Invincible Momentum

"I already told you that once a Golden Core is formed, there are no regrets. How can you go back on it now?" The Immortal Fairy's earnest guidance rang in Lu Yang's ears. "This is an Invincible Core! In the future, it can help you become an immortal second only to this fairy. What could you possibly be dissatisfied with?!" The Immortal Fairy stepped straight out of his spiritual space, manifesting in the physical world. "I haven't even finished explaining. This Golden Core has a third function." "What is it?" "Do you know that the most important thing in cultivation isn't talent, but an indomitable Dao heart?" "How many people enjoy smooth sailing all throughout their cultivation, only to lose their fighting spirit and sink into ruin after a single minor setback? I have seen that happen far too many times." "The invincible momentum I told you about is a type of Dao heart. The invincible momentum you forged in the dense forest, and the Invincible Core you condensed from that invincible momentum—this is a core of the Dao heart! The Invincible Core's third function, and its primary one, is to stabilize your Dao heart!" "As for how important invincible momentum is, there was a saying passed down from the ancient era: 'When enemies cross paths on a narrow road, the brave prevail.' When you battle a foe, victory and defeat are often decided in an instant. With invincible momentum, you can achieve a complete and overwhelming victory in that fight!" "Take this fairy as an example! Back when I was in the Golden Core stage and faced Immortal Ying Tian and Immortal Kirin, I prepared with all my might, relied on invincible momentum, and in one continuous surge, defeated the two of them!" "...Wait, why do I recall that both of them were only in the Foundation Establishment stage back then?" "What's wrong with the Foundation Establishment stage?! Combat is of vital importance, and you must never take it lightly. A lion uses its full strength even when hunting a rabbit—you must understand this truth!" "Are examples of Foundation Establishment cultivators challenging Golden Core cultivators so rare? Look at you, look at me—we are living proof! What if Immortal Ying Tian and Immortal Kirin had been capable of fighting above their realm against a Golden Core?!" "Fairy makes a good point." The Immortal Fairy continued, "Taking a step back, even if you suffer a crushing defeat, the Invincible Core will ensure that you remain bursting with confidence, believing yourself to be completely invincible under the heavens!" Lu Yang: "..." Isn't that just having an overinflated ego? "Then Fairy, did you ever lose when you were in the Golden Core stage?" "Are you kidding? How could this fairy lose? When I was in the Golden Core stage, I beat up Immortal Ying Tian, Immortal Kirin, and Immortal Jiuchong one by one. Who could possibly defeat me?" "What about Immortal Suiyue?" The Immortal Fairy waved her hand dismissively. "Immortal Suiyue is a spirit born from the Jianmu. He cannot be measured by cultivation realms. There was no point in this fairy fighting him." Yun Zhi listened quietly from the side, completely unperturbed. She had long known that Immortal Suiyue was a spirit born of the Jianmu; ancient records from the Daqian Era had documented this fact. "By the way, Eldest Senior Sister, I found a Heaven Herding Grass that developed sapience in the dense forest." Lu Yang retrieved the still-struggling Heaven Herding Grass from a hemp sack. When Eldest Senior Sister's cool gaze fell upon the plant, a chill ran through the Heaven Herding Grass, as if it had plunged into a frigid ice cellar. "I was already aware of this matter. You did well to notice that someone was pulling the strings behind the Heaven Herding Grass." Lu Yang paused. From Eldest Senior Sister's words, could it be that their entire trial in the dense forest had unfolded under her watchful gaze? "Then what about this Heaven Herding Grass?" "Consuming humans is not the only way for Heaven Herding Grass to mature. It chose the most radical path, so it naturally deserves the severest punishment. Deliver this grass to Pill Cauldron Peak and inform Seventh Elder of everything it has done. Seventh Elder will know how to handle it." "Once you return from Pill Cauldron Peak, come find me again. I have another matter to tell you." "Understood." Lu Yang was brimming with curiosity, wondering what "other matter" Eldest Senior Sister had mentioned. But since she did not elaborate, he did not dare ask and could only head to Pill Cauldron Peak first. The very first thing Lu Yang did on his way to Pill Cauldron Peak was hold his breath and initiate an internal circulation cycle within his body, lest he be poisoned by some toxic concoction drifting out of nowhere. The Golden Core stage was still far from enough against the poisons of Pill Cauldron Peak. Fortunately, after advancing to the Golden Core stage, cultivators could not only control their organs to a certain degree—such as shifting the positions of their internal organs—but also maintain an internal self-circulation, truly enabling them to ascend to heaven, plunge into the sea, or burrow underground without hindrance. "Excuse me, do you know where Seventh Elder is?" Lu Yang located a familiar-looking senior brother from Pill Cauldron Peak, who had likely been one of the disciples lined up to beat him back then. "Ah, Junior Brother Lu! You're looking for Master? He should be in the pill room writing an essay." "Writing an essay?" The senior brother from Pill Cauldron Peak led Lu Yang along as he explained, "That's right. Our Pill Cauldron Peak's alchemy style isn't considered mainstream in the alchemy world. The outside world is simply jealous of our talent. To expand Pill Cauldron Peak's influence, Master encourages us to write essays and publish them outside, showing the world who we truly are." Pill Cauldron Peak was lush with vegetation, verdant shade, and spirit herbs covering the ground. Ingredients for refining Great Restoration Pills and Fasting Pills could be seen everywhere. If one wasn't careful underfoot, they might well crush some spirit herb to death. Although they were not as precious as the herbs in the Herb Garden, outside the sect, these spirit herbs would still fetch a handsome price. "We're here. This is the place." Alchemists in the outside world held lofty status and always liked to flaunt their special standing with luxurious decorations. In contrast, Seventh Elder's pill room looked like a thatched cottage from the outside, worthy of being called "austere." However, the environment inside the pill room was nothing like a mere thatched cottage. Lu Yang could feel the dense medicinal essence wafting from the pill room. It would be of immense benefit even to Nascent Soul stage cultivators, slowly improving their constitution. After the senior brother left, Lu Yang knocked cautiously on the door, wary of interrupting Seventh Elder's train of thought. "Come in." "Greetings, Seventh Elder." Lu Yang bowed respectfully. Seventh Elder had a full head of white hair, yet his face was completely free of wrinkles—youthful and brimming with vigor. Lu Yang wondered whether this had something to do with refining pills over the years. "I heard that you are writing an essay, Elder?" Lu Yang wanted to learn the latest academic trends in the alchemy world so he could show off properly whenever he ran into alchemists in the future. "Yes. I am researching an ancient pill formula excavated by the Chief Alchemist of the Great Xia Dynasty. Unable to decipher the riddle of the ancient formula, he issued an open bounty, inviting renowned figures of alchemy to analyze and solve it. If I can unravel this mystery, it will vindicate the name of our Pill Cauldron Peak." "The ancient pill formula comes from an alchemy master of the ancient era. It records a pill capable of causing pregnancy, though it did not name the pill. Several of us alchemists consulted together and decided to name it the Child-Bestowing Pill." "However, the formula is far too ancient and incomplete, leaving its records fragmented." "So based on the identifiable herbs on the formula and combined with my own understanding, I kept testing and attempting to reconstruct it. Although all attempts have failed, I have eliminated most possibilities." "So far, I haven't heard of anyone truly restoring the formula." "What baffles me, however, is that all the medicinal herbs listed on the formula are for beauty and skin nourishment; none possess any procreative efficacy. I suspect what the formula is missing is an herb that only existed in ancient times and has long since gone extinct." "May I have a look?" Lu Yang couldn't help feeling that the effect of this Child-Bestowing Pill sounded oddly familiar. Seventh Elder brought out a replica of the pill formula. Many herbs were listed upon it, and the parchment had missing fragments. This was a formula penned by an alchemist named Qing He. The opening line described the Child-Bestowing Pill's effect: *Taken with river water, it induces pregnancy.* Lu Yang fell silent for a moment before venturing, "Is there a possibility—and I'm just saying a possibility—that what gets women pregnant isn't the Child-Bestowing Pill, but the river water?"