For the next five days, we had nothing to do, so I used the time to rest and cultivate. Slowly, I reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment.
Gu Xue also changed during this time. Her face became more beautiful, but every time she woke up, she looked tired and uneasy. It was clear she had nightmares, but since she didn't tell me anything, I didn't ask.
---
Today was the day of the Velora Festival.
We woke up early and got ready.
We needed money to spend at the festival, so we sold all our beast cores and made about 40,000 Qi stones.
We divided it evenly — 20,000 each.
In total, we now had 26,000 Qi stones left.
As we headed toward the city center, the crowd got denser. Most cultivators we saw were at the Qi Condensation or Foundation Establishment stages.
Core Formation cultivators were rare — we only saw around ten thousand. It sounded like a lot, but compared to the 7.6 billion people living in Velora, with about 4.7 billion cultivators, it was very low.
Even among them, a few stood out because of their clothes or the way they carried themselves.
Gu Xue also attracted attention because of her looks and her cultivation. She had reached Core Formation late-stage.
Even though her realm was high, her foundation wasn't strong. She had advanced too fast, so her power was only equal to someone at early-stage Core Formation.
If she fought someone at the same stage, she would lose.
She needed to train her body and stay at the same realm for a while to improve.
If she did that, it would take her at least a year to reach Nascent Soul.
Compared to her, my foundation was solid. Within Foundation Establishment, I was confident no one could beat me.
---
As we walked through the crowd, many people came to sell things or invite us to join their groups.
Some even tried to talk to Gu Xue, but she rejected them all politely. Most didn't seem trustworthy anyway.
We had already decided to do the inheritance separately.
That way, we would have better chances of getting something good.
---
When we reached the center of Velora City, we finally saw how large the festival really was.
There were stalls everywhere, buildings filled with people, and many inns around the area.
From what I heard, the festival would last for a week, and on the final day, the inheritance would start and continue for a month.
That meant the people we saw now were only about a third of the total who would come.
As we were about to book an inn, I noticed a few familiar faces.
It was Wei Han and Long Wei. They were with a group of six people.
I thought it might be a good chance for one of us to join them.
---
"Hello, Brother Wei," I said. "It's been a while."
Wei Han turned around and looked surprised when he saw us.
"Brother Gu? What a surprise! I didn't expect to see you here."
"It's a coincidence," I replied.
He looked stronger than before, his energy more stable.
He was now at the great circle of Foundation Establishment, just one step from Core Formation.
"Brother Gu, you've improved quickly," he said.
"I didn't expect you to reach late-stage so soon."
"I got lucky," I said. "Beast cores helped me a lot. But compared to you, I'm still lacking."
"Haha, you're too modest," he said with a smile.
---
We talked for a bit. He told me his group was also here for the inheritance.
I had already heard that the inheritance grounds had spirit beasts, traps, and other tests that made it hard to pass.
That's why most people went in groups — they could help each other and split the rewards later.
But there was always a chance of betrayal. If you didn't trust your teammates, it could end badly.
---
"Well," Wei Han said, "since we're both here for the inheritance, why not join forces?"
"It's a good idea," I said, "but I plan to go alone."
He looked a little disappointed, so I continued,
"But my friend Li Qingzu is also joining. She could use a team."
He turned toward Gu Xue, or rather, Li Qingzu, and his eyes widened.
"A Core Formation late-stage? We'd be lucky to have her."
We didn't use her real name since it would be strange for someone to advance so much in only ten days.
Wei Han extended his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Daoist Li."
Gu Xue shook his hand. "Likewise."
"Since we'll be working together, why don't you stay at our inn?" Wei Han said.
"It'll make things easier."
Gu Xue agreed. There were already two other women in the group, so there was no problem.
I didn't interfere — it would help her build trust and teamwork with them.
After they left, I went to find an inn for myself.
---
"Everything is ready, sir," the receptionist said. "We just need your name for the record."
"My name is Bai Xiao," I said.