The External Core Method

"This is the External Core Method entrusted to me by my Uncle Black Shoes before his departure," Kang Dabao read in a deep voice, then added, "He said it was Secret Method he obtained from Outer Dao, called the 'Tribulation Qi Cauldron Core Instruction'."

Jiang Qing reluctantly looked away from the Jade Slip. Even though he had already guessed most of it, he still wasn't certain and asked hesitantly, "What does Senior Brother mean?"

Kang Dabo, however, did not heed Jiang Qing's words and instead said directly, "The commentary written by my master for this method is all in there. Little Sanzi, take it back, study it diligently, and follow the instructions. Within ten years, it should not be difficult to master it."

Sect Leader Kang Da said was not beyond Jiang Qing's expectations; the latter was only momentarily dazed, "After all, this box contains a True-Grade Golden Core Elixir!!"

Seeing Jiang Qing hesitate, Kang Dabao's tone remained unchanged. The next second, he asked softly, "What's wrong?"

Jiang Qing suddenly smiled, the burden that shouldn't have been on his shoulders vanishing instantly. He gently shook his head and said calmly, "It's alright, I'll just do whatever Senior Brother instructs me to do."

"Behave yourselves properly, we're brothers, why act so coy and pretentious?!" Sect Leader Kang Da smiled with satisfaction for a while, then solemnly added his instructions:

"You must keep this box safe. It's Nine Luminaries Black Gold Coffer that I specially asked someone to bring from Myriad Treasures Trading Company. Don't underestimate it just because it looks inconspicuous. It cost me almost 20,000 Spirit Stone. You'll have to pay me back later."

"Junior brother understands."

After laughing, Jiang Qing still seemed a little uneasy and asked, "Senior Brother, have you discussed this matter with your sister-in-law?"

Even if Sect Leader Kang Da didn't explicitly say so, Jiang Qing could roughly guess that the True-Grade Golden Core in the former's hands must be closely related to the Fei Household. After all, even if Sect Leader Kang Da was capable, it was unlikely that he could capture a Golden Core being alive. If things were really as Jiang Qing expected, then to be fair, this Golden Core should be given to the Fei Household's son-in-law, not Double Brightness.

Therefore, even if Kang Dabao himself didn't use it, he should have left it to Kang Changxi. The way he's acting now seems a bit like a dictator. Now, Chongming Sect still needs the Ying Prefecture Fei Household to rely on. If Fei Shuhe really develops a grudge because of this, it would be very bad.

"Discuss?! No need to discuss!" Sect Leader Kang Da's tone hardened considerably, but after stating his position firmly, he continued:

"Changxi is only a few years old now, and how can Changyi's talent compare to yours? To them, this External Core Method is not anything important. After a few years, when you have mastered this method and gained some understanding, we brothers will work together to find other opportunities for these lads."

Given Jiang Qing's personality, it was already quite remarkable that he could think that this External Core was of great importance and needed to be handled properly. He didn't care whether what the Sect Leader Kang Da said was far-fetched. So he carefully put the box into his Storage Bag, bid farewell to Kang Dabao, and walked out of the sect leader's room on his own.

The latter only breathed a sigh of relief after Jiang Qing left. The matter was not as simple as Kang Dabao had described. Fei Shuhe was indeed from a wealthy family and had a generous nature, but even generosity had its limits.

It's important to know that a cultivator's golden Golden Core has more than just one use in External Core alchemy.

If Foundation Establishment Peak has perfected the Core Thesis but cannot find suitable spiritual objects or Golden Core Formation Pill, then they can use their Golden Core as supplementary resources.

According to the records of the Dao of Alchemy Dragon and Tiger Sect, the first major alchemy sect in the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, a Golden Core should have at least the five effects of Golden Core Formation Pill, which is of great benefit to the cultivator's Core Formation.

Moreover, how rare is True-Grade Golden Core? Just look at how arrogant Fei Tianqin is and how much effort he has put into this matter, and you can get a glimpse of that.

Even though the Ying Prefecture Fei Household was one of the most prestigious and powerful families in the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, the competition for the Core Formation materials was fierce.

Fei Nanying could be considered one of the best among the Fei Household members of his generation, but because the She Mountain Hall was weak and had no superior cultivators to speak for him in the clan, the matter of Core Formation fell behind Fei Nanxi of the Qiu River Hall, whose aptitude was slightly inferior to his, which was quite regrettable.

If it weren't for the fact that Fei Nanying's wife, Lady Han, had been persistently pestering Yukun Han Clan from her maternal family, the Han Household, and that the head of the Han family truly had a discerning eye for talent, Fei Nanying, who could only use the East Mountain Jade as the material for Core Formation golden core, might have only been able to smoothly form Lower-Grade Golden Core.

If that were the case, not only would Fei Nanying fade into obscurity and have little future, but the Ying Prefecture Fei Household, a first-rate and powerful family, would also lose a pillar and a worthy successor.

To say that Fei Shuhe is completely indifferent would be to lack common sense and fail in her duty as a housewife. She is not afraid of things escalating. Even if Fei Nanying, Fei Tianqin and others hear that Kang Dabao has given the Golden Core to an outsider, they will not speak up for the latter. They would not hesitate to make trouble on the spot.

Fortunately, Fei Shuhe had been quite lenient with Sect Leader Kang Da these past few days because of the imperial decree. Even the long-unseen matter of sleeping together in the same bed was allowed to proceed to the latter's liking. Kang Dabao used his silver tongue to barely manage to make the matter happen.

Even so, Fei Shuhe still demanded a whole host of promises in return. If Sect Leader Kang Da wanted to be a man of his word, he wouldn't have much leisure time in the future.

However, he did not regret it. In fact, ever since he obtained the Golden Core, he had never thought of practicing the External Core Method.

After all, if everything goes smoothly, it will only take about half a century for him to reach the Core Formation.

In addition, he had already made considerable progress in cultivating the high-grade "Profound Clear Withering and Flourishing Secret Manual" and "Long Breath Art" at the Zhou Grade Upper-Grade. Even though he had only just advanced to the late stage of True Cultivator, the abundance of his spiritual power was such that even the Shannan Circuit could hardly find a few Foundation Establishment who could match it.

What's even more remarkable is that the wisp of Core Fire that Lord Yin Shan passed on to him back then is still relentlessly tempering his spiritual power within his Dantian day and night. Therefore, whether in terms of quality or quantity, Sect Leader Kang Da can be considered a first-rate figure among his peers.

The Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes, The Military Strategy Taught by the Star Lord of the Wood Palace, The True Explanation of the Primordial Ancient Body of the Northern Night Palace, Volume One, The Northern Night Palace Full Moon Visualization Method, Volume One.

Thus, it seems that although Kang Dabao came from humble origins, in terms of Daoist arts, Cultivation Method, and Spirit Artifact, he was no less skilled than the disciples of ordinary major sects.

Even though it is still far inferior to True-Grade Golden Core, it is not difficult to defeat an ordinary Pill Master, and it is not impossible to compete with a senior like Yuan Buwen, whose reputation resounds throughout several states.

The decision to impart the External Core Method to Jiang Qing was indeed made after careful consideration by Sect Leader Kang Da.

Now that Jiang Qing Sword Essence has begun to grasp the basics and his Dharma body has returned to perfection, the battle has reached a new level compared to the time when he fought Funeng.

Even if Jiang Qing is not as good as the Daoist Black Shoes before he went to the outer sea, he should not be far off.

Back then, the latter was able to suppress Yue Lin and Peng Xingyu, another Pill Master from the Nascent Soul sect of Five Old Mothers Mountain, with the same cultivation level as Jiang Qing now, using the External Core Method. It is likely that Jiang Qing will be about the same level after mastering this method.

Even if Jiang Qing is not as exceptionally talented as the Daoist Black Shoes, it shouldn't be difficult for him to be comparable to Yue Lin, a top-tier Pill Master, ten years from now.

By then, Chongming Sect will not only have another False Core cultivator, but it's also quite possible that Sect Leader Kang Da and Double Brightness Jiang Third will join forces to deal with Senior Cultivator Wufeng, who has no suitable Law Treasure.

This is already quite rare, considering that even with the current tense situation, there are very few Golden Core cultivators under the jurisdiction of the entire Office of the Duke of Qin's Mansion, making them still very valuable.

At that time, Chongming Sect would barely have the qualifications to enter the inner circle, and would no longer have to rely on his superiors and others to grant him favors as he does now.

Thinking of this, Sect Leader Kang Da once again stroked the worthless sect leader's stone ring on his thumb.

This originally rough and ordinary object had been polished to a warm and smooth jade-like texture by his constant caresses. For over sixty years, he had never parted from it, and the ring had even developed a Spiritual Qi within it. In the eyes of a low-level cultivator, it would be worth several Spirit Stones.

But for Kang Dabao, this ring was worth far more than just a few Spirit Stone. He remained silent for a while, pondering for a long time, before finally murmuring, "My Chongming Sect will eventually rise to prominence."

Half a month later, at Cold Crow Mountain

Wei Gu, the Array Master of the Chongming Sect, returned to Jia-Chou Military Stronghold somewhat wearily on his Cloud -Cloud-Treading Colt.

For him, physical exhaustion was secondary. What was disappointing was that he hadn't performed well at the Sword Discussion Assembly organized by the Office of the Duke of Qin, which he had accompanied Jin Shilun to.

Among more than a thousand Qi Refinement cultivators, Wei Gu only won two rounds before being easily defeated by a direct descendant of the Ye Prefecture Yang Household.

Despite meticulous preparations, it was difficult to even make it into the top 100, let alone obtain any high-quality resources, let alone the Foundation Establishment Pill that hung at the very top and out of reach.

This time, the Office of the Duke of Qin really got all the families under its jurisdiction to contribute a lot, including ten Foundation Establishment Pill alone.

Besides the Upper-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill prepared for the top spot in the sword competition, the top five will also receive a Mid-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill and a Foundation Establishment Manual. The bottom five will receive a Lower-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill and a Spirit Artifact, which is not bad.

Those who make it into the top fifty will receive sufficient Foundation Establishment resources; those who make it into the top one hundred will receive Spirit Artifact and a bottle of suitable pills.

As for the cultivators who came after them, they could only accompany the crown prince in his studies.

It was unusual for the Office of the Duke of Qin to be so generous in the matter of Kuang Liuting's conferment of a title. Disciples from the obedient factions within its jurisdiction could be brought back for free after achieving a good ranking, without having to pay any price.

In doing so, it is natural to prioritize selecting the most capable and virtuous. It is perfectly normal that resources must be earned through one's own abilities.

Jin Shilun, who was traveling with Wei Gu, also showed no joy. Although he had made it into the top 100, he was defeated by a veteran cultivator from the Stone Mountain Sect in a subsequent arena match.

Even though the two families were allies, and Jin Shilun was the direct descendant of the alliance leader, making him quite valuable, in the eyes of Lao Xiu, who was only focused on making a future for himself, he was worthless.

Under the old cultivator's full-force attack, Jin Shilun fought him for over a hundred rounds without a clear victor. In the end, it was the Foundation Establishment Chief Judge on the stage who urged him on repeatedly. Jin Shilun was simply too inexperienced, and the old cultivator found a weakness in him, resulting in a regrettable defeat.

Jin Shilun knew he was simply outmatched, so he didn't need to find any excuses to make amends. However, it was still a great pity that the Foundation Establishment spiritual item he had been hoping for had been lost.

Now, all I can do is focus on the Foundation Establishment Pill that I'll get for first place in the sect competition, and the Foundation Establishment Spiritual Item that only the second and third place winners will receive.

Now, Ye Yaoling's injuries from her failed attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment have fully healed. This junior sister's skills were not particularly outstanding to begin with, but in recent years, her cultivation of water magic has progressed by leaps and bounds as if she had suddenly gained enlightenment.

Judging from what people usually say about her, she must have cultivated at least three Vast-Tier Lower-Grade water techniques to the great mastery level, making her one of the opponents that needs to be most careful of in this sect competition;

After Ye Yaoling, the most prominent figure was Song Cheng, who served as a deacon in the Punishment Hall under Ye Zhengwen. Having the advantage of proximity, and receiving occasional guidance from Jiang Qing, he was a formidable opponent.

Han Xundao, the assistant disciple of the Merit Points Hall, has always been under the care of the Chongming Sect, including Jin Shilun himself. He has been cultivating to the Peak Qi Refinement for many years. His own combat skills are only average, but he has many treasures and is not someone to be trifled with.

There's also He Yuanyi Junior Brother He under Second Uncle Yuan Jin. As First-Tier Supreme-Grade weapon master, he's quite wealthy and can even hire Foundation Establishment cultivators as Rogue Cultivator and instructors.

Aside from the aforementioned individuals, Wei Gu, the junior brother beside him, was also not to be underestimated. Since the birth of her eldest daughter, Third Master's wife Zhang Qingran had settled down and devoted herself much more to teaching Wei Gu.

Zhang Qingran has not only greatly improved Wei Gu's array formation skills, enabling him to attempt to advance to the Second Tier array master just by accumulating enough experience, but she has also generously provided him with a lot of cultivation resources.

After all, if the future elders of the Chongming Sect 'Zhang Qingran Formation Hall are her personal disciples, then she can sit comfortably in the inner quarters.

Even with Jin Shilun's comprehensive review, he had only managed to identify the most senior members of his sect.

For cultivators, the importance of their own Spirit Root and aptitude for cultivation cannot be measured by mere reason.

Among the disciples of the same generation, Duan Anle, who is exceptionally talented and insightful, has achieved Foundation Establishment, but the rest of the disciples, who share the same Four Spirit Roots, still struggle to achieve True Cultivator. Although Jin Shilun is over sixty years old and has only reached the Qi Refinement Ninth Layer, his actual cultivation speed is already considered fast.

After counting them all, only Ming Zhe, who didn't start early and came from the Ming Household, got ahead thanks to his Triple Spirit Root.

As the disciples recruited by the Chongming Sect have become increasingly talented in recent years, it is no longer surprising for them to "surpass their predecessors" within the sect.

The most outstanding among them is Jin Shilun's own junior brother Kang Changxi. Although he is only twenty years old, he has already cultivated to the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining, making him a force to be reckoned with.

Years ago, he single-handedly subdued the Azure-Armored Earth Tiger in the Beast Garden. Now, this ferocious beast has been tamed by him, as obedient as a lazy cat. This is a skill that ordinary Qi Refinement cultivators cannot possess.

This was despite Kang Dabao's repeated prohibition against Fei Shuhe giving this sect leader's eldest son an excessive amount of pills. Now it seems that although Kang Changxi's aptitude is inferior to Kang Changyi's, his age at Foundation Establishment might be slightly younger than the latter.

However, given Chongming Sect's current status, it shouldn't be difficult for Fei Shuhe to use some resources to exchange for a Mid-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill for his eldest son Kang Changxi, from the Fei Household.

Therefore, even if Kang Changxi wins the championship, this Foundation Establishment Pill is probably nothing to him;

Besides Kang Changxi, among the junior brothers and sisters below him is He Wanying disciple of Qi Ke. This young girl's cultivation has also reached the Late Qi Refinement Refining, and she has been promoted to a True Disciple. She has also cultivated a secret technique of Divine Sense, and she is also a formidable opponent.

Further on, there are Liu Ya, a disciple of Elder Ye Zhengwen (foreign affairs) Zhu Yunsheng, a disciple of Sun Fu outer sect steward); Shan Yong, a disciple of Niu Kuang outer sect steward).

These are all outstanding individuals among the newly True Disciple, and Jin Shilun cannot afford to be careless in dealing with them.

These junior brothers and sisters may not have gone to Xuanwei City to participate in the Sword Discussion Assembly organized by the Duke's Mansion for various reasons, but they would never miss the sect competition.

Jin Shilun's inclusion in the top 100 in Xuanwei City doesn't guarantee him a guaranteed spot in Foundation Establishment resources from his fellow disciples.

Wei Gu felt heavy-hearted, and Jin Shilun didn't seem particularly relaxed either. The two walked in silence for a while, then felt a cold wind behind them. The two spirit steeds they were riding suddenly stopped, and they waited for Jiang Qing was riding a flying sword, to arrive.

"I told you to go ahead, but I didn't say you were only concerned with returning to the sect as soon as possible. By the way, why are you walking so fast today?" Third Master Jiang looked at the two juniors' listless appearance with some curiosity.

The two exchanged a glance, but Jin Shilun, the senior brother, spoke first, "We've come looking disheveled and accomplished nothing. Therefore, for the sake of the sect's reputation, we shouldn't linger."

Jiang Qing chuckled and said, "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. Didn't I, your martial uncle, also suffer a defeat at the hands of Funeng back then? And it was during a rotation battle that I was defeated. In truth, wouldn't that be even more shameful?!"

Upon hearing this, the two younger members realized that their martial uncle's ability to comfort people had not improved at all.

"Defeated by Funeng? In a battle of attrition?" A hint of embarrassment suddenly appeared on the faces of the two. They knew their own situation. Even if they were to eventually achieve Foundation Establishment, they would still be no match for those cultivators who had fought Funeng in a battle of attrition.

It should be noted that even Zhou Yun, the eldest disciple of Senior Cultivator Wufeng, who was recognized as the weakest among the nine, went on a killing spree when he returned to Ding Prefecture Pingjing with his master, and no one could stop him.

Based on the information currently circulating, Zhou Yun has already killed more than ten Foundation True Cultivator Foundation Establishment any renown, demonstrating his ruthlessness. If even Zhou Yun, ranked last, suffered such a fate, what kind of astonishing power will the higher-ranked Third Master Jiang possess after his further advancements?

Seeing that their expressions hadn't improved, Jiang Qing comforted them again, "Alright, the Office of the Duke of Qin specifically wanted me to take up the post of deputy general of the Duke's personal guard, with all the promised supplies and future prospects, but I declined them all without hesitation. Even I didn't look so downcast, so what's a little setback for you?"

"Well, this Third Martial Uncle/ Elder Jiang is really not good at comforting people about this."

The two of them silently grumbled to themselves, but naturally they wouldn't reveal it at this moment. Instead, they boarded the flying boat that Jiang Qing had thrown out and returned to their sect together.

The flying boat had barely landed on Little Ring Mountain, and before the dust it kicked up had even settled, one could see a series of arenas set up in the training ground outside the mountain. Magical light and Daoist techniques flowed continuously on them, and the occasional booming sounds added a lively touch to the scene.

The three knew that this was Sword Discussion Assembly organized by the Chongming Sect, which Ye Zhengwen had been preparing for a long time. As mentioned before, it was open to cultivators from various families in Cold Crow Mountain and Ping and Jin counties.

Unlike the Office of the Duke of Qin, which required selecting participants based on their cultivation level, the Chongming Sect set no thresholds or cultivation level restrictions, making the event quite lively.

Jiang Qing quietly went to look around for a while, but found it quite boring, so she went to Ye Zhengwen, who was in charge, and asked, "Senior brother, have you found any promising talents?"

The latter gave a wry smile, "There are no promising talents here. It's just that those with high cultivation and good Law Artifact win. Thousands of people have competed here, and we haven't been able to find a single scene of value."

Before Jiang Qing Qingfu could ask further, Ye Zhengwen said, "In about three days, the top 100 talents will be selected and assigned to Junior Brother Yuan to form the second battalion of the Crimson Zhang Guard. The rest will all be sent out. Those who haven't met the requirements will temporarily stay at the camp being built outside the Chongming Sect for future arrangements."

Upon hearing Ye Zhengwen's words, Jiang Qing's brows furrowed, and he asked, "Are you sending troops?"

"Both Five Old Mothers Mountain and North Mallow Sect have lost a Golden Core cultivator, and the atmosphere is extremely tense. As the sect leader said, we should take precautions beforehand; that shouldn't be a mistake."

"So when should we send troops?"

"We can't delay," Ye Zhengwen suddenly paused, "It will begin after this sect competition."

"Okay," Jiang Qing replied in a low voice. The two of them remained silent, watching the arena in the training ground flicker with light.

P. S.: I'd like to recommend a friend's new book, "Seedling." I hope you can take a look. Thank you!

Rumors: Starting with Inheriting the Rouge Shop

Lin Mo woke up

She discovered that she had become the new manager of "Flowing Fragrance Pavilion".

In the teahouse, people were gossiping about "the new manager of the rouge shop killing the old manager" and "the concubine of a salt merchant in the east of the city having an affair."

In Lin Mo's eyes, "All these discussions condensed into a crimson fragment."

At this moment, the rumors became concrete in Lin Mo's eyes.