Before long, Yuan Ming stood at the entrance of the newly opened cave mansion, hands clasped behind his back as he gazed forward with a level look.

The spirit lake lay right in front of the green mountain peak, its surface glimmering with light, faint silhouettes of blue shadows frolicking in the waters beneath.

Further afield were patches of spirit fields and lush trees, with the sea breeze carrying refreshing scents of grass and wood.

"Starting today, this will be my territory," Yuan Ming nodded in approval, quite satisfied with the sight before him.

He soon returned to the cave mansion, pondering over his future cultivation plan.

What troubled him the most at present was the two hundred Vow Power Pills demanded by the Stealing Heaven Tripod Artifact Spirit, which was also the main reason he had spared Ruan Hongxiang and the others.

Besides, not only was Spiritual Ape Island densely populated, but there were also many insignificant islands nearby inhabited by large numbers of ordinary people and low-level cultivators, which was conducive to spreading the teachings of the Moon Sect.

When chitchatting with Sikong Zhan and others before, Yuan Ming had subtly inquired and learned that soul cultivators were rare in the Dongji Sea and had never been viewed with hostility, and there wasn't much resistance to the idea of preaching.

However, preaching required manpower, and it certainly wasn't something he could do alone, so Yuan Ming planned to first bring Xi Ying and Wulu back.

While there was still a buffer time for the Stealing Heaven Tripod, he entered a secret chamber within the cave mansion, took out a stack of array setting tools, and started arranging the Void Communication Array.

Afterwards, Yuan Ming placed a spirit stone on the ground, and the top of the black stone pillar began to emit strands of blood light, growing brighter until it finally ignited a burst of blood flames.

Seeing this, Yuan Ming raised an eyebrow, formed a hand seal with one hand, and activated the array.

The blood flames trembled violently and suddenly stopped after a few breaths, revealing a blurry visage of Xi Ying within the flames.

"Finally got in touch. How are things on your end?" Yuan Ming asked with relief.

"I'm relatively safe for now, currently aboard a giant ship..." Xi Ying recounted her experiences over the past few days to Yuan Ming.

The day the Stealing Heaven Tripod Artifact Spirit agreed to act, Xi Ying, like Yuan Ming, had fallen into unconsciousness and woke up inside a large city known as White Emperor City.

After some investigation, she infiltrated the Sky Eagle Chamber of Commerce and was currently traveling on a Heavenly Eagle Flying Boat towards a place called Central Continent.

"What are you doing in that Central Continent, and is it still possible for you to disembark now? We've just arrived in the Overseas World, so it would be better to act together," Yuan Ming furrowed his brows, briefly explained his own situation, and then said.

"This Heavenly Eagle Flying Boat is a direct flight to Central Continent, it won't stop midway, and there are powerful cultivators inside the boat, I no longer have a way to get off," Xi Ying shook her head saying.

"Alright then, be careful, I'll try to get there as soon as possible," Yuan Ming sighed.

"No need, I'm quite safe now, you don't have to rush over here. First, gather desire power in the Dongji Sea and complete the task of the Stealing Heaven Tripod Artifact Spirit," Xi Ying spoke.

Yuan Ming heard this, a flicker of unusual light passing in his eyes; it seemed Xi Ying was hiding something from him.

"Someone's coming, I'll have to leave it at that," Xi Ying suddenly spoke, and then the blood flames flashed, and her silhouette disappeared from within. The reference version of this chapter is on *.

Yuan Ming fell silent, ceasing the operation of the Void Communication Array with a hand seal.

After some thought, he decided to follow Xi Ying's advice and stay in the Dongji Sea for a while, gathering more information about Central Continent before deciding whether to go there.

Once he had made up his mind, Yuan Ming then tried to contact Wulu through the Void Communication Array, but again ended in failure.

Seeing this, Yuan Ming couldn't help but frown. Failing to contact Wulu twice in succession, he wondered if something unexpected had happened on the other end?

After a moment of contemplation, he could only sit in meditation with closed eyes, waiting until seven days later when he inserted a normal piece of Black Incense into the Stealing Heaven Tripod and lit it, his consciousness diving into darkness, subsequently taking possession of Wulu's body.

Before his eyes lay a vast and lush forest, with Wulu sitting cross-legged in the center of a giant tree, his body in a translucent state, blending into the surroundings.

Seeing that Wulu was still alive brought some relief to Yuan Ming, and he turned his attention to the surroundings.

This was a primeval forest, its species of trees starkly different from those on the Yunhuang Continent.

Through the gaps in the trees, he could barely make out a continuous range of mountains in the distance, a terrain that did not seem to belong to the Dongji Sea region.

"Wulu, Xi Ying, and I were all saved by the Stealing Heaven Tripod Artifact Spirit, but how did we end up in three completely different places?" Yuan Ming couldn't help feeling somewhat puzzled.

Now, it seemed Wulu had injuries and was hiding in a relatively concealed location, cultivating to heal, so Yuan Ming was unable to gather more useful information.

Yuan Ming had no choice but to quietly wait for the possession time to end, his consciousness returning to his original body.

"Looking at the situation, it seems Wulu and Xi Ying probably won't be able to return anytime soon. Oh well, for now, I must figure something out for myself," Yuan Ming thought to himself.

As he contemplated, he immediately dispersed his divine sense, seeking within the island's cultivators for those who could be nurtured.

Soon, he found two reasonable targets, one at the mid-stage of Core Formation and another at Foundation Establishment Perfection.

These two individuals had mediocre talents but were eloquent speakers, more than capable of attracting ordinary believers.

Yuan Ming did not immediately summon them, deciding to observe them for a while longer to assess their characters.

"Now that other matters have mostly been settled, it's time to start focusing on cultivation," Yuan Ming closed his eyes, and all three of his divine souls sprang into action.

His main soul left his body, hovering above the cave mansion, operating the Moonlight Technique to absorb the power of moonlight.

Inside the Nascent Soul, his divine soul operated the Nine Elements Technique, absorbing nature's spiritual energy.

As for the first soul, it controlled the physical body, operating the Demon Image Prison Suppression Skill, absorbing the Power of the Sun from the nearby void.

This way of cultivation was something Yuan Ming thought of over the past hundred years, taking advantage of having three divine souls, each soul body cultivated simultaneously, without lagging behind any of the others.

Time passed bit by bit, and in the blink of an eye, three days had gone by.

Yuan Ming opened his eyes, his eyebrows knitted together.

In these three days, soul cultivation and body cultivation went smoothly, but only magic practitioner cultivation encountered a problem.

The mana within his Dantian would occasionally become disordered, and each time it happened, it took a long while of cultivating to suppress and calm it down.

"How can this be?" Yuan Ming was deeply perplexed.

Could it be that there was something wrong with the Nine Elements Technique?

Yuan Ming pondered for a moment before taking out the Shura Blood Devouring Map, summoning Qi Ye, and explaining the situation to him.

Nowadays, he had only Qi Ye left to discuss matters with, and after observing for a hundred years, he had fully understood that what were called Demonic Qi and Spiritual Energy were merely different kinds of energy. The magic practitioner cultivation in the Demon World and the Chuyun Realm actually weren't much different in a certain sense.

"Your Nine Elements Technique indeed has serious issues and is no longer suitable for continued cultivation," Qi Ye said after hearing Yuan Ming's words and pondering for a long while.

"How so?" Yuan Ming asked.

"Returning to Void Cultivators, when advancing to the Returning Void stage, have already complemented their Spirit Root, possessing the Five Elements Power simultaneously, while the Nine Elements Technique is a wood attribute cultivation method, which can no longer meet the needs of your Spirit Root and mana. You now need to switch to a cultivation method that incorporates all five attributes." Qi Ye spoke thus.

Yuan Ming's face showed surprise, as the Yunhuang Continent's cultivation techniques were all of a single attribute, at most dual attributes; he had never heard of a cultivation technique of five attributes.

However, if he needed to change his cultivation technique, surely other Returning to Void Stage Cultivators would need to as well, thus, there should definitely be a Five Attribute Cultivation Method available somewhere in the Dongji Sea.

Determining one's cultivation technique was of utmost importance, so Yuan Ming immediately left the cave mansion and returned to the Dongji Islands.

The Dongji Islands were still bustling and lively, with countless large and small sea vessels entering and leaving the docks, shuttling non-stop. Various colored tunneling lights flashed in the sky, looking quite dazzling.

Among the numerous tunneling lights, an unremarkable green light descended. As the light receded, Yuan Ming's figure was revealed.

Having been to the Dongji Islands before, he knew his way well and quickly arrived at one of the deputy islands to the west.

The six deputy islands of the Dongji Islands were named after the six unions: Heavenly Union Island, Earth Union Island, East Union Island, West Union Island, Nanhe Island, and Beihe Island.

Yuan Ming had previously visited East Union Island, and this time he set foot on West Union Island.

Compared to East Union Island, West Union Island was a true hub of commerce, with bustling shops on either side of the street and cultivators shoulder to shoulder, several times more lively than the streets of East Union Island.

Looking at the thriving scene before him, Yuan Ming also revealed a trace of a smile on his face.

He had briefly visited the Dongji Islands during his last trip and had left in a hurry. This time around, he planned to take a good tour around and experience the prosperity here.

"You are... Senior Yuan, right?" A somewhat familiar voice came from the side.

Yuan Ming turned his head to look. Three men and one woman, four figures had just walked out of a nearby shop—It was Sikong Zhan and his companions.

"Oh, it's you guys." Yuan Ming nodded casually, as a greeting.

"Hehe, we never expected to encounter Senior here again. It truly is our honor. Senior Yuan, may I ask what brings you to the East Extreme Island? We are fairly familiar with the island's situation. If there's anything we can assist with, please feel free to ask," Sikong Zhan said warmly, his eyes shifting subtly as he stepped forward.

"I have come here to purchase a Returning to Void Technique; do you know where I can find one on the East Extreme Island?" Yuan Ming asked.

Though he had visited the Dongji Islands once before, he was indeed unfamiliar with the area and didn't know where he could buy a cultivation technique. Having Sikong Zhan and others lead the way could indeed save him a lot of trouble.

"You want to buy a cultivation technique? Naturally, you should go to the Sui Xin Pavilion on Heavenly Union Island. It's specially established by Dongji Palace for the Returning to Void elders. However, the Sui Xin Pavilion is only open to the elders or the Island Masters under the banner of Dongji Palace. If an outsider wishes to enter, they need permission from Dongji Palace, which might be a bit troublesome," Sikong Zhan said, his tone carrying a hint of inquisitiveness.

"I am now the Island Master of the Spiritual Ape Island in the Dongji Sea," Yuan Ming stated plainly.

"Congratulations, Senior Yuan! Then there should be no problem. Does Senior wish to go there now?" Sikong Zhan hurriedly congratulated him and then asked.

"No rush, let's look around elsewhere first, I'm planning to purchase some spiritual materials," Yuan Ming replied.

The daily operations of Spiritual Ape Island were still running smoothly, but its defenses were weak.

The prohibition that Silver Dragon Taoist had previously set up around the island had been dismantled and taken away by him. Yuan Ming planned to arrange a Great Array that would envelop the entire island, but he was somewhat lacking in spiritual materials.

"If Senior needs spiritual materials, you should visit the Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip. It's a super chamber of commerce with a presence throughout the Chuyun Realm. Not only is their range of spiritual materials complete, but their quality is absolutely guaranteed," Sikong Zhan proposed after some thought.

"With a presence throughout the Chuyun Realm..." Yuan Ming was inwardly astonished.