May Fellow Daoist's Immortal Path Flourish and Golden Core Be Achieved!

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist! Heartiest congratulations!" Chu Kui's immortal's cave was very close to Luo Chen's; the two could be considered neighbors. Luo Chen had arrived in practically no time. Evidently, Chu Kui had been waiting for him as well, so they met without the slightest impediment. The moment they came face-to-face, Luo Chen called out his hearty congratulations. The state Chu Kui was in fully warranted such praise. His spiritual power was neither hasty nor sluggish, perfectly rounded and flowing at will. Amidst its serenity lay a subtle aura of complete, indivisible wholeness. This was the outward manifestation of the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment! Faced with Luo Chen's congratulations, Chu Kui smiled warmly. Over the years of secluded cultivation, aside from participating in the battle against the Yan Alliance, he had rarely stepped outside. Reaching his current realm, how could he not feel proud of himself? "I originally thought this final realm of Foundation Establishment would stall me for a century or more. I never imagined it would take merely thirty years to reach it so naturally." He spoke with a touch of wistful wonder. Luo Chen chuckled and offered a few well-timed compliments. Chu Kui's swift progress was actually quite predictable. Among rogue cultivators, his foundation was exceptionally formidable—holding its own even against the true disciples of great sects. After all, his ranking on the Dao Discussion Platform was not built on empty fame, but fought out match by match. In the past, what held Chu Kui's cultivation speed back had been a lack of resources. However, in the battle of Mount Thunder Accumulation, Luo Chen had reaped a bountiful harvest, and Chu Kui had profited handsomely as well. Moreover, after joining the Luotian Association, Chu Kui had gained a fast channel to liquidate his many spoils without having to personally fence them off. Such was the advantage of having a faction behind one's back. Take Luo Chen: when he had returned from Mount Thunder Accumulation, he had only one to two million spirit stones on him. By all rights, after years of madly concocting pills, his wealth should have been heavily depleted. Yet the reality was the exact opposite. The spirit stones in Luo Chen's possession had grown instead, now reaching a massive three million! The reason was that his previous spoils had been quickly liquidated and converted to cash with the help of the Luotian Association's cultivators. The same went for Chu Kui! Precisely because of these resources—along with Luo Chen sharing a portion of the high-grade Soaring Dragon Pills he no longer needed—Chu Kui had managed to leap across the longest stage of Foundation Establishment in a mere thirty years. Now that he had reached the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment, what came next was... As the two conversed, the atmosphere gradually grew somber and heavy. Until Chu Kui took the initiative to broach the topic. "I have practiced the Locking Bead Curtain secret technique for over twenty years." Luo Chen's heart stirred, and he asked eagerly, "How were the results?" "I have completed the count of a minor heavenly circuit!" The count of a minor heavenly circuit? Luo Chen couldn't help but furrow his brows. "Doesn't that mean you've only condensed thirty-six spirit beads?" Chu Kui gave a wry smile. "My apologies. Given my foundation, I could only manage to bring the Locking Bead Curtain technique to Minor Accomplishment. If I wanted to advance any further, I fear it wouldn't just be twenty or thirty years." Luo Chen parted his lips, momentarily at a loss for words. He had not expected that superior Core Formation secret art from the Falling Cloud Sect to be so difficult to cultivate. According to their agreement back then, Chu Kui, whose cultivation had been the highest at the time, was to practice the Locking Bead Curtain ahead of him. Luo Chen would supply him with Nether-Passage Pills to strengthen his soul's foundation. In return, Chu Kui was to share every difficulty, lesson, and insight he encountered along the way with Luo Chen. Furthermore, Chu Kui was to attempt using this art to make an impact on the Golden Core realm! In essence, Chu Kui was acting as the vanguard, serving as Luo Chen's experimental guinea pig. Chu Kui had not refused; in fact, he had gladly agreed. After all, it was a mutually beneficial arrangement. Yet, if it was only at the Minor Accomplishment realm... Luo Chen moistened his dry lips and asked, "I deduced the Nether-Passage Pill up to Tier 2, and you took it as well. Couldn't you push it a step further?" Chu Kui shook his head. "It came too late, and time waits for no one. Besides, Core Formation is right before me. You know the common knowledge about not taking too many pills when approaching a breakthrough." In the cultivation world, such common knowledge indeed existed: the closer one was to breaking through a major realm, the fewer pills one should consume. Doing otherwise could easily leave behind residual pill toxicity, thereby jeopardizing the breakthrough into the major realm. Luo Chen knew this principle intimately, having once suffered deeply from it. It was only after acquiring the Clear Source Wondrous Elixir Method that he had solved the issue. Moreover, his constitution differed from ordinary Foundation Establishment True Cultivators; his Five Spirit Roots constitution combined with his Ancient Desolation Tier 3 physique allowed him to ingest far larger and more frequent doses of medicinal pills than others. How could the carrying capacity of a steep precipice ever compare to that of a broad, solid continent? Luo Chen was still reluctant to give up. "Didn't I send you the cultivation insights of that Falling Cloud Sect cultivator who used the Locking Bead Curtain technique to break through to the Golden Core realm? Did you read them? Were they useless?" Chu Kui smiled. "It was precisely thanks to those insights that I barely managed to achieve the thirty-six spirit beads of the minor heavenly circuit!" Luo Chen was taken aback, caught completely off guard. He had known the Locking Bead Curtain technique was difficult to master, but he had never imagined it would be this brutal. Given Chu Kui's capabilities, with his full backing and the guidance of a predecessor's experience, he had still barely reached Minor Accomplishment? "I asked you here today primarily to tell you three things." "Go ahead, I'm listening." "First, I will impart all the insights and experiences I've gained from cultivating the Locking Bead Curtain technique over these years to you." Luo Chen nodded. That was only natural. Wasting no time, Chu Kui began explaining immediately. He did not merely speak; he also produced a stack of bamboo slips, pointing to them from time to time for Luo Chen to examine. Those slips contained the personal notes and reflections he had jotted down while practicing the secret art. "The so-called Locking Bead Curtain involves transforming the soul into threads to string together spiritual liquid, forming beads of spiritual power that mimic the properties of a Golden Core." "The most difficult hurdle—and the earliest—is pain!" "Splitting and severing the soul produces an agony I will never forget for the rest of my life. Anyone with even the slightest weakness of will could never endure it." Even as Chu Kui spoke, lingering fear flashed in his eyes. His features had lost some of their former rugged roughness, appearing noticeably more refined and worn. It was clear that excruciating pain had truly put him through torment. "From Senior Linghu's notes, I formed a conjecture: perhaps the Falling Cloud Sect possesses an auxiliary method to alleviate this pain. Unfortunately, we don't have it. So, when the time comes for you to cultivate this technique, you will have no choice but to grit your teeth and endure it." Luo Chen nodded, without a shred of fear in his expression. On the path of cultivation, a bit of pain was nothing. When he had tempered his Ancient Desolation Tier 3 physique, he had suffered no small amount of torment. "Another obstacle of the Locking Bead Curtain technique is something we both understand: it demands an immensely powerful soul foundation, one that even exceeds one's own cultivation realm." "When I said your Tier 2 Nether-Passage Pills came too late, I didn't mean I couldn't wait. What I meant was that with my current realm and physical body, I can no longer support a stronger, vaster soul." "Humans have limits!" This statement was somewhat skewed—human potential knew no bounds, or else how could one achieve the state of immortals, gods, fiends, and Buddhas? Yet in another sense, it was completely true. At each specific realm, limits certainly existed. Otherwise, why would the great seniors of antiquity have divided cultivation into stages? "If you wish to cultivate the Locking Bead Curtain, you must strengthen your soul as much as possible within your tolerance. Exceeding the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment is merely the baseline!" "Because only a vaster soul can be divided and sliced into more soul threads without damaging its origin." Looking at Chu Kui earnestly lecturing him, Luo Chen nodded slowly. He committed the words firmly to memory, intending to take the supreme-grade Tier 2 Nether-Passage Pills once he returned, making his preparations all the more thorough. "The final hurdle..." At this point, Chu Kui instinctively reached down to touch his lower abdomen, where his qi sea resided. With a hint of dread, he said, "Once a spirit bead is formed, it assumes the characteristics of a Golden Core. It instinctively swallows nearby vaporized and liquefied spiritual power to nourish itself." Luo Chen was puzzled. "That sounds normal. That is precisely how it serves as a method of Core Formation." Chu Kui shook his head with a grave expression. "No. One bead is fine, but once there are many, and every single one does the same, the consequences... think about it!" Luo Chen's heart trembled. A cultivator formed only one Golden Core! If every spirit bead attempted to swallow the qi sea's spiritual power to form an independent Golden Core, then... "Imbalance?" Chu Kui slammed his fist against the table. "Exactly, imbalance! Even if you strain your primary soul to maintain control, there's a limit to how many you can manage. In my case, after condensing thirty-six spirit beads to complete the minor heavenly circuit, I reached my limit." "I actually have plenty of lifespan left—at least a hundred years." "Yet I can wait no longer. Those thirty-six spirit beads hovering above my qi sea are urging me to form my core every waking second. If I don't, the only outcome awaiting me is spiritual energy imbalance and my qi sea detonating." Luo Chen fell into deep thought. Linghu Jie had also only reached Minor Accomplishment in the Locking Bead Curtain technique back then; presumably, this factor had played a role. Suddenly, Luo Chen realized. "You're going to attempt Core Formation?" Chu Kui exhaled a long breath of turbid air. The swirling emotions in his eyes faded, leaving behind only resolute determination. "That is the second reason I summoned you here." "Maintaining the balance of these spirit beads is already my limit. Continuing to cultivate in seclusion will achieve nothing." "At present, my only choice is to form my core!" Luo Chen stared at him. After a careful assessment, he spoke slowly. "Then I presume the third matter is also related to your Core Formation." "Is it about a Tier 3 spiritual ground?" Chu Kui grunted in assent. "I knew I couldn't hide it from you. Breaking through to the Golden Core realm requires the aid of a spiritual ground of corresponding rank. Otherwise, even if one succeeds, failing to absorb enough external spiritual qi will easily cause the realm to collapse. If one were to fail because of that, it would be more agonizing than being killed on the spot." "Do you have a plan?" "I made preparations in the past. I obtained a promise from He Yuanqing of Azure Pill Valley that if I helped him secure the position of Dao Child, I could borrow Azure Pill Valley's Tier 3 spiritual ground. But..." Chu Kui gave a helpless smile. Luo Chen felt just as helpless. The current Dao Child of Azure Pill Valley was Tao Wan. Naturally, He Yuanqing's old promise no longer held any weight. "Originally, I also reserved a Tier 3 cave dwelling in another immortal city, but it was snatched away by a Golden Core cultivator from the outer regions." "Alas..." "Luo Chen, I intend to venture deep into the Barren Mountains to find a Tier 3 spiritual ground and attempt Core Formation there. For this, I fear I'll have to trouble you..." For rogue cultivators, the demand for spiritual grounds during Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment was not insurmountable. Even without a corresponding Tier 2 spirit vein at the time of Foundation Establishment, one could forcefully construct a Tier 2 spiritual ground using a spirit-gathering array and a massive pile of spirit stones. That was precisely what Luo Chen had done back then. However, the spiritual qi required for the Golden Core realm was simply not something a mere spirit-gathering array and regular spirit stones could provide. Of course, if one had enough high-grade spirit stones, that would be another story. Evidently, with Chu Kui's net worth—even combined with Luo Chen's savings—they could not produce such a vast sum of high-grade spirit stones. For an ordinary rogue cultivator wishing to form a core, there were only three paths: Rely on a great sect and borrow their Tier 3 spiritual ground. Spend an exorbitant sum of spirit stones to reserve a Tier 3 cave dwelling provided by a major immortal city. Or venture deep into the Barren Mountains, select a Tier 3 spirit vein, and attempt Core Formation there. With no other options available, Chu Kui was now preparing to take the risk and head into the desolate Barren Mountains. However, before he could finish, Luo Chen interrupted him. "Why not borrow a Tier 3 cave dwelling in Tianlan Immortal City?" Chu Kui responded instinctively, "But hasn't Senior Haoran Zi already returned? Can that Tier 3 cave dwelling still be borrowed?" "Senior Haoran Zi's naturally cannot, but Tianlan doesn't have just that single Tier 3 cave dwelling!" Luo Chen replied. Chu Kui froze. Luo Chen shook his head. "It seems that after your secluded cultivation, you're even more out of touch with the news than I am. Following the ceasefire, the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect opened up the Tier 3 cave dwelling reserved exclusively for them. As long as you have spirit stones, you can rent it!" "But won't Golden Core Masters from the outer regions covet it?" Chu Kui asked, still somewhat uneasy. Luo Chen smiled with confidence. "You worry too much. I've already greeted them in advance. For the next twenty years, Tianlan Peak's Jia-3 Immortal's Cave belongs to me!" Chu Kui's eyes widened in sheer disbelief. His lips trembled as he whispered, "How many spirit stones per year?" That question made even the corners of Luo Chen's mouth twitch. "For a Tier 3 cave dwelling, one million two hundred thousand spirit stones a year!" "Fuck! Why don't they just rob people?!" Chu Kui slammed the table hard, letting out a loud bang. A Tier 2 high-grade cave dwelling cost only forty-eight thousand a year. Yet a Tier 3 cave dwelling—and a low-grade one at that, an artificially constructed Tier 3 spirit vein environment—actually charged more than twenty times that amount, if not more! This was no longer just extortion. Calling it scraping the bones and sucking the marrow wouldn't be an exaggeration in the slightest. "Even so, countless people would kill for the chance and still couldn't get it," Luo Chen muttered. Chu Kui rolled his eyes, but he had to admit that this was indeed a path countless rogue cultivators at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment begged on their knees for yet could never find. Only Luo Chen could manage it! The undisputed number one Foundation Establishment cultivator in Yuding, an alchemy grandmaster, and on excellent terms with multiple local sects like Ice Fort, Azure Pill Valley, and Falling Cloud Sect—only someone like him could secure such an opportunity. "Of course, seeing as I rented it for twenty years in one go, the Falling Cloud Sect senior on duty in Tianlan gave me a twenty percent discount, charging only one million a year." Even one million was no small sum! How many Foundation Establishment True Cultivators could spend their entire lives without ever earning that much? Chu Kui couldn't resist asking, "Can the Luotian Association earn you that many spirit stones every year?" Luo Chen shook his head. "No! So I'm already digging into my savings." After deducting various personnel and operational costs, the spirit stones the Luotian Association could currently generate for Luo Chen each year amounted to only around three hundred thousand. It could have been more. After all, the Luotian Association had absorbed so many factions, and business was booming. However, with the opening war looming and more and more foreign cultivators flooding in, Sima Huiniang and Luo Chen had conferred and settled on a policy of pulling in their tentacles and merely consolidating their existing operations to avoid business disputes. Furthermore, with the growing number of Foundation Establishment True Cultivators in the association, their monthly stipends were a massive expense. Three hundred thousand was the absolute limit the Luotian Association could provide to support Luo Chen at present! Any more would hinder the faction's operations. However, Luo Chen had another stream of revenue: his Jade Dew Pill business with Ice Fort, which yielded a yearly profit surplus of around five hundred thousand. Combining the two, he could barely cover the rent for a Tier 3 cave dwelling. Luo Chen then chipped in a bit from his personal savings, just scraping by to sustain it. In truth, this was the real reason Luo Chen was able to rent the Tier 3 cave dwelling! Fame, combat prowess invincible among his peers in Foundation Establishment—those were merely stepping stones. Wealth! Wealth was his fundamental bargaining chip to outcompete Golden Core Masters from the outer regions! After all, an ordinary Golden Core Master only possessed a net worth of around a million spirit stones. In fact, Luo Chen's extravagant move of dropping a fortune to lease Jia-3 Immortal's Cave for the next twenty years had already provoked the envy of many Golden Core Masters. The reason he currently remained cooped up in Tianlan Immortal City without stepping foot outside was also out of fear of being ambushed and robbed. Who knew if there were destitute Golden Core cultivators who, driven mad with jealousy, might discard all dignity to murder and rob a junior like him? A peculiar rustling sound rang out. Luo Chen glanced over and saw Chu Kui rubbing his hands together. "Umm, respected Association Leader, I'm also part of the Luotian Association and have sweat blood for it. Wouldn't it be..." The corner of Luo Chen's mouth twitched. "Keep dreaming!" Chu Kui looked at Luo Chen with longing eyes and trembling hands as he pulled out his storage bag. "I only have about four hundred thousand spirit stones on me. If I liquidate everything else, it'd come to eight or nine hundred thousand at most." Luo Chen waved his hand dismissively. "Put it on tab!" "Don't go saying the Luotian Association doesn't offer benefits—providing you with a Tier 3 cave dwelling is your benefit. Based on the merit you've accumulated, you can redeem at most one year of usage. For any time beyond that, I won't charge you for now, but once you succeed in forming your core, you'd better pull your weight for the Luotian Association!" In other words, he wouldn't take his money for now. Chu Kui's eyes lit up. He immediately thumped his chest and declared in a booming voice, "Old Chu knows how to repay a favor! When the time comes, I'll bend my back and exhaust myself to the grave for the Luotian Association!" Luo Chen smiled, taking the pledge with a grain of salt. The Luotian Association didn't even have a sect mountain on a Tier 2 spiritual ground yet. Once Chu Kui formed his core, what could they possibly offer to keep him? Still, forging a good bond and hiring him as a guest elder shouldn't be much of a problem. Moreover, Luo Chen's primary objective was to observe and learn from Chu Kui's experience using the Locking Bead Curtain technique to form his Golden Core. When it came to the grand enterprise of Core Formation, no price was too high to pay! "When do you plan to begin?" "No day like today. If possible, I'd like to move into Jia-3 Immortal's Cave today, familiarize myself with the Tier 3 spiritual ground in advance, and prepare for Core Formation." "Then wait another half-month!" "Hmm?" "It won't be our turn to use that Tier 3 cave dwelling until half a month from now." Chu Kui realized what he meant—it turned out someone was still using the cave dwelling. ... Half a month later. Without losing a moment, Luo Chen and Chu Kui arrived at Jia-3 Immortal's Cave. The Falling Cloud Sect disciple responsible for cleaning the cave dwelling conscientiously explained the restrictions and taboos of its use, departing with a beaming smile only after receiving a bottle of pills casually tossed to him by Luo Chen. For a moment, only Luo Chen and Chu Kui remained in the spacious, brightly lit cave dwelling. This was also Luo Chen's first time visiting Jia-3 Immortal's Cave. Although it was ranked last among the top tier, its spiritual qi concentration was not the least bit inferior to Jia-1 or Jia-2. Even without entering the cultivation chamber, the main hall and other rooms possessed a spiritual qi concentration comparable to a Tier 2 high-grade environment. One could easily imagine how abundant the qi would be within the chamber specifically designated for cultivation. Looking at the spacious cave dwelling, Chu Kui couldn't help but sigh with emotion. "I have pursued the Dao for over a hundred and fifty years, rushing about everywhere and exhausting my wits, constantly agonizing over cultivation resources." "I thought things would only grow more difficult the further I progressed." "Who would have thought that after meeting you, Luo Chen, everything would sail so smoothly?" "Now that wealth, companions, methods, and grounds are all assembled, this is the prime moment for Core Formation!" In the cultivation world, what were wealth, companions, methods, and grounds? Spirit stones were wealth. Dao companions, friends, and mentors were companions. Cultivation techniques and secret arts were methods. Spirit vein grounds were the grounds for cultivation. While Chu Kui couldn't claim to have everything imaginable, he was temporarily lacking in none of the requisite resources. He clapped Luo Chen on the shoulder. "I knew treating you to wine back then was the best decision I ever made." "You truly are the benefactor fated to change my destiny!" A faint smile hung on Luo Chen's face, though he said nothing. He knew Chu Kui was saying all this merely to put his own mind at ease. Core Formation was fraught with peril. No matter how much preparation one made, the possibility of failure remained. Invoking Luo Chen's status as a fated benefactor was just borrowing his auspicious aura to muster an extra shred of confidence for the attempt. After accompanying Chu Kui on a tour around the cave dwelling and listening to his long chatter, it was finally time to depart. Luo Chen arrived at the entrance. Looking back at Chu Kui seeing him out, Luo Chen cupped his hands in a formal bow. "May Fellow Daoist's immortal path flourish, and may your Golden Core be achieved!" A complex look crossed Chu Kui's face, but he accepted the well-wishing wholeheartedly. Then, he bowed in return. "Fellow Daoist Luo, Chu will take the lead on the path ahead." As their eyes met, the heavy stone gate slowly slid shut. Mist and clouds surged around it, swallowing everything until one could not see one's own fingers. A long time later, a figure stepped forth from the mist and descended from the summit of Tianlan Peak.