Chapter 268: Withered Glory Golden Core (Congratulations to Alliance Leader JUNE123! )
Several years prior.
Fang Xi, having made all preparations, arrived beneath the Demonic Tree and began adjusting his state, bringing his essence, qi, and spirit to their peak.
Beneath the Demonic Tree, at this moment, wisps of spiritual energy shimmered like a dream, reflecting dazzling seven-colored light, dreamlike and misty, resembling an immortal realm.
This was, naturally, because he had utilized a 'Spirit Gathering Formation' to raise the spiritual energy in his small area to the third-tier!
Dragon Fish Island possessed a second-tier, superior-grade spirit vein, which was originally not suitable for Foundation Establishment cultivators attempting to break through to Core Formation.
However, by employing the path of formations, one could turn the impossible into the possible!
It was simply that setting up a 'Spirit Gathering Formation' consumed vast resources, and once activated, it burned through spirit stones every single moment.
Thus, apart from breaking through major realms, Fang Xi typically didn't use this formation for his cultivation, nor could he truly afford to. . .
It was unclear how much time had passed when Fang Xi opened his eyes. In one pupil, a vibrant, verdant green bloomed with vitality, while the other flickered with withered, desolate yellow.
He no longer hesitated. The incantation for the fourteenth level of the 'Withered Glory Chant' flowed like a clear spring, gently through his mind. He had already comprehended this level of the cultivation method countless times; every crucial point was deeply ingrained in his heart.
"Withered Glory Transformation, Life and Death Rotation, Yin-Yang Conjunction, Dragon-Tiger Golden Core!"
Silently reciting the true incantation in his heart, he formed hand seals like the Taiji symbol, half his magical power verdant as jade, the other half withered and desolate yellow.
"Ancient cultivators with great divine abilities, when forming their Golden Cores, all spoke of 'condensing Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches' and 'refining the Golden Core with Water and Fire'. . . This was, in essence, condensing Yin and Yang into one to embrace the core!"
"Only by experiencing nine transformations of life and death could the Golden Core truly be perfected!"
"From this perspective. . . the 'Withered Glory Chant' truly lived up to its name as a top-tier cultivation method, drawing upon the cultivation experience of ancient cultivators. Its foundational concept was profoundly high. . . using wither and glory to correspond to Yin and Yang, life and death. . . Wither and Glory united, the Golden Core perfected!"
Having thoroughly comprehended this point, Fang Xi's mind became incomparably clear, and he began the Core Formation process!
The Core Formation process was similar to Foundation Establishment, also having the three hurdles of essence, qi, and spirit!
The third-tier spiritual energy of heaven and earth was absorbed by him, not a single drop remaining, like boiling water poured into hot oil, causing the three hundred and sixty-five drops of liquid magical power in his Dantian's Sea of Qi to react violently!
Harmonizing the Dragon and Tiger, Yin and Yang, sounded simple, but in practice, it was incredibly difficult!
Fang Xi grunted, feeling as if his Dantian was being pierced by ten thousand arrows. The greenish-yellow liquid 'Great Core' formed by his condensed magical power began to fluctuate intensely, creating ripples, as if it would explode the next instant!
How formidable was his current magical power?
Three hundred and sixty-five drops of liquid magical power — this was the true limit for a Foundation Establishment cultivator!
Waves of magical power swept through his entire body, vibrating his bones and marrow. . . Immediately, Fang Xi's entire skin began to crack, revealing streaks of blood.
His meridians, unable to bear the powerful spiritual energy infusion, were gradually becoming overwhelmed, and his entire body's joints groaned in protest.
Fortunately, Fang Xi was, after all, a body cultivator, having achieved the body of a Martial God; his body was far more resilient than that of an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Not only that, just as he felt he could no longer hold on, lines of silver ancient script appeared on his bones.
The powerful vitality of the 'Wood Spirit Body' erupted within his body!
Fang Xi suddenly felt his body lighten, and his meridians seemed to be enveloped in a hazy green light, transforming into a potent protective layer.
His skin continuously shed, and after the dead skin, even fairer and more delicate skin emerged.
Even though his body was constantly being damaged internally, under the ceaseless support of the 'Wood Spirit Body', his physique actually seemed to be tempered like fine steel, advancing further amidst destruction and reconstruction!
After passing the hurdle of physical transformation, Fang Xi's expression became solemn; his entire divine consciousness had already entered his Dantian's Sea of Qi.
As his hands formed seals, the radiance on his body grew increasingly intense.
The verdant green and withered yellow colors continuously alternated and transformed, flashing nine times in succession!
Inside the Sea of Qi Dantian.
The 'Pill' condensed from liquid magical power, after several impacts, almost directly exploded!
Fortunately, through the continuous purification of the 'Wood Spirit Body', three-tenths of Fang Xi's liquid magical power had already completely solidified, acting like a Sea-Calming Divine Needle.
After several clashes, the greenish-yellow liquid magical power still couldn't separate, and instead began to gradually merge once more, a point of purple-golden radiance emerging from its center.
This radiance continuously flickered, initially faint, then solidifying, transforming into a single golden point of light, and then constantly devouring and compressing the surrounding liquid magical power. . .
Finally, it formed a Golden Core of purple-golden hue, radiating a greenish-yellow halo!
"Withered Glory transformed, the Golden Core achieved!"
The smoothness of it all exceeded Fang Xi's expectations.
Perhaps it was because his aptitude had improved after cultivating the 'Wood Spirit Body'; perhaps it was the effect of three-tenths solidified magical power; perhaps it was his steady and meticulous cultivation during the Foundation Establishment stage, advancing his magical power step by step to its limit. . . or perhaps a combination of all these conditions that made the process of condensing his Golden Core remarkably smooth.
Fang Xi's divine consciousness swiftly plunged into the Golden Core, intending to control this newly formed Withered Glory Golden Core, and begin devouring the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth!
Just at this moment, an unexpected change occurred!
Outside the Withered Glory Golden Core, Fang Xi even felt a kind of obstruction, or rather, resistance!
It was the powerful True Essence of the Golden Core, unconsciously resisting the cultivator's divine consciousness!
If one's divine consciousness wasn't strong enough, they wouldn't be able to penetrate the Golden Core, absorb its foundational essence, and undergo a transformation of their divine consciousness!
In the end, Core Formation would still fail!
This was the final hurdle: the divine consciousness hurdle!
Only then did Fang Xi notice that the surface of his Golden Core was still pitted and even had fine cracks, not truly perfect!
"The Golden Core was the unification of the three treasures: essence, qi, and spirit. If it couldn't be perfected, it would eventually shatter, causing one to fall back to the Foundation Establishment realm. . ."
"Fortunately. . . My divine consciousness, tempered by multiple traversals of the myriad heavens, was incomparable even to those Foundation Establishment cultivators who specialized in divine consciousness cultivation methods!"
Fang Xi's will was like a blade, controlling his immensely powerful divine consciousness, and with an unyielding determination, he fiercely charged towards the Golden Core.
Pop!
As if breaking through an invisible membrane, Fang Xi's divine consciousness took control of the Golden Core's True Essence, and truly entered the Golden Core's interior!
At this moment, his divine consciousness absorbed the Golden Core's foundational essence, and began its transformation anew!
Originally, Fang Xi's divine consciousness could extend roughly four to five hundred zhang.
After transforming into Golden Core divine consciousness, his awareness became boundless, and began to spread outwards. . .
Five li, ten li, fifteen li!
Only after reaching a full twenty li did Fang Xi suddenly feel a wave of fatigue, and retract his divine consciousness.
"According to the descriptions in Nascent Soul-level cultivation methods like the 'Withered Glory Chant'. . . an ordinary early-stage Core Formation cultivator's divine consciousness should range between five to ten li. Now my divine consciousness limit is twenty li, which means my divine consciousness is about two to four times stronger than an early-stage Core Formation cultivator?"
This was, of course, because Fang Xi's divine consciousness was inherently powerful, its base sufficiently vast, and after undergoing the Core Formation transformation, he naturally reaped even greater benefits!
After a brief test of his divine consciousness, Fang Xi dared not delay further, and silently circulated the fourteenth level of the 'Withered Glory Chant'!
The 'Withered Glory Chant' was a top-tier cultivation method; its first ten levels corresponding to the ten levels of Qi Refinement, and its eleventh to thirteenth levels corresponding to the Foundation Establishment stage.
The fourteenth level was the cultivation method for the early Core Formation stage!
As the cultivation method slowly began to operate, Fang Xi's Golden Core, guided by his divine consciousness, began to massively absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
Drop by drop, the spiritual liquid seeped into the Golden Core, gradually smoothing out its pitted surface and eliminating its cracks. . .
By circulating the Withered Glory Golden Core, one could obtain great fortune and immense magical power!
Furthermore, Fang Xi even felt a sense of stagnation: the external spiritual energy was far from enough, unable to satisfy the demands of the Withered Glory Golden Core!
Even a third-tier, low-grade spirit vein, was somewhat insufficient for him, who urgently needed to consolidate his cultivation realm.
If he couldn't consolidate his early Core Formation realm in time, there was still a possibility of regression.
At this thought, Fang Xi no longer hesitated, flicking his finger.
A restriction was opened, and dozens of superior-grade spirit stones, already prepared, appeared before him.
Core Formation-level Withered Glory magical power surged out, engulfing these superior-grade spirit stones, and began to absorb their pure spiritual energy!
Absorbing spiritual energy from spirit stones meant no longer needing to draw and refine it from heaven and earth. . . The efficiency increased by more than a thousandfold!
What's more, the vast and pure spiritual energy contained within these superior-grade spirit stones was absolutely incomparable to what a spirit vein could provide!
With each inhale and exhale, Fang Xi felt streams of spiritual energy transform into mighty rivers, flowing through his meridians, and finally gathering in his Dantian's Sea of Qi, where they were absorbed by the Withered Glory Golden Core like a whale swallowing water!
Buzz!
After devouring the last drop of spiritual liquid, the Withered Glory Golden Core suddenly boomed, its last crack vanished, becoming perfectly round and resplendent, finally achieving a flawless Golden Core!
"Core Formation. . . it's finally done!"
Fang Xi opened his eyes, a look of wild ecstasy appearing on his face.
After nearly two centuries of arduous cultivation, he had finally perfected his Golden Core today, standing at the apex of the cultivators in the three states!
From now on, his lifespan would be vast and long, his magical power formidable, allowing him to roam freely and unrestrained within the cultivation world!
"However. . . I still can't be reckless!"
Fang Xi did not immediately exit seclusion. Instead, he sat cross-legged, silently sensing the changes within the Golden Core in his body.
At this moment, the Golden Core was slowly circulating, and with each circulation, wisps of Golden Core True Essence were being refined.
Not only that, inside the Golden Core, a wisp of azure-green flame was burning fiercely.
This was 'Core Fire', its power far surpassing the innate true fire of Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Moreover, it seemed to have merged with 'Wood Spirit True Fire', producing some unknown transformation.
Fang Xi opened his mouth and exhaled a wisp of green Core Fire, re-refining the two artifacts that appeared before him: the 'Green Reaping Sword' and the 'Life and Death Seal'.
Ordinary Core Formation old ancestors, after achieving the Golden Core, still had to ponder the issue of their life-bound artifacts.
But Fang Xi had no such concerns. He had long since prepared two artifacts, one for offense and one for defense!
The power of the 'Green Reaping Sword' needed no further elaboration.
As for the 'Life and Death Seal', its material was extraordinary, and it had been nurtured for a long time by the 'Treasure Cultivation Art', its power far surpassing that of ordinary artifacts.
"Thus. . . among Core Formation cultivators, I shouldn't be considered at the bottom, right?"
Refining two life-bound artifacts was an extremely easy matter.
Fang Xi thought for a moment, then took out two more artifacts: the 'Three Yangs True Fire Cover' and the 'Spirit Sealing Stakes'!
These two artifacts contained You Kun's magical power imprints. He could have refined them before, but it would have been twice the effort for half the result.
Now, with Core Fire and Core Formation-level magical power, it would be much easier.
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