Chapter 494: Old Mo’s Golden Core
Chapter 494: Old Mo’s Golden Core!
When a cultivator broke through from Foundation Establishment to the Golden Core realm, the heavens would cast down Turbid Thunder corresponding to the number of their Spirit Roots.
A single Spirit Root-possessing only one elemental affinity-would draw down but a single bolt of Turbid Thunder.
If one merely sought to condense a Human-Grade Golden Core instead of the supreme Earth-Grade Golden Core, enduring this single tribulation was a simple feat.
But if a cultivator refused a life of mediocrity and aspired to forge an Earth-Grade Golden Core to awaken a heaven-defying Divine Ability…
They were forced to meticulously fuse the core essence of five distinct elemental demon beasts-the higher their Dao cultivation, the better-to temper their internal organs and seize the opportunity to comprehend the laws of heaven and earth.
The Five Elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.
The Five Viscera: Lungs, Liver, Kidneys, Heart, and Spleen.
A Water Spirit Root resonated directly with the kidneys.
Mo Yu possessed a single Spirit Root; under normal circumstances, he was only destined to face a single strike of Turbid Thunder.Any cultivator with a shred of martial fortitude could endure it without fail.
Furthermore, he now enjoyed the absolute backing of a Master at the Golden Core realm and sat protected upon Water Immortal Peak, one of the Seven Great Immortal Peaks.
He had even emptied his coffers to acquire an arsenal of Water-attributed Spirit Weapons, Spirit Talismans, and Spirit Pills, perfectly aligning the advantages of celestial timing, earthly terrain, and mortal harmony.
Yet despite all this, he dared not harbor a single trace of arrogance, fearing that fatal one-in-ten-thousand chance of failure.
Thus, he borrowed the profound might of Water Immortal Peak’s Phantom (Mask) Formation to cast an illusion so perfect it could confound reality itself.
The instant Mo Yu assumed a cross-legged meditative posture, ethereal ripples bloomed across the surrounding waters, and the aqueous pillars encircling the island abruptly shot towards the heavens, one after another.
As though a cosmic seal had been shattered, the surrounding heavens and earth violently warped.
The sky abruptly blackened, and an oppressive, earthy-yellow Tribulation Cloud, fully fifty zhang in diameter, manifested out of the void.
The exact moment the Tribulation Cloud coalesced, it seized the absolute laws of heaven and earth.
Immediately, thick yellow sludge began weeping from the clouds, centering entirely upon Mo Yu. The pristine flowing waters instantly muddied, choked by a suffocating stench of rotting earth.
The flow of the water ground to a crawl, plummeting by seventy percent as the domain morphed into a sluggish, treacherous mire.
Although he knew it was a mere illusion, he still felt his physical form encased within a crushing cocoon of dense earth qi, his spiritual sense completely smothered and unable to pierce the veil.
The suffocating pressure at that moment was pushed to the absolute extreme, strangling the breath from his lungs.
So realistic!
Is this the true power of the Phantom (Mask) Formation?
Could this truly be the heavenly wrath I am destined to face?
Just as Mo Yu marveled in the depths of his mind, a jagged fissure tore through the belly of the yellow Tribulation Cloud, resembling the gaping maw of some primordial demon’s lair.
Through the hazy veil, the writhing forms of countless Earth Dragons could be seen violently churning within the celestial mud.
As the nauseating stench of earth thickened, the oppressive aura of the world grew infinitely heavier.
Suddenly, a deafening boom shattered the stillness!
A blinding yellow thunderbolt, fully a zhang thick, plummeted with annihilating force.
However, because this array was designed to mimic the Turbid Thunder of an Earth-Grade Golden Core, the outer layer of the descending lightning visibly transmutated, violently spawning coarse sand and parched earth.
With an apocalyptic momentum that threatened to shatter mountains and boil seas, it crashed downward.
Feeling the terrifying, suffocating might of the strike, Mo Yu’s complexion drained of all color.
If a mere illusion is this devastating, how catastrophic will the true heavenly wrath be?
Faced with such cataclysmic power, a primal sliver of fear involuntarily sprouted in his Dao Heart.
Sensing the apocalyptic aura of the Turbid Thunder, the Mirage Dragon-which had long been dormant in a deep slumber-violently awakened, unleashing a chilling, sinister sneer. “Jie jie jie… I have bided my time for countless years, and finally, the perfect moment for Body Seizing has arrived.
“Insignificant mortal, allow me to tread the grand Dao in your stead!”
Without a fraction of hesitation, the ancient entity detonated all the strength it had painstakingly recovered during its slumber-a pitiful ten-thousandth of its former tyrannical glory.
In an instant, a dense, eerie grey fog began to profusely bleed from Mo Yu’s pores, casting a profoundly sinister aura over his flesh.
Following this, the parasitic Dragon Pearl entrenched within his kidneys materialized into a spectral, draconic phantom. Tearing its ferocious jaws wide, it surged upward, viciously attempting to usurp the host’s vessel the very moment the Turbid Thunder shattered his consciousness, cultivation realm, and soul.
Yet, as its spectral fangs clamped down, it found the host’s soul foundation as immovable as a sacred mountain.
“Hmm?”
“What is the meaning of this?”
“Has my soul grown this feeble?”
The Mirage Dragon was instantly plunged into sheer bewilderment.
Right at that moment, Mo Yu’s cold, internal voice echoed within his own mind. “You seem remarkably impatient.”
The Mirage Dragon stammered in absolute shock and uncertainty, “Are you not currently enduring the Thunder Tribulation?!”
A mocking sneer curled the edges of Mo Yu’s lips. “Not yet. I am merely experiencing a projected illusion within the Phantom (Mask) Formation.”
This… how is this possible?!
Refusing to believe such absurdity, the Mirage Dragon instantly manifested its spectral draconic form, phasing entirely out of the mortal vessel. Looking up, it beheld the swirling Tribulation Cloud, vividly sensing the apocalyptic devastation churning within its depths.
Yet, despite witnessing the Turbid Thunder crash down upon the host mere moments ago, not a single trace of substantial harm had been inflicted, unequivocally proving it was a mere illusion.
The Phantom (Mask) Formation was so profoundly realistic that it had effortlessly deceived even an ancient master of illusion like itself!
Struck by this humiliating revelation, the Mirage Dragon laughed awkwardly. “I was merely jesting just now. Surely you believe me?”
Mo Yu’s gaze was laced with utter disdain. “In truth, from the very first day our paths crossed, my guard was raised. I never placed my absolute trust in you.”
Seeing that all pretense had been stripped away, the Mirage Dragon abandoned its facade, its spectral voice turning vicious. “So what if you knew? I am firmly entrenched within your flesh, holding your twin kidneys hostage!
“Without my explicit decree, you shall remain forever blind to the laws of the Water element. Banish any delusions of ever condensing a Golden Core!
“You are doomed to rot as a Foundation Establishment cripple for eternity! Jie jie jie!”
Mo Yu’s eyes dimmed with apparent despair. “Are you saying I am left with no other path?”
The Mirage Dragon swelled with arrogant triumph. “Insignificant mortal, rather than writhing in futile struggle, you should release your final tethers and surrender this vessel to me.
“I swear upon the Dao that I shall wear your face and ascend as a supreme sovereign of the Water element!”
Boom!
At that precise moment, a deafening roar ruptured the heavens.
An endless deluge of yellow mud violently cascaded from the void.
Amidst the violently churning Tribulation Cloud, a genuine bolt of earthy-yellow Turbid Thunder suddenly smashed down.
Just as before, it dragged a terrifying maelstrom of coarse sand and parched earth in its wake, exuding a vastly horrifying, apocalyptic presence.
Assuming this was merely another projected illusion of the Phantom (Mask) Formation, the Mirage Dragon paid it absolutely no heed, refusing to cast even a single glance toward the sky.
It remained entirely focused on its standoff with Mo Yu, waiting to see who would ultimately snap and kneel first.
Watching the true Turbid Thunder hurtle closer and closer, the feigned despair in Mo Yu’s eyes vanished, replaced by a flash of ruthless cunning. In a split second, he violently ignited every Spirit Weapon and Spirit Talisman strapped to his body.
Brilliant pillars of spiritual light erupted from his form in rapid succession, weaving into an impregnable fortress of defensive wards.
Witnessing this sudden burst of desperate defense, the Mirage Dragon froze in momentary confusion before a horrifying realization struck it. It shrieked in sheer terror, “Dammit! This one is real!”
The apocalyptic Turbid Thunder mercilessly slammed into its spectral form first.
Had it been at its primordial peak, such a strike would have been less than a light breeze.
But its physical flesh had long been destroyed, its Dragon Pearl was helplessly anchored in a mortal’s body, and its recovered might barely constituted a ten-thousandth of its former glory.
In a blinding flash, the phantom dragon shadow was violently obliterated by the Turbid Thunder. Only a pitiful wisp of a remnant soul survived. Acting on sheer, terrified instinct, the wisp desperately drifted toward the safety of the waters below.
Meanwhile, having utilized the Mirage Dragon as a spectral shield, and bolstered by his vast array of Spirit Weapons, Spirit Talismans, and Spirit Pills, the residual shockwave of the lightning only inflicted moderate injuries upon Mo Yu’s flesh.
A cultivator with a single Spirit Root was only mandated to endure one strike of Turbid Thunder. Having survived the ordeal, Mo Yu’s bottleneck shattered! Countless streams of Water Spirit Qi within his Qi Sea violently converged, ultimately condensing into a sovereign Golden Core adorned with flowing black water runes.
Resonating with this ascension, his innate Divine Ability was simultaneously born.
It manifested as a profound mirror-hovering on the boundary of truth and illusion, form and emptiness.
At a mere glance, one could sense it captured a sliver of the divine essence of Water Immortal Peak itself.
Basking in the ownerless power of the Dragon Pearl now wholly assimilated into his foundation, Mo Yu sneered inwardly. You saw me as a gullible fish to be hooked, completely oblivious to the fact that I viewed you in the exact same light.
Xu Linyuan stared blankly at his disciple. After an eternity, he forced the words out in disbelief, “You… successfully condensed your Golden Core?”
Mo Yu snapped back to reality and offered a modest nod. “Yes.”
Xu Linyuan swallowed hard, probing further. “Earth-Grade?”
Mo Yu nodded firmly. “Yes.”
Unable to suppress his burning curiosity, Xu Linyuan pressed, “What is your Divine Ability?”
Mo Yu extended his right hand, and the ethereal, paradoxical mirror materialized above his palm. “The Virtual Water Mirror!”
The Virtual Water Mirror: Reflection of Myriad Transformations.
Its fundamental nature allowed the wielder to replicate the Divine Abilities, techniques, and martial strikes of an opponent.
In terms of power, the projected replicas typically only retained half the destructive might of the original.
Among the 108 recognized Divine Abilities, it was merely ranked in the upper-middle tier.
Yet, Mo Yu’s Virtual Water Mirror was fundamentally mutated. Having devoured the primordial essence of the Dragon Pearl, it possessed the heaven-defying capability to perfectly replicate an opponent’s Divine Abilities, techniques, and attacks with one hundred percent of their original devastating power.
Naturally, such power came with a harsh toll: it could not be summoned carelessly, as the drain on his Magic Power was incredibly immense.
As for this heaven-defying secret, he was currently the sole soul who knew of it.
Hearing the name of the Divine Ability, Xu Linyuan drew a deep breath before cursing in absolute exasperation, “To think my most promising disciple would turn out to be a lazy, good-for-nothing scoundrel like you!”
Mo Yu coughed awkwardly. “Ahem.”
Recalling the colossal phantom from moments prior, Xu Linyuan arched an eyebrow. “What in the heavens was that spectral monstrosity just now?”
Mo Yu hesitated for a fleeting second before respectfully answering, “Your disciple’s Fated Chance.”
Xu Linyuan opened his mouth to press the issue, but after a moment of consideration, he relented with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Forget it, forget it. Since you have successfully condensed an Earth-Grade Golden Core and awakened a Divine Ability, you have unequivocally proven your right to reside upon Water Immortal Peak. Make preparations to move your courtyard here.”
At that exact moment, a thought sparked within Mo Yu’s mind, stirring his spiritual sense.
In the very next second, a colossal black water serpent, fully a hundred zhang in length, tore out of the void. Detecting the lingering aura of the Mirage Dragon, it hissed with fanatical excitement, “Master, you have finally seized-“
However, halfway through its praise, it froze, realizing a horrifying discrepancy.
While the Mo Yu standing before it did indeed radiate a trace of the Mirage Dragon’s aura, it was incredibly faint and fully assimilated.
Even worse, it could no longer sense the ancient consciousness that had lurked within; the spiritual tether had been violently severed.
Confronted by the suffocating, sovereign Pressure of a Golden Core grandmaster, the black water serpent instantly assessed the situation and slammed its massive head against the earth in abject submission. “Master, the heavens stand witness, my loyalty to you has always been absolute!”
…
…
Deep within the Inner Water, Jiang Chen and Jin Fugui had purchased everything they desired and explored every marvel the sanctuary had to offer.
They were just preparing to return to the surface to bear witness to Old Mo’s Tribulation.
But out of nowhere, a pitiful wisp of a dragon-shaped remnant soul drifted down from the waters above.
The longer they stared at it, the more uncanny it felt, as though they had crossed paths with this entity in the past.
Jiang Chen’s eyes lit up with sudden recognition, and he exclaimed in surprise, “Old Mirage?”
Years ago, this very entity had utterly failed to hook its prey and had been forced to flee into the distant horizon with its Dragon Pearl.
How had it been reduced to such a pathetic state in mere years? Not only had it been stripped of its Dragon Pearl, but it was now nothing more than a crippled remnant soul drifting aimlessly. It was a truly wretched sight.
Pondering for a moment, he reached out, effortlessly capturing the soul and sealing it away within his robes.
Though he was oblivious to the grand tragedy that had transpired, casually picking up a wisp of a true dragon’s soul was a delightfully unexpected windfall.
Jin Fugui turned his head, his face a mask of confusion. “What old?”
Jiang Chen shook his head. “It’s nothing. Let us ascend.”
Without delay, the two soared upward toward the Outer Water. With a soft pop, the world violently inverted once more. When their vision finally settled, they saw only Mo Yu standing there; Xu Linyuan, the master who had guided them, had vanished without a trace.
Before Jin Fugui could even process the scene, Jiang Chen spoke in utter astonishment, “Old Mo, you’ve already broken through?”
Mo Yu blinked, then offered a calm nod. “Indeed. I broke through mere moments ago.”
Jin Fugui stood completely dumbfounded. “That fast?”
Mo Yu spread his hands with a wry smile. “I was just as surprised.”
He had originally spent a fortune preparing an arsenal of countermeasures strictly to guard against the treacherous Mirage Dragon.
Yet, in a twist of fate, the entity had foolishly exposed its hand during the Phantom (Mask) Formation’s illusory trial.
Seizing the absolute initiative, Mo Yu played into the deception and shattered his bottleneck on the spot. The resulting triumph was clear for all to see.
Jin Fugui looked at Old Jiang, then turned his gaze back to Old Mo, letting out a deeply helpless sigh. “In just a few more years, Old Jiang will condense his Golden Core as well. I am the only one crawling along this path.”
He was merely at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, facing a grueling ten to twenty years of bitter cultivation before he could even dream of grasping the Golden Core.
This was a stark contrast to Jiang Chen beside him, who stood at the absolute peak of late-Foundation Establishment and was guaranteed to break through within the decade.
As for Mo Yu, he had once again surged far ahead of them both, not only securing his place as a core disciple but successfully forging an Earth-Grade Golden Core.
Standing here, it felt as though time had looped backward to the very days when the three of them had first crossed paths!