Chapter 358 - 187: Union of Yin and Yang: Flawless Golden Core
Chapter 358: Chapter 187: Union of Yin and Yang: Flawless Golden Core
Forming a Golden Core has never been a simple matter.
Especially for a cultivator like Xiao Chen, who only possessed a low-grade Spiritual Root, it was akin to an insurmountable chasm.
Therefore, even though he had successfully subdued the Nether Flame Fiend and formed the Yin Fire Seal, he didn’t relax in the slightest.
’An eighty percent chance isn’t safe enough. I should first find a secure location to absorb the Spiritual Object.’
The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi within Cyan Sky Gorge was now so thin it was almost nonexistent, making it extremely unfavorable for a cultivator’s breakthrough.
In fact, it wasn’t just for breaking through realms; the concentration of ambient Spiritual Qi was an extremely important factor even for a cultivator’s daily training.
A lack of Spiritual Qi supply would drastically affect one’s cultivation efficiency.
The reason Xiao Chen usually didn’t care about this was because his cultivation method was completely different from others’.
Ever since earning his first batch of Spirit Stones back then, he had never run out of a constant supply of various Spirit Pills and even a wide array of top-tier Spiritual Objects.
Before meditating, he would first take an Evergreen Pill, then drink a mouthful of Six Harmonies Divine Water. The Spiritual Qi inside his body would instantly become endless, making it completely unnecessary to absorb any from the outside world.
But breaking through a major realm was different.
First, it required a resonance between heaven and man. Simply put, one had to draw in Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi from the outside world.
Second, the amount of Spiritual Qi required was immense, and relying on Spiritual Objects alone was almost never enough to supply it.
In short, it was best to find a place with abundant natural Spiritual Qi, such as within a Tier Three Spirit Vein.
The next best option was to artificially create a dense Spiritual Qi environment, for example, by setting up a Spirit Gathering Array.
This wasn’t a problem for Xiao Chen; it just meant spending a few more Spirit Stones.
This gave him many more options, allowing him to focus primarily on safety.
And maintaining safety was the second major hurdle when breaking through a realm, especially a major one.
It was a matter of observing the heavens’ timing, assessing the terrain’s advantage, and ensuring human harmony.
It had taken Xiao Chen three full days and nights just for his Foundation Establishment, so Core Formation would undoubtedly take even longer.
But now, not only was he alone in the wild, but the situation in Hezhou was also chaotic.
If he encountered someone with malicious intent midway through his breakthrough, it could disrupt the Core Formation process and lead to failure.
’I have to find a place where no one could possibly find me.’
After leaving Cyan Sky Gorge, Xiao Chen thought for a moment and decided to head further south to have a look.
’I might as well find some godforsaken, uninhabited area. The worst-case scenario is I’ll just have to spend more Spirit Stones to avoid any man-made disasters.’
With this idea in mind, he veered slightly to the west and flew all the way out of Hezhou.
He arrived at the border between Li State and Hezhou, then continued due south for a full fifty thousand li.
To be cautious, Xiao Chen made a special point of patrolling the area.
He discovered that there wasn’t a single mortal here, let alone any cultivators.
’Excellent. If I still run into man-made trouble here, I’ll have to take it up with the heavens.’
He nodded in satisfaction, then selected a dormant volcano and jumped straight into the crater.
"Seven-Star Sword Technique—Kaiyang!"
A flash of Sword Light swept past, immediately carving out a large, flat area.
Next, Xiao Chen took out his Array Flags and set up the Yellow Wind Flowing Sand Formation around the outer edge of the crater.
Then, inside, he laid down a portable Spirit Gathering Array and activated it to its maximum effect.
An abundance of Spiritual Qi was immediately released, filling the entire interior of the crater.
After these initial preparations at the breakthrough site, Xiao Chen first took a nap inside the array until he woke up naturally, full of energy and mentally refreshed.
He then sat cross-legged and began to cultivate the Spirit-Nurturing Technique, tirelessly repeating the Grand Circulation.
Only when he felt he had reached his peak state did he take a storage box from his Storage Bag and solemnly retrieve the Large Golden Rattan Branch.
Taking a deep breath, he gently wrapped a wisp of Magical Power around the branch.
He began refining the precious Tier Three Spiritual Object while simultaneously using it to comprehend the Path of Wood.
To achieve the best possible comprehension, Xiao Chen deliberately controlled his refinement speed, keeping it at the slowest possible rate.
After all, he was already at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment and wasn’t counting on the refinement to increase his Magical Power.
「A full day and night later.」
The Large Golden Rattan Branch finally had its last bit of life force drained, turning into a withered twig on the spot.
But Xiao Chen did not stop his comprehension. Instead, he took out the Tier Three Hidden Dragon Ginseng that Thunder Sound True Man had given him as a replacement and continued to comprehend the Path of Wood.
The Hidden Dragon Ginseng was also a Wood Element Spiritual Object. Although not as precious as the Large Golden Rattan Branch, its Spirit Root Attribute was compatible, after all.
Such an act was incredibly extravagant, but at critical moments, he had always been willing to invest in himself.
After another six hours, the Hidden Dragon Ginseng was also completely drained.
As the dense Wood Spiritual Power vanished, Xiao Chen reluctantly awoke from his meditation.
’This feeling... it doesn’t seem like there’s been any major change?’
Compared to two days ago, he had gained quite a few new insights.
He had even taken the opportunity to integrate and master things he hadn’t understood before.
’The succession of spring and autumn... the cycle of life and death...’
A thread of Magical Power lit up in Xiao Chen’s hand. It first shimmered with a verdant green light before transforming into a withered yellow.
Then, the two began to merge, constantly shifting.
What was initially awkward gradually became more and more fluid.
This meant that his comprehension of the Path of Wood had indeed improved significantly compared to before.
In truth, looking at the bigger picture, Xiao Chen felt that his comprehension of the Path of Wood had only become the tiniest bit clearer than before.
If the Path of Wood were a towering tree, his current progress in comprehending it was like a small sapling.
You couldn’t say the two were completely unrelated, only that he was still a long way from truly understanding the Great Dao.
Fortunately, for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, having gained this initial glimpse was already enough to be helpful for forming his Golden Core.