Chapter 189: Gaining the Prismatic Hex Again

Chapter 189: Gaining the Prismatic Hex Again

Successfully forming a Flawless Golden Core meant Xiao Chen had already crossed the most difficult step of his entire breakthrough process.

But he couldn’t relax yet—three crucial steps still remained.

They were: condensing true mana, strengthening spiritual sense, and forging the Golden Body.

Golden Core cultivators held an overwhelming advantage over Foundation Building cultivators because their true mana was far more refined and powerful than liquid mana.

Just as Foundation Building cultivators could amplify spell potency threefold by using liquid mana, Golden Core cultivators could further boost their spell potency by up to fivefold through true mana.

Therefore, even a newly ascended Golden Core cultivator who hadn’t yet learned third-tier spells or obtained spiritual artifacts could effortlessly annihilate a Foundation Building peak expert.

This absolute power advantage allowed Golden Core Adepts to act as detached overlords without fearing betrayal.

Conversely, if one was forced to interrupt the breakthrough process before condensing true mana, they couldn’t be considered a true Golden Core Zhenren.

To condense true mana, one first needed vast amounts of spiritual energy.

Many cultivators aggressively siphoned nearby spiritual energy, often causing heavenly qi to backflow across dozens to hundreds of kilometers, creating various celestial phenomena—Golden Core formation omens.

This would expose their location, making them vulnerable to attacks.

However, Xiao Chen had chosen an excellent breakthrough site: a desolate wasteland spanning ten thousand kilometers in all directions, ensuring no interruptions.

As for spiritual energy, that was never an issue.

With a mere thought, the false core hovering midair radiated brilliant light.

The mana taiji cycle swirling around it generated immense suction, draining spiritual energy from surrounding spirit stones.

Every breath consumed one spirit stone.

This continued for six full hours before all the mana within Xiao Chen’s body was fully transformed into true mana.

Exactly one hundred and eight strands—perfectly aligning with the number of celestial cycles.

The moment the transformation completed, the golden core within his dantian naturally emitted a powerful attraction, drawing every strand of true mana into itself.

From now on, all true mana would be stored in the golden core rather than the dantian.

This allowed cultivators to use true mana to nourish the golden core or draw upon the golden core to refine true mana further.

If one later learned Golden Core secret techniques, even more benefits would follow.

However, this also meant that if the golden core was damaged, the cultivator’s true mana reserves would diminish, causing their cultivation realm to regress.

If the golden core was completely destroyed, even surviving through ancestral protection or Spirit Herbs would leave them a broken shell.

After completing the true mana condensation, the next step was strengthening spiritual sense.

According to the Yellow Spring Sovereign’s World Salvation and Punishment Secret Manual, the newly formed golden core was a convergence of essence, energy, and spirit.

However, if one failed to absorb its divine essence promptly, they would have to painstakingly cultivate their spiritual sense manually.

The amount of divine essence depended on the cultivator’s innate talent before Golden Core formation.

As a low-grade spirit root, Xiao Chen hadn’t held high hopes.

Following the manual, he carefully extended his spiritual sense into his dantian, focusing his mind before forcefully plunging it into the golden core.

“Dun!”

It felt like piercing an invisible membrane, plunging into deep water.

Xiao Chen’s spiritual sense suddenly felt thousands of times lighter, rapidly expanding like blowing bubbles.

His Foundation Building peak spiritual sense range had previously been around 900 zhang (3,000 meters).

He was slightly stronger, reaching about 1,000 zhang (3,333 meters).

But now, he felt as if he’d left his physical body, his vision soaring higher.

Two thousand zhang, three thousand zhang, four thousand zhang…

Until every grain of sand and stone within thirty li (15 kilometers) appeared vividly before him.

Xiao Chen finally felt his spiritual sea straining, realizing his overextension, and retracted his spiritual sense.

“How could there be so much?”

According to the Yellow Spring Manual, ordinary Golden Core early-stage demonic cultivators had spiritual sense ranges between twenty to thirty li (10–15 kilometers).

As a low-grade spirit root, he’d expected to barely reach twenty li (10 km)—the passing threshold.

Yet, he’d directly hit the maximum limit.

Xiao Chen quickly realized this was another benefit of his solid foundation.

Others might assume he relied on Spirit Herbs to artificially boost his cultivation, but with hex assistance, his progress was akin to painstaking cultivation. Coupled with the Heavenly Dao Foundation Building’s excellent base, achieving the maximum spiritual sense range was natural.

“Excellent! With this, I won’t be at a disadvantage against ordinary Golden Core cultivators in spiritual sense range.”

“And in the future, catching up to heavenly spirit root geniuses will also be much easier.”

Smiling, Xiao Chen didn’t slacken his efforts.

Without a suitable third-tier cultivation manual, he temporarily activated the Yu Ling Jue, circulating true mana through his body.

Using true mana, he completed the final step of Golden Core formation—forging the Golden Body!

Advancing from Foundation Building to Golden Core wasn’t merely about gaining a golden core—it was a transcendence of life’s essence.

The simplest proof was the lifespan limit skyrocketing from 200 to 500 years.

At this cultivation stage, worldly affairs and grudges became irrelevant.

Some reclusive Golden Core Zhenren, especially those in remote regions, often grew cold or irritable, indifferent or wanton, viewing mortals and low-tier cultivators as livestock or weeds.

In contrast, places like the Eastern Territory had more Golden Core cultivators, so such extremes were less common.

There were also rumors that Golden Core cultivators mating with Foundation Building cultivators rarely produced offspring.

Some Golden Core Zhenren kept hundreds of concubines, indulging daily, yet after 300 years, only bore dozens of children.

In a mortal family or cultivation clan, 300 years could expand their numbers to thousands or even tens of thousands.

The inscription on the White Jade Wall once stated: “Golden Body forged, longevity attained, ageless beauty unmarred by illness.”

Besides longevity, Golden Core Zhenren naturally retained youthful appearances.

As long as they maintained their looks, even a 200–300-year-old elder could appear 20–30 years old.

Only after crossing 400 years would aging signs gradually appear.

Even mortal-incurable diseases became trivial.

This final Golden Body forging step consumed the most time.

Xiao Chen patiently guided true mana through his body repeatedly.

Gradually, a faint golden light technique enveloped him, causing his old skin to rapidly age and shed, replaced by fresh, fair skin.

Outside the volcano crater where Xiao Chen broke through, despite the thin spiritual energy, golden light technique began to diffuse within ten li (5 km).

Soon, threads of spiritual energy gathered above the crater, slowly forming a spiritual energy cloud.

As the cloud expanded, it grew heavier, pressing toward the ground.

At a certain moment, having reached its limit, droplets of spiritual rain fell.

This rain lasted three days and nights.

After the clouds dissipated, any passerby would see tiny sprouts dotting the crater’s ten-li (5 km) radius.

Atop the crater, a bright purple morning glory quietly bloomed.

Had this been within his clan’s territory, cultivators with wood spirit roots could have gained immense benefits from this spiritual rain.

“Golden Body forged!”

Inside the crater, Xiao Chen suddenly opened his eyes, joy finally lighting his face.

At this moment, he had fully achieved Golden Core cultivation, standing at the pinnacle of the Southern Domain.

Under normal circumstances, the vast Southern Domain would hold no forbidden grounds for him.

“Unfortunately, the Demonic Dao’s threat still looms.”

Though Xiao Chen didn’t yet know the Spirit Origin Sect’s current situation, he could deduce it was dire.

The Divine Flame Cult already held the advantage, and with the White Bone Demon Body’s descent, Hezhou faced endless calamities.

Xiao Chen could have easily established his own sect and instantly become the first and only dominant power in Li Zhou if he chose this path.

Moreover, according to the description, the clones produced by this hex retained his full strength without the risk of permanent death—essentially granting him an endless supply of disposable warriors.

"Come to think of it, if the replication is perfect, couldn’t I form a small-scale formation all by myself?"

Some formations required multiple cultivators to activate simultaneously, and more complex ones even demanded that every participant master formation techniques. With perfect clones, setting up such formations would become vastly more convenient.

However, Xiao Chen furrowed his brows slightly. "But this hex doesn’t seem to solve the issue of the White Bone Demon Body, does it?"

While it undeniably boosted combat power, the Forest Illusion enhanced quantity rather than quality.

This was a delicate matter. Ancient texts had stated: "Only the combined strength of multiple Golden Core Great Sages could defeat it." They had never clarified whether sheer numbers could overcome the demon body.

He continued reading. The second hex was: Worth the Wait II.

"A fifth-tier spirit beast?!"

Xiao Chen’s eyes widened. "A Nascent Soul Great Sage!"

He inhaled sharply. This was the true pinnacle of the cultivation world.

Countless ancient texts and legends alluded to Nascent Soul cultivators as the ceiling of mortal power. If he obtained a Nascent Soul-stage spirit beast, he could ride its might like a tiger’s shadow, dominating the entire cultivation world.

Any foolhardy adversary would face the wrath of his spirit beast.

"And this 'random' aspect is intriguing", Xiao Chen mused.

He recalled a footnote in an obscure book mentioning that Nascent Soul spirit beasts could truly transform into human forms—not through illusions or shape-shifting arts, but genuine metamorphosis. They could even marry and bear children with human cultivators.

That book had included 250 illustrations depicting tales of cat, rabbit, and fox demons entangled with humans. The variety of "poses" was... extensive.

"The only downside is the waiting time—it’s a tad long."

Thirty years to build a Foundation, sixty for Golden Core Formation, ninety for Nascent Soul. At minimum, 180 years to reach Nascent Soul.

Yet the results, as the name promised, would be worth the wait.

A Foundation-building cultivator already lived 200 years. As a Golden Core cultivator, Xiao Chen had 500 years ahead. Spending 180 years was trivial.

Theoretically, after 90 years of Nascent Soul Formation, this spirit beast would already be formidable.

At the very least, conquering the Southern Domain would pose little challenge. Xiao Chen could easily become its sovereign.

Spirit beasts also had long lifespans. If this beast could be passed down within his family, its value would multiply exponentially over millennia.

Choosing this hex would let him retreat and build the Xiao Clan into one of the cultivation world’s greatest families for tens of thousands of years.

"But for me, establishing a clan isn’t necessary."

Xiao Chen’s goal was immortality, not legacy.

"Besides, all power should stem from oneself. That’s more reliable."

Even a mighty spirit beast couldn’t guarantee his safety. After all, it was a "random" beast—what if it lacked protective instincts? Facing Nascent Soul cultivators, his own fists would still be more practical.

The most critical issue was that this hex wouldn’t help with the immediate threats: the White Bone Demon Body or the Divine Flame Cult.

Sixty years for Golden Core Formation was too slow. The righteous-evil war might conclude in six years. If the righteous path lost, everyone would suffer.

When the nest falls, no egg survives.

Xiao Chen turned to the final hex.

"Wtf!"

Seeing the bold words "Featherweight Class Iii", Xiao Chen’s spirit soared. "Finally, a repeated hex!"

All previous hexes had been unique, making him worry that missing one might mean losing its chance forever.

He was intimately familiar with Featherweight Class.

Simple, direct, and immensely practical.

It took effect instantly, offering powerful results without prolonged waiting.

Its only flaw was becoming slightly obsolete as his cultivation stage rose.

As cultivators’ mana solidified into true mana, the gap between the "Heaven, Earth, Xuan, Huang" spell tiers widened dramatically.

Xiao Chen had been unsure where to seek advanced cultivation manuals after breaking through to Golden Core.

But now, this hex clarified his path.

Yellow-tier manuals were easy to obtain and simple to understand—perfect for someone of ordinary talent.

He’d always been self-aware about his mediocre aptitude.

This hex also had a new note: "Independent stacking, fully cumulative!"

Xiao Chen whispered the words, his mind reeling.

"If I’m not mistaken, this means a hundredfold multiplier?!"

At face value, it was exactly that!

Such a boost could bridge the gap between tiers, letting him surpass even Heaven-tier manuals.

"This could push a Heaven-tier manual two or three ranks higher!"

Choosing this hex would let him cultivate a Yellow-tier manual while celestial geniuses used Heaven-tier ones.

Yet in practical power, he’d be the one wielding Heaven-tier strength, while they struggled with Mystic or Yellow-tier equivalents.

It wasn’t just surpassing—it was flipping the hierarchy.

This hex also balanced growth and combat power.

It accelerated Xiao Chen’s cultivation, hastening his next hex choice.

And it provided immediate combat strength to counter the Divine Flame Cult.

"The only question is whether this hex can handle the White Bone Demon Body?"

He had no third-tier cultivation manuals—aside from the Demon Cultivation Techniques.

Yellow-tier manuals were relatively accessible, but in the Southern Domain, there were barely any third-tier ones.

When he ventured to the Eastern Territory’s Hundred Grass Forbidden Realm, he’d need to gather third-tier spells.

But the hex selection time was ending. He had to decide.

Guided by his "power from within" philosophy, he first eliminated Worth the Wait II.

Between the remaining two, Forest Illusion offered the highest long-term potential.

Yet after weighing them, Xiao Chen chose Featherweight Class Iii.

Compared to Forest Illusion’s numerical advantage and future potential, he prioritized quality and immediate combat power.

The 100x cultivation speed boost was simply too tempting.

As he made his choice, the true mana in his body surged tenfold.

Mana coursed through his meridians like untamed stallions, rampaging wildly.

After a quarter-hour of adjustment, Xiao Chen grew accustomed to the new enhancement.

The entire volcano crater was littered with 66,666 drained spirit stones.

The portable Spirit Gathering Formation’s 300 spirit stones were also depleted.

Xiao Chen retrieved his Internal Elixir, unearthed the formation disk, and collected the volcano crater’s formation flags.

This Yellow Wind Quicksand Formation had only triggered once since he acquired it.

That time, it failed completely.

Now, at noon under a cloudless sky, Xiao Chen stood atop the crater, letting sunlight warm his face as he admired the scattered green shoots.

"This breakthrough might take about thirty days", he mused.

Though impervious to cold and heat, the sunlight hinted it was mid-to-late June.

He lingered, basking in the rare warmth.

From his storage bag, he retrieved the White Bone Soul-summoning Banner and the Ghost-faced Mystic Light Shield.

Other Golden Core cultivators would fret over spiritual artifacts after formation.

Xiao Chen had no such worries, possessing these two pre-prepared artifacts—one offensive, one defensive.

With a thought, true mana flowed from his Golden Core, coursing into the artifacts.

Unlike the mana rituals he’d used before, the true mana ignited radiant glows on the artifacts.

"Wow, the demand is huge!"

After initial refinement, he realized these artifacts weren’t easy to wield.

The White Bone Soul-summoning Banner required at least 30 true mana strands to activate.

The Ghost-faced Mystic Light Shield doubled that—60 strands.

As the Yellow Springs Secret Manual noted, spiritual artifacts differed from magic artifacts.

They had no clear tier system, only varying true mana demands.

High potency meant high consumption. Some artifacts required up to 270 strands.

A Golden Core cultivator at peak had only 333 strands.

Many third-tier spells also devoured true mana voraciously.

To ease this, many artifacts had dual forms: a basic form usable after initial refinement, and an advanced "Soul Awakening" form requiring full refinement.

The latter typically doubled the mana cost, making daily use burdensome.

After recovering slightly, Xiao Chen channeled all his mana into the White Bone Soul-summoning Banner—yet still couldn’t fully refine it.

"Wtf, the gap’s at least fourfold!"

The Yellow Springs Path had truly gone all out for their potential heir.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end