Chapter 530: Fourth Stage of the Golden Core, Power Surges

Chapter 530: Fourth Stage of the Golden Core, Power Surges

"Master Zhuo, what do you mean by that?"

The burly red-faced elder asked.

"These low-tier talismans, though ingeniously crafted, showcase the incredible skill of the unknown talisman master. I doubt anyone else can match it, not even me."

Master Zhuo slowly said, "However, forcing array runes into low-tier spirit jade requires more effort than normally making talismans.

So, I can't help but wonder why a respected talisman master would go through such trouble.

It’s beneath their dignity!"

As he spoke, a hint of disdain appeared on Master Zhuo's face.

To him, the talisman master at the Treasure House was demeaning themselves, lowering the status of all talisman masters!

But the red-faced elder's expression changed when he heard this. He didn't share the same sentiment.

To him, the talisman master at the Treasure House was exactly what large merchant houses truly wanted.

Willing to expend their energy to craft low-cost talismans, helping the merchant house make a profit.

Such a talisman master was hard to find, even with a lantern.

Unfortunately, most talisman masters held themselves in high regard and would never lower themselves to such a task.

The red-faced elder glanced at Master Zhuo subtly but didn't reveal his thoughts.

"So, Master Zhuo, what should we do to weather this crisis?

In the past two days, the number of customers at the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion has drastically decreased.

Not only are talismans barely selling, but the sales of magic treasures and elixirs have also dropped significantly.

It might not be a big issue in the short term, but if the Treasure House continues this strategy, it will greatly affect us."

"Actually, I believe the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion need not panic or lose our composure", Master Zhuo shook his head.

"Forcing the creation of these low-cost talismans requires an extremely high level of skill, which only a master can achieve.

Moreover, such a method consumes even more energy from the talisman master.

While the Treasure House has released a large number of low-tier talismans, it must have been prepared for a long time.

But one person's efforts alone cannot meet such a massive demand.

Therefore, the Treasure House cannot sustain this situation for long.

Sooner or later, they will have to raise prices or reduce the supply of these talismans.

It's impossible to maintain such a bustling scene indefinitely."

"Master Zhuo means we don't need to do much and can just wait and see?"

The red-faced elder mused.

"Exactly", Master Zhuo nodded.

"Since that's the case, we'll follow your advice and observe for now."

The red-faced elder agreed with Master Zhuo's judgment.

After all, Master Zhuo was a renowned talisman master, ranking among the top five in all of the Little Cang World.

In the art of talismans, few could match his expertise.

However, deciding to observe for now didn't mean they would do nothing.

The red-faced elder thought for a moment and said to the white-faced middle-aged man holding a jade fan:

"Attendant Shen, find out who this new talisman master at the Treasure House is and what their background is."

The red-faced elder was very interested in this sudden appearance.

A talisman master willing to lower themselves and expend so much effort to craft low-tier talismans for the Treasure House was incredibly rare.

"Understood, Deputy Head", Attendant Shen replied respectfully.

"Once we identify this talisman master, please inform me as well. I'm also curious about this colleague."

Master Zhuo picked up a talisman and examined it carefully, a peculiar expression appearing in his eyes.

The new talismans from the Treasure House were crafted in a rather unique way, quite different from the methods he knew.

He was eager to discover the background of this mysterious talisman master.

While the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion chose to observe, the Thousand Mechanisms Workshop, another top merchant house in Canglan City, made a different decision.

"Find out what the woman at the Treasure House is up to.

She can't be doing this just to give away spirit stones for free.

Also, investigate who crafted these new talismans and bring them to me!

In a month, it will be the three-year inspection.

If the venerable from above sees the current situation, none of us will be able to shoulder the responsibility!"

In the Thousand Mechanisms Workshop, a middle-aged man in fine robes issued a series of commands.

After his subordinates left, he looked at the talisman in front of him, his expression dark and uncertain.

He was already troubled by the upcoming inspection,

and now the Treasure House was causing more trouble.

If the venerable from above saw the Thousand Mechanisms Workshop as deserted, his position as the head of the workshop might be at risk.

“Damn it, why now of all times!” The middle-aged man in fine robes glared with cold eyes.

Apart from the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion and the Thousand Mechanisms Workshop, there were other factions in the city that also began to make their moves.

The Treasure House's recent actions had stirred the long-quiet Canglan City, sending ripples through the undercurrents.

However, Lu Qing, the instigator of these disturbances, was oblivious to all this.

He had become a recluse, rarely leaving his cave abode.

Every day, aside from handing over the talismans he had refined to Zi Yuan, he remained in seclusion, focusing solely on cultivation and largely ignoring other matters.

Through such dedicated practice, he felt himself drawing ever closer to a breakthrough.

Finally, one morning, Lu Qing, who was in deep meditation, suddenly felt a tremor in his body.

A terrifying suction force emerged from within, greedily devouring the abundant spiritual energy in the cave.

In the next moment, a formidable aura erupted from him, causing the surrounding space to ripple.

Fortunately, he was within the cave, shielded by protective arrays.

Otherwise, such a formidable aura would have certainly caused a stir within the Treasure House.

However, this commotion did awaken Xiao Li and Wu Xing, who were also in the midst of cultivation.

“Has Ah Qing broken through?”

Xiao Li, feeling the terrifying aura emanating from Lu Qing, looked surprised and delighted.

Wu Xing's tail trembled, equally excited.

The two younglings dared not disturb Lu Qing and simply waited quietly.

Lu Qing, like a giant beast, continued to devour the spiritual energy within the cave.

Fortunately, the Treasure House had provided him with a high-quality cave abode suitable for Soul Spirit Greats.

Otherwise, it would not have withstood the massive amount of spiritual energy he was absorbing.

As Lu Qing continued to absorb the spiritual energy, his aura grew even more formidable.

Under the pressure, Xiao Li and Wu Xing involuntarily retreated a few steps.

“What realm has Ah Qing broken through to? Why is his aura so terrifying?”

Both younglings were visibly stunned.

Despite having condensed high-quality demon cores and reached the First Transformation, they found it difficult to withstand the aura Lu Qing emitted during his breakthrough.

Lu Qing's breakthrough lasted for about a quarter of an hour.

Finally, his aura surged once more, and the suction force within him intensified, instantly devouring all the spiritual energy in the cave.

The oppressive aura that had made Xiao Li and Wu Xing feel uncomfortable gradually subsided and was eventually contained by Lu Qing.

When the last trace of the aura was reined in, Lu Qing slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes glowed with an otherworldly light, like the vast starry sky, captivating anyone who looked into them.

However, this phenomenon was fleeting, and Lu Qing quickly contained it.

Even his aura changed, quickly reverting to the level of a mid-stage Golden Core that he usually displayed to others.

“Ah Qing, were you breaking through just now?”

Seeing Lu Qing awake, Xiao Li immediately ran up to ask.

“Yeah, after being stuck for so many years, I finally broke through today.”

Lu Qing sighed inwardly.

In the past, his cultivation had been smooth sailing, and his progress was unmatched by anyone in his hometown.

Unfortunately, the rate of spiritual energy recovery in his hometown could not keep up with his cultivation speed.

For over a decade, he made no progress and had to take the risk of leaving, enduring numerous dangers, to reach the vast realm of the Tianyuan Great World.

Including the time spent on his journey, he had been stuck at the peak of the mid-stage Golden Core for about twenty years.

Only today did he finally break through and reach the Fourth Stage of the Golden Core.

The journey had been fraught with challenges.

“Now that you've broken through, what level are you at? Can you stand against a Soul Spirit Great?” Xiao Li asked.

“Are you serious? A Soul Spirit Great is a completely different realm. I'm just at the Fourth Stage of the Golden Core; how could I possibly contend with such a powerful being?”

Lu Qing chuckled, finding Xiao Li's imagination amusing.

This little one really thought the Soul Spirit Realm was something to be taken lightly.

One must understand that the Soul Spirit Realm is not like other realms.

To reach the Seventh Transformation or higher in the Core Formation Realm, one's Golden Core must be of the high-quality demon core level.

In other words, every Soul Spirit Realm cultivator is an unparalleled genius, a true marvel of talent.

How could such a person be easily defeated by someone of a lower realm?

Even Lu Qing, who had refined a Perfect Golden Core, dared not entertain such delusions, despite only being at the Fourth Transformation realm.

Unless one day he could break through the limits and reach the Ninth Transformation, the realm only possible with a Perfect Golden Core, perhaps then there might be a glimmer of hope.

After chatting with Xiao Li and Wu Xing for a while and seeing that the spiritual energy in the cave had almost fully recovered, Lu Qing let them continue their cultivation. He then sat cross-legged and decided to sense the changes in his body after his breakthrough.

As soon as he focused, Lu Qing immediately noticed the changes.

At this moment, his dantian, the sea of qi, housed a Golden Core that slowly rotated like a star.

The mana within was several times more refined than before his breakthrough.

His dantian and meridians had also widened significantly, greatly enhancing his physical potential.

As for his physical strength, it had undergone a complete transformation, increasing immensely.

Lu Qing extended his hand and gently clenched his fist.

A massive surge of physical strength erupted, causing the air to crackle with tiny sparks of electricity at his palm.

The laws of the universe around his fist rippled and distorted slightly.

With just this one motion, Lu Qing could feel that he had grown much stronger since his breakthrough.

Even with just his physical strength, he could almost match his pre-breakthrough self.

If he used the Great Strength technique, he felt that even a late-stage Golden Core cultivator would find it difficult to withstand the power of his punch.

In addition to the transformation of his physical strength and mana, another change brought great joy to Lu Qing.

His breakthrough had also transformed his soul power.

The soul talisman in the Mind-Piercing Point had finally advanced to the mid-stage of the Yang Talisman realm.

"Truly worthy of a Perfect Golden Core. Once it breaks through, it brings a comprehensive transformation.

Whether it's mana, physical strength, or soul power, it all undergoes a complete transformation."

Lu Qing felt the changes in his body and was overjoyed.

While the breakthrough from the Third to the Fourth Transformation was powerful, it usually wouldn't bring such significant changes.

However, he had refined the mysterious and unfathomable Perfect Golden Core.

The transformation brought by the realm breakthrough was far more intense than that of an ordinary Core Formation Realm cultivator.

"However, after this breakthrough, the effectiveness of the cave's spiritual energy has diminished significantly."

Lu Qing sensed the rapid recovery of the spiritual energy in the cave and frowned slightly.

After his breakthrough, he could feel that the cave's spiritual energy, though still beneficial, was less effective in refining his mana and enhancing his cultivation.

It was clear that the rate of his cultivation improvement had slowed down considerably.

He was currently in a cave that the Treasure House had carefully arranged, one of the best in the entire Little Cang World.

Yet, after just one breakthrough, he could clearly feel the weakening effect of the cave's spiritual energy on him.

Indeed, as he had anticipated, with each realm breakthrough and the strengthening of his cultivation, the spiritual energy of the Little Cang World would gradually lose its effectiveness on him.

"At this rate, the spiritual energy of the Little Cang World can probably only help me reach the Sixth Transformation realm.

After that, it will be like in my homeland, where I won't be able to make any further breakthroughs."

After sensing and pondering for a while, Lu Qing came to this conclusion.

"It seems that if I want to enter the Soul Spirit Realm, I must go to the Heavenly Yuan Great World."

With this thought, Lu Qing took out a storage bag.

Inside were the talismans he had refined yesterday, which he had yet to give to Zi Yuan.

Now that he had successfully broken through, he decided to take a walk and deliver the talismans.

Opening the cave, Lu Qing stepped out.

He hadn't walked far when he saw Zi Yuan approaching, wearing a purple short robe and exuding a bewitching aura.

However, her brows were slightly furrowed, as if she was troubled by something.

"Senior Lu, you've come out of seclusion?"

Zi Yuan's worried expression dissipated when she saw Lu Qing, and she showed a look of pleasant surprise.

Over the past few days, although she had visited Lu Qing daily to collect the talismans, their interactions had been brief, and she hardly had the chance to speak with him.

This was the first time she had seen Lu Qing come out of his cave on his own.

"Yes, I was just thinking of taking a walk. Here are today's talismans." Lu Qing handed over the storage bag in his hand.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end