Immortality Cultivation

Chapter 274: Perfected Golden Core

The Valley of Buried Soldiers was not flat; the ground was littered with rusted weapons and jagged, strange rocks, along with deep, bottomless fissures from which even denser Evil Qi emerged.

Occasionally, one could see incomplete skeletal remains of humans or Demon Beasts, half-buried in weapons and dust, long since weathered away.

After walking for about half an hour and venturing several miles into the valley, the surrounding light grew increasingly dim, and the Evil Qi became so thick it was almost impenetrable, compressing the light of the departing fire pearl to a range of only two feet around them.

Fang Hao could sense that Crimson Phoenix’s breathing had also become slightly rapid; evidently, maintaining the departing fire pearl was a significant drain on her.

"This is the place." Crimson Phoenix stopped at a relatively open area near the left rock wall where there were fewer weapons on the ground.

On the rock wall, there was an inconspicuous entrance, mostly covered by vines and dust, about a person’s height, with a pitch-black, bottomless interior.

"Follow me in. The Evil Qi will be weaker inside, and we can rest for a while." Crimson Phoenix said, bending down to crawl in first.

Fang Hao followed closely behind. As she had said, the Evil Qi inside was indeed much thinner, and there seemed to be some kind of natural Restriction that blocked out most of the pervasive Evil Qi and resentment from the valley, leaving only a cold, dead silence that had settled over countless years, along with a faint metallic, bloody scent.

The cave was not large, only a dozen or so zhang deep, and at the end was a slightly more spacious natural stone chamber, with a long-dried-up spring in the corner.

Crimson Phoenix walked to the center of the stone chamber, sat cross-legged, and placed the departing fire pearl in front of her, its light steadily illuminating the small space.

She took out a Medicinal Pill, consumed it, and began to regulate her breathing to recover; evidently, her previous expenditure had been significant.

With her eyes closed, she said indifferently, "I’ll give you half an hour to regulate your breathing. Afterward, we will continue deeper. The real target is still further inside."

Fang Hao nodded "gratefully," walked to another corner of the stone chamber, and also sat cross-legged, pretending to regulate his breathing.

He kept his eyes closed, but his Divine Sense quietly spread out, carefully probing the stone chamber.

The stone chamber was very ordinary; apart from the dried-up spring, there seemed to be nothing unusual. But when Fang Hao’s Divine Sense swept over the spring, the Chaos Qi vortex in his Sea of Consciousness twitched slightly, as if it had sensed something.

"Hmm?" Fang Hao’s heart stirred. Chaos Qi seemed to have an extraordinary sensitivity to energy, especially special, pure, and ancient energy.

He remained calm and focused more of his attention on the spring.

As his Divine Sense deepened and the Chaos Qi sensed subtle fluctuations, he gradually discovered that at the bottom of the seemingly dry and hard spring, it seemed... not solid? There was a layer of extremely faint Restriction fluctuations that were almost integrated with the surrounding rocks! If not for the sensing of the Chaos Qi, he would never have detected it!

"There is... something down there?" Fang Hao’s heart rate accelerated slightly. He glanced at Crimson Phoenix, who was regulating her breathing with her eyes closed opposite him; she seemed not to have noticed.

Should he investigate? Fang Hao hesitated. The Valley of Buried Soldiers was mysterious and strange; beneath this hidden Restriction could be an Opportunity, or it could be a deadly trap. Moreover, once triggered, it would inevitably attract Crimson Phoenix’s attention.

"Wealth and honor are sought through danger! This woman is clearly using me as cannon fodder; once she gets what she wants, my fate is uncertain. Better to see what’s here first." Fang Hao made his decision in an instant. He had to seize any Opportunity to increase his strength.

He cautiously sent a wisp of extremely faint Divine Sense, carrying the aura of Chaos, like the finest thread, slowly probing toward the layer of Restriction at the bottom of the spring. His Divine Sense had already become solidified and concealed due to the Chaos Qi, and at this moment, he pushed the breath-concealing effect of the Ethereal Art to its limit.

When that wisp of Chaos Divine Sense touched the Restriction, Fang Hao felt a slight resistance. This Restriction was extremely ancient and complex, but it seemed that because of its great age and its location in the Evil Qi-eroded Valley of Buried Soldiers, it had become extremely fragile, and... it seemed to have an inexplicable "affinity" for the aura of Chaos?

Fang Hao felt a slight joy in his heart. He carefully controlled that wisp of Chaos Divine Sense, simulating an aura of tolerance and derivation, slowly permeating and merging into that fragile layer of Restriction. Like water dripping on stone, or perhaps like a key unlocking a lock, under the "soothing" and "assimilation" of the Chaos Divine Sense, that layer of Restriction actually slowly and silently cracked open an extremely tiny gap!

Through the gap, a surge of pure, ancient, and fiercely sharp energy, yet one that seemed to have been tempered by endless years to become restrained and heavy, suddenly leaked out—a sliver of it, like a peerless divine weapon sealed for countless years suddenly unsheathing a sliver of its edge!

Hum—!

At this moment, the Chaos Qi vortex in Fang Hao’s Sea of Consciousness suddenly spun violently, emitting an intense desire and attraction! And the mass of Chaos spiritual liquid in his Dantian also seemed to be summoned, surging wildly!

"This is... Geng Metal Origin Qi?! So pure and ancient!" Fang Hao was greatly shocked!

Geng Metal governs slaughter and is peerlessly sharp; it is a supreme treasure for Cultivating metal-type Cultivation Techniques, tempering the Physical Body, condensing Sword Intent, and even refining Magic Treasures! Especially for him, who had Cultivated the Hundred Refinements Golden Body Art and held a heavy weapon like the "battle heaven axe," this pure Geng Metal Origin Qi was simply a massive tonic! Absorbing and refining it immediately would not only strengthen his Physical Body and temper his spiritual power, but it could also allow his stagnant cultivation base to break through to the Perfected Golden Core in one fell swoop!

He suppressed the excitement in his heart, just about to sense it in detail.

"Hmm?!"

Opposite him, Crimson Phoenix, who was regulating her breathing, suddenly opened her eyes! Those beautiful phoenix eyes were filled with suspicion, sharpness, and a trace of disbelief!

Although she hadn’t discovered Fang Hao’s small movements or sensed the gap in the Restriction, her perception of energy auras was equally keen! That sliver of Geng Metal sharpness, pure to the extreme, although weak and fleeting, was like a cold star in the night sky, instantly captured by her! And the source of this aura... seemed to be right there with Fang Hao?!

Her gaze, like two sharp swords, instantly locked onto Fang Hao and the seemingly ordinary dried-up spring beside him! The previous contempt and impatience toward Fang Hao were instantly replaced by vigilance and scrutiny! How could such pure and ancient Geng Metal Qi suddenly appear around an ordinary Early Golden Core Stage Loose Cultivator who needed her protection? Moreover, the appearance of this aura was so abrupt and strange!

"What did you do?" Crimson Phoenix slowly stood up, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword, the crimson halo around her body lighting up again, her tone cold, carrying undisguised questioning and a trace of... killing intent! She felt that she had... misjudged him?

Fang Hao sighed inwardly; he had been discovered after all. This woman was even more keen than he had imagined. He slowly opened his eyes; the "panic" and "reluctance" on his face had long since vanished, replaced by a calm, deep, and even slightly distant gaze. Since he could no longer hide, there was no need to hide anymore.

He did not answer Crimson Phoenix’s question but slowly stood up. As he rose, a deep, thick, and powerful Spiritual Pressure, far exceeding that of an Early Golden Core Stage, and even far exceeding that of an ordinary Late Golden Core Stage, erupted from his body without reservation, like a sleeping volcano awakening!

At the same time, the jade-like golden light on his body surface was no longer restrained but flowed like water, emitting a heart-palpitating, tyrannical power of blood and Qi! The aura of the Perfected Golden Core was revealed without reservation!

"Perfected Golden Core?! And this Physical Body..." Crimson Phoenix’s pupils contracted sharply, and for the first time, a look of shock appeared on her beautiful face!

She had always thought that Fang Hao was just an Early Stage Loose Cultivator with some self-preservation skills but ordinary strength, yet she hadn’t expected him to be hiding so deeply! Not only was his cultivation base at the Perfected Golden Core, but this Physical Body strength, this refinement of spiritual power, and the strange aura... were definitely not something an ordinary Loose Cultivator could possess!

"Who on earth are you?!" Crimson Phoenix demanded sharply, the phoenix feather flying sword already unsheathed by half an inch, the crimson sword light flickering, firmly locking onto Fang Hao. The atmosphere in the stone chamber instantly became tense!

Fang Hao looked at her calmly, feeling the Chaos spiritual liquid in his body boiling due to the stir of that sliver of Geng Metal Qi, and the "battle heaven axe" ready to move, a faint arc curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Who I am is not important." Fang Hao’s voice was calm but carried an unquestionable power, "What’s important is, Miss Chi Huang, now, perhaps we can talk again about this trip to the Valley of Buried Soldiers, and... how the things under that spring should be distributed."