Chapter 416 - 318: Core Formation Steps 2
If these insect beasts weren’t enough, he could always get more from the Iron-Seeking Rats. As for the Long-armed Ape Tribe that farmed for him, there was no need to disturb them. Fang Qingyuan was rather protective of his own people—or in this case, his working apes.
...
With just a word, Fang Qingyuan sent the Bee Queen scurrying back and forth to carry out his orders. He, in turn, casually went outside to cultivate and meditate in peace.
His cultivation was already at the Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment, and in just over a decade, he would reach the peak of this stage. At that time, he would face the first true tribulation of his cultivation journey: Core Formation.
Compared to the dangers of Core Formation, Foundation Establishment was nothing. When Fang Qingyuan had undergone it, the process had felt like little more than a long, illusory dream, after which he had successfully established his foundation.
But Core Formation was not like that at all. To forge a Golden Core, a Cultivator had to compress all their Magical Power into it. Those whose Magical Power lacked sufficient purity would find this step utterly impossible.
Even if one was fortunate enough to start compressing their Magical Power, it was a fatal outcome if their reserves were lacking and their total amount of Magical Power proved insufficient, leaving the Golden Core in a half-formed state.
On this point, however, Fang Qingyuan had no concerns. The Magical Power he cultivated was exceptionally refined, and besides, he possessed roughly five times the amount of an ordinary Cultivator. He wouldn’t have to worry about his reserves failing him while solidifying the pill.
But Magical Power and the like were minor issues. The most crucial element for forging a Golden Core was the Pill Thesis. And this thesis was directly tied to a matter of life and death: the Celestial Tribulation.
To forge a Golden Core, one had to withstand a Celestial Tribulation. Typically, this involved nine bolts of Celestial Thunder striking down. Endure them, and you had a future. Fail, and you were reduced to ash.
The Cultivator’s Pill Thesis influenced the power of the Celestial Tribulation. If the thesis was lacking, a single bolt of Tribulation Thunder could be enough to shatter the Golden Core condensed from one’s Magical Power, resulting in the annihilation of both body and soul.
Conversely, if the Pill Thesis was profound, the power of the Celestial Tribulation would naturally be stronger. This was a test from heaven and earth—in other words, a process through which a Cultivator communicated with the world and sought its recognition.
Some might ask, then: ’If a poor thesis is inadequate and a powerful one invites a stronger tribulation, wouldn’t it be better to take the middle path and create a thesis that’s just average?’
That line of thinking isn’t entirely wrong, but the Pill Thesis determines the upper limit of a Cultivator’s future achievements. With a poor thesis, even if one survived the Thunder Tribulation to become a Golden Core Cultivator, they would be at the very bottom of the barrel among their peers.
Weak combat power would be one issue, but the crucial part is that they would lose all hope of reaching the Nascent Soul realm. Every Cultivator capable of reaching the Golden Core stage is a peerless talent with lofty ambitions. Anyone with the mindset of just scraping by would be unable to withstand the Thunder Tribulation in the first place.
Naturally, Fang Qingyuan had no such thoughts. The Infinite Evolution Path he had chosen was of such a profound conception that it couldn’t be categorized by simple grades. Even the Nine Celestial and Human Techniques—Motion and Stillness, Great Void, Creation; Life and Death, Spiritual Awareness, Morality; Truth and Illusion, Transcendence, and Yin and Yang—were all encompassed within his Infinite Evolution Path.
The Infinite Evolution Path referred to the fundamental principles governing the world’s evolution since the dawn of creation, encompassing all things in existence.
But as of now, Fang Qingyuan wasn’t fully confident his Pill Thesis was enough to see him through the Celestial Tribulation. He couldn’t help but imagine that the moment he presented it, the Celestial Tribulation would instantly escalate into Destructive Tribulation Thunder.
Ultimately, it all came down to his insufficient foundation. He had only been cultivating for a little over a hundred years; in the grand scheme of cultivation, he was still a babbling infant.
Therefore, even after reaching the peak of the Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment, Fang Qingyuan had no desire to attempt Core Formation right away. If he tried before he was fully prepared, he would almost certainly die.
He would only begin preparations for Core Formation when he had mastered his four Divine Techniques to such a degree that any single one of them could serve as a Pill Thesis for another Cultivator.
Until then, he just had to cultivate patiently. He had his Innate Qi Divine Technique, so he didn’t need to worry too much about his lifespan. As for his safety, the title granted to him by the Great Zhou Academy served as a protective talisman. As long as he didn’t go out looking for trouble, his security was well assured.
That was what Fang Qingyuan thought, and that was what he intended to do. But things rarely go as planned. In the autumn of the fourth year after Xiao Xuan of the Lingliang Sect died, the friction between the Spirit Wood Alliance and the Pill Alliance grew increasingly intense. The two sides began a standoff across the Lingliang Sect’s territory, and a great war was on the verge of erupting.
In the midst of his cultivation, Fang Qingyuan was summoned back to the Beast Taming Sect by Lechuan to discuss countermeasures.
Seeing Lechuan again, Fang Qingyuan found his master looking more high-spirited than ever. And judging by the spectrum displayed in his Mind Map, Lechuan’s aura was now significantly larger than before.
This meant Lechuan had advanced. Seeing this, Fang Qingyuan immediately offered his congratulations.
"Congratulations on your great increase in power, Master. Becoming a Nascent Soul Ancestor is surely just a matter of time."
Lechuan raised a hand to cut off Fang Qingyuan’s flattery, signaling for him to dispense with the pleasantries. But from the look on Lechuan’s face, it was clear he was enjoying it nonetheless.
"I did indeed break through to the late-stage Golden Core realm during my seclusion," Lechuan said. "I had intended to spend more time stabilizing my cultivation, but news has arrived that the Spirit Wood Alliance is likely planning a major move. The Pill Alliance has already reached out to us, expressing their goodwill and hoping we might lend them a hand. The time has come for our White Mountain Beast Taming Sect to take a stance. Do we help them, or not? Qingyuan, tell me your thoughts."
Faced with Lechuan’s question, Fang Qingyuan quickly ran a mental comparison of the Pill Alliance’s and the Spirit Wood Alliance’s strengths. He realized that if a real fight broke out, the Pill Alliance would be at a severe disadvantage.
’This is the first showdown between a new power in White Mountain and an established one,’ Fang Qingyuan thought. ’Perhaps only after a true, pitched battle can the Pill Alliance earn proper recognition. The Great Zhou Academy’s endorsement means nothing at a time like this.’
With this in mind, Fang Qingyuan said to Lechuan,
"We should definitely help. The question is *how* we help—that’s where we have options. Why don’t we ask if the Pill Alliance is short on War Beasts? I’ve seen that the sect is raising a great many of them. They eat a lot every day, so why not take this opportunity to rent them out?"
Lechuan’s expression shifted, but he hesitated.
"Many of these War Beasts were provided by Zongshan to aid our exploration of the Barbaric Wilderness. Renting them out... that doesn’t seem right."
Fang Qingyuan chuckled.
"What’s not right about it? Here, your word is law. The Pill Alliance was founded on Alchemy; they’re incredibly wealthy. For years, our sect has poured vast resources into the Barbaric Wilderness. And while there have been some gains, the books still aren’t balanced. Let’s just use this opportunity to settle the accounts. It will make things easier to explain to Zongshan. If you still feel it’s improper, Master, then this disciple is willing to step forward and have my Qingyuan Sect handle it."
"You mean, we rent the War Beasts to you, and what you do with them next is none of our concern?"
"Precisely, Master."
"Haha! So be it."