silver light that rapidly spread across the ground, quickly reaching the Barrier formed by the Four Directions Sealing Spirit Talisman.

In just a few breaths, the ground and the Barrier were enveloped in a layer of silver light. Yuan Ming's Divine Sense could not penetrate the Barrier to sense what was outside; inside and outside seemed to be completely isolated.

With a surprised expression, he looked at his surroundings and picked up the token from the ground.

As soon as it left the ground, the silver light on the Barrier quickly dissipated, and the Divine Sense could extend inside and out with ease.

Yuan Ming realized something; he took out a wooden box, threw the token inside, and closed the lid. An invisible force immediately shrouded the box's interior, making it impervious to his Divine Sense.

Upon opening the box's lid, everything returned to normal.

Yuan Ming revealed a faint smile at the corner of his mouth, as expected, the token would emit a silver light and seal any enclosed space the moment it touched any side of it, as long as it was in a confined space.

Although he did not know why this was so, this silver token was clearly a peculiar and rare treasure. If used well, it could bring about wondrous effects.

The Vortex Beast somehow found this token and swallowed it, which then gave it the ability to devour magic artifacts.

Yuan Ming stored the token carefully and also collected the corpse of the Vortex Beast, then summoned the Green Cloud Crane and flew towards Ning City.

His mood was different from the anxiousness he felt on his way here. Now that his objective was achieved, he was in no rush, allowing the Green Cloud Crane to gallop freely above the sea surface.

Standing against the wind, gazing at the vast sea and rolling waves around him, feeling the sea breeze against his cheeks and the bright sun on his face, he suddenly felt his chest broaden as if all the trials and tribulations he had undergone seemed so insignificant in front of the vast sea, as if they didn't matter at all.

At the same time, a surge of heroic spirit arose in his heart. One day, he had resolved to master that legendary Great Divine Power that could move mountains and fill seas, to travel across thousands of miles of land as unknown as the sea, to truly see the original face of this world.

The "White Horse Youthful Dream" of his childhood had settled deep in the memories he could no longer return to. The martial arts world was no longer the same, and now, having emerged anew from his cocoon, he would start venturing through the world that belonged to him.

"A laugh spans the sea, past dreams drift far, unaware of the myriad miles of mountains and rivers, how many dawns have passed this evening? I practice Soul Cultivation against heaven's will, fearing not the world's censure, what do Immortals fear? I'll steal the heavens and embrace the Ming Yue, all shackles shall turn to mist!"

Riding the green cloud, wielding the Cold Star, the needle leaves no shadow. Where did the past go? No one joins me in my drunken song.

The homeland is thousands of miles away, the longing intense as an arrow's flight, people's hearts as deep as the sea. With a broad and righteous spirit, I roam the world freely!"

Yuan Ming took out a jug of wine, tipped back his head to drink a big gulp, and began to sing a ballad, spontaneously expressing the sentiments of his heart.

A man and a crane, in the midst of the monochromatic sea and sky, journeyed farther and farther away.

...

Half a day later.

Yuan Ming returned to Ning City and did not immediately go to find Immortal Xuanhua. Going back and forth a hundred miles and slaying a Level 2 Peak Fierce Beast within such a short time was too shocking, and it would probably scare Immortal Xuanhua and the others.

Yuan Ming found an inn to rest for the night, and early the next morning, he casually stepped into Xuanhua Temple.

"Fellow Daoist Yuan, did you encounter problems while hunting the beast? It's alright if you did, the Vortex Beast is as strong as a Half-step Core Formation Cultivator and is not easy to handle," Immortal Xuanhua said upon seeing Yuan Ming returning so early. He had a sinking feeling, but his face showed indifference.

Yuan Ming said nothing, taking out a Storage Bag and handing it over.

Immortal Xuanhua was taken aback, accepted the Storage Bag and sent his Divine Sense into it.

His eyes immediately widened, his mouth half-opened with an expression of disbelief, which then turned into ecstasy. It took a while before he managed to calm himself down.

"Fellow Daoist Yuan, you and your friends are truly remarkable, to have slain the Vortex Beast so quickly! With this beast, Xuanhua Temple can avoid this disaster, thank you!" Immortal Xuanhua deeply bowed to Yuan Ming.

"There's no need for such formalities, Fellow Daoist Xuan Hua. I did it for the Foundation Establishment Spirit Incense," Yuan Ming returned the bow.

"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Yuan, if I get the Heavenly Glue, I will do my utmost to refine the Foundation Establishment Spirit Incense as a token of gratitude," Immortal Xuanhua solemnly said.

Just then, a series of rushed footsteps came from outside, and a Xuanhua Temple disciple ran in, his face full of panic.

"Master, it's bad news. A group of people has barged in, blocking our gate!"

"It seems Elder Bai Lin has arrived. That man truly is impatient. I have no wish to meet with him; I'll leave everything to Fellow Daoist Xuan Hua to handle," Yuan Ming said, and stepped into the inner chamber.

"Don't panic, let them in," Immortal Xuanhua turned around and calmly said.

"Hehe, Temple Master Xuanhua has come to his senses? You should have done so earlier; hand over the Incense Making Secret Manual, and we can all end this nicely," the Xuanhua Temple disciple had not yet spoken when a group of people walked in with big strides, led by Bai Lin.

Next to Bai Lin was a blue-robed man, walking shoulder to shoulder with him; by his bearing, he too was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

"The Blue Lizard Daoist is also here. I'm afraid you will be disappointed," Immortal Xuanhua's gaze fell on the blue-robed man as he calmly shook his head.

"I've long told you that Old Daoist Xuanhua is stubborn and unchanged; why waste time with him?" the Blue Lizard Wanderer casually sat down on a nearby chair and said.

"So it seems, Temple Master Xuanhua, that you intend to persist in your folly? If that's the case, don't blame Bai for not showing mercy!" Bai Lin said with a dark expression, raising his hand.

His accompanying Cultivators slowly surrounded them, and around Xuanhua Temple strands of white light appeared, quickly condensing into a white light barrier that enveloped the entire temple.

"Elder Bai Lin, there's no need to hurry. Take a look at this first," Immortal Xuanhua's expression changed slightly as he threw over the Storage Bag.

Bai Lin caught it and instinctively scanned it with his Divine Sense, then froze on the spot, his reaction mirroring Immortal Xuanhua's from earlier.

"What happened?" the Blue Lizard Wanderer, unable to help himself, asked.

"How could Xuanhua Temple possibly have slain this Fierce Beast!" Bai Lin ignored the Blue Lizard Wanderer, turning to ask Immortal Xuanhua.

"Our temple has been assisted by a venerable expert," Immortal Xuanhua proudly said.

"A venerable expert? Could it be that friend in the back chamber? Why not meet in person, and we can all make a friend," Bai Lin looked at the inner chamber and raised his voice.

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