Longevity by Grinding Skills

Inside his Dantian Cave Heaven, ninety-nine strands of purplish-gold Immortal Golden Nature, like ninety-nine roaring Ancient Divine Dragons, swirled and converged, producing a power that exceeded Xu Yunfan’s imagination.

"Nine is the limit. This is enough. If you keep going, you might run into problems."

Zhang Ziyang’s voice rang in Xu Yunfan’s ear.

Xu Yunfan had no time to respond, carefully sensing the eruptions of power constantly flaring up within his body.

As if a quantitative change was triggering a qualitative one, the power in his body was rapidly soaring, and even his Daoist Cultivation was leaping upward.

In his vision, notifications on the Attribute Panel were constantly flashing and scrolling.

A vast and boundless immortal aura was on the verge of bursting from his body.

Xu Yunfan’s Dao Foundation was rapidly solidifying.

The embryonic imagery of ’Divine Sky Thunderbolt Annihilating Ten Thousand Laws, Profound Vault Undying’ had never been so clear in Xu Yunfan’s mind.

It was even faintly showing signs of condensing from nothingness into a tangible Dao Pattern.

A colossal surge of power, on the verge of shattering the shackles of Foundation Establishment and pointing straight toward the Golden Core Dao, erupted skyward.

However, just at the moment of his impending success...

A terrifying fluctuation, far surpassing anything before it and causing the entire Aitila Celestial Realm to tremble violently, erupted from the very core of the battlefield.

The Three Great Main Gods were attacking True Monarch Qing Yuan.

Having been tricked by True Monarch Qing Yuan’s will-bending arts and forced to watch Xu Yunfan frantically harvest their forces right under their noses, the Three Great Main Gods, who had always been high and mighty, were utterly enraged.

’How dare an Outer Realm Demon act so brazenly!’

’Using us as cultivation resources!’

Nature, Darkness, and Light.

Three types of Divine Power, each with starkly different attributes yet all at the apex of this world’s authority, were forced to resonate and fuse in the void as the Three Great Main Gods exerted their strength.

A Three-Colored Divine Punishment Spear—wreathed in currents of darkness, containing an eye of a storm, a core of absolute zero, and a world-incinerating Holy Flame—took shape with a deafening roar, empowered by the Celestial Dao.

The Divine Power of the three Main Gods—Darkness, Nature, and Light—crashed toward True Monarch Qing Yuan like an apocalyptic flood.

The barrier formed from the Immortal Palace Pure Qi trembled violently. Though True Monarch Qing Yuan’s expression was grave, he had no choice but to face it with his full power.

This was the Aitira homeland. The Three Great Main Gods were empowered by the authority of the Celestial Dao, and their strength could not be underestimated. Even if the upper limit of his Power of Dao Fruit was higher, True Monarch Qing Yuan was, after all, only at the Golden Core Early Stage. He had to treat this with utmost caution. Naturally, he no longer had the spare energy to keep Xu Yunfan locked down.

Seizing this opening, Xu Yunfan didn’t hesitate. The Void Crossing Boat appeared in his palm in an instant.

Having experienced traversing the Boundary Sea once before, he now had a clear understanding of the Chaos Birth and Death Profound Light within it, which was potent enough to annihilate a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Relying on his Artifact Refining Mastery, he had improved the array patterns etched onto the boat’s hull, greatly increasing its safety. This time, his journey across the Boundary Sea would not be as aimless as his last.

His Divine Thought swept over the edge of the chaotic battlefield, and Xu Yunfan precisely located the concealed Zhang Ziyang.

He maneuvered the Void Crossing Boat to stealthily appear beside Zhang Ziyang and said in a low voice, "Sect Leader, it’s time to go!"

But Zhang Ziyang shook his head slightly. The silver star between his brows, a symbol of the authority of investigation, flickered faintly as he gestured toward the devastated world around them.

"This realm, on the contrary, holds a great opportunity for me."

He spoke rapidly, a long-lost excitement in his voice.

"The Taihua Spirit Ruins Realm has discovered Aitira’s coordinates. True Monarch Qing Yuan merely used your karmic connection to arrive first as an advance party."

"More True Monarchs will surely catch wind of this and come! This place will become a vortex of chaos, a war among gods, and a collapse of faith—the perfect breeding ground for my Incense Fire Godhood Cultivation! The Mystic Spirit Divinity Transformation Path I cultivate needs exactly this kind of chaotic era to accumulate immense Wish Power."

Hearing this, Xu Yunfan instantly understood Zhang Ziyang’s plan.

He no longer insisted, only giving a solemn reminder, "Sect Leader, be careful!"

A gentle yet confident smile appeared on Zhang Ziyang’s face as he reminded him in turn, "You’re the one who needs to be careful. The Boundary Sea is treacherous and unpredictable, and the Taihua Spirit Ruins Realm is no Pure Land either. Those Golden Core True Monarchs..."

He paused, a look of expectation in his eyes. "The next time you return to this realm, I hope to see you as a venerable Golden Core True Monarch."

Standing at the prow of the boat, Xu Yunfan felt the immense power of the ninety-nine strands of Immortal Golden Nature roaring within his Dantian Cave Heaven, ready to burst forth. He also sensed the imagery of "Divine Sky Thunderbolt Annihilating Ten Thousand Laws, Profound Vault Undying Bearing All Heavens," which was now so clear it was on the verge of condensing into a tangible Dao Pattern. A smile touched his lips.

"Rest assured, Sect Leader. I am returning this time precisely to achieve the Golden Core in one fell swoop!"

He needed to return to the Taihua Spirit Ruins Realm.

Only in that world, the one that had birthed the Divine Sky Yuqing Nine Heavens Profound Vault Ten Thousand Transformations Undying Dao Fruit, could he, at the very instant his own imagery fully condensed, draw down the favor of the Dao Fruit with the most magnificent momentum.

This was a heaven-sent opportunity he could not pass up.

Moreover, with his foundation forged from ninety-nine strands of Immortal Golden Nature, a base that could withstand countless tribulations, combined with that incomparably clear imagery, it was highly likely he would succeed in a single attempt. Not only could he attain the rank of a Great Daoist Master at Foundation Establishment Perfection, but he could also leverage the Power of Dao Fruit to cross that heavenly chasm.

Attain the Golden Core!

After hearing this, Zhang Ziyang offered his heartfelt praise and well wishes.

"Excellent! To seek the Golden Dao by condensing ninety-nine strands of Golden Nature... you are the first in all of history to do so at the Foundation Establishment stage! I pray for your success!"

Their entire conversation took but a moment, conducted against the backdrop of the earth-shattering roar of colliding Divine Powers behind them.

Without any further hesitation, Xu Yunfan immediately powered the Void Crossing Boat with all his might.

A dark light flared. The spatial array patterns carved on the Void Crossing Boat flowed with brilliance, and its prow, like a sharp blade, pierced toward the already unstable barrier of Aitira’s World Heaven.

With a piercing, tearing sound, a crack was forced open in the world barrier. The Void Crossing Boat transformed into a stream of profound, dark light, carrying Xu Yunfan as it instantly plunged into the violent, chaotic Boundary Sea, a place where raging Profound Light ran rampant.

On the boat’s hull were the Heaven-Eroding Talismans that Xu Yunfan had painstakingly inscribed. They resonated with his own Perfection-level Celestial-Eroding Netherworld Talisman, allowing him to precisely deflect the streams of Chaos Birth and Death Profound Light, each one capable of annihilating a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Having made the journey once before, Xu Yunfan’s control over the Void Crossing Boat had already reached the Transformation Realm. Although there were still dangers, he was far more composed than last time.

Perhaps an instant passed, perhaps several months. In the Boundary Sea, there is no time, no passing of years.

Xu Yunfan only knew the coordinates and traveled in their direction.

After an unknown amount of time, the Void Crossing Boat gave a slight shudder.

Xu Yunfan’s spirits lifted.

’I’m back!’

The moment he set foot in the Taihua Spirit Ruins Realm, a familiar, Pure Spiritual Qi surged into his limbs and bones like a tide, instantly soothing the depletion of his Magical Power and the exhaustion of his Divine Soul caused by forcibly activating the Secret Technique in Aitira.

Xu Yunfan put away the Void Crossing Boat and found a random peak in the wilderness to stand upon. He greedily breathed in the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, the pores all over his body opening as his Divine Sky Magical Power began to circulate on its own, like parched earth receiving a welcome rain.

After a long moment, he slowly opened his eyes, utterly satisfied.

’That damnable Aitira. The energy there is impure and violent. Refining it is twice the work for half the results, not even a fraction as good as my home realm.’

His thoughts raced. The immense Dao Foundation built from ninety-nine strands of Immortal Golden Nature and the incomparably clear imagery of "Divine Sky Thunderbolt Annihilating Ten Thousand Laws, Profound Vault Undying Bearing All Heavens" churned within the Dantian Cave Heaven Embryo.

’The time has come. I can wait no longer.’

’With True Monarch Qing Yuan tied up in Aitira, I just need to activate the preparations I made earlier. The chance of success has increased dramatically.’