Born with immortal seed

Chapter 335 Late Stage of Core Formation
The spiritual energy surged and swelled, as dense as smoke.

A powerful pressure belonging to the late stage of Core Formation swept past, pushing the spiritual energy outwards, leaving the area around the thatched hut empty.

The exotic flowers and rare herbs planted on the ground were all flattened and lay in a mess.

His divine sense expanded outwards, taking him to the jade bridge and clear stream in the courtyard, the colorful mist and clouds, the magnificent golden hall, the pavilions and terraces with glazed yellow tiles, and finally to most of the Thunder Cliff.

The range of divine sense in the late stage of Core Formation has exceeded fifty miles.

"I didn't expect it to take only twenty years, which is faster than I predicted..."

Bai Zichen slowly rose to his feet, the fire dragon swimming back and forth in his eyes.

Since understanding the theory of cultivation and practice, my time estimations in cultivation have never been wrong, and now they can be accurate to the month.

The sudden appearance of a gap of several years cannot be regarded as a blessing; we must find the reasons behind it.

Either some cultivation parameters he hadn't noticed had changed, or his theory of Xingzhi Dan was outdated and couldn't keep up with his current level.

Several hours later, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and put his worries to rest.

"It turns out that it's because of the Cantong Qi that I've cultivated this method to the third volume, and the effect of purifying true essence has improved again... It seems that even if I'm not aiming to enlighten my spirituality, it's still necessary to cultivate the Cantong Qi to a few more volumes."

The advancement of one level in the Core Formation realm was not something Bai Zichen should be overjoyed about; it was merely a step in his plan to move towards the Nascent Soul stage.

"The Fire Dragon Returning to Origin Scripture on the seventh level has further improved my fire spirit root aptitude. It will only take me 150 years to reach the peak of the late Core Formation stage... I am only a little over 130 years old this year. Even if I cultivate step by step without any fortuitous encounters, it would still be considered young to reach the Nascent Soul stage before the age of 300."

Pills suitable for enhancing cultivation in the late stage of Core Formation are rare in the cultivation world, and even rarer in the Liang Kingdom.

According to Master Zhu, at least their Danxia Sect does not have the corresponding elixir formula.

The Holy Lotus Sect once possessed several pills, but they were not refined by themselves; rather, they were obtained by Nine Lotus True Monarch through exchanges with other Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

Ge Cang Zhenren had been close to the Holy Lotus Sect in the past, so it wasn't difficult to find out about these less-than-top secrets.

Therefore, Bai Zichen was not very optimistic about the cultivation time in the later stages of Core Formation.

"Time waits for no one. The Blood God True Monarch won't let me cultivate peacefully for a hundred years, and there are all sorts of uncertain external factors..."

Looking at the messy courtyard, Bai Zichen stepped out of the cave. The two disciples guarding nearby were stunned for a moment, and then bowed deeply in respect.

"Greetings to the ancestor."

"Whoever is on Thunder Cliff, tell him to come to me."

Bai Zichen, guided by the contract, arrived at the Heavenly Thunder Wall and saw Gun Gun running happily through the bamboo forest.

Its short limbs supported its large, round body. It hadn't run far when it tripped over a bamboo stalk on the ground and fell flat on its back.

Sensing its master's presence, Gun Gun used its hands and feet to flip itself back over and dashed out.

The Bai family members responsible for tending the bamboo forest were stunned as they watched this bear-like beast, which held a special status on Thunder Cliff and would not be punished even if it damaged the spiritual bamboo, wobbling as it charged toward a strange Taoist.

Rolling up to him, its round body trembled back and forth affectionately.

When the Bai family first came to Tianlei Cliff, not a single one of them successfully established their foundation, but a large number of them reached the late stage of Qi Refining.

These people settled down here, started families, and had children. Many of them with spiritual roots became disciples of the Qingfeng Sect directly and never returned to the Mozhu Bai Clan.

In particular, those lucky few who cultivated Thunder Sound Bamboo hid the pills after the two who had failed to take the Foundation Establishment Pills bestowed upon them.

Those of them, barely reaching the Great Perfection of Qi Refining in their fifties or sixties, even with Foundation Establishment Pills, wouldn't have a very high probability of successfully establishing their foundation.

It would be better to keep this opportunity hidden until a promising descendant emerges and can then use the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Most of the cultivators currently responsible for casting the Yi Mu Qing Shen Technique are second-generation members of the Bai family who migrated to Tian Lei Cliff.

Even the aura of the sacred beast was cast remotely through the main hall; they had never actually seen their own ancestor.

But seeing Gun Gun's attitude, some of the quick-witted ones reacted and knelt down on the ground.

"You little guy, you didn't eat all that third-tier monster flesh for nothing, you've grown quite a bit heavier."

Bai Zichen could tell at a glance that Gun Gun had become a mid-grade second-tier spirit beast.

For him, unless the bloodline is extremely special, or it is at the level of one of the five great alien insects like the Spring and Autumn Cicada, there is not much difference between a second-tier and a third-tier demon beast.

Both are kills with a single sword strike; the only difference is the amount of force used.

"Congratulations, Master, on your great progress in strength after emerging from seclusion! May your Dao influence be boundless and your Great Dao everlasting!"

A beam of white light streaked across the sky and landed on the ground, revealing a spirited woman who quickly stepped forward to pay her respects.

"So it was you on the mountain. Where are your two senior brothers?"

Bai Zichen picked up Gun Gun and walked into the bamboo forest to look at the raw materials he was using to forge his sword.

"Two years ago, the eldest brother was elected as the acting sect leader in a meeting of the elders. He usually handles affairs at the main mountain and comes to Tianlei Cliff every year to pay homage outside your cave... The second brother broke through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment last year and went out to travel in search of opportunities. He should have arrived in the Frost Kingdom by now."

Huo Feiyan followed closely behind. Her master was renowned for his feat of defeating a Nascent Soul cultivator in reverse order of his Core Formation twenty years ago. In recent years, even Nascent Soul masters from other countries had come to visit him and established liaison offices in the market according to the rules of the Qingfeng Sect.

This completely equal approach to making friends is unprecedented in the history of the Northern Region.

This time, he went into seclusion for a full twenty years, keeping his cave tightly locked. You should know that even when this master was breaking through to the Core Formation stage, he would not show his face for more than a few years.

She was very much looking forward to seeing how much her master's strength had improved over the past twenty years.

"Tong Huan has become the acting sect leader, so what about Gu Xisheng?"

Bai Zichen frowned. He had heard similar rumors back in Hejian County, but he hadn't really taken them to heart.

"Well, the former sect leader passed away several years ago, so the five hall masters recommended a new leader..."

Huo Feiyan raised her head slightly, then immediately lowered it again, speaking in a steady voice as much as possible.

"In addition, Liang Yu, the Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall, Dai Hui, the Hall Master of the Weapon Refining Hall, and Ying Zhong, the Hall Master of the Skill Transmission Hall, all died of old age, and the Hall Masters have been replaced."

"Senior Brother Liang has passed away..."

Bai Zichen had one hand resting on a sacred bamboo when his mind was shaken, and he snapped the bamboo in two.

He had anticipated this, and having collected various longevity pills, Liang Yu was far too old for a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and could die at any moment.

"Yes, eight years ago, Palace Master Liang Yu passed away peacefully in his sleep without any pain... The three of us brothers kept vigil for Palace Master Liang for a hundred days, and we handled everything with the highest level of ceremony."

Huo Feiyan was well aware of the former Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall's position in her master's heart. When he passed away, they all treated him with the respect due to a junior. Liang Yu's funeral arrangements were almost equivalent to those of a Core Formation True Person.

"Senior Brother Liang has no children, and his only concern is the prosperity of the sect... My current achievements should be enough to make Senior Brother Liang happy and leave without any worries."

A faint melancholy crossed Bai Zichen's mind, as if he felt a sense of desolation and loss of things.

When they first entered the Azure Maple Sect, apart from Wei Dao who had successfully formed his core, the rest of the sect's high-ranking members had all passed away.

That's how cruel and merciless things are on the main road.

On the way forward, there were cultivators on both sides who had failed to climb higher and turned into a pile of yellow earth.

Even the closest of friends will fade from memory a hundred years later, becoming just a symbol.

Looking back now, Bai Zichen can still vividly recall the appearance and voice of Senior Brother Liang, but the others have faded from his memory.

"Only by establishing deep roots and achieving longevity can one transcend the mundane and eternally etch oneself into the world..."

The passing of his loved ones did not make him feel negative; on the contrary, it strengthened his resolve to follow the Tao time and time again.

From Huo Feiyan, he learned about the current composition of the Qingfeng Sect's high-level cultivators—

Besides Tong Huan narrowly defeating Wei Chuming in the elders' council and becoming the acting sect leader, Wei Chuming took over the position of Hall Master of the Transmission Hall, and Long Long naturally became the new Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall.

After breaking through to the late Foundation Establishment stage, Su Li also shed the title of "Agent" and became the true Lord of the Talisman Palace.

A new generation replaces the old; after twenty years away from the outside world, even the Qingfeng Sect has become somewhat unfamiliar.

"Furthermore, it seems that Ancestor Qi Yue successfully formed his core in the Northern Yuan, but he only sent back a letter and has not returned in person..."

"Oh, Qi Yue has also successfully formed his core. That's good news."

Through their question-and-answer session, Bai Zichen and Huo Feiyan gained a comprehensive understanding of the major events that had occurred in the Qingfeng Sect over the years.

And what important news is there in the cultivation world?

In the Liang Kingdom, the main cause of public outrage was the Blood Demon Sect's insane war of extermination. More than ten Core Formation level sects formed the Demon Extermination Alliance to jointly resist the Blood Demon Sect's attack.

The Blood God True Monarch never appeared, and the Blood Demon Sect and the Myriad Beasts Sect alone were actually held back by the Demon Extermination Alliance.

“I have been in seclusion for a long time and have neglected to teach you all… For the next two months, you may come to the academy at any time to ask questions about cultivation. The same applies if Tong Huan and Li Guizhen come.”

Looking at the hundreds of Sacred Sound Bamboos in the bamboo forest, Bai Zichen had a thought and selected several of the best-growing and most deeply accumulated spiritual bamboos.

"Qinghua Changle, Dongji Miaoyan..."

With a light flick of the fingers, specks of emerald light gathered at the fingertips, eventually transforming into a beam of ancient blue light that merged into the Sacred Sound Bamboo.

The bamboo leaves swayed, and a bluish light appeared on the entire bamboo, making a rustling sound.

After a few breaths, the Sacred Bamboo seemed to grow several inches taller, with new buds and tender branches sprouting, but eventually it returned to silence.

"It's because I haven't accumulated enough experience; failure is normal..."

Bai Zichen didn't take it seriously and continued casting the spell, touching five Sacred Sound Bamboo plants in succession, all with the same result.

Until the last one, the spirit bamboo emitted a clear, jade-like sound, its body split open, and a new sacred bamboo grew from the spot.

Although it was only a small section, it was full of vitality and grew to about a foot tall in no time.

"That's good. It seems this direction has some merit!"

The Sacred Sound Bamboo is only a mid-grade second-tier spiritual plant, so the Sound Bamboo Sword refined from it is considered to be at the bottom in terms of all attributes among second-tier flying swords.

Bai Zichen successfully transformed the newly sprouted Sacred Sound Bamboo in front of him into a second-tier high-grade spiritual plant using the Taiyi Azure Spirit Technique.

Once you have one, you can have two. Those top-grade second-tier spiritual plants have a high chance of being upgraded to third-tier items in his hands.

(End of this chapter)