Chapter 502: Chapter 502
After receiving reassurance from the Celestial Killer Corpse King, Zhouyang surprisingly felt much more at ease.
It’s a strange feeling because both sides clearly want him dead, and the Celestial Killer Corpse King even explicitly said that after using him, it would tear him apart and consume him alive.
Yet in Zhouyang’s heart, the apprehension towards Guo Jinhong significantly outweighed that towards the seemingly stronger and more evil Celestial Killer Corpse King.
He pondered deeply over the reasons for this and discovered that the real reason was likely due to Guo Jinhong’s different status.
Beings like the Celestial Killer Corpse King are obviously intolerable in the Cultivation Realm.
Unless it is invincible across the cultivation realm, otherwise, as soon as it dares to reveal its presence, it will become a target for joint suppression by both the Anti-Light Alliance and the Great Brightness Immortal Palace.
Neither party would hope for an existence outside their influence that could pose a threat to both sides.
If by any chance the Celestial Killer Corpse King aligns with their enemies or takes advantage of a future battle to launch a surprise attack, none of them could bear such a loss.
In such a case, it would be better for both parties to unite under the banner of "slaying demons and eliminating devils" to eliminate this uncertain factor first.
Thus, if Zhouyang harbors a grudge against the Celestial Killer Corpse King, as long as he ensures the opponent cannot find him, he doesn’t need to worry about retaliation.
But Guo Jinhong is different. Guo Jinhong not only carries the title of Vice Alliance Leader of the Anti-Light Alliance but is also the most powerful person in the Haoyang Sect.
If Zhouyang offends him, even if he escapes with his life, he can’t expect to mix in the Land of the Far West anymore, and even people related to him might get implicated.
Therefore, although he knows clearly that Guo Jinhong harbors no good intentions towards him, he has no choice but to work for him.
Another point is that Zhouyang still does not know what Guo Jinhong is scheming about him, only vaguely guessing that it is related to his unique "Qianyang Treasure Body".
This unknown makes him more worried than the straightforward death threat from the Celestial Killer Corpse King.
However, with the Celestial Killer Corpse King’s assurance, he can basically put aside and not consider Guo Jinhong’s threat anymore.
Before achieving its goal, the Celestial Killer Corpse King definitely doesn’t want him dead, as long as he understands this point, he can temporarily be at ease.
Because the distance from the last attempt to impact the Golden Core Stage was not long ago, and his Dantian was still not fully recovered, Zhouyang, even with the "Jade Liquid Golden Pill" in hand, didn’t dare to rush into impacting the Golden Core Stage. Instead, he first sent a message to Guo Jinhong explaining the situation, and only after receiving the other side’s response did he rest assured and recuperate in his cave dwelling.
However, he couldn’t delay for long as the Celestial Killer Corpse King kept urging him, and Guo Jinhong also seemed unwilling to wait. During this time, Qin Zhiyun was specifically sent to deliver some spiritual objects to help him repair his damaged Dantian.
These spiritual objects capable of repairing Dantian damage caused by impacting the Golden Core Stage are naturally extremely precious, and only Guo Jinhong, as a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator and the highest authority in the Haoyang Sect, would be willing to take out such treasures for Zhouyang’s use.
If not for Qin Zhiyun knowing Zhouyang’s "life is not long," she would suspect that Zhouyang might be Guo Jinhong’s illegitimate child left outside because such treatment is usually only reserved for Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator’s descendants.
Thus, after three years of continual delay, Zhouyang finally could no longer withstand the pressure from the two Nascent Soul Stage existences and officially began his third Core Formation.
Regarding the major event of Core Formation, even though Zhouyang’s mentality was no longer filled with anticipation as before, he still went all out without daring to be negligent.
Firstly, he cut off all outside contact and spent nearly three months adjusting his state to the most perfect condition before he began attempting his third Core Formation.
This time, he immediately took out the "Jade Liquid Golden Pill" and swallowed it in one gulp.
The thick golden elixir liquid, like mercury, flowed down his throat into his abdomen, making Zhouyang feel as if he had swallowed a bowl of iron pearls rather than a bottle of liquid.
This golden elixir liquid would not be digested by his stomach acid but could only be refined by his magical power.
And as he refined these golden elixir liquids with his magical power, an extraordinary force merged into his magical power, making it thick like water with added flour, suddenly becoming viscous.
It was at this moment he completed the first step of Core Formation called "Condensing Pill," easily forming a substantial Golden Core, and the Golden Core was even larger than in the last attempt.
After completing the "Condensing Pill" step, Zhouyang seized the opportunity to bite into another auxiliary Core Formation treasure, the "Golden Juice Fruit," held in his mouth.
The sweet juice and pulp surged into his stomach along his throat, swiftly refined by his magical power, while a force that made him feel of extraordinary lightness also merged into Zhouyang’s Divine Soul.
It was under these circumstances, with a sense of untethered lightness, that his Divine Soul emerged from the Purple Mansion and sank into the Golden Core.
This time, with the power of the "Golden Juice Fruit" and the impact from the "Jade Liquid Golden Pill," Zhouyang felt significantly more relaxed than last time, without the feeling of carrying a mountain.
Just felt like carrying a heavy stone, uncomfortable but not impossible to walk.
The subsequent "He Pill" step was unexpectedly smooth, and Zhouyang completed this step in one breath, successfully imprinting his Divine Soul Mark all over the Golden Core.
When he felt the complete fusion of the Golden Core and the Divine Soul, the pressure that had previously restrained his Divine Soul suddenly vanished, replaced by a warm force that nourished his Divine Soul, allowing it to transform into a Golden Core Primordial Spirit.
After an unknown period had passed, Zhouyang’s Divine Soul completely transformed into a Golden Core Primordial Spirit.
From then on, even if his physical body was obliterated, as long as his Golden Core Primordial Spirit could escape and find a physical body with a Spiritual Root in time for Possession, he could continue to live, essentially gaining another life!
At the same time, at the moment Zhouyang achieved the Golden Core Primordial Spirit, the Spiritual Qi within the entire cultivation chamber, the entire Fire Sun Cave, and the entire Fire Sun Stream rushed toward Zhouyang.
The dense Spiritual Qi gathered together and quickly formed a reddish Seven-Colored Spirit Vortex over the Fire Sun Stream.
As soon as this Seven-Colored Spirit Vortex appeared, a strong suction force emanated from it, drawing Spiritual Qi from the region centered around Fire Cloud Stream for hundreds of miles.
Fortunately, Haoyang Mountain is a Tier Six Middle-Grade Spirit Mountain, with abundant Spiritual Qi on the mountain, able to withstand the massive absorption of the Seven-Colored Spirit Vortex, without causing the Spirit Herbs and Elixirs planted on the mountain to wither and die, at most leaving them a bit listless.
"Seven-Colored Spirit Vortex, Core Formation Celestial Phenomenon, another Golden Core Elder in the sect?"
At this moment on Haoyang Mountain, countless cultivators of the Haoyang Sect emerged from their cultivation places, looking up at the ever-expanding Seven-Colored Spirit Vortex over Fire Cloud Stream, their expressions varied.
Those unaware of the inside story, be they Qi Cultivators, Foundation Establishment, or Purple Mansion Cultivators, all bore expressions full of envy and aspiration on their faces. The goal they pursued all their life, now someone has achieved it again, naturally making them envious.
Some sensible Middle-Tier Cultivators had already begun preparing gifts, and as soon as the new Golden Core Stage Cultivator stabilized his cultivation and walked out of the cave, they could seize the opportunity to present gifts and ingratiate themselves, hoping to establish a connection with the new Golden Core Stage Cultivator.
However, those who knew who was secluded in Fire Cloud Stream, the Golden Core Stage Cultivators of Haoyang Sect, mostly showed indifferent expressions, tinged with a sense of disgust and alienation.
For Guo Jinhong allowing Zhouyang to form his core within Haoyang Sect, these Golden Core Stage Cultivators certainly did not dare to openly oppose, but they were undoubtedly displeased. The most update n0vels are published on Novᴇl_Fire(.)net
Guo Jinhong was always domineering in his actions, and the Golden Core Stage Cultivators within Haoyang Sect had suffered much under him, naturally extending their dislike to Zhouyang, his registered disciple.
Moreover, over the years, no one had seen Guo Jinhong’s registered disciples doing anything for Haoyang Sect. They were all performing private tasks for Guo Jinhong.
In fact, Guo Jinhong recruited these registered disciples just to have them perform private tasks.
The Golden Core Stage Cultivators of Haoyang Sect were well aware of this, so apart from some who wanted to seek refuge with Guo Jinhong, the majority of the Golden Core Stage Cultivators of Haoyang Sect bore no goodwill towards Guo Jinhong for using public resources to raise private soldiers.
"Haha, that boy finally succeeded. It was worth waiting years, old ancestor!"
In the Valley of Forgetfulness, Guo Jinhong saw that Seven-Colored Spirit Vortex, and his face revealed genuine joy.
His eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he immediately left the Valley of Forgetfulness, secretly arriving outside the Fire Cloud Stream, concealing himself in a place known by none, patiently observing.
Back when Zhouyang served as a Guardian for Jiang Fengxian in the Wilderness Jungle, the Seven-Colored Spirit Vortex spawned by the Core Formation Celestial Phenomenon expanded to a width of hundreds of feet, which had greatly astonished him.
But now, when the Seven-Colored Spirit Vortex over Fire Cloud Stream finally ceased absorbing external Spiritual Qi, its width had surged to two or three hundred feet wide!
Such an enormous Seven-Colored Spirit Vortex contained a tremendous amount of Spiritual Qi, so much so that even Guo Jinhong, a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, found it astounding.
"I didn’t expect this boy to have such a profound foundation!"
His eyes briefly flashed with surprise, and he couldn’t help but reveal a hint of worry on his face.
Generally speaking, the third step of Core Formation, "Forming Core," carries no risk, especially with Zhouyang currently on Haoyang Mountain, with countless cultivators cultivating there, leaving no room for any Demon Beasts or Demons to interrupt Zhouyang’s Core Formation.
However, upon seeing the massive Seven-Colored Spirit Vortex in the sky, Guo Jinhong feared that Zhouyang might not refine the enormous Spiritual Qi within, resulting in his body being overwhelmed and bursting!
"If it comes to that, then the old ancestor will have to intervene personally. Even if his foundation suffers damage, it’s better than losing everything."
His eyes flickered with cold light, his heart instantly made up.
Within the cultivation chamber, Zhouyang had no mind to consider anything else at this moment, as with the formation of his Golden Core, a vast amount of pure Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi surged into his Dantian, and a treasure that he had almost ignored suddenly showed signs of awakening.