[Law of Howling Metal], [Law of Dense Wood], [Law of Thick Earth].
As for Fire...
After browsing and comparing his options, Li Fan felt it would be more practical to simply use the [Law of Crimson Flame].
In this lifetime, Crimson Flame had been bolstered by heaven and earth, her combat power vastly increased.
She was no longer who she once was.
Using her as one of his five elemental laws for Core Formation was entirely feasible.
"Using the five elemental laws as the foundation, combined with two sets of opposing laws to achieve the Golden Core, is a bold experiment on my part."
"There might be some slight flaws, but achieving perfection on the first try is impossible anyway."
"Back then, it took me a hundred lifetimes to build a perfect Dao Foundation with [True Reversion]."
"Achieving a perfect Golden Core certainly won't be easy either."
"Let's just give it a try."
With that thought, Li Fan spent a total of 180,000 contribution points to purchase the three Core Formation insights.
In an instant, three Golden Cores of varying shapes, looking somewhat damaged and incomplete, appeared in Li Fan's hands.
"Just like refining wonders of heaven and earth: swallow them into the belly using the Object-Devouring Method, then strip away and comprehend the laws contained within."
Without hesitation, Li Fan swallowed the three Golden Core fragments in a single gulp.
Circulating the Object-Devouring Method, the Golden Core fragments reached his dantian and were drawn toward [True Reversion].
Countless suction forces erupted from it like a black hole.
Flecks of golden light drifted from the fragments and flew into True Reversion.
Bit by bit, insights into the three laws of metal, wood, and earth surfaced in Li Fan's mind.
This was entirely different from seeing or hearing something on his own, or being personally instructed by a mentor.
It felt like memories he was born with that had been forgotten, suddenly recalled in an instant—leaving a far deeper impression.
"Indeed a fine treasure. It saves countless effort—these contribution points were well spent."
"A pity that what circulates outside are only ordinary insights. Even if one can easily form a core through them, the ultimate achievement will be limited."
"If I weren't merely looking to complete the five elemental laws—with my true reliance lying in the four laws of Mo Sha, Secret Reservoir, Heaven Fiend, and Blue Flame—I would never ruin my own prospects like this."
As time slowly passed, the three Golden Core fragments grew smaller and smaller.
Once they were completely absorbed by Li Fan, his five elemental laws were finally complete.
"Everything is ready. I can begin Core Formation."
To reduce the difficulty of Core Formation, Li Fan had also purchased metal, wood, fire, and earth wonders of heaven and earth from the Heavenly Profound Mirror to serve as the foundation when condensing the laws.
Quickly reviewing the insights of all nine laws one by one in his mind, Li Fan took a deep breath.
Activating the courtyard's seclusion privacy ward, a sharp light flashed in Li Fan's eyes as he officially began his Core Formation.
"First is the boundless power of the secret reservoir within my body—the Law of Creation."
*Boom!*
A sound resembling a volcanic eruption faintly echoed from within his body as Li Fan circulated the Creation Furnace Technique with all his might, mobilizing the boundless, infinitely vibrant power of the secret reservoir.
Soon, a flush of crimson appeared on Li Fan's face.
This was because his true body had not previously cultivated the Creation Furnace Technique and had a relatively weak physique; mobilizing so much secret reservoir power all at once was somewhat overwhelming.
However, Li Fan's mind was as still as water, without the slightest fear.
The sensation of his avatar being devoured by the black particles resurfaced in his mind.
From True Reversion, an all-obliterating force that returned things to nothingness abruptly surged forth, coursing through his entire body in an instant to counteract the surging secret reservoir power.
Creation and obliteration—two opposing forces, generating and overcoming each other, entwined.
Colliding within Li Fan's body, they gradually wove together.
Like a helix, after completing a circuit through his body, they flowed into True Reversion.
"These two laws have reached balance. I can attempt the next step."
With neither joy nor sorrow in his heart, one half of True Reversion abruptly transformed into the form of Heaven Fiend Sword Intent.
The Heaven Fiend Sword Intent that appeared this time was not merely modeled after Zhang Haobo's Foundation Establishment wonder from the twelfth life.
It also incorporated brand-new insights Li Fan had gained after witnessing the broken Heaven Fiend Sword in this lifetime.
It carried an even stronger aura of distortion and madness.
Black fiendish qi surged from the Heaven Fiend Sword Intent, continuously spreading outward around the dantian.
The spiritual energy gathered within the dantian fell into turmoil in an instant.
Furthermore, as the fiendish qi spread, it showed signs of violent unrest, threatening to spiral out of control.
Muffled whispers instantly sounded by Li Fan's ears. Even with the mental fortitude he had honed over countless reincarnations, he found himself becoming uncontrollably agitated and flustered.
A glint of madness gradually emerged in his pitch-black eyes.
Just then, the Blue Flame phantom spirit moved from his sea of consciousness, transforming into a trickling stream of blue flames like flowing water, cleansing his entire body.
The agitation and distortion were instantly suppressed.
The Heaven Fiend Sword Intent seemed to sense something; its form trembled slightly, appearing quite displeased.
However, the stream of blue flames had already arrived in the dantian, wrapping around the Heaven Fiend Sword Intent.
No matter how fiercely the black fiendish qi surged and battered against it, it could not breach the blue flames' blockade.
Without the influence of the Heaven Fiend Sword Intent, the distortion in Li Fan's eyes slowly faded away.
"The Heaven Fiend Sword truly is extraordinary. Even having merely glimpsed a fraction of its true form, I showed signs of losing control."
"Fortunately, with the aid of the Blue Flame and its absolute rationality, I managed to neutralize the danger."
"Heaven Fiend and Blue Flame have also reached balance."
"With the four fundamental powers ready, next are the five elemental laws."
Swallowing the four elemental wonders of heaven and earth prepared before him in one gulp, True Reversion once more transformed into the likeness of the Vast Sea Pearl.
Metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—the powers of the five elements converged within his dantian all at once.
This was an overwhelmingly vast force, causing Li Fan's dantian to feel as though it might burst at any moment.
His body even began to swell visibly.
His heart sank. Diverting a sliver of focus to remain ready to trigger True Reversion should he fail, Li Fan concentrated the rest of his mental energy on desperately balancing the forces within his body.
Yet the five elemental powers complemented and reinforced one another. After entering the dantian, rather than showing any sign of dissipating, they blended together over time, growing increasingly colossal.
"It's still too forced," Li Fan sighed inwardly.
"Am I going to fail after all?"
Just as this thought crossed his mind—
Perhaps because the wanton rampage of this foreign force incited displeasure from the previous two pairs of powers, the helix of creation and obliteration and the sword-flame of rationality and distortion launched an attack against the five elemental forces together.
It was as if a tremendous explosion erupted within his dantian.
*Pfft!*
The violent shockwave forced Li Fan to spit out a mouthful of blood.
Yet rather than alarming him, his expression turned to delight.
For Li Fan sensed a colossal vortex emerging from the explosion's aftermath within the glowing cloud of True Reversion's true form.
The five elemental powers, the helix, and the sword-flame were all swallowed into the vortex.
Within it, they mingled yet remained distinct.
At the deepest depths of the vortex, a "Golden Core," circulating with chaotic primordial energy and shifting between black and white, was slowly taking shape.
Chapter 309