After Core Formation (1)

The Golden Core within the Dantian was covered with a layer of jade-colored material; this was the last trace left by the Jade Leaf Dao Foundation.

The flames surrounding the Golden Core Elixir were indeed more intense than those described in ancient texts. This might be the last vestige of the legacy left behind by Sect Leader Kang Da after being nurtured by Lord Yin Shan.

"As Golden Core cultivator, I will be the first Golden Core cultivator in the Chongming Sect in over two hundred years since its founding by Patriarch Zhang Yuandao." Kang Dabao felt an indescribable joy welling up in his heart, as if his title as the patriarch of the revival had become even more radiant.

However, the fact that one has formed Upper-Grade Golden Core, thus steadily progressing to the Nascent Soul Nascent Soul and potentially reaching the Spirit Transformation, would be quite astonishing if it were to be revealed.

The Kuang Household clan spent countless efforts and resources, spanning several generations, to finally produce Kuang Liuting, their only heir. If the Sect Leader Kang Da, who rose from humble beginnings in the border region, could also achieve such success, then they would truly be at the center of a storm.

At that time, it seems that a family like the Ying Prefecture Fei Household would not be able to provide protection, or we would have to see what the Kuang Household plans to do.

If the Kuang Household doesn't care, and it truly arouses the curiosity of all the True Person in the world, then it would be perfectly normal for Kang Dabao to be taken away and examined like a rare and precious treasure.

With a mere thought, the jade-like radiance on the surface of the Golden Core Sect Leader Kang Da gradually seeped in, causing the Tai Chi symbol of two fish chasing each other to dim and slowly transform into a colorless, glassy appearance—one of the external manifestations of Middle-Grade Golden Core.

"Phew, thankfully this skill still exists." Kang Dabao's face was full of relief. Although Middle-Grade Golden Core was certainly eye-catching, if one was lucky, a few Nascent Soul cultivators could still emerge every few hundred years.

In fact, given his pragmatic and down-to-earth nature, even if he were to fake the Golden Core Elixir as a low-grade, turbid, and concealed form, it would still be acceptable.

However, considering the many benefits the Fei Household had given him, he couldn't help but hesitate. After all, the books that Fei Dongwen had presented on behalf of the Fei Household were truly "valuable".

Whether it's "Nine Tribulations Dao Planting," "The Yin-Yang Line Changes Ascension to Perfection Treatise," or those towering stacks of Core Formation manuals, they certainly provided considerable assistance to Sect Leader Kang Da in achieving Upper-Grade Golden Core.

Therefore, upon reaching this point, Sect Leader Kang Da made up his mind and presented himself with a mid-grade appearance.

Once this news spreads, Sect Leader Kang Da will surely become a prominent figure both within and outside the sect. Even within the renowned Ying Prefecture Fei Household, he will hold a pivotal position.

Just by looking at how Fei Nanying has already become the next patriarch of the Fei Household after achieving the Middle-Grade Golden Core, one can foresee what Kang Dabao's future status will be.

Indeed, this was the case. After Sect Leader Kang Da emerged from seclusion, Fei Dongwen, who was guarding outside the Jade-Rinsing Pavilion, was immediately filled with surprise upon seeing the quality of the pills.

Having cultivated his Golden Core for many years, Fei Dongwen quickly regained his composure, his face returning to its usual warm and gentle expression. However, when he spoke, it was natural that he lacked some of his usual casualness and instead displayed a more egalitarian tone:

"Congratulations, Mr. Kang! Your two ancestors will be overjoyed when they find out."

"This junior thanks the elder for his teachings and protection. The 'Yin-Yang Line Changes Ascension to Perfection Treatise' is indeed a superior method for Higher Vehicle elixirs. After further studying the painstaking notes of all the predecessors, I was able to achieve a mid-grade elixir. I am fortunate that I have not failed the trust placed in me by the elders."

Seeing that Sect Leader Kang Da's actions and words remained respectful as always, Fei Dongwen's joy deepened. The two exchanged a few words with Fei Shuhe and her two children, who were still anxiously waiting in Thousand Bamboo Courtyard, before Swift Movement to the outside of Core-Embracing Terrace.

As usual, grass puppets greeted them at the entrance of the cave abode. However, Fei Dongwen was in a hurry this time and did not let the grass puppets lead the way as usual. Instead, he led the Sect Leader Kang Da to the place where the two elders of the Fei Household were cultivating.

Their actions did not escape the notice of Fei Ye Shui and Fei Tianqin. Before the two could approach, the former had a slight smile on his face, "Well? Brother, didn't I tell you this boy might have some good fortune?!"

Both the man and the bird were very experienced. Judging from Fei Dongwen's actions, who was always prudent and ranked high among the Fei Household's cultivators, Kang Dabao's newly formed elixir body was definitely not a murky and hidden form.

Fei Tianqin's eyes revealed a complex expression, his gaze unreadable, neither worried nor happy. He remained silent, only probing Kang Dabao and the other man with his Divine Sense.

"Haha, congratulations, Master Kang." Fei Ye Shui's smile was undisguised. His cultivation was much stronger than Fei Dongwen's. He could tell from just a glance at Sect Leader Kang Da that his Golden Core was indeed of the middle grade.

This was a stroke of good fortune befitting a high-ranking official and a rising star among the imperial family. Another successful gamble had naturally brought Fei Ye Shui great joy.

"Maybe things will be easier for my elder brother and Nanying in the future."

Even after Core Formation, Sect Leader Kang Da showed no arrogance whatsoever when facing the two patriarchs of the Fei Household. He quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "I, Kang Dabao of the two patriarchs in guiding me through life."

As usual, Fei Tianqin was tired of hearing those two words, but they were quite appropriate for Kang Dabao had just achieved the Golden Core stage. The old bird listlessly raised his eyelids, and a rare look of weariness appeared in his sharp eyes.

After glancing at Fei Ye Shui again and confirming that the latter's joy was genuine, Fei Tianqin carefully looked Sect Leader Kang Da down and up for a while before finally managing to utter, "Not bad, not bad."

Why does Tianqin seem so aloof and distant today?!

Not to mention Kang Dabao, even Fei Dongwen, an outsider, noticed something unusual in Fei Tianqin's reaction. However, the latter quickly dismissed this surprise and was instead drawn to what Fei Ye Shui, who was sitting at the head of the table, was saying.

"Dongwen, write this down."

"Yes,"

"Firstly, I hereby issue this edict in my name: Fei Nanying, the head of the She Mountain Hall, has carried the hopes of the Lineage and the entrustment of the clan elders. He has traveled far to open up new lands in Outer Dao, abandoning his family and business to honor the imperial heir. Later, he achieved the Middle-Grade Golden Core and was granted a title of nobility. He is a precious tree of the Lineage and a pillar of the ancestral temple. In addition, he has the merit of having a discerning eye to recognize talents. He deserves to be rewarded."

For the next sixty years, the annual stipends and stipends of the members of the She Mountain Hall will be elevated to the first rank, comparable to those of the Esteemed Jade Hall. Half a sixty-year stipend will be specially allocated for their journey to Cloud Horn Prefecture, as a reward for their service. The She Mountain Hall will be awarded various False Core tablets, which can be used to petition for deposit into the clan's treasury.

Fei Dongwen had already figured it out when he put pen to paper: his ancestor was probably using the opportunity of Sect Leader Kang Da forming Middle-Grade Golden Core to pave the way for Fei Nanying's succession.

This wave of benefits is a real boon to the She Mountain Hall, which has been somewhat depressed in recent years. There are actually different opinions within the family regarding Fei Nanying as the head of the family.

After all, since the Fei Household was established, the position of family head has always been held by the upper-middle cultivators of the Esteemed Jade Hall. Now, Fei Ye Shui, who Fei Household to its peak, is also from the Esteemed Jade Hall. Therefore, even if Fei Nanying has achieved the middle grade of Dan and is recognized by two elders, the opposition is not small.

However, the heads of the other branches had no complaints about Fei Ye Shui's large allocation of funds to the She Mountain Hall. Even though the Ying Prefecture Fei Household had relatives all over the twenty-seven provinces of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, no one had ever seen a family marry a Middle-Grade Golden Core.

It should be noted that when Fei Nanying first met Sect Leader Kang Da, the latter was merely a minor cultivator. Neither the title of Double Brightness nor the Pingrong County were particularly valuable.

Despite the ridicule from outsiders, Fei Nanying insisted on marrying his precious niece to the Ying Prefecture Fei Household, thus securing a son-in-law with a Middle-Grade Golden Core level. Fei Nanying truly deserves the title of "discerning eye for talent."

Once this news spreads, it will naturally be hailed as a good story. It will even benefit the reputation of the Ying Prefecture Fei Household, perhaps even being compared to the Emperor's selection of talented individuals and the marriage of Princess Shen Lingfeng to the Silver Whip Prince Consort.

Fei Ye Shui could clearly see through Fei Dongwen's thoughts, but he ignored the latter's complicated feelings and then spoke:

"Secondly, the magistrates of the five counties of Qiao, Dan, Lu, Fu, and Zhen in the south of Ying Prefecture shall each select one person of good family and six people from poor families to relocate to Cloud Horn Prefecture to supplement their Shuhe. In addition, the officials in charge of relocating people in each county shall also focus on the relocation of immigrants, preferably those skilled in various arts. This matter shall be recorded in the annual examination, and those with excellent performance shall be promoted."

Following Fei Ye Shui's lead, Fei Dongwen began writing, feeling that the second point was indeed reasonable. After all, the dowry Fei Shuhe brought back then was Chongming Sect at the time, but now it was far from sufficient.

Therefore, by providing appropriate subsidies, Fei Shuhe's position as the principal wife can be further secured.

This is indeed something that respectable families often do, because marrying off a daughter is not selling her. What kind of despicable family would be unwilling to give more of their own wealth and instead be concerned about the son-in-law's assets?

After they landed, regardless of whether they were from respectable families or poor households that had been governed and protected by the Fei Household for generations, or were Rogue Cultivator recruited by the relocation commissioners of various counties in Ying Prefecture, they all naturally became very close to the noblewoman of the Fei Household.

The couple were essentially one, so what was given to Fei Shuhe was also given to Sect Leader Kang Da. Moreover, the strength of these families could provide Fei Nanying's She Mountain Hall with some support, and might even gain some favor with Kuang Liuting, who was lying low in Shannan Circuit.

Whether these families were willing to move from the fertile lands of the capital to the impoverished and desolate border states was not a matter for the high-ranking cultivators present to ponder. After all, the hardships and dangers along the way were none of their concern.

Among the elders of the Fei Household, Fei Dongwen was considered one of the kindest. So, as he put down his pen, he felt a little sad for these unfortunate people who would suffer in the future, and then immediately picked up his pen again to write as Fei Ye Shui spoke.

"Thirdly, we will use the name of the Ying Prefecture Fei Household to advertise to all parties, clearly stating that my son-in-law has achieved immortality today, without any concealment."

After speaking, Fei Ye Shui, unusually, asked again, "Have you remembered everything clearly?"

"I have remembered everything clearly, Ancestor."

"Good," Fei Ye Shui nodded, his face full of satisfaction. He beckoned Kang Dabao to his side, took a gold talisman from his python-patterned jade belt, and handed it to the latter.

"Let Dongwen take you to the Fei Household's treasury with my order. Inside lies the Fei Household's accumulated wealth over thousands of years. You may take anything you desire today, and all Merit Points will be paid for by me."

Before Sect Leader Kang Da could even feel the golden talisman burning his hand, Fei Dongwen had already sighed inwardly, "My two ancestors are both incredibly generous."

The elder of the Fei Household looked at the Sect Leader Kang Da with barely concealed envy, for the treatment the latter had received today was something he had never dreamed of in his hundreds of years.

"Thank you, Ancestor!"

Aside from expressing his gratitude, Sect Leader Kang Da had no other words to say. He simply kept this great kindness in his heart and followed Fei Dongwen to the Fei Household's treasury.

After the two left the cave abode, the grass puppets standing on either side of the archway activated the dense spiritual restrictions surrounding them. At this moment, Fei Tianqin, who had remained silent except for the first four words, finally spoke again:

"My brother's mind is made up?!"

"I, your foolish brother, am unwilling to even take the Human Elixir, so why should I, your elder brother, refine a human as a catalyst?!" Fei Ye Shui said this, but a rare look of relief appeared on his face.

Seeing the sorrow in Fei Tianqin's eyes, he comforted him, saying, "It's not that I, your foolish brother, want to disappoint you, brother. According to our previous agreement, if this child's elixir reaches the middle grade, then this matter should be dropped."

"It's a pity. That Daoist Peng said the Crimson Realm Life-Prolonging Pill is excellent in every way, but the Blood Qi within it is extremely impure. To refine it to perfection, the best method is to use the Essence Blood of a high-level Demon Beast, the leader of scaled insects, to harmonize it."

This item is so rare that even the Myriad Treasures Trading Company within the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty couldn't find it in a short time. When I asked the two princes, they both just smiled and didn't answer."

Fei Tianqin paused here, realizing the absurdity of what he was about to say, "They all only pointed to the outer sea, claiming that within the territory of Great Wei, there was only that one place, which they were certain existed."

Although it wasn't the first time Fei Tianqin had mentioned this matter, Fei Ye Shui still laughed out loud, "Haha, even if True Lord were to personally come and taste the Essence Blood of the Palace Master of Billowing Dream, it wouldn't be easy."

"I found Half-Chi's Essence Blood, and a fake Pan Yuan essence, and showed them to Daoist Peng. He said they were both unsuitable, as they were not pure enough. So there is only the second method left."

The old bird's tone suddenly turned extremely serious at this point. "Use the two aforementioned rare treasures as ingredients, and Pure Spirit Golden Core True Body as a catalyst!"

Upon hearing this, Fei Ye Shui's smile faded considerably, and she let out a soft sigh. Fei Tianqin, however, seemed oblivious to this and continued speaking:

"Leaving aside Kang's cultivation and comprehension for the time being, his essence and spiritual Essence Blood are certainly not comparable to ordinary characters. Our Juntian Bird Clan is born with spiritual eyes, and when it comes to the matter of the Burning Rhinoceros and Wen Qiao, we are no less than the descendants of the Luan and Phoenix bloodlines."

In my life, I've drunk the blood and marrow of the Demon Lieutenant alongside the late Emperor and received the True Person Mercury from the current Emperor, so I've seen quite a bit of the world. But when I first entered Cloud Horn Prefecture, the moment I encountered Kang Dabao and saw the Essence Blood and spiritual energy emanating from his body, I immediately had the urge to consume him. This is enough to show that he is indeed the right person for me!! After he Core Formation, I examined him carefully, and he's definitely good!!

Before Fei Ye Shui could react, it casually yanked Daoist Peng out of a restriction and rolled him to the feet of the man and the bird.

"Daoist Peng!"

Daoist Peng was clearly tormented, yet he dared not show the slightest resentment. Instead, upon hearing Fei Tianqin call his name, he immediately knelt down with a deep bow and respectfully replied, "This junior is here!"

"Tell me, was what I just said right or wrong?!"

"Senior, your knowledge and memory are truly profound; not a single word is wrong!" Daoist Peng, seeing the meaning in Fei Tianqin's eyes, turned to Fei Ye Shui and bowed, advising, "If Senior would allow me to give it a try, I would have at least a 90% chance of success. It would be enough to help Senior extend your life by two cycles of sixty years, advance to the rank of True Person, and enjoy a lifespan of 1,500 years."

Upon hearing this, Fei Ye Shui's expression remained unchanged. He seemed reluctant to even glance at Daoist Peng, instead turning his back and softly smiling at Fei Tianqin:

"If I really did take the Human Pill as my brother thinks, it's hard to predict whether I can become an Infant. However, I might end up looking like this annoying little brat with the sea-eyed eyes."

After that, today they can consume the Blood Pill of Ten Thousand People, tomorrow they can use relatives and in-laws as bait, and the day after tomorrow they will surely devour my Fei Household's sons and pave the way with white bones."

Fei Tianqin sighed again, as if recalling the terrifying scene Fei Ye Shui had described. He then flapped his wings once more. Daoist Peng only managed to stammer, "Senior, please listen to me," before being swept up by a gust of wind and locked back into the restriction.

The Crimson Realm Life-Prolonging Pill shot out from its thickest feather, and was immediately crushed into smoke by several gusts of wind as soon as it appeared.

Fei Tianqin's voice deepened further. "Since that's the case, I won't try to persuade you anymore. After some time, I will take Kang Dabao back to Mountain South. I will also take this Daoist priest back with me so I can use him. Don't worry, brother, as long as I have a breath left, I will protect the Fei Household for you."

However, after speaking, Fei Tianqin seemed to feel a sense of relief. He raised his eyelids and saw that Fei Ye Shui's eyes were full of concern as he looked over. The two of them smiled at the same time.

The previously quiet atmosphere inside the cave abode seemed to be suddenly dispelled by the laughter, giving Fei Tianqin a long-lost sense of joy.

However, at that moment, the grass puppet outside the cave abode handed over a silk scroll. Fei Ye Shui scanned it with his Divine Sense, his face showing a slight surprise at first, but he soon calmed down.

Without hesitation, Fei Tianqin flicked a feather across the silk scroll in Fei Ye Shui's hand, his tone revealing surprise. "His Majesty actually knew this already?!"

The latter, however, spoke in a rather calm tone compared to the veteran.

After pondering for a moment, Fei Ye Shui finally spoke, "It's not surprising that someone in the family has been secretly communicating with members of the imperial clan. Since someone in the family knows, then His Majesty must know as well."

The Emperor's desire to use those from humble backgrounds to break the shackles of sects and aristocratic Aristocratic Clan is common knowledge. Now that Kang Dabao's pill has reached a mid-grade level, it's no wonder he can't contain himself any longer.

Fei Tianqin agreed with this statement and nodded in approval, "So that's why we're so eager to summon Kang Dabao to the Mystic Firmament Palace for an audience, so we can bestow favors upon him?!"

"With such a background and talent, yet completely untainted by those rebellious traitors and devoted to the imperial family, it's truly been over four hundred years since such a person has emerged in the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty. The current emperor naturally hopes that another Shen Lingfeng will appear soon."

After speaking, Fei Ye Shui shook his head and chuckled. He burned the spirit scroll he had personally written with the imperial brush to ashes, then reached out and pointed to a straw puppet, saying softly:

"Tell Dongwen to take Kang Dabao to the treasury and carefully select what he wants, without being stingy. The Emperor's spending this time will certainly be substantial; we mustn't let him seduce my son-in-law as well."

Fei Ye Shui turned around and sighed again at Fei Tianqin, "It's a pity that the current emperor is not Kuang Liuting. No matter how brilliant his political strategies and mental strength are, how can he win the hearts of the people with his own great power?"

If my family were to obtain another Middle-Grade Golden Core, our chances of maintaining our position would increase by three points. But what about the current emperor? This Great Wei realm is far more difficult to defend than our Ying Prefecture Fei Household.

Kuang Liuting may or may not be the one to break this deadlock. After all, to truly restore order to this land, we need another great figure like Emperor Taizu, capable of lifting mountains and lifting cauldrons. Kuang Liuting is far from being one yet.