Those high-powered techniques for the Foundation Establishment stage all required a huge price to be paid to use them at a higher level. Even if Zhao Min wanted to cultivate them, the two Supreme Elders would gently dissuade her, lest she go astray.
Thus, every time Zhao Min went to the Sacred Merit Hall afterward, she basically spent her time reading various unofficial histories and classics passed down from ancient times.
These classics could often be viewed directly. Only those with particularly precious and secret information were like the cultivation methods and techniques, where only the introduction could be browsed, and one had to spend Spirit Stones to buy a copy to read the full text.
Of course, Zhao Min would also flip through the introductions of some cultivation methods and techniques, while also Browse other classics to conceal her true purpose.
She could feel that she was about to form her Golden Core. But no matter when she would have the chance to escape, the first thing to do was to make all preparations in advance.
Her thoughts were identical to Li Yan's. The most important thing was to first find a way to the Desolate Moon Continent. Of course, her current conditions were much better than Li Yan's; she easily obtained the location of that teleportation formation.
As the cultivation resources given to her by the Sacred Demon Palace became better and better, her desire to return home did not disappear but instead grew stronger.
This was Zhao Min, as stubborn in her silence as ever.
'He must be looking for a way home too, right? But this time, I was the one who got the answer first.'
Feeling the Heart-Entangling Twin Gu lying dormant in her heart, a faint smile graced Zhao Min's lips as she flew.
She had refined the Heart-Entangling Twin Gu, which was different from Li Yan's situation. By using a secret art, she could sense the approximate location of the other Gu from the one in her own heart.
Although it was only an approximate location, she sensed that Li Yan was in a direction due south of Sacred Demon City, at a distance of about fifty to one hundred fifty thousand li.
This distance was due to the Heart-Entangling Twin Gu being suppressed by a technique in her heart, only able to maintain the most basic mental connection through a single trace of instinct.
If she could take it out, she would be able to accurately track Li Yan's exact location.
Li Yan had not moved much within this range for nearly two years.
What did this mean? It meant that Li Yan had likely confirmed her location. That was why he wasn't running all over the continent. He had settled down in hiding.
Based on her understanding of Li Yan, this man's forbearance was extremely strong. He was waiting for the right opportunity while also searching for a way home.
"Eh, isn't this Junior Sister Zhao? Where are you headed?"
Suddenly, a clear voice sounded beside Zhao Min's ear. Then, her vision blurred, and a figure blocked her path.
Zhao Min immediately stopped flying. She looked intently, her beautiful dark brows furrowing slightly. Her heroic face showed little expression as she stared straight at the person.
Blocking her way was a young man so handsome that even women would be jealous. His brows were like stars, his eyes bright, and his figure was as straight as a sword.
He was dressed in white, purer than snow, just like Zhao Min. A head of long purple hair was casually draped over his back, giving him an indescribable sense of nobility.
The handsome youth was looking at Zhao Min with a charming smile, holding an ancient scroll in one hand.
The men and women of the Demon Clan were naturally handsome and beautiful, but this youth's appearance was the cream of the crop, a fine specimen even among the White Demon Clan.
"Greetings, Martial Uncle Dongli. For you to address this junior in such a way, are you trying to saddle me with the crime of being rebellious and disrespectful?"
Although Zhao Min had no expression, she still bowed in courtesy, speaking slowly and calmly.
The purple-haired youth's gaze roamed over Zhao Min. Although there were women in the White Demon Clan with more outstanding looks than Zhao Min, her unique temperament was something others lacked.
It was a heroic spirit that gentle, watery women did not possess. Her jade-like face with soft, smooth angles, her brows like mountains, and her pair of watery, sharp pupils gave him a strange feeling.
"Oh, hehehe, Junior Sister Zhao, you're mistaken. Although on the surface you are still Senior Sister Shanggong's disciple, who in the palace doesn't know that Junior Sister is being taught by the two Supreme Elders? Junior Sister's status and identity are already obvious facts. Am I wrong on this point, Senior Brother?"
The purple-haired youth gently waved the ancient scroll in his hand and shook his head repeatedly as he spoke.
Zhao Min, however, remained unmoved, as still as autumn water. Ever since her situation became known among the upper echelons of the Sacred Demon Palace, a number of talented young men who learned of it had flocked to her, including both Foundation Establishment youths and Golden Core cultivators.
Their intentions varied, but they all undoubtedly came with a purpose.
A female cultivator who could cultivate the Heavenly Demon White Jade Plate—if one could form a marital alliance with her, that branch would gain enormous benefits.
Not only could they use the opportunity to get closer to the two Supreme Elders, but the offspring born in the future would also have a high chance of possessing the bloodline to cultivate the Heavenly Demon White Jade Plate.
This person before her, called Dongli Qing, was one of them. Though he looked young, he was in fact a powerful early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, and he had taken an interest in Zhao Min.
The thought that the other party was at least seven or eight hundred years old filled Zhao Min with immense disgust. He was old enough to be her grandfather.
Although most cultivators didn't care about such things, Zhao Min was the most repulsed by it. Having lacked parental love since childhood, she longed for a pure love from her closest kin, not a twisted affection for an elder.
But facing this person, the gap in their cultivation was too great, and Zhao Min had to be careful.
Zhao Min just wanted to cultivate quietly until the day she could leave, so she didn't want to offend anyone.
Even when Foundation Establishment cultivators who were weaker than her came to pay court, she did not refuse them too coldly, always leaving some room for courtesy in her words.
But this Dongli Qing was clearly waiting for her here deliberately, putting on an act of a chance encounter.
"Martial Uncle Dongli, it's best we stick to seniority. Otherwise, if Master finds out, it will be this disciple who gets scolded."
Zhao Min bowed in courtesy.
"Senior Sister Shanggong is a great general guarding the frontier. How could she care about such a small matter? Oh, where is Junior Sister Zhao heading? The Sacred Demon Palace is quite vast. Junior Sister has not been here long and is often in seclusion. I, your Senior Brother, am very familiar with this place. Why don't I..."
"Thank you for your kind intentions, Martial Uncle Dongli. This disciple was summoned by the Supreme Elder and must go to pay my respects..."
Zhao Min immediately interrupted him. Although she feared this person, with her intelligence, she naturally knew how to use her current status to her advantage.
So, before he could finish, she directly shut down what he was about to say. Her words trailed off at the end, not fully spoken, but the meaning was clear.
Sure enough, after hearing this, Dongli Qing couldn't help but feel dejected. He knew this was an excuse she had come up with. It seemed to be the same excuse the last few times, but he could only laugh it off.
"Oh, oh... oh, then I won't disturb Junior Sister Zhao."
He dared not go to the Supreme Elder's place. Even though he was already a Nascent Soul, that was a Supreme Elder. Even those late-stage Nascent Soul great cultivators did not dare to disturb them lightly.
Even if Zhao Min asked him to escort her, how would he dare to set foot within half a step of the Supreme Elder's cave residence?
Hearing this, Zhao Min bowed respectfully again and was about to go around him when Dongli Qing's starlit eyes flashed, and he spoke again faintly.
"Junior Sister Zhao, you have received the true teachings of the Supreme Elder. In the end, won't you have to take charge of great power? This is your inevitable path. You can't do it alone. You've been in the Sacred Demon Palace for some time now, you should be aware of the many factions here. So why not establish your own network of connections sooner? I, your Senior Brother, am not talented, but I do have the support of a few clan elders. If Junior Sister is willing, I could be the first to support you. Junior Sister should consider this."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Min's departing figure did indeed pause. Then, as a faint smile appeared on Dongli Qing's lips, he watched her quickly leave.
'Any cultivator who wants to enter the Sacred Demon Palace wants nothing more than to obtain more and better cultivation resources. Who can escape that?'
Dongli Qing thought to himself as he stared at the departing graceful figure. He had cultivated for nearly a thousand years and had seen countless people. Since Zhao Min never gave him any chance to get close, he would just make his offer directly.
And he did have the capital to do so. Dongli Qing believed that his words would definitely cause a change in Zhao Min's attitude.
Anyone with a bit of ambition would know that the power of the two Supreme Elders was not their own true power. Not only did one need to be strong in cultivation, but one also needed supporters.
But Zhao Min, who had already left, had long since put the matter out of her mind. Her personality was stubborn, but she was also equally clever. Who couldn't put on an act?
'Stay in the Sacred Demon Palace? Perhaps if it could be moved to the Desolate Moon Continent, for the sake of cultivation resources, maybe I'd come and visit often!'
A cold smile touched Zhao Min's heart. What did the power struggles of the Sacred Demon Palace have to do with her?
...
While the outside world was busy with Falling Star Valley and the other sects carving up the territories and resources of the four Cangyu Sect families, Li Yan had already re-entered the Earthen Patch.
Since Tianxingzi had agreed to a half-month period, he would use the remaining time to adjust his condition to its peak.
At the same time, he would repeatedly review the refining method in the True Scripture of Gui Water. He wanted to make all his preparations as perfect as possible.
To refine the Gui-Yi Water-Parting Spike, Li Yan had been through life and death several times. Only now did he have the chance to refine his Natal Magical Treasure. He had to make all preparations in advance.
Of course, with Li Yan's consistent personality, he still felt that Tianxingzi might betray him after he had served his purpose at any time.
Thus, whenever Li Yan left the Earthen Patch space, he would immediately spread the Fragmented Poison throughout his limbs and bones.
At this time, he was like an unparalleled poison sac ready to explode at any moment. If his body suffered any damage, it would be like a bloated sac being pierced.
Li Yan believed that Falling Star Valley would then become a land of absolute death. For at least several decades, perhaps even a century, not a single blade of grass would grow here.
The potent poison in his body was not one that would only cover as far as his blood splattered. It would rapidly spread and multiply through the surrounding Spirit Qi.
Li Yan believed that if the dozens of potent poisons in his body were to erupt at once, even someone as formidable as Tianxingzi would have a fifty percent chance of perishing if he came into contact with it.
This was also a plan Li Yan had made long ago. In this great battle, even though he had used his least favorite fighting style and clashed head-on with the enemy, he had not used his Fragmented Poison Body for this reason.
Being so constantly on guard was something Li Yan had no choice but to do. Since various reasons had made it impossible for him to quietly use the Earth Fire, this was the only path left.
It was just that under such circumstances, the Heart-Entangling Twin Gu would also erupt, and Zhao Min would have no choice but to perish with him.
But for the sake of returning to the Desolate Moon Continent with Zhao Min, he believed Zhao Min shared the same thought.
Any decision made by either of them, the other would believe their choice was the correct one and would support it without hesitation, even at the cost of their own life.
At least, that was what Li Yan believed. Even if he were to propose not using the Earth Fire Spirit Vein now and just wanted to leave Falling Star Valley, the result would not be much different. The other party would still plot against him if they were going to.