Lord Shenxiu-Chapter 961: Core Formation

"The Tang Family..."

Within the cave retreat, Lu Wen Yuan shook his head, knowing he was facing pressure from the Tang Family and that their relationship was deteriorating.

In all honesty, the other party's choice was quite correct. If he were the Tang Family Patriarch, he too would have chosen to pressure himself.

Besides, all of this was within the rules, not a big deal.

Presumably, as long as he sought favor from the Tang Family, showed some humility, and admitted his mistakes... the issue would pass, and he could return to his previous privileged status.

No doubt!

In the Dan Ding Sect, Lu Wen Yuan knew that, like Dongfang Qing, he had vaguely enjoyed a certain privilege in the past.

Even his actions of secretly withholding elixir pills over the decades were not unnoticed by the Tang Family; they merely chose not to confront him.

It was only after repeated attempts that they found he was not very compliant, leading to the so-called pressure.

'Heh... Honestly, I ask nothing of the Tang Family. I only allied with them to ensure the smooth acquisition of the Foundation Establishment Pill. In reality, according to the rules, the Foundation Establishment opportunity was mine to begin with. Relying on background and power to seek fairness is fundamentally pathological!'

Lu Wen Yuan shook his head: 'What I truly owe the Tang Family is my unruliness over these forty years...'

'However, my pursuit of Golden Core cultivation is not particularly favorable for the Tang Family...'

The Tang Family had only one Golden Core Supreme Elder. If given the choice, they would certainly prefer to cultivate their own to achieve the Golden Core, ensuring five hundred more years of family glory.

An outsider achieving Golden Core posed a risk of branches overpowering the trunk!

This was the crux of Lu Wen Yuan's conflict with the Tang Family!

'I will not bow down, nor sacrifice my cultivation to handle various chores for the Tang Family... Moreover, the pressure from the Tang Family will only intensify. Without a background, turning to others would be a dead end. The only way to break the stalemate is through strength!'

Lu Wen Yuan's expression gradually hardened, the concealing power of the elixir faded, and an aura indicative of late-stage Foundation Establishment, even peaking at perfection with full mana, began to emanate.

"To break through by force, Core Formation is the only way!"

There are many Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Dan Ding Sect, but only a handful of Golden Core Ancestors, standing at the sect's zenith.

Indeed, the Dan Ding Sect does not have a Nascent Soul Ancestor; only in Da Liang's true dominator, the No-Origin Sect, do Nascent Soul Stage cultivators oversee!

Therefore, as long as he could form the Golden Core, Lu Wen Yuan would immediately ascend to the highest ranks of the Dan Ding Sect, and any harassment from the Tang Family would be laughable!

"Since Foundation Establishment, after forty years of diligent cultivation, I've finally reached this point."

Lu Wen Yuan flipped his palm, and a bottle of elixir appeared. Inside the azure crane-necked jade bottle was a single jet-black, shiny pill, emitting a spicy aroma.

—Demon Suppressing Pill!

This was the pill Lu Wen Yuan painstakingly obtained over the past forty years, snagged at a Golden Core Ancestor's pill convention.

And he had summoned it early from history.

With his cultivation at Foundation Establishment Perfection, he could sustain these phantoms for a long time.

"Moreover, the Demon Suppressing Pill is an elixir to remove Heart Demons and stabilize the mind. Instability of mind only occurs during breakthroughs, so whether the effect vanishes post-Core Formation is irrelevant!"

Lu Wen Yuan didn't stop; he extracted items from his storage bag that could aid in Core Formation.

Most of these were historical phantoms, with only a few being genuine.

In the end, he reached directly into the void, pulling out two jade boxes, one icy, one fiery. Contained within were two auxiliary materials highly beneficial for Core Formation. Even within the Dan Ding Sect, fewer than three sets existed, reserved for Golden Core seeds within the sect. It was a rare stroke of luck that he could even touch them with his three spirit roots.

"Still, auxiliary materials are merely supplementary; refining the Golden Core hinges on the cultivator's own skills... As the saying goes, once the Golden Core is achieved, even if the elixir loses potency, it doesn't matter."

For this reason, Lu Wen Yuan sought auxiliary effects rather than direct mana enhancement or catalyzation, avoiding the Five Elements Golden Core Pill that claimed to boost success rates by thirty percent through forcible catalyzation.

Of course, a greater reason was that he simply couldn't access such a level of Core Formation Spiritual Items!

"However, my preparations are extravagantly luxurious. Perhaps even the true disciples of the Golden Core elders in Dan Ding Sect wouldn't be so lavish. Perhaps only the true disciples of the No-Origin Sect might compare..."

"Let's begin!"

With these thoughts, Lu Wen Yuan consumed the 'Demon Suppressing Pill' and then took out the icy and fiery jade boxes, extracting the spiritual objects to refine their essence.

...

Six months swiftly passed.

"Young master, ever since Lu Wen Yuan accepted the task, he has been in seclusion for an extended period without venturing out... It's almost time to deliver the pills, and Deacon Zhang from the Task Hall is asking how to proceed?"

In a luxuriously splendid cave retreat, Tang Buhuan lounged half-reclined on a cloud bed, holding a chicken-egg-sized, entirely jade-green bead, listening to Xu Chang's report.

This eldest son of the Tang Family was still at mid-stage Foundation Establishment, with little progress.

Which was typical—not every cultivator could be like Lu Wen Yuan, eating elixir pills like candy.

Encountering bottlenecks in cultivation and being stuck for decades or even centuries was the norm!

"Hmph, truly an ungrateful wretch; all those decades of investment were in vain!"

Tang Buhuan cursed, "Inform the subordinates that no concessions are needed in the future; adhere to sect rules!"

Sect rules dictate that a second-order alchemist need not venture out for tasks.

But the sect also has rules that tasks assigned by the Task Hall cannot be refused by Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Which rule to follow depended entirely on one's background and abilities.

Previously, with the Tang Family tag on him, the first rule applied to Lu Wen Yuan.

Now, however, he would likely enjoy the second type of treatment.

This still adhered to the game rules of the Dan Ding Sect, and since Lu Wen Yuan had allied with the Tang Family early on, their actions against him were justified, even the Sect Leader couldn't interfere.

"Yes!"

Xu Chang bowed again before retreating.

Tang Buhuan watched Xu Chang's retreating form, thoughtful: "Indeed, if recruiting outsiders, choosing those with no hope on the cultivation path is best. They can wholeheartedly serve the family, unlike Lu Wen Yuan, who seeks Core Formation."

Even he, a genuine descendant of a Golden Core, had no such certainty!

Moreover, in Tang Buhuan's view, no matter what, Lu Wen Yuan succeeded in Foundation Establishment thanks to the Tang Family's aid. Isn't it only natural to serve them now?

As he pondered this, a sudden surge of spiritual energy rolled in, transforming Tang Buhuan's countenance; he turned into a stream of light, flying out of the retreat.

Looking up, he saw dark clouds gathering, spiritual energy swirling into a vortex, converging at a point in the Dan Ding Sect, an overwhelming pressure making his heart palpitate.

"This is... a Core Formation Phenomenon?!"

Not only Tang Buhuan, but even Xu Chang and numerous other cultivators of the Dan Ding Sect were shocked by this phenomenon, soon gazing enviously and jealously at the point where the spiritual vortex descended...