Chapter 288: Chapter 286: Core Formation Perfection
Tong Huan stood with his hands by his side, his face bright red. Fortunately, his dark skin hid it from others.
It was a rare day for his Master to give a lecture and personally teach him Swordsmanship.
But in just a few sentences, his Master had pointed out more than ten flaws in the Starfall Sword Technique he had practiced for over a decade.
He had even stated bluntly that such Swordsmanship was useless in a fight against Cultivators of the same level—all flash and no substance, just for show.
This made Tong Huan inevitably wonder, ’Am I truly suited for the Sword Dao?’
According to his Master, with his level of Swordsmanship, he might as well use his Flying Sword as a fire poker and just smash it into his opponents; that might even be more effective.
However, the target of the scolding soon shifted to the members of the Bai Clan, which made Tong Huan feel much better.
First, Bai Xiran received a furious lecture. Despite having reached Qi Refining Great Perfection and also cultivating Body Refining Techniques, he didn’t dare to take the final step.
Then he berated Bai Ziying for being overly ambitious. Her original Cultivation Technique didn’t affect Foundation Establishment, yet she had followed others and switched to the Red Bright Nirvana Technique, needlessly wasting two or three years.
Originally, she could have reached Foundation Establishment with a basic Cultivation Technique and then switched. That would have been a perfect opportunity to re-refine her Liquid Magical Power.
It would have saved time and trouble, and also helped her quickly familiarize herself with the Liquid Magical Power of the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Only Bai Ziyu was met mostly with comfort and encouragement. Master Bai’s cousin was already thirty years old but was still stuck at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer.
At this rate, it was almost impossible for him to reach Qi Refining Great Perfection before the age of fifty.
The only thing Bai Zichen could do was find a Golden Jade Green Heart Pill for his cousin to delay the age at which his vitality and blood would begin to decline by extending his lifespan.
If that still wasn’t enough, his only option was to ask the Danxia Sect for help and request that Master Zhu concoct a special elixir that would greatly increase the probability of Foundation Establishment at the cost of exhausting all future potential.
It was similar to an improved version of the Blood Demon Sect’s Heavenly Demon Blood Slaughter Pill. Not only did it increase the chances of Foundation Establishment, but it also significantly boosted cultivation efficiency during the Qi Refining Stage.
The drawback was that a Cultivator who successfully reached Foundation Establishment with such an elixir would be trapped at the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment for the rest of their life, with no possibility of any further progress.
Moreover, its refining cost was several times higher than that of a Foundation Establishment Pill.
Only a Second Generation Immortal from an extraordinary background, yet with such dull aptitude that even reaching Foundation Establishment seemed hopeless, would have their elders request an Alchemy Grandmaster to refine one.
Bai Zichen himself only learned of such a wondrous elixir from a conversation with Han Qing.
However, Han Qing had only heard of it; he didn’t have the Pill Formula.
Back then, he lacked the power and vision, and could only watch as his uncle passed away. Now, he was one of the most powerful figures in the Liang Country’s Cultivation Realm.
Paying a visit to the Danxia Sect to ask Master Zhu to fire up his furnace and refine it, even if it cost tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, was nothing to him now.
If it came down to it, he would have to choose this method. He had to ensure Bai Ziyu successfully reached Foundation Establishment, which would also fulfill Bai Jiu’an’s dream of reaching Foundation Establishment.
"You go back and properly check on the clan’s disciples. Not everyone needs to switch to the Red Bright Nirvana Technique... I myself reached Foundation Establishment using the Chang Chun Skill. Are you saying the younger generation can’t do the same?!"
The Red Bright Nirvana Technique had been brought back to Hanxiu Peak, so the Bai Clan Members on Celestial Thunder Cliff naturally couldn’t be left behind.
Not long after Bai Zichen returned, he had passed the Qi Refining volume of the Red Bright Nirvana Technique to Bai Xiran to teach to the other clan members.
He hadn’t expected to underestimate the allure of a Top-Level Cultivation Technique. Even Bai Ziying couldn’t resist switching, and the situation was likely even more severe among the other clan members.
"Yes!"
Bai Xiran said with a weary look, his head bowed.
Unable to take the final step to Foundation Establishment for so long, he was under immense psychological pressure, anxious about potential gains and losses.
"By the way, have any of the Spiritual Bamboos mutated recently?"
The Refining Sword into Silk Realm was a level of mastery that would earn one the title of Sword Dao Grandmaster anywhere in the Northern Domain, capable of establishing their own Sword Cultivation Sect.
With this long-awaited breakthrough in his Sword Dao Realm, Bai Zichen’s desire for a Tier Three Flying Sword had grown even stronger.
Using the Moon Xuan Sword in every battle, regardless of the opponent’s strength, was a true luxury and a waste.
For other Sword Cultivators, having an extra Flying Sword was just a backup plan. A few who could perform Dual Swords Unification or attack with three swords at once could significantly increase their strength.
But for him, thanks to the Supreme Qingwei Sword Box, every additional Flying Sword was a tangible increase in power.
He still lacked the power to unleash all twelve swords of the Star River Sword Array, but using eight or nine swords was no longer a problem in terms of True Essence.
However, the difficulty of controlling them was another matter. Bai Zichen had a feeling that even his Divine Sense might not be strong enough to handle it.
Tier Three Flying Swords were incredibly rare and couldn’t be sought out easily. For instance, Wei Dao had also kept an eye out for them on his trip to Zengguang Immortal City.
But while several Top-Grade Magical Treasures appeared at the auction, there wasn’t even a shadow of a Tier Three Flying Sword.
Thus, he could only pin his hopes on refining a sword himself.
"Reporting to the Ancestor, there are twenty-two stalks of Sacred Sound Bamboo in total... but there is still not a single stalk of Thunder Sound Bamboo."
Bai Xiran looked ashamed. Everyone knew Master Bai possessed a Tier Four Flying Sword, so at the very least, only a Tier Three Flying Sword would be worthy of his attention.
He believed the high reward for cultivating even Tier Two Sacred Sound Bamboo was purely a sign of the Ancestor’s compassion for the clan, a deliberate way of handing out benefits.
"Also, two stalks of Sacred Sound Bamboo were struck by Celestial Thunder. They failed to become Thunder Sound Bamboo and instead had their source damaged... Fortunately, thanks to Master Xin’s miraculous skills, those two Spiritual Bamboos won’t die."
Master Xin was the hired Tier Three Spirit Plant Master from the Shennong Sect, and his skills were superb.
If not for his profession as a Spirit Plant Master—a less common trade—his status would not be much lower than that of an ordinary Core Formation True Man.
This was especially true for Pill Masters and Array Masters; a Tier Three Skill was entirely comparable to a Core Formation True Man in status.
Take Han Qing, for example. When he was at Late-Stage Foundation Establishment, his appointment as Pill Hall Master was just a formality following precedent, and it didn’t change much for him since he had already been the Deputy Hall Master.
But the moment he broke through and became a Tier Three Alchemist, his status changed immediately.
The Sect’s resources were heavily skewed in his favor. All kinds of Alchemy Materials and Pill Formulas from different eras would be gathered by any means necessary as long as Han Qing requested them.
In the Qingfeng Sect, the level of importance placed on him, or rather, the speed at which his requests were met, was second only to the few Core Formation Ancestors.
Even the Sect Leader, Gu Xisheng, couldn’t compare to Han Qing in this regard.
"This matter can’t be rushed. Just increase the number of Sacred Sound Bamboos, and eventually, a Thunder Sound Bamboo mutation will appear."
Bai Zichen didn’t know how long it took to cultivate a single stalk of Thunder Sound Bamboo in the Bamboo Sea of the Fish Dragon Sect.
But judging from the records, every Core Formation True Man in the Fish Dragon Sect wielded a Thunder Bamboo Sword, which suggested the yield shouldn’t be too low.
Right now, he was crossing the river by feeling the stones—he had no one to ask for guidance and could only rely on himself to figure it out slowly.
"Master, Junior Brother Lii successfully reached Foundation Establishment last year... His heart remains unchanged, and he still wishes to become your disciple. What should I tell him?"
Tong Huan remembered something and boldly asked.
Lii Guizhen was truly worthy of his Thunder Spiritual Root aptitude. Just a few years after becoming a True Disciple, he reached Qi Refining Great Perfection.
He didn’t even wait to go through the process of exchanging for a Foundation Establishment Pill, instead using a single strand of Pure Yang Gang Sha to break through the bottleneck and successfully reach Foundation Establishment.
He became the Sect’s youngest Foundation Establishment Elder after Master Bai.
"Tell him to focus on his Cultivation. I am not planning to accept any disciples in the near future..."
Bai Zichen wasn’t the type who enjoyed being a teacher. In the eyes of others, Lii Guizhen’s aptitude was that of a heaven-sent genius, but to him, it was merely passable.
If he felt no impulse to take him as a disciple, it just meant the karmic connection wasn’t there yet.
"You are all dismissed. I need to head to the Mountain Gate..."
The Sect Token at his waist vibrated. After a quick scan with his Divine Sense, Bai Zichen immediately stood up and flew off Celestial Thunder Cliff.
On the Cloud Platform atop the Mountain Gate’s highest peak, it was as if a violent storm had just passed. The air was thick with the power of thunder and lightning.
From time to time, an arc of electricity could be seen jumping, crackling incessantly.
Wei Dao was already seated on a round stone dais, a smile in his eyes.
"Where is Brother Ge... Did he really succeed in his breakthrough and reach Core Formation Perfection?"
It was only a matter of time before Master Ge Cang reached Core Formation Perfection; there was never any real difficulty.
But judging from the length of his seclusion, he was several years ahead of schedule, which was why Bai Zichen asked.
"He succeeded, of course. The Divine Thunder descended with immense celestial might..."
A trace of fear flickered in Wei Dao’s eyes. The higher one’s Cultivation, the more one could appreciate the terrifying power of the thunderbolts that had just struck the Cloud Platform.
The other Elders at the Mountain Gate would only find it a magnificent display of power, but they wouldn’t feel it as viscerally as Wei Dao, who felt as if he himself were standing under the Celestial Tribulation, about to be judged and struck by Celestial Thunder.
A moment later, Zhou Suqing also arrived.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Wei, Senior Brother Bai."
After reaching Core Formation, Zhou Suqing had not changed her appearance, still retaining the form of an old woman.
Unbound by form, unburdened by material things—just as she was when she first set foot on the path of Cultivation.
Before long, Master Ge Cang appeared before the three of them in a single step, his body flashing with Thunder Radiance, like a Thunder God.
"Congratulations, Brother Ge, on reaching Core Formation Perfection. We wish you a swift journey to the Nascent Soul... May your Great Dao be everlasting."
The three of them stood up, clasped their hands, and offered their congratulations in unison.
Master Ge Cang looked much the same, but the feeling he gave off was completely different. His entire being was like a roaring, surging Thunder Sea, capable of unleashing destructive power at any moment.
"Junior Brother Bai, you’re already at Mid-Stage Core Formation! It’s a good thing this old man took a step forward, or you would have caught up to me soon!"
"Far from it. I’m counting on you, Senior Brother, to reach the Nascent Soul stage soon so you can pass on your experience to me."
Bai Zichen’s eyes shone with wonder. The Divine Technique, Close as the Palm of Your Hand, Far as the Ends of the Earth, seemed to have improved even further in Master Ge Cang’s hands.
It seemed Master Ge Cang had integrated his Thunder Escape into it, making it comparable to a true Void Escape Technique.
"My gains from this seclusion were not small... Once I have fully digested them, I will write them down for you all to study."
Master Ge Cang pointed at the teacup before him. The water inside split into Yin and Yang as electric currents and Thunder Radiance shifted back and forth within it.
"The power of Divine Thunder is both destruction and rebirth... If you can truly master both aspects, you can achieve Thunder-Born Tai Chi, and a spiritual nature will manifest on its own!"
"If Blood God True Man doesn’t show up, so be it. But if he does, I’d like to see just how effective my Divine Thunder Net, which has reached the Transformation Realm, is at suppressing Blood Dao Techniques..."
Master Ge Cang turned to Zhou Suqing and said slowly, "Junior Sister Zhou, it was my idea for these two not to tell you. You just reached Core Formation, so you should focus on consolidating your Cultivation and not take on too much psychological stress."
After the others explained, Zhou Suqing finally learned that the Sect was facing a hidden, powerful enemy like Blood God True Man.
"By the way, the mole we planted in the Blood Demon Sect has already reached a mid-level position. According to his secret reports, he has yet to find any news about Blood God True Man. He has observed that the few Core Formation True Men of the Blood Demon Sect are acting as usual, pushing their work forward at a steady, unhurried pace."
Among the three who knew, Wei Dao was likely the one most worried about Blood God True Man, paying extreme attention to all intelligence on the Blood Demon Sect.
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