Three-Revolutions Golden Core Achieved, Master Mends Dao Foundation

A Three-Revolutions Golden Core could raise the dead and restore flesh to bone.

Mending a mere Dao Foundation would be trivial.

But such a heaven-defying pill could hardly escape tribulation.

Li Yang understood this well, yet the Shelter Grotto-Heaven had earned its name precisely for its ability to obscure heavenly secrets.

"Can't delay too long, or the Heavenly Dao will misjudge and lock onto us completely."

This was a programmed protocol of the Heavenly Dao: a newborn Golden Core's nascent fluctuations would trigger the Thunder Tribulation. If delayed too long, the Tribulation would discern whether the heavenly secrets had been obscured, and then the will of the Heavenly Dao would descend.

Perhaps even that madman would cast his gaze down.

Li Yang wasn't sure if he'd already been marked by that person, but since the Tribulation hadn't manifested inside the grotto-heaven, it seemed the gaze wasn't on him.

So he needed to leave seclusion quickly and let the Golden Core see the light of day.

But the question remained: if this Golden Core weathered the Tribulation, and his Master, having taken the pill to shore up his foundation, successfully crossed his own tribulation—would that be judged as interfering with the grand momentum of heaven and earth, drawing unwanted attention?

"To hell with it. I'm doing it."

Some things were worth doing, some weren't. Back then, he was a starving little beggar in a ruined temple outside the city walls, and his Master had brought him to the Immortal Crossing Sect. Otherwise, he'd have died long ago.

To risk his life for his Master—what was there to fear?

Having settled his thoughts, Li Yang's True Body quietly replaced the Avatar in the pill room, and the Three-Revolutions Golden Core appeared within the furnace.

"Boom!"

The furnace lid blasted open, and a beam of golden light shot skyward, only to be blocked by the Composite Grand Array he had laid down.

Even so, it was still locked onto by the Thunder Tribulation, and a Tribulation Cloud began gathering above the pill room.

"What's happening?"

The commotion startled the other three on Lesser Qiong Peak, especially Old Daoist Qi Yuan, whose heart nearly leaped from his chest.

That drifting Tribulation Cloud almost triggered his own tribulation.

If it had, with two tribulations combined, he would have been dead for sure.

Forcing his aura to suppress itself, Old Daoist Qi Yuan rushed out of his thatched hut and found Li Changshou and Lan Ling'e staring wide-mouthed at the pill room nearby.

"Changshou, Ling'e, do you know what's going on?"

The two looked at the old Daoist. Li Changshou shook his head. "Master, I don't know."

Lan Ling'e seemed thoughtful but uncertain. "Maybe Senior Brother refined some kind of Immortal Pill."

She knew well that Li Yang had been refining Immortal Pills. With the Tribulation Cloud hanging over the pill room, it wasn't hard to guess.

She just wondered what kind of Immortal Pill her Senior Brother had concocted to possess such power.

Unlike Li Changshou, who hid everything, Li Yang didn't conceal much of his alchemy talent. His principle was: apply one generation, hide one generation, research one generation, and pre-develop one generation.

Because he was well-prepared, this situation didn't arouse Old Daoist Qi Yuan's suspicion.

In his eyes, his second disciple simply had that kind of talent.

"To be able to refine an Immortal Pill that demands the Heavenly Dao's trial—Xiao Yang's alchemy talent might surpass his cultivation talent."

Li Yang didn't hear Old Daoist Qi Yuan's musings. Right now, he was only worried about the Three-Revolutions Golden Core.

He didn't know if it could survive this tribulation.

"Crack!"

In his anxiety, a bolt of lightning fell from the sky, striking the Golden Core with a blinding flash.

"First bolt—no problem!"

Li Yang could clearly see a thunder pattern appear on the core, and its medicinal properties were being tempered. This was a good sign.

"Crack!"

Without much buildup, the second bolt followed.

In an instant, sparks flew from the Golden Core as if the terrifying tribulation lightning were striking metal and stone.

"Second thunder pattern. The core shrank a bit, but its quality improved significantly."

The third bolt was the final one. After several breaths of buildup, it crashed down.

"Boom!"

Thunder and lightning raged inside the pill room. The furnace was blasted apart by the lightning, and splashing thunder liquid collapsed and ignited the entire room. Even Li Yang's Three-Revolutions Immortal Body felt waves of tingling numbness.

But Li Yang paid it no mind. His eyes were fixed on the Golden Core.

"Three thunder patterns formed. The spiritual nature is brewing."

Li Yang keenly sensed the nascent spiritual nature within the core. He quickly formed hand seals, and a Jade Gourd flew out, waiting for the right moment.

At that instant, a divine light fell from the Tribulation Cloud, enveloping the Golden Core. When the light faded, the core turned into a streak of golden light and fled into the distance.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Li Yang, who had been watching it closely, wouldn't let it escape. The Jade Gourd emitted a strange suction force, then spat out a beam of white light that wrapped around the Golden Core and pulled it back.

The Jade Gourd landed in Li Yang's hands, gently swaying, and a smile crept across his face.

"It really worked!"

"Xiao Yang, are you alright?"

After the Tribulation Cloud dispersed, Old Daoist Qi Yuan and the other two rushed anxiously to the side of the pill room. They dared not cast spells to extinguish the raging fire nor clear away the collapsed ruins, choosing instead to shout loudly.

Hearing his master's voice, Li Yang flew straight out from the flames.

"Master, I'm fine!"

Li Yang arrived before his master, his face alight with excitement, holding the Jade Gourd out as an offering.

"Master, look—I refined an Immortal Pill. Try it; perhaps it can mend your Dao Foundation."

Seeing Li Yang's face, blackened by smoke and fire, with no thought to clean it, grinning to reveal two rows of white teeth, Old Daoist Qi Yuan's heart tightened and his nose stung.

This little disciple—how could he be so foolish!!

Did he truly think Old Daoist Qi Yuan didn't know how difficult it was to refine such an Immortal Pill?

"You brat, do you have any idea you nearly scared your master to death!"

A surge of anger rose in Old Daoist Qi Yuan's heart. This reckless fool had completely disregarded his own life, refining an Immortal Pill while only at the Void Refining Stage, drawing the Threefold Thunder Tribulation—how dangerous was that?

Was he not afraid of dying?

"Hehe, Master, it's fine since nothing happened!"

Li Yang easily dodged Old Daoist Qi Yuan's whisk, grinning shamelessly as he pushed the Jade Gourd closer.

"Master, have a taste. See if it can help replenish your Dao Foundation."

Old Daoist Qi Yuan knew his own condition. How could a mere Immortal Pill mend his Dao Foundation? If it were that simple, his Dao Foundation wouldn't be so severely damaged.

Still, it was his disciple's goodwill, so he took it and swallowed it in front of Li Yang.

Li Yang understood—his master hadn't really believed it would work; he'd done it mainly to reassure him. But his master was destined to be disappointed.

Sure enough, as the golden core entered his stomach, Qi Yuan felt a surging wave of medicinal power wash over him. His expression shifted dramatically, and he immediately sat down cross-legged to digest the overwhelming energy.

"Junior Brother, this is..."

Li Changshou grew anxious, but Li Yang raised a finger to his lips, making a shushing gesture, then transmitted his voice: "This is a Three-Revolutions Golden Core. It can mend Master's Dao Foundation."

Li Changshou's eyes went wide. He had heard of this thing—it was the Grand Pure Sage's creation. How had his junior brother managed to refine it?

Then he looked back at his master, whose aura was steadily shifting, growing calmer and more solid. Clearly, the Dao Foundation was indeed being repaired.

"Guard Master!"

The three of them formed a triangle, keeping a vigilant watch over Old Daoist Qi Yuan.

Three days later, Old Daoist Qi Yuan had fully absorbed the golden core's medicinal power. His aura grew deeper and deeper. When he opened his eyes, before he could even rejoice over his restored Dao Foundation, he sensed the majestic, oppressive might of heaven.

"Master's Heavenly Tribulation is truly coming."