291: Chapter 291 Advancement to Golden Core

The runes on the grade 4 protective jade talisman flowed with Spiritual Qi, its defense fully intact; the auxiliary medicinal herbs were also in perfect condition, rich in Spiritual Qi and without a single trace of Impurities.

After a meticulous inspection, Qin Changsheng breathed a long sigh of relief. None of the Core Formation materials were missing or abnormal, which was enough to support his smooth push toward the Golden Core.

He slowly straightened his back, his gaze falling upon that book of core formation insights. These insights left by a Golden Core Senior were a vital reliance for his attempt at the Golden Core and one of the keys to his absolute confidence in achieving a Breakthrough.

Qin Changsheng picked up the core formation insights; within the Jade Slip lay the cultivation realizations and Core Formation experiences of that Golden Core Senior, which were extremely precious.

He sat cross-legged on the prayer mat, his mind calm, as he studied it word by word, not daring to miss even the slightest detail.

These core formation insights were extremely complete and detailed, covering every aspect of Core Formation.

The opening chapter recorded all the preparatory work before Core Formation in detail, from polishing one's cultivation and nourishing the mind to material preparation and site selection; it even included meticulous advice on diet and daily routine, which coincided perfectly with Qin Changsheng's previous preparations.

Following that, the insights detailed every single point to watch for during Core Formation: how to guide the spiritual power within the body to condense the Golden Core, how to control the Speed and intensity of spiritual power circulation, and how to utilize the effects of the golden core pill and fire spirit fruit to maximize the success rate of the Breakthrough.

What made Qin Changsheng even more delighted was that the insights also recorded various problems that might be encountered during Core Formation and their solutions in great detail.

When facing the intrusion of a Heart Demon, how to use the qingling pill and protective jade talisman to stabilize the mind, and how to use one's own Divine Sense to resist the Heart Demon;

When spiritual power becomes chaotic, how to guide it back onto the right track, and how to use auxiliary medicinal herbs to harmonize the spiritual power and avoid a backlash;

It even included specific strategies for unexpected situations like a sudden depletion of spiritual power or a slight loosening of the Dao foundation; everything was covered with meticulous detail.

The more Qin Changsheng read, the more startled he became, and the more fortunate he felt for having obtained these insights.

That Golden Core Senior had clearly experienced the entire Core Formation process and recorded all of his personal experiences and realizations without reservation. Whether it was common problems or rare emergencies, there were clear records and countermeasures, making it equivalent to having a Golden Core Senior personally guiding him through Core Formation.

The final part of the insights also recorded problems that might be encountered after a successful Core Formation: the Core Formation Tribulation Lightning that follows success, its power, and how to deal with it;

If the consumption of magic power was too great during the Core Formation process, how to quickly replenish it after success to stabilize the Golden Core;

Furthermore, it clearly explained the grade divisions of the Golden Core after formation, how to judge the grade of one's own Golden Core, and the impact of different grades on subsequent Cultivation, all presented in a clear and orderly manner.

After Core Formation, the Golden Core is divided into five Ranks: white core, green core, red core, Purple Core, and Gold Core.

Among them, the white core is the lowest, and the Gold Core is the highest.

Most Golden Core Cultivators have a white core when they first form it; only a few are green core, while Red and Purple Cores are even rarer, and a Gold Core has never even been heard of.

As Qin Changsheng studied, he committed the key points from the insights to memory. He also silently simulated the entire process of Core Formation in his mind, predicting potential problems and planning out his response strategies.

After finishing his study of the core formation insights, Qin Changsheng sat cross-legged on the prayer mat and slowly circulated the spiritual power within his body. Following the methods recorded in the insights, he guided the Spiritual Qi around him to flow slowly through his Meridians time and again, polishing his internal spiritual power and completely expelling any remaining minute Impurities, making his spiritual power pure and condensed.

At the same time, he used the power of the Golden Trait [Heart Demon] to carefully inspect his Divine Sense, suppressing the slight restlessness and unease hidden deep in his heart, allowing his mind to become unprecedentedly calm and firm.

The path to Core Formation most fears a restless mind; only with a mind free of stray thoughts can one calmly deal with all the accidents that might occur during the Breakthrough process.

While nourishing his mind, he absorbed the pure Spiritual Qi within the Cave-Heaven Blessed Land, replenishing his own spiritual power and filling his Dantian to the extreme. His Meridians were also nourished by the Spiritual Qi, becoming increasingly wide and resilient.

Time passed slowly. After an unknown amount of time, Qin Changsheng slowly opened his eyes, which were clear and firm. A faint spiritual light enveloped his body, and his Aura was steady and majestic. His Foundation Establishment Great Perfection cultivation had been stabilized to the absolute limit; his mind, spiritual power, and Dao foundation were all adjusted to their optimal states.

He was now fully prepared for the Breakthrough to the Golden Core.

With a wave of his hand, Qin Changsheng gently placed a top-grade golden core pill into his mouth. The Medicinal Pill melted instantly, and a warm, majestic medicinal power erupted, surging into his body like a rushing river. It flowed down his throat and quickly spread to all the Meridians in his body, nourishing every inch and washing over his Dantian.

Qin Changsheng immediately circulated his spiritual power, guiding this medicinal force according to the methods in the core formation insights to slowly converge within his Dantian, accumulating power to condense the Golden Core.

Next, he picked up that high-grade fire spirit fruit; its flesh was plump and rich with fire Spiritual Qi.

Qin Changsheng took a light bite, and the sweet flesh dissolved in his mouth. A surge of hot, pure Spiritual Qi instantly rushed into his body, fusing with the medicinal power of the top-grade golden core pill. On one hand, it stabilized his Dao foundation to prevent it from loosening during Core Formation; on the other, it nourished his spiritual power, further enhancing its purity and magnitude while resisting the spiritual power disorder that the eruption of medicinal force might cause.

After consuming the fire spirit fruit, Qin Changsheng picked up a bottle of qingling pills and poured out three crystal-clear pills, which he placed in his mouth.

The qingling pills felt cool as they entered his mouth, and a pure medicinal power quickly spread throughout his body, purifying the last traces of Impurities and stabilizing his mind. This allowed him to maintain a clear mind and calmly guide the circulation of spiritual power even under the impact of the medicinal eruption.

Then, he held the grade 4 protective jade talisman in his hand. The complex runes on the surface of the jade talisman instantly lit up, and a translucent white protective light shield slowly unfolded, enveloping his entire person. It could resist the spiritual power backlash that might occur during Core Formation as well as the intrusion of Heart Demons, safeguarding his Breakthrough.

Qin Changsheng sat cross-legged once more, his eyes tightly closed, his mind completely submerged within his body as he fully guided his internal spiritual power and medicinal force to condense the Golden Core bit by bit according to the methods in the core formation insights.

Qin Changsheng held his breath and focused, not daring to be the least bit careless. Every guidance of spiritual power and every harmonization of medicinal force was done with extreme caution, strictly following the records in the insights.

The Spiritual Qi within the Cave-Heaven Blessed Land converged toward Qin Changsheng in a continuous stream, forming a massive Spiritual Qi vortex that slowly rotated around him. It was steadily absorbed into his body and converted into his own spiritual power, aiding the condensation of the Golden Core.

The core formation insights lay quietly on the stone table, as if that Golden Core Senior were right beside him, silently guiding him through the Bottleneck.

Qin Changsheng could clearly feel the spiritual power within his Dantian rapidly condensing, gradually transforming from its original gaseous state toward a solid state. A majestic Aura was quietly rising within him.

Inside the Dantian, the spiritual power was wildly restless, like an unbridled horse that was difficult to control. Every instance of guidance required a massive amount of Qin Changsheng's focus and spiritual power.

His Meridians were being washed by the majestic spiritual power and medicinal force, bringing waves of aching and swelling sensations. With the slightest slip, a spiritual power backlash could occur, causing all his efforts to go to waste.

But Qin Changsheng never gave up. Relying on the guidance from the core formation insights and the spiritual power circulation Speed granted by his many traits, he gritted his teeth and persisted, pushing the condensation of the Golden Core forward step by step.

Time passed slowly, and the rotation of the Spiritual Qi vortex grew faster and faster. The spiritual light around Qin Changsheng also grew stronger. The Aura of Foundation Establishment Great Perfection was rapidly fading, replaced by a more powerful and steady Aura—the Pressure unique to the Golden Core Realm.

"Condense for me!" Qin Changsheng shouted inwardly, exerting all his strength to guide all the spiritual power and medicinal force in his body toward the spiritual power mass at the center of his Dantian.

Within the Dantian, the crimson-gold spiritual power mass continuously contracted and condensed, with faint pill-veins gradually appearing on its surface. An overbearing Aura quietly erupted from within the Dantian, sweeping through the entire Cave-Heaven Blessed Land.

At that very moment, the spiritual light around Qin Changsheng suddenly surged, and a dazzling golden light shot up into the sky, piercing through the clouds of the Cave-Heaven Blessed Land. All the Spiritual Qi within the blessed land became restless, converging toward him one after another.

Inside the Dantian, that long-condensing spiritual power mass finally solidified completely—a Golden Core that was red throughout, moist and translucent, with mysterious pill-veins flowing on its surface, hung quietly in the center of the Dantian, emitting a majestic and pure Golden Core power.