Chương 157: ! Late Stage of Core Formation!

On the sacred mountain, the sun rises and the moon sets, and the clouds roll and unroll.

A cultivator's seclusion often lasts for years.

For cultivators with long lifespans, ten years may just be a fleeting moment, or a relatively long period of meditation.

Beyond the "Cloud and Mist Cave Heaven," the spiritual mist of the Flowing Clouds District still lingers, and the cave's restrictions always exude a calm and steady radiance.

Occasionally, neighbors or familiar cultivators would come to visit, but seeing that the formation was tightly closed, they would tactfully leave, assuming that the cave owner was cultivating diligently.

Inside the cave, all was peaceful and serene.

In Xin Ruyin's quiet room, the array fluctuations were profound and mysterious, with faint golden halos and complex array diagrams appearing and disappearing intermittently. Clearly, her comprehension of the "Qiankun Array Canon" and the "Nine Treasures Wonderful Gold Technique" had reached an extremely deep level.

In Xiaomei's quiet room, the spiritual light and magical power of the talismans became increasingly refined, showing that her cultivation and skills were constantly improving.

Zhou Ding's main meditation room was always shrouded in a layer of solid, heavy spiritual light that isolated him from all probing.

Its aura was sometimes as calm as a deep pool, sometimes as turbulent as a raging sea, and occasionally it revealed an incomparably sharp sword intent and a blood aura as heavy as a mountain, making people's hearts tremble.

The spiritual energy funnel above the meditation room never stopped drawing in the abundant spiritual energy of the sacred mountain.

Spring passes and autumn comes, cold comes and summer comes.

The maple leaves on the sacred mountain turned red and then green, then green and then red again.

The bustling market of Tianxing City remains as vibrant as ever. The auction bells ring out on time, new cultivators reach the Core Formation stage, and old cultivators pass away peacefully. Stories unfold continuously, and legends are quietly being conceived.

The three people inside the cave seemed to be outside the river of time, focused on their own path of cultivation, without any distractions.

Ten years may be a long period in a person's life.

But for Zhou Ding, who is in seclusion to break through to a higher level, this may just be the beginning.

One day, the vortex of spiritual energy above the meditation room suddenly became more violent and deeper, with faint sounds of wind and thunder coming from the void. A powerful spiritual pressure, far exceeding that of the mid-stage Core Formation realm, like a giant dragon awakening, began to slowly spread out from within the meditation room.

This signifies that after ten years of reflection and accumulation, the time has finally come for it to bear fruit.

The late stage of Core Formation is just around the corner.

The heavy aura barrier acted like the most loyal guardian, completely isolating the inside from the outside.

.......

Time seems to have lost its meaning here; only the ceaseless, tide-like vortex of spiritual energy and the ever-deepening, vast aura deep within the quiet room silently proclaim the passage of time.

Ten years may be just a medium-sized retreat for cultivators with long lifespans to comprehend the Dao and improve their magical power.

But for Zhou Ding, these ten years were crucial for him to digest what he had gained from the outer sea, solidify his foundation, and launch an attack on a higher realm.

Inside the quiet room, Zhou Ding sat cross-legged, his posture as steady as a mountain.

His eyes were closed, his expression neither sad nor happy, as if he had become one with the jade bed beneath him, the surrounding spiritual energy, and even this world.

Within the body, the Azure Origin Sword Technique circulated, and the pure azure sword essence power flowed like the Yangtze River, surging ceaselessly through the meridians that had been widened and strengthened several times over. With each cycle, it condensed and grew stronger.

The pale golden energy of blood and qi is like a dormant dragon, deep and powerful, nourishing every inch of muscles, bones, skin, and internal organs.

His mind was completely immersed in the understanding of the "Tao" and the ultimate control over his own magical power.

He constantly honed his magical power, refined his golden core, and comprehended the seemingly invisible yet real barrier of the late-stage Golden Core formation realm.

He never lacked resources.

He obtained the thousand-year-old spiritual herbs from the outer sea and the cave of the Heavenly Mirror Hermit, and with his exquisite alchemy skills, supplemented by the "Heavenly Origin Alchemy Book," he...

The secret methods recorded therein are used to refine batches of top-grade pills suitable for advanced cultivation during the Core Formation stage.

He even began to try to carefully inscribe a trace of the "Eight Gates Golden Light Mirror" array principles and Daoist rhyme into the core of the flying sword using his powerful divine sense as a guide. Although it was only a superficial imitation, it greatly enhanced the flying sword's potential and spirituality.

Day after day, year after year.

Driven by both elixirs and arduous cultivation, magical power is constantly accumulated, compressed, and condensed.

Within the dantian, the golden elixir shone ever brighter and fuller, the flowing patterns on its surface becoming clearer and more profound, with the faint outline of an infant being conceived and pulsating within it.

The bottleneck barrier that had trapped countless mid-stage Core Formation cultivators began to loosen and thin under the impact of such solid accumulation and Zhou Ding's unwavering will.

Finally, at the end of the ninth year of seclusion, at a mysterious moment.

Inside the quiet room, the vortex of spiritual energy that had been flowing steadily suddenly trembled violently!

Then, like a giant whale sucking in water, it began to collapse and compress wildly inward!

Endless spiritual energy from heaven and earth was forcibly drawn from the spiritual veins of the forty-seventh level and even higher levels of the sacred mountain, transforming into a visible torrent of five-colored spiritual light that roared into the meditation room and entered the spiritual core of Zhou Ding!

Zhou Ding's body trembled violently. Although his eyes were not open, the ancestral aperture between his eyebrows suddenly brightened, as if a third divine eye was about to open!

A powerful spiritual pressure, far exceeding that of the previous ones, mixed with incomparably sharp sword intent and a mountain-like pressure of blood and qi, erupted like a volcano that had been suppressed for a long time, instantly breaking through the many restrictions and barriers of the meditation room and spreading out!

If the cave's own protective array hadn't been powerful enough, this spiritual pressure would have been enough to alarm half of the Flowing Cloud District!

Within his dantian, the golden core, already at its fullest, is undergoing a transformative change!

On the surface of the golden elixir, countless mysterious elixir patterns seemed to come alive, frantically moving and combining, ultimately forming a more complex and complete cycle that was closer to the Dao of Heaven and Earth!

The size of the Golden Core did not increase; instead, it became more condensed and restrained. However, the total amount and purity of the magical power contained within it increased several times over!

A completely new feeling of controlling greater power and sensing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth more acutely and clearly surged into Zhou Ding's heart.

Late stage of Core Formation! A natural progression!

Without any earth-shattering phenomena or life-threatening dangers, after ten years of arduous cultivation and the accumulation of abundant resources, Zhou Ding finally and steadily stepped into the late stage of Core Formation!

Only then did he truly stand at the threshold of Nascent Soul formation, possessing the qualification to glimpse the Great Dao of Nascent Soul.

The spiritual pressure slowly subsided, and the vortex of spiritual energy gradually calmed down. Zhou Ding slowly opened his eyes, his gaze bright and clear, as deep as a starry sea, with sword light seemingly flickering between them, making it impossible for anyone to look directly at him.

He gently clenched his fist, feeling the vast magical power within his body, surging like a dragon yet as responsive as his own limbs, and the physical strength so formidable it could tear apart tigers and leopards. A satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"Late stage of Core Formation—the feeling is indeed different," he muttered to himself.

Now, his magical power, spiritual sense, and physical strength are probably far beyond those of ordinary late-stage Core Formation cultivators, and he is comparable to some pseudo-Nascent Soul cultivators with shallower foundations.

This laid an incredibly solid foundation for his future infancy.

However, before the joy of the breakthrough had completely faded, another change was already on its way.

Just as his cultivation stabilized at the late stage of Core Formation, his vast and terrifying divine sense, which covered three hundred miles, seemed to be injected with new vitality and began to expand slowly and steadily once again!

Three hundred and ten li, three hundred and twenty li, three hundred and thirty li — finally, it steadily stopped at the astonishing range of "three hundred and sixty li"!

Three hundred and sixty li!

What does this mean?

The range of divine sense of ordinary late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators is usually only about 350 miles. Those who can reach 360 miles are extremely rare and can be considered the best among their peers!

Zhou Ding, with his late-stage Core Formation cultivation, had already reached the limit of the late-stage Nascent Soul realm in terms of the range of his divine sense!

This is not merely an accumulation of quantity, but a qualitative leap. His spiritual awareness, its penetrating power, and his perception and control over subtle details have all been elevated to a completely new level.

This means that his "Soul-Destroying Thorn" will be even more terrifying, and he will be more adept at sensing and controlling formations, restrictions, and even the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

"My divine sense travels 360 miles—I'm nearing the limit of the late Nascent Soul stage." A slight ripple stirred in Zhou Ding's heart.

This unexpected gain undoubtedly boosted his strength and foundation once again.

But an even bigger surprise is yet to come.

Just as his divine sense surged and stabilized, a strong tremor suddenly came from that mysterious and close soul connection.

Little Jin!

A powerful and pure feedback force, through the soul connection, flowed unreservedly like a floodgate opening, directed towards Little Gold, who was sleeping and cultivating in the spirit beast pouch.

"roar!!!"

A roar, a mixture of pain, pleasure, and boundless excitement, faintly emanated from the spirit beast pouch, causing the quiet room to tremble slightly even through the pouch's opening seal!

Xiao Jin's enormous body suddenly appeared in the special space of the spirit beast bag, and a blinding golden light burst forth from the gaps in its dark gold scales!

A surge of pure life essence and Daoist power, originating from Zhou Ding's breakthrough, flooded his limbs and bones, cleansing and...

It transforms and strengthens every inch of its flesh, bones, meridians, and even the very source of its blood!

This feedback force was far purer and more advanced than the energy Xiao Jin possessed during its advancement, containing Zhou Ding's partial understanding of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth and the mysteries of life's leap. For Xiao Jin, this was nothing short of an immense stroke of luck!

Xiao Jin's size did not change significantly, but the dark gold scales on its body became deeper and more restrained, as if they could absorb all light. The natural patterns on its surface became clearer and more complex, faintly forming complete primordial totems.

The bones became denser and harder, with a faint jade-like luster.

As the Qi and blood circulated, the faint sounds of wind and thunder accompanied it, and the vast demonic power became more condensed and profound, carrying an indescribable majesty.

The most obvious change is that its dark golden vertical pupils now faintly shimmer with a seven-colored light, and the light of wisdom shines even brighter when they open and close, as if they can see through illusions and understand the true nature of things.

The entire feedback and modification process lasted a full day.

Only when the last bit of feedback power was completely absorbed and integrated by Xiao Jin did the commotion on its body gradually subside.

Zhou Ding couldn't wait to check it out.

A colossal beast, its dark gold hue gleaming, sat majestically in the quiet room.

Zhou Ding could clearly sense that although Xiao Jin's aura did not directly advance, its life essence, demonic power quality, and physical strength had all undergone a qualitative leap!

In fact, his strength has probably already firmly reached the pinnacle of a level six demon beast, and may even be touching the edge of level seven!

"Come, let me see the changes in you." Zhou Ding stroked Little Gold's cool scales, carefully examining it through their soul connection.

First is physical defense.

With a thought from Zhou Ding, a dark golden demonic light flowed across Xiao Jin's body, and its innate defensive divine power was instantly activated!

However, unlike when the "Golden Armor Technique" was used before, when the body was covered with a layer of solidified light armor.

This time, Xiao Jin's entire body, from head to claws, every scale suddenly emitted a pure, heavy, seemingly timeless and indestructible dark golden metallic luster! This luster was not just covering the surface of its body, but emanated directly from the depths of its scales, bones, and flesh!

In an instant, its entire body seemed to transform into a primordial sculpture cast from some kind of immortal divine metal!

An indestructible and terrifying aura, accompanied by a deep, metallic hum, suddenly emanated from the area!

"This is—a body of steel?!" Zhou Ding's eyes lit up with surprise.

After absorbing the feedback power from Zhou Ding's breakthrough, Xiao Jin's "Golden Armor Technique" underwent a qualitative change and evolved into a higher-level defensive divine power - "Diamond Body"!

This is not a simple magical blessing, but rather a temporary transformation of one's physical body towards a legendary "indestructible golden body" from the essence of life! Its defensive power is many times stronger than the previous "Golden Body Technique".

Zhou Ding was confident that with Xiao Jin's current "Diamond Body" defensive strength, even if he stood still and let that Nascent Soul elder surnamed Qiu wield the "Mysterious Ice Demon-Slaying Sword" to attack him, he probably wouldn't be able to hurt him at all!

Even a normal attack from an ordinary mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator might not be able to easily break through their defenses!

This is practically a mobile fortress!

Besides the qualitative change in his defensive abilities, Xiao Jin's other talents and abilities also improved significantly.

The "Earth Escape Technique" is even more profound and unpredictable; the "Earthquake Wave" has a wider range of power; and the "Dark Light Claw" is even sharper and more destructive.

Meanwhile, the range of his unparalleled investigative ability, "Heavenly Hearing Technique," has also increased, reaching 360 li, which is equivalent to Zhou Ding's divine sense!

This means that their "treasure hunting" and "early warning" capabilities have been greatly enhanced once again.

"Great! Excellent!" Zhou Ding was overjoyed. His breakthrough to the late stage of Core Formation and the surge in his divine sense to 360 miles were already an unexpected delight.

Xiao Jin's synchronous evolution, especially the birth of the "Diamond Body", has given him an absolute trump card that is enough to contend with or even suppress early Nascent Soul cultivators!

Now they truly have the confidence to establish themselves at the high level of this chaotic star sea, and even to actively seek opportunities.

"Ten years of seclusion have yielded results far exceeding expectations."

Zhou Ding stood up, stretched his body which was slightly stiff from sitting for a long time, his bones cracking softly, and his eyes gleamed: "It's time to come out of seclusion."

He removed the restrictions on the meditation room and pushed open the stone door.

Outside the door, there was still the familiar corridor, the warm glow of the lamplight, and the cozy feeling of waiting at home.

After ten years of seclusion, I wonder how Ruyin and Yatou are doing now? They must have made considerable progress.