Golden Core Immortal Formula, a Familiar Throbbing Sensation

When the smoke stretched taut and straight, Gu Qingfeng rose directly to his feet, a fierce thought surging up within him.

A fierce urge to rush out and fight the Golden Core Celestial Venerable and Senior Sister Zhang Yao to the death.

Because they were wicked demons, and he was a great hero!

A great hero was meant to slay demons and vanquish evil!

But a thought was only a thought. It did not make Gu Qingfeng lose his reason.

On the contrary, he remained very calm. He could even observe his own thoughts from the perspective of an outsider.

It was chivalrous spirit.

This thought of his should have been caused by the supreme chivalrous spirit and strange baleful aura within the incense burner. He had merely reversed the price, avoiding impulsive madness and the loss of reason.

At that moment, the straightened burning incense changed once more.

Other colors began to appear within the originally grayish-white incense smoke.

A wisp of azure smoke separated out and formed a line of words—[No. 3 Lin Qingxia: The No. 9 incense burner has been lit?]

Immediately afterward, a wisp of golden smoke drifted out and formed another line beneath it—[No. 5 Unmoving Monk Hero: How many years has it been since the No. 9 incense burner was last lit? Congratulations to the No. 9 hero on returning to his place!]

[No. 3 Lin Qingxia: Didn't they say this senior had been eaten? They only found one foot in the end. Could he not be dead?]

Peach-colored smoke drifted out—[No. 6 Peach-Eating Jade Sword: Hm?]

It was clearly only one word, and it was swiftly erased, much like retracting a message.

Gu Qingfeng was certain now. This was not a telephone call, but something similar to a WeChat group chat.

Still, the effects were about the same. He could "call the police" either way!

He hurriedly waved his right hand and wrote on the smoke.

A wisp of dark-blue smoke separated out, forming a line of words—[No. 9 XX: Everyone, please help! I've been kidnapped by wicked demons, and I fear my life will not last much longer.]

[No. 3 Lin Qingxia: What happened? Aren't you the previous holder? If you could relight the incense burner, you must at least be brimming with chivalrous spirit. Even a great hero was kidnapped?]

Gu Qingfeng's cheek twitched, his expression as painful as if he had cracked an egg between his legs.

Why did he feel that in this world, never mind great heroes, even immortals could get kidnapped?

[No. 5 Unmoving Monk Hero: No. 9 benefactor, please explain in detail. We are all righteous people. Since you can relight the No. 9 incense burner, your chivalrous spirit must naturally be abundant, making you one of our kind. Should wicked demons run rampant and prove difficult to deal with, this humble monk will certainly lend a hand and slaughter them!

As the saying goes: until hell is empty, I vow not to become a Buddha!]

Good No. 5!

Good monk hero!

Good bald head!

Gu Qingfeng felt that he was saved.

[No. 3 Lin Qingxia: Don't listen to that bald fraud's empty politeness. He makes it sound nice, but he never steps outside his front gate.]

[No. 5 Unmoving Monk Hero: Please do not slander me! This humble monk has merely been confined by his sect. Think of it—this grand monk hero merely took the corpses of one hundred and eight villains and refined them into three Corpse-Bodied Arhats for research. Yet that was enough to have me confined and punished with cultivating Unmoving Zen.]

[No. 3 Lin Qingxia: No. 9, if you really are in trouble, you should first ask that peach lady hero. She should be the fastest traveler here.]

[No. 6 Peach-Eating Jade Sword: Bullshit. Shut up.]

[No. 9 XX: Lady Hero! Save me! I fear I only have ten days left.]

[No. 6 Peach-Eating Jade Sword: Get to the point.]

Gu Qingfeng hurriedly wrote out a concise account of what had happened to him at the Golden Core Immortal Sect.

[No. 5 Unmoving Monk Hero: Golden Core Immortal Sect, Golden Core Celestial Venerable? I have never heard of these names.]

[No. 3 Lin Qingxia: A wicked demon who cultivates human pills dares call himself a Celestial Venerable? At a glance, he is nothing but some skulking, shameful demon from the Outer Dao.]

[No. 9 XX: Right, right, right!]

[No. 3 Lin Qingxia: But from your description, this wicked demon has already grown into something formidable. I fear I will need to cultivate for several more years before I can slaughter his entire family.]

[No. 9 XX: Huh?]

What did that mean? She was not coming?

[No. 5 Unmoving Monk Hero: This fellow has always been timid. He only attacks those whose realms and techniques he can crush. Never mind defeating the strong while weak—even against someone at roughly his own realm, he only flees and avoids battle. He is truly the disgrace of great heroes.]

[No. 3 Lin Qingxia: Bullshit. I am merely cautious.]

Hearing that, Gu Qingfeng only felt that No. 3 was unreliable.

She only dared to punch kindergarteners—what kind of great hero was that?

[No. 6 Peach-Eating Jade Sword: How should I help you?]

[No. 9 XX: On the fifteenth of this month, I will be tested by this Golden Core Celestial Venerable again. If my "Golden Core" cultivation has not made good progress this time, I will most likely be skinned and have my bones pulled out. I only ask that whichever of you can spare the time rescue me. I will serve as an ox or horse without complaint.]

He was penniless now. He truly had nothing to offer except serving as an ox or horse in repayment.

After that came a stretch of silence.

Gu Qingfeng grew somewhat anxious and thought, Why did everyone stop talking?

Then he understood.

Right. I'm a newcomer. Even online, I've just joined the group. I'm no different from a stranger, so why would anyone risk their life to save one?

Besides, judging from No. 3's tone, that wicked demon master, the Golden Core Celestial Venerable, has already grown formidable. They may not be able to handle him either.

But just then, No. 6's pink text drifted out once more.

[No. 6 Peach-Eating Jade Sword: I have time, and my sword wishes to drink blood as well. But you must at least tell me a location.]

[No. 5 Unmoving Monk Hero: Indeed, benefactor. To save someone, one must be given a direction—at least a general area. Otherwise, we will have nowhere to begin.]

[No. 3 Lin Qingxia: Is No. 1 around? Have you heard of this whatever-it-is Golden Core Immortal Sect?]

No. 1, whom No. 3 had mentioned, did not respond. They were probably not around.

This left Gu Qingfeng dumbfounded.

So at least this lady hero was willing to help him, but...

He only knew that this was the Golden Core Immortal Sect and that his master was the Golden Core Celestial Venerable. As for where the sect's mountain gate was, what mountain this was, or what region lay nearby, he knew absolutely nothing.

He had only just transmigrated here. He had no memories regarding such things and did not even know how he had arrived here.

So he hurriedly wrote, "Thank you, everyone. I will go investigate immediately."

At that moment, a burst of movement came from outside. Someone had returned, though he did not know who. Gu Qingfeng hurriedly pulled out the burning incense and stuffed the Chivalrous Spirit Incense Burner into his pocket.

He had to find out where this place was as soon as possible.

He only had ten days. Even if others were willing to help, they would have to consider the distance, as well as the time spent finding the way. The sooner this was done, the better.

The sooner this den of demons was destroyed by great heroes and lady heroes, the sooner he could escape this sea of suffering and avoid being eaten as a pill.

Gu Qingfeng hurriedly tidied himself up and secretly glanced at the silhouette outside, though he had no idea who it was.

Feigning nonchalance, he opened his door and headed toward the training rooms.

That was where the most fellow disciples were. Should he ask that peach-blossom-eyed junior sister?

Gu Qingfeng returned to the grove before the training rooms, lit three sticks of incense, secretly pocketed another two, and then entered his own training room.

The training room was built from black wood. It contained only a wooden bed, while the walls and ceiling were densely engraved with writing.

Those words were the "Golden Core Immortal Formula" that the Golden Core Celestial Venerable had ordered them to cultivate.

The writing had originally been carved with great neatness, yet it always gave off a writhing sensation.

In Gu Qingfeng's eyes, they resembled maggots, about to crawl out from the walls and burrow into his body.

In truth, the Golden Core Immortal Sect's daily cultivation routine was very simple. They merely had to stand straight or lie down in their training rooms, visualize themselves as a tree, and then recite the words.

He had originally wanted to gather information first, but all his fellow disciples were diligently cultivating right now. If he abruptly went around asking questions, it would seem far too conspicuous.

After all, among these disciples, there were surely informants planted by his master, the Golden Core Celestial Venerable.

He decided to wait until everyone had cultivated enough, then casually ask around "without realizing it."

Afterward, Gu Qingfeng looked at the "Golden Core Immortal Formula" and decided to cultivate for a while.

After all, it was hard to say whether Peach-Eating Jade Sword could even find this place.

If she did not make it in time, and his Golden Core had not grown large enough, then he would truly die ten days later. He had to pursue both paths at once.

Gu Qingfeng stood there like a wooden stake and began to chant the formula.

"Stand straight as a tree, upright as a mountain; suspend a thread from Baihui to connect with the Supreme Purity.

Press the tongue against the upper palate to create sweet dew; close the eyes like lowered curtains and observe the tip of the nose.

Let inhalation and exhalation be deep, long, fine, gentle, and even; let mind and breath depend upon each other, forgetting flesh and bones.

When not a single thought arises, ten thousand sounds fall silent; when the dantian grows faintly warm, true qi is born.

Let true qi move as though embracing wood; wood gives birth to heaven and earth, and the Golden Core turns green.

..."

The longer he chanted, the stronger the writhing sensation from the words became.

Gu Qingfeng felt the Core Branch and Golden Core within his body growing active as well, constantly itching to burst out of his body again.

In a burst of scorching heat, he could not help pulling aside the cotton cloth covering the three bloody holes at his shoulders and navel, allowing them to emerge on their own.

It did not take long before the Core Branch, carrying the so-called "Golden Core," truly emerged.

Within the dim room, the Core Branch had a fleshy texture, while the Golden Core on its branch emitted a faint golden glow. It was exceedingly sinister.

According to the Golden Core Celestial Venerable's demands, the larger and brighter the Golden Core above, the better.

The larger and brighter it was, the tastier it was, right?

All at once, Gu Qingfeng's mind shook.

That familiar throbbing sensation appeared again.

Another string of new words surfaced in his sea of consciousness.