"Oh?" Qin Sang asked curiously. "What good news?"
Yunyouzi kept him in suspense. "Little Brother, let me ask you first: has your foundation recovered?"
"No."
Qin Sang shook his head and said in a heavy voice, "The Heyun Pills you had Yufu bring me had very little effect. My foundation still lacks a bit to fully heal. But I can already sense that spirit medicines like the Heyun Pill no longer work on me. That is also my greatest worry—I fear the damage to my foundation will affect my Core Formation."
During this time, Qin Sang had been hesitating over whether to refine the snow spirit lotus and iris flower.
Having cultivated smoothly all the way to the False Core stage, Qin Sang could not help clinging to the hopeful thought that perhaps the damage to his foundation would have no bearing on breaking through the bottleneck.
Yet he could not be certain.
If his foundation remained unhealed and he failed to form his core, refining those two spirit medicines now would be nothing short of a waste.
Yunyouzi put away his smile and said, "During my period of quiet cultivation at my sect, I found an opportunity to consult a martial uncle regarding your issue. That martial uncle is especially skilled in the Dao of alchemy; his attainments in alchemy rank first in the Taiyi Dan Sect, even surpassing the Sect Master's. If anyone could resolve your doubts, it would be him. My martial uncle said that cases like yours—where one cultivates to the False Core stage with sheer willpower despite a damaged foundation—are extremely rare, yet not entirely unheard of. According to him, this kind of damage will not have a decisive impact on Core Formation. There have been precedents in the cultivation world of people successfully forming their cores under such conditions. You may proceed boldly, Brother Qin."
Qin Sang's eyes lit up.
The Taiyi Dan Sect held the undisputed lead in the Dao of alchemy throughout the Lesser Cold Domain. Someone recognized as paramount within the Taiyi Dan Sect was certainly extraordinary. If his word could not be trusted, Qin Sang would not know whom else he could believe.
"However..."
Yunyouzi's tone abruptly shifted, causing Qin Sang's heart to sink.
"Brother Qin, you cannot simply let it be, either. Especially after breaking through to the Core Formation stage, this hidden danger will affect your strength even more noticeably. As your cultivation rises, the gap between you and cultivators of the same rank will be magnified infinitely. In battles between high-realm cultivators, the slightest difference can decide life and death..."
Qin Sang nodded with an assenting murmur, knowing Yunyouzi's warning was no exaggeration.
The reason he had been able to stand head and shoulders above his peers throughout the Foundation Establishment stage, never feeling the drag of his damaged foundation while slaying foes above his realm countless times, was almost entirely due to external aids.
In the early days, he had the Ten Directions Yanluo Array, whose might surpassed talisman treasures, as well as the elusive ebony sword. Later on, he acquired wondrous items such as two magic treasures and the Nine Dragons Heavenly Chariot Talisman.
There were also the divine abilities of the Origin Soul Sword-Nurturing Chapter that accompanied him throughout the Foundation Establishment stage, along with his refined corpse.
Once he broke through to the Core Formation stage, these advantages would be leveled.
Other Core Formation masters possessed magic treasures as well.
Lacking the second half of the Heavenly Yin Corpse Art, he could not refine a corpse beyond a Flying Yaksha. Even now, his Flying Yaksha still lagged somewhat behind a genuine Core Formation expert.
Only the divine abilities granted by the Origin Soul Sword-Nurturing Chapter—Sword Qi Thunderclap for now, and sword light differentiation after Core Formation—would serve as Qin Sang's greatest reliance in the future.
Yet that cultivation method was incomplete, and whether he could obtain Senior Qingzhu's self-created manual remained an unknown.
When that time came, what would he use to bridge the gap?
Just as Yunyouzi said, the disparity would only widen, and he would fall behind step by step.
Seeing Qin Sang furrow his brow in silence, Yunyouzi asked, "Brother Qin, do you still remember the Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit?"
Qin Sang snapped his head up.
The Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit!
How could he possibly forget?
Back when his foundation was first damaged, he had combed through ancient texts in Shaohua Mountain and found two natural treasures capable of restoring a foundation: one was Dao Scripture Grass, and the other was the Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit!
"Do you still remember what this old Daoist told you back at Yinshan Pass? The place most likely to harbor natural treasures is Ziwei Palace. The news of a natural treasure I uncovered a while ago was precisely about the Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit. It has now been confirmed that a Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit tree truly exists inside Ziwei Palace!" Yunyouzi looked at Qin Sang and said in a solemn voice.
"What?"
Qin Sang was filled with astonishment. "Senior, you disappeared for so many years to search for news of the Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit on my behalf? Then your internal injuries..."
Yunyouzi murmured in assent.
"Such natural treasures can only be chanced upon, never sought. This old Daoist was not certain at first, and with time pressing, I could only set out alone. Fortunately, I did not fail the task and uncovered definitive news. As for my internal injuries, ordinary spirit medicines in the outside world are completely useless to me. I currently know of only one method: there is a wondrous realm inside Ziwei Palace that might be of help to me. However, entering it will not be easy, and I will need your help, Little Brother. Ever since I returned this time, I have been searching for Ziwei Secret Talismans, and I already have a lead on one. I never expected that you would produce two at once, which spared this old Daoist a great deal of effort. I can take advantage of this time to carefully instruct Yufu. On this journey... this old Daoist does not even know if I will return."
Saying so, Yunyouzi glanced toward Li Yufu, who was keeping watch outside the island.
Hearing this, Qin Sang asked worriedly, "Senior, are your odds not good?"
Yunyouzi hummed in affirmation and said placidly, "Using this method is akin to destruction before renewal—breaking down to rebuild. As the saying goes, 'without destruction there is no creation,' but who can say for sure whether that 'creation' will ultimately be achieved? At best, this old Daoist has a ten percent chance. Still, I have no desire to wither away my entire life in the False Core stage. I must undertake this journey."
Yunyouzi's words carried absolute conviction.
Only a ten percent chance!
Yunyouzi had surely already prepared himself to lay down his life for the Dao.
Yunyouzi's eyes were exceptionally calm. Qin Sang knew his friend's pursuit of the Dao was unshakeable; it was impossible to dissuade him. As a friend, all he could do was offer his full support.
"Is the wondrous realm you mentioned located in the inner hall or the outer hall?" Qin Sang asked.
"Brother Qin, you know quite a bit about Ziwei Palace as well!"
Yunyouzi said, "It is in the inner hall; the Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit is also in the inner hall. With our cultivation, we would barely be able to take a step in the outer hall—this old Daoist wouldn't dare set my sights on anything in the outer hall. Time is short; this old Daoist still needs to prepare some supplementary items to help us reach the entrance to the inner hall."
The inner hall was ideal.
Qin Sang breathed a sigh of relief. If it were in the outer hall, it would have conflicted with his agreement with Granny Jing.
At this thought, Qin Sang said, "Senior, you need only prepare your own things. I have a way to reach the entrance to the inner hall, and we can rendezvous inside the inner hall when the time comes."
"Is that true?"
Yunyouzi did not probe into Qin Sang's secrets, instead exclaiming in delight, "That truly spares this old Daoist so much trouble! Brother Qin, you are truly a lucky star. I only hope this venture will be as smooth as our past endeavors!"
Qin Sang nodded, unable to wait any longer. "Senior, tell me more about the Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit..."
Only then did Yunyouzi remember. He wiped the smile from his face and said solemnly, "It is true that Ziwei Palace has the Crimson Cloud Purple Fruit, but I must give you a word of warning! If you fail Core Formation, treat this trip merely as an advance scouting mission and do not force matters. Wait until you break through to the Core Formation stage and contest for it when Ziwei Palace opens next time. For those competing with you for this fruit are great demons of the Demon Core stage from the Heavenly Demon Mound—and perhaps more than just one!"
Chapter 496