Compared to the cultivation of Buddhism and Confucianism, what gave Xiao Hua the greatest headache was Daoist cultivation! Daoist cultivation had originally been his greatest strength, his signature skill, yet now it left him unable to take a single step forward. The Golden Core in Xiao Hua's lower dantian had long since vanished without a trace, but because it had undergone the Three Golden Lightning Tribulation, the Five Elements Annihilation Great Formation had been unable to erase it completely, and Xiao Hua could still sense some remnants. Later cultivation had indeed proven that this Golden Core could condense again! But... after more than a hundred years of cultivation, the Golden Core had yet to condense! Yet saying it had not condensed was also incorrect! Xiao Hua could clearly sense that each of those nebula-like Golden Cores had a size, and every one differed in size. Moreover, Xiao Hua could sense threads of lightning on each Golden Core, yet divine sense simply could not see them! Or rather... Xiao Hua's present Golden Core was not merely a nebula, nor was it composed of countless Golden Cores—it had been refined into a dark core! A Golden Core that could not be perceived with divine sense! How was one supposed to nurture a Nascent Soul from such a Golden Core? None of the jade slips Xiao Hua possessed had ever recorded anything like it. Thus, although Xiao Hua's cultivation had already reached the late Golden Core stage, there was still no sign whatsoever of Nascent Soul formation. Most crucially, he was utterly at a loss as to how to nurture a Nascent Soul and did not know where to begin.
Xiao Hua could only describe this as good things being hard-won! Amid his bitter laughter, Xiao Hua pondered carefully. Judging from the present