Inside a cave abode suffused with spiritual qi.
The figure seated cross-legged slowly opened his eyes, powerful spiritual pressure radiating from his body.
Li Ping turned his awareness toward the first golden core in his sea of consciousness. The perfectly round, egg-sized golden core spun continuously, giving off a sense of fullness and completion.
Around the golden core, three hundred and sixty-five miniature Star Banners bobbed gently within his pill flame, undergoing refinement as their power slowly increased.
On the other side of his dantian lay his second golden core, only the size of a soybean. A small, three-colored execution blade floated quietly above it.
Between the two golden cores stood a section of wood as black as ink, its surface covered in countless mysterious spirit patterns. As they flickered, wisps of dusky light fell upon the two golden cores below, nourishing the divine souls within and slowly strengthening them.
Li Ping withdrew his awareness, a trace of emotion appearing in his eyes. "Thirty years of secluded cultivation, and I've finally reached the core formation peak."
Reaching this point meant he could attempt to break through the bottleneck at any time, shattering his core to form a nascent soul.
Li Ping did not rush to break through. Instead, he slowly reflected on the five hundred and twenty years he had lived since crossing into the Cultivation World.
When he first awoke, he had been on a street amid swirling snow. His master had rescued him and brought him back to Swordforging Manor to learn martial arts.
At fourteen, he had encountered Daoist Ji while pursuing an enemy. Under his guidance, he had set foot upon the Immortal Dao.
At fifteen, he had entered the market ward controlled by the Yu Household at Azure Peak Lake to cultivate. Cautious in everything