Chapter 743 - 265: Golden Core’s Fall
"That Yin Tiger Demon King of Celestial Sandalwood Mountain is also afraid of death. Knowing there was no escape, he dared not self-destruct his Golden Core to severely injure that Shen Family brat."
"If he had self-destructed his Golden Core, perhaps I would have taken advantage of the chaos to try and seize the body cultivator..."
The Celestial Fox Demon King sneered, "Now it seems, letting them retreat unscathed, no one dares to act rashly now."
Lan Jue pondered for a moment and said, "I think the Yin Tiger Demon King still harbored a sliver of hope."
"After all, he still had three brothers by his side. As long as they could buy him a little more time, his Golden Core could escape."
"By then, whether through reincarnation or possession, there would always be a chance for survival."
The Celestial Fox Demon King nodded, "That’s indeed the logic, but he underestimated the strength of that Shen Family brat."
"Now, he’s met a tragic end, being devoured and refined..."
"Lan Jue, make sure to restrain your men, and don’t provoke the Shen Family by any means."
"I have a hunch that the Shen Family is a disaster waiting for all the forces at the Southern Border; whoever gets involved with them is courting death."
Lan Jue nodded slightly after some thought and said, "Rest assured, I will strictly control my subordinates."
"However..."
"There are rumors that there’s an old ancestor of the Purple Mansion from Celestial Sandalwood Mountain whose life or death is unknown. In this clash with the Shen Family, having lost a Golden Core Demon King, could it possibly draw out that old creature?"
The Celestial Fox Demon King smiled strangely at this.
"This is not something you need to worry about, now off you go."
...
Yunshui City.
When Shen Wen’an and Xu Zhan returned from the Golden Brilliance Stone Mine, Shen Yuan and Shen Wenxing were sipping tea in the private room.
Upon arriving in the private room, after courteously greeting them, Xu Zhan excitedly said, "Master, Grandfather, this time Third Uncle and I have slain a Golden Core Realm Demon King from Celestial Sandalwood Mountain!"
Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise appeared on the faces of Shen Wenxing and Shen Yuan as they simultaneously looked at Shen Wen’an.
Shen Wen’an smiled and lowered his head slightly, "It was also a stroke of luck."
"I initially thought surviving the battle would be a blessing."
"Who would have thought that Golden Core Tiger Demon of Celestial Sandalwood Mountain had a foggy brain."
"Suffering successive blows, its strength greatly diminished, becoming a breakthrough point."
"Father, do you know what an Impeccable Golden Body is?" With a change of topic, Shen Wen’an suddenly brought up the matter of the "Impeccable Golden Body."
Shen Yuan frowned slightly after hearing this, and after contemplating for a long time, he said, "I truly have not heard of such a thing before."
"But based on what you just mentioned, I have some speculations."
Pausing for a moment, he continued, "The so-called Impeccable Golden Body should be similar to the Golden Core Golden Nature of an Immortal Dao cultivator."
"Xu Zhan’s current state might be similar to when an Immortal Dao cultivator is condensing an Inner Core, but has not yet fused with the Golden Nature."
"And for a body cultivator in such a state, their physical body might be easier to possess perfectly."
"This could explain why those Golden Core Demon Kings from Celestial Sandalwood Mountain insisted on capturing Xu Zhan for their old ancestor."
Shen Wenxing nodded in agreement, "There is another possibility."
"Possessing a Fifth Realm body cultivator who has not yet refined an Impeccable Golden Body allows one to perfectly inherit the Fifth Realm strength of a body cultivator; the physical body is comparable to a body cultivator, yet as an Immortal Dao cultivator."
"In such circumstances, the enhancement in strength is tremendous."
Upon hearing this, Xu Zhan said with a peculiar expression, "So now, to those old guys, I’m like a walking humanoid elixir?"
"But how should one cultivate the Impeccable Golden Body?"
"When I broke through, I didn’t sense the Golden Nature either..."
Halfway through his words, he suddenly froze.
Remembering the restless desire that surged from deep within his body upon seeing the Tiger Demon Golden Core earlier, an absurd thought popped into Xu Zhan’s mind.
Could it be that his physical body wanted the Golden Nature within the Tiger Demon Golden Core!?
"This issue likely relates to the lineage of body cultivation. Specifically, I couldn’t deduce it at the time, you and your master might need to explore it on your own."
Shen Yuan spoke solemnly.
At the time, he was only able to deduce two realms following the Fourth Realm of body cultivation -- "Spirit Transformation" and "Divine Power" -- using the ’Azure Dragon Force.’
But the Impeccable Golden Body involves a more core aspect of body cultivation lineage, which he naturally found very difficult to deduce.
Meanwhile, Shen Wen’an glanced at Xu Zhan thoughtfully.
After all, he had seen Xu Zhan devour the Tiger Demon’s Golden Core with his own eyes.
There was still a trace of Immortal Golden Nature within that Golden Core.
Meeting his gaze, Xu Zhan shook his head, "I’m not sure if it will work; it will take some time to refine before I know."
Shen Wen’an nodded.
As they were chatting, a strange aura suddenly emerged within Yunshui City.
With the appearance of this aura, a large amount of dark clouds suddenly emerged from around Yunshui City and began swiftly gathering over its sky, as if summoned by some force!
The rapid surge of dark clouds made the skies above Yunshui City instantly filled with flashes of lightning and thunder!
Bolts of electricity danced within the oppressive clouds, emanating an aura of destruction.
Within the room, they exchanged glances and saw the excitement in each other’s eyes.
"Such phenomena... should mean that senior brother is about to break through!"
Xu Zhan was the first to speak.
The four of them immediately exited the room and moved to the courtyard outside the old residence.
Many cultivators in the city also noticed the doomsday-like phenomena, waking from their cultivation and gazing up at the dark clouds overhead.
"Elder brother, pass down the order, remind the clan members to be vigilant."
Shen Yuan, after glancing at the clouds, suddenly turned and looked at Shen Wenxing.
Shen Wenxing was momentarily stunned before quickly recalling the taboo that other cultivators must not use the Power of Divine Sense when achieving the Golden Core Dao, promptly bowing in acknowledgment to Xu Zhan.
"Join me in warning other clan cultivators."
Master and disciple hurried down the mountain.
At the doorway of the old residence, Shen Wen’an had a somewhat peculiar expression.
When a cultivator breaks through to the Golden Core, the surrounding cultivators must not use Divine Sense, primarily due to the presence of the Underworld.
He was now very curious.
When he previously broke through to the Golden Core Sword Immortal Realm, he had caused the Underworld significant losses.
As Shen Chongming breaks through now, would the Underworld people really dare to come again?
If the Underworld people appeared, could he hunt them once more to perfect the rune marks on his Lifebound Magical Sword?
Thinking of this, he slowly bowed to his father Shen Yuan and said, "Father, I’ll go take a look first."
Shen Yuan nodded without much inquiry.
...
The expanse of dark clouds overhead grew larger.
The Thunder Power within the clouds also became increasingly terrifying.
Anyone unaware might think someone in Yunshui City was undergoing Nascent Soul Thunder Tribulation.
But the Shen Family knew that the cause of such phenomena was closely related to Shen Chongming’s Spirit Root.
After leaving the old residence, Shen Wen’an, holding a long sword, strolled to the closed cultivation cave of Shen Chongming.
His Divine Sense swept recklessly across the surroundings, a hint of disappointment appeared on his face.
There were no traces of the Underworld people around the cave.
However, he wasn’t overly concerned.
The current heavenly phenomenon marking Shen Chongming’s breakthrough had just started. Given his talent, breaking through this time, opening the Heaven-Opening Gate shouldn’t be difficult.
Then, to see if those hidden people will reveal themselves.
Shen Wen’an stood quietly to the side, arms crossed, waiting patiently.
In the space overhead, as the dark clouds continued to gather, their lower edges nearly touched the light shield of the Ren Water Concealing Spirit Array.
Seeing this, Shen Wen’an immediately transmitted a message to his elder brother Shen Wenxing, instructing him to have the array guardian cultivators temporarily shut down the Ren Water Concealing Spirit Array, to avoid affecting Shen Chongming’s absorption of the Thunder Power within the clouds later on.
Shortly after the array guardian cultivator received the message and shut down the grand array, several bolts of ominous electricity descended abruptly from the clouds, erratically moving towards Shen Chongming’s closed cultivation cave.
With the appearance of these few bolts, a surge of massive electricity, akin to a torrential downpour, continuously fell from the clouds, precisely crashing onto the mountain peak where Shen Chongming’s closed cultivation cave was situated.
In an instant, that mountain peak was shattered by the endless thunder, revealing a figure clad in a deep blue embroidered long robe.