Cloud and mist wreathed the summit of Mingwang Peak, where snow lay three feet deep, yet waves of blood-red heat steamed through Qingyun Cave.
Eyes closed in concentration, Qing Chen sat upright on the Cold Jade Bed, spiritual light and blood energy swirling around him as though he had become one with heaven and earth.
Within dozens of zhang around him, icy vapor melted upon meeting the heat, condensing on the rock walls into droplets that pattered down like pearls from a broken string.
Qing Chen did not rush to leave his place of seclusion, choosing instead to continue cultivating in the cave abode.
A full half year passed in a flash, like a white colt glimpsed through a crack.
Ever since his primary path of spell cultivation through his Origin Meridian had broken through to the Golden Core True Person realm, Qing Chen's lifespan and vitality had increased tremendously.
His face, which had previously shown a hint of middle age, now looked much younger.
A sheen like liquid gold flowed beneath his skin. The faint lines at the corners of his eyes had long since vanished, and the fine creases between his brows had melted away inch by inch.
For a moment, he seemed to have returned to when he had first set foot on the immortal path, at twenty-two or twenty-three.
In the blink of an eye, fifty years had already passed.
In his dantian, a Golden Core the size of a pigeon's egg slowly revolved, amber light flowing across its surface. Countless emotions stirred in Qing Chen's heart.
"Becoming a Golden Core True Person is the true beginning of entering the ranks of high-level cultivators. Those words were no lie. Only today have I understood their true meaning."
The tempering lightning of his breakthrough half a year