Clenching his teeth tightly for a long time, he suddenly got up and resolutely headed out of the Sect.

Three months ago, he met the Sect Leader and once again received a negative answer, confirming that he could no longer be provided with a Core Formation Spirit Treasure, at most a five-hundred-year-old Celestial Heart Grass.

Moreover, he was comforted that Fake Pill too was True Man, advising him not to wait any longer as once he surpassed a hundred and fifty years old, the success rate of Core Formation would decrease.

But... he was unwilling!

Even Xiao Changfeng, who was less talented than him, managed to form a Middle Level True Pill, and even held hopes for Nascent Soul; he couldn’t reconcile being stopped at Fake Pill!

With his pill solidified, Li Ji’an sat quietly stabilizing his realm, hearing congratulatory voices outside, a smile appeared on his face.

Entering the Cultivation Realm in a second lifetime and reaching the Core Formation step, he was already very satisfied.

Moreover, he still had a portion of Earth Source Essence and a Seven-Colored Jade Tree unused.

If he uses both, given his average Spirit Root talent in this life, and the ordinary Cultivation Technique he practised, there’s a high probability to ensure True Pill, the only uncertainty being whether the True Pill quality could reach middle-upper level.

In the next lifetime, fortified with the Core Formation experience this time, along with two portions of Core Formation Spirit Treasure, he has confidence to ensure middle-upper level True Pill!

Half a year later, with Fake Pill Realm stabilized, Li Ji’an finally emerged from seclusion.

"Congratulations on your successful Core Formation, brother!" Xiao Changfeng said with a joyful face.

"Welcome True Man Li out of seclusion!" Fake Pill Elders from various peaks came to congratulate.

"Congratulations Elder Li!" The Sect Leader personally came to offer congratulations.

True disciples and Inner Sect disciples gathered, Xu Xiaochun and Guo Wanzhi could only stand on the outermost edge, gazing from afar.

Compared to other elders who formed the fake pill, Li Ji’an, as a Pill Master with exceptional alchemy skills, naturally enjoyed a more esteemed status.

Almost all high-ranking members of Biyun Sect, except the Supreme Elder and True Pill Elder Zhen Dantian, had arrived.

...

"Many thanks to the Sect Leader, Elders, and the Sect for your gifts, and especially to Changfeng for your assistance!" Li Ji’an bowed in return.

"Has Elder Li decided on a dao title?" The Sect Leader approached Li Ji’an, inquiring.

Li Ji’an shook his head, "Achieving Fake Pill is already a heavenly blessing; let’s forget about a dao title."

Hearing this, the Sect Leader did not press further; it’s normal for Fake Pill True Men not to take a dao title.

"Hahaha, good, good, Elder Li, since Core Formation has now been achieved, it is time to leave behind a Soul Lamp to be placed in the Sect’s main hall." The Sect Leader laughed heartily, instructing someone to bring forth a completely dark lamp magical artifact.

This item, a soul dao artifact crafted from Soul Nourishing Wood, ranks comparable to superior magical artifacts due to its soul dao attributes, making its true value surpass superior artifacts.

In terms of its effects, besides a slight nurturing effect on the divine soul, its main utility lies in sensing the existence of the main soul.

The cultivator leaves a thread of divine soul within; if the main soul gets damaged, the Soul Lamp dims, and if the main soul disperses, the Soul Lamp extinguishes.

Different from the Soul Token, the Soul Lamp can also sense approximate locations.

The soul left in the Soul Lamp, unlike the Soul Holding Ants used in his previous life, must connect with the main soul, constituting merely a split soul, while Soul Holding Ants isolate it from the main soul, forming an independent divine soul.

However, Soul Lamps are costly, and not everyone can afford them; even within the Sect, usually only elders and true inheritors have the qualification to use a Soul Lamp for nurturing their soul.

Having the qualification to leave a Soul Lamp in the main hall indicates being a core member of the Sect, crucial within the Sect, and also a statement to the outside world.

"Many thanks, Sect Leader!" Li Ji’an didn’t mind this much, thanked with a smile, and immediately injected a thread of divine soul into the Soul Lamp.

At the moment of soul infusion into the Soul Lamp, the lamp flame instantly rose with a gentle light.

This flame is unaffected by wind and rain; it can only be extinguished by forcibly destroying the artifact or having the main soul entirely disperse.

Even if the Soul Lamp is extinguished by external force, it hardly affects the main soul, with only a thread of divine soul disappearing.

After some polite exchanges with everyone, Li Ji’an returned to Pill Cauldron Peak.

During this, Master Jade Pill, as the Peak Master of Pill Cauldron Peak, sent invitations within the Sect, inviting elders from various peaks and true inheritors to celebrate Li Ji’an’s Core Formation.

"Congratulations, Master, congratulations!" Xu Xiaochun and Guo Wanzhi enthusiastically knelt down in cheers, their expressions even more excited than Li Ji’an himself.

"Reward!" Li Ji’an smiled slightly, tossing out two Pill Formulas, one to each.

Previously, Li Ji’an hadn’t taught them many Pill Formulas to lay a firm foundation.

"Thank you, Master!" The two expressed thanks and bowed again in joy.

"Hmm, Xiaochun, have you completed the tasks I set for you over these two years?"

"Reporting to Master, I completed them long ago, please take a look." Xu Xiaochun proudly patted his Storage Pouch, handing the basic Pill Medicines inside to Li Ji’an for inspection.

Li Ji’an nodded slightly; in fact, on the way back, Master Jade Pill had already told him about the boy’s performance during his seclusion.

Master Jade Pill was very optimistic about Xu Xiaochun, praising this disciple’s grandson for being dear to his heart and much liked.

This was within Li Ji’an’s expectations; not that Xu Xiaochun’s alchemy potential was exaggerated, but for elders like Master Jade Pill, apart from alchemy potential, respect, and flattery, one should entertain and keep them happy.

Regarding this, Xu Xiaochun, having followed Li Ji’an for several years, had developed a character due to Li Ji’an’s easygoing manner.

If it had been other masters, regardless of Xu Xiaochun’s nature, the regulations of the Cultivation Realm and the Sect’s rituals would likely have led him to become reserved and apprehensive like many other disciples.

His Divine Sense swept over; this batch of Pill Medicine he refined met his requirements, although it was somewhat unstable with a significant difference between the best and worst quality, with the best one being close to a top-grade pill.

After offering some encouragement, he checked Guo Wanzhi’s progress in alchemy.

This girl and that boy were just the opposite, being balanced and stable in all aspects.

In two and a half years, both their cultivation had progressed steadily, now having reached the Qi Cultivation 5th Layer, although compared to the dedicated Inner Sect disciples, their progress was slow.

After all, aside from distributing their concentration to alchemy, it was also due to not going for trials in the Ruins Wilderness like the Inner Sect disciples.

After checking the coursework of the two disciples, Master Jade Pill hurriedly arrived to discuss the date for the Core Formation celebration with him.

Throughout the Celestial Cyan Domain, any successful Core Formation, even Fake Pill, could be considered entering the upper echelons, usually celebrated for.

It’s not only to announce it to the world but also to foster relationships and build a network.

Li Ji’an didn’t refuse and set the celebration date for half a year later on Master Jade Pill’s recommendation.

He merely asked Master Jade Pill to add Xiaoqiao and Yan Qingwan to the list.

After determining the time, Master Jade Pill was almost unable to wait even a moment, hurriedly pulling Li Ji’an back to his Pill Room to begin imparting his insights into Tier Three Pill Medicine refinement.

Previously, Li Ji’an claimed that his Tier Three pill refinement ended in failure, citing lack of magical power and insufficient Pill Fire as excuses.

Now with Li Ji’an’s Fake Pill cultivation, his magical power had qualitatively advanced compared to Foundation Establishment’s late stage, his Pill Fire reaching Tier Three, capable of refining early Tier Three Pill Medicine without relying on Little Fire Spirit, and having hope for mid-stage Tier Three pills.

Within three months, under Master Jade Pill’s sincere teachings, Li Ji’an successfully rose to a Tier Three Pill Master. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Only then was he able to leave Pill Cauldron Peak and return to Outer Peak.

"Boom~" Returning to Outer Peak, after three days of quiet cultivation, Li Ji’an arrived at a ground level area to perform the Blast Flame Slash magic taught by Yan Hongsheng back then.

With a single stroke, his fiery long blade instantly grew tens of yards, enveloped in endless flames, striking the nearby mountain peak.

The mountain peak was slashed across the top, where the rock was flaming red, resembling a fiery mirror.

"Not bad!" Li Ji’an nodded with satisfaction.

This was his first attempt post-Core Formation.

Previously, his own sensing, compared to Foundation Establishment’s late stage, his magical power was more than ten times heavier and more refined.

Truly, once achieving Core Formation, it completely eliminated the flaws from the pre-Core Formation, including Spirit Root and Cultivation Technique.

However, that strike just now merely demonstrated less than fifty percent of his current pill’s power.

Mainly because the magic now seemed somewhat small for his current power.

To fully manifest his current pill’s power, a superior magic is required.

"True Man..." After practically verifying his current magical power status, Li Ji’an looked far away with a smile on his face.

He just turned a hundred and fifteen years old, having truly embarked on cultivation for a centennial since Yan Qingwan brought him to Biyun Sect for trials at the age of fifteen in this lifetime.