Preparations for the Golden Core Tribulation

Thinking of this, Xiao Peng entered Wan Yao Zhai.

With a casual sweep of his Spiritual Sense, Xiao Peng found the Blood Lotus Essence.

Xiao Peng pointed at the Yellow Lotus Essence and said to the clerk, "I'll take this."

The clerk took out the Yellow Lotus Essence and said to Xiao Peng, "Yellow Lotus Essence, 100 Gold Coins."

Hearing that, Xiao Peng took out his card, swiped it, and paid 100 Gold Coins.

He thought the card was quite convenient, just like a bank card.

After obtaining the Yellow Lotus Essence, Xiao Peng put it away and left Wan Yao Zhai.

This Yellow Lotus Essence was actually Blood Lotus Essence. Without careful inspection, no one would discover that it was Blood Lotus Essence.

Xiao Peng entered the mountain range in search of a cave. He planned to undergo the Golden Core Tribulation.

His teacher had already prepared the materials for forming a Golden Core. All he needed to do was break through.

However, achieving a Perfect Golden Core was no easy matter. He needed to endure the Lightning Tribulation.

The Perfect Golden Core Tribulation was terrifying, so he had to make thorough preparations.

Xiao Yi Xian?

He would deal with that later. Undergoing the tribulation was the priority.

In the dense forests on the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, towering ancient trees blotted out the sky, while thick layers of decaying leaves carpeted the ground, making no sound beneath one's feet.

Xiao Peng avoided the paths commonly used by mercenaries and followed the terrain deeper in. His Spiritual Sense spread out like a spiderweb as he searched for a suitable place to undergo the tribulation.

Several hours later, Xiao Peng's Spiritual Sense reached a valley enclosed by mountains on three sides.

Jagged rocks filled the valley, yet they formed a natural barrier that cut off outside prying eyes and interference.

Most rare of all, at the center of the valley floor stood a bluish stone platform about ten feet wide. Its surface was smooth as a mirror, and Spiritual Energy faintly flowed beneath it. It was actually a natural Spirit-Gathering ground.

"This is the place."

Xiao Peng flashed forward and landed on the bluish stone platform.

With a wave of his hand, several streams of Spiritual Power shot out, severing the vines and low trees at the valley entrance and clearing an open area.

He then took out formation flags and the Jingzhe Disk from his Storage Ring and began setting up defensive and concealment formations.

Twelve formation flags carved with lightning patterns were inserted into the valley floor according to the positions of the twelve Earthly Branches. The instant the flags struck the ground, a pale golden light screen surged into the sky, enveloping the entire valley.

Lightning coursed across the light screen, radiating a heart-palpitating pressure.

Next, Xiao Peng took out the Jingzhe Disk and placed it at the center of the bluish stone platform. As the disk came into contact with the underground Spiritual Energy, fine threads of lightning immediately spilled from it and connected with the surrounding formation flags, forming a stable Lightning Tribulation Guiding Formation.

Sect Leader Tongtian had taught him how to refine all these formation-related items.

"Still not enough. It has to be absolutely foolproof."

Xiao Peng furrowed his brows slightly as his gaze swept across the valley.

The Perfect Golden Core Tribulation concerned the foundation of his cultivation. The slightest oversight could cause all his efforts to fail, so he had to ensure nothing went wrong.

Spiritual Power moved at Xiao Peng's fingertips once more as he took thirty-six silver needles from his Storage Ring. Their bodies glimmered with a faint blue light. They were Lightning-Locking Needles, forged from dark iron from frigid lands mixed with lightning crystals.

Where had the materials come from?

Naturally, his teacher had provided them. Refining these things had truly taken a tremendous toll on him.

With a flick of his finger, the silver needles shot toward the valley walls like meteors. Every three needles formed a group, embedding themselves into cracks in the rocks according to the positions of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.

The instant the needles entered the walls, faint sizzling rang through the valley. Countless nearly invisible silver threads extended from their tails, weaving into an impenetrable electric net in midair that covered the inside of the violet-gold light screen.

Though the net looked delicate, it could redirect the dispersed power of the Lightning Tribulation back into the Jingzhe Disk. It would prevent energy from being wasted while also ensuring that leaking lightning would not draw the attention of Magical Beasts or humans.

After placing the last Lightning-Locking Needle, Xiao Peng let out a long breath. Fine sweat had already formed on his forehead.

He raised a hand to wipe it away, his gaze sweeping over the layered Formation Light Screens throughout the valley. At last, a trace of satisfaction appeared in his eyes.

The lightning-patterned formation flags formed the outer layer, creating the first line of defense and able to withstand thirty percent of the Lightning Tribulation's power.

The Jingzhe Disk sat at the center, guiding the violent power of lightning into the bluish stone platform to help temper his body.

The electric net woven from the Lightning-Locking Needles formed the inner layer. It could reclaim scattered energy and fill any gaps if the formations failed. The three layers of protection interlocked perfectly—this was the utmost he could achieve.

Xiao Peng sat on the bluish stone platform and took out the Heavenly Treasures his teacher had prepared for him.

First, he took out a dark brown root about the length of his forearm. Its skin was covered in fine golden patterns, and when brought close, it released a rich earthy scent mixed with the fragrance of vegetation. This was the Mountain Suppressing Root, which grew deep within Earth veins.

The Mountain Suppressing Root could stabilize the foundation of the physical body during a breakthrough and resist the tearing force of the Lightning Tribulation.

Next, a walnut-sized fruit appeared in his palm. It was pure white, as though condensed from moonlight, with a faint silver sheen swirling across its surface. It was icy to the touch. This was the Moon Soul Fruit.

Legend said it had absorbed a thousand years of moonlight and could nourish a cultivator's soul, allowing them to keep their mind clear when the Lightning Tribulation descended.

Lastly, Xiao Peng took out a fist-sized crystal from the depths of his Storage Ring. The stone was translucent, as though countless tiny stars had been sealed within it.

It glittered with fragmented silver radiance under the light. This was the Star Marrow Crystal.

This crystal was harvested from the core of a fallen star and required ten thousand years of nourishment from the earth to take shape. The star power contained within it was pure and vast, making it especially effective at stabilizing the core of Spiritual Power within a cultivator's dantian.

During the Golden Core Tribulation, it could anchor the forming Golden Core like a pillar that steadied the sea, preventing it from shattering beneath the cleansing of lightning. At the same time, it could fuse star power into the Golden Core, granting it a trace of the stars' vastness and resilience, adding another layer of assurance for a Perfect Golden Core.

"Next, I need to get myself into the best condition."

Xiao Peng checked the things his teacher had given him and began adjusting his condition.

Several days later, on the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

A group entered the mountain range. One of them carried a black greatsword on his back. That person was Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan's group had terrible luck. Not long after entering, they encountered three waves of Magical Beast attacks.

"Something's wrong. Why are there so many Magical Beasts?" Mu Li said after killing a second-rank Magical Beast.

Xiao Yan frowned deeply as he looked into the dense forest. "There are many Magical Beasts in the outskirts, but not enough for them to be this concentrated. Their aggression is also several times stronger than usual. It's as though they're fleeing from something."

The moment he finished speaking, a muffled rumble of thunder suddenly came from the distant sky. Although the sky was perfectly clear, the thunder carried a heart-palpitating pressure that instantly quieted the surrounding Magical Beasts' roars.

"What is that?" Lin Bai, one of the group, pointed at the western sky.

Clouds there were gathering at a visible speed, with violet-gold lightning faintly churning within them. Even from dozens of miles away, they could feel that world-destroying aura.

Xiao Yi Xian instinctively clenched her sleeve. Her face turned white as paper, and her slender body trembled faintly.

The pressure coming from the western horizon was not directed at anyone, yet it carried the stern aura of the laws of heaven and earth,