Chapter 246: Breakthrough Golden Core Late Stage

Chapter 246: Breakthrough Golden Core Late Stage

Cang Ming Immortal Sect.

“The monitoring formation has been triggered again,” reported the Senior Apprentice of the Sect Master.

The Inner Affairs Elder urgently added, “This time, we also detected a massive spiritual energy tide. It appears two Golden Core True Sovereigns may have clashed.”

Tie Shan True Sovereign’s complexion remained calm. “Destroy the monitoring records. Not a word of this leaves this room.”

He already had a rough idea of what happened.

The prodigy had reported detecting a Golden Core cultivator sneaking into the forbidden zone, and tonight coincided with the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

Choosing this specific time to intrude was practically suicide.

Most likely, that unfortunate intruder was discovered by Su Li and eliminated.

To him, this matter itself wasn’t important.

As long as Su Li remained on the island and didn’t venture out, everything else could be managed.

But come to think of it, why had multiple Golden Core cultivators suddenly started heading there this year?

Was it because some information had leaked, luring these audacious Bandit Cultivators to take risks? Or was it due to growing unrest in the cultivation world?

After all, Su Li was a genuine Golden Core True Sovereign—her existence alone was formidable.

Who knew if someone had started scheming against her?

Should he dispatch patrols?

Tie Shan True Sovereign felt a pang of worry. In recent years, one major crisis after another had left the sect severely understaffed.

His gaze drifted to the invitation letter on the table. The newly emerged Chong Zhen Sect was another headache.

They’d boldly announced a Golden Core Grand Ceremony and widely distributed invitations.

Now they were even promoting a new “True Sovereign’s Dao Lecture” segment at the event, openly inviting all solitary cultivators.

Who knew what ulterior motives they had?

Then there was the Zhao Kong Sect in the north, which seemed to be communicating with several reclusive clans while secretly sending envoys to contact the Buddhist Sect.

They clearly weren’t interested in peaceful coexistence.

Fortunately, the Cang Ming Immortal Sect had the Tian Gang Sect and Mo Zhang Sect to the north, and the Yun Tao Sword Hut to the east as natural barriers.

Even if trouble arose, they wouldn’t be the first to bear the brunt.

“Sigh, these are truly troubled times.”

Tie Shan True Sovereign couldn’t help sighing. If he’d known how many troubles would follow, he’d never have accepted the Sect Master position from his master back then.

No wonder many sects hesitated and eventually handed the role to younger Golden Core disciples to handle mundane affairs.

Just these few major issues were enough to cause endless headaches.

Silent Calamity Island.

As the morning sun rose, the lunar eclipse finally ended.

Su Li looked at Xiao Chen with a complex expression. She’d clearly seen the prophecy earlier.

She naturally didn’t want to seek out the reincarnation of the Heaven Witch, but fate rarely cooperated.

Thinking of this, she suddenly felt less inclined to suppress her cultivation realm.

Possessing power might not guarantee defying fate, but at least it offered more choices.

The Nine Yin Calamity Spirit Body was both a curse and an asset for advancing her cultivation.

“Su Li?”

Xiao Chen waved a hand in front of her face. “Are you okay?”

The lunar eclipse had ended—why was she still spacing out?

Of course, she often lost herself in thought, sometimes for entire days. That wasn’t the issue.

The issue was—hand over the Blood Crystal already!

“I’m fine.”

Su Li snapped back to reality, offering a smile. “Let me help you refine the Blood Crystal.”

She reached into her chest and pulled out the hardened Blood Crystal, shaking it lightly.

“Wait a second.”

Su Li’s eyes narrowed as she examined the crystal. “Why does this Blood Crystal feel different from before?”

The difference wasn’t drastic, but the color seemed slightly deeper.

“Is that so?”

Xiao Chen studied it closely, speculating, “Wu Qi can absorb curses to enhance the Blood Crystal. Maybe that’s why?”

“It should be fine. Let’s just try.”

He couldn’t be sure, but with the Divine Veil, there was nothing to fear.

Though the color had shifted slightly, the vital energy within remained unchanged.

In no time, Xiao Chen’s life-essence core surged with ninety additional strands of true mana thanks to the Blood Crystal.

His total true mana now reached six hundred and six strands.

However, as the final surge of vital energy was refined, his body temperature began to rise abnormally.

Soon, his entire body turned bright red, like a boiled shrimp, emitting wisps of white steam.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Su Li’s expression darkened. She reached out to touch his forehead but recoiled as if burned.

She instantly realized the Blood Crystal must be the issue.

Previously, the curse’s power had been released gradually during the lunar eclipse.

This time, however, Wu Qi had condensed the entire curse into the Blood Crystal.

Could the curse be too intense for Xiao Chen’s unique constitution to handle?

A flicker of urgency crossed Su Li’s eyes. She wanted to help but feared interfering might backfire.

“It’s nothing. Probably just a blood qi issue.”

Xiao Chen answered briefly, continuing to inspect his meridians with spiritual sense.

As a Golden Core Zhenren, the high temperature was trivial.

Even if it persisted, it wouldn’t harm him.

But the fever was just a symptom—identifying the root cause was key.

Two hours later, the sudden fever subsided as mysteriously as it had appeared.

No other symptoms emerged, leaving Xiao Chen puzzled.

Since the hex remained dormant, it likely wasn’t a negative effect.

But what was it?

In truth, Xiao Chen had anticipated this possibility.

Each time he absorbed a Blood Crystal, the vital energy melted into his meridians never truly vanished.

But was this all it did—cause occasional fevers?

Clearly, it wasn’t that simple.

“Su Li, how much do you know about refining Blood Crystals?”

Deciding to pool their knowledge, Xiao Chen described the sensation of vital energy merging into his meridians.

Perhaps she’d encountered related legacy memories.

“Refining Blood Crystals?”

Su Li lowered her head, recalling.

Golden Core True Sovereigns had formidable memories, especially of intense experiences like a lunar eclipse.

Normally, she avoided recalling these painful memories, but now she searched her mind.

After careful thought, she recalled several relevant details.

"It sounds like Wu Blood Purification", Su Li explained. "In ancient times, if a Wu of the Moon Wu Clan absorbed six Blood Crystals, they could undergo Wu Blood Purification."

“It refines one’s bloodline and may even unlock shamanic magic.”

She calculated and frowned. “Strange. This is only your fifth Blood Crystal. Why did Wu Blood Purification activate early?”

Xiao Chen immediately understood.

He’d previously found an extra one—making it six in total.

That explained why the vital energy had merged into his meridians.

“But I’m not entirely sure,” Su Li hesitated. “Do you feel any shamanic magic awakening? Or memories from the bloodline’s legacy?”

Xiao Chen shook his head. “No. Except for the fever, I felt nothing.”

“Have you noticed any physical changes?” Su Li pressed. “Like battle patterns or tattoos appearing on your body?”

“Typically, Wu Blood Purification leaves such marks.”

Xiao Chen scanned himself with spiritual sense and confirmed, “Nothing. Is that normal?”

The inconsistency left Su Li confused.

She repeatedly recalled the legacy memories but found no further clues.

“Never mind. Don’t worry about it,” Xiao Chen advised. “My constitution is special. Maybe Wu Blood Purification, like curses, doesn’t fully apply to me.”

He cared more about another matter: “Will absorbing Blood Crystals trigger Wu Blood Purification again?”

Without Wu Clan bloodline, purification seemed pointless.

Su Li hesitated. “If you awaken shamanic magic, absorbing six more might grant another chance.”

“Those who failed before were never given another Blood Crystal.”

Tsk. That rule was harsh.

Understanding the fever’s cause, Xiao Chen dropped the matter.

At worst, absorbing six Blood Crystals would cause another fever—a minor inconvenience.

“Oh, I brought you two things this time.”

Xiao Chen retrieved the Youth Preserving Pill and the intelligence reports. “The intel might not be accurate, but it could pass the time.”

At the sight of the items, Su Li’s eyes briefly lit up.

But soon, a trace of melancholy surfaced. She didn’t reach out.

Shaking her head gently, she said, “In my current state, there’s no need to waste spirit pills.”

“After a century, I’ve stopped caring about such things.”

Xiao Chen pondered her words, finally understanding.

Su Li had emphasized “a century”!

She meant the Youth Preserving Pill arrived too late—she hadn’t taken it in her youth.

Frankly, that was nitpicking.

Golden Core True Sovereigns lived millennia. At over a hundred years old, Su Li was like a teenager in her prime.

Still, Xiao Chen understood female cultivators’ concerns.

He quickly complimented, “It doesn’t matter. You look just as beautiful now.”

Su Li blinked in disbelief. “Really?”

Since the moon eclipse, she hadn't heard such praise in ages.

Xiao Chen nodded. "Of course it's true!"

Su Li suddenly changed the subject. "Wait, what book is this?"

She reached behind her to take the Youth Preserving Pill, her eyes locked on the stack of intelligence reports as crimson flushed her cheeks.

"This? It's not a book."

Xiao Chen flipped open the intelligence. "I gathered this at the bazaar earlier—brought it back to keep you entertained."

"The top one's more reliable but boring. The bottom one's all rumors—it might be more entertaining."

Su Li fell silent for three heartbeats before murmuring, "Thank you."

She hadn't kept up with the outside world in ages. Never expected Xiao Chen to be so thoughtful, remembering this and specially bringing her the latest updates.

"Time's up. I'll go cultivate first."

As the sun rose, a powerful spiritual energy tide swept across the sea.

Xiao Chen immediately seized the moment, heading to the beach to begin cultivation. Since arriving at Mercy Sea Domain, seizing the morning spiritual energy tide had become his habit. After all, one hour of cultivation during this time equaled three ordinary hours—too valuable to miss.

In the following days, Xiao Chen continued his daily cultivation routine without fail. He'd previously obtained fifteen demon cores, and this time was perfect for absorbing them. Including those Third Stage spirit fruits, he ate them freely to maximize his cultivation efficiency.

But Su Li had completely changed. Previously, she'd spend her days staring blankly at the sea like a statue. Now she carried Wuqi, running off to pick flowers in the forest or dive in the ocean. Sometimes when she felt cheerful, she'd randomly select a lucky sea fish to bring back for a meal they'd share.

Truth be told, the island had practically no seasonings. For the past century, Su Li had survived almost entirely on absorbing heavenly qi. But no worries—since cultivating Xuan Fire Raven, Xiao Chen had developed the habit of carrying salt. Plus the spirit honey he'd bought earlier was more than enough. After all, high-end ingredients often only needed simple cooking methods.

"Huff~!"

Another evening, after three hours of continuous cultivation, Xiao Chen was about to take a short break.

Ding~!

The Red Line Bell chimed.

Su Li arrived right on time, her arms hugging a sea star nearly half her size. "Let's have grilled sea star today?"

Hmm?

Shouldn't this be steamed?

Xiao Chen never picky. "Sure."

Cultivators used spirit flames, so no need to gather firewood—just wave a hand and start grilling. They could even chat while roasting.

Su Li handed the spirit flame control to Xiao Chen, then casually pulled out an intelligence report and read softly beside him. The flickering flames cast elongated shadows across their bodies.

"Never expected the Yijia ancestral founder was still alive."

Su Li sounded surprised. "Back then I saw him once—his age already exceeded a thousand years."

"He looked frail, like he might pass away at any moment."

"Never thought a century later, he's still alive."

Turning the page, she sighed again. "This Die Lang True Sovereign broke through to the Golden Core Realm at just fifty-eight."

"Yun Tao Sword Hut will probably rise again soon."

This peaceful life passed in the blink of an eye. Soon it was the fifteenth day of the second month.

This time with ample preparation, at Xiao Chen's suggestion, they prepared spirit fruits and spirit fish as offerings. They even used stones to build a temporary high platform as an altar.

Though still far from a proper moon sacrifice, it looked convincing enough.

After a month's accumulation, Wuqi should have stored considerable curse energy. Or rather, it should now be called moonlight energy.

According to the legacy memories, accumulated moonlight energy could enhance Blood Crystal's effects. Xiao Chen felt eager—eager to experience the upgraded Blood Crystal's power.

The Zi hour arrived as scheduled.

Su Li raised Wuqi and snuggled into his arms, beginning to receive the bloodline's legacy memories.

Tsk tsk tsk, Xiao Chen couldn't help smirking.

No wonder the Moon Witch clan disappeared from history. Their strange rules and ridiculous customs definitely played a role.

Su Li had held Wuqi for a whole month but still couldn't master it properly—purely delaying progress. Thank goodness no enemies attacked now, or how would they handle it?

The person who designed Wuqi should seriously reflect—why make it so complicated?

Modern spiritual artifacts had ordinary forms and Spirit Ascension Forms, making them convenient for Golden Core Initial Stage cultivators.

But none of that mattered now.

Xiao Chen wrapped his arms around Su Li, watching the legacy memories with her.

This time's memories were different. First appeared the Moon Witch clan's ancient battle scenes, involving massive combat—both conflicts with other Wu Clans and human races, and clearing out various yao beasts to establish territories.

"Sss—Kunpeng!"

Xiao Chen gasped as the colossal figure leaped from the sea, wings soaring into the clouds. "I thought it was just a legend before—didn't expect the Kunpeng Sea to actually have real Kunpeng!"

That beef noodle place...

Ahem, not important. The key point was that divine beasts truly existed in ancient times.

That Dragon Subduing Sea mentioned earlier—did it mean dragons really appeared in the Inner Sea back then?

More importantly—did they still exist now?

Xiao Chen felt a surge of anticipation. If given the chance, he'd love to see these legendary divine beasts in person. Preferably while capturing them as spirit pets.

But that wouldn't be easy. Even Golden Core True Sovereigns might struggle.

Xiao Chen shook his head, dismissing his thoughts. No need to dwell now. The priority was improving his own strength. Without sufficient cultivation realm, all dreams were empty fantasies. Preparation was key to seizing future opportunities.

As the Moon Witch clan's victory over the Kunpeng faded, a grand ceremony followed—boring for Xiao Chen.

Finally appeared scenes of tribal warriors collectively cultivating. Thousands of shirtless figures, many bearing clear battle tattoos. When casting shamanic magic, those tattoos glowed like runes—similar to inscriptions on magic artifacts or spiritual artifacts, helping warriors better channel magic or strengthen their bodies.

"Interesting."

Xiao Chen observed the battle tattoos—a novel way of manipulating heavenly qi. But he didn't dwell—his focus remained on strengthening the Blood Crystal.

As the moon eclipse finally ended, Su Li retrieved a deeper crimson Blood Crystal from her bosom, like a ruby. Bathed in morning light, it refracted dazzling brilliance.

When Xiao Chen fixed his gaze on it, he clearly felt the dense vitality flowing within. Just looking at it made it hard to look away, creating an irresistible urge to touch and devour it.

"If anything abnormal happens or you feel unwell, tell me immediately."

Su Li warned, worried this Blood Crystal, saturated with curse energy, might overwhelm Xiao Chen.

"Don't worry, I'm fine."

Xiao Chen gave her a reassuring smile before sitting cross-legged to begin refinement.

Boom~!

The moment contact was made, a torrent of vital energy surged through his abdomen into his body like a flood. Compared to ordinary Blood Crystals, the enhanced version's energy was far more violent—like the difference between gentle spring breezes and biting winter winds.

This berserk vitality mercilessly cleansed every organ, every meridian, even every drop of blood in his body. The effect itself was almost equivalent to a powerful Body Tempering session.

Surviving meant gaining a stronger physique. Failing meant severe injury.

If he'd started with this enhanced Blood Crystal, he'd have risked injury. Fortunately, previous refinements had strengthened his body several times over, making him resilient enough to withstand the cleansing.

Meanwhile, a significant portion of the vital energy melted into his five viscera and six bowels. Xiao Chen clearly felt this energy vanish within him, just like previous energy absorbed into his meridians.

Thankfully, more energy was drawn into his prepared acupoints. Guided by the Heart Sutra, it continuously funneled into his life-essence core.

After absorbing about half the vital energy, Xiao Chen felt he'd reached Golden Core Mid-Stage perfection.

"Cough!"

He lightly cleared his throat, signaling Su Li not to interrupt.

Then, using the Blood Crystal's remaining surging energy, he charged forward to breakthrough the Golden Core Late Stage bottleneck.

This should've been extremely difficult. After all, minor bottlenecks at the Golden Core Stage were nearly as challenging as major bottlenecks before.

But as a body cultivator, his vital energy reserves already far surpassed ordinary cultivators—even exceeding half the Golden Core Late Stage cultivators.

So what was an insurmountable wall for others was just a small ditch for him.

Gathering massive vital energy as propulsion, he finally leapt forward with all his might.

The minor bottleneck was easily crossed.

He successfully breakthrough to Golden Core Late Stage on the body cultivation path.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end