Lu Yang continued flipping through the pages. The methods his senior brothers and senior sisters used for Core Formation and the Golden Cores they produced were the very definition of uninhibited, showing not the slightest trace of the mindset that "a Golden Core leaves no room for regret."
"Then again, maybe they felt that forming a core obediently was the only thing they'd truly regret?" Lu Yang hazarded a guess at their way of thinking.
That certainly aligned with the Dao Seeking Sect's usual mindset.
Lu Yang himself resolutely resisted this line of thought. He believed that the future Dao Seeking Sect needed an ambitious man of purpose like him to lead it, to clear away the rot from the source, reform the sect's improper atmosphere, and steer the Dao Seeking Sect back onto the right track!
The core-forming methods of his seniors were all over the map.
For example, one senior brother had read through ancient texts and discovered that many ancient figures of great power were born with unusual traits, such as double pupils, rainbow-colored eyebrows, or three eyes. Although he had already been born and could no longer manage to be "born divine," diligence could make up for clumsy origins, and solutions were always found by those who sought them. He ended up placing his Golden Core right between his brows like a third eye, looking exceptionally divine. When the core shone with light, it utterly bamboozled everyone who saw it.
"Birth abnormalities? Ha, that's all nonsense—tacked on after the fact! The competition among geniuses back then was so fierce that if you didn't invent some eccentric traits and bizarre legends, you couldn't make a name for yourself at all." The Immortal Fairy scoffed at this kind of false advertising.
"Though some birth abnormalities were real. For instance, two humans once gave birth to a baby with wings, which caused quite a sensation. Later on, an investigation revealed the father had been cuckolded—the baby's real father was of the Feather Clan, which caused an even bigger sensation."
"Then what was your most famous feature back then, Fairy?"
"My beauty, of course."
"I'm not bragging, but the saintesses and demonesses of that era—every single one of them—none could compare to me! If there had been a Top Ten Ancient Beauties ranking back then, I would have taken first place!"
Lu Yang chose to take her word for it.
Lu Yang also saw an account of a senior brother who spent countless nights observing celestial phenomena until he had an epiphany: all the myriad stars in the heavens paled in comparison to the sun. He proceeded to form a Sun Core that drew on solar energy in battle. During the day, his Golden Core was exceptionally formidable, but come nightfall, it wilted into complete uselessness.
Fortunately, the Dao Seeking Sect possessed a vast variety of techniques spanning every field, and a technique designed for storing solar energy patched up that senior brother's flaw.
Lu Yang searched through every last record of his seniors' core formations, but found nothing he could actually use as a reference.
Still, if one spoke of gains, he had indeed learned something.
He had worked out the specific process of Core Formation. Achieving complete magic power and reaching the peak of late Foundation Establishment went without saying as basic prerequisites.
Forming a core also required enlightenment. Some actively pursued specific insights, like Senior Brother Dai Bufan pursuing water or Senior Brother Ji Hongwen pursuing bamboo. Others went with the flow, like Senior Sister Zhou Lulu.
Neither method was superior to the other; it was entirely a matter of choice.
As of now, Lu Yang had not yet decided which path to take.
"This volume should be the methods used by Master's generation."
Lu Yang opened the first page, and the four characters *Daoist Buyu* greeted him prominently, beneath which were his master's reflections upon successfully forming a core:
"Haha! I have cultivated the Sword Core, one of the first-grade Golden Cores! Those who come after need not envy me. Of course, even if you do, there is nothing I can do about it—after all, this is the result of my own painstaking cultivation. Cultivation tolerates not the slightest carelessness or fraud; you must be like me, keeping your feet firmly on the ground, leaving a footprint with every step.
"However, enlightenment like this is something none of you can imitate. Everyone knows my talent in the sword dao—I can master the sword techniques of our predecessors effortlessly. Just look at Eldest Senior Brother and Second Senior Brother, working themselves half to death to form their cores! To me, Core Formation doesn't seem that hard at all!
"Ah, Eldest Senior Brother and the others simply lack talent."
Below that was the commentary from the eight elders regarding Daoist Buyu: *"A footprint with every step. Old Ninth has a point."*
Lu Yang turned the page further, only to find an account of how Daoist Buyu had "accidentally fallen to the ground," leaving him covered from head to toe in footprints. Lu Yang counted them—exactly eight.
"Sword Core..."
A Sword Core was unique to the Sword Spiritual Root. As long as Lu Yang wished, forming one would not be difficult. He might even be like Daoist Buyu, attaining enlightenment in a dream, letting success arrive as naturally as water flowing into a canal.
"Should I form a Sword Core?"
Lu Yang shook his head. He had only just reached late Foundation Establishment and still had plenty of time. There was no need to rush into a choice; he could take things slowly.
"Fairy, do you have any recommendations? Aside from that Harem Golden Core, I mean."
"Hehe, naturally it would be the one this fairy formed: the Invincible Core! It's the second most powerful Golden Core under heaven!"
"How do you form it?" Lu Yang had never heard of such a core; the name sounded absurdly blunt.
"Fight continuously against other cultivators, shrink from no challenge, win a hundred battles out of a hundred, and cultivate an invincible momentum of 'who else but me!' Using that momentum as a guide, direct your spiritual energy to circulate and condense into a core!
"This is a Golden Core of my own original creation, and I named it the Invincible Core.
"I wouldn't tell just anyone how to form it! Do you see the perks of hanging around with me now?" The Immortal Fairy beamed with smug satisfaction, waiting for Lu Yang's gaze of sheer adoration.
"Just in case, let me ask in advance: when you say 'win a hundred battles out of a hundred,' are you fighting people at your own cultivation level, or one level below you?"
"One level below, of course!"
The Immortal Fairy's Golden Core sounded truly formidable, which was precisely why Lu Yang decided to let her words go in one ear and out the other.
Lu Yang spent three full days reading in the Scripture Pavilion until his eyes were parched and his mind turned fuzzy. Fortunately, he had the eye drops provided by Eldest Senior Sister. After applying two drops, both his vision and his thoughts cleared considerably.
"Core Formation really is something that requires serious deliberation." Lu Yang massaged the space between his brows in misery. Having read through so many methods, he was now even more undecided on which Golden Core to aim for.
"Time to step outside for a bit."
Lu Yang felt stiff all over.
He greeted Zhou Lulu, who was guarding the entrance, and left the Scripture Pavilion.
Facing the sun, Lu Yang indulged in a satisfying stretch before the pavilion doors, twisting his torso until the stiffness finally began to fade.
"Senior Brother Lu! So you were here after all. We've finally found you!" A pleasantly surprised voice sounded beside his ear.
"Ah, Haoran."
The speaker was Li Haoran, whom he had met just a few days ago.
"See? I told you he'd be here." Behind Li Haoran strolled a languid Meng Jingzhou.
"Is something the matter?"
Li Haoran hesitated with an awkward look, finding the matter difficult to bring up, yet knowing he had to: "Yesterday, a letter came from my parents saying that my fiancée has returned and wants me to go meet her. I've never met my fiancée before and feel a bit nervous, so I was hoping to find someone to come along with me.
"I originally wanted to ask you, Senior Brother Meng, and Senior Brother Man. But Senior Brother Man is hard at work practicing spells and can't get away for now, so I've only managed to round up Senior Brother Meng.
"Senior Brother Lu, do you have time?"
Lu Yang thought about it. He had nothing pressing at the moment anyway, and accompanying Li Haoran home wouldn't hurt. A change of scenery might even give him some inspiration for Core Formation.
"Sure. When do we leave?"
"Would tomorrow morning work for you?"
"Works for me."
Chapter 212