"What is that?"
Both the princess and the protector were stunned.
"Could it be that the senior was defeated, and now a powerful sea beast is chasing after us?"
The protector was filled with fear.
"No!"
The Ninth Princess shook her head. "That doesn't look like a wave caused by a sea beast!"
As the wave approached, everyone was astonished.
"That's…"
"The senior!!!"
When they saw that the massive wave was actually being ridden by a man rushing toward them at high speed, they couldn't help but shout in surprise!
Moments later, Lin Li, walking on the waves, approached the ship and leaped gracefully onto the deck.
"Senior?!"
The protector asked in shock, "What about the powerful orca beast?"
"I told you before, just focus on protecting the princess. Leave those beasts to me."
Lin Li replied with a faint smile, "Now, they've all been taken care of! You can rest easy."
Hiss!
Everyone gasped in astonishment.
The Ninth Princess was overjoyed. She rushed over, her eyes sparkling like crescent moons as she exclaimed in admiration, "Senior! You're amazing!"
"I'm tired. I'll head back to my room to rest."
In the recent battle, Lin Li had gained immensely. At this moment, he wanted to take advantage of the momentum, return to his room, and go into seclusion to absorb the energy fed back by Ye Fan, aiming to push through to the peak of Foundation Establishment and reach the false core stage. Thus, he didn't waste time chatting with them.
"Of course!"
The protector quickly responded, "Senior! If it weren't for you, we would have all perished at sea! Please, this way!"
With that, he led Lin Li back to his cabin, while the Ninth Princess seemed somewhat reluctant and disappointed.
...
After returning to his cabin, Lin Li immediately sat down to meditate.
The evolution points he had accumulated from slaying numerous sea beasts had allowed Ye Fan to evolve into a high-grade magic weapon.
At that moment, the flow of energy from Ye Fan had yet to diminish.
A tremendous amount of energy poured into Lin Li's body, which he continuously refined.
Already at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment, Lin Li's cultivation stabilized rapidly with the abundant energy supply.
Finally!
After three days!
Lin Li's cultivation had reached the pinnacle, leaving no room for further improvement at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment!
"Foundation Establishment… Perfection!"
Lin Li's heart surged with emotion.
He focused inward on his dantian.
The vast sea of spiritual liquid within his dantian had reached its limit, nearly overflowing, unable to hold any more.
"The so-called Core Formation involves condensing the spiritual liquid further into a solid state, ultimately forming the Golden Core."
Lin Li thought to himself, "However, back in Xuantian Sect, I didn't learn the method for Core Formation. It seems I'll have to find a way to obtain it in Baixing Kingdom. Fortunately, I've built a good rapport with the Ninth Princess of Hailan Kingdom. With her help, it should be easier to acquire the Core Formation method."
"Now, I'll begin refining the spiritual energy further, aiming for the false core stage!"
After reaching the peak of Foundation Establishment, even though it was impossible to further increase his cultivation, he could still condense his spiritual energy and form a liquid pseudo-core.
Achieving this would make it easier to form a true core once he obtained the Core Formation method, making the process smoother than it would be for those who simply reached the peak of Foundation Establishment.
During this time, servants came to invite Lin Li to dine, saying that the Ninth Princess and the protector wished to host a banquet to thank him for saving their lives.
However, Lin Li declined all invitations, claiming he was in seclusion to heal.
...
One month later!
"Huff!"
Lin Li exhaled deeply.
After a month of diligent cultivation, Lin Li had finally condensed the vast sea of spiritual liquid within his dantian into a large, slowly rotating liquid core!
This was the so-called pseudo-core!
"I've finally reached the false core stage!"
Lin Li thought, "Now, all I need is to wait until we arrive in Baixing Kingdom and leverage the Ninth Princess's connections to acquire the Core Formation method."
With that in mind, Lin Li left his room to find the Ninth Princess.
...
"Senior!"
The Ninth Princess, who had longed to see Lin Li for an entire month, was overjoyed when she saw him approaching her.
"Ninth Princess, Protector, I hope you've been well. Thanks to your hospitality, my seclusion was a great success."
Lin Li got straight to the point. "I was wondering if you know how one might obtain the method for Core Formation?"
"What?!"
The protector's eyes widened in disbelief. "Senior! Are you saying you've already reached the perfection of Foundation Establishment?!"
"That's right."
Lin Li nodded.
Hiss!
The Ninth Princess gasped in shock, exclaiming, "Oh my! Senior, you're incredible!"
"The Taoist priestess I'm going to apprentice under in Baixing Kingdom is also at the peak of Foundation Establishment, but she's already 170 years old!"
The Ninth Princess continued, "Yet you're only about my age—around twenty. Did you start cultivating in the womb?"
"Even if you did, reaching the peak of Foundation Establishment at around twenty years old is almost unheard of!"
The protector added, equally shocked.
"Hehe, I just had a bit of luck."
Lin Li smiled and shook his head, then pressed on with his question, "Do you know how one might obtain the Core Formation method in Baixing Kingdom?"
"I'm afraid not."
The Ninth Princess replied, "A Core Formation cultivator is powerful enough to become a kingdom's national guardian. Even our Hailan Kingdom's national guardian is only at the mid-stage of Core Formation. I'm only going to apprentice under someone like you, a senior at the false core stage. So, we don't know the method for Core Formation."
"However, Senior, your talent is extraordinary! If you're willing, you can travel with us to Baixing Kingdom and meet my master, Taoist Priestess Shallow Waters."
The protector suggested, "Taoist Priestess Shallow Waters is a revered figure in Baixing Kingdom. As the kingdom that rules over Hailan, Baixing Kingdom is incredibly powerful! Taoist Priestess Shallow Waters has been a protector of Baixing Kingdom for decades, so I'm sure she knows the method for Core Formation!"
"Alright! Thank you very much!"
Lin Li nodded.
...
Another half month passed.
Finally!
They arrived at Baixing Kingdom!
Baixing Kingdom was located on a vast island.
If Lin Li hadn't known in advance that there was no mainland in this sea region, he might have mistaken the endless coastline for a continent.
Ships came and went constantly.
However, the Ninth Princess's three-masted ship was one of the more luxurious vessels.
Upon disembarking, carriages awaited them.
After half a day of travel in the carriage…
Lin Li finally arrived before a dome-shaped white building, filled with exotic charm.
"This is Taoist Priestess Shallow Waters' residence,"
the protector explained as they sat in the carriage.