Bing'er would rather not form her Core than let him achieve the Golden Core stage first; he naturally understood the depth of her intention. If at all possible, he didn't wish to refuse any of Bing'er's wishes.
He still possessed two Water-element Core Formation Pills; the Fire-element one was the only one he had.
Since Bing'er had Ice and Fire dual spiritual roots, she could only hope to break through the Golden Core bottleneck by consuming pills of both Ice and Fire elements. Consuming a Water-element Core Formation Pill would be useless.
If he used the only Fire-element Core Formation Pill he had, he had no idea where he would find another suitable one for Bing'er.
Of course, within his Purple Mansion, there was a Water-element Spirit Fruit Tree. Cultivating the seeds of Water Spirit Fruits using Ice Spirit Stones might create a mutation. However, the required Ice Spirit Stones would be immense, and success was far from guaranteed; everything was uncertain.
“Look what I have!”
Ye Fen held Bing'er’s delicate, soft body, pondered for a moment, and retrieved a pill bottle from his storage bag, pouring out two spirit pills emanating a chilling, sinister aura. To persuade Bing'er, merely presenting them was enough.
“Water-element Core Formation Pills!”
Huangfu Bing'er’s ice-and-snow beautiful eyes blinked, and she looked up at Ye Qin, her eyes widening in surprise. Junior Brother Ye was not only already at the ninth level of the Foundation Establishment stage, but he actually possessed Core Formation Pills; this was quite a surprise for her.
“Indeed. On my ten-year journey across the sea, I prepared the Water-element Core Formation Pills, even bringing the auxiliary items needed for Core Formation. I was just looking for a place to attempt it. This Fire-element Core Formation Pill, you should use it.”
Ye Fen nodded and smiled.
“But…”
Huangfu Bing'er paused, then shook her head. “Two Water-element Core Formation Pills still carry a possibility of failure; they don't guarantee Core Formation. Before you form your Core, I won't attempt mine. It’s not too late for me to try after you succeed.”
Seeing her insistence, Ye Qin said no more. He certainly wouldn't argue over such a meaningless issue as who formed the Core first. As long as he arranged things properly, both of them could achieve the Golden Core stage within the next year or two.
“Very well, I will try first with a Water-element Core Formation Pill to see if I can succeed. I will keep this Fire-element Core Formation Pill for now. However, once a Core Formation Pill is consumed, refining and absorbing it might take over half a year. During this time, I cannot easily use my magical power. This is the Central Archipelago; cultivators pass through frequently—is it safe here?”
“I will guard you. This island belongs to the Water Cloud Palace of the Heavenly Dao Alliance. Ordinary cultivators would never dare cause trouble here. However…” Ye Fen hesitated slightly. “Just in case, let’s change to an uninhabited island.”
Huangfu Bing'er suddenly remembered Li Shuwen from the Demonic Heaven Alliance. He had harassed the vicinity of the island half a year ago and might return. It wasn't absolutely safe for Junior Brother Ye to attempt Core Formation here.
Since she had already decided to leave the Water Cloud Palace, she was bound to abandon this location anyway.
The two exchanged tender moments before beginning to dress and pack their belongings to depart. In a brief moment, Huangfu Bing'er placed everything from the cave dwelling into her storage bag. Ye Qin watched her pack with a faint smile, not in a hurry, waiting patiently. He hadn't expected that the icy-cold Bing'er also possessed the potential of a virtuous wife and caring mother.
His expression suddenly turned peculiar; his body stiffened, and he sat down cross-legged without moving, his mind completely immersed within his Purple Mansion. From his expression, it seemed he had encountered something very strange.
The matter was indeed very odd.
Because he suddenly felt a drastic change occurring within his Fire Mansion.
His divine sense immediately sank into it.
A bright sphere of primordial spirit light from the Primordial Spirit Stele in his Wood Mansion flew toward the Fire Mansion.
Upon reaching the Fire Mansion, it paused.
Inside the Fire Mansion, a gigantic fire butterfly, entirely covered in surging flames, was dancing, fluttering its vibrant wings. Around it, within a radius of tens of feet, countless falling flame flowers drifted like snowflakes. Intense flames enveloped the entire Fire Mansion.
On the ground lay a pile of shattered, insect-shell-like rock fragments. Ye Fen instantly spotted the broken insect shell and immediately understood what had happened.
“Rock Fire Worm!”
It was a Rock Fire Worm, after all.
He had captured this Rock Fire Worm from the magma river, but it had been of little use to him, so he had simply tossed it into the Fire Mansion to perish on its own.
For years, he had almost forgotten about this strange insect.
Unexpectedly, after so many years, he didn't know when, it had begun spinning silk and forming a chrysalis within the Fire Mansion.
Today, the chrysalis suddenly broke open, revealing a butterfly.
This Flame Butterfly, with its wings spread, spanned nearly ten feet wide. What shocked Ye Qin the most was that it had transformed from a low-grade strange insect into a sixth-tier Flame Butterfly.
A sixth-tier strange butterfly possessed terrifying strength, not at all inferior to a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.
The Flame Butterfly danced wildly within the Fire Mansion, then suddenly plunged into a wisp of blue flame residing there. This was a strand of Blue Flame Fire that Ye Qin had placed there, possessing enough power to incinerate a sixth-tier strange butterfly.
Ye Qin was startled. A moth flying into a flame—wasn't this seeking death? He couldn't even stop it.
In an instant, the sixth-tier Rock Fire Butterfly was engulfed by the strand of Blue Flame Fire.
Immediately, the flames covering the butterfly's body began to turn into faint blue flames. It seemed to wish to be reborn in that blue flame, evolving into a higher-tier fire strange insect.
Unfortunately, even a sixth-tier fire strange butterfly could not withstand the internal combustion starting from the core of its fragile shell.
The Rock Fire Butterfly lived for a very short time, from birth to death. When it perished, that strand of Blue Flame Fire was also completely consumed.
The inside of the Flame Butterfly’s shell was almost burned away, but astonishingly, its pair of enormous flame wings remained, emitting a faint, beautiful blue sheen. Likewise, several eggs of fire strange insects had miraculously survived.
Its iridescent wings, originally meant to be sixth-tier fire materials, had their power greatly enhanced by being tempered in that strand of Blue Flame Fire, approaching the level of seventh-tier fire materials. They could be forged into top-tier magical artifacts, perfectly suitable even for Golden Core cultivators.
“Junior Brother Ye, what is wrong?”
Huangfu Bing'er noticed something was amiss and grew anxious. She had seen Ye Qin look like this before, sitting stiffly by the magma river, his divine sense completely absent. She was extremely worried that this condition would recur.
Ye Qin sat motionless for several days, his divine sense immersed in his Purple Mansion.
Just as Huangfu Bing'er was becoming extremely anxious and helpless,
he finally opened his eyes. Sunlight gleamed brightly, and he let out a long breath. “A small accident occurred, but I suspect I’ve gained another top-tier magical artifact.” With a sweep of his sleeve, a pair of enormous, pale blue, butterfly-shaped wings appeared in his hand.
“What is this?”
Huangfu Bing'er was amazed. She recognized it almost immediately—it was an incredibly dazzling pair of butterfly-shaped wings. Ye Qin nodded. “This is from the Rock Fire Worm. Do you remember the Rock Fire Worm we encountered by the magma river back then? This is what was left after it transformed into a butterfly.”
She thought for a moment, then suddenly recalled, “I did see a Magma Stone Fire Beast by the magma river back then, but how did it turn into a butterfly?”
Ye Qin gave a wry smile. “This is hard to explain in a short while. But these wings are excellent. I should have no problem refining them into a top-tier fire-element winged magical artifact for you. Gaining another top-tier artifact is ultimately a good thing.”
His Bone Refining Art was already quite proficient.
He could refine these iridescent butterfly wings himself. He would find some beast skeletons when he had time, summon Yin Fire, and refine these butterfly wings.
“Reporting to the Young Palace Master, your subordinates have all arrived,” a thin, gloomy young cultivator announced, leading a small group of over a dozen cultivators dressed in dark blue attire before Li Shuwen. The lowest cultivation level among these cultivators was the mid-stage Foundation Establishment.
“Hmm, is Huangfu Bing'er still on the island?”
“Your subordinate has dispatched two men to watch that island. There has been no movement yet. If there is any change, I will report to the Palace Master immediately,” the thin cultivator replied instantly.
“Well done.”
Li Shuwen nodded with satisfaction, then swept his gaze over the assembled cultivators. These were all his trusted confidantes who obeyed only his orders.
“Young Master, should we invite a few Golden Core cultivators to join us?”
The thin cultivator hesitated slightly.
“No need. A mere late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator—can she fly away? Bringing Golden Core cultivators will definitely alert the Old Ancestor. This trip is an open attempt to seize someone from the Heavenly Dao Alliance. This matter is not huge, but not small either. If it escalates, we might offend the Water Cloud Palace, affecting the relationship between the Demonic Heaven Alliance and the Heavenly Dao Alliance. The Old Ancestor will never agree to me acting so overtly. Therefore, this excursion must succeed in one strike. Once it's done, the people of the Water Cloud Palace, even if they object, won't be able to do anything, and the Heavenly Dao Alliance won't interfere either.”
A sinister grin surfaced on Li Shuwen's gloomy face.
Originally, he didn't want to resort to such crude methods; he wanted to conquer the aloof, ice-and-snow woman using his own ‘Bane Power’ to demonstrate that he, Li Shuwen, was also capable. But Huangfu Bing'er, relying on being the Water Cloud Palace Master's most outstanding female disciple, dismissed him with contempt and refused outright, causing him to lose face.
He didn't want to wait any longer.
If Huangfu Bing'er successfully formed her Core, she would certainly attract much attention in Immortal City. Even Golden Core cultivators might join the pursuit. By then, he, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, would have no hope of winning the beauty.
“Let’s go!”
Li Shuwen led his group of confidantes out of the Nine Star Palace, careening through the streets. However, no one in the Demonic Heaven Alliance’s Star Bamboo Palace dared to utter a word of complaint. After hastily leaving Immortal City, this group of cultivators took their artifacts and flew swiftly westward.
Several days later, the group of cultivators appeared above Huangfu Bing'er’s island.
In the Central Archipelago, cultivators occasionally flew by. Seeing this group fiercely surrounding a small island, those who realized a conflict was brewing quickly steered clear, unwilling to get involved.
The two Star Bamboo Palace cultivators who had arrived earlier revealed themselves and reported the situation to Young Palace Master Li; they found no anomalies.
“Junior Sister Huangfu, are you here?” Li Shuwen roared towards the island. There was no response from the island. “If you won't come out, then we fight!” Li Shuwen’s mouth curved into a cold sneer. With a wave of his hand, the assembled cultivators simultaneously unleashed spells—fireballs and various techniques bombarded the small island. All cultivation cave dwellings were equipped with protective formations.
The outermost illusion formation was shattered, and the cave dwelling shook violently…