Chapter 343: Late-stage Core Formation (Please subscribe)
Chapter 343: Late-stage Core Formation (Please subscribe)
The next day.
Lesser Cold Cave.
Feng Bingxian's cheeks were still flushed with a hint of crimson: "Young Master. . . about the matter of the Green Leaf Merchant Guild and the Red Blood Cult. . ."
"Both sides' Nascent Soul old monsters are not fools; they are unlikely to fail to see through this scheme of sowing discord."
Fang Xi chortled coldly twice, speaking indifferently.
"What?"
Feng Bingxian was truly surprised then, looking towards the Hunyuan Sect: "Could it be the Hunyuan. . ."
"You don't need to worry, they shouldn't fight right now. . ."
He stretched lazily, his Divine Consciousness observing his dantian inwardly, where he could see a ring of dream-like, ethereal white frost enveloped the Withered Glory Golden Core.
Within these wisps of frost, each contained extremely pure spiritual energy; clearly, refining it would yield many benefits, even directly impacting the bottleneck of late-stage Core Formation.
"As the Sect Master, you've also worked hard."
Fang Xi sighed: "The cultivation world is full of treacherous twists and turns; relying solely on me, there are ultimately some limitations to what I can do. . ."
He reached out a hand, and a white External Core appeared: "This item, I shall bestow upon your Profound Ice Palace. With this item, I presume, you will be able to handle some of the ripples of this major affair."
"This is. . ."
Feng Bingxian, gazing at this white pill, faintly sensed an extremely pure cold energy, her expression couldn't help but turn solemn: "Could it be. . . an External Core?"
"It is indeed an External Core!"
Fang Xi chuckled heartily: "Within this External Core, there is also an 'Ice Soul Cold Light' divine ability contained. After you refine this pill, your divine abilities will likely surpass those of an ordinary False Core cultivator."
This External Core was left behind by the white-robed female cultivator who gifted the Nine-Eyed Bodhi Seed back then. Because of its attribute requirements, Fang Xi had never used it; instead, it had been collecting dust at the bottom of his storage.
Previously, in the cultivation city, he had even considered auctioning this item.
After all, for such a heritage treasure, many small families and sects would surely be willing to pay a high price, even if it meant losing everything.
Because an External Core can be passed down through generations, and its user still has the possibility of attempting Core Formation.
To some extent, it is even better than a third-order demon beast's inner core.
After all, refining an inner core to break through the Core Formation bottleneck can only benefit one person!
Once a False Core ancestor's lifespan is exhausted, if they still cannot cultivate a new generation of Golden Cores, their decline is inevitable.
Among the hundreds of Core Formation forces in the Yuan Kingdom, this matter is not uncommon.
But an External Core is different!
Those few families and sects fortunate enough to obtain an External Core basically have their lineage passed down through endless generations, making countless cultivators green with envy.
"It's actually. . . an External Core?"
Feng Bingxian could barely conceal her shock: "Young Master. . . are you truly going to bestow such a precious item upon me?"
This woman also knew the value of this External Core; it could completely establish a flourishing Core Formation family that would never decline!
"This External Core was obtained by me through a fortuitous encounter; it has quite a few restrictions, only suitable for cultivators with ice-attribute spiritual roots to use, and is useless to me. Since you have exerted your utmost effort, I will not go back on my word. . . With this External Core, even if I am not here, it should be able to ensure the Profound Ice Palace's legacy flourishes for a long time, right?"
Fang Xi chuckled heartily, though he didn't think a single External Core could guarantee anything.
If unworthy descendants emerged, losing the External Core, or offending a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, they would still be slaughtered. . .
Overjoyed, Feng Bingxian didn't pay too much attention to the deeper meaning in Fang Xi's words; she merely activated her own magic power to refine this snowy white External Core.
She possessed an ice-attribute Earth Spirit Root, and had cultivated to the perfected Foundation Establishment realm, making the use of this External Core exceedingly suitable.
Before long, Feng Bingxian had completely refined this External Core, whereupon the External Core transformed into a white light and vanished into her mouth.
The next moment, Feng Bingxian only felt her magic power receive the External Core's augmentation, soaring past a certain boundary in one go; a wave of magic power comparable to an early-stage Core Formation cultivator emanated from her.
With a wave of her hand, wind and snow immediately appeared, swirling around her body.
Furthermore, after she closed her eyes in contemplation for a moment, between her slender, jade-like fingers, a translucent beam of light condensed, emitting a chill that seemed to penetrate through all ages.
This was the Ice Soul Cold Light! It was also an exceptionally formidable offensive divine ability.
Paired with ice-attribute cultivation methods, it would complement them even better.
"I, your humble servant, on behalf of the Profound Ice Palace, thank the Grand Elder for this bestowal."
Feng Bingxian withdrew the wind and snow and looked at Fang Xi, who was smiling at her, suddenly performing a great formal bow.
This woman was also a clever one; if she hadn't noticed before, but after last night's cultivation and now with the External Core's augmentation giving her magic power comparable to an early-stage Core Formation cultivator, she could faintly perceive the unusualness about Fang Xi.
"That's enough, you may leave. I am preparing to enter seclusion for a breakthrough, and will completely seal off the Lesser Cold Cave."
Fang Xi's expression remained as usual; he waved his hand for Feng Bingxian to withdraw, merely saying: "As for the second generation wielder of this External Core, I wish to designate Jiang Ling; there shouldn't be any problem with that, right?"
"Naturally, no problem."
Feng Bingxian revealed a smile like an iceberg melting and a hundred flowers blooming, and bowed gracefully before departing.
...
"This woman. . . is indeed a clever one."
Fang Xi stroked his chin, as if savoring something.
Previously, when he took charge of the Profound Ice Palace, he did almost nothing, nor did he step forward to contend for benefits on behalf of the Profound Ice Palace.
Outside, the Foundation Establishment cultivators were in an uproar, with much discussion and clamor.
It was this Palace Master who overruled all objections and continuously suppressed them, appearing quite rational and clear-headed.
Otherwise, even if Fang Xi had accepted generous gifts, he would not have given an External Core in return.
"However. . . one must always be on guard against others."
A green formation flag appeared in Fang Xi's hand, and he waved it.
Layers of azure light immediately sealed off the entire Lesser Cold Cave, and the azure wood baleful aura soared skyward, evidently unleashing the full power of the Azure Wood Divine Light Grand Array!
Fang Xi returned to his seclusion chamber, and patted the Mountain Sea Pearl again.
Two flood dragons immediately appeared outside the door; they were none other than Big Green and Demonic Blood Flood Dragon!
"Guard the periphery well. . . Anyone who dares to break into the formation, no matter who it is, kill without mercy!"
Fang Xi gave the order indifferently, then closed the door to his cultivation chamber.
He sat cross-legged on the meditation mat, silently adjusting his essence, qi, and spirit, preparing to refine the pure cold energy and break through.
"Inside the seclusion chamber, there was also his External Avatar guarding it. . . there shouldn't be any major problems."
With this thought, Fang Xi closed his eyes and began refining the extremely cold spiritual energy around his dantian. . .
...
"Palace Master. . ."
Outside the Azure Wood Divine Light Array, Jiang Ling gazed at the Palace Master, who was much more imposing than usual, feeling her unfathomable magic power, and couldn't help but be a little dumbfounded: "Have you broken through?"
"Breaking through the Core Formation bottleneck, how could it be so easy?"
Feng Bingxian chided playfully: "It's you, you lass, you're truly blessed. . ."
If she had known earlier that this person was so generous and so good to his own people, she didn't know if she would have relinquished her authority in the palace to accompany him like Jiang Ling.
"As for this one. . . if he were to break through to mid-stage Core Formation. . ."
"Could my Profound Ice Palace possibly become the foremost sect in the Land of Glaciers?"
Feng Bingxian clasped her hands behind her back, and suddenly many ambitious desires arose within her.
After obtaining the External Core, she felt that there was much more she could do.
At the very least, the Core Formation breakthrough, which had originally seemed hopeless, now had much greater certainty.
After all, the resources that Core Formation cultivators and Foundation Establishment cultivators could obtain were still very different.
With the power of her External Core, she could also be regarded as a Core Formation cultivator, gaining the qualification to contend for Core Formation Spiritual Items.
For Foundation Establishment cultivators, this was something that could only be dreamed of.
...
Outside the seclusion chamber.
The Green Corner Fish Dragon's aura was formidable; it had also reached the peak of the second order, yet it had been slow to break through the third-order bottleneck.
Gazing at the Demonic Blood Flood Dragon, which looked like a dead fish, its fish-like eyes actually seemed to hold a trace of fear.
After all, it certainly didn't want to be turned into a wooden puppet!
Now that the situation was urgent, it couldn't continue being idle anymore; it had to cultivate diligently!
Just then, Big Green raised its head, sensing the spiritual energy fluctuations from behind the door.
Inside the seclusion chamber.
After refining those pure cold energies, Fang Xi suddenly felt the bottleneck of late-stage Core Formation loosen.
He seized the opportune moment and immediately began circulating the sixteenth layer of the 'Withered Glory Chant', charging towards the late-stage Core Formation realm in one go!
With the 'Wood Spirit Body' as his backing, for such a minor realm breakthrough, he didn't have to worry about any other issues at all; he only needed to advance courageously!
Fang Xi didn't know how long he had cultivated.
In a trance, he seemed to have transformed into an ancient tree once more, transitioning from flourishing to withered, and then from withered to flourishing again. . .
Experiencing the passage of time, enduring through long ages. . .
Finally!
A peal of thunder seemed to echo in his ears!
Crack!
Amidst a crisp sound, the fifteenth layer of the 'Withered Glory Chant' that was surging and circulating within Fang Xi suddenly broke through another important barrier, entering a whole new realm.
"The sixteenth layer of the Withered Glory Chant! Late-stage Core Formation. . . It's done!"
Fang Xi opened his eyes.
At this moment, a verdant, vibrant glow bloomed from his left eye, while his right eye was a desolate yellow, as if all things were withering. Life and death, at this moment, converged perfectly within him.
His Divine Consciousness spread outwards, expanding. . . continuously extending until it reached its limit of sixty-six li, before finally slowly coming to a halt.
And Fang Xi also noticed that the 'Withered Glory Golden Core' within his Qi Sea Dantian, its volume had once again instantly surged by more than half!
"Both my Divine Consciousness and magic power have increased by more than half. . . Is this the feeling of late-stage Core Formation?"
Fang Xi touched his cheek, still seemingly in disbelief.
Having cultivated to this point, there would be no more bottlenecks in the Core Formation stage; as long as he cultivated the sixteenth layer of the 'Withered Glory Chant' to perfection, he could then attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul realm!
"I didn't expect. . . to actually succeed in one go. It seems my luck is good, and my preparations were sufficient."
His Divine Consciousness swept out, finding that Big Green and Demonic Blood Flood Dragon outside were as before, and the entire Profound Ice Palace showed no abnormalities; everything was as usual, so he was not in a hurry to exit seclusion.
After a moment of contemplation, a light flashed in Fang Xi's hand, and two jade boxes appeared.
He took a deep breath, first opening the first jade box, revealing a palm-sized chessboard inside.
On the chessboard, illusory black and white chess pieces appeared one after another, appearing exceptionally mysterious.
"Fourth-order spiritual treasure—the Star-Patterned Chessboard!"
Fang Xi's eyes slightly brightened, as he tried to inject a wisp of magic power into it.
If he could wield this treasure, at least within the Core Formation stage, he would have virtually no opponents, and even if he encountered a Nascent Soul old monster, he would have a good chance of escaping.
After all, this was not just a spiritual treasure, but also an extremely rare void-type spiritual treasure!
However, the next moment, a wry smile appeared on Fang Xi's face.
He could feel that the treasure's spirituality still rejected him without hesitation.
Comments