With Chu Kui preparing for Core Formation, Luo Chen did not remain idle either.
After advancing to the ninth level of Foundation Establishment, he took a few days to rest.
He drank and caught up with Wang Yuan, had a long talk with Min Longyu on formation Dao fundamentals, guided Qu Lingjun's cultivation following his breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, and set a date for Qu Lingjun's wedding with Mi Li.
One after another, he also received in his immortal's cave the cultivators who had newly advanced to Foundation Establishment within the Luotian Association over these years. He offered warm encouragement, bestowed treasures to congratulate them on their breakthroughs, and occasionally exchanged insights on cultivation.
Lastly, he spent three days living together with Huiniang and Caiyi, personally testing the fruits of their cultivation.
Only after those three days of communion concluded did Luo Chen bring his brief respite to an end.
He returned to his prior state of solitary cultivation.
……
"Twelve years ago, Tao Wan entered secluded cultivation to push for the Golden Core realm. Three years later, she succeeded, and Azure Pill Valley tolled its bells three times in celebration. Afterward, she remained in seclusion to consolidate her cultivation, and the day of her emergence is drawing near. Azure Pill Valley has already begun sending out invitations in advance, inviting fellow Daoists from all quarters to attend Tao Wan's Core Formation Grand Ceremony."
"Danyangzi succeeded in Core Formation even before her, has officially emerged from seclusion, and held his Core Formation Grand Ceremony."
"Five years ago, Tantai Jin of the Ice Fort reached the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment and announced a death seclusion to charge toward the Golden Core realm."
"The Falling Cloud Sect held its Sixty-Year Grand Tournament, inviting fifteen sects to observe. Thirteen True Disciples stood out from the rest, hailed as the Thirteen Sons of Falling Cloud. Among these thirteen, aside from Han Zheng, who is the youngest and has the lowest cultivation, every single one is a formidable ninth-level Foundation Establishment grand cultivator with high hopes of forming a core within fifty years."
"The Jade Cauldron Sword Sect has refused to be outdone. In ten years, it will hold the Jade Sovereign Mountain Sword Duel. The contenders are not limited to its own disciples, nor are there restrictions on cultivation levels; anyone who competes and secures a ranking will receive lavish rewards from the Sword Sect."
"The Dao Child of Mount Ailao returned from the Howling Moon Mountain Range, reportedly having drawn an exceedingly detailed map of the region."
"Master Yunhe, the representative of the Hehuan Sect, entered the Jade Cauldron Domain. His first stop was Hundred Blossoms Palace, where its three Golden Core masters—Fairy Baihua, Patriarch Peach Blossom, and Master Shixiang—traveled a hundred li to welcome him."
Intelligence reports from the outside world flowed through Luo Chen's mind, one after another.
Some acquaintances had successfully formed their cores, while others had entered death seclusion to seek a breakthrough.
There was the Falling Cloud Sixty-Year Tournament, and there was the Jade Sovereign Sword Duel challenging cultivators from all sides—all clear displays of might.
The arrival of high-level cultivators from foreign Nascent Soul superior sects added another burst of fierce fire beneath this already boiling cauldron.
Everything pointed to the blistering heat that preceded war.
Under such circumstances, the Foundation Establishment realm was no longer fit for the grand stage.
"Danyang, Tao Wan, Tantai, Chu Kui... They have all stepped ahead of me. It is time for me to quicken my pace as well."
Luo Chen muttered to himself.
Even though he practiced quiet cultivation year-round, a lingering sense of urgency continued to loom over his head.
Had it been earlier, the feeling might not have run so deep.
Yet Master Canglong had failed her attempt to advance to Nascent Soul, the Ice Fort had lost four Golden Core cultivators in battle, and juniors under its banner like Tantai Jin had entered death seclusion one after another.
This showed just how tense the Ice Fort's situation truly was.
And the Ice Fort was currently Luo Chen's greatest patron.
With his backer teetering on shaky ground, how could he possibly rest easy?
Still, no matter how urgent things felt, Luo Chen's cultivation plan maintained order amidst the chaos.
He had essentially halted his pill concoction for the time being.
His primary focus was devoted to daily cultivation and studying several secret arts for Core Formation.
He had obtained those secret arts back during the mid Foundation Establishment realm and had never ceased studying them.
By now, he knew them like the back of his hand, with only practical application remaining.
Among them, the ones Luo Chen cared about most were undoubtedly Locking Bead Curtain, as well as Calming the Tempest, which Miao Wen had handwritten for him before dying.
The former was a superior Core Formation secret art from the Nascent Soul superior sect, the Falling Cloud Sect.
The latter was a simplified version of a secret art from the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect. Even if its effects were not as miraculous as the Wisdom Sword Technique, one could see the efficacy of this art from the same lineage through Miao Wen's immense remorse after regaining his clarity, as well as how smoothly Pang Renxiong's resentful soul had transitioned into a ghost cultivator.
Regarding the Calming the Tempest secret art, Luo Chen had studied it frequently after returning, ultimately confirming that Miao Wen had indeed left no traps behind to harm him.
"There is no rush. Locking Bead Curtain can wait a bit; I can decide how to cultivate it based on Chu Kui's Core Formation outcome."
"This Calming the Tempest, on the other hand, can be taken up immediately."
The main reason Luo Chen made this decision was that this secret art bore some resemblance to Bright Spirit Fiend Breaking.
Both served to temper a cultivator's will!
It was will, not the soul!
There was an intrinsic difference between the two.
Possessing a powerful soul but a feeble will was like holding a sharp weapon yet lacking the courage to swing it.
Conversely, those with weaker souls and spiritual power, if endowed with sufficient will, could often walk farther than their peers.
This roughly mirrored the three elements of cultivation commonly spoken of by cultivators.
Did natural aptitude come first, or fortuitous opportunity, or disposition?
Will was essentially disposition.
Of course, nuanced arguments could be made, but Luo Chen had no intention of splitting hairs.
Through his study, he discovered that Calming the Tempest truly possessed the effect of tempering one's will.
If Bright Spirit Fiend Breaking achieved this through pain, external stimuli, and the grinding of fiendish qi,
then Calming the Tempest was clearly a cut above.
It anchored one's mind and soul onto an object, nurturing it with undivided focus so that one's ethereal, intangible will attained a hardness comparable to a physical treasure.
Legends said that high-level sword cultivators naturally generated sword intent upon reaching a certain realm.
Legends said that for high-level sword cultivators, there was the saying: "As the sword lives, so lives the man; if the sword perishes, the man perishes."
Legends also said that after advancing to the Golden Core realm, Jade Cauldron sword cultivators could often nurture their sword pellets to the rank of magical treasures.
All of these proved that sword cultivators practiced certain methods to steel their own will.
Calming the Tempest carried a similar effect.
The stronger the chosen object and the tighter the bond with oneself, the better the final outcome!
Naturally, most Jade Cauldron sword cultivators chose the sword pellets that accompanied them in life and death.
This left Luo Chen in a quandary.
If he were to select an external item, he possessed a great many treasures,
but they were varied rather than refined.
The Shangshu Cauldron could have been the ideal choice—a lower-grade magical treasure that was also an alchemical vessel, intimately tied to his path of alchemy.
Were he to cultivate Calming the Tempest with it, Luo Chen could hardly imagine how great the results would be.
However!
The thing was damaged!
Furthermore, it had once been Master Alchemist Shang Hu's lifebound magical treasure.
Yes, Luo Chen had long since inquired and learned that the damaged Shangshu Cauldron Master Jueqing had given him was none other than the lifebound magical treasure of her late Dao companion, Shang Hu.
Therefore, the Shangshu Cauldron was out of the question.
What about the Mysterious Fire Sword?
This treasure provided a fine boost to Luo Chen's combat prowess, particularly allowing his technique of wielding arts through vessels to shine at its absolute best.
Moreover, Calming the Tempest originated from the Wisdom Sword Technique, holding an innate affinity for sword-type treasures.
However!
Its quality was simply too poor.
It was an inferior magical treasure produced back in the day by the Yan Alliance, even less reliable than those from Tianfan City.
After Luo Chen's repeated fierce battles over the years, the treasure had already suffered damage multiple times, requiring Duan Feng to patch it up with weapon-forging techniques every so often.
Luo Chen genuinely feared the Mysterious Fire Sword might suddenly shatter during his next battle.
He had no desire to imitate those sword cultivators and play the game of living and dying alongside his sword.
Aside from these two items, Luo Chen did hold a few quality magical treasures.
Even within the tier of lower-grade magical treasures, they were considered exceptional.
Loose Cultivator Xiao's Soul-Snatching Jade Flute, Songtaozi's flying sword, Zheng Xian's Fire Fan, Mi Shuhua's legacy Sky Moon Purple Gold Wheel, or even the eighteen thousand-year lightning crystals in his possession—all could serve as the "anchor."
Yet after a thorough examination, Luo Chen ultimately abandoned them.
"These items either lack compatibility with me or have never been properly refined, leaving no close connection. None are truly suitable."
"The most suitable..."
Murmuring, Luo Chen tapped a finger against the center of his brow.
A black halo slowly emerged.
When the halo dissipated, what appeared was an ancient black chess piece.
"In truth, I already had the answer."
Looking at this black chess piece, the hesitation in Luo Chen's mind gradually cleared away.
The Lanke Black Chess Piece—one of Ghost-God Valley's three sect-guarding magical treasures, albeit an incomplete version.
Though incomplete, it was not entirely broken.
It merely lacked the paired white piece used for physical defense.
Without the white piece's complement, the black piece had fallen to the rank of a lower-grade magical treasure.
Yet it had indeed once attained the middle-grade tier, and it had never been fully claimed and refined by any elder of Ghost-God Valley.
As far as he knew, the paired black and white Lanke chess pieces and the Ghost-God Heart-Interrogation Mirror were alternately held by Ghost-God Valley's Supreme Elders and Scripture Transmission Elders,
used for the sect's heritage and aiding transitions from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core.
"Not to mention its boundless potential, ever since I achieved Foundation Establishment, I have nurtured and refined it day and night, forming an exceptionally tight bond with it."
"Furthermore, such a magical treasure is rarely revealed outside to clash with others, which greatly reduces the risk of damage."
"Using this as the anchor to cultivate Calming the Tempest ought to be the finest choice!"
Once the decision was made, Luo Chen severed every lingering thread of hesitation.
With a thought, the black chess piece drifted upward, hovering in midair above his head.
Luo Chen fixed his gaze upon it before slowly closing his eyes.
At the same time, his fingers continuously formed hand seals. Strands of spiritual power and spiritual sense surged from his body, flying toward the Lanke Black Chess Piece.
Entwining, swirling, encasing, and tracing spiritual patterns.
Amidst this cultivation, Luo Chen experienced a sudden glimmer of enlightenment.
This Calming the Tempest secret art that Miao Wen had simplified—perhaps it had not been simplified at all.
With Miao Wen's ability and insight, how could he have simplified a secret art created by Sword Sect predecessors?
What he had done was actually addition!
Within Calming the Tempest, he had woven in techniques for refining magical treasures, blended principles of Buddhist meditative absorption, and kept the core centered on the art of Core Formation.
Spiritual power and spiritual sense, aided by the anchor, fused and entwined together.
Was this not simply another form of Locking Bead Curtain?
It was only that the spirit beads formed by Locking Bead Curtain were too dangerous, too prone to losing equilibrium. Thus, Miao Wen had taken a shortcut, choosing an intermediary that gave the spiritual power and spiritual sense a buffer—a place to negotiate and compromise.
What about the original Wisdom Sword Technique, then?
Using the sword pellet nurtured day and night by the sword cultivator as the anchor, letting the cultivator's spiritual sense and spiritual power intertwine within it, so that every strand of sword silk forming the pellet was imbued with a portion of each—
did that not mean forming a second "Golden Core"?
Thus, when sword cultivators succeeded in Core Formation, they could often advance their sword pellets as well.
Likewise, if the sword pellet was destroyed, the sword cultivator would suffer severe trauma, or even perish alongside it.
Put this way, the logic held completely true.
The sword pellet was inherently a sword cultivator's second Golden Core!
Years of extensive reading, paired with his extraordinary talent in cultivating spells, had unconsciously granted Luo Chen profound insight.
Upon his very first attempt at cultivating Calming the Tempest, he saw through the surface down to the essence.
He had even traced back to the original Jade Cauldron secret art, catching a glimpse of that corner of truth.
He vaguely sensed that Calming the Tempest still possessed many areas ripe for improvement.
Even without tracing back to the original Wisdom Sword Technique, one could strike out along a different path and forge another way.
However,
at this critical juncture, Luo Chen would not invite unnecessary complications.
Relying on the foundation built from practicing Bright Spirit Fiend Breaking, he picked up Calming the Tempest with ease.
In a daze, he felt as if his entire being had become a black chess piece, weathering the scouring of the river of time, gradually aging.
Yet amidst that scouring, his will stood like a black reef, rooted firmly in the river of time, unshakeable as a mountain!
*With trembling care, as if beside an abyss.*
*With trepidation and caution, as if treading on thin ice.*
*The boundless path of immortals holds far more than abysses and ice.*
*A thousand years at the rotted ax, yet the heart remains unchanged.*
……
Three years later.
Tianlan Immortal City.
On the Central Thoroughfare, the crowds surged like woven threads, ten, a hundred times more bustling than in days past!
The old saying that Qi Refinement cultivators gathered like clouds, Foundation Establishment ones fell like rain, and Golden Cores appeared from time to time had now truly become reality!
Across the southern skies and northern lands, through the thirty-six domains, countless cultivators flocked to the Jade Cauldron Domain.
Even the small fraction diverted to Tianlan Immortal City formed an astounding number.
The carriages within the immortal city ran non-stop day and night.
Shops threw their doors wide open, with cultivators doing business with beaming smiles.
The Jade Cauldron Sword Sect's Dao Discussion Platform grew particularly frantic as the Jade Sovereign Mountain Sword Duel approached!
Although the rules of the Jade Sovereign Sword Debate claimed anyone from any sect and of any cultivation realm could participate,
there was, in fact, a condition.
One had to secure a top-ten ranking on the Dao Discussion Platform for their respective realm within one of the Jade Cauldron Domain's ten great immortal cities!
Only then would they receive an invitation to participate in the Jade Sovereign Sword Debate.
Consequently, martial fervor surged across the ten great immortal cities of the Jade Cauldron Domain.
Discussing the Dao? Wielding the Dao!
Even rogue cultivators who had no intention of participating in the Jade Sovereign Sword Debate were eager to step onto the Dao Discussion Platform to measure the gap between themselves and others.
Spectators packed every match, day after day.
Under these conditions, the shops in Tianlan Immortal City reaped immense profits.
The Luotian Association made considerable gains along the way as well.
Setting other ventures aside, the shop they had secured on the Central Thoroughfare alone raked in gold by the bushel daily.
In truth, given the Luotian Association's strength, it had not been qualified to own a storefront on the Central Thoroughfare.
Yet the Lianyun Merchant Alliance had declined in power, and its Grand Elder had been missing for years without returning.
Luo Chen knew Helian Yun had long since perished by his hand.
Thus, upon returning back then, he had Sima Huiniang contact Mount Ailao, the sect taking the rotating shift over the immortal city at the time.
When the Lianyun Merchant Alliance could no longer pay the rent, the Luotian Association was the first to take over Lianyun Tower.
Now,
Lianyun Tower had been renamed Danxia Hall.
The business it ran was similar to that of the former Lianyun Merchant Alliance, with only two primary trades added:
medicinal pills and snack delicacies.
The pill business had grown increasingly steady and composed after Qu Lingjun advanced to Foundation Establishment; he had even succeeded in concocting Tier 2 pills.
Furthermore, because he was Luo Chen's direct disciple, many low-level cultivators in Tianlan deliberately addressed him with the Daoist title "Lingjunzi" to flatter him.
Such a Daoist title might seem careless, merely adding the honorific "zi" behind his given name.
Yet it subtly carried the intention of flattering Luo Chen.
After all, Luo Chen held two Daoist titles, one of which—Fire Spirit Lord—shared a nominal link with Qu Lingjun's "Lingjunzi."
With two Tier 2 alchemists, Danchenzi and Lingjunzi, presiding over Danxia Hall, it naturally became a destination where countless low-level cultivators flocked.
After all, the Luotian Association sold its pills at reasonable prices.
As for the snack business, that was a Luotian Association tradition.
Cultivators practiced inedia, but that was strictly after Foundation Establishment.
Moreover, Foundation Establishment cultivators were not entirely averse to eating; if a snack tasted good and contained spiritual qi, no one minded spending a few spirit stones to enjoy a bite.
It was precisely because of this
that amidst the high-end storefronts lining the Central Thoroughfare, Danxia Hall, which catered to low-level cultivators, became the busiest and liveliest establishment of all.
Even Gu Caiyi, the Hall Master of the Luotian Association's Gold Hall, spent eighty to ninety percent of her daily time presiding over Danxia Hall.
On this day,
she and Yuan Xiaoyue, who had already achieved Foundation Establishment, were receiving a Golden Core master.
The other party was said to be a senior from Fenghua Palace.
Ever since entering Danxia Hall, she had been wandering about,
lingering especially on the floor selling medicinal pills without leaving.
After a long while, the senior suddenly asked, "Do you not sell Jade Dew Pills?"
Gu Caiyi's expression tightened, and she replied cautiously, "Senior Fengyue, I do not know where you heard such news, but our Danxia Hall does not sell Jade Dew Pills."
The corners of Fairy Fengyue's lips curved faintly. "Master Danchenzi's skill in concocting Jade Dew Pills—is that not common knowledge by now?"
Jade Dew Pills!
A specialty of the Fenghua Domain!
Fenghua Palace housed several master-level figures proficient in concocting this pill.
Fairy Fengyue was an outstanding talent among them.
Though alchemy was not her primary pursuit, she could still reliably produce superior-grade Jade Dew Pills.
Sweat beaded on Gu Caiyi's brow, and she murmured, "Our association leader can indeed concoct Jade Dew Pills, but currently they are supplied exclusively to the Ice Fort, so they are not sold to the public."
Fairy Fengyue raised an eyebrow.
She actually already knew this.
However!
Her fine nose twitched faintly, and a teasing smirk appeared on her face.
"Junior, you claim they are only supplied to the Ice Fort, yet why do I catch the lingering medicinal fragrance of long-term Jade Dew Pill consumption on your person?"
Gu Caiyi froze.
She and Sima Huiniang indeed took Jade Dew Pills over extended periods, mostly of superior and supreme grade.
Yet medicinal fragrance?
Jade Dew Pills were icy, cool, and odorless; masked beneath their rouge and body fragrance, could there still be a scent?
Luo Chen had never mentioned such a thing!
Yet it was that very momentary freeze that confirmed Fairy Fengyue's suspicion.
"It seems you truly have used Jade Dew Pills. Do you have any on you? Give me two!"
Gu Caiyi's expression shifted drastically—she had been bluffed!
Luo Chen was always thorough, rarely leaving loose ends.
If Jade Dew Pills emitted an outward fragrance, he would certainly have warned them.
Now that a moment of carelessness had allowed her to be baited, trouble was bound to follow.
As her expression flickered,
Fairy Fengyue chuckled inwardly. Though it had been a verbal trick, she had been certain all along.
As the two women rumored to share deep ties with Luo Chen, Sima Huiniang and Gu Caiyi had long caught the eyes of many,
especially Gu Caiyi, who frequently conducted business outside!
She possessed mediocre aptitude, yet her cultivation had progressed at astonishing speed!
At a young age, she was already in the mid Foundation Establishment realm, rivaling the cultivation speed of true disciples from great sects.
Without Master Danchenzi's Jade Dew Pills aiding her, how could she have made such progress?
Amidst her shifting expressions, Gu Caiyi gritted her teeth. "Senior, this is Tianlan Immortal City. Coerced buying and selling is not permitted—"
"This is neither coerced buying nor selling; I am not even purchasing your Jade Dew Pills." Fairy Fengyue waved her wide sleeve, gesturing toward the dazzling array of pills on the shelves. "I merely intend to spend fifty thousand spirit stones to buy a batch of Tier 1 pills needed by Qi Refinement disciples from your shop. And touched by my generosity, you are simply throwing in two Jade Dew Pills as a bonus."
"How does that sound?"
What elder bought pills for Qi Refinement disciples fifty thousand spirit stones at a time!
Moreover, Fenghua Palace nurtured its own sect alchemists and had no shortage of low-grade pills needed only by ordinary rogue cultivators like those served by the Luotian Association.
Now, it was Gu Caiyi who was caught in a bind.
The other party held a profound cultivation realm yet had not completely used force to crush her, instead offering a way out.
In this manner, it would not strictly count as Luo Chen violating his cooperative pact with the Ice Fort.
However...
Gu Caiyi tightened her delicate features and held her ground. "Senior, I cannot make this decision. I must ask our association leader for instruction. You..."
Hearing her words, the smile on Fairy Fengyue's face gradually faded away.
"What fine poise, what commendable stubbornness."
"Pity you refuse the cup of respect only to drink the cup of forfeit. Do you truly believe that within the immortal city, I can do nothing to you?"
As she spoke, a trace of spiritual pressure manifested faintly.
Gu Caiyi's face drained of color.
At that very moment, an elegant, scholarly middle-aged man stepped in from outside the building.
"Little Gu, have you restocked those deep-fried pupae you serve with wine?"
As the voice carried in, the spiritual pressure released by Fairy Fengyue vanished without a trace, replaced by a warm, majestic presence.
Fairy Fengyue's expression shifted slightly, her gaze locking onto the scholarly middle-aged man walking up the stairs step by step.
"Haoran righteous qi? Has the Haoran Sect not already perished?"
The scholarly man smiled faintly. "I am Haoranzi, a remnant branch of the Haoran Sect. Counted up, I was once part of the Fenghua Domain back in the day. Fairy Fengyue, when the sixteen sects united to attack Lianxia, I recall you had just claimed first place in that year's Fenghua Palace Qi Refinement tournament!"
Fairy Fengyue looked on with suspicion and uncertainty; she had not expected him to know her so well.
Yet she knew nothing of this Haoranzi.
Just as she was about to probe his background, she saw him suddenly snap his head upward. His bright, clear eyes seemed to pierce through the wooden floorboards and array restrictions, gazing toward the heights above.
Fairy Fengyue startled, but swiftly realized what was happening.
"Someone is attempting Core Formation!"
Haoranzi looked toward Tianlan Peak and nodded.
"Dragon and tiger converge, spiritual qi pours back inward—this is the sign of a core forming!"
Fairy Fengyue frowned. With the pioneering war imminent, after years of accumulation and a civil war that had dragged on for decades, the surviving junior experts of the Jade Cauldron Domain were beginning to break through one after another.
She had witnessed a similar sight not long ago.
Suddenly!
Haoranzi turned back, offering her a faint smile.
"As far as I know, the fellow Daoist preparing for Core Formation in that cave dwelling happens to be a cultivator of the Luotian Association. Fellow Daoist Fengyue, why don't we go pay a visit together shortly?"
Chapter 453