Chapter 363: Golden Core Self-detonation (Please subscribe)
Chapter 363: Golden Core Self-detonation (Please subscribe)
Ethereal Valley Sect.
At this moment, the sprawling valley was entirely enveloped in a layer of golden light and a sea of clouds, appearing indistinctly, forming a magnificent scene.
This was a third-order superior-grade formation—the ‘Golden Light Cloud Sea Array’!
It was a formation that the Ethereal Valley Sect's old ancestor had spent considerable favors to invite a formation master from the Hunyuan Sect to personally set up. After years of refinement, patching, and reinforcement, it could be considered the foremost formation in the Three Kingdoms cultivation world!
Coupled with the fact that Yan Laogui, the cultivator with the highest cultivation in the Three Kingdoms, was personally overseeing it, the entire Ethereal Valley Sect was extremely stable, permeated by an air of nonchalance.
No one noticed a figure arriving at the edge of the grand formation, purple light flickering in their eyes.
Then, they found a weak point in the formation and began to chant an incantation.
Suddenly, their entire being merged into the formation and vanished without a trace, not triggering any counter-attack from the array. . .
“Ethereal Valley Sect. . . I haven't been here before. ”
Fang Xi strolled through the valley, hands clasped behind his back.
The Ethereal Valley Sect was the most orderly sect in the Three Kingdoms cultivation world in terms of its heritage. Its architectural layout, spirit fields, medicinal gardens, and so on. . . far surpassed those of the Green Wood Sect and the Black Heaven Sect.
Everywhere, there were soaring eaves with painted walls, carved railings, and jade-like constructions, all incredibly magnificent.
“Not bad, not bad. . . Within the medicinal gardens of this valley, I'm afraid there are many thousand-year spirit herbs, perfectly suited for my pill refining. ”
Clad in a green robe, Fang Xi wandered about casually, inspecting everything as if he were the master of the Ethereal Valley Sect.
With his Divine Consciousness, as long as he didn't wish to be discovered, naturally no one in the Ethereal Valley Sect, from top to bottom, could perceive him.
At this moment, he leaned against a tree, watching a small skirmish with interest.
“You Chong, weren’t you quite vocal earlier, you brat? What was it, ‘The Ethereal Valley Sect belongs to the You family’? ”
Several Qi Refinement disciples were punching and kicking a You family disciple. The leader, a young man in a brocade robe, appeared extremely arrogant: “The Ethereal Valley Sect is a sect, how can it belong to a single family name? What’s more. . . even if we’re talking about ownership, it belongs to my Yan family. ”
When Yan Laogui took control of the Ethereal Valley Sect, he heavily suppressed the You family. His grand strategy naturally involved uniting the numerous master-disciple faction cultivators within the Ethereal Valley Sect to collectively force the You family to surrender their interests.
After all, no matter how strong Yan Laogui was, he was still only one person. Even if he diligently tried to expand his family. . . there were still too few of his own Yan family members.
Fortunately, when the You family established the Ethereal Valley Sect, they adopted a sect system, which provided ample opportunities and leeway to exploit loopholes.
Over these past few decades, the Yan family first widely recruited disciples, allied with the master-disciple factions, and forced the You family to retreat step by step. They also continuously used tactics like wooing and intermarriage to divide and slowly erode the You family.
By now, the You family's influence in the Ethereal Valley Sect had greatly declined.
One wondered what emotions the You family's Grand Elder from back then would feel upon witnessing this scene?
This You Chong was indeed the most outstanding talent among the You family's younger generation, yet within the Ethereal Valley Sect, he was practically living as a punching bag.
Fang Xi simply watched silently, with no intention of intervening.
On the contrary, with his Divine Consciousness spread out, he could even perceive two Foundation Establishment cultivators hidden to the side.
“Brother Yan. . . this, I’m afraid, is a bit too much, isn’t it? ”
A late-stage Foundation Establishment elder displayed a look of displeasure.
“Brother Li, I’m afraid you don’t know. . . this was my instruction. ”
Brother Yan replied with a chuckle: “The You family has existed for a thousand years, with deeply entrenched connections and unknown amounts of hidden foundations. . . Allowing them to be ground down now is also to force them to reveal some of their trump cards. . . This suppression is precisely for their future preservation. The Ethereal Valley Sect cannot do without the You family in the future, but the You family must also obey the sect’s overall interests. This is also a bit of my painstaking effort. ”
“So that’s how it is. . . ”
Brother Li slowly nodded, thinking to himself: *You even monopolize the Foundation Establishment Pills, not giving the You family a single quota in the past two decades. What a fine path of preservation indeed. *
However, their interests were now almost identical, so he simply paid lip service.
After Senior Brother Li left, Brother Yan looked at You Chong, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: “Juniors are not worth worrying about. . . The old ancestor’s lifespan is nearing its end. We have already done our utmost to collect longevity spiritual items, and we must ensure that the old ancestor endures this beast tide. After that, he can enjoy the tranquility of the Wu Kingdom. . . As for the You family, there are still a few immortal old Foundation Establishment cultivators who must be dealt with. . . Perhaps this beast tide will be an opportunity? ”
......
Seeing the You family in such a pitiful state, Fang Xi, who had originally intended to exact some revenge, found himself feeling somewhat disheartened.
“However. . . Yan Laogui cannot be let go. ”
Cold light flickered in Fang Xi’s eyes.
Back then, during the first grand auction at Sky-Suspension Mountain, he had discovered that this person had, with the help of the Hunyuan Sect, issued a warrant for his arrest.
Had he not played it safe and only gone to the Yuan Kingdom after reaching mid-stage Core Formation, he might indeed have faced some trouble.
This had already been noted in Fang Xi's little black book, and revenge was certainly due.
Skyscraping Cave.
This place was the cultivation cave dwelling of the Yan Old Ancestor, with the best spiritual energy in the entire spirit vein.
Although the Yan family had occupied the Ethereal Valley Sect for several decades, they had likewise failed to cultivate another Core Formation cultivator.
Yan Laogui’s lifespan was now nearing its end, and he appeared as an incredibly aged elder.
“Cough, cough. . . ”
He coughed violently a few times, looking at a white jade box in his hand, his eyes filled with delight: “This beast tide. . . is also my opportunity. ”
In fact, after sealing off the Ethereal Valley Sect, he had secretly ventured out once. Relying on his mid-stage Core Formation cultivation and a secret art from the Hunyuan Sect, he had successfully ambushed and slain a third-order demon beast, acquiring its inner core!
If not for the beast tide, it would have been extremely difficult to delve deep into the Myriad Beast Mountain Range to hunt for a third-order demon beast. Even True Person Bai Feng had returned defeated.
“With this inner core. . . and the Core Formation spiritual items I’ve recently gathered. . . my Yan family can at least produce a False Core cultivator, and then our foundation will be stable. . . as long as I deal with that person. . . ”
At the mention of that person, Yan Laogui’s eyes couldn’t help but fill with regret and dread.
Back then, when he heard that the You family’s Grand Elder had fallen, he hadn't taken it seriously, even feeling a hint of glee in his heart.
After all, what was the difference between a rogue cultivator at Foundation Establishment realm with an External Core daring to delve into a third-order formation master’s array, and seeking death?
Thus, he seized the Ethereal Valley Sect’s foundation without hesitation.
He had never expected that the third-order formation master, through some twist of fate, had actually formed a Golden Core!
Fortunately, that person’s Dao heart was extremely firm, and not long after forming their Golden Core, they departed for the Yuan Kingdom.
Yan Laogui naturally wouldn't let go of this opportunity. Leveraging his connections within the Hunyuan Sect, he had the sect issue a warrant for that person's arrest.
In his opinion, a newly formed early-stage Core Formation cultivator, once targeted by the Hunyuan Sect, would find it impossible to move an inch, let alone avoid death and the dissipation of their Dao.
This could also be considered revenge for the You family’s Grand Elder.
However, he had never expected that the person, once gone, would vanish without a trace for several decades, until one day, news suddenly spread that they had participated in the grand auction at Sky-Suspension Mountain and killed two mid-stage Core Formation cultivators.
At that time, the other party was already at mid-stage Core Formation, equivalent to his own cultivation!
Yan Laogui felt some regret then. Who could have imagined that a Core Formation cultivator from a small place would actually make a name for themselves in the Yuan Kingdom?
If that person were to return for revenge, then it would be. . .
“Cough, cough. . . ”
Yan Laogui coughed twice more and put away the jade box: “This old man doesn't have many years left to live. I hope that person returns soon. . . This old man must eliminate him, so as not to cause worry for my descendants! ”
“Oh? Yan Laogui, it seems you’re quite afraid of me. ”
Just then, an intrigued voice suddenly sounded from the side, startling Yan Laogui.
He swept his Divine Consciousness, only to find that where there had been nothing, a green-robed youth now stood. His features were handsome, full of vitality, and his body exuded a contradictory yet unique aura—exactly like the image in the jade slip!
“It’s you. . . Fang Xi! ”
Yan Laogui exclaimed, slapped his forehead, and his life-bound artifact, the 'Shadowless Sword', instantly flew out, formless and traceless, yet filling the surroundings with sword qi.
Meanwhile, he fiercely bit his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of vital blood. A crimson light appeared all over his body, and a dangerous aura emanated from his Dantian. Everything seemed to be prepared!
It was as if this mid-stage Core Formation cultivator had rehearsed for this very moment countless times!
*Clack! *
What greeted him was the crisp sound of a chess piece being placed.
*Buzz! *
A white piece appeared, striking the Shadowless Sword, instantly causing the artifact to shriek in sorrow. It was bound by countless pure white chains and fell to the ground.
Another white chess piece, meanwhile, struck Yan Laogui’s body, causing his expression to freeze. He felt the spiritual power within him, which had been on the verge of turning violent, now become stagnant like dead water.
A terrifying surge of spiritual energy erupted, causing Yan Laogui’s eyes to bulge as if he had seen some unbelievable monster: “Nascent Soul. . . you. . . impossible! ”
“In this world, there is nothing impossible. . . ”
Fang Xi gripped Yan Laogui’s neck, lifting him entirely, and observed the blood-colored markings rapidly forming in his Dantian: “Golden Core self-detonation. . . Old ghost, you truly are ruthless! ”
If a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator self-detonated their Golden Core, an ordinary mid-stage Core Formation cultivator would certainly be dragged along to their demise.
Even for a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, whether they could escape would be an unknown.
Of course, Golden Core self-detonation was by no means a simple feat.
It required learning relevant secret arts, and even preparing one’s body for decades, day in and day out.
Yan Laogui acting this way surely meant he knew Fang Xi would come seeking revenge, and then he would take the opportunity to drag Fang Xi along with him. . .
“Pity. . . even if you self-detonate now, it would be difficult to harm me in the slightest. ”
Fang Xi looked at Yan Laogui, a smile suddenly appearing on his face: “However, since you are so sincere, I shall grant your wish! ”
He grabbed Yan Laogui, and with a flash of his figure, arrived at a certain location in the Ethereal Valley Sect.
Upon seeing this place, Yan Laogui's eyes immediately revealed terror and a pleading gaze.
Below them was precisely the cave dwelling of the Yan family patriarch, who happened to have gathered some high-level cultivators for a discussion.
But Fang Xi completely disregarded them, directly tossing Yan Laogui downwards, while simultaneously withdrawing the restrictions. . .
......
The next moment.
*Boom! *
A dazzling, blinding golden light suddenly erupted from the location of the Yan family patriarch’s cave dwelling. . . Wherever it passed, all cultivators, whether Qi Refinement or Foundation Establishment, were entirely reduced to dust!
Not only that, the terrifying spiritual energy of the Golden Core overflowed, like a small sun, even causing the Golden Light Cloud Sea Array to fluctuate. . .
Under this self-detonation by the old ancestor, the direct lineage cultivators of the Yan family suffered heavy losses.
It even startled the entire Ethereal Valley Sect!
Just as the Ethereal Valley Sect was in an uproar, a flash of light, and Fang Xi’s figure reappeared: “Not bad, not bad. . . This Two Realms Escape Art is quite useful. ”
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