Gu Qinghe listened to Saint Yue. The two of them stepped forward, passing through the banyan tree portal in front of them.

The moment Gu Qinghe entered the interior of the banyan trunk portal, he was startled by a powerful cultivation pressure crashing down on his body.

His head and body were forced downward. Only he was affected. Saint Yue was not.

"Take out your Thousand Sage Beads," Saint Yue ordered.

She knows about that artifact?

Gu Qinghe acted quickly. He tapped his bag of holding and took out his Thousand Sage Beads.

As he moved the prayer beads, a burst of golden qi spread in all directions around him, stopping the impact of the cultivation pressure.

"Envoy of the Heavenly Emperor Palace!" someone shouted. The voice was heavy and hoarse, echoing across the sky.

The cultivation pressure struck Gu Qinghe again. However, he rolled the beads once more and managed to neutralize it again.

Thanks to his cultivation base reaching the Golden Core Formation, the effects of using the Thousand Sage Beads did not burden his body much.

"I will wait for you at the peak of the demon mountain!" he declared.

The cultivation pressure began to fade. Gu Qinghe could finally breathe in relief.

He stored the Thousand Sage Beads and looked ahead.

"What place is this?"

The sky was dark with a crimson glow. The land was barren, and the trees stood lifeless, stripped of their leaves.

A suffocating aura of death filled the air, while poisonous black fog covered several areas around the demon mountain.

"If earlier was a replica of the Star of Natural Transformation, then this is a replica of—"

"The Abyss of Demonic Screams!"

"That’s right, Gu Qinghe," Saint Yue replied.

When I was still Yun Tian, I looked forward to the Abyss of Demonic Screams because of the corrupt energy in this place.

But I never expected to set foot here with my cultivation still at the Golden Core stage.

Gu Qinghe gathered his courage and stepped forward. He raised his head and looked toward the peak of the demon mountain.

There, black smoke billowed from the crater, forming the shadow of two demonic eyes.

Their gazes met. Gu Qinghe could clearly feel that the demon’s strength was equal to or even greater than a Golden Core cultivator.

"With such high corrupt energy, I won’t have the advantage in this fight," Gu Qinghe said. "Not until I break through."

He turned his head and looked to the side, seeing Saint Yue still floating beside him.

"Is there a limit to a person’s cultivation level in this place?" Gu Qinghe asked.

"The fifth to seventh mountain ranges are beyond Old Man Yan Nan’s control. So the rules and concepts here are different from the lower mountains," Saint Yue replied.

The blonde-haired woman turned and gave a faint smile. "If you want to break through, then do it, Gu Qinghe."

"With your Nascent Soul strength later, you’ll be able to kill that demon easily."

Gu Qinghe nodded slowly. His original plan had been to break through to the Nascent Soul stage upon reaching the pool at the peak of the seventh mountain.

However, things were moving faster than expected. He had not even reached the seventh peak, yet he already had the chance to reach the Nascent Soul stage.

I have the Yin-Yang Nascent Soul Pill from Li Xiaoman. That pill can help me later.

After a moment of silence, Gu Qinghe turned toward Saint Yue and nodded in agreement.

Seeing his decision, Saint Yue immediately brought him away.

They stepped back and re-entered the portal, arriving once again in the world of the Star of Natural Transformation.

Golden qi light appeared in Saint Yue’s palm, which she directed toward Gu Qinghe, coating his body.

"I know the exact location of a place suitable for your breakthrough," Saint Yue said.

The two of them flew away from the banyan altar without the help of flying swords.

Instead, the yellow fairy energy surrounding them carried them through the air.

Gu Qinghe looked down and saw the cultivators still trying to find the whereabouts of the other fairies.

So much had changed, even though he and Saint Yue had only briefly gone to the replica world of the Abyss of Demonic Screams.

"I see a lot has changed. Is the world transforming?" Gu Qinghe asked.

"Time flows differently between the two stars. When we entered and arrived at the Abyss of Demonic Screams, days to months had already passed here."

"So you mean—"

"One minute in the Abyss of Demonic Screams is equal to one month here."

Gu Qinghe fell silent for a moment. He did not know how many minutes had passed there, but it was clearly more than twelve.

That meant he had been gone for over a year, and not a single cultivator had succeeded in finding their fairy.

"Is finding a fairy really that difficult?" Gu Qinghe asked.

"Fairies are the rulers of the Star of Natural Transformation. What do you think about those who must face such rulers?" Saint Yue replied.

"But there is good news," Saint Yue added.

"What is it?"

"If you understand natural qi cultivation techniques, then you must know about the technique of condensing natural qi, right?" Saint Yue asked.

Natural Qi Condensation Technique? I feel like I studied that before.

Gu Qinghe fell silent again, recalling the memory. Then he opened his eyes and confirmed that he remembered.

"You can condense natural qi into a qi orb, then give it to others. Those who cultivate using the natural qi orb can activate natural qi within their bodies," Saint Yue explained.

"You must decide quickly. After arriving here, they cannot use ordinary qi energy. That means they are mortals."

Gu Qinghe listened to everything Saint Yue said. However, he had not expected the world of the Star of Natural Transformation to be so vast, stretching endlessly from east to west.

He did not know who he should give the natural qi orb to. If he had to choose, then perhaps his only option was Qingyin.

He felt a bit saddened when Qingyin chose the Gu Clan over their mother.

However, as her older brother, he could not let her die when he knew a way to save her.

They continued heading east. Saint Yue focused on guiding Gu Qinghe, while Gu Qinghe observed the tropical forest below.

Three days passed. Gu Qinghe was now far from the banyan altar.

Saint Yue finally stopped when they arrived at another altar, surrounded mainly by yellow fairies.

It was an altar used to worship the Light Fairy, Xiao Yue.

"You can cultivate and break through here, Gu Qinghe. I will help and guard you."

Gu Qinghe nodded. Just as he was about to begin cultivating, he was startled by a cry from the forest. Someone was calling for help.

He went there together with Xiao Yue and clearly saw Gu Qingyin shouting for help as a large lion chased her.

Saint Yue raised her hand and launched a golden sword condensed from yellow fairy energy.

The sword shot forward and struck the lion monster directly, saving Gu Qingyin.

She turned forward and looked in shock as she saw her older brother, Gu Qinghe, standing there accompanied by his Light Fairy.

"Brother?"

"Qingyin? What happened to you?" Gu Qinghe asked as he helped her.

Gu Qingyin began explaining about the group from the Tianzun Sect that had died and been killed over the past year and a half in this world. She was the last surviving member.

Gu Qinghe nodded, feeling pity and concern for their fate. However, the fairies had their own choices.

Cultivators could not force them.

Lost in thought, Gu Qinghe quickly formed hand seals.

He absorbed natural qi and activated the Natural Qi Condensation Technique.

His hand rose, and a natural qi orb appeared at his fingertips, slowly condensing.

Gu Qingyin watched what he was doing. Once it was finished, Gu Qinghe handed the natural qi orb to her.

Gu Qingyin raised both hands and received it with a confused expression.

"What is this, Brother?" she asked.

"Try cultivating with that qi orb. You might have a chance to persuade the fairies."