Book 1: Cruel Family Law Chapter 7: Golden Core

The boundless fields rushed past me like lightning. A vast lake appeared before me. Facing it all, my speed remained as fast as ever, not slowing down in the slightest. I charged towards the calm lake without hesitation.

Why, why? Was it all for the heavy interests of the Zhang Family, for the sake of inheriting the family's foundation, that people within the family cause each other pain? Was it worth it? I didn't know. All I knew was that if life wasn't happy, what was the point of fleeting family honor? Was it that everyone else was drunk while I alone was sober, or was I just too naive? I didn't know. All I knew was that I wouldn't be like my father. I wouldn't hurt my family for some ethereal family honor. I believed I would definitely be happy with my family, and I wouldn't abandon my own son for these things, driving him out of the house, driving him out of the house…

In my daze, my feet suddenly slipped. My mind hadn't even recovered from my father's announcement that he would force me out of the house when the endless lake water pressed down on me. A protective membrane naturally formed around my body, and my breathing transformed into Fetal Breath. None of this happened consciously; it was the instinct of a supreme expert.

I clearly felt the pressure from the lake water increasing as my body sank deeper…

Suddenly, my body stabilized, and my feet touched the soft mud at the bottom of the lake. I knew that nothing around me could affect me. I was once again immersed in the past, in my father's concern for me. A flicker of happiness naturally arose in my heart. As soon as I recalled today's events, I immediately retreated into memories of the past. Was I trying to escape all of this?

Time passed quickly…

At this moment, the Zhang Family was in a state of suppressed chaos. It had been nearly thirty years since the last time a young master of the family was forced to leave. This poor fellow, who was once a young master of the Zhang Family, was only thirteen when he left. At eighteen, after a business deal where his purchased goods were robbed, he lost everything and ended his own life. After his death, there was no one to even arrange his funeral. It was only later that his elder brother, the current head of the Zhang Family, Zhang Tiande, secretly sent people to handle his affairs. The reason this young master was driven out of the family was that he had attempted to have the eldest young master, Zhang Tiande, assassinated. Among all the young masters driven out of the family, almost all had failed in their attempts to seize the position of family head, except for one who raped a young lady from the Li Family, the foremost family of this era. For the sake of the family's interests, he was expelled from the family, and subsequently faced covert obstruction from the Li Family, living a life of poverty and hardship.

And this Third Young Master, at only six years old, had unintentionally injured the only son of the Ouyang Family by releasing his aura. At just six years old, he had already reached the Innate Realm. People believed that this Third Young Master would surely become the greatest expert in the world. However, the Ouyang Family and the Zhang Family had many collaborations. If the Ouyang Family were to falter later, the Zhang Family would need at least twenty years to recover its business network. Abandoning this six-year-old Third Young Master for the sake of the family's interests was quite a wise decision.

The rear hall of the Zhang residence was silent. A person sat in a Grand Tutor's chair, with another person standing beside him. Suddenly, a voice broke the silence.

"Master, the Third Young Master hasn't returned yet. Will the court session still proceed? It's difficult to hold the session without the Third Young Master present!" Steward Zhang stood beside Zhang Tiande, who was seated in the Grand Tutor's chair, and spoke cautiously. He knew that the current family head was not an ordinary one and was in a very bad mood. He hadn't eaten a bite of food since yesterday and had been sitting in this Grand Tutor's chair. Steward Zhang had watched Zhang Tiande grow up and knew everything about him. This family head loved the Third Madam the most and doted on the Third Young Master the most. This Third Young Master had shown extraordinary talent since childhood and was extremely obsessed with martial arts. Only yesterday did they learn that the Third Young Master had already reached the Innate Realm. According to the two Second-Rank Experts of the Zhang residence, the Third Young Master's Qinggong was even more formidable than theirs. While this was shocking, it also meant that the Third Young Master was nowhere to be found, and without him, how could the court session proceed?…

"Wait a moment longer, don't be anxious, be quiet. There's still an hour until the court session," Zhang Tiande's deep voice echoed in the rear hall. The entire rear hall returned to silence…

Slowly, slowly, more and more people arrived. The first five people walking at the front were the most powerful elders of the Zhang Family, the Elder Council. The Elder Council only intervened in extremely important matters. On the left was the previous generation's family head, and on the right were Zhang Tiande's second, third, and fourth uncles, as well as Zhang Tiande's third brother. In fact, the last elder seat should have belonged to Zhang Tiande's second brother, but unfortunately, his second brother was expelled from the family, so the third brother was fortunate enough to become an elder.

Following them were Zhang Tiande's wives, with only the Third Madam missing. Behind the wives were the Third Young Master's brothers, four young masters of the Zhang residence, the youngest being only two years old, but he could only hold the eldest young master's hand. For such an important court session, only the household steward was allowed to attend among the subordinates; all other servants were not permitted to enter, and their seats were fixed, thus forming the three groups of people entering the main hall.

"Today, our Zhang Family is holding a court session to discuss and decide on the matter of the Third Young Master, Zhang Xingfeng. However, since the Third Young Master left home yesterday, he has not yet appeared, and no one in the residence has found any trace of him. May I ask, how should everyone proceed?" Zhang Tiande sat upright in the Grand Tutor's chair, an aura of authority naturally permeating the entire hall.

The Second Madam said, "Are we expected to wait for him, this child, forever? If he never returns, will we just keep waiting and not hold this court session? I think whether he comes or not, as long as we make a decision, we can just announce it to the world!" After speaking, she glanced around. It seemed only the First Madam somewhat agreed, while everyone else showed no support. She sat down with a lack of interest.

Zhang Tiande's third brother, the Fifth Elder, stood up and said, "The ancestral family law cannot be violated. According to the family law, we should wait for Zhang Xingfeng to return before deciding everything. If he never returns, we wait for a week. If he still hasn't returned, we make a decision directly and then announce it to the world." As an elder, after he spoke, no one objected. In fact, once the family law was brought up, how many people dared to voice any opposition?

"Since that is the case, it is decided. We will wait for a week. If he still hasn't returned after a week, we will directly open the court session and announce it to the world," Zhang Tiande stood up and declared the decision.

"Tiande, do you have to force Little San to leave home? Do you have to be so heartless? Can't you consider our marital relationship and not drive Little San away? He's only six years old this year, Tiande!" The Third Madam, having just woken from her stupor, ran to the entrance of the hall and shouted.

"Sigh…" Zhang Tiande walked out without looking back.

"Tiande…" The Third Madam watched her husband walk past her, finally despairing. She slowly sat on the ground, murmuring to herself: Little San…

The Fifth Elder looked at the haggard Third Madam, shook his head, and left with the other elders.

The First Madam and Second Madam looked at the Third Madam, revealing a slight sinister smile, and walked out of the door with pride…

I didn't know how much time had passed, but at this moment, I could clearly feel myself facing the first tribulation of cultivation – refining the Golden Core.

I cast aside all distracting thoughts, my mind becoming clear and empty. I clearly observed everything within my body.

The liquid Innate True Qi began to circulate at an unprecedented speed, tirelessly. Spiritual energy from outside my body rapidly entered me, but the most crucial element was the liquid Innate True Qi I had accumulated over a long period. "Using the Dantian as the furnace, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth as fire, Innate True Qi as material, refine and compress, temper endlessly, to obtain the essence of heaven and earth…" The incantation from the Heart Sutra immediately surfaced in my mind. I began the most important cultivation of the Golden Core. Once I entered the Golden Core stage, I would be a true cultivator. All my spirit was poured into the cultivation of the Golden Core…

Suddenly, my whole body trembled, and a Golden Core the size of a soybean floated in my Dantian. A surge of power, as if about to erupt from every cell in my body, seemed ready to shoot into the sky.

"Ahhh…" I roared with all my might. A purple light, like a meteor, shot straight up into the sky, piercing the clouds. Instantly, wind and thunder raged, black clouds churned like dragons, and the Taihu Lake before me became tumultuous, with waves crashing high…

I knew I had finally entered the Golden Core stage. I was a true cultivator. I had escaped the cycle of reincarnation and was immortal. But I had also embarked on a perilous path of cultivation, where a single misstep could lead to Soul Scattering. However, I, Zhang Xingfeng, would contend with heaven and earth. Rather than live a mediocre life, I would live a life that shook the heavens and the earth. I wanted to let the world know that even after leaving the Zhang Family, I, Zhang Xingfeng, would achieve great things.

My body moved, and I was already on the shore. I looked at the Taihu Lake, which had been raging moments ago, now gradually calming down. A sliver of moonlight pierced through the dark clouds, casting its glow upon the vast fields. My heart slowly calmed.

I had to go back. Although I knew the court session should have already ended, I had gone through this Golden Core tribulation in my previous life, which took me a full month. Although my life vitality was exceptionally strong this time, it should still take several days. For Brother Lang Feng and his mother, who were still at Star Peak Pavilion, how would they manage without me? And my sad mother, I hadn't even considered her when I left home. I wondered how she was doing during this time.

I could now fly with my sword, but I didn't have my own flying sword yet. I had no choice but to resort to Qinggong and rush back to the Zhang residence.

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Upon reaching the Golden Core stage, one can begin to fly with their sword and also generate Samadhi True Fire. With Samadhi True Fire, one can accomplish many things, such as refining flying swords, Spirit Battle Armor, and various other weapons for cultivators. You can also use it to refine various Spirit Pills. Reaching the Golden Core stage also allows you to utilize True Primordial Energy and alter your appearance and physique. Of course, the changes cannot be too drastic. The Golden Core stage allows for an increase in height of only twice the original, while the Nascent Soul stage allows for greater changes. The higher the realm, the more significant the transformation. If one becomes an immortal, they can achieve seventy-two transformations.

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