Cultivating To Immortality

Everyone knows that above the Foundation Establishment Realm is the Golden Core Realm.

The difference between the Golden Core Realm and the Foundation Establishment Realm is far greater than the difference between the Foundation Establishment Realm and Qi Refining Cultivators.

The two are as different as heaven and earth.

As long as resources are not too scarce, even Cultivators with slightly poorer talent have hope of establishing a Dao Foundation.

However, the Golden Core Realm is entirely different.

Resources, luck, state of mind, Cultivation Technique... truly, not one can be lacking.

There are quite a few Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivators in the entire Chu State, but openly, there are only thirty or forty Golden Cores.

In the Cultivation World, countless Cultivators have died on the path to obtaining a Golden Core.

Among them, a portion of Cultivators, having failed to Breakthrough to Golden Core, knew that they had no hope in this life and became disheartened.

Yet, they were unwilling to die as a Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator.

So, they used demon cores to form a core shape within their bodies, achieving a "False Core."

Such Cultivators possess some of the methods of the Golden Core Realm, but it is not ultimately formed by their own power.

Their combat strength is roughly 50% that of an Early Stage Golden Core Realm Cultivator.

Furthermore, their Lifespan and Realm are completely halted at this point, unable to increase further.

It can be said that once a Cultivator achieves the False Core Realm, their Dao path has already reached its end.

But when it truly comes to that point, quite a few Cultivators actually make such a choice.

After all, in a place like Chu State, truly gathering precious medicines to obtain a Golden Core is too, too difficult.

The False Core Realm is already above ten thousand people.

However, at this moment, everyone’s hearts were filled with astonishment.

Could this Song Yan, with his Early Stage Foundation Establishment strength, actually face a False Core and retreat unscathed?

Among the crowd, several people exchanged glances.

Song Yan, however, did not care how others viewed him.

This secret art he displayed, called "Turning the Tables," was a so-called "resurrection" technique.

It was a secret art to avoid death and prolong life from the Grand Void Sword Canon, which only a Sword Spirit could Cultivate.

This secret art was actually also recorded in the Spirit Transformation Chapter.

It was just that Song Yan had not yet refined the spiritual object of the water element into his Dao Seed.

Therefore, he had only studied it and not attempted to practice it.

It was only after obtaining the endless treasury in the Sword Sect and acquiring the Grand Void Transformation Tome that he managed to Cultivate it.

To Cultivate this method, the Dao Seed must have refined the spiritual objects of wood, fire, and water elements, at least three of them.

And based on this, establishing a Dao Foundation is necessary to successfully cast it.

This method can only be used once within an entire major Realm. It can borrow the Sword Spirit’s elemental response to reshape a new body, achieving the effect of resurrection.

However, this process might be extremely slow.

If the Dao Seed has refined all Five Elements, then this speed would be much faster.

Fortunately, Hermit Xin Shan did not do anything to his Physical Body.

His original body was preserved, only requiring a period of rest and recuperation.

Song Yan did not say much about the subsequent inquiries from Xu Ziqing and others.

"That Hermit Xin Shan also seemed to have no intention of staying, but when he was caught, he cast a Demonic Path Spell, trapping me here."

Xu Ziqing nodded: "So that’s how it is."

It was indeed quite unlikely for an Early Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator to face a False Core and retreat unscathed.

Song Yan did not mention Yang Wenxuan’s matter.

Firstly, Song Yan still could not confirm the authenticity of the matter.

He and Yang Wenxuan indeed had a life-and-death feud, but he could not draw conclusions based on the other party’s few words.

He would find Yang Wenxuan sooner or later, but he did not want to be used as a pawn by Mo Xu Cultivators.

Secondly, all Nine Pulses Cultivators were present. If he foolishly revealed Yang Wenxuan, the situation would be completely different.

An Elder of the Cave Abyss Sect colluding with a False Core Realm Cultivator from the Demon Ruins—if word got out, the Cave Abyss Sect would also be implicated.

Song Yan still had some feelings for the Sect and saw no need to bring it up at this critical juncture.

Putting feelings aside, if the Cave Abyss Sect were branded with colluding with Demonic Cultivators, causing the Chu State Cultivation World to universally denounce them, it would not benefit him either.

Finally, and most crucially.

Without sufficient evidence, he did not expect to rely on external forces to seek justice for himself.

Not even the Sect Master.

He would handle his own affairs. On the surface, he needed to minimize involvement and grievances with this Elder to make it easier to act.

Anyway, whether facing Yang Wenxuan or Hermit Xin Shan,

If given the chance, his choice would be the same.

"The matter here is concluded. Come back with me."

"Yes."

With the incident involving Hermit Xin Shan, the Nine Pulses Cultivators’ cleanup operation went from uneventful to surprisingly safe.

The name Song Yan was once again mentioned by the Cultivators in Dragon Pool Mountain.

Setting aside the facts, to face a False Core with Early Stage Foundation Establishment strength and retreat unscathed.

When this matter was spoken of, it always gave people a feeling of extraordinary distinction.

The original Song Yan had already been hailed by many as a top figure among the younger generation due to that earth-shattering sword strike at the Yang Family ruins.

Once this matter spread, those busybodies who liked to create legends would only further elevate him to a divine altar.

The title of Cloud Piercing Sword Immortal grew increasingly resonant.

However, Song Yan did not take any of this to heart.

That Senior Zhou Ziyin, who was called the Evil-Suppressing Sword Immortal in the Golden Core Realm, did not claim such a title.

As a mere Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator, it was better not to call himself a Sword Immortal.

His current focus was entirely immersed in recuperating his body and reshaping Xianxian’s body.

Casting the secret art "Turning the Tables," besides being usable only once within an entire major Realm, also came with the cost of the Sword Spirit falling into a deep sleep.

The specific recovery time would depend on the situation.

Nourishing his Lifebound Flying Sword with Sword Qi daily might allow it to reawaken sooner.

In the eyes of outsiders, this Dragon Pool Mountain gathering was undoubtedly a failure.

Consequently, many people sighed with regret for the young Cultivators of this generation.

They believed that not only did they lose the opportunity to shine in the eyes of the world, but they also lost the rewards of the final grand competition.

But Song Yan did not think so at all.

The reason was simple.

This trip allowed him to eliminate a major problem that had been persistently haunting him.

A Heart Demon.

This thing was truly too bizarre; before, it was even invisible and intangible.

He only discovered its existence a few days before the Sword Wiping Assembly.

When he Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, he made ample preparations, but it remained completely still.

This was not a good thing.

Subtle, imperceptible influence was the hardest thing to guard against.

After all, no one could constantly take Wu Xiang Pills or wear Pure Moon Talismans.

However, as he learned more and more about the Heart Demon, at some point, a somewhat dangerous idea sprouted in Song Yan’s mind...

To "perish together" with his Heart Demon.

To be precise, this idea should have been born after he read a certain ancient book.

Most Cultivators’ Heart Demons are born from the heart. Even if a Cultivator possesses methods of Reincarnation and Nirvana, no matter how many times they die, if the knot in their heart is not untied, Heart Demons will always arise.

However, it is basically impossible for a Heart Demon to arise in the Qi Refining Realm.

Therefore, Song Yan concluded that his Heart Demon originated from the demonic flame that had been burning for a thousand years on the Unmoored Boat.

In other words, the birth process of his Heart Demon was inherently from external to internal.

This matter had both advantages and disadvantages.

The disadvantage was naturally suffering from the "Heart Demon" affliction at a young age, leading to endless troubles on the Dao path.

And the advantage... was that as long as he died, the Heart Demon would only have two choices: escape or wait to dissipate.

This was the simplest, most violent, and most thorough method to eradicate a Heart Demon!

Thus, Song Yan thought of the Dao secret art "Turning the Tables," mentioned in the Spirit Transformation Chapter, which could use the Sword Spirit to resurrect.

Recalling it now, he himself felt a sense of lingering fear.

But he had no regrets.

The path of Cultivation was inherently Heaven-Defying; not just Sword Cultivators, but all Cultivators were like this.

Being timid, lacking courage, and only seeking stability in everything would simply lead to no Dao path to speak of.

Fortunately, he had succeeded now.

The Heart Demon had fled to who knows where.

It didn’t matter; if it couldn’t seize the main body, no matter whose body the Heart Demon possessed, it would only be barely surviving.

With the Heart Demon removed, Song Yan’s only worry vanished without a trace.

At this moment, his thoughts were clear, and his state of mind was expansive.

Coupled with having walked through the gates of hell, he felt his Lifebound Flying Sword stir faintly, and his Insightful Void Sword Eye also showed signs of Breakthrough.

Breaking before establishing, being born from death.

His Sword Dao cultivation had grown comprehensively, yielding abundant rewards.

However, now was not the time for secluded Cultivation.

The complete annihilation of the Hu Family meant that all incidents at Dragon Pool Mountain had come to an end.

The Nine Pulses Cultivators who had rushed from various parts of Chu State all embarked on their return journeys.

Due to the Mo Xu Cultivator invasion, the other Disciples of the Cave Abyss Sect did not have time to wait for him. They greeted him and returned to the Sect first.

Song Yan, needing to recuperate, stayed there for three days before setting off.

When he first came to Dragon Pool Mountain, he was in a hurry due to delays in his Cultivation.

He had intended to take a leisurely return journey, enjoying the scenery of Chu State and perhaps visiting Shiliang Town to check on things.

No one expected that the Dragon Pool Mountain gathering would turn into the scene it was now.

Song Yan also had no mind to sightsee anymore.

He would only descend his escape light and wander around when he encountered market towns or gatherings of Loose Cultivators, buying local unique Cultivation resources.

His main purpose was also to inquire about any news regarding ancient swords.

After spending about three to five days on the journey, Song Yan returned to the Cave Abyss Sect.

He landed his sword light outside the Entrance Plaza.

The two guard Cultivators at the Sect entrance seemed to be checking passing Disciples much more strictly than before.

A moment’s thought made it clear.

With the Mo Xu Cultivator invasion and the turbulent situation in the Cultivation World, increased vigilance was normal.

He showed his token to the two guard Disciples.

"Senior Brother Song Yan..."

The two guard Disciples looked at each other, a complex expression in their eyes.

"Please."

Song Yan naturally noticed this small gesture, but he only thought that the two Disciples recognized him and didn’t take it to heart.

"Thank you."

After entering the Entrance Plaza, he flew towards Taiping Peak.

Disciples attending the Dragon Pool Mountain gathering was considered a Sect mission.

Since he hadn’t returned with Xu Ziqing and the others due to recuperation, he now needed to report to Taiping Peak that he had returned to the Sect.

The Mission Hall on Taiping Peak now had far fewer Disciples coming and going compared to before.

Many Disciples had received orders from the Sect to go north to guard against Demonic Cultivators.

Disciples were forbidden from flying on the main peaks, so Song Yan landed his sword light halfway up the mountain and slowly walked towards the Mission Hall.

He constantly saw groups of three to five Cultivators walking together, chatting about the situation on the Demonic Path front line.

Currently, nearly ten thousand Disciples from the Six Major Sects had been dispatched to the front lines.

There were Disciples from both the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment Realms.

Song Yan mused that perhaps once he recovered to his peak state, he would be sent to the front lines without even needing to report to the Sect.

Arriving at the Mission Hall, he casually found an administrator to report to.

This administrator also seemed to be a Foundation Establishment Realm Elder, assigned to this leisurely position by the Sect for retirement.

As soon as he saw the person, he immediately recognized Song Yan.

"Song Yan?" The Elder exclaimed, "You’re finally back."

"Hmm?"

Song Yan was stunned, thinking to himself that he had only been delayed for three to five days, and that was because he was injured, so it shouldn’t be too late.

"Senior Brother, has something happened?"

The Elder laughed heartily and said, "We wanted to ask you what happened at Dragon Pool Mountain. Why did your life lamp go out?"

"Ah..."

Only then did Song Yan remember this matter.

Previously, to eliminate his Heart Demon, he had considered all aspects.

But it was all centered on how to ensure he could truly survive, and he had completely forgotten about his life lamp in the Sect going out.

"With the Demonic Cultivator chaos at Dragon Pool Mountain, you are one of the most prominent among the younger generation."

"When your life lamp went out, those two days were truly chaotic."

"I heard your master, Elder Qin Xijun, caused a huge scene in the Elder’s Hall and beat up Elder Yang Wenxuan."

"While beating him, she kept saying that he was the one who killed you."

"..."

Song Yan was astonished.

In fact, he had always thought that a small figure like himself, even if he died in a struggle on the path of Cultivation, no one would pay attention.

He never expected such a thing to happen when his life lamp went out.

Looking back, he realized that his friends, family, Elders, and master, those who cared about him, were actually increasing.

Song Yan was momentarily lost in thought, then quickly asked, "Senior Brother, do you know what happened afterward?"

Without evidence, merely based on a few words, to get into a dispute with other Elders, and even come to blows.

Such a situation in the Sect would probably be a serious crime.

The Elder recalled for a moment and said:

"He said you only went to pursue a fleeing Loose Cultivator, unexpectedly it was a False Core Realm Cultivator, who had no intention of fighting, so you were only injured."

"This matter even brought out the Sect Master. Your master, Elder Qin, seems to have been punished to meditate in the Forbidden Land. I’m not clear on the specifics."

Song Yan let out a long sigh of relief.

Meditating in the Forbidden Land didn’t sound like a heavy punishment.

Thinking of Granny Qin’s carefree demeanor, yet she tore open her face with Yang Wenxuan for his sake, directly fighting in the Sect.

A warm current rose in his heart, along with some worry.

Once the return to the Sect matters were all done, he would have to go see her.

He also wondered if he would be able to enter this so-called Forbidden Land.

"Junior Brother Song, it’s done."

"Thank you."

Song Yan left the Mission Hall, quickly walked down the mountain, and used his escape light to fly towards Dragon Head Peak.