Xiao Heng's words were not without reason.
Yet Su Xiaomei and Zhang Haobo had finally sensed where their opportunities lay, so making them give up easily was out of the question.
With Su Xiaomei's fiery temper, once she dug her heels in, she would listen to no one.
As for Zhang Haobo, he had even more reason.
He had embarked on the path of cultivation relatively late in life, being over a decade older than the rest of the Li Realm group, and had already fallen far behind.
Now to ask him to wait longer—who knew when the next opportunity would appear?
One had to understand that on the path of cultivation, one step fast meant every step fast.
Zhang Haobo was already many steps behind everyone else; he truly did not wish to delay any longer.
His gaze was resolute, his mind clearly made up.
His words left Xiao Heng speechless, unable to find any argument to counter him.
Xiao Heng had no choice but to turn to Su Changyu, Ye Feipeng, and the others for help, hoping they would persuade the two.
Ye Feipeng was utterly nonchalant: "Xiao Heng, stop worrying your head over this.
"Think about it—back then, even I managed to escape from an Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals Nascent Soul cultivator! Those two have great luck and blessing, and their cultivation isn't weaker than mine.
"As long as they're careful, what danger could there be!"
Su Changyu responded with silence, showing no intention of stopping Su Xiaomei.
With her brother backing her, Su Xiaomei grew even more smug.
She could hardly wait to set off immediately.
Frantic, Xiao Heng hurriedly stopped her, pleading and reasoning until he finally managed to convince her to pause.
He insisted the two make thorough preparations before heading to Jiushan Province, saying there was still time.
Watching Su Xiaomei glare daggers at him, Xiao Heng sighed, suffering grievances he could not voice.
He knew her temper all too well.
Along the way, as long as they did not cross paths with other cultivators, things might be fine.
But once they encountered outsiders, it was almost guaranteed that Su Xiaomei would get into a clash.
If possible, Xiao Heng would have liked to accompany them and watch over them.
However, once Su Xiaomei and Zhang Haobo departed, the only ones left on the deserted island with any combat capability would be Xiao Heng and Ye Feipeng.
Ye Feipeng was secretive, frequently slipping away, and completely unreliable.
If Xiao Heng left as well, the deserted island would be left entirely defenseless should any danger arise.
Taking Su Changyu and the others along on the expedition was even more out of the question.
Even if they wanted to go, Xiao Heng would never agree.
After turning it over in his mind, Xiao Heng activated the ritual and entered the White Bone Vanguard Realm.
He planned to seek help from Senior Skull to see if he could obtain any assistance.
Li Fan was already fully aware of the situation here.
He was also keenly interested in the circumstances surrounding the Chaoyuan Sect ruins in Jiushan Province.
He had not expected that in this lifetime, Su Xiaomei and Zhang Haobo's Core Formation opportunities would be tied to those ruins.
This was the perfect chance to scout out the truth.
Li Fan immediately used the altar to send over two Random Teleportation Necklaces, a set of Ten Thousand Immortals Formation Flags, and two "talismans."
The teleportation necklaces and formation flags were naturally intended to save the two youngsters' lives.
Harvest time was right around the corner; if they met an untimely death, Li Fan's loss would be immense.
As for the two so-called talismans, they were actually defensive artifacts inscribed with the Spirit-Communicating God-Startling Formation.
Their defensive capability was secondary.
Their primary purpose was for Su Xiaomei and Zhang Haobo to carry them, serving as a medium to enhance Li Fan's perception.
The reason he needed to prepare these was that his Formless Killing Intent perception had a distance limit.
At his current late Foundation Establishment cultivation, if the distance to a target exceeded a single province, the fidelity of the perceived imagery would drop drastically, becoming heavily impaired.
The Congyun Sea and Jiushan Province were separated by a vast distance.
Previously, when Li Fan's clone had traveled to the Wanfa Pavilion to purchase cultivation methods, the journey had taken nearly half a year.
Across such a distance, without the Spirit-Communicating God-Startling Formation acting as a medium, he would barely be able to perceive any imagery at all, capable only of tracking their general coordinates from afar.
Therefore, to stay apprised of their situation at all times, these talismans were indispensable.
With Formless Killing Intent monitoring them, Li Fan could also lend a hand if necessary.
Beyond these items, Li Fan also transmitted the technique of Re-establishing the Dao to Xiao Heng.
After all, the higher the breakthroughs Su Xiaomei and the others achieved, the more Li Fan stood to gain.
Even He Zhenghao had managed to form his core with four techniques, though luck had played a part.
Su Xiaomei and Zhang Haobo should at least be able to achieve Core Formation with three techniques, shouldn't they?
Li Fan's abacus was clicking loudly in calculation.
Receiving so much assistance all at once, Xiao Heng felt a surge of hot blood and grew emotional.
He repeatedly kowtowed toward the direction where Senior Skull slept.
"Senior provided so many precious treasures this time—he must have foreseen the perils ahead.
"I must carefully instruct Xiaomei and Haobo."
Pondering silently, Xiao Heng gathered the items, exited the Vanguard Realm, and distributed them to Su Xiaomei and Zhang Haobo.
He then gave them endless, painstaking admonitions.
Su Xiaomei pursed her lips and nodded in agreement.
Her attention, however, was entirely captured by the newly received treasures; with a glimmer of delight in her eyes, she quietly toyed with them.
Zhang Haobo stowed his items away first, then took on a solemn expression and told Xiao Heng not to worry.
Once their preparations were complete and another round of farewells was said, the two took the map Ye Feipeng had somehow procured and set out toward Jiushan Province.
With two companions hastening toward an unknown destiny for the sake of Core Formation, the remaining people were inspired even amidst their reluctance to part and their worry.
"I must hurry to form my core as well. When Xiaomei returns, I'll definitely give her a huge surprise," Xiao Heng resolved secretly.
The Yin sisters exchanged a glance and returned to the depths of the deserted island to cultivate diligently.
Su Changyu gazed into the distance in the direction Su Xiaomei had gone, his expression growing ever more determined.
Ye Feipeng, on the other hand, felt little sorrow.
Instead, seeing Xiao Heng return from the Vanguard Realm with so many treasures, his eyes darted around eagerly.
After the others dispersed, he mimicked the ritual and entered the Vanguard Realm to wail and lament, attempting to coax some benefits out of Senior Skull.
Witnessing this scene, Li Fan did not know whether to laugh or cry.
Looking at the little fatty's heartbroken, pitiful display, had Li Fan not been monitoring him all along, he might almost have been fooled by the stellar performance.
Seeing how hard he had worked to put on the act, Li Fan did not ignore him this time.
After a moment of thought, Li Fan transcribed the Creation Furnace Technique—which he had developed to draw upon the human body's secret treasures and strengthen the physical body—onto a jade slip and sent it over to Ye Feipeng.
A flash of white light flared before Ye Feipeng's eyes.
Seeing that he had actually gained something, Ye Feipeng was overjoyed. He leaped up, grabbed the jade slip, and eagerly began reading.
"Creation Furnace Technique?"
The five domineering characters that first surfaced stunned him on the spot.
His pupils contracted sharply. He instinctively tucked the jade slip close and looked left and right.
Confirming that he was the only one in the Vanguard Realm, Ye Feipeng hungrily devoured the contents of the technique.
A moment later, an odd look appeared on his face.
"That's it?"
Feeling that something was amiss, the unwilling Ye Feipeng reread it carefully several times from start to finish.
"No, that can't be right. Creation Furnace Technique—it sounds like an extraordinarily profound technique, so how could it be so crude?
"Could it be too profound, and my aptitude is simply too low to understand it?"
For a time, the little fatty sank into deep self-doubt.
Chapter 277