I long to return home!

Huai Zhen's eyes flashed, and after a moment's thought, he slowly said, "I was unfortunately injured during the previous mission, but I'm fine now and just need to rest."

When asked this question, Lei Mengying's face still showed some worry. She patted her storage bag and took out a bottle of hemostatic powder and a fifth-grade low-level healing pill.

“You said you would rest and recuperate last time, and it’s been over a year now, and you’re still sickly. Although you’re much better than before, but…” Lei Mengying paused, shook her head slightly, and continued, “Never mind, keep these things safe. If I were to tell you what someone I know said, anyone who follows you in the future will be really unlucky.”

Huai Zhen listened quietly, and when he got to the point of being deeply moved, he scratched his head awkwardly. As he took the pill, he suddenly remembered something and asked Lei Mengying, "Your Highness, have we met before?"

Lei Mengying was stunned for a moment, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. Following Huai Zhen's words, she pondered deeply, recalling all her memories since she began cultivating. Then she confirmed, "No, I have never traveled far before I was seventeen. Perhaps you saw me when you came to the palace with your sect."

Huai Zhen believed this explanation and did not investigate further. He sat down on the dry grass two zhang away from Lei Mengying and took the fifth-grade pill.

The effects of the pill were quite obvious. As soon as it was swallowed, the rich medicinal power of the pill spread throughout the body, and the person's energy and spirit improved considerably.

Huai Zhen made a slight hand seal and peeled off the strips of cloth wrapped around his right arm. When he finished peeling them off, he was dumbfounded. His right arm was completely intact, without even a scar.

How could it heal so quickly?! While the rapid recovery over the past few days was noticeable, how could such a bone-destroying injury not even leave a scar? This is definitely not something a single fifth-grade elixir could achieve in such a short time...

At this moment, Huai Zhen's pupils suddenly contracted, and he extended his right palm. As his gaze sharpened, a trace of blood energy rose from his palm.

The magical power of transforming blood!

Thinking of this possibility, his divine sense surged into his body, trying to explore the origin of this Blood Transformation Divine Art. To his surprise, he found that although his appearance was calm, his blood was already churning inside, with a rich and vibrant blood energy circulating through his meridians.

This Blood Transformation Divine Skill is too miraculous; I really don't know where I obtained this supernatural power from before.

Huai Zhen couldn't help but boast, but soon he placed his hands on his dantian, trying to find out how many supernatural powers the Blood Transformation Divine Art still contained, perhaps he could find a trace of memory within this divine art.

Fifteen days later.

Huai Zhen slowly opened her eyes. Although she still looked sickly, her complexion was full of vitality.

He looked to his right and saw that Lei Mengying was still in a cultivation state, with a tense expression, covered in sweat, and purple lightning occasionally flashing from her dantian, but it would extinguish after a few days.

This is the second time Your Highness has failed to form a golden core in the past fifteen days. Is it really that difficult to form a golden core?

The moment the thought of Huaizhen crossed Lei Mengying's mind, she failed to form her core again. This time it was even more serious than before. She had accumulated spiritual energy for many days to try to break through to the Golden Core stage, but in the end, all her spiritual energy was exhausted, and she had not even been able to successfully form a core embryo.

"Your Highness, is forming the Golden Core really that difficult?" Huai Zhen stepped forward to help the weak Lei Mengying up, asking with some concern.

Lei Mengying coughed a few times after hearing this, wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, and said through gritted teeth with a hint of resentment in her eyes, "I really don't believe it."

After speaking, she looked at Huai Zhen beside her and explained, "The normal formation of the Golden Core depends on opportunity and talent. It can take anywhere from a few days or months to several years or decades. It requires a large amount of spiritual energy to condense the Golden Core in the Dantian."

"Besides, there are many types of Golden Cores, such as the Five Elements Golden Core and the Power Golden Core that you may need. The one I want to form is the Thunder Golden Core, which requires a deep understanding of the thunder element. On the day it is formed, the thunder-type spells I cast will be significantly enhanced."

At this point, Lei Mengying sat cross-legged again, placed her hands on her dantian, and a fierce glint flashed in her eyes. She said, "If I'm going to form a Golden Core, I'll form the strongest one. I can form a normal Golden Core in less than three years by going into seclusion with all my might." After saying this, she circulated her internal energy to heal her injuries, preparing for the next Golden Core formation.

Before long, a burst of light appeared again in the dark cell. After listening to these words, Huai Zhen seemed to be deep in thought. Lei Mengying had just mentioned the Golden Core of Power that he needed, and Huai Zhen couldn't help but ponder it. He knew a little about this Golden Core of Power.

The so-called Golden Core of Power is almost the best choice for every power cultivator who wants to break through from the Foundation Establishment stage to the Golden Core stage. Every power cultivator who reaches the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment needs to temper their physical body with a huge amount of spiritual power every day, so that the physical body can undergo a transformation, and then use the spiritual power remaining from years of tempering the body to form the Golden Core of Power in the body.

Such cultivators who have reached the Core Formation stage can handle 100,000 jin with one hand. If they combine this with strength cultivation techniques, their strength will increase even further.

One day later.

Huai Zhen stretched out his palm to examine it. He remembered that when he fought against the Purple Winged Thunder Eagle King, he could exert nearly 100,000 jin of force with the Blood Transformation Divine Art. If the tenfold boost from the Blood Transformation Divine Art were removed, his physical body could now exert nearly 10,000 jin of force.

Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, he looked at Lei Mengying, but seeing that she was still recovering, he decided not to disturb her any longer.

Six days later.

Lei Mengying awoke and, with the help of elixirs, further enhanced her spiritual power. She took a deep breath and was about to form her core when Huai Zhen stopped her.

"Your Highness, please wait a moment."

Hearing the sound, Lei Mengying turned her head and saw that he looked flustered. She asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

Huai Zhen paused, and after recalling what they had said a few days ago, asked, "Your Highness, if you want to form a Thunder Golden Core, you need to have a deep understanding of the thunder element, right? Can this understanding be achieved with the help of external objects, such as the core of a thunder-attribute magical beast?"

Upon hearing this, Lei Mengying pondered for a moment and affirmed, "Yes, if I have a high-level lightning-attribute magical beast core to assist me, my success rate in forming my core will be twice as high."

"But the cores of high-level lightning-attribute magical beasts are too expensive. If I hire someone to hunt them, I can afford the spirit stones for a fifth-level one, but for higher-level ones..."

Speaking of this, Lei Mengying sighed helplessly. The Yin Yue Empire was full of wealthy and powerful people. The spirit stones she brought with her were considered few. Even with the monthly allowance from the royal family, it was not enough after using them to cultivate and strengthen the Purple Heaven Divine Thunder Blade.

Just as Lei Mengying was lamenting how much spirit stones the Purple Heaven Divine Thunder Blade consumed, a dazzling purple light illuminated the entire cell, followed by a surge of lightning that swept out, which was felt by the entire Heavenly Prison and the Nascent Soul expert.

"This...this...this...it's a sixth-tier lightning-attribute magical beast core!" Lei Mengying's eyebrows furrowed, her pupils widening in surprise. However, she quickly realized something was wrong. Looking at the magical beast that was about to take shape inside the core, she was so astonished that she could hardly speak: "This is a magical beast that is about to form its Nascent Soul! This is a near-seventh-tier magical beast core!"