Chapter 176: Crown-Feathered Purple-Scaled • Breakthrough to the Foundation Building Ninth Layer

Chapter 176: Crown-Feathered Purple-Scaled • Breakthrough to the Foundation Building Ninth Layer

With the Mutated Spirit Tortoise no longer obstructing them, retrieving the turtle eggs became effortless.

Xiao Chen swiftly dealt with the guarding female turtle and located the eggs hidden within the valley.

However, not all the eggs were worth taking back—most had already spoiled, their vitality long extinguished.

This would have originally posed a challenge; anyone attempting to steal the eggs would need the ability to distinguish the viable ones.

Fortunately, with Qi Xingwen present, five genuine Spirit Tortoise Eggs were quickly identified.

This exceeded the Qiu family’s initial expectation of two eggs by a full three.

The eggs were carefully placed into two specially prepared spirit beast pouches to protect them and conceal their aura.

The trio immediately began their return journey.

Yet they hadn’t traveled far when, passing near a dense forest, a thick fog suddenly billowed outward, covering an area of roughly one hundred and forty or fifty meters.

It was precisely noon and three ke (about 1:45 PM), with the sun blazing overhead.

Strangely, the fog refused to dissipate—it grew denser instead, quickly enveloping the entire forest and spreading outward.

The surrounding heavenly qi also rushed rapidly into the woods, as if something within was devouring the spiritual energy.

“Hiss~ Could that purple-scaled python be molting?!”

Qi Xingwen’s voice carried uneasy surprise.

Within the territory of a Golden Core Yao beast, such a disturbance could only originate from the beast itself.

Song Jingyi’s face tightened with concern: “We must leave the Wanyao Mountain Range immediately. If it completes its breakthrough, our current route will no longer be safe.”

Fortunately, the purple-scaled python couldn’t hunt while molting.

Thus, the trio no longer needed to time their journey around midday. Traveling day and night without pause, they flew nonstop for eleven hours, escaping the python’s former domain.

They continued cautiously—traveling by day and hiding at night to avoid black-eyed bears, then reversing to night travel to evade golden eagles.

However, as they neared the mountain range’s edge at dusk, a thunderous roar suddenly split the sky.

Violent mana fluctuations followed, destabilizing the trio’s breathing even within their cave.

Xiao Chen stealthily emerged from the cave entrance, hiding atop a mountain peak to observe.

About twenty-five kilometers away, violent winds howled and purple lightning writhed like dragons, erupting in fiery explosions that flattened entire forests and collapsed the tops of nearby hills.

“Zhi!”

A piercing shriek rang out as a golden eagle with a three-meter wingspan circled a mountain peak.

Surrounding it were torrents of azure gales, their oppressive spiritual pressure palpable even from dozens of kilometers away.

Xiao Chen had no doubt that a single gust could slice through a hill.

Near the eagle’s nest on the peak, a serpent twenty-one meters long coiled, its body crackling with lightning.

The electric discharges made it impossible to discern whether its scales were naturally purple or merely illuminated by the storm.

The serpent raised its head defiantly, flicking its tongue.

“Zhi!”

The golden eagle shrieked again. With a flap of its wings, more gales gathered, forming razor-sharp blades descending from the sky.

“Boom!”

Despite the clear day, thunder clapped.

A water-pipe-thick bolt of azure lightning surged toward the eagle, striking before the gales could fall.

Feathers exploded into the air.

“Puchi!”

The sound of flesh tearing echoed.

Amidst the gales, a hidden arc of wind—identical in appearance but several times stronger—slashed the python’s body, carving away a chunk of flesh and scattering fresh scales.

The surrounding flora and fauna were no safer; scattered whirlwinds from the battle’s aftermath ravaged the landscape.

To the two Golden Core Yao beasts, these were mere byproducts of combat.

To everything else nearby, they were apocalyptic.

Within a ten-kilometer radius centered on the python, not even a blade of grass survived.

A Golden Core unleashing its full power could irreversibly devastate its surroundings.

It was only due to the restraint of Southern Domain Golden Core Zhenren—who rarely engaged in combat—that ordinary life could persist in relative safety.

The sudden Wind Blade strike sent the python into a frenzy.

Its elongated body twisted into grotesque shapes before it opened its maw, exhaling a dense fog.

In moments, the world turned gray, blinding sight and spiritual senses alike.

The fog hissed as it corroded the earth and rocks below, its toxicity undeniable.

Yet a faint golden light technique soon emerged, revealing the eagle’s immunity to the poison.

Still circling, it sought to reclaim its nest.

Xiao Chen, ignoring the surging spiritual energy around him, activated his truth-seeing spirit eye for a clearer view.

Witnessing the clash of wind and lightning, he recalled the Wind-Thunder Pair Swords, gaining a sudden, deeper understanding of both elements.

Unfortunately, distance limited his vision despite his truth-seeing spirit eye.

“Cultivator Xiao, we must leave now!”

Song Jingyi approached nervously: “We’re too close! They might charge this way at any moment!”

Xiao Chen hesitated.

Golden Core battles were rare in the Southern Domain, and even rarer were wind-thunder attribute confrontations.

Having recently comprehended the Yin-Yang Synergy Manual, he felt he was on the verge of a breakthrough.

This battle might be the key.

Clutching his teeth, he turned: “Fellow Cultivator Song, do you have any extra aura-concealing spiritual elixirs? Lend me two bottles if possible.”

“Huh?” Song Jingyi stared in disbelief. What was he planning?

“Cultivator Xiao, that’s a golden eagle commanding gales—its wingspan covers hundreds of kilometers. Once targeted, even the best escape techniques won’t save you!”

Xiao Chen reassured him: “I know my limits. You and Fellow Cultivator Qi leave first—I’m faster. Let me observe a while longer. Wind and lightning rarely converge; this might be my chance to grasp something.”

Reluctantly, Song Jingyi retrieved four bottles from his storage bag: “Then I’ll go with Fellow Cultivator Qi. Be careful, Cultivator Xiao.”

He glanced toward the distant battle, then hurried down the mountain, avoiding flight to evade attention.

Qi Xingwen followed closely, both fleeing southward.

“Boom!”

A surge of spiritual energy rippled as the python’s fog held firm.

Xiao Chen poured an aura-concealing elixir over himself and edged closer.

He’d observe from near the battlefield, ready to dive into the fray if needed.

Poison fog? No problem.

---

Sometimes, one must acknowledge that cultivation talent is also a form of destiny.

Some are born with photographic memories, able to grasp cosmic truths from watching battles or even inventing spells.

Xiao Chen, however, lacked such gifts.

Crouched at the mountain’s base, he watched for ages, recognizing only the beasts’ immense power.

Though the wind-thunder clash resonated faintly within him, the final spark of insight eluded him.

It felt like seeing a familiar face yet forgetting their name—so close, yet maddeningly out of reach.

He considered moving closer but ultimately chose caution.

Ten kilometers was already perilously near; approaching further risked accidental harm from the beasts.

Better to stay here, observing with his truth-seeing spirit eye.

For reasons unknown, the two Yao beasts fought with escalating fury, neither yielding.

The golden eagle faltered again, struck by another purple lightning bolt that scattered feathers.

One drifted down, landing thirty meters from Xiao Chen.

Not close, but not far either.

At his Body Cultivation realm, crawling there in three breaths was feasible.

Moving slowly, he could avoid drawing attention.

Xiao Chen eyed the feather, tempted.

He’d come this far—leaving empty-handed felt pointless.

Crawling forward, he retrieved the foot-long, six-inch-wide feather, its base stained with golden blood and brimming with wind mana.

This was a crown feather from the eagle’s head—the most valuable kind.

He quickly stored it.

Looking up, he spotted another crown feather twenty meters ahead, nestled in a crater.

Closer still.

Glancing skyward, the eagle still circled the lone peak.

Xiao Chen advanced, retrieving the feather.

Nearby, fifteen meters away, lay a purple scale—severed from the python by gales.

Under his truth-seeing spirit eye, faint lightning mana pulsed.

A rare Thunder-attribute Spirit Herb.

He collected it, then noticed another feather five meters away, then a scale ten meters beyond.

---

Unbeknownst to him, the two Golden Core Yao beasts had sensed his presence long ago.

The aura-concealing elixir masked his cultivation realm, but their focus remained locked on each other.

Until the eagle noticed its missing crown feathers.

“Zhi!”

A gale struck, triggering Xiao Chen’s Night’s Blade.

He could have blocked it with a defensive artifact, but instead, he activated his escape technique, dashing southward without hesitation.

He’d already gathered nineteen crown feathers and seven purple scales—a bountiful haul.

These were all Tier-Three Spirit Herbs, far from ordinary.

The crown feathers were priceless, but the python had molted recently—its new scales brimmed with potent lightning mana.

More importantly, such treasures were unattainable in the Southern Domain.

Not for lack of spirit stones, but because no market existed.

Golden Core Zhenren hoarded them, and any surplus was traded eastward for other resources.

“Why not return to Li Zhou for a visit? Or find a remote mountain for secluded cultivation?”

Hiding in a mountain ravine a hundred li away, Xiao Chen waited for Night’s Blade while pondering how to handle the crown feather and scale.

The Spirit Origin Sect was always patrolled by Golden Core Zhenren. He wasn’t sure if he dared to extract their essence there.

If caught, the consequences would be dire.

The safest approach was to avoid Yuan Ci Peak entirely and use the items himself elsewhere.

Returning to Li Zhou seemed unnecessary. Better to head west and find a desolate mountain.

He’d seek out a place with thin spiritual energy, burrow in, and no one would ever guess.

Though a full day late, Xiao Chen caught up with Song Jingyi and Qi Xingwen before leaving the Wanyao Mountain Range.

“I watched for a whole day,” he half-truthfully claimed, “but failed to comprehend anything.”

The two reassured him, saying enlightenment was never easy and not worth dwelling on.

As for the third-tier Spirit Herb, they hadn’t even dared to consider claiming it.

After all, no Foundation Building cultivator had ever dared snatch a Golden Core Yao Beast’s spoils from under its nose.

The trio returned to Xianghe Bazaar.

“Cultivator Xiao! Fellow Cultivators Song and Qi! You’re finally back!”

Qiu Qichen rushed forward, breathless with excitement. “You’ve been gone nearly a month—I’ve worried endlessly about your safety!”

His words held genuine concern. Only with their safety secured could the Qiu Clan hope to obtain the Spirit Tortoise Egg.

“Fellow Cultivator Qiu, here are the two Earth-Storing Spirit Tortoise Eggs as agreed. Please inspect them.”

Xiao Chen handed over two Spirit Tortoise Eggs first.

The Qiu Clan had assumed only two pairs of spirit turtles existed, so the agreement had been for two eggs.

As for the remaining three, Xiao Chen had initially suggested splitting them evenly.

But Song Jingyi declined, saying he was a lone cultivator with no need for such things. Raising one would waste Spirit Herbs.

Moreover, Xiao Chen had contributed the most to the mission and deserved the extra spoils.

Qi Xingwen also shook his head. The Qi Clan was already nurturing a guardian spirit beast and lacked the resources to care for a second.

Unlike other clans, the Qi were beast-taming experts. New Foundation Building spirit beasts were common in their lineage—this turtle was hardly a rarity.

Thus, the remaining three Spirit Tortoise Eggs became Xiao Chen’s extra share.

Yet he had no desire to raise spirit turtles himself.

He took out the three eggs and negotiated their price with Qiu Qichen.

However, the Qiu Clan lacked sufficient Spirit Stones.

It wasn’t that they couldn’t afford the eggs, but the cultivation costs were prohibitively high. They couldn’t afford to raise five spirit turtles simultaneously.

If resources went to beasts instead of people, clan morale would crumble.

After lengthy discussions, the Qiu Elders resolved to bite the bullet and spend twenty thousand Spirit Stones for one more egg.

As for the remaining two, they could only sigh at their helplessness.

“Cultivator Xiao, I have one more favor to ask.”

Qiu Qichen escorted Xiao Chen to the door. “If convenient, please sell the last two eggs in Li Zhou.”

Xiao Chen nodded. “No problem. Fellow Cultivator Qiu, rest assured.”

Such items were easy to sell—there was always demand in Li Zhou.

Alternatively, he could keep them in the Chen Clan. Either way, disposal would be simple.

Leaving Xianghe Bazaar, Xiao Chen headed west as planned, seeking secluded cultivation.

He deliberately chose an unremarkable mountain, seizing a black bear’s cave as a temporary dwelling.

The bear, a mundane beast, fled at his mere aura.

Ordinarily, cultivators struggled to breakthrough or comprehend in such low spiritual energy environments.

But Xiao Chen had prepared a portable Five Elements Formation in advance.

This was the formation he’d acquired at the Qiu Estate auction.

Now, he placed the formation disks according to the designated positions, embedding three hundred Spirit Stones to their maximum capacity.

Activating all disks, dense spiritual energy surged forth, confined within a ten-meter radius without a single leak.

Soon, the spiritual energy concentration multiplied dozens of times, surpassing even Yuan Ci Peak’s peak.

Standing inside was akin to standing within a second-tier spirit vein.

“This device is truly convenient.”

Xiao Chen marveled. Eastern Territory craftsmanship was indeed superior.

Portable formation flags like the Yellow Wind Quicksand Formation had only five uses and weaker power compared to the original.

But this formation disk perfectly replicated the effect, with over a hundred uses—practically disposable.

Its simplicity made it accessible to even beginners.

This glimpse revealed the Eastern Territory’s overwhelming technical superiority over the Southern Domain.

With preparations complete, Xiao Chen sat cross-legged, retrieving his Wind-Thunder Pair Swords.

As mana flowed into the twin blades, wind and thunder energies surged.

He gripped one sword in each hand, recalling the duel between the two Golden Core spirit beasts.

“Still no progress?”

Though his spirit sea held clear memories, the experience paled compared to witnessing it firsthand.

Recollection alone offered little help.

He used his fingertips to clamp a crown feather and a violet scale, actively stimulating the mana and aura within the Spirit Herbs to simulate the scene.

Suddenly, the effect improved dramatically.

The residual pressure aura in the Spirit Herbs made him feel immersed in the moment.

The stimulated mana wasn’t wasted either—it cycled through his dantian before infusing into the Wind-Thunder Pair Swords according to their attributes.

Now that the twin swords had awakened their spiritual essence, they could absorb Spirit Herbs to evolve into spiritual artifacts.

This allowed Xiao Chen to both refine his wind-thunder comprehension and enhance his Flying Sword—a true two birds with one stone scenario.

This was precisely why he’d approached the two Yao Beasts when he sensed wind mana in the crown feather.

Unknowingly, a full day and night passed.

When all Spirit Herbs were exhausted, Xiao Chen finally emerged from meditation.

Guided by the feather and scale, he’d relived the Wanyao Mountain Range, becoming one of the two spirit beasts.

One moment slicing with gales, the next thunderclapping.

Especially with the Wind-Thunder Pair Swords, he’d gained insights into the Yin-Yang Principle.

Though the Spirit Herbs were gone, a spark of enlightenment flickered in his spirit sea.

“I see now—the key was within me all along.”

He chuckled, shaking his head, then retrieved the Triple Revolving Xuan Yuan Pill he’d prepared and swallowed it.

He took out the Yin-Yang Fish Compass, suspending it with mana before him.

As he softly recited the inscriptions, his spiritual sense delved into his dantian, sensing the pill’s medicinal changes.

The Triple Revolving Xuan Yuan Pill contained three primary ingredients, each with unique properties:

Balancing the Five Elements, Yang within Yin, and Yin within Yang.

It naturally embodied the transformation of Yin-Yang Five Elements, refined to a higher level.

Under the pill’s effects, the spirit flowers in Xiao Chen’s dantian gradually turned black and white, petals falling one by one.

Countless sparks of insight ignited in his mind, previously obscure concepts now crystal clear.

For him, breaking through to the Foundation Building Ninth Layer was inevitable.

Thus, Xiao Chen focused entirely on comprehending Yin-Yang transformations.

As his concentration deepened, time itself seemed to slow.

After an indeterminate period, a surge of powerful mana erupted within the cave.

“Yin and Yang cycle eternally—this is the Dao’s eternal law!”

Xiao Chen’s eyes snapped open as he laughed heartily. “Hahahah! So this is it!”

He’d long since broken through to the Foundation Building Ninth Layer, completely immersed in comprehending the Yin-Yang Synergy Manual.

The mysteries that had eluded him in the Wanyao Mountain Range now seemed obvious in hindsight.

As the saying goes: A true disciple understands with a single word.

The four words “Yin-Yang Cycle” had unveiled the secret technique’s profound mystery.

His earlier confusion stemmed from being “within the mountain,” unable to see the true face.

“But the greatest gain this time was the False Core.”

Xiao Chen used his spiritual sense to observe. His False Core was now evenly split into black and white halves.

This transformation proved his genuine comprehension of the Yin-Yang Principle.

Beyond the color change, the False Core’s mana capacity had doubled from 333 to 666 channels—

nearly equivalent to obtaining a new False Core.

Or rather, his original False Core had divided into Yin and Yang halves, each equal to the original whole.

But it went further. Xiao Chen sensed a deeper truth:

When he eventually pursued the Golden Core stage, this comprehension would increase his Golden Core Formation success rate.

Though just an intuition, even a 0.5% increase in Golden Core Formation odds was cause for celebration.

If revealed, it might make the entire Southern Domain’s Foundation Building cultivators green with envy.

“I wonder how long this secluded cultivation took.”

Xiao Chen surveyed the surroundings. The Spirit Stones in the formation were completely drained.

Judging by this, at least ten days had passed outside.

“Has it really been this long?”

With the current turbulent times, prolonged absence could cause unnecessary worry and misunderstanding.

Better to return soon and reassure everyone.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end