Li Yan thought that in the future, without the "Undead Nether Phoenix" essence blood and the subsequent cultivation method for the "Qiongqi Purgatory Art," he would not be able to continue to improve his physical body's strength for a long time.
However, he could still continue to cultivate the "Qiongqi Purgatory Art" to temper his body, making his muscles and bones and bloodline more and more refined and tough.
"The further one goes in cultivation, the more difficult it is to advance one's realm.
"This is completely different from the Foundation Establishment stage, where one often only needs to absorb a small part of the 'Undead Nether Phoenix' essence blood, or cultivate the 'True Scripture of Gui Water' for a few years to easily advance a small realm...
"This is also the reason for my wrong estimation that I could reach the late-stage Golden Core before I went into seclusion!"
Li Yan could only sigh in his heart, and then he turned his thoughts to other things.
Now he only had a rough idea of the duration of his seclusion this time, which should be at least thirty years, but he didn't know the exact time.
"I'll just ask Su Yuan, and everything will be clear!"
Su Yuan had never come to disturb his quiet cultivation, which meant that Zhao Min had never sent a voice transmission talisman over. This made Li Yan feel a sense of unease.
Soon, Li Yan's figure appeared in the pavilion in the backyard of the "Falling Star Valley" shop.
His Divine Sense quickly swept over the room he had once lived in. His brow furrowed, and then he pushed the door open and entered.
The furnishings in the room were as they were before. Also due to the protection of the formation, the windows and tables were bright and clean.
Although he had instructed Su Yuan to send him any voice transmission talisman that entered the restriction here at the first opportunity, after a little thought, Li Yan still decided to come over personally.
When he saw with his own eyes that the restriction he had set up was intact, he was both disappointed and a little more at ease in his heart.
If a voice transmission talisman had entered, or had been taken by someone, he would have known immediately after looking now.
After he sat down at the table, his lips moved slightly, and he immediately sent a voice transmission to Su Yuan.
Just now, he had already discovered that Su Yuan was cultivating on the floor below the pavilion.
When Su Yuan rushed up the stairs, although he had been a little shocked by the transmission before, after personally seeing Li Yan with his short, ink-black hair, he still couldn't hide the astonishment on his face.
This Elder Zhang had not appeared for forty years, and today he had suddenly come over personally.
And at this moment, the feeling Li Yan gave him was as if he was sitting there, yet not existing, appearing very ethereal.
There was not a trace of Spirit Power fluctuation on his body. Even the surrounding Spiritual Energy seemed to be able to pass through his body and move freely.
If not for seeing a person sitting in the room with his own eyes, Su Yuan would have completely ignored him.
The other party's eyes were as clear as an endless deep pool, making it impossible for others to look directly at them.
Su Yuan uncomfortably averted his gaze. Although he was shocked in his heart, a look of pleasant surprise instantly appeared on his face.
"This disciple pays his respects to Elder Zhang. After not seeing you for several decades, your cultivation has become even more exquisite. This disciple can only say that it is unfathomable, unfathomable!"
Others might have to be a little subtle when they flattered someone, but Su Yuan just said it directly, and it actually had a sense of dignity.
But if you really thought about it, this was also the truth from the bottom of his heart.
To express his shock so openly actually did not make Li Yan feel annoyed.
"I've called you here to tell me about the major events of the years I've been in seclusion!"
Li Yan was also not polite and asked directly.
Regarding this, Su Yuan had actually already guessed it in his heart, so he was already prepared.
However, he still pondered for a moment to sort out his thoughts before he began to report to Li Yan one by one.
The focus of his description was very clear. First, he reported the two things Li Yan had instructed him to do one by one.
First, he would often scan this room with his Divine Sense, but no voice transmission talisman had ever fallen in. This matter was extremely simple, so he just mentioned it in a few words.
Secondly, four of the jade bottles Li Yan had given him had been used. He immediately took out the remaining two and presented them to Li Yan with both hands.
Li Yan took the jade bottles and did not interrupt him.
Seeing that Elder Zhang was not asking, Su Yuan took out a few more jade slips and told Li Yan that these were all the information they had been searching for about a certain person.
As long as it matched the description Li Yan had given back then even a little, Su Yuan had recorded it in the jade slips...
Three hours later, Li Yan's figure once again appeared in the courtyard where he lived. His face was devoid of joy or sorrow, making it impossible for others to guess what he was thinking.
He walked slowly to the stone bench and sat down. He placed one hand on the stone table and tapped it rhythmically with his fingers.
"This seclusion lasted exactly forty years. The entry and exit of the 'Sacred Demon Palace' is much more relaxed than before.
"Nothing major has happened these years. Even in the 'Sacred Demon Palace,' no one has advanced to the Nascent Soul or Spirit Transformation realms.
"As for more detailed information, the 'Sacred Demon Palace' is now paying more attention to blockading news, so Su Yuan also doesn't know much.
"It's been forty years. Why hasn't there been any news from Senior Sister?
"If something had happened, the 'Sacred Demon Palace' should have already investigated me. There should be no doubt about this.
"Even if she was in seclusion, as long as she had a moment of clarity, she should have sent news to inform me..."
During his inquiry with Su Yuan just now, Li Yan had, of course, mainly inquired about news concerning the "Sacred Demon Palace."
Forty years was really not too long for a cultivator. It was just a single meditation session. Everything was almost as it was yesterday, and many things had changed very little.
On the contrary, the changes in the "Falling Star Valley" could be said to be earth-shattering.
Now, the Grand Elder Tianxingzi and Lin Xinghe had both come out of seclusion. But after a year or so, Tianxingzi and Xing Ming had entered seclusion again. Now, Lin Xinghe was in charge of the "Falling Star Valley."
Although Lin Xinghe had not broken through to the late-stage Golden Core after recovering from his injuries, due to his long period of seclusion, it was said that he had had many epiphanies and was not far from the late-stage Golden Core, but he just couldn't break through.
He simply came out of seclusion on his own, wanting to comprehend the great Dao through other means.
Cultivators' cultivation varies from person to person. Blindly engaging in death-seclusion can sometimes be counterproductive.
They can temper their hearts through experiences outside, pill refining, artifact refining, or even appreciating flowers and observing the heavens. They might have an epiphany at some point.
So no one knew if Lin Xinghe's choice was right or wrong. His handling of the sect's affairs was also another kind of heart-tempering.
As for why Tianxingzi had entered seclusion again after coming out?
Li Yan felt that the other party might have already grasped a sliver of an opportunity for Nascent Soul Formation and wanted to break through in one go.
With Lin Xinghe out of seclusion, Xing Ming could naturally put everything down and start cultivating with peace of mind.
Currently, he was still nominally the sect master, and Lin Xinghe was serving as an elder.
Otherwise, a sect frequently changing its sect master would give people a feeling of being too casual and strange.
In addition, that Shuang Wuyan had now tacitly accepted the position of Guest Elder, but she was also unwilling to hold any kind of inauguration ceremony, so it was only announced to the public.
Thinking of this, Li Yan smiled to himself.
"Although she is under duress, the benefits given by the 'Falling Star Valley' must be even greater.
"With such a master proficient in puppets and formations, I wonder how many Foundation Establishment stage puppets she has refined for the sect?"
From Shuang Wuyan's acceptance of the position of Guest Elder, Li Yan had guessed a lot of things. The "Falling Star Valley" must have been desperately trying to win her over during these years.
But to pacify the resentment in the heart of a Golden Core cultivator, how many benefits would that take? Just thinking about it was scary.
Li Yan could guess that Shuang Wuyan should have the means to refine at least an initial-stage Golden Core puppet, but the success rate was probably frighteningly low.
It was estimated that even a top-tier sect like the "Sacred Demon Palace" would not dare to casually provide materials for Shuang Wuyan to try.
The raw materials for an initial-stage Golden Core puppet might not cost less in cultivation resources than cultivating a Golden Core cultivator.
At the same time, Shuang Wuyan would definitely not admit that she had the means to refine a Golden Core stage puppet.
At most, she could help the sect refine a late-stage Foundation Establishment puppet, and the number would definitely not be large. One or two would be good.
Everyone understood the principle of things being rare and valuable! Li Yan estimated that Shuang Wuyan would probably only act once or twice to let others see her methods.
Afterwards, she would hand everything over to Shuang Chongshan to do. And later on, she would probably only decide whether to continue to act at certain times.
These were things that Li Yan himself knew. He did not intend to inform Lin Xinghe.
Now that he was out of seclusion, he would not be returning to the sect in the near future. He hadn't heard any news about Zhao Min, and her silence made him very worried.
He had to find a way to find out about Zhao Min's situation.
In the next few days, Li Yan's figure appeared in various places in the "Sacred Demon City." During this period, he also entered the "Sacred Demon Palace" to meet the cultivator surnamed Chu once.
Just listening to Su Yuan's narration was only one aspect. Li Yan, of course, had to personally inquire about the news before he could be at ease. This would be more conducive to his analysis of the situation.
On the evening of this day, after Li Yan returned to his courtyard, he hurriedly entered the cultivation chamber and immediately activated the formation restriction.
The reason he had come back in such a hurry was that while he was still walking in a market in the city just now, the Snow Mosquito King's voice transmission had suddenly sounded in his mind.
There was an unusual movement in the area of the little Purple Divine Dragon-Elephant in the "Earthen Patch."
After receiving the transmission, Li Yan was stunned. Due to Zhao Min's matter, he had actually forgotten about the little Purple Divine Dragon-Elephant after he came out of seclusion.
Decades had already passed. If not for the Snow Mosquito King's transmission, the next time he would have entered the "Earthen Patch" would have been when he remembered this matter.
The illusory shadow of Li Yan's Divine Sense entered the "Earthen Patch" space and immediately felt the violent power of the fire Spiritual Energy in the west.
With a flash, he had already arrived at the edge of the far western desert.
At this moment, the restriction he had set up back then was constantly trembling and swaying.
The originally hidden restriction was constantly being revealed by the strikes of the fire Spiritual Energy from within.
High in the sky, the Snow Mosquito King was looking at the center of the desert with a look of astonishment. He had not noticed Li Yan's arrival.
Li Yan first swept his Divine Sense over the center of the desert. Seeing that the giant egg was still lying in the desert, emitting a vigorous life aura, he was slightly relieved.
He immediately flicked his sleeve, and an irresistible force descended from the sky. The restriction below, which was being beaten until it was constantly twisting and deforming, immediately returned to calm after a violent tremor.
Only then did the Snow Mosquito King notice that Li Yan had already arrived not far from him. He hurriedly flapped his wings and flew over.
"Master, is that little elephant about to break its shell and condense its physical body?"
As he spoke, he peeked at Li Yan, sensing the surge of Spirit Power on the other party.
This scourge had disappeared for decades. During this period, he had also called out to the other party, hoping to go out for a trip, but the other party had simply ignored him.
This made the Snow Mosquito King very helpless. His cultivation had reached a bottleneck, and he was stuck at the peak of the second rank, unable to advance any further.
So, he wanted to go out and see if he could gain some insights through other means in order to make a breakthrough.
It was just that no matter how many times he called out, it was like a stone sinking into the sea.
So, in his boredom, he would always go to the far west and talk to the egg in the restriction for a long time before returning to the mountain peak in disappointment.
Today, he was playing with a group of his beloved consorts on the mountain peak when he suddenly felt a dense surge of fire Spiritual Energy from the far west.
Let alone the fact that the Snow Mosquito King's cultivation was already very strong, the Snow Mosquito clan was originally extremely sensitive to the Dao of fire, and could even be said to have a natural aversion to it.
So, ever since Li Yan had turned the far west into a desert, apart from the Snow Mosquito King, not a single snow mosquito was willing to fly over.