Chapter 547: Chapter 283: Core Formation Ceremony, Pressure from the Western Domain
After Xiahou Hong became a laughingstock, the atmosphere on Yellow Crane Mountain grew peculiar.
Many of the ordinary disciples didn’t dare discuss the matter, afraid Xiahou Hong would overhear them.
Anyone could see that Xiahou Hong had now developed a Heart Demon. He was emotionally unstable and might do something extreme.
In contrast, the atmosphere on Changqing Mountain was much more relaxed.
Ye Hao, Chu Daniu, Mu Qiuyan, and others had all come to Changqing Mountain to help prepare for the Core Formation Ceremony.
Whenever Xiahou Hong’s name came up, everyone couldn’t help but gloat.
"I heard that old coot has already developed a Heart Demon."
"Serves him right!"
"He committed countless evil deeds, annihilating entire families with his strength and background. A day like this was long overdue. I heard both of his sons died under mysterious circumstances—it’s probably karma..."
Changqing Mountain was filled with laughter and cheerful voices.
Mu Qiuyan approached gracefully and thanked Li Chang’an.
"Brother Li, thank you."
She was thanking him because the Cyan Cloud Sect had already canceled the warrant for her arrest.
Thanks to Li Chang’an’s influence, Mu Qiuyan was no longer regarded as a Demon Cultivator by the various powers of the Southern Domain.
Like Ye Hao, she had become a Righteous Cultivator and could come and go as she pleased using her real identity.
Li Chang’an waved his hand and smiled. "It’s nothing, just a matter of a few words. The people of the Cyan Cloud Sect knew the truth of what happened back then all along. The only reason they kept hunting you was to save face."
For the Cyan Cloud Sect, even if they were wrong, they had to see it through to the end.
If they easily admitted their mistake to the public, the Sect’s reputation would be damaged.
The other two Major Sects were the same; it was an unwritten rule among the Three Great Sects.
However, this rule didn’t apply to Golden Core Masters.
After Li Chang’an achieved the Golden Core, nearly the entire Southern Domain became amicable toward him. No one dared to attack Changqing Mountain anymore, as if everyone had become a good person overnight.
Zheng Qingqing asked gently, "Chang’an, have you decided which Golden Core Influence’s Tier Three Spirit Vein you’ll go to?"
"That... I haven’t decided yet."
Li Chang’an shook his head slightly, lost in thought.
For him, the Spirit Veins of the Mo, Zhou, and Mu Families were all suitable options.
The Zhou Family had no Golden Core Master; even the Tier Three Beast King they used as a figurehead was his Spirit Beast.
If he went to the Zhou Family, he would have the final say in everything, no different from being the Zhou Family Ancestor himself.
The Mu Family was the same.
The Mu Family Ancestor, Mu Song, didn’t have much time left and wouldn’t live for much longer.
Just as he had said, after his death, Li Chang’an would possess the entire Mu Family.
However, Li Chang’an was more interested in having his own Tier Three Spirit Vein.
He didn’t want to bear the responsibilities of a family ancestor; he just wanted to find a secluded place.
Over the past few days, he had learned that the Tier Three Spirit Veins in the Southern Domain Cultivation Realm didn’t just belong to the Three Great Sects and the Seven Great Noble Families.
There were also a few more hidden Tier Three Spirit Veins, such as the Yin Soul Sect’s sanctum.
Furthermore, the Tier Three Divination Master, Wang Chunfeng, also possessed a smaller Tier Three Spirit Vein.
This master was a friend of the Yellow Crane Mountain Lineage. He had once tried to divine Li Chang’an’s true identity for them, but he suffered a backlash from the heavens, shortening his life by a hundred years. It was said he didn’t have much time left.
However, he had used his Divination abilities to obscure the heavens’ secrets and conceal the location of his Tier Three Spirit Vein.
Except for a very few close friends, no one knew where he was.
’Unfortunately, my Divination skills are stuck at Tier Two Middle Grade.’
Li Chang’an wanted to try and locate those hidden Tier Three Spirit Veins, but his Divination skills were insufficient.
The Divination legacy he currently possessed was the one Mu Qiuyan had given him back then.
Divination legacies were extremely rare, and he still hadn’t obtained one of a higher Tier.
Just as he was thinking, Xu Fugui hurried over and handed him a list of various supplies.
"Brother Li, everything is ready. Take a look and see if anything is missing."
"Alright."
Li Chang’an took the list and glanced over it, confirming that nothing was missing.
Everything was ready.
They were just waiting for the Core Formation Ceremony to officially begin.
...
「The next day, at the crack of dawn.」
People from the major Sects and Noble Families began to arrive one after another.
Streaks of light cut across the sky, landing on Changqing Mountain.
"Haha, Daoist Li, congratulations on your Core Formation!"
"Elder Li, this is a piece of Treasure Wood this junior happened to obtain in a Secret Realm..."
"Daoist Changqing..."
Everyone was all smiles, presenting their Treasures and offering words of congratulations.
Before long, the congratulatory gifts had piled up into a small mountain.
The event on Changqing Mountain was unprecedentedly grand. Thunderous cheers and a lively atmosphere filled the air as people continued to arrive from all over.
Li Chang’an’s Core Formation Ceremony had practically become a grand feast for the entire Southern Domain. Representatives from Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core Influences were all in attendance.
From the peak to the base, the several-thousand-foot-tall Changqing Mountain had no empty seats.
The seats were filled with distinguished guests, and the aroma of Spirit Wine wafted through the air.
The Jin Family Ancestor, Jinbao, smiled. "What a lively event. It reminds me of my own Core Formation Ceremony."
"Daoist Jin, your Core Formation Ceremony wasn’t nearly this lively," the Ou Family Ancestor, Ou Tianye, replied with a smile.
Beside him was Ou Lingshan, who had not yet formed her core.
The Zhang Family Ancestor, Zhang Shengling, arrived, glanced at Ou Lingshan, and asked, "Daoist Ou, does Lingshan not plan to attempt Core Formation yet?"
Ou Tianye shook his head slightly. "Daoist Zhang, your family’s Qingfeng hasn’t formed his core either, has he?"
Speaking of Core Formation, the masters from the various Golden Core Influences present all looked a little worried.
Golden Core Seeds like Xiao Haoran, Ou Lingshan, and Zhang Qingfeng all had one foot on the path of the Golden Core Dao, but because of the turmoil in the Southern Domain, they hadn’t dared to attempt Core Formation.
Although the Western Domain Cultivators hadn’t interfered when Li Chang’an underwent his Core Formation, that was only because he was lucky.
Recently, they had all heard news.
The reason the Western Domain’s Golden Core Masters hadn’t made a move those few days was that the Yellow Sand Sect, an Upper Sect of the Western Domain, had summoned them all for a meeting.
