Immortality Cultivation

Chapter 220: Late Golden Core Stage

Coming out of the Imperial Palace and boarding Mu Fenghua’s carriage, Fang Hao felt incredibly lighthearted; he felt the sky over Heavenly Capital was even a few shades bluer than usual.

Qingyun Courtyard! Royal Collection Pavilion! Personally awarded by the Emperor!

This treatment was ten times better than the best scenario he had imagined!

With the Emperor’s golden signboard, those mad dogs from the Sun Family would likely have to tuck their tails and behave for a short while, at least openly, they wouldn’t dare to cause him trouble again.

Mu Fenghua was also happy for him, chirping away the entire journey, talking about how great Qingyun Courtyard was, how many precious books were in the Royal Collection Pavilion, and even saying she would take him to the best restaurant in Heavenly Capital to celebrate.

Fang Hao responded with a smile, but his heart had already flown to the courtyard he was about to receive, pondering how to arrange his "new home" and how to utilize that precious three-month reading time in the Royal Collection Pavilion.

The carriage drove into the inner city and stopped in a quiet street with significantly denser Spiritual Qi than the outer city.

Deep in the alley, a courtyard with white walls and blue tiles, covering a considerable area, stood quietly.

A plaque with the two characters "Qingyun" hung above the lintel; it was slightly aged but possessed a serene bearing.

At the entrance, two honest-looking servants at the Qi Refinement Stage were already waiting, clearly arranged by the palace in advance.

"This is Qingyun Courtyard!" Mu Fenghua jumped off the carriage and pointed at the courtyard, saying, "Although it has some years on it, the Spirit Gathering Formation and such inside were just maintained two years ago, and the Spiritual Qi is no worse than Listening to Rain Pavilion.

It’s just that the place is big and there are few people, so it seems a bit desolate.

You live here first; if you need anything, tell the servants, or you can just come to this Princess directly!"

Fang Hao thanked her and got to know the two servants briefly; one was called Old Chen, who guarded the door and managed miscellaneous affairs, and the other was called Xiao Cui, responsible for cleaning and meals.

Both were Mortals without any background and seemed quite dutiful.

After sending off Mu Fenghua, Fang Hao walked into Qingyun Courtyard alone.

The courtyard was indeed not small, with three sections, a garden, a pond, rockeries, and specialized training grounds, quiet rooms, pill rooms, and tool rooms, all fully equipped, though the furnishings were slightly archaic and lacked human presence.

He walked around inside and out and was very satisfied.

It was quiet enough, private enough, and the Spiritual Qi was abundant, making it an ideal place for closed-door cultivation.

He sent Old Chen and Xiao Cui to tidy up a few commonly used rooms, while he dove straight into the quiet room at the deepest part of the backyard, where the Spiritual Qi was the most concentrated.

The quiet room had a ready-made Spirit Gathering Formation; he checked it and found it intact, then personally set up several layers of warning, protective, and soundproofing Restrictions, finally putting his mind at ease.

Finally... he could Cultivate in peace!

Sitting cross-legged on the prayer mat in the center of the quiet room, Fang Hao took a deep breath, temporarily casting aside all the disturbances since the Azure Dragon Society, the pressure of the Emperor’s summons, and future plans.

The most urgent matter right now was to improve his strength!

With strength, he would have the confidence to face everything.

He flipped his wrist, and the jade bottle containing over twenty golden spirit pills appeared in his hand.

Pulling out the stopper, a pure medicinal fragrance permeated the air, invigorating his spirit.

These were all High Grade Medicinal Pills he had refined himself, with pure medicinal power and minimal Impurities, most suitable for breaking through Bottlenecks.

"First, break through to the Late Golden Core Stage!" Fang Hao’s eyes were firm.

His current cultivation was at the Peak of the Middle Golden Core Stage, just one step away from the Late Stage.

Previously, because of being tied up with miscellaneous matters, he hadn’t found a suitable opportunity for closed-door cultivation.

Now, everything was ready, and it was the perfect time!

He poured out one golden spirit pill; the pill was round, its golden light restrained, emitting an enticing fluctuation of spiritual power.

Without hesitation, he tilted his head back and swallowed it.

The Medicinal Pill melted upon entering his mouth, turning into a warm current that instantly surged toward his limbs and bones, finally converging into his Dantian.

This medicinal power was gentle yet vast, like a gurgling hot spring, nourishing his parched Meridians and pouring into that slowly rotating seven-colored Golden Core.

Fang Hao immediately activated the Chaos Derivation Art, guiding the medicinal power along the cultivation route in a grand circulation.

With each cycle, the spiritual power became more pure, the rotation speed of the Golden Core accelerated slightly, and its volume expanded imperceptibly.

The medicinal power of one pill was quickly refined and absorbed.

Fang Hao did not stop, immediately taking the second, the third...

Closed-door cultivation has no concept of time.

Fang Hao was completely immersed in cultivation, forgetting the passage of time.

After consuming five golden spirit pills, he felt the barrier of the Middle Golden Core Stage had loosened, but it still lacked a push.

He did not skimp and swallowed two more.

Boom—!

The moment the medicinal power of the seventh golden spirit pill was completely absorbed, the seven-colored Golden Core in his Dantian suddenly shook, emitting a low rumble!

Brilliant light flared on the surface of the Golden Core, and its volume expanded by a circle at a speed visible to the naked eye!

It became more solid and heavy!

A spiritual power far more vast and pure than before, like a bursting flood, surged out from the Golden Core, instantly filling all the Meridians in his body, and finally flowed back into the Dantian, forming an even larger and more stable circulation!

Late Golden Core Stage!

Breakthrough!

A surge of wild joy welled up in Fang Hao’s heart, but he immediately steadied his mind and continued to activate the Cultivation Technique, consolidating this newly broken-through Realm.

The new spiritual power surged within his body, scouring every inch of flesh and blood, every Meridian, making his Physical Body even tougher under the nourishment of this power.

The Hundred Refinements Golden Body Art seemed to have been triggered as well, operating on its own, absorbing spiritual power, and strengthening his bones and fascia.

Beneath his skin, that bronze luster became even deeper and more restrained.

The Breakthrough in Realm also made the operation of the Chaos Derivation Art much smoother, with faster absorption speed of Spiritual Qi and higher refining efficiency.

In the quiet room, the dense Spiritual Qi almost formed a faint mist, which was frantically sucked into his body.

It took a full three days for Fang Hao to completely stabilize his Late Golden Core Stage cultivation.

He opened his eyes, a flash of brilliant light passing through them, feeling his whole body filled with power, and his Divine Sense had also become much stronger, able to cover a wider range, and his perception was even keener.

"Hoo—finally done!"

Fang Hao rose to his full height, stretched his limbs, and his joints emitted a series of crisp cracking sounds, feeling incomparably comfortable.

Feeling the surging spiritual power in his body and the more solid Golden Core, a powerful sense of confidence welled up spontaneously.

With his current strength, if he were to face Sun Tianqi again, he was confident he could win more easily without exposing too many trump cards.

Even if he faced standouts among the Late Golden Core Stage like Li Xuanfeng and Wang Zhong, he would have the power to fight!

"Not bad, the effect of this golden spirit pill is even better than I imagined."

Fang Hao looked at the dozen or so pills remaining in the jade bottle, very satisfied.

These pills were enough to push his Late Golden Core Stage cultivation to the Peak, and even prepare for the future Breakthrough to the Great Perfection of Golden Core Stage.

He did not exit closed-door cultivation immediately.

Having just broken through, he needed some time to adapt to the newly added power.

At the same time, he also wanted to take this opportunity to Cultivate other Divine Abilities.

He had only just reached the introductory level of the Shadowless Evasion Technique before; now that his cultivation had greatly advanced, he could try to Cultivate deeper content.

There was also the use of the empty clarity mirror, which also needed more practice.

In addition, he had to make good use of the token bestowed by the Emperor to enter the "Royal Collection Pavilion".

However, before going to the Royal Collection Pavilion, he had to make a list of the knowledge he most urgently needed to supplement, such as deeper Formation principles, more exquisite Alchemy techniques, and records about niche Daos like "Chaos" and "Stars".

Entering blindly with limited time, he feared he wouldn’t be able to get the most useful things.

"Consolidate for a few days first, then go to the Royal Collection Pavilion!"

Fang Hao made up his mind, sat down again, and began to Cultivate the Shadowless Evasion Technique.

This evasion technique was superb for sneak attacks and escaping; he had to practice it until he was proficient.

Just as Fang Hao was peacefully in closed-door cultivation at Qingyun Courtyard, digesting his gains from the Azure Dragon Society and stabilizing his new Realm, various rumors and discussions about him in Heavenly Capital did not stop, but rather showed a trend of intensifying.

"Have you heard? That Loose Cultivator Fang Hao, who shone brilliantly at the Azure Dragon Society, was personally summoned by His Majesty! He was even rewarded with Qingyun Courtyard!"

"More than that! His Majesty also specially allowed him to enter the Royal Collection Pavilion for three months! This treatment is almost catching up to those Marquises who have made great contributions!"

"What kind of background does this Fang Hao have? A Loose Cultivator, how could he be so valued by His Majesty?"

"Who knows, maybe he’s a Personal Disciple of some reclusive old monster who has come out to gain experience."

"The Sun Family has suffered a huge setback this time; Sun Tianqi had one arm crippled, and they lost all face. I heard the Sun Family Old Ancestor was so angry he smashed several teacups!"

"The Sun Family certainly won’t swallow this insult; just wait and see, there’s a good show coming..."

Various voices of speculation, envy, jealousy, and schadenfreude circulated in every corner of Heavenly Capital.

The name Fang Hao had already become the hottest and most mysterious topic among the younger generation in Heavenly Capital.

And at this moment, Fang Hao, who was at the center of the vortex, paid no attention to affairs outside his window and focused only on cultivating his own path.

He knew very well that the clamor outside was all empty, and only his own strength was the foundation for standing firm.

In the quiet room of Qingyun Courtyard, Spiritual Qi was dense, and a brand-new Realm was slowly accumulating and growing.

Fang Hao’s path of cultivation in Heavenly Capital had only just officially begun.