Hao Meng's forehead was already covered in beads of sweat the size of soybeans. Every breakthrough into a major realm on the path of cultivation came with enormous risks. One misstep, and at best one would suffer qi deviation and fall to demonic corruption; at worst, one would die on the spot and vanish from the Dao. Throughout the long history of the Immortal Realm, countless dazzling geniuses had ultimately fallen while breaking through their realms. Like shooting stars, no matter how brilliantly they streaked across the sky, they would eventually fade into obscurity.
"My dantian truly differs from that of ordinary people. Normal cultivators draw Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi into their dantians. Once it reaches a certain level, the yuan qi naturally forms a vortex, refining out its essence until it finally becomes a core."
Hao Meng recalled the hardships of the past five years. No matter how diligently he cultivated, the Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi within his dantian had remained lifeless and still. Forget forming a vortex—he had never even seen a ripple.
If he had not relied on the medicinal power of the Heavenly Origin Immortal Pill this time to smash the cauldrons and sink the boats, destroying first before rebuilding, then he might truly have been unable to set foot upon the immortal path in this lifetime, eventually becoming nothing more than an ordinary mortal.
"I still have to thank Junior Brother Li. Without his help, I, Hao Meng, would surely still be wandering before the Core Formation Realm. Even if I were ground to dust and my bones shattered, I could never repay this debt of gratitude."
Hao Meng murmured to himself. He understood his own condition perfectly well. If he had not met Li Mu, there was no chance he could have taken such a pill, nor could he have mobilized all the yuan qi stored within his dantian during battle. Without that desperate gamble with his back against the river, he might not have formed a core even after another ten years.
Closing his eyes, Hao Meng immersed his consciousness completely into that space within his dantian. He could feel the golden core within the vortex continuing to grow. An endless stream of heaven and earth essence was stripped out by the vortex and poured into the golden core.
The golden core, originally pale gold, gradually deepened in color as specks of heaven and earth essence flowed into it. The aura hidden within it grew increasingly profound. Hao Meng circulated the Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi through the meridians throughout his body with all his strength. In the dark, silent room, waves of white light radiated from his body. If an experienced cultivator had been present, they would have recognized this as the sign of an imminent breakthrough.
After circulating his energy through a full eighty-one cycles, the Golden Vortex in Hao Meng's dantian had reached its limit. As the final trace of Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi's essence was stripped away, turning into crystalline stardust that fell behind the enormous golden core, now nearly dark gold, an incomparably majestic aura surged skyward from Hao Meng's dantian.
The faint white light around his body suddenly erupted. Light too dazzling to look at flooded the entire secret chamber. Accompanied by Hao Meng's long roar, the golden vortex finally fulfilled its mission. Once it dispersed, it revealed the golden core, radiating waves of oppressive might.
Core Formation Realm, achieved!
Hao Meng slowly opened his eyes. Specks of golden light now mingled within his formerly dark pupils. He rose to his feet and felt the changes throughout his body.
"Strength, aura, my perception of Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi—all of it has grown stronger. Is this the power of the Core Formation Realm?"
He clenched his fists tightly, unable to put the excitement in his heart into words. In just over a decade, he had experienced the great rises and falls of life. He had gone from a peerless prodigy born into an Aristocratic Clan, to a useless senior whose cultivation had not advanced an inch for five years. Then, today, at the age of sixteen, he had proudly broken through into the Core Formation Realm and truly caught up with those favored children of heaven. Only he knew the hardships along the way.
"I should go tell Junior Brother Li and Xiaomeng this good news."
Hao Meng hurriedly pushed open the door to the secret chamber and strode out in great steps. He could not wait to share the joy of his breakthrough with the people he treasured most.
Meanwhile, in the exceedingly prosperous southern district of Qinglan City, many prominent Aristocratic Clans had established their residences. Towering, magnificent buildings stood proudly one after another. Some glittered in gold and jade, while others wound through secluded paths, with green tiles, red walls, pavilions, terraces, and towers, each with its own distinctive charm and arranged in perfect order. They formed a stark contrast with the North City Slums in the distance.
Among the many mansions and grand residences, one stood out in particular. Above its vermilion gates hung a black plaque of golden-thread nanmu wood, bearing three bold characters written in the sweeping strokes of dragons and dancing phoenixes: "Nangong Residence." It was the residence of the Nangong Family.
Within a courtyard deep inside the residence, a man in black robes viciously smashed the teacup in his hand onto the ground. The precious porcelain shattered into pieces. The maidservants attending nearby immediately fell to their knees, not daring to raise their heads as they trembled.
"Trash! A direct descendant of the mighty Nangong Family, yet you could not even defeat an idiot who had not cultivated for ten years! You even exposed the Fang Family's secret weapon. Your incompetence has reached the absolute extreme!"
The black-robed man speaking had star-like brows, sharp eyes, and an imposing bearing. Though seated, he naturally exuded an air of authority. His expression was solemn, and even without anger, he inspired fear. He was Nangong Bo, the current patriarch of the Nangong Family.
Standing before him with his head lowered was Nangong Wuqing, the very man who had ambushed Li Mu during the Qinglan Academy tournament. The arrogance he had displayed then was gone. Before Nangong Bo, he was cautious and respectful as he truthfully reported every detail of that day.
"Hmph. Li Yubai certainly raised two fine sons. At such young ages, they can already stand on their own. But whoever injures a direct descendant of my Nangong Family will have to pay the price."
After hearing Nangong Wuqing's account, Nangong Bo snorted coldly, a faint vicious gleam flashing in his eyes.
"Patriarch, the brothers Li Yue and Li Mu pose no threat. We can deal with them whenever we wish. It is Li Yubai we must watch out for. His strength has reached Nascent Soul Perfection. I feared that he might appear as well, which was why I retreated for the time being."
Nangong Wuqing's hatred for Li Yue and Li Mu had already reached an unbearable level. Naturally, before the patriarch, he added fuel to the fire, hoping to borrow the Lineage's power to teach them a lesson.
"What a joke. Li Yubai may be hailed as the Qinglan Sword Immortal, the lord of a city, cutting an imposing figure on all sides, but I, Nangong Bo, do not fear him. If he does not come, so be it. But if he truly dares enter my Nangong Residence, I will make sure he comes but never leaves."
Hearing this, Nangong Wuqing was greatly alarmed. Though the Nangong Family was powerful, compared to the Li Family, it still fell short by far. The other side was, after all, the foremost Lineage of Qinglan City—there was no comparing them in the same breath.
"Patriarch, could it be that the Sect Master..."
Nangong Wuqing suddenly thought of something and instinctively spoke, seeking confirmation from Nangong Bo.
"Shut up! This is not something you should know. You must understand that if they can help you break through into the Nascent Soul Realm, then they likewise have the power to take everything away from you."
Nangong Bo suddenly shouted, as if Nangong Wuqing had uttered something absolutely forbidden. Yet after berating him, Nangong Bo pondered in silence for a moment before speaking again.
"However, I will not let the Li Family's two sons off so easily either. We will start with the younger one, Li Mu. Arrange it like this..."
The two men in the courtyard plotted in secret. No one knew what exactly they said. Only the raindrops that suddenly began to fall recorded everything that happened there.
Hao Meng arrived at Li Mu's dormitory, only to find the door tightly shut. Just as he wondered whether Junior Brother Li was still sleeping soundly in the middle of the afternoon, sounds of fighting came from the woods behind the house. Hao Meng was startled and quickly used his Movement Technique to leap into the forest.
Pushing aside clusters of low shrubs, he saw an open clearing. A youth in white, pure as snow, was fiercely battling a young woman using her fists. Looking closely, were they not Li Mu and his own sister, Hao Xiaomeng?
"Brother, why are you here? Huh, Brother, your aura... You broke through! Heavens! The Core Formation Realm!"
Noticing Hao Meng's arrival, the young woman was overjoyed. When she stepped before him and sensed the change in his aura, an even greater wave of delight surged into her heart.
Looking at his sister before him, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face, Hao Meng was filled with emotion. Along this road, he had experienced all the warmth and coldness of human relationships. After his former friends, who had once followed his lead, saw that the genius of old had been unable to break through for five years, they had quietly left one by one. Even many of the Hao Family's younger generation and elders treated him like air. Only his sister had continued to support and encourage him. That was why Hao Meng had been able to persist in cultivation tirelessly for five years.
"Senior Hao, congratulations on breaking through into the Core Formation Realm. You have finally truly set foot upon the immortal path."
Seeing that Hao Meng's spirit and body had both reached their peak, Li Mu was naturally delighted as well.
"Junior Brother Li, more than half the credit for this breakthrough belongs to you. Without the Primordial Origin Immortal Pill you gave me, I could not have remolded the World Origin Energy within my dantian, nor could I have broken through. I, Hao Meng, will never forget such boundless kindness for as long as I live."
Hao Meng bowed deeply to Li Mu. The grace of remaking someone was as great as heaven itself. No matter how many words he spoke, they would be superfluous. Only repaying it through action was the finest gratitude.
"Also, these are the three weapons and treasure items I borrowed before. I am now returning them all to you, Junior Brother."
As he spoke, Hao Meng took out a wooden case and opened it before Li Mu. Amid waves of energy fluctuations lay the White Tiger Glazed Gauntlets, the Marauder Wisteria Armor, and the mysterious Radiant Watermark Sash.
"Senior Hao, what do you mean by this? These three pieces of equipment were chosen for you in the first place. Are you asking me to abandon swordsmanship and cultivate fist techniques instead?"
Li Mu did not take the wooden case. Instead, he joked with Hao Meng. The three pieces of equipment he had chosen had all suited Hao Meng extremely well, and he had never intended to ask for them back. After all, a sincere friendship was worth far more than those Cangyun Coins.
"Well, Junior Brother Li... I..."
Hao Meng hesitated. Now that he had broken through into the Core Formation Realm, he had planned to leave Qinglan City and gain experience elsewhere, preparing for the Cangyun Empire sect selection two years later. All three pieces of equipment suited him perfectly and greatly enhanced both his combat power and ability to survive. Outside the city was unlike within it. The Immortal Realm was vast and riddled with dangers. One more trump card meant one more layer of security.
"Brother, just keep them. Brother Mu is someone meant for great things. Would he care about such a little bit of money?"
Hao Xiaomeng immediately saw through her brother's inner conflict and hurriedly spoke up.
"Then, Junior Brother Li, I will not stand on ceremony with you. Great kindness needs no words of thanks. If you ever have need of me in the future, no matter when or where, I, Hao Meng, will follow you unto death."
Li Mu looked at the honest, burly man before him and smiled faintly. As a veteran gamer, he knew that finding companions and building up one's own power were indispensable parts of every game.
"Xiaomeng, today is the joyous day of your brother's breakthrough. Let us put our sparring aside for now and go celebrate him properly."
"Alright! Brother, today we'll make Brother Mu pay through the nose. He's a big moneybag."
Hao Xiaomeng was still young, and when she heard that they could go out to celebrate, she immediately jumped up in delight.
The three of them left the academy together and headed toward Qinglan City's liveliest market.
Before you continue