Golden Core

"The Cangwu Realm has changed so rapidly over the years that almost none of the old records apply anymore. Especially after the new policies were enacted under Sect Master Li's vigorous push, the entire Nine Cauldrons Sect began running with exceptional efficiency." At Mount Yuhuang Villa. Zong Yan gave an overview to Yaoguang, Kong Fang, Ye Longxing, Lü Tianhe, and the rest of the leadership. He had even brought along a device resembling an electronic instrument. When activated, it projected a map. "Currently, the territory of the Nine Cauldrons Sect is divided into thirty-six domains, encompassing a total of one thousand and twenty-four cities. A census six years ago put the total population at approximately 8,801,390,000... However, many factions and great clans are accustomed to concealing their numbers, so the true population across the thirty-six domains likely exceeds ten billion." Zong Yan pointed to a spot on the map and said, "The thirty-six domains cover fifty-six percent of the Artifact Sect's original territory. There are still the twelve domains of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, as well as the East Sea Archipelago waters, that have not been reclaimed. As for the population... after the war with the Moon Demon Empire, it was decimated far too severely... Our Star Gate connects directly to Longxiang City in the Jiuxiao Domain." "Wait." Looking at the device that resembled a holographic projector no matter how he viewed it, Yaoguang asked, "Are things like this... common in the Cangwu Realm?" Zong Yan paused, quickly realizing what Yaoguang was asking. He smiled wryly. "As I said, the Cangwu Realm has changed very fast in recent years." Pausing to organize his thoughts, he took a moment before continuing, "I can't speak for other sects, but in the Nine Cauldrons Sect... cultivation and technology have completely blended into daily life. Take an ordinary person in Longxiang City: primary academies focus on foundational knowledge; starting in secondary academies, alongside basic physics, chemistry, mathematics, and regional languages, students must simultaneously practice body refining, qi refining, and spirit refining. Upon entering higher academies, beyond basic academic subjects, they must choose one discipline among body refining, qi refining, or spirit refining based on their own strengths..." "Streaming between arts and sciences?" Yaoguang asked. "Yes, you can look at it that way." Zong Yan nodded. "Next, if one can reach the third tier in body refining, qi refining, or spirit refining, they can enter the Imperial Academy for four years of advanced study. If they break through to the fourth tier before their body stops growing at age twenty-two, they can enter a branch of the Nine Cauldrons Sect as a registered disciple. If they fail to break through, they can choose to refine qi into spirit, forging a divine mind at the cost of sacrificing their vital essence to work in the energy sector. If they cannot even manage refining qi into spirit... their life will be no different from an ordinary person's." "Age twenty-two, fourth tier? A Martial Saint?" Yaoguang asked. Zong Yan gave a wry nod. Yaoguang, however, remained calm, showing little surprise. In a backwater town, producing a single college graduate was an honor to the ancestors; but in a metropolis... Who wasn't a university graduate? "Then what proportion of people in the Nine Cauldrons Sect are college students... no, I mean, how many registered disciples does the Nine Cauldrons Sect have?" Yaoguang asked. "I can't say the exact figure, but on their 'Virtual Spirit Realm,' a number is circulating: around sixty million." Zong Yan added an explanation: "You can think of the Virtual Spirit Realm as a more advanced, more developed cyberspace. The internet in our Artifact Nurturing Realm is actually an imitation of the Virtual Spirit Realm, much like how nuclear weapons simulate the Great Sun True Fire." "Sixty million." That number... Was lower than Yaoguang had expected. "What is the Nine Cauldrons Sect's overall strength right now?" Yaoguang asked. "This..." Zong Yan hesitated. "Sacred Master, you are likely familiar with the term 'information cocoon'?" Yaoguang nodded. "Being inside the Nine Cauldrons Sect, the information I see naturally emphasizes their growing might. What their true overall strength is, I have no way of accessing... According to their own propaganda, they are a top-tier powerhouse. Yet so far, the Nine Cauldrons Sect has been unable to reclaim the Hundred Thousand Mountains and the East Sea Archipelago... In reality, they may have only recovered to the level of a second-tier sect." Zong Yan paused before continuing, "Yet most members of the Nine Cauldrons Sect still believe they are not just a top-tier sect, but belong among the Ten Great Immortal Sects." "Why?" "The Nine Cauldrons Sect possesses a Golden Core!" Zong Yan added, "A Radiant Sun Golden Core!" He emphasized further, "In the entire Cangwu Realm, only the Six Great Immortal Sects are confirmed to possess Radiant Sun Golden Cores!" "Radiant Sun Golden Core?" This was the first time Yaoguang had heard the term. Zong Yan, however, grew animated. "In the path of qi refining, the realm beyond Foundation Establishment is the Golden Core Realm. But Golden Cores... are said to come in three types: the Crimson Red Golden Core, the Radiant Sun Golden Core, and the Incandescent White Golden Core!" "Crimson red, radiant sun, incandescent white." "Those are three stages of a star." Zong Yan spoke with reverence and yearning. "It's said that only by forming an Incandescent White Golden Core does one possess the qualifications to collapse into a black hole... That kind of power truly possesses the might to warp space and sweep across the three thousand worlds of the astral sea..." "Wait." Yaoguang seemed to catch onto something crucial. "According to what you said, having a Radiant Sun Golden Core qualifies a sect for the tier of the Six Great Immortal Sects. But during the war against the Moon Demon Empire, didn't many collapse their Golden Cores into black holes to counterattack the Moon Demon Empire's homeland? In theory, those people were the truly supreme powerhouses. Where are they?" "This..." Zong Yan smiled wryly and shook his head. "I don't know. On the Virtual Spirit Realm—what we understand as the network—there is simply no information circulating about that." Hearing this, Yaoguang fell into contemplation. After a long while, he asked, "In other words, the highest powerhouses openly acknowledged among the Six Great Immortal Sects are down to just Golden Cores? And their numbers are extremely few?" "From the information I've obtained, that is indeed the case." Zong Yan nodded. "So..." Yaoguang looked at him and paused a moment before continuing, "did the Cangwu Realm truly defeat the Moon Demon Empire?" "That is how all the major sects advertise it," Zong Yan said. Yaoguang asked no further. Zong Yan was merely a Martial Saint... a Hunyuan Martial Saint. He wouldn't necessarily have access to truly core information. Even if he had heard something, it might not be true. In this world, far too many individuals and factions spread falsehoods to achieve their ends. Judging by what he knew so far, rather than believing the Cangwu Realm had defeated the Moon Demon Empire, Yaoguang was more inclined to think both sides had fought to mutual ruin. "In Longxiang City, there is a Great Cultivator named Zong Lian. He was a disciple from our Lihuo who went to the Artifact Sect ninety years ago. Having weathered the turmoil, he successfully achieved Foundation Establishment sixty years ago," Zong Yan said solemnly. "Once we teleport to Longxiang City through the Star Gate, those who can pass the Nine Cauldrons Sect's assessment will enter as registered disciples. The rest will remain by his side to continue cultivating." "Zong Lian?" Yaoguang looked at him. "What is his relation to you?" "My grandfather was the ninth-ranked brother in the family, and he is the twelfth," Zong Yan said. Yaoguang glanced at him. Now he understood why, after not seeing him for a year, Zong Yan had not only revitalized his vitality but had also comprehended the true essence of the flawless state and become a Hunyuan Martial Saint. Indeed, the royal families of this world all held various connections. One never knew which clan might suddenly strike it rich. "I told him a bit about your accomplishments. His advice was for you to join the Nine Cauldrons Sect; leaning on a great tree offers good shade. Of course, if you are unwilling to submit to others, have absolute confidence in yourself, and believe you can become a Great Cultivator without relying on the Nine Cauldrons Sect, he suggests you wait. Once you break through, you could then integrate into the Nine Cauldrons Sect as the leader of a faction to secure sufficient autonomy," Zong Yan said. Yaoguang had already come to understand the Nine Cauldrons Sect's internal policies over this period. That Sect Master Li clearly understood the Nine Cauldrons Sect's weaknesses. His current approach was to first hoist the banner of the 'Ten Great Immortal Sects' to gather strength and influence, and only address internal conflicts once they possessed adequate power. Under such circumstances, as long as newcomers adhered to their bottom lines, they showed immense tolerance toward any outside factions joining them. "As for the specifics, I'll make a decision after I reach Longxiang City and gain a proper understanding of the Nine Cauldrons Sect," Yaoguang said. Zong Yan nodded. After speaking a bit longer, he took his leave. He had his own mission for this trip: he needed to gather an elite group from the Lihuo royal family to take to Longxiang City in the Cangwu Realm. Yet somewhat unexpectedly, he did not seem to have any intention of pulling the Lihuo Sect out of Xiayu. Over the next half month, Yaoguang devoted considerable effort to clarifying the situation with the Nine Cauldrons Sect in the Cangwu Realm. Afterward, he summoned Leng Jun, Su Chixin, Su Hua, Su Yun, Pang Long, and Su Yaoxue. "With the relentless investment of resources over this period, all of you have a chance of becoming Martial Saints within the next three to five years. However, I have a way to help you take that step much faster." Yaoguang opened a box before them, revealing several bottles of pills. "You've probably guessed why Kong Fang was able to advance so rapidly to Hunyuan Martial Saint. It was by taking these pills. If you take them, not only can you swiftly break through to Martial Saint, but the time required to condense spirit intent and comprehend the flawless true body will also be drastically shortened. However, these pills come with severe side effects and can easily give rise to heart demons. You may decide for yourselves whether to take them." The group exchanged glances. Without the slightest hesitation, Su Chixin stepped forward and took a bottle. "I'm an old man with half a foot in the grave. Seeing the family grow so rapidly while being unable to help due to my limited ability has brought me endless regret every single day. Now that I have this opportunity to shine for the Su family until my final breath, how could I refuse?" Seeing Su Chixin take a bottle of Soul Nurturing Pills, Leng Jun, Su Hua, Su Yun, Pang Long, and Su Yaoxue hesitated no longer, each choosing to accept the pills. This surprised Yaoguang somewhat. He could not help but glance at Su Yaoxue. "You plan to take them as well?" "The future is too distant; seize the day," Su Yaoxue said calmly. Seeing this, Yaoguang nodded. The reason he had included Su Yaoxue was because he believed that since heart demons existed, people naturally possessed ways to counteract them. The only reason he had not encountered such methods was that his cultivation was not yet high enough. Once his cultivation reached greater heights, he would naturally have means to help her subdue the heart demons. As for why he was only grooming these few... The supply of Soul Nurturing Pills was limited. He was not the kind of person who would deliberately start wars just to obtain more of them. ... After distributing the pills to the Su family members, Yaoguang began making preparations to extract himself from Xiayu. Time flew by. The day for the Star Gate to reopen was drawing near once again.