Core Formation!
Someone was forming a Golden Core!
Though such an occurrence was rare, in recent years the Jade Cauldron Domain had seen a steady succession of newly ascended Golden Core cultivators, so it was no longer entirely earth-shattering.
Even in Tianlan Immortal City, someone had attempted Core Formation twenty years ago, only to suffer a regrettable failure at the final threshold.
Under ordinary circumstances, a Core Formation phenomenon would not have drawn excessive notice.
Yet this time, the disturbance atop Tianlan Peak was truly far too massive.
Leaving everything else aside!
The myriad cultivators deep in secluded meditation within their caves across Tianlan Peak realized instantly that something was amiss.
At first, it was merely an agitation in their caves' spiritual energy, which felt pulled away, spilling outward in frantic haste.
Soon after, the spirit veins jolted violently, and vast torrents of spiritual energy surged forth from the earth veins.
In a flash, Tier 1 grounds rose to Tier 2, and Tier 2 surged to Tier 3.
With such a violent upheaval, it was naturally impossible for any cultivator to continue their practice.
In an instant, numerous cultivators flew out from their caves, staring in shock and bewilderment toward the source of the anomaly.
And when they caught sight of the Daoist sitting cross-legged in the void, amidst a heaven-reaching vortex of spiritual energy, every one of them blanched.
Just what kind of foundation could stir up such a colossal spectacle?
If the meditating cultivators inside Tianlan Peak were shaken, what of the people throughout the immortal city?
From the moment the Core Formation phenomenon arose, countless people took notice.
As the cultivators of the Falling Cloud Sect released the restrictions on the spirit veins, unleashing the repressed energy of the earth veins in full, even shoppers in the stores could not resist stepping out to watch the spectacle.
A few well-informed individuals had long known that Luo Chen had rented the Jia-3 cave atop Tianlan Peak.
Thus, the moment the phenomenon appeared, even if they could not make out Luo Chen's features, they could immediately deduce whose Golden Core was coming into being.
"Danchenzi has finally taken this step!"
"Is that person really Danchenzi, the one praised by cultivators of your Jade Cauldron Domain as the foremost Foundation Establishment cultivator in all of Jade Cauldron?"
"None other! Now you see his prowess!"
"Tsk, tsk. With such grand fanfare, one can only imagine the depth of his foundation accumulated during the Foundation Establishment stage. Those foreign cultivators who sought to challenge him to a sword duel upon the Dao Discussion Platform—what a blessing they never crossed paths with him, or they would have been thoroughly humiliated."
"Losing to Senior Luo Chen is hardly a disgrace."
"This man could slay a Golden Core while only at Foundation Establishment. Now that he is on the verge of forming his core, who knows how terrifyingly strong he will become?"
"Whenever a golden age arrives, prodigies emerge like carp crossing a river, too numerous to count. This Fire Spirit Lord can truly be counted as a peerless hero who arose with the times."
"First Chu Kui failed at Core Formation, and now Luo Chen achieves it with overwhelming might. The Luotian Association is destined to rise!"
"Perhaps the Luotian Association can seize this opportunity to shed the association and found a sect. If they manage to claim a Tier 3 spirit vein during the war of reclamation, they will certainly become a major Golden Core sect in the future!"
"Brother, aren't you making the rise of a major Golden Core sect sound a bit too easy?"
"Easy? Get this straight—Senior Luo Chen is a renowned master alchemist! Do you honestly think there aren't Golden Core Masters eager to befriend him?"
"Er..."
Countless discussions erupted in every corner of the immortal city.
Some spoke of Luo Chen's deeds before his rise, some of his ties to the great sects, and others of his future prospects.
Many low-level cultivators wished they could put themselves in Luo Chen's shoes, dreaming of how glorious and carefree such a future would be.
Among them, those discussing the Luotian Association were mostly local cultivators.
And speak of the devil, the devil arrives.
The instant the Core Formation phenomenon manifested over Tianlan Peak, Danxia Hall on Central Avenue sent a sound transmission message to Danxia Peak.
Before long, a group of cultivators from Danxia Peak arrived together.
The Langqi flying boat entered the immortal city and initially intended to glide close to the ground.
Yet seeing the densely packed crowds choking the streets, the cultivators of the Luotian Association abandoned the idea.
They disembarked from the boat one after another, circulating the Wind Riding Technique as they sprinted toward Central Avenue, closest to Tianlan Peak.
Soon.
The Luotian Association cultivators, led by Sima Huiniang and Wang Yuan, spotted Gu Caiyi and the others waiting anxiously at the main entrance.
"How is it?"
Before she could catch her breath, Sima Huiniang asked urgently.
Without turning her head, Gu Caiyi replied, "Two incense sticks of time have passed, and the President has not yet finished!"
Two incense sticks of time!
Hearing that number, Wang Yuan's expression changed slightly.
When ordinary Foundation Establishment True Cultivators formed a core, drawing upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth lasted merely the burning of a single incense stick.
Just how profound was Luo Chen's foundation?
He could not help looking up toward the sky.
The spiritual energy erupting from the earth veins continued to surge relentlessly toward the peak of Tianlan Peak.
In the center, a solitary figure sat cross-legged, hair and beard billowing as he voraciously swallowed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
While Wang Yuan was lost in astonishment, the cultivators of the Luotian Association held their breath, barely daring to exhale, as though it were they themselves undergoing Core Formation.
Qu Lingjun and his wife, Duan Feng and his wife, Li Yingzhang, Xu Huanzhen...
Save for a handful of Foundation Establishment True Cultivators left guarding various posts, nearly the entire upper echelon of the Luotian Association had arrived.
Every single one of them was taut with tension, looking up at Luo Chen's silhouette with boundless excitement and longing.
...
Inside the vortex of spiritual energy.
Luo Chen's eyes were tightly shut, his lips slightly parted.
Aside from the whistling wind and roaring clouds outside, rolling thunder continuously rumbled from within his body.
This was the abnormal resonance caused by the five-colored Golden Core inside him, which was devouring external spiritual energy with insatiable hunger upon its formation.
Such sounds had already begun when he was still inside the cave.
It was only then that Luo Chen had abruptly realized this Tier 3 spirit ground cave seemed scarcely enough to support his final step.
The ambient spiritual energy was insufficient to stably support the solidification of his Golden Core!
Thus, he had ceased holding back, actively unleashing that pulling force to create a heaven-reaching tornado that drew in the stray heaven-and-earth spiritual energy across Tianlan Peak.
Yet even that was not enough!
Just as he was about to cast all caution aside and breach the warding arrays of the various caves on Tianlan Peak to forcefully siphon their energy, he suddenly felt even greater torrents of spiritual energy surging forth from beneath the city's earth veins.
*Someone is helping me!*
Realizing this, Luo Chen held nothing back.
He broke out of the Jia-3 cave and soared into the high sky.
Using the core to absorb the spiritual energy, and using his body to anchor the Golden Core!
One incense stick, two incense sticks...
Without realizing it, five incense sticks of time drifted by.
Under ordinary circumstances, the span of five incense sticks was fleeting, but at this moment for Luo Chen, every minute and second seemed to crawl by with agonizing slowness.
Until the Golden Core within his body reached complete stability!
Luo Chen opened his mouth and drew a deep breath.
The next instant!
Beneath the watchful eyes of thousands, the towering vortex of spiritual energy was swallowed whole into his body in a single breath.
At that moment, the sky cleared across ten thousand li, pristine and bright.
All that remained was Luo Chen's long hair, restored completely to vitality and shining with a sleek, glossy black, fluttering behind his back.
He opened his eyes.
A clear, radiant gaze looked down over all of Tianlan.
Towering palaces, broad streets and narrow alleys, and faces bearing myriad expressions.
He saw the expectant looks of the Luotian Association's cultivators, the fearful and uneasy expressions of past allies, and the reverent gazes of cultivators hovering beyond Tianlan Peak.
He also felt over a dozen formidable divine senses quietly watching him in silence.
*It seems my Core Formation truly stirred up quite a storm!*
If it were merely Core Formation, it would not have attracted so much attention.
No doubt, it had much to do with someone actively lifting the spirit vein restrictions, causing the spiritual energy density of the entire immortal city to spike dramatically.
At this moment, Luo Chen felt a touch of pride, a surge of lofty ambition, and an overwhelming rush of pure joy.
Meeting the countless watching eyes, Luo Chen pondered for a breath, then chanted in a leisurely voice:
"The Great Dao runs deep, the exalted secrets veiled;
How could worldly eyes discern where wonders trailed?
From the primordial breath of Heaven innate,
Clear and turbid naturally part by their own weight.
Ignorant of Kan and Li's reversal in the stream,
Who can tell where Metal and Wood sink or gleam?
In subtle depths, being from non-being is born,
As tiger and dragon chant beside the crag at morn.
Within the pot lies true creation whole:
Heaven's essence, earth's marrow, yin spirit and yang soul.
Revolving the heavenly cycle of fire and water in degree,
Harmonizing cold and warmth in balance free.
A hundred years to shed the mortal frame and the Core is spun;
All other paths are heterodox when done.
Do you not know?
Though you wander through the mortal dust from end to end,
Rare indeed are the immortal tunes that descend."
Having delivered his verse, Luo Chen offered a simple Daoist salute to the myriad cultivators of Tianlan Immortal City, and with effortless grace, his figure vanished.
Yet that chanting voice, bolstered by spiritual power, rolled across the entire immortal city like swelling thunder.
Every cultivator heard the poem.
Among the Qi Refining crowd, some boisterous busybodies shouted at the top of their lungs, "Senior has marvelous literary talent!"
This was mere flattery, an attempt to curry favor with Luo Chen.
Yet the Foundation Establishment True Cultivators had gone from indifference to slight changes in expression, and finally to concentrating their utmost attention, striving not to miss a single word.
Some of the late Foundation Establishment cultivators with deep mastery even sank into contemplation, catching glimmers of enlightenment.
After hearing the poem in its entirety, many returned straight to their caves to cultivate, while others eagerly gathered their friends to discuss its meaning.
Only the dozen or so Golden Core Masters!
From the poem's opening lines, their faces had shifted in unison, their minds profoundly shaken.
Even after Luo Chen vanished and returned to his cave, those masters continued to gaze in that direction with complex expressions.
"This Fellow Daoist Luo is truly magnanimous!"
"What magnificent spirit!"
"Worthy of the title of Fire Spirit Lord, true to his gentlemanly reputation. Such conduct is something this seat has genuinely never witnessed before."
"With such poise, forming a core at such a young age, and being a master alchemist to boot... Tsk, tsk. I must become acquainted with this fellow daoist!"
"I wonder, after this occurrence, how many among the million-plus cultivators of Tianlan Immortal City will glimpse the true meaning within and embark upon the Grand Dao of the Golden Core!"
...
"Fellow Daoist Luo, congratulations!"
"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist! Joyous tidings!"
Before the gate of the Jia-3 cave, two Golden Core cultivators offered their congratulations to Luo Chen.
They were Haoranzi, the consecrated Golden Core cultivator of the immortal city, and Qu Xibai, the Falling Cloud Sect Golden Core cultivator currently on duty in the city.
Luo Chen smiled faintly. Even with his long hair hanging loose behind him, it could not diminish his striking grace and the refined demeanor of an accomplished True Cultivator.
"Forming the core this time was quite fortunate. I must thank both seniors for your guidance and care."
"Now that you have formed your core, you are a fellow traveler on our path. Why speak of seniors?" Haoranzi remarked with easy grace.
Luo Chen smiled slightly, cupping his hands, and immediately adjusted his address: "Luo Chen greets both fellow daoists!"
Haoranzi stroked his beard and laughed, returning a Daoist salute fit for peers.
After returning the courtesy, Qu Xibai could not help sighing in admiration: "Fellow Daoist Luo is truly generous. To selflessly share even the esoteric secrets of Core Formation—you truly live up to the name of Spirit Lord!"
Indeed!
Though the poem Luo Chen had improvised upon his breakthrough was mostly an outpouring of his joyous feelings, several elements within it were intimately bound to the truth of Core Formation.
For instance, circulating the heavenly cycle of water and fire and harmonizing cold and warmth formed the general principles behind the most common inferior-method Core Formation secret arts in the cultivation world.
And heaven's essence, earth's marrow, yin spirit, and yang soul—did that not correspond precisely to the importance the Falling Cloud Sect's Core Formation secret arts placed upon the soul?
Though Luo Chen had not revealed specific techniques, he had genuinely shared the overarching principles and the direction of cultivation through a single poem.
Even if future cultivators could not find the corresponding secret arts, they could strengthen their cultivation in one of those directions, gaining an extra point or two of success during Core Formation.
And if they did obtain a matching secret art, it would be adding wings to a tiger!
It was precisely because of this that Luo Chen's poem caused such an immense stir among the higher-ranking cultivators of the city.
Luo Chen gave a light laugh. "It is merely returning a favor. Fellow Daoist Qu opened the city's spirit vein restrictions to lend me a hand. What harm is there in me sharing a few insights into Core Formation to benefit a million fellow daoists?"
Qu Xibai froze, then took a long, searching look at Luo Chen, as though etching him into his memory.
Yet clearly, now was not the ideal time for leisurely discussion and debating the Dao.
Luo Chen had only just succeeded in forming his core; his Golden Core realm was not yet stable, and there was always the danger of the core crumbling and his cultivation dropping.
As the stream of Luotian Association cultivators ascended Tianlan Peak, Haoranzi and Qu Xibai took their leave of their own accord.
No sooner had the two departed than the Luotian Association cultivators, led by Sima Huiniang, arrived before the cave entrance.
Looking at the man clad in white robes patterned with ink bamboo, a smile playing on his lips, the crowd paused for an instant before crying out in unison:
"We congratulate the President on achieving the Golden Core and the flourishing of your immortal path!"
Luo Chen accepted the congratulations with open grace.
Naturally, he saw the myriad expressions upon the faces of these old acquaintances and friends.
Sima Huiniang's adoration, Gu Caiyi's tender affection, Qu Lingjun's deep reverence, Wang Yuan's heartfelt respect, Chu Kui's complex envy, Duan Feng's rare excitement...
All these emotions converged into a single sentiment: unreserved joy for him.
With a smile on his lips, he said softly, "For these twenty years, I paid no heed to outside affairs. You have all worked hard."
Acting as their representative, Sima Huiniang offered an elegant bow.
"How could we dare accept the word 'hardship' from the President? Now that the President has successfully formed a core, you are the towering tree sheltering our Luotian Association from the wind and rain. It is you who has truly worked hard."
Hard work?
Naturally, it had been hard.
Twenty years of bitter cultivation, seeing no one, ignoring worldly affairs.
To form the core, his mind had been pushed to exhaustion, his sinews and bones worn to the bone. Every day he had endured the excruciating agony of severing his primary soul while studying the Core Formation secret arts suitable for him day and night.
When all preparations were complete, the final surge through the threshold had been another long, grueling ordeal.
Yet all that hardship became insignificant the moment the five-colored Golden Core took shape.
Now, he was a Golden Core cultivator, someone who would be addressed with reverence as "Master Luo Chen" in the outside world!
The little Luotian Association would share in his glory, no longer a dispensable second-rate faction.
It was time for everything to change.
Luo Chen put away his smile and gave three instructions.
"Ten years remain before the war of reclamation. For these ten years, apart from normal business, keep the association's cultivators in check and avoid conflicts with others as much as possible."
"Do not become arrogant and provoke powerful enemies simply because I have achieved the Golden Core!"
This was only proper.
All along, the Luotian Association had followed the principle of maintaining harmony with others and avoiding unnecessary trouble.
No one was surprised.
"I must enter seclusion to stabilize my realm, which will take roughly ten years as well. Ten years from now, we shall hold a Core Formation Grand Ceremony and invite fellow daoists from all quarters. Caiyi, you will oversee this matter on my behalf."
This too was only natural.
Having finally produced a Golden Core cultivator, it was only right to celebrate!
Not only would it demonstrate Luo Chen's presence, but it would also serve as an opportunity for him to build connections in Golden Core circles.
Knowing full well the importance of this task, Gu Caiyi promptly agreed.
"Lastly!"
Looking across the Luotian Association's leadership, Luo Chen's gaze gradually settled on Sima Huiniang.
Seeming to sense something, she trembled slightly, unable to contain a trace of excitement.
"Now that I have attained the Grand Dao of the Golden Core, I am no longer a solitary practitioner."
"The Luotian Association must also shed the association and found a sect, raising our banner in the cultivation world to pass down our heritage."
"From this day forth, I am the Supreme Elder, and you are the Sect Master!"
"All matters regarding the founding of the sect shall be overseen by you, Sima Huiniang, as the first-generation Sect Master. I hope that when I hold my Core Formation Grand Ceremony, it will also be the day our Luotian Sect makes its name across the Jade Cauldron Domain."
Having given these three instructions, Luo Chen smiled faintly at the crowd.
"Everyone, the immortal path is boundless; let us encourage one another!"
The crowd bowed deeply, answering in unison:
"We are willing to walk with you!"
Chapter 456