Chapter 273: Chapter 271: Mid-Stage Core Formation
Deep within the main hall lay two acres of Tier Three Top-Grade Spirit Land, acquired only by sacrificing the Tier Three Top Grade spiritual environment that had once covered the entire cliff-top.
A Gathering Spirit Array exquisitely gathered and condensed the Spiritual Qi of the cliff-top, making the Spiritual Qi here so dense it was on the verge of becoming tangible.
If it could advance just one step further, a qualitative change would occur, and it would become a Tier Four Spirit Land.
At that time, the Spiritual Qi would accumulate like clouds and mist, floating on the wind and visible to the naked eye.
’This environment is on a completely different level from the Quiet Chambers in the White Jade Tower...’
Bai Zichen breathed in the air and felt the True Essence within him quicken with excitement.
The Quiet Chambers he used for cultivation in the past had smooth stone walls, sealing him off from the world without a single ray of sunlight.
But this Quiet Chamber for cultivation was more like a courtyard, with exotic flowers creating a tapestry of color, a jade bridge arching over a clear stream, and the fragrant scent of jade grass filling the air.
The Miscellaneous Affairs Hall spared no expense when building Cave Mansions for Core Formation Ancestors, piling on all sorts of rare and exotic materials.
Past two rockeries and up a set of stone steps alongside the clear stream, one could see a vibrant, shimmering haze that seemed to reflect the light of the sun and moon.
Two thatched cottages stood deep within the courtyard, elegant and pure.
If not for the lack of a few Immortal Birds and Auspicious Beasts, it could truly be called a scene from an Immortal’s abode.
It was hard to say if such a luxurious design would improve one’s cultivation efficiency, but it would certainly lift the spirits of anyone residing within.
One wouldn’t have to go into seclusion for years or decades in a prison-like Quiet Chamber, growing numb from the tedious and solitary cultivation.
’Once I’ve cultivated the Thunder Sound Bamboo, I’ll transplant a couple of stalks here and build a little house for Genggeng... Add some immortal music and some Spirit Wine to enjoy, and it would be a fine way to alleviate the monotony of the cultivation path.’
Inside the thatched cottages were several meditation cushions woven from Tier Two Top-Grade Luma Grass, which helped to calm the mind and soothe one’s qi.
In the garden, there was also a round stool carved from a single block of Tier Three Mid Grade Agarwood. As Bai Zichen sat cross-legged on it, wisps of faint fragrance coiled around him.
Cultivating on this wood helped reduce distracting and impure thoughts, allowing one to quickly enter a state of Meditation.
It came from an Agarwood Tree that several Outer Sect Disciples had accidentally discovered while on a mission a few years ago.
It had already mutated and, over several hundred years, had produced golden-yellow Agarwood.
After it was reported to the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, it was cut and divided into five wooden stools.
The subordinates didn’t care whether it was useful or not; all they knew was that if it was a good thing, it had to be given to the Core Formation Ancestors.
Every time Bai Zichen breathed, he would stir the ebb and flow of the Spiritual Qi in the courtyard, forming spiraling vortexes of qi that resembled roaming dragons.
A scorching aura condensed around him, and waves of heat radiated outwards, actually scorching black marks onto the Agarwood stool.
It was as if a Fire Dragon was crouched there, endlessly breathing flames.
After completing one Circulation of the Fire Dragon Returning Essence Scripture, Bai Zichen stopped his cultivation and sensed the changes in his Dantian Qi Sea, a hint of joy appearing on his face.
’The difference in effect between a Tier Three Top-Grade and a Tier Three Mid-Grade Spirit Land is that massive... In the entire Cultivation Realm of Liang Country, I estimate that among Core Formation True Men, only Qu Yang might have better Cultivation Conditions than me.’
Each generation, the Holy Lotus Sect selected the best of the best from their Core Disciples to become the Saint Child and Saintess, choosing only one or two.
As the most outstanding talent in several generations, and with his rise coinciding with a critical transitional period, Qu Yang was surely receiving the full support and resources of the entire Holy Lotus Sect.
A Tier Four Spirit Land and a limitless supply of Elixirs were likely just the basic package.
Bai Zichen opened his mouth and inhaled, swallowing all the surrounding crimson light into his body.
The small piece of Ten Thousand Years Ice Jade he wore on his chest faintly shimmered with a cold light, absorbing all the Fire Poison from his body.
Although it was not much larger than a fingernail, the Cold Qi it contained was more than a hundred times greater than the previous Thousand-Year-Old Ice Jade.
The Fire Poison generated over the past few years of cultivation had only caused a sesame-seed-sized dark red spot to appear on the Ten Thousand Years Ice Jade.
At this rate, he wouldn’t need to worry about the Fire Poison issue at least until he reached the Late-Stage Core Formation.
Like a child with a new toy, Bai Zichen entered Meditation again, carefully sensing the changes brought by the Tier Three Top-Grade Spirit Land.
A year passed in a flash, and the large-scale construction on Celestial Thunder Cliff was nearing its end.
With the daily assistance of Tier Two Construction Warriors, all the large building complexes had been completed.
All that remained was the detail work.
In addition, the once-barren Celestial Thunder Cliff was now covered in a lush Bamboo Sea that rippled with the wind.
Besides the century’s worth of accumulated Spiritual Bamboo seeds the Bai Family brought, the Qingfeng Sect had to purchase another batch from outside sources to meet the required number.
To ensure the Spiritual Bamboo grew well, the Array Hall spared no expense setting up a Chain Array to adjust the flow of Spiritual Qi on Celestial Thunder Cliff.
The air on the cliff was normally filled with volatile Thunder Element Spiritual Energy from the frequent Celestial Thunder strikes, but the array redirected its flow, making it much gentler.
Seventy-two Thunder-Attracting Golden Pillars were also erected to guide the Celestial Thunder Power into the ground, preventing damage to the buildings.
However, the Sect did not dare to allocate the nine Tier Three Spirit Lands on its own authority.
All applications sent to Gu Xisheng from those wishing to move to Celestial Thunder Cliff were shelved by him; not a single one was approved.
He had heard from Wei Dao that Ancestor Bai was developing and managing Celestial Thunder Cliff as his own private cultivation Cave Mansion.
He certainly didn’t dare to overstep his authority by allocating the Spirit Lands via a council of Elders, as was the usual practice.
Therefore, the twenty-some Elders currently on Celestial Thunder Cliff were all stationed there on a temporary basis.
The only Elders who had truly chosen a Spirit Land and officially moved in were Tong Huan and Lu Song.
Tong Huan was Ancestor Bai’s only Inner Chamber Disciple. This identity became widely known after Celestial Thunder Cliff was secured, no longer limited to the knowledge of the Sect’s upper echelon.
His status skyrocketed. No one had expected this unremarkable, dark-skinned boy to be Ancestor Bai’s disciple.
Everyone wondered what kind of special talent he possessed to have caught Ancestor Bai’s eye and become his only Inner Chamber Disciple.
Even before Ancestor Bai had achieved Core Formation, countless True Disciples had vied to study under him.
But Ancestor Bai had never relented, not even granting them the chance to meet him for an assessment.
Tong Huan’s status in the Sect became just like Qi Yue’s back then; he experienced what it was like to be the center of attention, adulated by all.
It was only natural that he was the first to pick a Tier Three Mid-Grade Spirit Land on Celestial Thunder Cliff.
Following him was Lu Song, who was also not particularly prominent in the Sect, much to the surprise of the other Elders.
Only after a background check did they discover that this Elder Lu had actually followed Ancestor Bai since he was just a servant disciple. He was one of the so-called "White Jade Tower old guard," who were currently the most sought-after group in the Sect.
The other Elders could only lament their lack of foresight back then for not aligning with him sooner.
"Junior Brother Tong, this True Disciple is Junior Brother Pei’s only descendant to have embarked on the path of cultivation. However, all the Tier Three Spirit Lands at the Mountain Gate are currently full, so I had no choice but to come to you for help."
Liang Yu’s temples were graying. In recent years, he had been gradually handing over his power to the various Elders of the Law Enforcement Hall.
The successor he had chosen and had high hopes for was too outstanding; before he could even serve a single day as the Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall, he had become a Core Formation True Man.
While this brought him great relief and joy, it also meant he had to worry about a successor all over again.
"Do you mean Senior Brother Pei Dongyong, who passed away last year?"
Tong Huan performed the junior’s etiquette, inviting Liang Yu to take the seat of honor and personally offering him a cup of Spirit Tea.
Of course, he knew that the elder before him was not only the Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall but also the one who had guided his own Master on his path, so he had always been very respectful.
Pei Dongyong, as the Vice Hall Master of the Transmission Hall, passing away peacefully at the end of his lifespan last year was a major event in the Sect.
Tong Huan had even gone to the Spirit Hall to pay his respects that day.
"That’s right. This child is from Junior Brother Pei’s direct lineage and has already reached the Qi Refining Ninth Layer... but he is no longer young. I’m afraid if we delay for a few more years, he’ll miss the optimal age for Foundation Establishment."
Liang Yu and Pei Dongyong were as close as brothers, so he naturally looked after his only descendant.
With Bai Zichen in seclusion, he had no choice but to seek out Tong Huan for this matter.
"Since you’re the one asking, Elder, of course it’s not a problem... Have the disciple come find me tomorrow. Celestial Thunder Cliff will accept him, and I’ll have someone arrange the Spirit Land paperwork for him."
Tong Huan paused for a moment before replying readily.
He had previously asked his Master about the Spirit Land arrangements and had only received the four-word reply, "You take care of it," granting him full authority.
He hadn’t approved any Elders to move in because he planned to wait until the development of Celestial Thunder Cliff was finished. Only then would he comprehensively review the candidates and finalize a list.
It would be best to submit the list of candidates to his Master for review; otherwise, Tong Huan felt a little uneasy about making such a major decision for the first time.
But Liang Yu’s request was definitely an exception, one he didn’t dare to brush off or postpone.
Although Tong Huan had been praised to the heavens these days, with some even calling him the leader of the Sect’s new generation and claiming he possessed an unknown hidden talent, he kept a clear head.
But his heart was like a bright mirror; he knew clearly that his own aptitude was merely average.
If not for a stroke of luck and his grandfather begging for this master-disciple relationship, he would have never been chosen as his Master’s Inner Chamber Disciple based on his background or aptitude.
So, he remained level-headed and didn’t let the praise go to his head, treating people and handling matters just as he always had.
Just as Tong Huan was talking with Liang Yu, a violent fluctuation of Spiritual Qi suddenly erupted from the cliff-top, sucking in all the Spiritual Qi from across Celestial Thunder Cliff like a whale inhaling water.
"Master’s cultivation has improved again! He’ll probably come out of seclusion soon!"
Tong Huan stood up excitedly and walked out of his Cave Mansion with Liang Yu, gazing toward the depths of the main hall on the cliff-top.
He was very self-aware, knowing that with his aptitude, breaking through to Core Formation was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
But if his Master became a Nascent Soul True Monarch, the situation would be different.
At that time, even a few resources that trickled down from his Master would be enough for him to smoothly cultivate to Foundation Establishment Perfection, and he could even have a hope of reaching the Core Formation Realm.
...
A crimson light shot toward the heavens. Within it, a vivid Fire Flood Dragon coiled majestically. A small horn protruded from its head, signaling the start of its transformation into the higher form of the Dragon Race.
It wasn’t until a quarter of an hour later that the Fire Flood Dragon shrank back, turning into a miniature shape before disappearing.
Bai Zichen circulated the sixth layer of the Fire Dragon Returning Essence Scripture. Powerful True Essence surged from his Golden Core, and his aura climbed steadily higher.
’Mid-Stage Core Formation! I’m actually half a year ahead of schedule!’
After raising his cultivation to the Peak of Early-Stage Core Formation in the courtyard, Bai Zichen didn’t pause, but pushed through in one go to break through to the Mid-Stage Core Formation.
With one Circulation of his True Essence, the Mid-Stage bottleneck that had stumped countless Core Formation True Men was crossed by him in a single leap.
For him, it was like climbing a hundred steps; the final step was no different from the ninety-nine that came before it.
It was no different from an ordinary meditation session, yet he had reached an entirely new Realm.
’My True Essence has increased by almost half, bringing me one step closer to my dream of unleashing twelve swords at once... My Divine Sense expanded by ten li. After the Core Formation Stage, Divine Sense only increases by a fixed amount with each Small Realm breakthrough. For a Cultivator like me, whose Divine Sense is already exceptionally powerful, that isn’t exactly good news.’
If his Divine Sense could double with each breakthrough like it did in the Foundation Establishment Stage, Bai Zichen’s Divine Sense would soon far surpass that of all other Core Formation True Men.
Comments