The final step in refining a Magic Treasure is to claim ownership with Essence Blood immediately after the Enriching process is completed and then absorb it into the body, where it is nurtured continuously with Pill Fire, allowing the runes on it to gradually connect cohesively, forming a rune formation.

This step is crucial, if it isn't absorbed into the body without delay, the newly Enriched runes would begin to lose their effectiveness one by one, until it reverts to the state of a top-grade magical tool with only four runes.

After several days of nurturing the Magic Treasure inside the body, the rune formation will become fully established. From then on, there is no worry of regression, and the cultivator can take it out for use.

Yuan Ming sat cross-legged on the Lotus Platform, with his eyes closed and looking inward, only to see that the five runes on the Soul Destroying Sword, enveloped by Pill Fire, were operating smoothly without any conflict among them.

He realized he had bet correctly this time!

The "Curse" rune was also a yin attribute rune, matching the other runes on the Soul Destroying Sword.

Despite several twists and turns, Yuan Ming finally succeeded in upgrading the Soul Destroying Sword to a Magic Treasure. With this thought in his mind, Yuan Ming, sitting on the Lotus Platform, felt all the exhaustion of recent days swept away and could no longer contain his excitement. He couldn't help but burst into loud laughter.

...

Several days later, Spirit Tea Tower.

This tower was located in the Upper City District of Spirit Wind City, and it was a tea house built by the Spirit Talisman Sect specifically for Core Formation Cultivators, divided into three layers, each with a different purpose.

The first layer was a spacious hall where the Spirit Talisman Sect had set up numerous counters; some were responsible for accepting tasks, some for selling elixirs, and others were in charge of recording and exchanging points for Guest Elders.

Although most things here were related to the identity of the Spirit Talisman Sect's Guest Elders, the Spirit Talisman Sect didn't mind loose Core Formation Cultivators using their facilities either.

Especially the tasks posted for the Core Formation Stage, apart from some that required the status of a Guest Elder, others could also be accepted by loose cultivators.

Of course, if a loose cultivator undertook the task, the final reward would be less than what a Guest Elder would receive, and there would be no additional reward of talisman points.

The second layer of Spirit Tea Tower was a tea room provided for Core Formation Cultivators to relax and socialize. The interior was decorated luxuriously, with special Moonlight Stones embedded in the walls and ceiling, which emitted a soft yet not glaring light. Regardless of the light outside, this place was always bright.

All kinds of Spiritual Tea and Spirit Incense were available for Core Formation Cultivators to use freely, much like they didn't cost anything. There were also many disciples of the Spirit Talisman Sect serving as attendants here, each proficient in music, chess, poetry, and painting. Aside from questions about cultivation, whatever the Core Formation seniors asked, they could reply with relevant knowledge.

It's fair to say that the Spirit Talisman Sect had truly put in great efforts in winning people over.

The third layer of Spirit Tea Tower was a small trading hall where a trading meeting among Core Formation Cultivators would take place periodically. The scale was not large, but the items brought out were non-ordinary.

Over the years, Yuan Ming often frequented this place. Now that he was returning, he felt like he knew the ropes. As soon as he stepped onto the second floor, he noticed several familiar Core Formation Cultivators who were already seated inside, talking and laughing.

As he approached, a tall and thin male cultivator with slender limbs and a faint stubble on his face talked eloquently about his experience of stumbling into a Secret Realm. Upon seeing Yuan Ming coming, he nodded slightly in greeting and continued his story.

This man was named Feng Qi, a Loose Cultivator from Zhao Country who joined the Spirit Talisman Sect as a Guest Elder after reaching Core Formation. He was very eloquent and somewhat overly familiar, often attending cultivator gatherings in the Spirit Tea Tower, and had a good relationship with Yuan Ming, having introduced him to many Fellow Daoists.

"Long time no see," Yuan Ming said as he took a seat and heard a male cultivator with an odd accent speaking from the side. Looking up, he saw a man with deep-set eyes and a high nose, burly and strong, whose right arm appeared to be injured, not only wrapped in bandages, but also smeared with a herbal ointment with a strong plant smell.

"Fellow Daoist Ya Xian, what happened to your arm? Why is it so serious?" Yuan Ming asked in surprise.

Ya Xian opened his mouth, about to say something when suddenly Feng Qi's voice chimed in from the side.

"Ah, it's just bad luck. When Fellow Daoist Ya Xian and I went out to search for herbs, we were attacked by a Third-level Demon Beast. At first, we thought there were only three of them, but unexpectedly, there was a Middle-level one hiding in the dark, which suddenly struck me. Thankfully, Ya Xian blocked it for me, or else Brother Yuan, you wouldn't see me talking here today," Feng Qi said, touching his neck with a lingering fear and then gratefully patting Ya Xian's shoulder.

"It's nothing," Ya Xian said indifferently.

"By the way, where have you been lately, Brother Yuan? You weren't at the last trading meeting. It happens that several Fellow Daoists from the outer city came that day with plenty of good stuff. It's a pity you missed it," Feng Qi said.

"I was just in closed-door cultivation for a while. Missing the trading meeting is fine; I don't lack anything lately," Yuan Ming explained.

"Really? Even elixirs? Let me tell you, among the people who came that day, someone got a lot of elixirs from the Shengye Sect, and several Fellow Daoists almost got into a real fight over those few bottles," Feng Qi said, clicking his tongue.

Yuan Ming raised an eyebrow, but was not much surprised.

The Black Wind Desert was scarce with Spirit Grass, and there had always been a shortage of elixirs, particularly those for the Core Formation Stage, which were especially rare. Regardless of the shop, elixirs for the Core Formation Stage were in such high demand that their prices were frighteningly expensive, far beyond what ordinary Core Formation Cultivators could afford.

Ordinary elixirs were already scarce, let alone those from the Shengye Sect, a major Alchemy Sect.

"That's indeed a pity, but on the other hand, even if I had participated, I have limited financial resources and I probably wouldn't have been able to buy many bottles," Yuan Ming sighed.

He, too, was truly worried about the issue with elixirs; after two years of use, the stock he had confiscated from Elder Hai and Elder Guo's Storage Bags was running low. Now, even the Insect Pills for the Core Formation Stage were scarce on the market – there was nothing for him to even try to take advantage of.

Upon hearing this, Feng Qi suddenly laughed and asked, "Speaking of which, the number of Spirit Grass we found with Mr. Ya Xian last time wasn't small. If we can refine them into elixirs, I reckon there would be enough to distribute among five people. It's just a pity that those Third-level Demon Beasts are guarding them. It seems we won't be able to take them back."

Yuan Ming realized and immediately scolded with a laugh, "Well, look at you, waiting for me here."

"Heh heh, Brother Yuan, don't be upset, I actually wanted to invite you to join me from the start. Who knew you would go into seclusion all of a sudden? Although we did take a hit from those Third-level Demon Beasts, you don't have to worry too much. I'm well-prepared for this attempt, and I've even invited a mid-stage Core Formation Fellow Daoist to join us. With Brother Yuan's help, this expedition is bound to be foolproof," Feng Qi said to Yuan Ming with a wink and a smile.

Yuan Ming thought for a moment and didn't immediately agree, "Which specific species of Third-level Demon Beasts is Brother Feng referring to?"

"Poisonous Blade Locusts, four of them, one big and three smaller ones. We seriously injured one of them, though it isn't dead, I doubt it will be much of a combatant," Feng Qi replied.

Poisonous Blade Locusts are unique insect demon beasts in the Black Wind Desert. They resemble locusts but have two huge antennae like machetes, yet as thin as cicada wings, covered in a fierce poison that corrodes flesh. Those struck must promptly cut away the flesh around the wound to prevent the spread of the poison, or else the consequences are unimaginable.

Yuan Ming nodded, "In that case, I shall accompany Brother Feng on this venture, but I wonder where exactly those Spirit Grass are located."

With a smile, Feng Qi uttered three words: "Soul Burying Abyss."

...

In the sky, dark clouds like a wall of stone loomed, and the continuous thunder echoed incessantly like the beating of war drums, creating a heavy atmosphere that made it almost hard to breathe.

The undulating dunes abruptly collapsed in one particular area, as if they had been sliced by a giant sword's diagonal slash, removing the "flesh" of the earth, leaving behind a "wound" that stretched for countless miles.

The "wound" was a deep crater, with endless sand sliding down the steep slopes until it fell into darkness untouched by sunlight, a chilling blackness.

A cold wind swept across the sands, carrying with it dust and howling through the valley with a sorrowful and piercing sound, chilling to the bone, as if the wails of wronged souls filled the air.

Four streaks of light pierced through the sandstorm, approaching from the southwest, and came to a stop at the valley's edge.

As the light dispersed, Yuan Ming and three others revealed their shapes. Since they had been there before, aside from Yuan Ming, the others were not surprised by the sight; however, seeing such dangerous terrain for the first time, Yuan Ming couldn't help but exclaim.

"No wonder this place is called the Soul Burying Abyss; it truly resembles the underworld."

Hearing this, a pale, handsome middle-aged cultivator with some wrinkles at the corners of his eyes gave a slight smile and said, "According to what Fellow Daoist Yuan said, are we not throwing ourselves into the net, delivering ourselves for others to reap our souls?"

Feng Qi rubbed his arms exaggeratedly, "Oh my, don't scare me, Brother Fang. You've got me goosebumps all over."

After these words, he and the cultivator surnamed Fang burst into laughter, which eased the chilly atmosphere around them.

Yuan Ming could only shake his head helplessly and joined in the laughter, which further relaxed his already somewhat tense mood.

The cultivator surnamed Fang was actually named Fang Youting – a Guest Elder from the Spirit Talisman Sect. Despite his youthful appearance, he had already been in Core Formation for many years and was ostensibly the strongest among the four in terms of public perception.

After the laughter subsided, Feng Qi grew serious, "Gentlemen, the nest of those Poisonous Blade Locusts is at the edge of the Soul Burying Abyss. Although Mr. Ya Xian and I have figured out the exact number, we still need to be cautious to avoid another surprise attack by a demon beast."

Fang Youting nodded, "Don't worry, Feng. With my Divine Sense, even if a Third-level Upper Stage demon beast approaches, it won't slip by unnoticed."

Yuan Ming also highly agreed with him; he felt that Fang Youting's Divine Sense was indeed much stronger than that of a typical Core Formation Cultivator. However, it still fell short when compared to his own.

The group didn't continue to make small talk. Feng Qi handed out some pre-prepared talismans and pills, then led the others flying near the nest of the Poisonous Blade Locusts.

The nest was a hollow beneath the sands, and even with the dim light coming through the ceiling hole, it barely illuminated anything.

Intermittently, fine grains of sand whipped up by the cold wind fell from the edge of the ceiling hole, forming a curtain as dense as drizzle, which disappeared as quickly as it came.

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