Lian Yichen stared warily at this ally he had just met, or rather, had not truly met yet.

This guy's mana was clearly at the Golden Core level too. However, for some reason, his combat power was even stronger than that of heterodox cultivators at the same stage—yes, just like that Killing God. He once thought that the young man who could slay Divine Separation figures with a Golden Core body was the strongest Golden Core Cultivator.

But unexpectedly, this guy was even stronger!

Moreover, he originally knew nothing about the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, yet he could make the most accurate judgment right away. With just a little bit of information, he came up with such a plan that nearly put that Killing God in a dead end.

"Impressive... truly impressive..."

And this guy had just used methods on that heterodox Killing God that he could entirely use against them as well.

His methods were even more mysterious than those of the heterodox. He had no idea how to respond.

Just now, it was Lian Yichen who captured two demon bees while the opponent was caught off guard—he indeed had once been defeated by Wang Qi, not even at the Golden Core Stage, but that was purely because Wang Qi was a special case. Usually, even if several thousand Golden Core Cultivators attacked, they couldn't get close to him.

This was one of the drawbacks of the beast herd species. For the beast herd species, the individual entities within the body do not possess wisdom or judgment. If it's a beast herd species with fewer than ten "parts," it might realize something in a moment. However, when parts number in the hundreds, the consciousness of a beast herd species becomes difficult to clarify, and the disconnection of a single limb wouldn't attract their attention.

The feeling of losing a small piece of skin and the control over a hand are not on the same level.

For the beast herd species, a single entity doesn't even count as a "person." Their parts, such as "hands and feet," aren't indispensable organs either. Those "parts" are just like a lizard's tail or an octopus's arm—merely smarter animals.

In the brief moment they were suppressed, Mei Gemu planted enslavement seals on the heads of the two demon bees.

Then, everything else followed naturally.

Regarding Lian Yichen's horror, Mei Gemu felt disdain. He had dealt with beast herd species more than once. Advanced ones, basic ones, covering an area or just a few. Among these, "insect swarms" were the most numerous and representative.

He knew well how to utilize insect-type beast herd species.

The Alien Insect Immortals from the stars back then were far stronger than these small creatures on this planet, and Mei Gemu's "previous self" could utilize them just the same.

Now, that heterodox has his bee swarm to deal with him, so he could slowly recover himself.

But before that, he still had one last issue to resolve.

"May I ask this Daoist Fellow's name?" He concealed the trace of disdain in his eyes and saluted Lian Yichen.

Lian Yichen shook his head, smiling bitterly: "I am Lian Yichen, now merely a homeless wanderer..." Saying that, he honestly revealed his identity.

"Hmm?" After listening to Lian Yichen's self-introduction, Mei Gemu's face slightly changed: "So you actually have no way to go overseas now?"

Lian Yichen could tell that his ally's attitude had significantly changed after learning this. However, since the man didn't attack him, it showed that he wasn't on the same path as the Holy Emperor Venerable.

That meant they could still talk.

"Daoist Fellow, for your earlier help, I am wholeheartedly grateful. I hope Daoist Fellow can tell me your immortal title so I may know who saved me."

Lian Yichen snorted softly through his nose: "Banished Immortal."

This one word was weighty enough.

No matter if it was Lian Xinjie, Lian Xingling, or Lian Yichen who tried to remain calm just now, they all exclaimed in surprise.

Banished Immortal, what did it represent?

With different levels of awakening, they may be invincible at the same level or able to kill surpassing levels. There were almost no bottlenecks in cultivation.

In the absence of Modern Cultivators, the Mahayana Realm Banished Immortal was the strongest force in that heaven and earth!

The Holy Emperor Venerable, who upheld Righteous Skill for two thousand years, was also just a Mahayana Realm Banished Immortal.

Yet now, they encountered another already awakened Banished Immortal?

Mei Gemu did not wait for the reaction of these three people. Now, in his mind, their value had greatly diminished. Seeing the swarm of bees passing nearby, he said to Lian Yichen: "Daoist Fellow Lian, I need to recover some power now, please stand guard here."

Mei Gemu's tone was almost a command. Yet, Lian Yichen still nodded blankly, indicating his understanding.

— A Banished Immortal, this is a Banished Immortal...

Lian Yichen's mind was now full of thoughts like "rare and valuable."

Mei Gemu walked to the tree hole and looked at the poison swamp below, his face fluctuating.

Now, likely advanced heterodox, or even Carefree Practitioners are coming to hunt him down. Time is everything. Therefore, every resource around must be maximized.

And now, what was the most abundant resource at his side?

It is undoubtedly this Poison Swamp.

The spiritual power that is chelated with toxins and exists within the unique ordered structure of the toxin, compared to the completely attribute-less nature's spiritual energy, is equivalent to having undergone preliminary refinement. Using a special mental method, that is, the Poison Skill, it can easily be transformed into Mana.

Of course, Mei Gemu does not know such a theory. However, having been the "Innate Tax Collector" in his previous life, forcibly collecting taxes on countless planets, he has countless cultivation methods in his mind, naturally including the "Poison Art" and "Poison Skill."

Apart from the Witch Ghost Dao and Demon Path, which rapidly expand by devouring residual souls and Outer Demons, this is the Law Gate that allows for the most rapid growth in Power and Combat Power.

Quickly, Mei Gemu made up his mind. He took a deep breath. Just from that breath, the nearby nature's spiritual energy rapidly surged and converged towards him. The three members of the Lian family were shocked to feel that a new force had emerged within this Banished Immortal. This was Mana, completely different from the Essence Demon Energy. Moreover, his Mana was rapidly increasing, quickly moving from zero to the Qi Cultivation Early Stage, then Mid-Stage Qi Refining...

With just one breath, he surpassed the arduous cultivation years of countless Ancient Method Practitioners!

After finishing that deep breath, Mei Gemu took off his boots and robe, even removing his undergarments, then walked out of the tree hollow, and jumped into the toxin-laden swamp.

"Sssss..." The toxins corroded Mei Gemu's foot skin, quickly entering his body. The "Demon Blood" seemed to sense danger and immediately boiled. All the muscles in Mei Gemu's body swelled by a circle.

For Mei Gemu, Demon Blood is the first layer of "filter" and "buffer." The poisonous active substances were decomposed by this blood refined with Immortal methods, while the special spiritual power chelated with toxins entered his meridians. The just-formed Mana frantically circulated. This is the second layer of "buffer." All the spiritual power was rapidly transformed.

This is like some hydrates, which appear as dry solids without a trace of water, yet sometimes certain hydrate crystals contain water molecules nearly equivalent to that of the same volume of liquid water.

The spiritual power within these toxins only exists in the form of "Poison Power" through chelation with toxins. If the toxin is dismantled appropriately, this spiritual power will dissipate.

In nature, few life beings rely on external toxins. The vast majority of venomous life beings are self-sufficient, not reliant on external sources. Moreover, this Grotto Heaven does not experience tectonic shifts, thus lacking the so-called "Canghai Sangtian." Millions upon tens of millions, even a billion years, have allowed this Poison Swamp to accumulate power.

And now, this power accumulated over eternity is being devoured by a life being from the stars!

The intense fluctuations of spiritual energy even triggered intense spirit light movements, altering heavenly phenomena. The three members of the Lian family seemed to feel a thick humidity. The dense fog, so thick it was hard to open their eyes, appeared. Imperceptible static electricity stimulated their skin.

This is... a sign of a Heavenly Tribulation.

"This guy, his cultivation defies the Heavens, causing the Heavenly Tribulation?" Lian Yichen murmured.

Within just a few breaths, Lian Yichen's Mana broke through the Qi Cultivation limits, condensing into a Magic Foundation. The Magic Foundation continually accumulated, transforming his body, establishing a new Spirit Power System.

It was then that he paused. A crisp sound echoed through the air—"snap!"

This was the sound of opening acupoints with supreme Mana.

It was not just one sound. The initial sound seemed to be just a herald. Very quickly, the sound of this explosion became more frequent and urgent, eventually resembling a string of firecrackers, endlessly continuous.

Countless acupoints opened! Initially, the members of the Lian family had the thought to count how many acupoints this Banished Immortal could open. But they soon lost interest.

Because with just a listen, they knew it was beyond the reach of human capability.

He was not refining acupoints, but creating acupoints!

"In the Life Map, for the acupoint positions of upright flesh beings... this physical body is indeed weak. Refining seventeen thousand acupoints and it can't be refined further!" Mei Gemu let out a cold snort.

The human body has only three hundred and sixty major acupoints, several thousand minor ones, and the Tianying Acupoint is Indeterminate. Generally speaking, for a person to open a thousand acupoints is already one in ten thousand. But Mei Gemu seemed unsatisfied.

However, he would make do for now...

With a hand mnemonic, Mei Gemu then suddenly compressed the surrounding spiritual power.

A bolt of Thunder descended from the sky. This was Mei Gemu's small Thunderbolt, rivaling the small thunderbolt of a Nascent Soul Tribulation!

The rate at which Mei Gemu's Mana grew was exceptionally abnormal, disturbing the surrounding Spirit Energy Environment significantly. Naturally, the small Thunderbolt he suffered upon forming his Golden Core was many times stronger than that of an ordinary cultivator.

But even with such strength, so what? He is a Banished Immortal; how could he be harmed by this mortal Thunder?

The enraged power of the Heavens, in Mei Gemu's hand, appeared light and gentle, like a tamed beast.

This bolt of Thunder, he led into his body to wash the newly formed Golden Core.

In the Golden Core, all impure power and weak structures were destroyed by the Thunder and then reconstructed using the Poison Power that had accumulated in the swamp for countless years.

Golden Core Early Formation... Golden Core stabilization... Mid-Stage Golden Core... Late Stage Golden Core... Great Perfection...

Very quickly, Mei Gemu approached the realm of Alchemy Shattering Infant Formation.

"Alchemy Shattering Infant Formation... This realm is a great leap in the Essence of Life, and I must not rush it. I need to adapt for a day or two."

"Moreover, I should resolve those latent threats within my body."

Mei Gemu's attention shifted to that Mana he had suppressed.