’Could he be following the Fire Element Path?’
Zhou Suqing’s hands formed a series of seals, a contemplative look in her eyes.
’I thought Junior Brother Bai would establish a Pill Discussion related to the Sword Dao to maximize his Sword Dao Talent...’
The Core Formation phenomenon was a multifaceted manifestation.
It was inextricably linked to a Cultivator’s Main Cultivation Method, personal experiences, and Pill Discussion.
Even possessing a Heaven-Defying Treasure could influence the Core Formation phenomenon.
Of course, it was impossible for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to possess a Treasure of such a grade. Even something on the level of a Spiritual Treasure was out of the question. Such things only existed in recorded anecdotes from Ancient Times.
A Fire Flood Dragon tumbled and soared through the dark clouds, spitting flames from its mouth. The surrounding air temperature rose sharply, tingeing even the clouds a dark crimson.
Just as Zhou Suqing thought the phenomenon would continue to evolve along the Fire Element Path, the scene in the sky changed again.
The sky above the Lake Heart Island seemed to have been covered by a giant black curtain, blurring all distinctions. Earth and sky became a single, ink-black expanse.
After an unknown amount of time, a faint flicker of fire appeared. It was a furnace that quickly grew to fill the entire world.
Its four legs stabilized the four cardinal directions. Sounds of forging rang out from within the furnace, echoing through heaven and earth, audible for a hundred miles in every direction.
What was once a blur gradually cleared, revealing what seemed to be earth, water, wind, and fire being forged and tempered within the furnace. Streaks of brilliant light flew out as the earth sank and the sky rose.
Then, tiny, five-colored crystalline particles shot into the sky, hanging across the firmament to form the Circulation Stars.
Clusters of glazed flames fell to the ground, transforming into volcanoes that erupted ceaselessly.
Meanwhile, amidst the Circulation Stars, thousands of lightning currents surged and galloped, converging and dispersing without a moment of peace.
Against such a backdrop, the Fire Flood Dragon was suddenly relegated to a supporting role, appearing utterly insignificant.
"W-What is this phenomenon?"
Su Li stared, dumbfounded. At his level of Cultivation, he had yet to learn about the process of breaking through to the Core Formation stage. He only had a partial understanding of Pill Discussions and Core Formation phenomena.
’Junior Brother Bai didn’t use his Main Cultivation Method to form his Pill Discussion. But a Core Formation phenomenon as complex as the Creation of Heaven and Earth... I’ve never read of such a thing in the scriptures...’
Zhou Suqing was a little lost. No matter how knowledgeable and well-read she was, she was still limited by the contents of the scriptures stored in the Qingfeng Sect’s Transmission Hall.
’Could Junior Brother Bai have integrated the Sword Dao True Intent he comprehended into his Pill Discussion? But there are too many other elements, and they’re all unrelated. He couldn’t have comprehended several different Sword Dao True Intents at once, could he?’
Never mind Zhou Suqing; even Qi Yue, who was personally taught by Master Ge Cang, was dazzled and had already dismissed several theories about the Pill Discussion in his mind.
’Alas, it’s a shame Master is seeking the path to Core Formation Perfection. He also said that since Junior Brother Bai chose to attempt Core Formation, he must be completely certain of success, with no risk of failure, so watching it makes no difference... Otherwise, if he were here, he could definitely identify the general direction of the Pill Discussion.’
Qi Yue had already made his decision. He would give up on the path of Perfect Core Formation and not waste any more time on his Pill Discussion.
Having witnessed Bai Zichen’s talent up close, he now understood the gap between himself and a true genius and finally made the decision he had long hesitated over.
Having a Pill Discussion was important, but it wasn’t unheard of in the Cultivation Realm for late bloomers to slowly perfect their Pill Discussion during the Core Formation Stage, set themselves on the right path, and eventually become Nascent Soul True Monarchs.
Just as the furnace blazed ever brighter, and the sound of its hammering drowned out all else to become the only sound between heaven and earth...
An earth-shattering dragon’s roar pierced the heavens, instantly silencing the hammering. Only the dragon’s cry remained.
The nearly-forgotten Fire Flood Dragon threw its head back and roared. Its body twisted, undergoing an astonishing transformation.
Its head was young—the Fire Flood Dragon’s skull was slender, its horns indistinct, its Dragon Beard narrow and short.
Its body was robust—every inch of its powerful, streamlined physique was filled with explosive force. Each Dragon Scale was like a piece of burning fire armor, reflecting a crimson radiance.
But its tail was clearly aged and feeble, swaying listlessly. The tail was covered with overlapping, healed scars.
Somehow, the body of a single Fire Flood Dragon simultaneously displayed the forms of youth, maturity, and old age, all combined into one.
Its size didn’t increase, nor did its aura strengthen, yet the Fire Flood Dragon instantly became the center of the world.
It was clearly composed of three different draconic forms, as if some being with Great Divine Techniques had used supreme methods to piece together three Fire Flood Dragons of different ages into one.
And although the Fire Flood Dragon’s appearance was bizarre beyond description and full of contradictions, it flew through the air without a trace of disharmony.
It was as if there was a type of Fire Flood Dragon that was naturally meant to display three different life stages across the three sections of its body.
Furthermore, every time the transformed Fire Flood Dragon roared, all the phenomena in the world would pause, as if a switch had been flipped.
’Another change centered on the Fire Flood Dragon... what on earth is happening? How am I supposed to deduce the direction of his Pill Discussion now...’
Zhou Suqing sighed, lowered her hands, and stopped overthinking. She simply watched to see how the Core Formation phenomenon would develop next.
...
On his Immortal Path, scene after scene replayed before his eyes in reverse.
Bai Zichen observed it all with the detached mindset of a bystander before taking out a Jade Bottle and pouring the Clear Spirit Jade Marrow directly into his mouth.
A cool sensation shot straight into his Sea of Consciousness, as if his Celestial Spiritual Skull had been opened. His thoughts had never been so clear.
His Divine Sense was active; with just a slight push, it would spread far and wide.
He circulated all his True Essence according to the fifth-level route of the Fire Dragon Returning Essence Scripture. The True Essence was highly compressed, and with what sounded like a clap of thunder, a Golden Core formed.
For him, this part was not difficult at all; it was a natural success.
For many well-prepared Perfect Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the most dangerous step was what came next: linking their Divine Sense to the newly formed Golden Core and entrusting it within.
Back then, Dai Hui had failed at this final step precisely because his Divine Sense was insufficient.
The Golden Core formed in his Dantian Qi Sea, spinning rapidly. The Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword Embryo, the Moon Xuan Sword, the Nine Yang Divine Fire Mirror, and others all orbited it like stars around the moon.
His Sea of Consciousness also blazed with brilliant light. His inner world projected onto the outer world, causing the Core Formation phenomenon to change constantly.
His Divine Sense was coiled and ready. The moment of linking with the Golden Core tested not only the strength of one’s Divine Sense but also required an extremely high degree of control over it.
’Stop when it’s time to stop, move when it’s time to move. Let neither action nor stillness miss its moment.’
His Pill Discussion flowed through his mind, and in his Divine Sense’s perception, the Flawless Perfection of the Golden Core seemed to slow down.
Two streams of Soaring Dragon Divine Sense descended into the Golden Core, linking with it. It was like a sun rising to its zenith, casting boundless light upon the world.
With the aid of his Pill Discussion, the entrustment of his Divine Sense was a success. Bai Zichen felt as if the gate to a new world had opened before him.
He pushed the gate open and stepped through. It felt like breaking through a thin membrane, and his Spiritual Awareness Power began to skyrocket at a terrifying speed.
The Divine Sense of an ordinary Early-Stage Core Formation Cultivator could reach up to ten miles.
But Bai Zichen’s Divine Sense, transformed into a soaring dragon, spread out rapidly, expanding in all directions.
Ten miles. No reaction. It was just a warm-up.
Twenty miles. Not yet at his limit. He still had strength to spare.
Thirty miles. It had long surpassed the borders of Feiyue Lake. He finally felt a hint of fatigue and knew he had reached the limit of his Divine Sense.
A full thirty-mile range for his Divine Sense—three times that of a normal Early-Stage Core Formation Cultivator.
At the same time, a dragon’s roar from within his body seemed to break some kind of seal.
As countless streams of majestic Spiritual Qi entered Bai Zichen’s body, the Golden Core began to absorb it all like a whale swallowing water.
It was at this exact moment that the external Fire Flood Dragon, with its three different life stages, opened its great maw and inhaled fiercely toward the sky, swallowing the Heaven-Reaching Furnace and the entire world.
Then, with a sway of its draconic tail, it plunged into the Lake Heart Island and vanished.
In the next instant, the Spiritual Qi from dozens of miles around seemed to answer a summons, converging into a tidal wave like a great river and surging toward the Lake Heart Island.
But no matter how much rushed in, it was all absorbed and digested completely.
Meanwhile, the Golden Core inside Bai Zichen took in all this Spiritual Qi and, through Refinement, turned it into streams of True Essence.
Only when it was completely saturated and could not hold another wisp of Spiritual Qi did the Golden Core fall into the center of his Dantian Qi Sea.
Misty Pill Qi spread out from the Golden Core. With a cheer, his several Magical Treasures all rushed into it.
In terms of order, the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword Embryo was naturally supreme. Its Thunder Radiance extended and retracted, exclusively enjoying over half of the Pill Qi’s nourishment.
A sliver of moonlight flowed out, occupying forty percent of the space.
Finally, it was the Nine Yang Divine Fire Mirror’s turn. It cautiously occupied a corner spot.
It needed to flip its mirrored surface constantly to fully enjoy the Pill Qi.
Bai Zichen opened his eyes. He waved his palm and grabbed; a giant crimson hand seized a boulder, clenched its fist, and crushed it into countless pieces of rubble.
To condense True Essence into a giant hand without any specific Magic was one of the hallmarks of a Core Formation True Man.
Bai Zichen looked up at the sky. He activated a specific True Essence circulation route from the fifth level of the Fire Dragon Returning Essence Scripture. His entire body suddenly expanded, transforming directly into a Fire Flood Dragon.
After soaring into the clouds, he flew a circle around Feiyue Lake before descending back to it.
’This is a completely different experience, totally unlike being in human form... For others, it would be a boost in combat power, but for me, it’s actually a weakening... Still, it might be useful in certain specific situations.’
Bai Zichen took a brand-new Indigo Daoist Robe from his storage bag. It was embroidered with the sun, moon, and stars in gold and silver thread—the one he wore when he became an Elder.
On such an auspicious day, wearing this formal robe was perfectly fitting.
Bai Zichen slowly flew out from the Lake Heart Island, feeling the difference from the Foundation Establishment Stage. He realized that even the most ordinary Sky-Controlling Technique, when powered by True Essence, could now match the speed of a Low-Grade Flying Spiritual Artifact.
Normally, newly advanced Core Formation Cultivators would enter seclusion for a period to familiarize themselves with the circulation of True Essence and stabilize their Realm.
This was to prevent their hard-won breakthrough from regressing.
Of course, he had no such worries. While there were indeed many things to do after reaching Core Formation, none of them could be completed in a matter of days or months.
So there was no need to rush. He would have plenty of time to deal with them in the future.
"Greetings, Ancestor Bai. May the True Man’s Great Dao be everlasting."
Zhou Suqing and Su Li were both Elders who had moved to Feiyue Lake. It could be said that they had watched Bai Zichen grow step by step, yet they still felt an unreal, dreamlike sensation.
The Core Formation bottleneck, feared like a viper by countless genius Cultivators, had been crossed so easily.
And yet, for him, it seemed so natural and logical.
"Greetings, Ancestor Bai. May the True Man’s Great Dao be everlasting."
Qi Yue and Wei Chuming were both direct disciples of Core Formation True Men. For a time, their status in the Sect was in no way inferior to Bai Zichen’s.
This was especially true for Qi Yue. As Master Ge Cang’s only disciple, his status was transcendent, and he never lacked Cultivation Resources.
But from this moment on, both knew in their hearts that they were no longer in the same league as Bai Zichen.
"Greetings, Ancestor Bai..."
Liang Yu’s eyes filled with tears. Just as he was about to bow, he was held up by a gentle but irresistible force.
"Senior Brother, between us, there is no need for such formalities..."
Bai Zichen stopped Liang Yu’s motion. His every move was effortless and detached. The irrepressible aura of a Core Formation Cultivator startled countless fish, shrimp, and Water Beasts from the bottom of the nearby lake, causing them to flee.
The Qingfeng Sect’s third Core Formation True Man had appeared today!