Chapter 453 - 333: Finally Achieving Core Formation
Compared to the first minor trial, the second one wasn’t as smooth.
The subsequent minor trial for Divine Sense went more smoothly, but it still couldn’t compare to the first.
Core Formation consisted of two phases: three minor trials and one major trial. Fang Yun had a clear idea of his chances of passing both phases.
The three minor trials were simple for him, with a ninety percent chance of success. However, his chance of passing the final major trial was less than sixty percent.
After a more precise calculation, his overall probability of achieving Core Formation was around fifty-three percent.
The moment he passed the first three minor trials of Core Formation,
Fang Yun didn’t hesitate. It was time to use the Core Formation Spiritual Object, the Cloud Ink Water.
The Cloud Ink Water’s effect was meant for the final major trial.
This mass of grayish-white Spiritual Water wasn’t meant to be consumed orally, but rather to be absorbed from the top of the head.
Fang Yun raised a hand, and the Cloud Ink Water magically floated above his head. It first formed an inky cloud, then began to sprinkle down grayish-white raindrops.
The raindrops landed on Fang Yun’s head and vanished, instantly suffusing his body from top to bottom.
The breakthrough for the final major trial of Core Formation had begun.
This major trial involved continuously compressing the Liquid Spiritual Power within his Qi Sea until it solidified into a Golden Core.
The more compressed the Golden Core, the higher the quality of the Spiritual Power. Some formidable cultivators would compress the Golden Core in their Qi Sea to the absolute limit when breaking through to the Core Formation Stage.
This was incredibly difficult and was said to make the process of Breaking the Core and Forming a Nascent Soul even harder. However, one would also become much more powerful after reaching the Nascent Soul Realm.
Fang Yun wasn’t pursuing that kind of power.
He had the bonus from his Combat Talent. For him, the most important thing was to maximize his chances of a successful breakthrough.
For this major trial, he just needed to form a normal Golden Core.
A stream of water-cloud qi entered his Qi Sea. This was the Cloud Ink Water, the Core Formation Spiritual Object, taking effect. The Middle-grade Golden Core Pill he had taken earlier would now exert its greatest medicinal power.
Fang Yun recalled the summarized experiences of other cultivators who had reached the Core Formation Stage and applied them to his own breakthrough.
For him, the breakthrough for the final major trial had to proceed step-by-step. Even though he was qualified to pursue more, he wouldn’t overreach.
He steadied himself and began to compress it bit by bit.
The moment the core finally formed would be the moment he successfully broke through to the Core Formation Stage.
...
"Another Core Formation Phenomenon! How long has it been?"
"Senior Sister, I can tell you for sure, it’s been less than three years since we last saw a Core Formation Phenomenon."
"Which Elder successfully formed their core this time?"
"No idea."
When the Core Formation Phenomenon appeared, centered on the Main Peak, Cloud Summit, the Sect Disciples’ reaction was much stronger than the last time.
The reason was simple: the last time they had seen a Core Formation Phenomenon was still fresh in their minds.
Seeing a Core Formation Phenomenon again within the sect in less than three years was completely unprecedented.
The vast majority of disciples had no idea which Sect Elder had caused this Core Formation Phenomenon.
Only a very small minority knew what was going on.
"Brother Fan, do you know which of the sect’s Elders successfully formed their core this time?"
"Does that even need to be said? Brother Fan definitely knows."
"Of course I know. This Elder has already successfully formed his core, so it’s fine for me to tell you who he is. Even if I don’t say anything now, you’ll all find out soon enough anyway."
"Brother Fan, hurry up and tell us which Elder it is!"
The three Inner Sect Disciples gathered around all looked at their senior brother, who was at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining.
One of the Sect Elders was his direct relative.
"Elder Fang!" Brother Fan took a deep breath, seemingly trying to suppress his excitement.
He had to maintain his image as a senior brother in front of his juniors.
"What!? It’s actually Elder Fang!"
"Elder Fang successfully formed his core! That’s wonderful!"
"That’s incredible. I knew Elder Fang was only a Five Spirit Roots cultivator."
Upon hearing the name of the Elder who had succeeded, they couldn’t contain their excitement.
Any Inner Sect Disciple of the sect knew exactly what Elder Fang Yun meant to them. Only Outer Sect Disciples who had joined in the last few years might not be aware of him.
Their interest in Elder Fang was naturally tied to their own futures—specifically, the matter of reaching Foundation Establishment.
Anyone unaware of Elder Fang’s influence only needed to ask the senior disciples from Dan Cloud Peak. Without Elder Fang, they wouldn’t even be qualified to compete for Middle-grade Foundation Establishment Pills.
That was on a personal level, concerning their own interests. On a grander scale, Elder Fang provided a continuous driving force for the sect’s development, making it ever stronger.
"Yeah, considering Elder Fang only has Five Spirit Roots, his success in Core Formation is truly remarkable," Brother Fan couldn’t help but add.
He knew that Fang Yun was in seclusion to attempt Core Formation, but he was unaware that Fang Yun had already completed the cleansing of his Spirit Root.
His elder relative didn’t tell him everything.
They only chose to let him know certain things in advance.
The few disciples who knew of Fang Yun’s success became the source of the news. Combined with the appearance of the Core Formation Phenomenon, the information spread like wildfire.
Before long, the vast majority of disciples within the sect would hear the news.
Unlike the Sect Disciples, the Elders knew Fang Yun had succeeded the moment they saw the Core Formation Phenomenon.
They too were incredibly excited by the news of Fang Yun’s successful Core Formation.
The Golden Core Pills Fang Yun refined were out of their reach, as they weren’t the sect’s Core Formation Seeds and lacked any particularly outstanding talent.
While the disciples dreamed of a higher major realm, the Elders were focused on a higher minor realm.
The pills that aided breakthroughs within the Foundation Establishment Stage were now all supplied by Fang Yun.
By continuously breaking through the minor realms, they too would eventually have a chance to attempt the Core Formation Realm. Otherwise, they would be stuck at the peak of the middle or late stages of Foundation Establishment, without even the opportunity to make the attempt.
「In Smoke Cloud Peak.」
Huang Mengyang, who was tending to his Third Tier Wind-Traveling Silkworms, stood up and gazed toward the Main Peak, Cloud Summit.
’Brother Fang Yun has successfully formed his core!’
Huang Mengyang was no longer in the late-stage of Foundation Establishment. Several months prior, he had successfully broken through to the Peak of Foundation Establishment.
He then quickly finished tending to the Wind-Traveling Silkworms.
Besides tending to the Wind-Traveling Silkworms, he was also waiting for someone.
’Alright, that’s done.’
Standing up again, Huang Mengyang began to wait.
Before long, just as he expected, his sister appeared.
"Mengyang, come on! Let’s go to Cloud Summit! Brother Fang Yun has successfully formed his core!"
"You got it, Sis!"
The two siblings immediately headed for Cloud Summit.
「Around Cloud Summit.」
The Sect Leader and the Supreme Elder had already taken their positions long before.
They had been the first to sense the anomaly in the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.
The sect was about to gain another Core Formation Cultivator, and this breakthrough held a much greater significance than the last.
"Hahaha, I knew Fang Yun would succeed!" Sect Leader Duan Qingyun laughed joyfully.
With Fang Yun’s success, he would be more at ease when his own time came.
As the oldest Core Formation Cultivator in the sect, he didn’t have much lifespan left. All told, he was already a little over four hundred years old.
"Of course my great-granddaughter’s husband would succeed in forming his core."
Just as when Song Qiaoqiao had succeeded, the smile on Zhong Yankun’s face never wavered.
At that moment, Zhong Yankun recalled a question Fang Yun had asked him long ago.
He had set a goal for Song Qiaoqiao to reach the Core Formation Realm, so why hadn’t he set one for Fang Yun?
His reply at the time was that even if Fang Yun did succeed, he himself would have already been long buried.
’I remember what I was thinking back then: Fang Yun would likely be over one hundred and eighty years old by the time he attempted his breakthrough, and given his Spirit Root Talent, his chances of success were low even with the help of a Golden Core Pill and a Core Formation Spiritual Object.’
Song Qiaoqiao stood beside Zhong Yankun, not saying a word.
Her gaze remained fixed on the cave residence where Fang Yun was secluded for his breakthrough.
With Fang Yun’s success, she could finally, truly relax.
’Our future together will be long now, with at least three hundred more years ahead of us.’
In the entire history of the Celestial Cloud Sect, there had never been a precedent of a Core Formation Stage Tao Companion couple. The Vast Sea Sect, in contrast, had already seen three.