Chapter 572: Core Formation Requires Caution
Everyone had progressed through the Core Formation Stage, and looking back now, they generally felt they had been young and ignorant back then, with shallow comprehension of that stage. If given another chance, they could definitely do better.
Thus, everyone was highly enthusiastic about this matter, eager to test their skills.
Even Zhang Sen, who was nearly two thousand years old, was no exception. He also took an External Core and designed it according to his own ideas.
“The lotus holds special meaning in the Buddhist Sect. I can engrave lotus symbols on my Golden Core—perhaps then I could wield Buddhist techniques.”
“Golden Core self-destruction is a common life-risking method for Core Formation Stage cultivators. I could pre-shatter my Golden Core into small particles, allowing me to freely self-destruct and heal at will during the Core Formation Stage.”
“I’ve heard that Human Sovereign Jiang’s statues are indestructible. His image has become a symbol of invincibility that even Celestial Immortals can’t break. If I engrave Human Sovereign Jiang’s likeness on my Golden Core, wouldn’t that make me invincible too?”
“If I imprint the Tianji Tower’s techniques onto my Golden Core, then I could seek advantages and avoid harm during the Core Formation Stage, evading dangers.”
“Golden Core? If I attach sword energy to my Golden Core, I wonder what benefits that would bring me.”
“Unlike humans, our dragon race forms demon cores through bloodline and flesh. This External Golden Core is a human artifact—I’m not sure what effect it would have on me.”
“The surface area of a Golden Core is so small, and there are so many shapeshifting demon beasts—it simply can’t accommodate them all.”
Su Wei watched these vulgar people thinking of various opportunistic methods and gently shook her head.
“Fools.” She sneered coldly while continuing to refine External Cores.
Watch me refine three thousand Golden Cores.
You each get one Golden Core, while I alone have three thousand. Forget about Human Sovereign Jiang—even if Human Sovereign Jiang, Sect Master Bai, and Empress Yu Yin joined forces, they wouldn’t be my match.
Su Wei could already see the dawn of victory.
“Mission accomplished.”
As the three thousand External Cores were completed, radiant light filled the sky, creating a spectacular sight. Su Wei had barely laughed for half a breath when the Crimson Sun Cauldron closed its door, grabbed the three thousand External Cores, and dashed away to hide deep in the forest.
“Hahaha, the ultimate victor will definitely be me, Crimson Sun Cauldron! Watch as I hold three thousand Golden Cores in my mouth, suppressing all ages to become the strongest in the current era!”
“Crimson Sun Cauldron, get back here!” Su Wei stamped her feet in fury.
She wanted to continue refining, but the Spirit Plant Sect had run out of materials.
“Damn it!” Su Wei could only watch helplessly as the title of strongest Golden Core slipped away from her.
…
“I’ll count down one hundred twenty seconds. During this time, hide yourselves throughout the Spirit Plant Sect. When time’s up, the competition begins,” said Referee Su Wei.
She didn’t have a single External Core left on her person—they were all in the Crimson Sun Cauldron’s belly. Without qualification to compete, she could only serve as referee.
“One hundred twenty, one hundred nineteen, one hundred eighteen… three, two, one… competition begins!”
…
“Behold my Tai Chi Golden Core!” The cultivator who had obtained the External Core first took the initiative. Yin and yang energies flowed, resembling black and white dragons biting each other’s tails as they rotated, forming a tai chi pattern.
This method increased his magical power severalfold compared to normal. Under equal circumstances, he was guaranteed victory in attrition battles.
His opponent showed no trace of fear, charging forward to meet him. Their magical powers collided head-on with no clear winner emerging.
Then it became a contest of endurance. The cultivator with the Tai Chi Golden Core sneered coldly.
“If I win, don’t you dare try to weasel out of it.”
“You win? Since we were children, besides achieving Foundation Building before me, forming your core before me, shattering your core to form a Nascent Soul before me, reaching Spirit Transformation before me, getting married before me, and becoming sect leader before me—when have you ever beaten me?”
The Tai Chi Golden Core holder was shocked to discover his magical power rapidly draining away, being absorbed by his opponent’s Golden Core.
“What kind of Golden Core is this?!”
“Black Hole Golden Core! I compressed the Golden Core infinitely, making it collapse into a black hole that can devour everything!”
“Does it devour you too?”
“Of course not… wait, it’s absorbing my magical power too… Help!” The opponent discovered that the Black Hole Golden Core was absorbing not only the enemy’s magical power but his own as well. He quickly spat it out and destroyed it.
Some people’s Golden Core inspirations came from momentary flashes of brilliance—whether they were usable or not was questionable, and whether they harmed enemies or themselves was equally uncertain.
…
“Yin and yang energies are nothing! My Nine-Colored Golden Core will surely shine brilliantly here!” Each color of the Nine-Colored Golden Core corresponded to a different spell, allowing seamless switching during combat that left opponents unable to react.
“I long anticipated you people would either make Tai Chi Golden Cores or Five-Colored, Seven-Colored, Nine-Colored Golden Cores—are you running a dye workshop? Behold my Colorblind Golden Core!”
The opponent summoned the Colorblind Golden Core, making the Nine-Colored Golden Core holder unable to distinguish the nine colors of his own core, rendering spellcasting impossible.
The Colorblind Golden Core’s only function was making the opponent colorblind—it possessed no actual combat capability.
The two fought bare-handed, and ultimately the Colorblind Golden Core holder barely won at the cost of two massive black eyes.
…
“Behold my Self-Destruct Golden Core.” This cultivator didn’t waste words—upon seeing anyone, he would self-destruct his Golden Core, displaying extraordinary Core Formation Stage combat power. Even if he encountered a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, he might potentially defeat them.
“Benefactor, we should value harmony. Green Lotus Golden Core, bloom!” Another cultivator responded calmly, a green lotus phantom appearing behind him accompanied by faint sutra-chanting sounds. The green lotus bloomed with Buddhist light that illuminated all things.
The Buddhist light sought to liberate all beings, making people lose their will to fight and desire harmony.
The other cultivator clasped his hands together, chanting Buddhist mantras, which left the Self-Destruct Golden Core holder utterly bewildered.
“Excellent, excellent. Why must we fight? I forfeit.” The Green Lotus Golden Core holder voluntarily withdrew.
“Does your Buddhist light that liberates all beings include yourself too?” The Self-Destruct Golden Core holder was speechless.
…
“Dao Seed Golden Core, take root in the dantian!” Zhang Sen treated the Golden Core as a seed, planting it in his dantian and activating the Tree Planting Art to make the Golden Core seed thrive and produce three Golden Cores.
“Hey hey hey, Elder Zhang Sen, that’s going too far! Your Golden Core count is clearly higher than others’.”
“Heh, these are all my insights—no rules are being broken.”
His opponent revealed a cold smile: “In that case, I’m relieved.”
“Shatter the core to form a Nascent Soul!”
The opponent became a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator.
His Golden Core had no fancy functions—its sole purpose was being designed to allow immediate core shattering to form a Nascent Soul.
A Nascent Soul Stage cultivator versus three Core Formation Stage cultivators—after several dozen exchanges, the Nascent Soul Stage cultivator emerged victorious.
“Nascent Soul Stage.”
A disdainful voice came from the dense forest.
“Who’s there!”
The Nascent Soul Stage cultivator became highly alert.
Yu Yin slowly emerged, her expression cold and indifferent, not taking the opponent seriously.
The Nascent Soul Stage cultivator reacted as if facing a great enemy—he struck first by turning and running for his life.
He had once been a Human Sovereign candidate too, and like the other candidates, had suffered numerous beatings from Yu Yin, developing psychological trauma from the experience.
Fight?
He couldn’t even escape fast enough.
Yu Yin disappeared from her spot and reappeared above the Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, stomping him to the ground so hard he couldn’t even lift his head.
Yu Yin remained at the Core Formation Stage, but dealing with an early Nascent Soul Stage cultivator was still easy for her.
“Sister Yu Yin, I was wrong, please don’t hit my head.”
Yu Yin sighed softly and withdrew her jade foot: “After all these years, you still haven’t improved. You still don’t consolidate your foundations, rushing for victory, always wanting to be one step ahead. All these years have passed, and you’re still stuck at the early Unity Stage—haven’t you figured out the reason yet?”