Golden Core

"Such a powerful heavenly phenomenon..." Xiao Yan stared at the Purple-Gold Thunderclouds rolling across the western sky, his grip on the Black Heavy Ruler tightening slightly.

The thunderclouds gathered at an astonishing speed. In mere moments, they had formed a massive vortex on the horizon.

Lightning kept bursting from the center of the vortex. Though it was far away, it felt as if fine currents were drilling through the air and into their pores, bringing a bone-piercing chill.

"Some Heavenly Treasure must have emerged. Come on, let's go see what's happening," Mu Li said.

"A Heavenly Treasure?" Xiao Yan's brow furrowed even tighter, and the Black Heavy Ruler seemed to grow heavier in his hand. "What kind of treasure would trigger lightning like this...?"

Before he could finish, Mu Li had already rushed several steps forward with his blade in hand. When he looked back, his face was flushed with excitement. "Who cares what it is? An omen like this must conceal a tremendous opportunity! Once we get our hands on the benefits, forget Dou Shi—even becoming a Dou Ling might be possible!"

"Mu Li has a point. Such a phenomenon is indeed rare. It may truly be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Lin Bai hesitated for a moment.

In the end, the words tremendous opportunity stirred his heart.

Lin Bai looked at Xiao Yan. "Xiao Yan, why don't we go take a look? We'll only observe from afar. If it's dangerous, we'll retreat immediately."

Xiao Yi Xian pressed her lips together and said nothing. She merely gazed at the Purple-Gold Thunderclouds, her eyes full of unease.

But the others in the party had clearly been persuaded by Mu Li and nodded in agreement.

Seeing this, Xiao Yan knew there was no point in trying to stop them. He could only say in a low voice, "Then we'll listen to Brother Lin. We'll only watch from a distance. No one is allowed to approach on their own!"

He tightened his hold on the Black Heavy Ruler and was the first to follow Mu Li. Yet the unease in his heart only grew stronger. The pressure within those thunderclouds was not something an ordinary opportunity could possess.

The group cautiously made their way through the dense forest. The closer they got to the west, the more stagnant the air became. Even the chirping of birds and insects vanished, leaving only their footsteps and pounding hearts.

Occasionally, frightened Magical Beasts would sprint past them, their eyes filled with terror, as though some monstrous calamity were chasing them from behind.

"Look!" Mu Li suddenly stopped atop a ridge and pointed ahead.

Everyone followed his finger and saw that, above a valley several miles away, the Purple-Gold Thunderclouds had condensed into a gigantic funnel.

Countless bolts of lightning darted through it like silver serpents. At the entrance to the valley below, a faint golden barrier flickered, somehow keeping the violent lightning outside.

"That barrier... it can block heavenly lightning?" Lin Bai sucked in a breath, shock flashing through his eyes.

"It isn't merely blocking it. Look at the lightning's trajectory." Xiao Yan pointed at the bottom of the funnel-shaped thunderclouds.

The lightning there was not striking chaotically. Instead, it seemed to be guided by an invisible force, flowing along the edges of the barrier before ultimately converging at the bottom of the valley.

"That barrier is guiding the lightning, not passively defending against it."

Lin Bai leaned closer to inspect it. Sure enough, he saw the lightning bend slightly upon touching the barrier, like a stream flowing through cracks in rocks after meeting a reef. He could not help muttering, "What kind of method is this? To actually use heavenly lightning for one's own purposes..."

Mu Li's gaze, however, was fixed on the valley floor. Rubbing his hands together, he said, "Who cares what method it is? Anything that can cause such a commotion must mean there's treasure in that valley! Look at how that barrier is flickering. Maybe it's refining some divine object. Once the refining is complete..."

Xiao Yan looked at Mu Li as though he were an idiot. He had no intention of dealing with such a fool.

He silently retreated a few steps. There was no way he was getting closer.

Blinded by thoughts of treasure, Mu Li saw Xiao Yan retreat and took it as cowardice. He grinned. "If you don't dare go, I'll go by myself! Once I get the benefits, you'll regret it!"

With that, he raised his blade, bent low, and crept toward the valley.

His footsteps were hurried, and he failed to notice the surrounding air beginning to crackle.

"Mu Li! Come back!" Lin Bai's heart lurched as he hurriedly shouted.

But Mu Li did not even turn his head. Instead, he sped up, already rushing to within less than three miles of the valley.

At that moment, the thundercloud funnel in the sky abruptly contracted. A Purple-Gold bolt as thick as an arm shot out like a long serpent. It did not strike the barrier in the valley but instead made a bizarre turn and streaked toward Mu Li.

"Not good!" Xiao Yan's pupils shrank.

Mu Li did not even manage to see what it was. He only felt an indescribable burning pain explode from the top of his head, and then his consciousness was swallowed by endless white light.

"Bang—"

With an almost inaudible dull thud, Mu Li's body turned directly into scattered sparks within the lightning. Not even a trace of charred remains was left behind, as if he had never existed at all.

Only the long blade he had dropped on the ground remained, trembling faintly. Fine scorch marks instantly covered its surface, and in the next instant, it shattered with a crack into dust.

Lin Bai's mouth fell open in shock. It felt as though something had clogged his throat, leaving him unable to utter even a cry.

He watched Mu Li vanish before his eyes. That soundless annihilation was more horrifying than any bloody scene.

Xiao Yi Xian screamed and collapsed onto the ground, trembling all over like a leaf.

The residual aura from that bolt swept past them, causing a layer of tiny blisters to instantly rise on her exposed arm.

"Run! Leave immediately!" Xiao Yan's voice carried a faint, barely perceptible tremor.

It was not fear, but the instinctive shudder brought on by the might of heaven and earth.

After saying that, he turned and fled without hesitation.

The others immediately turned and ran as well. None of them noticed Xiao Yi Xian on the ground.

After a while, the dark clouds in the sky gradually dispersed.

The barrier at the entrance to the valley had long since vanished. A flash of golden light briefly flickered at the valley floor, followed by a vast and condensed aura soaring into the sky like an invisible heavenly pillar piercing the clouds.

That aura was gentle yet heavy, carrying the distinctive pressure of a Golden Core cultivator. Yet it was even more boundless than an ordinary Golden Core, as though it contained the power of stars and earth.

"Not bad. Golden Core early stage."

Xiao Peng sensed the vast Spiritual Power within him condense into a Golden Core inside his dantian. As it slowly rotated, golden, white, and purple halos flowed around it—the phenomenon of a Perfect Golden Core.

Upon achieving a Perfect Golden Core, he had obtained a divine ability called the Purple Heaven Evil Slaying Sword.

Unfortunately, there was no target around. Otherwise, he would have used the Purple Heaven Evil Slaying Sword to test its power.

This Golden Core Tribulation had brought his Nine Revolutions Profound Technique to the fourth level of the First Turn.

At first, Xiao Peng had believed the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique was merely a Body Tempering method. Only after cultivating it to the First Turn did he realize that it was not merely a Body Tempering method; it also involved the soul.

Xiao Peng guessed that once he cultivated it to great mastery, his soul and body would become one.

If others tried to deal with him using techniques that attacked the soul, it would amount to nothing against him.

"Hmm? There's someone nearby. Interesting."

Xiao Peng noticed someone slumped on the ground outside.