East of Ren Family Town, beside a narrow, pebble-paved path, stood a slightly dilapidated City God Temple.
There were only a few rundown houses nearby, and few people came here. It was a semi-abandoned area.
Night had fallen.
A drizzle began to fall outside the City God Temple.
The temple had long since fallen into disrepair. A few raindrops slipped through gaps in the roof and landed on Fei Luo's forehead.
"Hm? Is it raining?"
Fei Luo woke from meditation. Hearing the drizzle outside the silent temple, he slowly rose to his feet.
The City God, Li Ru, had not appeared again since Fei Luo arrived. It seemed that his journey earlier that day had drained much of his strength.
Whoosh~
Fei Luo went to the altar table and lit two dust-covered candles. Their faint flames brightened the darkness a little.
Outside.
Two figures clad in black, close-fitting outfits drifted through the rain.
Strangely, they seemed like duckweed on the water, their feet never touching the ground. With each step, they drifted a hundred meters forward.
Before long, the two had reached the temple entrance.
Stranger still, the candlelight inside cast Fei Luo's shadow and the statue of the City God, but it could not cast the shadows of these two.
As if sensing something, Fei Luo silently watched the timeworn statue and said without turning around, "Since you've come, why not come in and talk? I've been waiting for you for a long time."
At this, the two exchanged astonished glances. Their eyes met, and both saw the shock in the other's.
Twenty-one years old? Peak False Core Realm?
The two men drifted inside and said, "We pay our respects to Young Hero Fei Luo."
Their voices were faint, like the sound of ghosts and gods rippling through the void. They carried a strange melody, yet were filled with respect.
Fei Luo looked them over.
Both wore black, close-fitting outfits and carried sabers at their waists. A large character, "soldier," was emblazoned on each one's chest. Their False Core Realm auras were just a little weaker than Fei Luo's.
"Greetings, Underworld Envoys." Fei Luo nodded to them courteously.
This was the first time Fei Luo had met Underworld Envoys from the Netherworld.
It was said that when Underworld Envoys passed by, the living should keep their distance. Even Fei Luo could feel the frigid aura emanating from the two.
It was the eerie aura of ghosts and gods, the breath of the Netherworld.
Unlike the City God's Yang spirit body, these Yin spirits gave off an aura that was its exact opposite.
Their aura came from the same source as ghosts and monsters, but unlike those beings, it was not evil.
"Now that you're here, please sit." Just then, a flash of light passed over the statue of the City God, Li Ru, and Li Ru appeared in the temple hall, dressed in a yellow robe. He gestured for the two to sit.
"Young Hero Fei Luo, you should sit too."
Smiling, Li Ru invited them all to take their seats.
After some pleasantries, Fei Luo learned that these were the two Underworld Envoys who had long struggled in vain to subdue Dong Xiaoyu. They had also sensed his aura after learning of his thunder arts and wished to befriend him.
"Young Hero Fei Luo, when I saw you that day, you were at Foundation Establishment Peak Stage. I never imagined that after just a few days, you'd have reached the False Core Realm—and the peak of it, at that. This is something neither of us has ever heard of or seen before."
""
The two Underworld Envoys studied Fei Luo, their words filled with praise.
Fei Luo smiled calmly. "You're too kind. It was just luck."
After a pause, Fei Luo grew serious. "I have a question for you both. My cultivation has reached the peak of the False Core Realm, so why can't I break through? Further refining my magic power only stabilizes my foundation. But my foundation can no longer be made any firmer. What's the reason?"
At this, the two Underworld Envoys exchanged a glance. One of them asked quietly, "May I ask, Young Hero Fei Luo, is your False Core blue?"
False Cores were usually white. Above white came red, and above red came blue.
Fei Luo shook his head. "No. My False Core is pale gold."
"Pale gold?" The three murmured. Then, all at once, they cried out, "What? Pale gold? A supreme-grade False Core?"
The two Underworld Envoys and the City God, Li Ru, all shrieked in shock.
Even in legend, a pale-gold grade was a once-in-ten-thousand-years rarity.
If his False Core was already pale gold, what would his Golden Core be like?
Normally, a False Core was white, a Solid Core was red, and only a Golden Core was gold.
Even though they had lived for ages, the three sucked in one cold breath after another. Their eyes nearly popped out of their heads.
"Is something wrong with that? Mine turned out that way when I reached the False Core Realm." Fei Luo was baffled by their sudden change of expression.
"Young master, there's something you don't know." One of the Underworld Envoys began to explain, his tone growing even more courteous and respectful.
Fei Luo might not yet be an especially formidable expert, but in their eyes, he was no different from one.
That was because any cultivator whose False Core was gold had a great chance of shattering the void in the future!
A supreme-grade False Core at the False Core Realm—an extraordinary prodigy like this was hard to find even once in ten thousand years. If he did not die young, he would surely shine brightly.
They had only ever heard of such experts in legends.
Perhaps one had appeared in the dazzling ancient era, or in the age when their Prefect Lord had yet to attain the Dao.
But one thing was certain: in this Age of Declining Dharma, a prodigy like Fei Luo was the only one of his kind in the world.
Now they understood why Fei Luo had reached the False Core Realm at just twenty-one—and why his False Core was pale gold.
There was just one detail Fei Luo had kept to himself: his False Core was dark gold, not pale gold.
Even among golden grades, there were differences in quality.
Pale gold was already astonishing.
If they learned that his False Core was the highest grade of pale gold—dark gold—they might have collapsed on the spot.
Of course, ghosts and gods could not collapse.
"So that's how it is. For a grade above blue, I must face the Three Tribulations of Wind, Thunder, and Fire. In other words, I'm fighting against Heaven's will. I have to survive a heavenly tribulation before I can condense a Solid Core?"
Fei Luo spoke up. After learning the details, he now understood why he could not break through to the Solid Core Realm.
Though Underworld Envoys were among the most basic beings in the Netherworld, they knew many things.
"How can I trigger a heavenly tribulation? Is it dangerous?" As soon as Fei Luo asked, he knew it was a rather foolish question.
But the Yin Soldier before him did not seem bothered. Instead, he answered respectfully, "Young master, your realm is still shallow. You can't trigger a heavenly tribulation whenever you want. To do so, you must break through somewhere high up while a steady rain is falling. The thunder energy gathering between Heaven and Earth will sense your presence. The same goes for wind."
"But the Three Tribulations of Wind, Thunder, and Fire are all perilous. They also bring great opportunities. If you survive them, your body will undergo a transformation."
Fei Luo was shocked. He nodded slightly. "I see. Thank you for your guidance, Brother Underworld Envoy. Isn't tonight the perfect time to trigger a thunder tribulation?"
"Not at all, not at all." The Underworld Envoy hurriedly waved his hands. "If you intend to undergo the tribulation, we would be honored to protect you."
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