Core Formation

"Junior Brother Tong, summon your natal insect gu and join me in forming the formation. We must go all out—remember, hold nothing back. This demon is exceptionally intelligent and cunning. The moment it senses something amiss, it will surely devour the spiritual fruit before it has fully ripened and flee for its life. The rest of the disciples shall follow behind and watch from a distance. Once we slay that grand demon, the remaining lesser demons will be left for you to handle, and any spirit herbs or spirit materials you harvest will belong to you..." Over thirty cultivators stood atop a mountain peak. Among them were six Foundation Establishment cultivators, while the rest were only at the Qi Refinement stage. Those Qi Refinement cultivators all wore robes of similar make, with strange patterns woven across the back to form the character for "insect." Had Qin Sang been here, he would have recognized Yuan Hu, who had hunted the Blood-Winged Ghosthead Bees with him that day, standing among them. The speaker was an emaciated old man with snow-white hair and a benevolent countenance. In his hand he held a black wooden staff etched with eerie patterns in blue insect blood. The old man was still giving instructions when a crack of thunder suddenly cut him short. The crowd's expressions shifted drastically as they flew into the sky one after another, gazing deep into the mountains. To the southwest, atop a lofty peak, dense clusters of dark clouds had gathered at some unknown point, crackling with lightning and rumbling with thunder as bolts raced through them. Following that single thunderclap, a ceaseless roar of thunder commenced. The dark clouds grew increasingly heavy, and silver snakes danced in frenzy. Strangely, these dark clouds and lightning cloaked only that mountain peak and an area scarcely a zhang around it. Everywhere else was clear and bright, without a wisp of cloud or the slightest sign of a thunderstorm. That area seemed to have encountered doomsday. Terrifying lightning danced mere inches above the peak, threatening to obliterate the mountain at any moment. The deafening thunder struck dread into all living beings. From around the mountain came the terrified roars and screeches of beasts and birds. Mortal beasts and demons big and small alike were frightened out of their wits, fleeing in all directions and not daring to linger anywhere nearby. The dark clouds gathered ever denser into a black, oppressive mass. Fierce winds howled, yet no torrential rain fell. At this sight, the cultivators of the Five Insects Sect exchanged glances. Though none of them had seen it in person, they had read in their sect's ancient records that this phenomenon bore an uncanny resemblance to a certain event. The emaciated old man's face, in particular, was as heavy as water. *Boom!* Suddenly, a muffled roar sounded. The spiritual energy around the mountain peak seemed stirred by something, surging madly beneath the dark clouds until the surroundings were drained bare. Directly beneath the clouds, it nearly condensed into solid form, faintly sketching out the silhouette of a funnel. Witnessing this, all doubt vanished from their minds—someone truly was undergoing Core Formation there! "Sect Master Senior Brother, I remember that mountain was the nest of that dark-winged eagle. Could it be..." Junior Brother Tong flew beside the emaciated old man, his voice trembling slightly. If a demon beast formed a demon core, the entire Bear Mountain region, including their Five Insects Sect, would be powerless to resist, unless they planned to cower within their sect gates and never step outside again. If it were a bloodthirsty demon, all living creatures throughout the Bear Mountain region would be plunged into misery. The emaciated old man had clearly considered this as well. Blue veins bulged on the hand gripping his wooden staff, and he said in a low voice, "It shouldn't be that brute. I caught a glimpse of it three years ago, and it was only at the mid Demon Spirit stage back then; its potential had pretty much reached its limit. Even if it swallowed some heavenly material and earthly treasure, the dark-winged eagle couldn't possibly skip past the late Demon Spirit stage in a mere three years to form a core directly. Besides, a demon beast forming a core seems somewhat different from a cultivator..." Junior Brother Tong started. "Senior Brother, are you suspecting..." The emaciated old man nodded, his expression grave. He was already suspecting that a passing cultivator, or a recluse who had remained hidden from the world, had seized the dark-winged eagle's cave dwelling to undergo Core Formation here. A mighty dragon crossing the river was no fortunate omen for the Five Insects Sect. Seeing the distant phenomenon still ongoing, the emaciated old man made his decision. "Junior Brother Tong, take the disciples and return to the sect immediately. Activate the mountain-protecting grand formation! Without my command, no one is permitted to enter the mountain! As for those large stockades, we cannot spare thought for them for the time being." Junior Brother Tong looked anxious. "Senior Brother, you aren't coming back?" The emaciated old man shook his head. "I cannot leave. We made such a large commotion here; there is no way we escaped that person's notice. Leaving just like this would invite resentment. If that person is merely passing through, so much the better—we shall send him off with all due respect. If he intends to stay, our Five Insects Sect will have to face him sooner or later, so we might as well ascertain his intentions early on. If I should be slain, Junior Brother Tong, you will take charge of the sect and immediately send word outside for help." Junior Brother Tong grew frantic. "Senior Brother, you go back! I'll stay..." "You do not carry enough weight!" The emaciated old man said gravely, "Rest assured, I know what I am doing. The entire Western Frontier is barren and impoverished, and our Bear Mountain is no exception. A Core Formation master soars across the nine heavens—why would such a person tie themselves down to a tiny place like this? It is most likely a passerby; my earlier arrangements were merely a precaution." As they spoke, the rumbling thunder in the distance gradually subsided, and the dark clouds dispersed. The spiritual energy funnel became increasingly pronounced. Around the funnel, streaks of multicolored rosy light began to gleam. For a time, vibrant clouds billowed above the mountain peak, blanketing the sky in stunning beauty. "Not good! The clouds have appeared; the core is about to form. Leave at once!" The emaciated old man urged his disciples to depart, straightened his robes, and rode the wind toward the phenomenon. By the time he drew near, the entire mountain peak was already shrouded in glowing light. After a while longer, the rosy light faded, and the surrounding spiritual energy gradually settled, returning to calm. The emaciated old man stood waiting for a brief moment. Seeing no movement from the cave dwelling on the mountain, he pondered for a few breaths before flying straight toward the peak. Unexpectedly, just as he arrived before the cave dwelling, a dark figure suddenly darted out in front of him. *Hiss...* The emaciated old man was startled by the ferocious, menacing Flying Yaksha. Feeling its formidable aura, he sucked in a breath of cold air, thoroughly shaken. *Not only did he succeed in Core Formation himself, but he also possesses a corpse puppet that has evolved into a Flying Yaksha...* The emaciated old man groaned inwardly, envious of the person inside the cave to the extreme. He wondered what the person's natal insect gu was. Since he had formed his core smoothly, his natal insect gu had most likely completed its metamorphosis as well. After forming his core, this person would immediately be able to look down on his peers, perhaps even fight above his realm. Such a figure was exceedingly rare even in the great, age-old sects beyond the Western Frontier; he might very well be the disciple of an almighty figure. The old man could not even summon the energy to feel jealousy. Yet seeing this actually put the emaciated old man at ease. The other party had a mysterious background and a grand heritage—he certainly would not deign to covet the meager resources of Bear Mountain. Keeping his distance with the Flying Yaksha between them, the emaciated old man bowed toward the cave dwelling and gave a light cough, saying, "Cui Xuanzi, Sect Master of the Five Insects Sect, pays his respects to Senior." *Bang!* The boulders before the cave dwelling suddenly burst apart. Cui Xuanzi's pupils constricted as an unusually youthful man strode out from the darkness. Sunlight poured over him, making him appear radiant and spirited. The young man looked at him with a smile and said genially, "Are you the Sect Master of the Five Insects Sect? I was passing through this area when I sensed the stirrings of Core Formation, so I found a place to form my core. By good fortune, my core was formed, though I did not expect to disturb you."