Broaden the qi sea, build the spirit platform, condense the pill cauldron, kindle the flame, and form the Golden Core.
These five steps were enough to sum up the process of crossing from Foundation Establishment to the Golden Core stage.
Of course, some cultivators breaking through from Foundation Establishment to the Golden Core stage didn't have to go through so much. They might need only two or three steps: broadening the Spirit Sea and condensing the Golden Core.
The path Bai Yixin had chosen might seem a little more troublesome, but the Golden Core he condensed was of exceptionally high quality—at least ten times better than an ordinary Golden Core.
The exact difference depended on the quality of the spirit platform he built, as well as the cultivation method he practiced and the depth of his foundation. The higher the grade of the pill cauldron and pill flame, the higher the quality of the Golden Core formed after passing the Three-Nine Heavenly Tribulation.
Pill cauldrons were divided into four grades: purple, red, green, and gray. The Purple Gold Giant Cauldron Bai Yixin had condensed was the very best of the best. He owed that to having used Heavenly Dao Qi and the Qi of the Great Dao to establish his foundation earlier, laying an unimaginably perfect Dao Foundation.
At the Foundation Establishment stage, the early phase involved opening the qi sea, the middle phase building the spirit platform, and the late phase forming the pill cauldron.
The Foundation Establishment stage wasn't really divided into many heavenly levels, only into early, middle, and late phases. Bai Yixin's current seventh level of Foundation Establishment referred to the concentration and size of his qi sea when he condensed the pill cauldron. One level was the baseline, so the seventh level meant Bai Yixin had seven times the capacity of an ordinary cultivator.
That meant that if his body weren't strong enough, he couldn't break through to the seventh level of Foundation Establishment, because his body wouldn't be able to contain such vast amounts of Spiritual Energy.
The moment the Purple Gold Giant Cauldron had fully taken shape, it had marked Bai Yixin's entry into the late phase of Foundation Establishment. He was just one step away from perfection and beginning to condense his Golden Core.
However, Bai Yixin had long planned to go to the Hundred-Broken Mountain Range. He also intended to build the strongest possible foundation, so he hadn't rushed to break through.
As his cultivation gradually improved, Bai Yixin realized this path was viable. Although it expanded his power horizontally without raising his cultivation realm, it greatly improved both his endurance and his combat strength.
Bai Yixin had already completed four of the five steps: broadening the qi sea, building the spirit platform, condensing the pill cauldron, and kindling the flame.
Kindling the flame was actually done alongside condensing the Golden Core. It meant igniting a pill flame to temper the Golden Core.
For this step, one could either learn a flame divine ability or capture a spiritual flame of heaven and earth, then refine and control it. Either way, it would greatly aid one in condensing a Golden Core, refining pills, and forging artifacts.
Bai Yixin's response was: I want it all.
But right now, that wasn't realistic. Only children said, "I want it all"; adults knew they had to make sacrifices.
Bai Yixin already had too many things to grind away at. Add one more, and there simply wouldn't be enough time. Given long enough, he might end up knowing a little about everything but mastering nothing.
So, after careful consideration, Bai Yixin chose the latter: to find a spiritual flame of heaven and earth and refine and control it. It would yield results faster and pack more power than an ordinary flame divine ability.
After looking through the countless kinds of flames in the shop and considering the state of his wallet and his own abilities, Bai Yixin ultimately chose a powerful, cost-effective variant flame—the Fallen Heart Flame.
Bai Yixin insisted that this absolutely wasn't a case of being swayed by familiarity. He simply didn't know how powerful the other flames really were, based on their descriptions. Well, probably...
The Fallen Heart Flame was born from the heart. It tempered qi and refined bone, and was hailed as a "cultivation cheat" because it could accelerate cultivation.
Once someone successfully refined the Fallen Heart Flame, it would continuously produce Heart Fire within their body. Without needing to be controlled, this Heart Fire would burn through the Spiritual Energy in their body day and night, every moment of every day. Under this virtually nonstop tempering, it was as though their body were constantly cultivating. What's more, this state of cultivation was even more effective than ordinary practice. Naturally, its results far exceeded those of normal cultivation, which was why it was called a cultivation cheat.
Besides that, the Fallen Heart Flame had two other abilities.
The first was its ability to counter spiritual entities, directly damaging them.
The second was Heart Fire attacks. Born from the heart and impossible to trace, the Fallen Heart Flame could slip its child flames into an enemy's body without them noticing. Once a child flame grew strong enough, the weak would be burned to ash in an instant, while even the strong would have their movements disrupted as they struggled to suppress the flames inside them.
The Fallen Heart Flame was one of Bai Yixin's trump cards, and also one of the reasons his cultivation progressed so quickly.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
On the lofty spirit platform, a tightly sealed Purple Gold Giant Cauldron boomed from within.
Inside the giant cauldron, a pool of Divine Liquid struggled violently, trying to escape. It looked as if something were scorching it, and it was in terrible pain.
"The Fallen Heart Flame will probably need some more time to refine the consciousness of the Supreme One True Water. It sure is stubborn," Bai Yixin murmured.
As Bai Yixin opened his eyes, he could feel that even though he had refined some of the Supreme One True Water, his physique seemed to have grown stronger.
It really was a divine liquid, full of wondrous effects. It was also incredibly effective for tempering the body.
"Brother Little White, how's it going? Want a bowl?" Little One had somehow stolen three eggs.
Each of the eggs was as big as a water barrel, pristine white and translucent, like they'd been carved from white jade. Runes lay within them, and wisps of essence swirled around them.
All three giant eggs had been split in half and set over the fire, making six "pots" filled to the brim with yolks and whites. They shimmered with rosy light, and the liquid inside gave off a uniform, fragrant aroma as bubbles rose to the surface. Golden and glossy, they made one's mouth water.
"This stuff is pretty stubborn. It'll take a few more hours..." Bai Yixin didn't ask where Little One had stolen the eggs from. It wasn't the first time, after all. He lifted one egg-pot from the fire, unbothered by the heat, and wolfed it down. In the blink of an eye, he'd polished off an egg as big as a water barrel.
"Burp! That was delicious! The Supreme One True Water is astonishingly effective. If you can refine it successfully, the bone in your body can probably start regenerating. But it still won't be enough to grow a new Supreme Bone."
"Σ(〟〇О〇) R-really!?" Little One, who had been gobbling down eggs nearby, was overjoyed. He hurriedly asked.
"The Supreme Bone..."
Little One's big eyes glistened with unshed tears. So much had happened since he was born, so many cruel and bloody tragedies had played out before him.
His Treasure Bone had been dug out. Though he was a direct descendant of the Martial King Manor, he had been forced to wander far from home. He had been separated from his family, with no idea whether his parents were dead or alive.
All of this had started because of that bone.
His Supreme Bone and blood essence had been taken and implanted in that godlike youth, Shi Yi. He'd thought he would never see them again.
Though Willow Deity had told him the principle, "Autumn winds cut down yellow leaves, wildfires burn withered grass, cold winds howl past, and when spring comes, new branches sprout," giving Little One hope that his Supreme Bone might grow back, he had no idea how to make it happen.
So when Bai Yixin had casually said his Supreme Bone could regenerate, Little One had been utterly astonished.
"Of course. When have I ever lied to you?" Bai Yixin said after finishing the third pot of egg soup and wiping his mouth.
In the original timeline, without Bai Yixin's guidance, Little One had started down the path to growing a second Supreme Bone by refining the Supreme One True Water at this point.
Now, after Bai Yixin had personally helped strengthen him, how could Little One fail? Anyway, Bai Yixin didn't believe he would.
"Let's go. We'll keep moving. First, we'll find Ghost Master's Greatsword, then we'll eat our fill!" Bai Yixin said, clenching his fist.
"Okay!" Little One said excitedly. He quickly finished his eggs, spread his Azure Wings, and followed Bai Yixin.
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