Insights into Core Formation, Suddenly Made a Buddha Enemy

Perhaps it was because Emperor of Wei's Law Power was so strong that even the Immortal Shadow Stone could not keep him there for long.

Before leaving, Emperor of Wei only exchanged a few more words with Grand Eunuch Wei and Kuang Liuting via telepathy. Afterwards, he seemed to smile slightly at Bai Canhong, the Master of the Star-Picking Pavilion, and then his illusory figure disappeared into the sky.

Of course, the influence of being granted the title of Duke and the Emperor of Wei's personal presence could not dissipate so quickly.

Even though the title of "Duke of Qin" is no longer as prestigious as it was in the early years of the dynasty due to the current decline of the imperial family, it is not a title that can be granted lightly.

Even the Sect Leader Kang Da knew that although this clause was not listed in the Great Wei Clan Law, the Duke of Qin to the Crown Prince and the Crown Prince ascending to the throne was a customary practice in the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty.

Even someone as noble as Fei Nanying only now realized that today's troubles were truly enormous. Only now could he understand why the Great Abyss Capital Imperial Clan Court had only been able to reach a decision on this matter until this morning.

This news will soon spread throughout the twenty-seven circuits and over four hundred prefectures of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty. By then, the situation will become much clearer.

Fei Nanying had no time to think further. After the ceremony was over, he still wanted to invite the True Person present and the envoys from various families.

With so many advanced cultivators and True Person gathered in one place, even their mere breathing reduces the Spiritual Qi of the entire Xuanwei City by at least 30%. If we want to entertain them well, we must be extremely careful.

Fei Nanying, accompanied by several capable subordinates, approached Kuang Liuting and joined him in dealing with the various distinguished guests. Sect Leader Kang Da, however, was still reeling from the earlier situation, with beads of sweat even forming on his back.

Kang Changxi, young and fearless, was still immersed in the shock of seeing the Emperor of Wei's true face. He felt no fear, but instead felt a sense of admiration.

"A man should be like this"

Before the boy could finish his murmur, Fei Shuhe smacked him hard on the back of the head, barely managing to swallow the last word.

Yang Wuwei laughed upon seeing this, and Kang Dabao also gave a wry smile. The former gradually suppressed his smile and sighed wistfully, "Since the Emperor has said so, it is clear that the era of great contention has begun. Brother Kang, I am somewhat tempted; I fear I must give it a try."

What kind of spiritual items have you prepared, fellow Daoist?

"The Formless Bai Ze Pill," Yang Wuwei said with emotion, "My family has gone through countless hardships to obtain this spiritual item."

Kang Dabao knew that the Ye Prefecture Yang Household had indeed been very close to the Cloud Horn Prefecture Court over the years, Fei Tianqin had often driven his two senior cultivators to serve him.

However, the benefits were also obvious. The Yang Household family's collateral branches had no help from the "Three Administrations" under the jurisdiction of the Star-Picking Pavilion, and the Middle Stage of Golden Core cultivator was defeated by Chu Yanran and Senior Cultivator Wufeng, who were invited by Yang Baoshan and Yang Yongcheng.

Unlike Jieyi Shangxiu, who was merely a fugitive from Ding Prefecture and would occasionally return to harass others, the Golden Core cultivator from the Yang Household's Xie Yi branch was indeed seriously injured and had not shown his face for quite some time.

According to some busybodies, they may have all died from their injuries in some remote corner. But regardless of whether that cultivator is alive or dead, the entire Ye Prefecture region has been returned to the hands of the Yang Household family's direct lineage.

Although the two senior cultivators of the Yang Household have worked hard, they no longer need to worry about infighting among their brothers and have regained control of all the spiritual lands. Therefore, while it is difficult for the most outstanding members of the clan like Yang Wuwei to prepare enough resources for their Golden Core, they can still manage to do so if they grit their teeth and squeeze it out.

Upon hearing this, Sect Leader Kang Da's eyes revealed a genuine joy, and he then sincerely congratulated him, saying, "From now on, when I see you, fellow Daoist, I'll have to address you as 'Senior'."

Yang Wuwei, quite nonchalant, laughed and thanked him, then said, "I don't want to hear Brother Kang address me as 'senior' any longer. At most, I'll just take my leave first. I imagine that with your qualifications, you won't keep me waiting too long."

In the past, Sect Leader Kang Da would have offered a series of humble words and displayed a look of trepidation. However, upon hearing Yang Wuwei's words today, he simply smiled calmly, accepting the blame with equanimity.

The latter's expression changed slightly, and he was about to say something else when a master of ceremonies squeezed past them and respectfully invited, "Military Advisor Yang, Magistrate Kang, it's time for you to take your seats."

After returning the greetings, the two led their families to the banquet that had been prepared.

With dozens of high-level cultivators and several True Person participating, who knows how many rare spiritual materials the state court will have to spare to ensure this banquet is respectable?

However, the Sect Leader Kang Da soon had no time to feel sorry for the state court. Zhou Yun found the two of them and came over with a bitter look on his face. "You two fellow Daoists have kept me searching for a long time."

Yang Wuwei laughed heartily and said warmly, "I've heard that Brother Zhou has been following Senior Cultivator Wufeng in exorcising demons in the Cold Crow Mountain Range these days, and he's been quite the figurehead. What's going on today?"

Zhou Yun waved his hands repeatedly, feigning fear, and said, "How much wealth do we, master and disciple, possess? How can our gains compare to those of your Yang Household? Even Brother Kang, the head of your sect, has certainly surpassed us by a great deal."

Even though Kang Dabao knew Chongming Sect had earned more than Senior Cultivator Wufeng this time, both openly and secretly, he absolutely could not admit it and hurriedly denied it:

"Brother Zhou, you are always joking. My position as the head of this sect is quite miserable. We can't even get a position as Pill Master. How can I compare to you and your master?"

Haha, fellow Daoist!

The three chatted warmly for a while, sharing their cultivation experiences and exchanging some useful treasures. Before the banquet began, Cao Xianlu came over to offer a toast.

Despite having failed to Core Formation once, he showed no signs of dejection. After all, at only a hundred years old, his future was still bright. Neither the Savage Ghost Sect, his original sect, nor the Ying Prefecture Fei Household, his future Yue Household, would give up on him so easily.

Even for these two Golden Core sects, the resources for Core Formation are quite precious. Cao Xianlu, who has already wasted one opportunity, will have to work even harder if he wants to earn another one.

Although Cao Xianlu was arrogant, he was still quite friendly to those of the same level who had fought side by side with him. The atmosphere in the room was quite good. Before anyone asked, he took the initiative to talk about his previous process of Core Formation.

After gulping down the spirit wine in a tall-necked bottle, Cao Xianlu wiped the remaining wine from his chin with the hem of his robe before whispering, "To be honest, fellow Daoists, my previous Core Formation and transforming the spiritual liquid into mercury went very smoothly. However, I stumbled on the steps of practicing the Core Thesis and awakening the Dao Lotus. I thought that after more than ten years of honing my Core Thesis, it would have been perfected. But all my hard work over the years has been in vain."

It wasn't until I reached the stage of Core Formation that I realized my Core Thesis were utterly flawed and riddled with errors. With my Dao heart unbalanced, I became completely incompetent. Fortunately, the spiritual objects my master bestowed upon me were perfectly suited to my Daoist practices; otherwise, my injuries would have been much more severe, potentially taking over a decade to heal, which would have delayed many things."

Cao Xianlu's words this time didn't contain much substantial information. "Spiritual liquid turning into mercury" is self-explanatory; it's no different from the principle of spiritual energy turning into liquid when a Qi Refining Qi Refinement advances to Foundation Establishment. However, Sect Leader Kang Da doesn't need to worry about this step.

This is because the wisp of Core Fire within his Dantian constantly tempers his spiritual power, making it incredibly solid. If he were to perish at this stage, then the entire Shannan Circuit would likely produce only a handful of Core Formation.

As for "enlightening the Dao Lotus," it means responding to the Dao Lotus's formation of the Core Thesis with the formation of the core. Only after the Dao Lotus responds will the inner demon invade again. Generally, once a cultivator survives this step, they are considered to have successfully Core Formation.

It's not too regrettable that Cao Xianlu fell at the "Lotus of Enlightenment" stage, since he was uninjured and still young, and would have at least two or three more chances to try.

However, he didn't say much to the other cultivators. He didn't explain the key points, such as what he meant by "the Core Thesis," what it means to "not withstand scrutiny," or how to maintain a clear mind and avoid being disturbed by inner demons.

That's normal. These people aren't exactly sworn brothers. It would be strange if Cao Xianlu were willing to reveal everything without reservation. If that were the case, even if Sect Leader Kang Da had heard this lecture, he would still need to go home and carefully analyze it, for fear that there might be some underhanded tricks involved.

Cao Xianlu brought it up at this time with a deeper meaning. Yang Wuwei seemed quite interested, and it was likely that he would soon exchange some resources with Cao Xianlu for a Core Formation technique.

Yang Wuwei, who came from a wealthy family, was not lacking in such things. He had memorized every word of the scriptures written by the senior scholars in the Ye Prefecture Yang Household.

However, since a thousand people can refine a thousand methods, and a thousand methods can be developed by a thousand people, it would be a great thing to obtain a previously unseen book of insights for reference. Yang Wuwei was naturally tempted at this juncture.

The banquet was drawing to a close at this point. Kuang Liuting not only failed to offer any thanks but also did not even show his face. On the state court's side, only Fei Nanying out to deal with the various envoys. Although the latter was only a newly promoted upper cultivator, he was not quite on par with these seasoned Golden Core cultivators. However, due to his family background and the fact that he was a Middle-Grade Golden Core cultivator, he was able to speak with the envoys to some extent.

However, since he is so busy, we can only apologize to the others for their poor hospitality.

Under such circumstances, and given that none of them were idle and had many things to do, they were unwilling to wait.

However, Kang Dabao could not leave. During the banquet, he saw the official in charge of ceremonies come to deliver a message, asking him to stay with his family, Fei Tianqin had something to discuss with him later.

Before parting, the cultivators left behind a variety of looks, some envious, some jealous, and some sympathetic. They also left Kang Changxi a number of useful items, which pleased the Sect Leader Kang Da quite a bit.

However, he did not expect that among the group of envoys, there would be one person walking towards him.

If the Nascent Soul sects that came were mostly those close to the Immortal Dynasty, then apart from the Blood Sword Sect, which had just been destroyed, all the other Nascent Soul forces were present among the envoys.

One of the old monks, dressed in a monk's robe and with narrow eyes, bowed to Fei Nanying, then made a hand gesture and chose a direction to find Kang Dabao.

"People from Original Response Temple Snow Mountain Circuit?" Without a second thought, before the old monk even approached, Sect Leader Kang Da rose to shield his wife and children behind him, then bowed deeply and loudly proclaimed, "Junior Kang Dabao greets senior from Original Response Temple."

After the sound, the old monk's warm smile suddenly froze, and other cultivators around him also looked over, making this place the most eye-catching spot.

After bowing apologetically to his peers, Fei Nanying approached upon hearing the commotion and asked calmly, "What brings you here Head Jiada?"

"Marquis of Gucheng, please don't be nervous. This humble monk has no ill intentions; I merely wish to see the talents of the young man from the Fei Nanying of the Mountain South." Head Jiada's long eyebrows twitched, his tone unreadable. Before Fei Nanying could ask again, he spoke first, requesting, "I wonder if Marquis of Gucheng would allow me to have a private chat with this young friend?"

Kang Dabao's heart tightened, Fei Shuhe looked flustered, and even Kang Changxi noticed something was wrong, so he stepped from his mother's side to stand behind the Sect Leader Kang Da.

Fei Nanying was also quite wary of this Golden Core cultivator, and was about to refuse when he heard an arrogant voice behind him. "Why not? I'll grant your request. Let's see what this little monk dares to do!"

"Fei Tianqin?!"

"The Marquis of Fengcheng?!"

Those who can serve as envoys for Nascent Soul cultivators are undoubtedly among the best among the upper cultivators, but upon seeing Fei Tianqin shrink his true form and enter the arena, they all turned their attention to him.

Most people looked on with admiration, and even those families whose relationship with the Immortal Dynasty was fraught with peril were filled with solemnity.

"Ancestor," Fei Shuhe murmured, her worry undiminished.

Fei Nanying glanced at it and was about to speak when he heard Fei Tianqin's secret voice transmission. After a few breaths, he felt much more at ease and did not speak again.

When speaking and interacting with Fei Tianqin, Head Jiada's expression was far from composed. Instead, a hint of humility appeared on his face as he bowed and thanked Fei Head Jiada.

Just as he was about to find a quiet room to speak with the expressionless Sect Leader Kang Da, he heard the old bird add, "Little monk, don't linger. This old master and I still have important matters to discuss."

The Head Jiada stopped and respectfully replied, "This humble monk understands and will certainly not delay your affairs, senior."

With a heart full of suspicion, Kang Dabao entered the quiet room with Head Jiada and sat down according to their rank. He did not rush to speak, but waited for Head Jiada to speak first.

The latter, however, also remembered Fei Tianqin's instructions: he hadn't used any of the profound Zen riddles or Buddhist verses he had prepared beforehand, and had simply stated:

"Young friend Divine Sense far surpasses that of your peers, and your physical strength rivals that of a direct descendant of a major sect. I've also heard that your pupil techniques and halberd skills are unparalleled among your peers. Truly remarkable. In that case, it's only natural that the brat Funeng was defeated by you. It's not surprising at all."

As soon as the old monk uttered the words "Funeng Xiao Er," Kang Dabao immediately breathed a sigh of relief. However, before he could express it, the old monk spoke again, confirming what the Sect Leader Kang Da had in mind.

"Young friend, there is no need to worry. I am Jiada, the abbot of the Mysterious Transformation Hall at Original Response Temple, and the teacher of the Buddhist Gada."

Kang Dabao raised his eyebrows and saw that the old monk's smile was truly kind. He understood a lot, but he did not speak yet, waiting for the latter to ask a question.

"Last time, the abbot spared no effort, even at the cost of his true spirit and offending the Master of the Star-Picking Pavilion, in order to bring Funeng back to the mountain. However, he was still ambushed by the villains of the Zen sect on the way, which aggravated Funeng's injuries considerably. To this day, he has not yet formed his Golden Core, let alone advanced to the Vajra Wisdom Sea Aspect."

While Jiada's words didn't reveal any secret joy at the misfortune suffered by his own descendants, they also showed no sadness, making his attitude quite clear.

Seeing that Sect Leader Kang Da remained silent, Head Jiada spoke more bluntly, "In other words, after Funeng's defeat in Cloud Horn Prefecture, he first lost his position as a Buddhist disciple, then his chance to form Core Formation fortuitous opportunity, and even more so, the trust of the abbot. So, for you, my friend, the word 'hate' is far more than just a word to describe his feelings."

At this point, Head Jiada could see that Kang Dabao's eyes had suddenly become much more serious, so he continued, "According to his master Ma Mangqin, he should be advised to regard this young friend as Buddha Enemy."

Unable to contain himself any longer, Kang Dabao asked, "This junior is ignorant and dares to ask, is the so-called 'Buddha Enemy' simply 'a fight to the death'?"

The Head Jiada, remained expressionless and spoke with his usual gentle tone, "Indeed, the so-called 'Buddha Enemy' means 'a fight to the death.'"

"This is indeed a troublesome matter," Kang Dabao frowned, then muttered to himself, "No wonder practitioners in this world dislike Buddhism and Daoism. The so-called 'cause and effect,' 'karmic obstacles,' 'good and evil,' and 'Buddha Enemy' are all extremely annoying and troublesome."

Knowing that annoyance was useless, Kang Dabao sighed softly and then asked, "So, may I ask why you have come all this way to speak of this matter to me, senior?"

Head Jiada smiled as usual and said, "It is an act of compassion. You can see that my young friend is a protector of Buddhism, how can you be regarded as Outer Dao or a true demon?"

Kang Dabao sensed something amiss and tentatively asked, "So, senior, you want me to stop Funeng's cultivation so that it can benefit your temple's Gada Buddhist disciple?"

"Haha, young friend, please don't misunderstand. Gada Buddha Core Formation at the age of one hundred, and the Core Formation is of medium grade. He has mastered nine of the sixteen major methods in the temple, and has understood most of the essence of the three hundred and sixty-five Esoteric Buddhism. His position as Buddha's disciple is more secure than the eternal ice on the snow mountain, and he has no need to fear any of his fellow disciples."

Although Head Jiada's words were very eloquent, before Sect Leader Kang Da could ask any further questions, he whispered for a moment, "However, if you are confident in the future and can accomplish this, you will gain the friendship of the Buddha's son Gada."

The old monk emphasized this point, a sharp glint appearing in his cloudy eyes. "The friendship between the future leaders of Esoteric Buddhism!"

These words carried too great a weight to bear, Sect Leader Kang Da dared not accept them. He simply said in a low voice, "The direct descendant of Funeng Temple is exceptionally skilled, and I dare not underestimate him. However, if I can be defeated by him once, I can be defeated again."

"Excellent ambition," Head Jiada praised generously, but he was not one to just talk the talk. He immediately handed over an item and explained softly, "This Ancient Ink Ring is not Law Treasure, but it has a unique and wonderful use. If you have time later, young friend, you may take a closer look at it."

"Thank you for your generous gift, senior." Just as Jiang Qing had been instructed, Sect Leader Kang Da should accept any good things. He wasn't too afraid of the old monk using any tricks, because judging from the latter's fear of Fei Tianqin, it was unlikely that he could deceive the Fei Household patriarch.

Head Jiada was efficient; after explaining his purpose and presenting the treasure, he left the meditation room first.

Kang Dabao, clutching the dark jade ring, walked to Fei Tianqin's side. The latter didn't bother to find a quiet room and directly carried him up to the clouds. After the Sect Leader Kang Da explained everything that had just happened, a hint of surprise appeared in Fei Tianqin's sharp eyes.

"Buddha Enemy? Ring?"

The old bird summoned Kang Dabao's dark jade ring for a look, and after a few breaths, he sneered, "This Jiada doesn't seem like the abbot of a major temple. He's so stingy. It's just a flawed magic Law Treasure meant to restrain Buddhist cultivators, and he dares to give it away? Aren't he ashamed?!"

"Ancient Demon Ring, does it counter Buddhist cultivators?" Sect Leader Kang Da murmured for a moment. He didn't care about the ring's grade at the moment, but just felt it was quite suitable.

"Yes, there was a wave of ancient demons in this realm back then, quite a long time ago, probably when the Bitter Spirit Mountain was first established. Back then, they caused those seemingly compassionate but actually thieving bald men a lot of trouble. The ring you have isn't of high quality; at most, it can only deal with Golden Core stage thieves. Against Nascent Soul stage Nascent Soul, it'll probably be completely useless."

Fei Tianqin stopped there and didn't say anything more, but then added:

"How exactly did you cultivate, kid? You're truly a freak. Despite having terrible aptitude, your cultivation is incredibly solid. You'll be able to attempt to Core Formation within half a century at the latest. And your pupil technique—among your peers, I can hardly find anyone who can match you."

"Your halberd technique has also become somewhat impressive. Nanying far inferior to you at your age; now even your Divine Sense has increased dramatically, and your body refinement has also progressed by leaps and bounds. Tell me yourself, what exactly were you cultivating before you turned thirty?"

"It's all thanks to our ancestors' cultivation."

"Nonsense! If our ancestor had such abilities, the Fei Household would have been long gone. I've examined you carefully, but I truly can't find anything unusual about you. It's really strange."

Fortunately, Fei Tianqin didn't dwell on the matter, and simply said, "Enough, enough. If we continue to pry into the matter, wouldn't that be beneath my dignity?"

"Thank you for your consideration, Ancestor."

"Thanking me all the time, doesn't it get tiresome?" The old bird's tone held a hint of dissatisfaction, then he added, "Listen carefully, the Duke of Qin wants to see you later."

"See me?" Kang Dabao asked suspiciously. "Grandfather, did the Duke instruct me to ask this young man anything?"

"I don't know, but I just heard from Grand Eunuch Wei that he and the Duke of Qin both want to see you?" The old man's tone was also somewhat doubtful, but Kang Dabao seemed to be thinking, "Grand Eunuch Wei, is that the True Person who announced the imperial edict today?! Wait, could it be the current emperor?"

Sect Leader Kang Da suddenly became somewhat nervous. This was understandable, given that he possessed far more secrets than others of his level. Who knew if Emperor of Wei, who had inherited the legacy of True Lord, could discern any of them even without being present in person?

Fei Tianqin also noticed Kang Dabao's slight unusual behavior, but he didn't take it to heart. He thought that Kang Dabao was going to meet Nascent Soul True Person, and it was perfectly normal for a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator to be a little nervous.

Even the usually arrogant and unruly Fei Tianqin couldn't help but tremble at the thought of this head of Great Wei's inner court and the leader of the world's Purification Army.

After all, this person's methods and tactics are top-notch.

"Damn it, I didn't show up when the imperial edict was announced. Will this bastard hold me accountable later?" Fei Tianqin suddenly felt a chill of fear, but then he thought again, "It's not my fault. If I were here, Grand Eunuch Wei would definitely have made me carry him. Tsk, such a thing is too embarrassing. I really can't do it. Otherwise, how can I establish my authority in Mountain South after this?"

The old bird suppressed his annoyance and quickly led Sect Leader Kang Da to the place where the True Person and Kuang Liuting were discussing matters.