Chapter 181 The Eastern Sea Condenses the Elixir, the Four Symbols Reflect the Heavens
On the Sect's East Peak, the Spiritual Vein coiled around the mountain like a ribbon. On the platform at the summit, spiritual mist swirled, and amidst the lush vegetation, Spiritual Qi flowed, manifesting as visible silver radiance. This was the Secret Realm for Golden Core condensation, specially opened by the Sect.
A He, Su Qingyuan, Ling Wei, and Luo Ningshuang sat cross-legged in a square formation. Their spiritual power had long since climbed to the Foundation Establishment Peak, and their auras were as steady as an abyss. They were tacitly synchronizing their Cultivation Technique, working together to charge at the final barrier of the Golden Core stage.
Meanwhile, ten thousand miles away at the Abyss of the East Sea, the Spiritual Vein beside the Sea God ruins surged like a silver Dragon. The golden light emitted by the sea god bead intertwined with the salty, fishy scent of the seawater, condensing into an even more majestic and misty Secret Realm.
Lin Yue sat cross-legged beneath the crystal pillar. The red light of his Demonic Flame Sha Body and the blue radiance of his Sea Spirit Symbiosis flowed around his body, forming a three-colored light curtain. It not only stabilized the nodes of the Heaven-Connecting Array but also guarded his own aura of ascetic cultivation.
He had been in seclusion here for three months, and his Late Golden Core Stage cultivation had become increasingly solid. The three powers of demonic flame, sea spirit, and Evil Qi fused seamlessly; with every movement, he could trigger the tidal rhythm of the entire sea area. Although he was ten thousand miles away from the Sect's East Peak, the auras of the four women constantly lingered in his heart, and he knew that today was the critical moment for their Golden Core condensation.
The first to trigger the celestial phenomenon was Su Qingyuan.
Her Innate Sword Body suddenly erupted with brilliant cyan light. The crimson flame skyfall sword and the qingxuan burning heaven sword hovered above her head, the hum of the two swords resonating, piercing through the spiritual mist and reaching the clouds.
The previously clear sky above the Sect suddenly gathered dark clouds, but they were not the pitch-black of ordinary tribulation clouds; instead, they were filled with the cyan-gold Sword Intent radiance.
Countless tiny sword shadows condensed from the clouds, falling like thousands of meteors, yet transforming into gentle Sword Intent in mid-air, circling the summit of the East Peak.
"The Innate Sword Body has triggered the Sword Tribulation celestial phenomenon!" The Sect Elder guarding the edge of the platform flashed a look of shock in their eyes, but did not rashly step forward—Golden Core condensation must be done by oneself; intervention from external forces would only be counterproductive.
Su Qingyuan's Qingxuan Burning Heaven Sword Domain surged, cyan-gold flames and Sword Intent intertwining, drawing all the falling sword shadows into the Sword Domain. Her red lips parted slightly, and as she formed sword seals, the might of the two swords combining broke through the spiritual mist, resonating with the sword clouds in the sky.
Within the sword clouds, a condensed cyan-gold Sword Gang slowly formed. It was not tribulation power, but a gift from heaven and earth to the Innate Sword Body, flowing into her body along the Sword Domain to help her impact the pill wall.
Almost the moment Su Qingyuan triggered the sword clouds, starlight lit up around Ling Wei.
Her hundred treasure exquisite disk hovered in mid-air, its seven gems simultaneously erupting with starlight, resonating with the stars in the firmament.
The sky, previously obscured by the sword clouds, revealed a massive phantom of a star array on the other side. The positions of the Big Dipper were clearly visible, and countless fragments of star power poured down like a waterfall, landing on Ling Wei and transforming into dense array patterns.
"Condensing the Golden Core with a star array, drawing upon the power of the stars! Such a phenomenon is truly rare!" The Disciples watching from afar exclaimed in low voices.
Ling Wei's fingers rapidly spun the array seals, and the star patterns around her resonated with the celestial star array, forming a closed loop. At her Dantian, spiritual power condensed along the trajectory of the star array. The previously sluggish pill wall, under the scouring of the star power, began to shimmer with a crystalline luster. From the star array phantom, a star-core-like point of light fell, merging into her Dantian and intertwining with her spiritual power, making the pill Qi increasingly majestic.
Immediately after, pale purple pill mist rose around Luo Ningshuang.
Her Pill Furnace sachet hovered before her, and a hundred poison-breaking pills and Clear Sha Pills simultaneously burst open, transforming into pure pill power and toxin essence, condensing into a purple mist vortex around her. Above the sky, between the sword clouds and the star array, a patch of pale purple radiance emerged. The radiance was mixed with subtle poison patterns, but they were not malicious; rather, they were the pure power of the same origin as the pill and poison.
"Cultivating both pill and poison, triggering the pill rhyme celestial phenomenon! Senior Sister Luo's Physique is truly extraordinary!"
Luo Ningshuang operated her Innate Pill Body, drawing all the pill power and toxin essence from the purple mist vortex into her body. At her Dantian, spiritual power and pill poison intertwined, forming a pill embryo shimmering with purple light. The purple radiance on the firmament slowly descended, flowing into her body along the pill mist vortex. The pill embryo instantly solidified, and fine poison patterns appeared on the pill wall—this was the prototype of her unique pill-poison Golden Core.
The last to trigger a celestial phenomenon was A He.
Her spirit plant bead bloomed with rich green light, and the Nether Vines and purple-gold holy bud around her grew wildly, spreading along the platform and connecting with the root systems of the spirit plants on the East Peak.
Above the sky, in the gaps between the sword clouds, star array, and purple radiance, a large expanse of emerald green halo suddenly surged. Countless virtual Spiritual Plants and vines grew out from the halo, hanging down towards A He, carrying majestic life force.
"Vegetation Symbiosis, triggering the life force celestial phenomenon! With this life force protecting us, the success rate of Golden Core condensation has increased by a few points!"
A He's vegetation life force operated at full power, the green light of the spirit plant bead resonating with the emerald halo of the firmament, drawing life force into her body continuously.
At her Dantian, spiritual power and life force intertwined, forming an emerald green pill embryo. The moment those hanging virtual Spiritual Plants touched the pill embryo, they transformed into pure life force. As the pill embryo solidified, spirit plant patterns appeared on the pill wall, containing the power of endless life.
The celestial phenomena of the four bloomed simultaneously; sword clouds, star array, purple radiance, and green halo intertwined above the East Peak, forming a rare spectacle of the Four Symbols Reflecting the Heavens. But just as the pill embryos of the four were about to completely solidify, a sudden change occurred!
The powers of the four celestial phenomena collided with each other, actually triggering a composite Golden Core tribulation! Above the sky, the cyan-gold sword tribulation, silver-white star tribulation, pale purple poison tribulation, and emerald green life force tribulation intertwined, forming a four-colored tribulation cloud. Countless tribulation lightning bolts containing the four powers of sword, star, poison, and life force struck fiercely down towards the four people on the summit of the East Peak!
"Not good, the Four Symbols resonance has triggered a composite Golden Core tribulation!" The guarding Elder's expression changed drastically, but they still dared not act rashly.
"Join forces to resist the tribulation!" Su Qingyuan gave a clear shout, and her Qingxuan Burning Heaven Sword Domain expanded. The cyan-gold Sword Intent transformed into a sword shield, blocking the first sword tribulation lightning bolt that struck down.
Ling Wei's fingers rapidly spun the array seals, and the star array phantom descended. The star power transformed into a star wall, blocking the impact of the star tribulation lightning. "Star array bears the force, distribute the tribulation might!"
Luo Ningshuang pushed the pill mist vortex high into the sky, and the purple poison patterns neutralized the poison tribulation lightning. At the same time, she shouted: "Pill poison countermeasure, neutralize the tribulation power!"
A He manipulated the Nether Vines and purple-gold holy bud, weaving them into an emerald green vine shield. The life force merged with the life force tribulation lightning; not only was it not destroyed, but it instead absorbed a portion of the tribulation power: "Life force merges, converts tribulation energy!"
The four cooperated tacitly. Su Qingyuan's Sword Intent broke the tribulation, Ling Wei's star array unloaded the force, Luo Ningshuang's pill poison neutralized it, and A He's life force converted it; the first composite tribulation lightning was successfully resisted. However, the tribulation cloud did not dissipate; instead, it became even denser. The might of the second tribulation lightning was several times stronger than before. The four-colored light intertwined, and it struck down again with the might to tear through space!
"qingxuan burning heaven sword, slash!" Su Qingyuan leaped up, combining the two swords, and the cyan-gold Sword Gang slashed directly at the tribulation lightning.
"Three-Ring Spirit Gathering Array, defend!" Ling Wei transformed the star array into a three-layered barrier, resisting the tribulation might layer by layer.
"Nine-Turn Bone-Eroding Poison, disperse!" Luo Ningshuang spat out a stream of purple mist, the poison patterns spreading along the tribulation lightning, disintegrating its power structure.
"purple-gold holy bud, entangle!" A He manipulated the vines to entangle the tribulation lightning, and life force flowed in along the vines, further converting the tribulation energy.
The four-colored tribulation lightning collided with the four's defenses. An earth-shattering roar resounded through the East Peak, and the spiritual mist was shaken into violent surging; even the blue stones of the platform at the summit were trembling slightly. However, although the defenses of the four were shaken to the point of teetering, they never shattered. The power of the second tribulation lightning was successfully resolved, and a portion was converted into pure energy, feeding back into the pill embryos of the four.
The third tribulation lightning was the last one, and also the strongest. The four-colored tribulation cloud completely fused, transforming into a massive four-colored tribulation pillar, carrying the might to destroy heaven and earth, and smashed down fiercely towards the four!
"Fight with everything!" Su Qingyuan pushed her Azure Profound Sword Intent to the limit, and the two swords transformed into two streaks of light, merging into the tribulation pillar.
Ling Wei's star array intertwined with Luo Ningshuang's pill mist and A He's vines, forming a Four Symbols defensive net, blocking in front of the tribulation pillar.