Traveling through time to cultivate immortality: a life and death test

Jiao Jiao watched the various tribes count their treasures with a cold eye. He concluded that the combined gains of all the tribes were only a third of what he and his master had. He suddenly felt a surge of pride. However, he dared not show any complacency. After all, they were still on their territory, and he had the mission of helping his master escape the demon tribe. So, he flew forward, said goodbye to the leaders of each tribe, and expressed his gratitude, stating that the Deep Sea Jiao Clan would remember their friendship. After writing a blank check, he sped off westward.

The eagle leader stared at the direction where the little dragon was flying for a long time, his heart full of doubts.

Suddenly, the lion leader rushed to its side and said, "There's something strange about this little dragon. I wonder what it got in the secret realm? It runs quite fast."

"If you're capable, capture it and torture it. I'm not interested." The Eagle leader snorted coldly, choking the Lion leader. Without sufficient benefits, who would dare to provoke this little dragon and risk the Dragon King's retaliation? It would be tantamount to seeking death. Besides, the Sunset Secret Realm has been ransacked nearly a hundred times. Any valuables have long been uncovered. What could it possibly gain? Taking such a huge risk for some baseless speculation? None of the seven demon clans were fools, and naturally, no one would undertake such a thankless task.

Jiao Jiao didn't dare delay, and flew with all his might towards the northwest, determined to escape the demon clan's range as quickly as possible. Liu Xing had already instructed him not to go east, as the Xuanyin Sect still offered a bounty for his capture. To the west lay the vast ocean, also the demon clan's domain. He could only head northwest, where human cultivators lived. Liu Xing knew his current cultivation level was too low to freely navigate the demonic realms on land or the deep sea, as that would surely lead him to a place of no return. He had to return to human territory and continue his cultivation, atrophying and developing.

Now, the most urgent task for him and Jiao Jiao was to find a secret place to retreat and break through together. In the cruel world of cultivating immortals, every increase in strength would increase the chance of survival.

Jiao Jiao had his family's protection, and the powerful warriors of various tribes he encountered along the way didn't bother him. He focused on flying. In the past month, he'd probably traveled thirty to forty thousand miles from the Sunset Secret Realm, which should have made him much safer. He wouldn't be hunted down for his blood slave status anymore, unless he encountered the Qiong Rat Clan's predecessors who had captured him, and only then would they recognize him. So Jiao Jiao stopped to rest in a deep mountain valley. Liu Xing finally jumped out of his pet bag and breathed some fresh air.

Liu Xing sensed the thin spiritual energy here. He sensed no demonic beasts lingering in the area, perhaps disdaining the cultivation environment. He and Jiao Jiao chose a defensive position, exploring the surrounding area for a thousand miles and finding no evidence of this. They decided to retreat here for a while to see if they could break through to the Foundation Establishment stage. Whether Jiao Jiao reached the second level or Liu Xing reached the Foundation Establishment stage, it would be a significant leap forward in their ability to escape or fight.

Liu Xing summoned his flying sword and carved out two caves in the valley, preparing them for his retreat. Jiao Jiao gazed at the exquisite and comfortable caves with admiration. In the past, it had cultivated in any cave or pool, unlike its master, who had crafted caves like this. He was truly particular. As if that weren't enough, Liu Xing set up several formations outside each cave to prevent interruptions during his retreat. He also deployed a massive obscuring formation covering the entire valley for ten miles, emitting streams of white mist. Within half a day, the entire valley was shrouded in mist, obstructing not only sight but also spiritual detection. This finally gave Liu Xing peace of mind. Even if someone were to discover the cave, it wouldn't be easily breached. Even a level four demon beast wouldn't be able to break through the forbidden defenses.

So, the man and the demon each chose a cave and began to retreat.

Liu Xing arrived at his cave and, without thinking twice, fell asleep. He slept for three days and three nights before regaining his energy. For the past year, he'd been hunted by the Xuanyin Sect, captured and imprisoned by the demon tribe, and finally, faced a precarious battle in the Sunset Secret Realm. He'd been constantly on edge, never daring to relax for a moment. Now, having finally escaped his enemies, a sudden wave of drowsiness overwhelmed him, and he fell into a deep sleep. It was a remarkably sweet sleep, and upon waking, he felt refreshed and full of energy again.

Liu Xing reviewed the events of the past year and took stock of his gains. In terms of combat prowess, he had repeatedly triumphed over the stronger with the weak, having slain Song Ming, the Foundation Establishment Stage Young Master of the Xuanyin Sect, a Level 2 Black Blood Spider, and a Level 3 Horned Python. These victories were due to his foresight, utilizing forbidden formations and powerful magical artifacts like talismans to defeat his foes. In short, his strategy was to exploit the environment, plan ahead, and utilize powerful magical artifacts. Therefore, he would continue to search for powerful magical artifacts, and talismans would remain a priority.

Taking inventory of his current magical tools, he discovered that all his talismans had been depleted. Three of his top-grade magical tools—the Nine Emperor Bell, the Cloud Umbrella, and the Top-grade Flying Sword—had been destroyed. For self-defense, he only had the Jade Wave Sword, the Demon Knife, and the Gathering Yin Bowl left. He had no defensive tools left, and the remaining top-grade tools were useless. Furthermore, his invincible talismans were dwindling, requiring a large replenishment. He currently possessed a wealth of demon beast materials suitable for refining top-grade magical tools, but without a human expert in refining them in demon territory, he couldn't turn them into top-grade tools. He couldn't use them for the time being, and would have to wait until he returned to the human race. Therefore, the only way to improve his strength now was for him and Jiao Jiao to achieve a breakthrough, reaching a higher level of mana, and refining talismans for future use.

Finally, he took stock of his possessions. The risk he took was enormous, and the artifacts he lost were extremely expensive. But compared to his gains, it still seemed insignificant. He currently had about 20,000 spirit stones remaining, which should be more than enough to help him break through to the Foundation Establishment stage. In addition, he had collected a large number of demon cores and demon beast refining materials, as well as countless spiritual medicines and precious materials. Converting these into spirit stones would probably be worth hundreds of thousands. However, all of this needed to be returned to the human race to be realized bit by bit. Right now, it was not worth the corresponding value in the demon race. His current wealth was definitely comparable to that of a senior Jindan cultivator. However, this amount of money would soon be spent, and it was far from enough for the cultivation resources for himself and Jiao Jiao.

After reviewing the current situation, Liu Xing formulated his next plan. He would remain in seclusion in this valley for three years. First, he would refine talismans to enhance his combat effectiveness; second, he would refine foundation-building pills and attempt to build his foundation; and third, he would help Jiao Jiao break through to the second level.