CHAPTER 264: CHAPTER 259: BRANCHING PATH PILL?! HEADING TO THE WESTERN WASTELAND DOMAIN!_1

"Island Master Xu should prioritize the Great Dao. We won’t insist further," they said.

The two guests, having failed in their invitation, did not linger too long. They only managed to gather information about Corpse-eating Bizarre from the Suppressing Specters Hall before hastening away.

Jia Ren did not send anyone to follow them, abandoning the idea of forcibly tagging along for the credit.

The seventy thousand contribution points from the Town Demon Alliance, along with the exchange list and current intelligence gathered, were satisfying.

One must not be greedy; angering the two Evil-Suppressing Envoys would do no good.

I can’t afford to waste time. I still need to gather the remaining two hundred and thirty thousand Town Demon Alliance contribution points within a year.

The Qunxing Archipelago is extremely far from the main headquarters of the Bizarre-Suppressing Main Alliance in the Western Wasteland Domain. Even at the fastest speed, it would take a month to travel there.

Besides that, Jia Ren also needed to obtain the alchemy recipe for the Qilong Pill.

Without the Qilong Pill Prescription, trying to deduce the formula on his own would take a considerable amount of time, which would reduce the amount of time he had available.

Does the exchange list of the Town Demon Alliance have the Qilong Pill Prescription?

He scrolled to the third column of the exchange list, where the contribution points required by the Town Demon Alliance dropped below a million.

The first item he saw was the Jiejindan Formula, priced at five hundred thousand contribution points.

Exchanging directly for the Jiejindan Formula was equivalent to five ordinary Thousand-Year Spiritual Medicines.

This was assuming one had sufficient contribution points on hand; if one were to convert Thousand-Year Spiritual Medicines into contribution points and then exchange them for the pill, the price would be... fifteen Thousand-Year Spiritual Medicines.

He realized he owed Luo Yuzhu quite a favor.

Jia Ren soon found the Qilong Pill Prescription in the list, priced at fifty thousand contribution points.

The Qilong Pill, also known as the Branching Path Pill.

A special elixir that aids in cultivation, it can be taken by cultivators below the Nascent Soul Stage. After consuming a Qilong Pill, one’s current realm will be free of minor bottlenecks.

Just by looking at this effect, it’s undoubtedly a divine pill that countless cultivators dream of.

While its medicinal effect is powerful, so is its hidden danger.

Once a Qilong Pill is consumed, the cultivator’s advancement will be forever limited to that realm.

If taken during the Golden Core Stage, one would be confined to that stage for life; if taken during the Foundation Establishment Stage, one would then be forever limited to that stage.

No one would desire to take this pill unless there was no hope of progressing further in their path of cultivation.

This applies to ordinary cultivators.

The staunch servants cultivated by sects are the best targets for consuming Qilong Pills. With ample resources poured into them, they can reach the pinnacle of their current realm.

Many cultivators join the Town Demon Alliance not to protect humanity but for the attractive benefits that could secure ample cultivation resources for their descendants and make their future path smoother.

Dealing with Bizarre Demons is extremely dangerous. Many cultivators who go never return, and death is a common occurrence.

A slight difference in cultivation level can mean the difference between life and death.

This is also the reason why the Qilong Pill, which removes cultivation bottlenecks, is extremely sought after by those cultivators with no hope of advancement.

The Qilong Pill is a Third Rank elixir; its production time is long, and the difficulty in refining it is not low. Only a Third Rank Alchemy Master can successfully craft it, and the success rate is not high.

Even within the Great Sects, the elixirs produced by Alchemy Masters are in high demand. How could they possibly spend a lot of time crafting Qilong Pills?

The elixirs produced by sects are also not easily released to the outside world.

The production of these elixirs is limited, and with too few alchemists capable of making them, Qilong Pills are constantly in high demand.

The Town Demon Alliance’s low purchasing price for Qilong Pills, aside from its self-created Bizarre treasures, is also an incentive for the Great Sects to deploy their Alchemy Masters to produce these pills.

The Qilong Pill Prescription is a bit expensive!

It’s difficult to replicate...

Testing the pill on oneself is the quickest way to analyze its ingredients and determine the required flame control, which can help expedite the identification of the medicinal components and required temperatures.

The Qilong Pill is different from other elixirs. In Jia Ren’s view, it has no benefits, with a toxicity even worse than that of poison pills.

He dared not consume it—forfeiting any progress in cultivation level for the rest of his life is too heavy a cost!

Without testing the pill on himself, the efficiency of replicating elixirs will decrease, and the time taken to replicate the Qilong Pill will extend.

If it takes a year or half a year to replicate the recipe, it would be too late.

The Town Demon Alliance goes to the Northern Desolation Region every ten years to procure supplies. If he’s unable to gather the remaining two hundred and thirty thousand contribution points, he’ll have to wait another decade to exchange for the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus.

What about exchanging for other pills and Talismans?

Jia Ren glanced over the demand list where the purchase prices for pills and Talismans were pressed very low.

There were no high-grade pills in the demand list, and it’s impossible to fulfill the requirement with just one pill.

High-grade pills and Talismans are in such demand among the Great Sects that they are only exchanged from the Town Demon Alliance. How could they possibly spend their own money to bring them out?

The low valuation of other pills and Talismans means that earning contribution points by making usual pills is slow. It would be hard to assemble enough within a year.

I’ll have to spend contribution points to exchange for the formula after all...

The Qilong Pill Prescription is not difficult to learn. With his alchemy skills, he could meet the requirements within a year.

There’s no time to waste. I should set off sooner rather than later.

The threat of Bizarre Demons is becoming more serious, and the higher the cultivation level, the better.

Only by breaking through to the Golden Core Stage as soon as possible and crafting Evil-Repelling Magical Treasures can one truly stand firm in the Cultivation World filled with Bizarre Demons.

After pondering for a moment, Jia Ren set off immediately.

Before leaving, he first visited the Bizarre Garden.

This departure would last at least a year with unpredictable variables.

A year is neither too long nor too short, but unexpected events could occur at any time.

The secrets of the Bizarre Garden must not be revealed. All the Bizarre Objects in the garden were harvested, sealed, and the Gathering Bizarre Array Disc was taken away to erase any traces.

Upon return from the Western Wasteland Domain, I will rebuild the Bizarre Garden.

Having handled everything, the Insect External Incarnation went to inform the three Deputy Island Masters that he would be leaving the island for a year.

Island Master Xingji had always maintained a low profile, with the three deputies practically controlling everything. They’d prefer it if Xu Yi stayed away as long as possible.

"Does the Island Master have important matters to attend to? You only need to give the order, and we shall go through fire and water for you!"

Just as the three Deputy Island Masters were about to rejoice, they suddenly remembered a matter of utmost importance.

The Corpse Demon Sect!

What if there were spies from the Corpse Demon Sect on the island and the Island Master’s departure leaked out, and Golden Core Cultivators came... Star Pole Island might face destruction...

Instead of being in a good mood, they became extremely distraught.

"I am going to seek an opportunity for Golden Core Formation, and my mind is set."

His resolve wouldn’t be shaken by others.

The Insect External Incarnation handles external affairs, while the original self resolves internal affairs.

Jia Ren arrived at his private treasury. Dozens of bulging River Mountain Bags were laid out before him, each one containing treasures that would make any Golden Core Cultivator envious.

"Five Feathers of Destruction, 540 Divine Wind Talisman Pills, 2,160 Banishing Evil Talisman Pills, 108 Firebird Talisman Pills, 108 Shocking Thunder Talisman Pills, 432 Bizarre Sound Talisman Pills, 108 Lost Path Guai Talisman Pills..."

"Inside the River Mountain Bags were also a Third Rank Middle Stage Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle, a Third Rank Fathead Fish Demon, a late Third Rank Flying Stiff, four early Third Rank Flying Stiffs..."

These items should ensure my safe return after being away for some time...

Before leaving, he couldn’t forget to feed the Magical Beasts; over a year’s time, he wouldn’t want to starve them all.

Jia Ren first went to the fish pond, where over fifty Spirit Fish were flexing their bodies, moving with agility.

The largest among them were the Phoenix Flame Tail Fish, stretching over two Zhang long, with tails unfolding like lava flowing amidst fire.

One Second Order Phoenix Flame Tail Fish couldn’t ensure successful breakthrough to the Third Rank, but with over ten of them, surely one would break through to the Third Rank.

This was the material he had prepared in advance for his Life-bound Magic Treasure.

The closer Jia Ren got to the Golden Core Stage, the more remarkable the progress of the Phoenix Flame Tail Fish fed with the Ancestral Fish Sage Pill.

As long as he fed them a large quantity of Ancestral Fish Sage Pills, Phoenix Flame Tail Fish would reach the Third Rank soon after his advancement to Golden Core.

Leaving the fish pond, the next stop was the Spirit Beast Nest.

Inside the Spirit Beast Nest, there were seven Thunder Rhino Beasts, each around ten feet tall, with three purple horns growing on their heads.

The seven Thunder Rhino Beasts affectionately came closer upon seeing their master.

After years of constant feeding, the Thunder Rhino Beasts had made rapid progress. They had just broken into the Second Order Middle Stage; their foundation was still shallow, and it would take time to catch up with the main troops.

The third stop was the Insect Breeding Nest, where hundreds of thousands of Spirit Insects occupied their territories, clearly demarcated.

The Sonic-Thief Mosquito King had always been the boss of the Spirit Insects, holding a revered position.

Unfortunately, since the Insect External Incarnation had never decreased in number, there was no need for replenishment.

The Puppet Demon Insect had played a significant role against the Corpse Demon Sect by controlling five Flying Stiffs and over four thousand Corpse Refiners. With another five Corpse Refiners still needing control, it had replaced the Sonic-Thief Mosquito King’s position to become the new boss of the insects.

For over a year, the Puppet Demon Insects had received the best food rations, and their colony had rapidly expanded and strengthened.

The final stop was the Spirit Medicine Garden, where a sixty-mu field grew various Spiritual Medicines, with hundred-year-old plants being commonplace.

This was almost comparable to the Five Elements Sect’s Five Spirits Medicine Garden.

"Senior Sister, I need to leave for some time due to important matters. I rely on you to take extra care of the Spirit Fish, Spirit Beasts, and the medicinal garden."

Jia Ren left three years’ worth of food, anticipating potential accidents or unforeseen circumstances that might require him to remain in the Western Wasteland Domain for an extended period.

"Twenty Puppet Demon Insects can control forty Foundation Establishment strength Hairy Corpses and 504 Corpse Refiners. Do not use them unless absolutely necessary."

This was a force intended to defend Qingzhu Island. Jia Ren didn’t want someone to burglarize his home after he left the island.

"Fathead Fish, you stay here to guard the house too!"

Without a Golden Core Cultivator as the guardian, he ultimately couldn’t be at peace.

It’s best to carry the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle with him; venturing out was too dangerous, and he couldn’t lose a living defense Magical Treasure.

"WHINE! WHINE!"

The Fathead Fish Demon also wanted to go out, not wanting to stay at home.

"Double the food!"

The Fathead Fish Demon no longer had the slightest desire to leave.

With multiple layers of Formations guarding the island, and the Xuan Turtle Clan and the Fathead Fish Demon remaining hidden within to defend it, even a forceful intrusion by a Golden Core Cultivator could be resisted.

"Take care along the way."

Zhang Pengpeng didn’t ask any further, yet she was also aware of Jia Ren’s destination.

Having reached Foundation Establishment Completion, he was getting closer to the Golden Core Stage. This was him going out to seek his own opportunity for Golden Core Formation.

She had thought that after advancing to the Foundation Establishment Stage, the gap between her and Jia Ren was narrowing...

Yet, she was still at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, with Foundation Establishment Completion being far out of reach.

Jia Ren confirmed that everything was in order before leaving.

"Island Master, please make sure to return safely."

The three Deputy Island Masters, fearful of the news of Jia Ren’s departure leaking, specifically chose a secure location to send him off.

I must obtain the Golden Core Formation Pill on this journey!

The original self and the Insect External Incarnation met up, one after the other. The Insect External Incarnation morphed into the Sonic-Thief Mosquito King and flew into the River Mountain Bag.

"Sword Control Technique!"

A Transcendent Saint Level Divine Wind Talisman stuck to his body, and he immediately felt the extreme speed of flight. Heading towards the Western Wasteland Domain with the Sword Qi Thunder Sound booming along the way.

Western Wasteland Domain, Town Demon Alliance, here I come!