The Water of the Demon Earthworm should be the main ingredient for making Demon Summoning Soil. However, with only the Water of the Demon Earthworm, it was still impossible to produce the soil.

After identifying the Water of the Demon Earthworm, Fang Qingyuan quickly returned to the underground cavern on Fire Melt Island. He attempted to obtain more of the water through the altar.

However, after several days of testing, Fang Qingyuan discovered that the altar’s daily output of the Water of the Demon Earthworm was constant, yielding only about seven or eight pounds.

Fang Qingyuan guessed this was likely due to the Demon Earthworm connected to the altar having a limited daily appetite.

Fang Qingyuan tried watering the Longevity Vine with the Water of the Demon Earthworm, but he found the results unsatisfactory. A given amount of the water was only one-third as effective as the same amount of Demon Summoning Soil.

However, since Fang Qingyuan couldn’t find any more Demon Summoning Soil at the moment, he had to make do with the Water of the Demon Earthworm as a substitute.

Thus, Fang Qingyuan temporarily took up residence in the underground cavern, capturing nearby Spirit Beasts and sea beasts from the ocean daily to collect the Water of the Demon Earthworm.

To this end, he placed the Iron-Seeking Rats around the cavern to act as his guards, deterring any cultivators who might stumble in to explore.

.....

Half a year flew by. During this period, Fang Qingyuan occasionally returned to Golden Turtle Island to make an appearance.

As the end of the year approached, Fang Qingyuan recalled the deal Xiqi Leopard had proposed last year for the Blood Life Pill, and he felt a stir in his heart.

He took the token Xiqi Leopard had given him from his Immortal Mansion. ’I have to make this trip to the Little Demon Abyss,’ he thought.

Fang Qingyuan had originally intended to send Tuoba Ye in his place, but as fate would have it, Tuoba Ye was now dead, leaving him with no one to rely on.

Thinking of Tuoba Ye, Fang Qingyuan sighed. He was quite displeased to have lost a capable subordinate he had worked so hard to cultivate.

But he no longer had the heart to start over and train someone new.

It had been seven years since he left the Southern Border, and the pioneering war had been raging for two. Typically, such a war would last seven or eight years, ten at most. In any case, it wouldn’t go on for much longer than a decade.

All told, he had another five or six years before he could return. ’I wonder how Jiang Kui and Zhang Yuan are doing.’

Thinking of his old friends from the Southern Border, Fang Qingyuan was suddenly struck by a profound sense of loneliness. Drifting through the Outer Sea alone, hiding his identity, wearing a mask every day—it was not a pleasant feeling.

He shook his head, dispelling these thoughts, and stood up to head out. He was going to the Little Demon Abyss to meet Xiqi Leopard.

....

The Little Demon Abyss was located in the far west of the Outer Sea, tens of thousands of miles from Iron Wind Island. The journey would be fraught with danger if he relied solely on flying.

Therefore, the best method was to use a Teleportation Array.

After a moment of slight dizziness, Fang Qingyuan found himself inside a Grand Transmission Hall. He discreetly scanned his surroundings and saw nothing that distinguished it from any other he had seen.

Fang Qingyuan had taken a Teleportation Array from the Black Market at Five Finger Peak to get here. The Teleportation Arrays of the Little Demon Abyss were only connected to various black markets; there was no direct Array link from places like Iron Wind Island.

A few moments later, a cultivator dressed in black robes appeared at the entrance. When Fang Qingyuan sensed his cultivation, he was slightly taken aback.

’A Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator? Is someone of that level just an attendant here?’

"Guest, please present your token."

The black-robed attendant’s tone was cold and blunt; he was not at all polite to Fang Qingyuan.

Fang Qingyuan silently took out the Token given to him by Xiqi Leopard and presented it to the attendant.

The black-robed attendant took the Token, and after inspecting it, tossed it back to Fang Qingyuan. He then turned and said,

"Guest, please follow me. The Demon Abyss below is fraught with danger. You must not wander about."

Seeing the attendant walk away without another word, Fang Qingyuan quickly followed. Once outside the Grand Transmission Hall, Fang Qingyuan found that the area beneath the Little Demon Abyss resembled a mortal-world dungeon.

As they passed through several corridors and by numerous rooms, the auras emanating from within made Fang Qingyuan’s heart race.

’There must be many powerful creatures housed in these rooms,’ he thought. In the Little Demon Abyss, human Cultivators were not the only dominant force; there was also a significant population of beings that were neither human nor ghost.

Fang Qingyuan followed the black-robed attendant for nearly ten minutes before stopping in front of an ordinary-looking door.

"Master Xiqi Leopard, are you there?"

Hearing the black-robed attendant’s question, a series of rustling sounds, RUSTLE, RUSTLE, came from within the room, followed by Xiqi Leopard’s weary voice:

"What is it?"

"A Cultivator is here holding your Token. He says he has an appointment with you."

"So he does. Send him in."

The black-robed attendant stepped aside, gesturing for Fang Qingyuan to approach. Fang Qingyuan hesitated slightly as he looked at the plain wooden door.

’But since I’ve come this far, I have to see this transaction through.’

Fang Qingyuan stepped forward and pushed open the wooden door. A brilliant light flashed before his eyes.

In stark contrast to the darkness outside, the room within was flooded with light as bright as the midday sun. The scene behind the door was also completely unexpected.

A garden, a plant nursery, a thatched cottage, and fluttering butterflies.

This scene, reminiscent of a spring outing, seemed utterly disconnected from a place thousands of feet deep within the Demon Abyss.

Fang Qingyuan extended his Divine Sense slightly and discovered that it was all real, with no hint of illusion.

Xiqi Leopard emerged from the thatched cottage. Upon seeing Fang Qingyuan, he broke into a warm smile.

"Young friend, you are a man of your word. I was beginning to think you weren’t coming and was just about to head out to find you."

Xiqi Leopard was smiling, but the underlying meaning in his words made Fang Qingyuan uncomfortable.

’He probably saw that I cut it close and wants to put me in my place a little,’ Fang Qingyuan thought.