Another half year passed.

Clarity Eighth Layer [Quasi-Star River Visualization Map: Mastery (0.0001/1000)]

The Quasi-Star River Visualization Map had already broken through to Mastery. Su Qing could feel the Visualization Map within his soul becoming increasingly real, and it seemed he could now truly rely on his soul to absorb external substances to fuel his growth.

For the past six months, Su Qing had let the Visualization Map do its Visualization on its own.

Su Qing had been focused on cultivating the God Demon Inference Heaven Skill.

Although he was always cultivating, he also took the time to foster relationships on Cold Extremity Peak.

The first time Luo Lanxin came to Su Qing’s home for a meal,

it felt rather odd.

It was an entirely unprecedented situation.

At the same time, she discovered her master was quite the foodie.

She just never showed it normally.

Luo Lanxin also discovered that her senior brother was special in his own way—he was very gentle.

He treated everyone with a gentleness that was as refreshing as a spring breeze. During their gatherings, he would even have his embarrassing moments from time to time.

It made him seem so approachable and genuine.

For Su Qing, however, it was just a normal meal.

Yet Su Qing cherished every single one of these get-togethers.

Especially after his senior sister left the Ten Thousand Tribulations Sect to travel.

Su Qing knew that people couldn’t stay together forever.

In the Immortal Cultivation Realm, one meeting could sometimes be the very last.

That was why Su Qing treated all his friends with such warmth.

——

Foundation Establishment Sixth Level [God Demon Inference Heaven Skill: Great Success (2769/3000)]

——

’I’m about to break through. I wonder if the Spiritual Qi in my Spirit Stones will be enough.’

Su Qing silently checked the Spirit Stone reserves in his Acupoint Small Worlds.

’Thankfully, I still have quite a bit saved up. This much Spiritual Qi should be enough for my breakthrough.’

’Still, I should be cautious.’

Su Qing thought about synthesizing a larger Spirit Stone.

That way, he wouldn’t risk running out of Spiritual Qi and having his God Demon Inference Heaven Skill frantically absorb the ambient Spiritual Qi, causing a major disturbance.

’I’ll have to leave the sect when the time comes.’

’I can also swing by the Great Yu Dynasty, the Zhengxuan Sect’s territory, and check on Uncle Wang...’

In truth, Su Qing just wanted to go back to that village and see how things were.

Back then, with so many deaths in Flood Village and sensing how terrifying the Demon Fiend was, Su Qing had urged Wang Liu and Sister-in-law Wang to leave with him.

Unfortunately, they were unwilling.

He wondered how Flood Village was doing now.

’Has it been almost seven or eight years?’

「One month later.」

[God Demon Inference Heaven Skill: Great Success (2999/3000)]

’Just one more time.’

Su Qing could feel the God Demon True Essence within him was incredibly active, on the very cusp of transformation.

...

[Synthesis successful: Evolution triggered.]

[Unknown Spirit Stone: Contains a massive amount of Spiritual Qi, enough to fill an entire Great World with Solid Spiritual Qi.]

On one of his rare trips outside, Su Qing happened upon his junior sister practicing her sword.

"Junior Sister Luo, your swordsmanship is quite impressive," Su Qing praised.

’To think she actually chose the Heaven-Supporting Sword.’

’And it seems she’s actually managed to learn it.’

Luo Lanxin relaxed her stance. "Senior Brother Su, you rarely leave your residence. Are you taking a day off today?"

"Are we having another feast?"

"Er..."

Su Qing was speechless. ’Have I created a pack of foodies?’

Su Qing shook his head. "No, I’m preparing to leave the Sect for a trip. I’m on my way to tell Master."

...

After a brief report to Ouyang Mingming and receiving a few words of advice, Su Qing left the Ten Thousand Tribulations Sect.

’Leaving the Ten Thousand Tribulations Sect again.’

Standing at the entrance to the Ten Thousand Tribulations Sect’s Pocket World, Su Qing gazed at the vast sea of clouds in the distance and couldn’t help but sigh.

’Oh well. First, a trip to Qianjie City.’

Soon, Su Qing arrived in Qianjie City.

This time, he concealed his face.

He had no intention of revealing his identity.

...

Baili Sudan’s shop.

After entering, Su Qing didn’t see Baili Sudan.

He wondered where she could have gone.

After browsing around casually for a bit, Su Qing left.

...

’I should focus on my breakthrough first.’

’Time to go to the usual spot.’

Once again, he was back underground in the familiar Ten Thousand Miles Forest.

Su Qing took out the unknown Spirit Stone within his Pocket World.

He began to circulate the God Demon Inference Heaven Skill. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Slowly, the last bit of Skill Level pushed the technique to Perfection.

Foundation Establishment Sixth Level [God Demon Inference Heaven Skill: Perfection]

The God Demon True Essence in his body seemed to ignite.

It transformed into a boundless, surging tide, relentlessly washing over all of Su Qing’s Little Worlds.

Su Qing’s Physique was also constantly being refined by the impact of this terrifying True Essence.

His entire body felt as if it were being devoured by a million ants.

It was another arduous transformation.

Fortunately, Su Qing knew that the breakthrough would require a massive amount of Spiritual Qi.

All the Spiritual Qi inside him was absorbed at a frantic pace.

It was converted into the purest God Demon True Essence.

All of the Acupoint Small Worlds within Su Qing’s body

were continuously scoured, slowly beginning their transformation into Great Worlds.

...

...

More than a month passed.

All the Acupoints in Su Qing’s body had transformed into Great Worlds.

Su Qing’s expression was placid as he continued to circulate the God Demon True Essence.

He was consolidating his Acupoint Worlds.

At the same time, he could truly feel how monstrously tough his Physique had become.

If he could just connect all the Acupoint Worlds through his meridians,

then he could wield all the power of those Great Worlds as his own.

It was just that his meridians weren’t up to the task yet; in less than a minute, all of them would rupture.

...

A few more days passed.

Su Qing finally, unhurriedly, stopped circulating the God Demon Inference Heaven Skill.

Foundation Establishment Eighth Layer [God Demon Inference Heaven Skill: Perfection]

’Foundation Establishment Eighth Layer.’

’And here I thought it would take another ten or twenty years to reach the Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment,’ Su Qing thought, delighted.

During the transformation of the God Demon Inference Heaven Skill, his Life and Death Reincarnation Dao Foundation had also been over-nourished.

It had cycled twice in a row.

’Now, I’ll have more than enough God Demon True Essence.’

All of his Acupoints, including the Pocket World in his Dantian, had become Great Worlds after being scoured by the God Demon True Essence.

Moreover, they had returned to a state of self-generating Spiritual Qi.

And the efficiency of converting this Spiritual Qi into God Demon True Essence was incredibly high.

’With a bit more time, my Life and Death Reincarnation Dao Foundation can complete its ninth cycle.’

Su Qing used all his Life and Death Qi to nourish his Physique.

As for the Acupoint Worlds, Su Qing wasn’t too concerned.

Now, all that was left was to cultivate the God Demon Marrow Tempering Technique to Perfection.

Su Qing left the Ten Thousand Miles Forest, flying at top speed toward the region controlled by the Zhengxuan Sect and bypassing the Thousand Marrow Mountain Range.

He then avoided Zhengxuan City.

Then, using the Earth Vein Resonance Technique, he sped toward the Great Yu Dynasty.

...

In less than a week, Su Qing found the Capital City of the Great Yu Dynasty.

"Kexiang County." Su Qing had bought a map.

He quickly made his way to Kexiang County, Funing County, and then Chuanshui Town.

Arriving there, Su Qing remembered the small courtyard where he had been captured for the first time.

He waited patiently for nightfall.

As luck would have it...

he saw several burly men pulling a horse-drawn carriage into the courtyard.

Su Qing condensed Magical Power at his fingertips, and the men died in an instant.

’Consider that revenge.’

After destroying the carriage, Su Qing left.

Flood Village.

Su Qing arrived.

"..."

"Sigh..." Before him lay a scene of utter decay; Flood Village was little more than a heap of old ruins.

Su Qing’s courtyard, as well as Wang Liu’s, were overgrown with weeds and covered in a thick layer of dust.

There were no bones on the ground.

Su Qing didn’t know if the villagers had escaped or had died at the hands of the Demon Fiend.

"Sigh..."

"Let nature take its course," Su Qing sighed, then quietly left the dilapidated Flood Village.

...