Xiaoxiao.

Just then, a chilling, sinister laugh suddenly rang out, echoing through the air as if it came from the deepest hell.

Kuang Zheng and the other two felt their bodies stiffen, as if they had been instantly subjected to a terrible immobilization spell, and no matter how they struggled, they could no longer move an inch.

This immense sense of confinement was an unprecedented experience for them; the despair of being unable to break free surged like a tidal wave, completely overwhelming them.

This power was far beyond anything they had ever seen before.

Before they could even see the enemy clearly, their side was already in dire straits.

At this moment, they desperately tried to mobilize the spiritual energy in their bodies, but their originally active dantian seemed to be frozen into ice. No matter how they circulated their cultivation techniques, the spiritual energy seemed to have entered a long hibernation period and did not react at all.

Such a bizarre and terrifying situation sent a jolt through the three of them. An unprecedented fear crept into their hearts like a venomous snake and continued to spread.

Tormented by endless fear, time ticked by, and the three were on the verge of collapse.

Finally, when they were nearly exhausted by this immense fear, the master who had let out the sinister laugh slowly revealed his true identity.

Upon closer inspection, everyone saw that the newcomer was dressed in a bright red brocade robe, as vivid as blood.

She wore a pair of cloud-patterned shoes inlaid with gold thread, exuding extraordinary luxury.

This man was tall and imposing, standing before us like an unshakeable mountain.

His face was resolute and upright, exuding an imposing aura even without anger. However, at this moment, he wore a mocking and sarcastic smile, looking down at Kuang Zheng and the other two as if admiring three lambs at the slaughter.

Unlike those ferocious beasts that exude powerful pressure and inspire fear, the thing before them had no pressure whatsoever, and it was even difficult to detect the slightest fluctuation of spiritual energy.

However, Kuang Zheng knew perfectly well that the reason for this situation was not because the other party lacked spiritual energy, but on the contrary, it was due to the huge gap in their cultivation levels.

Because his own cultivation level was so low, he was completely unable to sense the immense spiritual energy contained within the other party.

This situation is similar to a newborn baby who, upon first seeing boxing champion Mike Tyson, does not yet have a clear concept of the word "powerful".

How could someone so ignorant and confused truly grasp the terrifying aura emanating from Tyson?

As the saying goes: the more silent a vicious dog is, the more ferocious and deadly it tends to be when it bites.

Facing this opponent whose strength was completely unfathomable, Kuang Zheng felt a heavy weight in his heart, as if a boulder was pressing down on him.

Despite the overwhelming fear surging within him, Kuang Zheng did his best to suppress the emotion, letting his brain work at full speed, racking his brains for a good way to break the deadlock.

Wu Ren and Ying Yue, standing to the side, felt as if their hearts had fallen into an abyss the moment they witnessed the appearance of the Vermilion Fruit King, leaving them utterly desolate and gloomy.

They had imagined countless times in their minds what it would be like to meet each other: perhaps it would be an earth-shattering battle, with both sides evenly matched and unable to determine a winner; or perhaps it would be a long-term chase.

However, reality completely surprised them; what happened before their eyes overturned all their imaginations.

The unpredictable and mysterious binding technique alone was like Mount Tai crushing an egg, preventing them from even having the slightest thought of resistance.

This was a complete and utter crushing defeat, as if they were facing not an opponent, but an insurmountable mountain.

Let alone launching a counterattack and engaging in battle, even sensing the slightest fluctuation of spiritual energy from the opponent is a luxury.

Kuang Zheng had previously explained to them the reasons for this situation, and there were two most likely possibilities: First, the other party was very likely just an ordinary person who did not possess the aura that a cultivator should have.

However, if it is the second situation, it is terrifying—the opponent's realm is probably more than three levels higher than their own, such a huge gap would make it impossible for them to detect the opponent's spiritual energy.

Zhu Guowang Zhu Xian was one of the three great lords of Mangyuan, and Kuang Zheng had described the image of this overlord to them countless times.

As destined rivals, the two have always paid close attention to each other.

That's why, the moment Zhu Xian truly appeared, the two recognized him at a glance.

What's puzzling is that this powerful figure, who had already reached the Golden Core stage a thousand years ago, could not sense the presence of any spiritual energy, just like an ordinary person.

This is simply unbelievable. How could he, one of the three great lords, be an ordinary person? This naturally eliminates the first possibility.

Now that the first possibility has been ruled out, the answer is practically obvious.

It should be noted that both Wu Ren and Ying Yue possessed cultivation at the Enlightenment stage, with Wu Ren even having one foot in the Fusion stage. Yet, they were unable to sense even the slightest fluctuation of spiritual energy from the Vermilion Fruit King.

What does this actually mean?

This means that the opponent's strength far surpasses that of the two of them, at least at the Golden Core stage, or even a higher level, the Nascent Soul stage!

Nascent Soul Stage!!!

That's something that's simply unattainable!

For the vast majority of cultivators, the Nascent Soul stage is a supreme realm that they only dare to secretly yearn for in their hearts, and never dare to hope that they can truly reach it.

In the cultivation world, there is a widely circulated saying: "Mahayana cultivation is easy, but Nascent Soul cultivation is difficult!"

This statement perfectly encapsulates the hardships and difficulties of the Nascent Soul stage of cultivation. Its difficulty is even greater than that of the Mahayana stage.

After all, among every 100,000 cultivators, there might not be even one Nascent Soul stage cultivator.

The Golden Elixir stage is called "Transcending Mortality".

The reason for this title is actually quite simple: the so-called "shedding the mortal body" means that cultivators gradually shed the various constraints and limitations of their physical bodies.

When a cultivator finally reaches the Golden Core stage after going through countless hardships, a golden core will condense in his dantian.

This golden elixir is precisely the crucial starting point for cultivators to transform from ordinary physical bodies into extraordinary immortal bodies.

Once a cultivator successfully enters the Golden Core realm, the spiritual energy within their entire body will undergo an astonishing and earth-shattering transformation.

The spiritual energy, which was originally scattered throughout the body like scattered stars, now seemed to be summoned by some mysterious force and began to slowly converge towards the dantian. This spiritual energy was like a prodigal son returning home, rushing eagerly yet orderly towards that warm harbor.

Once all the spiritual energy has successfully gathered in the dantian, it will not stop there.

On the contrary, a more dramatic change is quietly unfolding here.

Within the small space of the dantian, spiritual energy squeezes, collides, and merges with each other, constantly undergoing extreme condensation.

This refining process is like steel being forged through countless hammerings; each forging process removes impurities and purifies the essence.

After a long period of accumulation and sedimentation, the spiritual energy finally condensed into a golden elixir that radiated brilliant light.

This golden elixir is like the brightest star in the night sky, shining with dazzling brilliance, and the energy it contains is enough to amaze people.

With the formation of the Golden Core, the cultivator's cultivation level also smoothly advances to the Golden Core stage.

At this point, their strength will experience a qualitative leap!

Upon advancing to the Golden Core stage, both the power of spells and one's own defensive capabilities are greatly enhanced.

In addition, the body's various functions have undergone tremendous changes.

The originally fragile and vulnerable body gradually becomes incredibly tough, with bones as hard as steel; the meridians are widened and become extremely resilient, able to withstand a stronger flow of spiritual energy; and the internal organs are full of vitality, with greatly improved operating efficiency.

This series of changes is what is known as "shedding the mortal realm," meaning that cultivators have broken free from the shackles of ordinary people and are moving towards a higher level of cultivation.

The Golden Core stage is an important phase in the cultivation of Daoist arts on the Penglai planet. On this continent, the Golden Core path is the ultimate realm that many cultivators dream of.