Golden Core battle

After the sermon was finished, although the Sword Academy Disciple in the Training Ground were still eager for more, they also knew that cultivation ultimately depended on their own hard work, and most of them gradually dispersed.

Some went straight back to their assigned temporary lodgings to prepare for the day's earnings.

Some went in groups of three or five, rushing excitedly to the Underground Training Ground, intending to immediately try out the method of condensing Sword Qi taught by Su Bai.

The Training Ground quickly emptied out, leaving only a dozen or so people still whispering about some details of today's sermon.

Su Bai gestured to Zhao Shanhe, and then, with Wang Jue looking both excited and somewhat apprehensive, headed straight for the moon gate deep within the Sword Academy, a place rarely visited by others.

Passing through the gate, you enter the Rear Courtyard of the Sword Academy, a secluded place surrounded by high walls and lush ancient trees.

This place is off-limits to ordinary Disciple without the permission of the Academy Master or Chief; it is considered a relatively private corner within the Sword Academy.

The Rear Courtyard is paved with bluestone slabs, and the air there feels more Spiritual Qi than in the outside.

Su Bai and Zhao Shanhe didn't say much, standing on either side of Wang Jue and immediately began to give him extra help.

This hour can be described as "hands-on" instruction.

Su Bai was responsible for explaining several of the most confusing Spiritual Power circulation nodes in the introductory Cultivation Method of "Profound Sword True Essence Art", and personally guided the weak Spiritual Power in Wang Jue's body to simulate the unique tremor that forms the "Sword Vein Prototype".

Zhao Shanhe then started with the more basic sword-holding posture and power generation techniques, correcting some minor flaws that Wang Jue had developed in his past training, and taught him a few basic sword moves to coordinate with the Sword Qi sensing.

After receiving careful guidance, Su Bai felt somewhat relieved.

He discovered that Wang Jue's comprehension was indeed above average among ordinary Cultivator, and he was not a blockhead.

Especially when Wang Jue tried to guide the sharpness of the Spiritual Power towards the direction of the sword, the instinctive, subtle adjustments he made gave Su Bai a glimmer of hope.

As long as he can persevere and endure the tedious period of honing his skills before his Sword Qi condenses, he may well be able to make up for his shortcomings with diligence and eventually develop a first-level Sword Dao Talent, just like Zhao Shanhe.

Therefore, Wang Jue's seemingly impulsive decision to switch to the Sword Academy was not entirely without reason.

Anyway, his Water Attribute Talent is mediocre, and he's unlikely to achieve much in the Water Court.

Switching to the more direct and powerful Sword Dao Combat Power, with the help of his old friend, might be a more suitable path for him.

Having made his judgment, Su Bai didn't hesitate to encourage him. During a break in his instruction, he specifically said to Wang Jue seriously, "The key to cultivation lies in perseverance."

"Your intuition today was correct. Just follow the steps and practice diligently every day until this intuition becomes second nature."

"Given time, your Sword Qi will naturally develop. At that time, the door to the Sword Dao will truly be open for you."

Wang Jue's eyes, which had been somewhat dimmed due to the lack of progress, suddenly lit up upon hearing this, as if injected with a powerful stimulant, and he nodded vigorously repeatedly.

That night, he stayed in a secluded corner of the Sword Academy's Rear Courtyard, practicing what he had learned that day again and again by the moonlight, until dawn broke.

After giving Wang Jue his private tutoring, Su Bai did not leave immediately.

He turned to Zhao Shanhe and offered to discuss with him the key points of cultivating "Dragon's Roar Sword Heaven Soaring into the Sky".

This is both a return of kindness and a favor, as Zhao Shanhe took care of many miscellaneous tasks when Su Bai was not at the Sword Academy.

Out of camaraderie among fellow disciples, I sincerely hope that this determined senior brother can make further progress in Sword Dao.

Zhao Shanhe failed to make it into the top three in this year's competition, but in the years to come, each college will not produce outstanding geniuses every year.

As long as Zhao Shanhe can truly master the "Dragon's Roar Sword Heaven" Sword Dao Cultivation, his chances of winning a Foundation Establishment Pill are still quite high.

The two found a flat stone slab in the courtyard and sat down, discussing swordsmanship in hushed tones under the Clear and Cold moonlight.

Based on his own experience in cultivating this technique, Su Bai recounted his insights without reservation on how to compress Sword Intent more efficiently when condensing Dragon-shaped Sword Qi, how to evoke that trace of the vast Dragon's Roar's roar, and even how to reduce unnecessary loss of Spiritual Power.

As Zhao Shanhe listened, he would sometimes frown in deep thought, and sometimes clap his hands in sudden realization. Many of the things that had troubled him for a long time became clear to him after Su Bai's meticulous analysis.

This exchange lasted for nearly two hours, until the stars began to set in the west.

After a busy day at the Sword Academy, Su Bai finally returned to his Qingyun Cliff Cave Abode late at night by Sword Flight.

Although he did not engage in his usual Pill or deep Refinement that day, teaching Sword Dao and exchanging insights with fellow disciples still brought him a sense of mental relaxation.

Teaching and imparting knowledge is also a process of reviewing one's own learning and gaining new insights from the past.

Of course, such relaxation should only be done occasionally.

Spiritual practice ultimately relies on the accumulation of hard work day after day.

Time flies, and January has quietly passed.

In early February, Su Bai returned to the Sword Academy's Training Ground to give a lecture as promised.

It continues to explain complex concepts in a simple and easy-to-understand way, combining examples to detail advanced techniques for using Sword Qi, the combination of simple sword moves and Movement Method, and even the basic strategies for Qi Refining Stage Sword Cultivator to deal with opponents using Law Technique of different attributes.

From dawn till dusk, the more than one hundred Disciple below the stage listened with rapt attention and gained a great deal.

At the same time, the number of new Disciple in the Sword Academy gradually stabilized after climbing to more than 150, and the growth momentum slowed down significantly.

Time is the best Goldstone. As their training deepened, some Disciple began to truly feel the rigorous requirements that Sword Dao places on Talent and temperament.

When they realize that no matter how hard they try, they can never quite grasp the nascent form of Sword Qi, their initial enthusiasm inevitably cools down.

One by one, Disciple began to leave in disappointment, seeking a path more suitable for themselves.

Xu Shangran did not try to persuade him to stay; instead, he strictly adhered to the rules that had been set out initially.

What the Sword Academy needs are promising talents who can truly go the distance, not just passersby who waste their time.

Mid-February, a peaceful afternoon.

Su Bai was in the Quiet Chamber of his cave dwelling, completely focused on Refinement a Golden Marrow Pill.

The warm current of medicinal properties is circulating, nourishing the Meridians and accumulating Spiritual Power.

Just then, the Mysterious Black True Inheritance Disciple Token, which had been quietly placed beside him, suddenly trembled slightly, emitting a soft and continuous spiritual light.

Su Bai's heart stirred, and he immediately stopped his cultivation, sinking his Spiritual Sense into the Token.

A concise yet undeniable message emanated from the Token and entered his mind.

The order to assemble for the "Journey to the Immortal Palace" has finally arrived!

Without much hesitation, Su Bai quickly ended his cultivation state.

He checked his Storage Bag again to make sure that he had all the necessary supplies, including Pill and Talisman. Without lingering, he pushed open the stone door of the Quiet Chamber, summoned his flying sword, and transformed into a streak of azure Sword Light, rushing straight out of the cave, soaring over the sky above Qingyun Cliff, and speeding towards the Jade Mist Sect Mountain Gate.

Following the instructions, he flew about three hundred miles on his Sword Flight and then brought down his Sword Light on a solitary mountain peak that seemed to touch the clouds, the highest and most towering peak in the Fang Yuan hundred miles.

A biting wind swept across the summit, making my robes flutter loudly.

At this moment, a number of people had already gathered on the mountaintop platform.

The largest group was a group of Cultivator with a deep and fierce aura and sharp eyes like hawks. They stood in formation, their discipline strict, and they belonged to the Law Enforcement Court of the Jade Mist Sect, which was respected by ordinary Disciple.

Surrounded by these Cultivator the Law Enforcement Court at the core was an exceptionally tall and robust old man with white hair and beard, yet a ruddy complexion and an imposing presence.

The old man simply stood there casually, without deliberately exuding any imposing aura. However, his calm and composed demeanor, honed by years of holding a high position and weathering countless storms, along with the subtle Daoist charm unique to Golden Core Cultivator, made him stand out from the crowd like a crane among chickens, becoming the absolute center of attention.

Based on his identity as the leader of this operation, Su Bai instantly guessed the old man's name.

Ye Taiyi, the Academy Master the Law Enforcement Court and one of the Golden Core Ancestor of the sect!

Su Bai composed himself, suppressing the slight nervousness of facing such powerful figures from a sect for the first time. He stepped forward a few paces and, under the cold gazes of the group of Law Enforcement Court Cultivator, bowed respectfully, his voice clear yet firm. "True Disciple Su Bai has come to report for duty as ordered."

Ye Taiyi's gaze followed the sound and lingered briefly on Su Bai.

That gaze made Su Bai feel as if his entire aura had been scanned.

Immediately, Ye Taiyi nodded slightly, his voice deep and resonant. "Yes, go and wait over there."

Su Bai followed Ye Taiyi's gaze and walked to a relatively open area on one side of the platform.

Only then did he notice that more than a dozen young Cultivator, both men and women, had gathered here. Each of them possessed extraordinary bearing and profound cultivation. The lowest level was Qi Refining Layer Nine, and several others had a deep aura, clearly already at the Foundation Establishment stage!

They all possessed, to varying degrees, the unique self-confidence characteristic of True Disciple of the Jade Mist Sect.

Bing Li, the newly Foundation Establishment from the Ice Court who had witnessed Su Bai defeat Zhao Hanshuang on the viewing platform, was also among them.

Her gaze lingered on Su Bai for a while, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

But she didn't speak; she simply nodded slightly as a greeting.

Su Bai remained calm, cupped his hands in greeting to all the True Disciple, and then stood quietly in the queue, waiting patiently.

To ensure secrecy, the Law Enforcement Court has kept the specific details of this operation against the Immortal Palace a closely guarded True Disciple.

They were only told the time and place of assembly; the specific tasks, action plan, and even whether they would actually fight against the people of the Immortal Palace were not revealed at all.

Perhaps their "experience" as a group of True Disciple is just an icing on the cake in the whole operation, and if the situation changes, they may even just stand by and watch.

Not long after, several more streaks of light shot down from the sky and landed on the mountaintop.

Finally, a few Foundation Establishment Cultivator arrived, looking travel-worn and carrying a faint Sha Qi of killing intent and the smell of blood. Judging from their attire and demeanor, they were clearly elite members of the Law Enforcement Court who had been carrying out dangerous missions for many years.

After briefly reporting back to Ye Taiyi, they silently merged into the ranks of the Law Enforcement Court.

All personnel have arrived.

Ye Taiyi said no more, stepped forward, raised his hands to his chest, his ten fingers flying to form an extremely complex and profound hand Law Seals, while simultaneously chanting a low and obscure incantation.

Buzz--

In a flash of light, a gigantic Exotic Beast appeared out of thin air before everyone.

It was over fifteen zhang long, and its entire body was covered with colorful scales, like the finest glass and metal mixed together, reflecting a mesmerizing and dreamlike luster in the sunlight.

Its head resembled both a lizard and a dragon, with a pair of vertical pupils that were amber in color, calmly scanning the crowd present.

Most remarkably, it is naturally surrounded by a faint force field that distorts light.

Fifth-tier Spirit Beast – Illusory Light Camouflage Lizard!

This beast not only possesses extremely strong carrying capacity and long-distance running ability, but its Talent Divine Ability is near-perfect concealment of its aura!

"Come up."

Ye Taiyi brief order, and with a swift movement, he stood firmly in the center of the Giant Lizard's broad, flat back.

Dozens of Cultivator the Law Enforcement Court and the dozen or so True Disciple dared not delay and leaped up one after another.

Once everyone was steady, Ye Taiyi flicked his finger, and a wisp of spiritual light entered the Giant Lizard lizard's forehead scales.

The Giant Lizard let out a deep hiss, and the force field of distorted light around it suddenly intensified and spread, instantly enveloping its entire massive body and everyone on its back.

The next moment, a strange feeling descended upon me.

Su Bai watched helplessly as the colorful scales beneath his feet, his fellow disciples around him, and even Ye Taiyi's tall figure in front of him blurred and faded rapidly, like a pebble thrown into a pool of water, until they finally disappeared completely from his sight!

He looked down at his hands and body, which were also empty, as if they had turned into formless and intangible ghosts.

But the sense of touch, the flow of his own Spiritual Power, and the feeling of being supported by solid objects beneath his feet told him, with unmistakable reality, that he still existed.

Beyond mere visual concealment, Su Bai could clearly sense a gentle yet resilient energy field enveloping his entire body, perfectly masking all his Life Qi, Spiritual Power fluctuations, and even the subtle disturbances in the airflow that might arise from his movements.

At this moment, the group from the Jade Mist Sect had become a true "Ghost Force," silently traversing the world.

Bang!

The Illusory Light Camouflage Lizard beneath my feet slightly braced its limbs before suddenly pushing down.

No dust was raised, but a powerful, invisible current of air exploded beneath its feet.

Using this counterforce, its enormous, invisible body leaped high into the air with a lightness and speed that seemed incongruous with its size, gliding hundreds of feet through the air.

Then, by stepping on the Void again, new air currents are generated, and this cycle repeats itself.

Its movement resembled some kind of mysterious "Void stepping," incredibly fast, yet strangely silent.

Only the biting Gangwind generated by their high-speed movement served as a stark reminder of Su Bai and the others' current state.

The group had to use their Spiritual Power to cling firmly to the Giant Lizard's smooth back in order to maintain their balance and avoid being thrown off.

In this way, with absolute concealment and high-speed movement, the concepts of time and space seem to become somewhat blurred.

After about three or four hours, the Illusory Light Camouflage Lizard stopped moving without warning, its four legs firmly planted on the ground, but the powerful camouflage field around it did not disappear.

Su Bai focused his gaze on the distance ahead.

It was a mountain that, while not particularly grand, possessed a certain ethereal beauty.

Above the mountainside, the outlines of palaces and pavilions, with their flying eaves and bracket sets, can be seen.

At the entrance to the mountain peak stands a rather simple jade archway with the three large characters "Flowing Cloud Sect" inscribed on it.

At this moment, several Disciple dressed in the robes of the Flowing Cloud Sect lay sprawled haphazardly beneath the archway, their fates unknown.

Even more chilling was the constant, intense fluctuations of Spiritual Power collisions, muffled explosions of Law Technique, and faint shouts of shock and screams emanating from the depths of that sect.

This small Cultivation Sect called Flowing Cloud Sect is clearly facing annihilation today.

According to the intelligence painstakingly obtained by the Jade Mist Sect, the perpetrators were precisely their target for this trip— the Immortal Palace!

The Jade Mist Sect was clearly aware of the Immortal Palace's plans, and their arrival was a ploy to deliver a heavy blow to the Immortal Palace, like a mantis stalking a cicada unaware of a oriole behind it!

"Begin setting up."

Ye Taiyi's voice rang directly in everyone's minds, cold and resolute.

The next moment, Su Bai sensed that the dozens of elite members of the Law Enforcement Court, who were already prepared, silently and swiftly swooped down from the backs of the Illusory Light Camouflage Lizard and sped toward the key locations around the Flowing Cloud Sect Gate's mountain gate.

In their hands, each held a uniquely shaped magical Law Artifact component, shimmering with spiritual light. Clearly, these were complete Law Artifact that required the cooperation of multiple people to unleash their full power.

In just a moment, a mysterious yet powerful surge of Spiritual Power rose simultaneously from all directions of the Flowing Cloud Sect Sect's mountain peak, and quickly intertwined and merged!

Buzz--

A hazy, thick blue-green light curtain, like an inverted giant bowl, formed at an astonishing speed, completely enveloping the entire Flowing Cloud Sect mountain peak and the surrounding area for several miles!

On the screen of light, ripples like water gently spread, exuding a chilling aura of confinement.

"This is a sect-specific restriction Magic Array; touching it will cause your body to dissolve. Only those with a sect Token may freely enter and exit."

Ye Taiyi's prompts echoed in the minds of Su Bai and the Disciple.

The formation had just been completed, completely isolating the Flowing Cloud Sect.

Almost simultaneously, a purple figure, like a ghost, shot up from the top of a hall deep within the Flowing Cloud Sect!

The man was surrounded by purple qi, obscuring his face. He stood on a flying sword that shimmered with Purple Light light, and his aura was sharp and slightly rapid. Clearly, the changes within the Flowing Cloud Sect and the sudden appearance of the sealing formation had disrupted his original plans.

He hovered high in the air within the cyan light curtain, his gaze sharp as lightning, scanning the suddenly appearing barrier, seemingly rapidly contemplating a way to break through or escape.

"I've been waiting for you for so long... Sword of the Immortal Palace!"

A deep, yet thunderous, shout echoed through the mountains!

Ye Taiyi, who had been hiding on the back of the Illusory Light Camouflage Lizard, finally made a move!

He took a step forward, and the concealment effect around him instantly disappeared, revealing his tall and imposing figure like a mountain.

Without any fancy moves, a golden Escape Light, condensed to its fullest extent, erupted from beneath his feet, carrying him at a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye as he crashed headlong into the Purple Robe Person!

The Purple Robe Person high in the sky clearly hadn't expected the opponent to arrive so quickly and decisively!

His reaction was equally swift. The purple sword beneath his feet emitted a sharp hum, carrying him into a streak of purple light as he shot towards the higher, more distant sky without hesitation, seemingly intending to temporarily avoid the onslaught and escape the battlefield.

How could Ye Taiyi allow him to escape?

The golden Escape Light drew a sharp zigzag line in mid-air, its speed increasing as it relentlessly pursued the enemy!

Two streaks of light, one gold and one purple, shot out one after the other, like two shooting stars moving in opposite directions. In the blink of an eye, they broke through the clouds and disappeared into the rolling Cloud Sea high in the sky, leaving only two fading trails behind.

Immediately, a deep, resounding boom, like the beating of ancient war drums, came from above the thick clouds. It was a terrifying collision of Spiritual Power that far exceeded the imagination of those at the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment!

Even though they were far apart, and even though they were blocked by clouds and formations, the occasional lingering aura of pressure that leaked out still made Su Bai and the True Disciple on the back of the Illusory Light Camouflage Lizard below feel their hearts clench, their Qi and Blood surge, and their souls tremble!

That was a clash between powerful beings at the Golden Core stage!

Su Bai Consciousness licked his lips, which had become somewhat dry, and looked up at the turbulent sky. In the depths of his eyes, besides instinctive awe, a burning desire quietly ignited.

True Magic Duel immortals, sect wars... is this the view from a higher realm?