32: The sea gathers into a pill, purple like Laozi

On the Physical Continent, twelve surging rivers simultaneously converged into a vast sea.

The immense size of this sea was imaginable.

Long Aotian could almost be said to have created the most powerful Dantian Sea in the world.

Others' Dantian Seas could be described as small ponds, small pools, or large lakes.

But his Dantian Sea?

It was a true sea!

When Spirit Springs transformed into a sea, if the Dantian wasn't burst by the massive amount of spiritual energy, then the stronger the Dantian Sea, the better. This meant that the Cultivator could mobilize more spiritual energy and possess greater combat power.

However, there were both pros and cons. While a powerful Dantian Sea was good, it became quite difficult during Core Formation.

What kind of concept was it to condense a vast ocean into a fist-sized Golden Core?

It was unimaginable.

The larger the Dantian Sea, the harder it was to condense the sea into a Core.

Therefore, it couldn't be said that a larger Dantian Sea was always better.

At least, if one couldn't control a large Dantian Sea, they might be trapped at the Transformation Sea Realm Ninth Revolution Peak Stage, unable to condense the sea into a Core and unable to Breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm.

This was when the advantage of a smaller Dantian Sea became apparent.

Long Aotian cultivated all twelve attribute Spiritual Roots, making him the most diverse of mixed Cultivators. His Dantian Sea was formed by the convergence of twelve Spirit Springs, truly achieving the transformation of Spirit Springs into a sea.

It could be said that Long Aotian was a Cultivator who had Cultivated the Vein Opening Realm, Foundation Establishment Realm, Spirit Spring Realm, and Transformation Sea Realm to their extremes.

His Core Formation, in the eyes of others, would undoubtedly be unprecedentedly difficult.

It might even be so difficult that he could never achieve Core Formation and Breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm in his lifetime.

However, was that truly the case?

Clearly not.

There were difficulties, yes.

But it was definitely not to the extent of being unable to achieve Core Formation and Breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm.

Core Formation was simply the continuous refining of the Dantian Sea, constantly purifying one's spiritual energy, and refining the Dantian Sea into a Golden Core.

How could this be difficult for Long Aotian?

Long Aotian dared to say that if he was second in the refining and purifying abilities of the Chaos Dao Art, no one would dare to claim first.

For Long Aotian, a Dantian Sea that was too large simply meant spending a bit more time during Core Formation.

As the Chaos Dao Art continuously operated, Long Aotian, who had begun to Breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm by condensing the sea into a Core, saw his Dantian Sea shrink at a visibly rapid pace, circle after circle. In this process, Long Aotian's spiritual energy was also continuously purified.

Just like Spirit Stones are categorized into Low-Grade, Medium-Grade, High-Grade, and Top-Grade Spirit Stones, each time the Dantian Sea shrunk by one circle, the spiritual energy was purified by one circle, as if being refined from Low-Grade Spirit Stones to Medium-Grade Spirit Stones, from Medium-Grade Spirit Stones to High-Grade Spirit Stones, until it reached Top-Grade Spirit Stones. Breaking through Top-Grade would allow for the achievement of a higher level.

That is, a Golden Core!

Cultivation knows no time. Long Aotian didn't know how long it took him to purify his entire Dantian Sea, which he refined from a vast ocean into a large lake.

At this point, Long Aotian felt his scalp tingle a bit.

Why?

Because when the Dantian Sea was refined into a large lake, it had already turned golden.

This was... Core Formation?

Long Aotian was also dumbfounded.

To achieve Core Formation and Breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm, one must continuously refine the Dantian Sea into a fist-sized Core, and ensure the Core's color turns golden.

But Long Aotian's Dantian Sea, whether due to its immense size or some other reason, had already turned golden when refined to the size of a lake.

A Golden Core the size of a lake?

"This, this, this..."

Looking at the lake-sized Golden Core in his Dantian, Long Aotian was speechless for a long time, feeling very unsettled.

With such a massive Golden Core, he, Long Aotian, was probably going to ascend to the heavens.

"I wonder if I can continue refining it?"

Long Aotian not only felt no happy about this but was instead extremely panicked.

Even in his Revered Master's memories, there was no record of anyone in history forming such a large Golden Core.

He didn't know whether such a large Golden Core would be good or bad for his future Cultivation. He thought that if he could continue refining it to the standard size of a Golden Core for a normal Cultivator Breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm, that would be for the best.

He acted on his thoughts.

He continued to operate the Chaos Dao Art to refine it.

Long Aotian quickly discovered that the Golden Core could indeed continue to shrink, as he had thought, but the speed of this reduction had noticeably slowed down. If one didn't observe carefully, they might not even notice it.

Perhaps the spiritual energy had been purified to its limit?!

"Hmm? Revered Master's memories record a legend that in the Primordial Era, the Human Race once produced a Cultivator who formed a Purple Core when Breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm. This Cultivator later became renowned throughout the world, bearing the title Grandmist Supreme... Could it be that the Golden Core isn't the limit? But rather the Purple Core?"

While multitasking, Long Aotian recalled a passage in Ao Zhan's transmitted memories about the legend of Core Formation, and he couldn't help but be deeply drawn to it.

A Purple Core above a Golden Core?

If his large lake Golden Core continued to be refined, it might indeed be possible to refine a Purple Core like that of the Grandmist Supreme.

At this moment, Long Aotian had no other choice.

Although his large lake Golden Core had reached the limit of gold, he felt that he hadn't truly Breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm First Revolution Stage yet, and his Cultivation was unstable at this time.

Long Aotian had an inexplicable feeling that if he gave up continuing to refine his large lake Golden Core at this moment, it was very likely to collapse. He wouldn't say it would explode, but it was definitely possible for it to revert to its state before Core Formation.

Or perhaps, due to his immense Dantian Sea, taking the path of Purple Core Formation was his only choice to truly Breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm?!

The Chaos Dao Art continued to operate at high intensity. Under the continuous operation and refinement of the Chaos Dao Art, the spiritual energy of the large lake Golden Core was still being purified.

One day, two days, three days... ten days, fifteen days, twenty days... thirty days, forty days, fifty days.

Long Aotian had never expected that his Breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm would be so difficult, taking two months of external time to achieve Core Formation without truly Breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm.

However, what made him feel relieved was that under the continuous operation and refinement of the Chaos Dao Art, his large lake Golden Core was constantly shrinking. And as it continuously shrunk, the color of his Golden Core also slowly changed, transitioning from golden to deep gold, and then to purple-gold.

When Long Aotian's Golden Core no longer showed any golden color, and was entirely purple, his large lake Golden Core was finally refined to the standard size of a Golden Core formed by a Golden Core Realm expert.

Just as the last wisp of golden color was swallowed by purple, Long Aotian finally felt his Cultivation "click" and Breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm First Revolution Stage.

"Hahaha... Damn it! I finally Broke through! I really didn't expect that cultivating all twelve attribute Spiritual Roots would make Breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm so difficult.

Others have the Golden Core Realm, I have the Purple Core Realm!

Above the Golden Core Realm is the Nascent Soul Realm. The process of Breakthrough from the Golden Core Realm to the Nascent Soul Realm is the continuous purple transformation of the Golden Core, culminating in the formation of a Nascent Soul.

I just Broke through to the Golden Core Realm, and my Golden Core has already been refined into a Purple Core.

Does this mean that my current strength is comparable to a Golden Core Realm Ninth Revolution Peak Stage expert, pressing close to my old man?"