This shield is a magical artifact, and he now has the cultivation level to activate it. This magical artifact was found in the underground Yin Water River of the Ghost King Sect's Longevity Hall, inside an ancient cultivator's cave, where he also obtained Soul-Nourishing Wood. Both of these treasures are very useful. This shield is not a natal magic treasure; a Golden Core cultivator can activate it. Zhang Ling has tested its defensive capabilities several times, and he is very satisfied. Over the past year, Zhang Ling has spent a lot of time nurturing this magical artifact with alchemic fire. Because this magical artifact has not been refined by a cultivator for a long time, it consumes a lot of mana to control. With Zhang Ling's current cultivation level, he cannot use it for extended periods. However, after nurturing it for another seven or eight years, this treasure can unleash seventy to eighty percent of its full power. Of course, if he uses a secret method to absorb this treasure into his body and refine it into a natal magic treasure, that is also possible. But Zhang Ling has no such intention. It's not because the Black Gold Shield is a defensive magic treasure that Zhang Ling looks down on it. Rather, it's because this treasure was not refined by him and is not compatible with his cultivation techniques.

Even if it could unleash its full power, without the blessing of cultivation techniques and secret arts, it would only be a magic treasure. It cannot be called a natal magic treasure. Of course, if he is willing to waste two or three hundred years fully nurturing this treasure and connecting it to his mind, he can also refine it into a natal magic treasure. After all, the power of a natal magic treasure largely comes from the nurturing of a high-level cultivator. The longer it is nurtured, the greater its power. But this thought was rejected by Zhang Ling as soon as it arose in his mind. Firstly, although this treasure is a magic treasure, it is already formed. It does not have the related forbidden spells of a natal magic treasure engraved on it, making it a waste of time to nurture. Secondly, he has not even chosen his subsequent cultivation techniques, and he has not determined what kind of natal magic treasure he wants. Naturally, he would not randomly take a magic treasure and nurture it into a natal magic treasure. However, it is acceptable to use the Black Gold Shield for a while temporarily. You must know that natal magic treasures are not so easy to refine. Even for ordinary magic treasures, a cultivator who has just broken through to the Golden Core stage would need thirty to forty years of accumulation to gather all the materials needed to refine a magic treasure. Many poor rogue cultivators, even after breaking through to the Golden Core stage, often have no spirit stones or spiritual objects left, and for a long time, they do not have a magic treasure, and can only use magic tools instead. A Golden Core cultivator without a magic treasure to protect them has greatly weakened strength. Zhang Ling pondered and planned his cultivation in the cave, and this process took a whole day. Then he entered another stone room to rest. As a cultivator's cultivation realm improves, they basically do not need to sleep. Meditation can replace sleep. But cultivators are not yet true immortals after all, and if they have time, they will naturally rest. This allows cultivators to relax their minds and maintain a better state of cultivation. Three days later, Zhang Ling walked out of the cave. "These people are really..." Zhang Ling couldn't help but complain. As soon as he opened the cave door, he saw more than a dozen floating message talismans in front of him. Among them were also a few special message items, like a white jade short sword. Zhang Ling beckoned, and the jade sword came to him. With a move of his divine sense, he detected the message engraved on it. "The Seven Islands Chamber of Commerce congratulates Fellow Daoist Zhang on his advancement and sincerely invites Daoist friend again..."

A somewhat pleasant voice entered Zhang Ling's ears as soon as his divine sense touched the jade sword. "Seven Islands Chamber of Commerce." Zhang Ling muttered. He knew about this chamber of commerce. It was one of the top ones in Myriad Manifestation City, and it had considerable power behind it. He had also purchased some materials from this chamber of commerce. Zhang Ling shook his head and looked at the other message talismans. Then he spent the time it takes to eat a meal reading all the messages on these message talismans. The messages on these message talismans were mostly congratulating him on forming his Golden Core, and a large part of them also carried the intention of recruitment. Some of them directly offered treatment, such as directly promising him the position of guest elder, and others offering spirit stone offerings. There was also a small to medium-sized sect called Cloud Gate that actually offered to refine a natal magic treasure embryo for him for free. The condition was to directly join their sect. If Zhang Ling didn't have a magic treasure now, he might have been tempted. Although natal magic treasures are mostly refined by oneself, there is a lot to learn. Magic weapon embryos are the choice of many Golden Core cultivators. This is a semi-finished magic treasure. The materials have been determined, and the power of the magic treasure can be roughly guessed. As long as the Golden Core cultivator obtains the magic treasure embryo, they can use the techniques of refining a natal magic treasure from their cultivation technique and engrave restrictions on it to refine it successfully. This can greatly reduce the time it takes for cultivators to refine their natal magic treasures. After all, some cultivators spend fifty to sixty years just collecting materials. With this time, focusing on cultivation can also increase one's cultivation level a lot. Zhang Ling secretly rolled his eyes. The conditions offered in this message talisman were really good. He naturally looked down on small sects. Medium and large forces also have constraints. After so many years of rogue cultivation, Zhang Ling has become somewhat accustomed to it. He doesn't want to become a sect cultivator now. After reading these message talismans, Zhang Ling politely rejected them one by one. After all, these forces, regardless of their size, at least have Golden Core stage experts sitting in charge, and he doesn't want to offend them for no reason. During this time, there have been many cultivators who have come to Fire Cloud Island to visit him after hearing of his reputation. The forces involved, regardless of their size, number more than twenty. Even the Golden Core stage cultivators who came directly have numbered five before and after. From these people, Zhang Ling also learned that Myriad Manifestation City is not as simple as he imagined. Myriad Manifestation City has neither a city lord nor a single force. Because of this, the forces in this super immortal city are intricate and complex. Besides the largest Myriad Manifestation Palace Elders Council. There is no telling how much infighting there is. He doesn't want to get involved. This situation also gave Zhang Ling a sense of crisis again. After handling these matters, Zhang Ling stayed on Fire Cloud Island for more than half a month. He studied the condition of the Earth Spirit Bees and also managed a few acres of spiritual medicine fields. The Earth Spirit Bees matured after advancing more than a decade ago. Now, the Earth Spirit Bees have been cultivated to more than 20,000. There are also eight queen bees that have reached maturity. But only three of the queen bees have reached maturity, and the ordinary Earth Spirit Bees they produce are mature Earth Spirit Bees. The number is now more than 6,000. The remaining Earth Spirit Bees have only evolved twice and have not yet matured. The Earth Spirit Bees that have entered the mature stage have become much larger, and two pairs of wings have grown on their backs. Each one is the size of a palm. The tail has strangely grown a pitch-black barb similar in size to the body.

Zhang Ling studied a few, and these mature Earth Spirit Bees, in addition to producing honey, have greatly increased in strength, and the black thorns on their tails also contain a very strong anesthetic toxin. The mature Earth Spirit Bees have also become much more irritable, and the toxin on the black thorns on their tails is enough to anesthetize a Foundation Establishment late-stage cultivator if the amount is sufficient. When swarms of mature Earth Spirit Bees are dispatched, more than 500 can trap a Foundation Establishment late-stage cultivator. More than 1,000 can devour any Foundation Establishment cultivator in an instant. When more than 6,000 mature Earth Spirit Bees are dispatched together, although it is not a major weapon, it can also cause some trouble to early Golden Core stage cultivators.