Chu Liang naturally came here for a reason.
After a short rest back home, he still had a lot of things on his mind, so he got up again.
Firstly, he sent a flying-crane message to Senior Sister Jiang, but he hasn't received a reply yet.
Next was the matter of Core Formation. He needed to refine a pill, and he had already prepared the materials for the Core Formation, including two top-grade materials for the high-tier Golden Core and a stalk of the Celestial Herb of Ascension needed for the ultimate-tier Golden Core.
Despite making all the preparations, he realized that he lacked a cultivation technique for the fourth realm. This technique should also outline the specific methods to execute core formation.
This realization struck him only at the last moment.
The foundational cultivation manuals of the Divine Nine's Profound Mental Cultivation Technique for each realm weren't given to disciples beforehand. Typically, the next manual would be given when the disciple had attained the next cultivation realm.
This manuals were free and every peak master possessed them. However, Chu Liang had forgotten to ask his teacher for the next manual, which was why he had gone back.
But then, he heard Di Nufeng crying his name, as if she was in mourning. And so, he quickly stepped inside to see what was happening.
As soon as he entered, Wang Xuanling and Xu Ziyang were shocked. Thankfully, they were cultivators who could distinguish between a person and a ghost with just a glance. If not, they would have thought that he was a ghost visiting home.
"Are you alright?" Wang Xuanling was the first to react.
Although Chu Liang was injured, his injuries were significantly less severe than Xu Ziyang's. His injuries were not a major concern.
Xu Ziyang asked, "Junior Brother Chu Liang, when did you leave the Immortals' Marsh?"
Di Nufeng's cries stopped suddenly.
The atmosphere became a bit awkward. Sensing that something was amiss, Chu Liang quickly explained, "Senior Uncle Wang, Master! Senior Brother Xu! Some accidents occurred, and I have just stepped foot onto Mount Shu!"
"Just now?" Wang Xuanling cast a glance at Di Nufeng and immediately knew what had happened.
Chu Liang must have returned a while ago.
Otherwise, why would Di Nufeng be so calm? She was trying to scam them using Chu Liang! Truly shameless!
"Yeah. How did you come back? Tell everyone what happened!" Di Nufeng hastily said, "I was so worried about you!"
"Ah..." Chu Liang continued, "I need to report this to my teacher. Since Senior Uncle Wang is here, let's discuss it together."
With that, he recounted the series of events he had just explained to Di Nufeng. Throughout the entire process, Di Nufeng pretended as if she were hearing it for the first time and gave more exaggerated responses. She would occasionally respond with "Hmm," "Ah," "Oh," "Impressive," and so on.
Hearing about these events actually alleviated the anger that Wang Xuanling had just felt.
"Heavenly Origin Tomb... Jiang Kui?" Wang Xuanling pondered upon hearing this name, "A surnamed Jiang cultivator at the Heavenly Origin Realm, the eighth realm of cultivation. He must be from the Jiang Family, one of the three major aristocratic families. There probably aren't many that share the same name as him. If we go back and check the records of the past ten thousand years, we should be able to find the life story of this senior Jiang Kui.
"I don't understand why he claimed responsibility for all the Ba in the marsh. His act of using his body to nourish the Celestial Herb of Ascension to help nurture talented cultivators is a commendable deed. Thanks to his contribution, we have many successful cultivators who have formed the ultimate-tier Golden Cores."
"Indeed." Chu Liang nodded.
"But that little girl is really strange. Maybe she is the Cataclysmic Ba in the Immortals' Marsh!" Wang Xuanling said. He pondered again and remarked, "So they didn't find her because she escaped through the underground waterways directly to the South Sea."
When they sealed the Immortals' Marsh with the Divine Mirror of the Eight Trigrams, that giant fish might have already escaped.
Normally, when the Cataclysmic Ba leaves the Immortals' Marsh, natural disasters that were world-shattering would often happen. One would just have to search in the specific areas where calamities would occur. It was usually very challenging for them to hide their tracks. And so, the members of the immortal sects in the Divine Nine assumed that the Cataclysmic Ba was still in the Immortals' Marsh.
"As for that Whale-Riding Immortal, we don't know who he is," Wang Xuanling concluded. "I just hope he isn't using the power of the Cataclysmic Ba to cause trouble in the mortal realm."
Chu Liang did not mention that the Whale-Riding Immortal had entrusted him with items for Senior Sister Jiang. Even though this information would have helped identify the immortal's identity, Chu Liang had no intention of sharing it without discussing with Senior Sister Jiang first. After all, compared to Wang Xuanling and Xu Ziyang, his relation with Senior Sister Jiang was much closer.
After contemplating all these matters, Wang Xuanling looked deeply at Chu Liang.
"I heard that you had a chance to escape but chose to stay behind to rescue fellow disciples. It might have been luck that granted you this Celestial Herb of Ascension, but it's also a reward for your righteousness and courage. Focus on cultivation and your future will be limitless," Wang Xuanling sincerely praised. Then, he glanced at Di Nufeng, adding, "Don't learn from your Teacher."
"Hey!" Di Nufeng glared and scolded. "You old man! Bad-mouthing me in front of everyone? Do you think I won't get mad about it?"
"Humph." Wang Xuanling brushed his sleeves. He then turned to the left and said to Xu Ziyang, "Let's go!"
Wang Xuanling and his disciple then departed the Silver Sword Peak.
"Haaizzz..." Di Nufeng sighed with regret as she remarked, "My twenty thousand sword coins flew away just like that."
Chu Liang chuckled.
He really needed to learn from his teacher on how to be more shameless.
...
After obtaining the Divine Nine's Profound Mental Cultivation Technique: The Book of Golden Core, Chu Liang went to the Hall of Alchemy to see Senior Sister Chen.
He remembered how Senior Sister Chen had promised to refine the pill for him at no cost.
As expected, Chen Su was not at the Hall of Alchemy. Since she had just returned from the Immortals' Marsh, she probably hadn't been able to attend to her tasks at the Hall of Alchemy.
The attendant at the Hall of Alchemy promptly sent a flying-crane message to notify Chen Su that someone was looking for her. Soon after, Chen Su hurriedly arrived. The sight of Chu Liang filled her with a mix of surprise and joy.
"Junior Brother Chu! You're safe! That's fantastic!" Chen Su exclaimed with a smile. "I heard that the Immortals' Marsh became chaotic due to the emergence of the Cataclysmic Ba. The Divine Nine have been called to action to resolve this issue. We were worried about your safety!"
"I was lucky and nothing happened to me. In fact, this disaster blessed me with a stalk of the Celestial Herb of Ascension," Chu Liang said with a smile.
"What? You even found a stalk of the Celestial Herb of Ascension!" Chen Su's eyes lit up. She then said, "You sacrificed yourself to save your fellow sect members. If there was a stalk of Celestial Herb of Ascension, you should have been the one to take it."
"I came here to ask Senior Sister Chen to refine a pill for me," Chu Liang stated in a straightforward manner after the brief conversation.
"No problem!" Chen Su said.
Chu Liang then took out all the materials he had prepared.
"Nethersea Golden Lotus?" Chen Su stared at the treasure of nature in shock.
She then said, "This is far too extravagant for core formation... Do you plan to form the Heavenly Golden Core of Lesser Yin?"
"Yes," Chu Liang answered.
He intended to form this golden core during his first core formation and give this Golden Core to the puppet. As for himself, it would be better to cultivate the Golden Core of Lesser Yang.
"It is... very rare for guys to cultivate the Golden Core of Lesser Yin," Chen Su smiled and said, "Aren't you worried about any side effects?"
"Side effects?" Chu Liang asked, "What side effects could there be?"
"When this pill is turned into your inner core, it will become part of your body. The characteristic of this Golden Core will influence your body." Chen Su said, "For guys that cultivate the Golden Core of Lesser Yin, their personality might become more reserved, calm, and even somewhat gentle."
"Hmm..." Chu Liang pondered for a moment.
The Golden Core will be implanted in the puppet, so it probably won't affect me. By then, I will have two Golden Cores. Even if there is a side effect, it should be neutralized, so it shouldn't be a big deal.
Chen Su stared at him in silence. She then said, "Of course, you may have acquired this Nethersea Golden Lotus by accident and felt too lazy to search for other treasures of nature. If you don't mind the potential side effects, it is doable. After all, this Golden Core of Lesser Yin isn't a Golden Core of Greater Yin. The effects shouldn't be too outrageous."
"There's a Golden Core of Greater Yin?" Chu Liang stared at her, surprised. He had never heard of this.
"Of course there is, and the Golden Cores of Greater Yin and Greater Yang are the ultimate types with the strongest effects," Chen Su explained. "But we at the Mount Shu Sect have long eliminated these two types of Golden Cores."
"Why?" Chu Liang asked.
"Because these two types of Golden Cores have a significant impact on the human body," Chen Su explained. "Even if a woman cultivates the Golden Core of Greater Yin, she will gradually follow the path of melancholy and become cold and emotionless. If a man cultivates it, it's even more terrifying; he will gradually become more feminine. The Golden Core of Greater Yang, on the other hand, has the opposite effect, making people restless and aggressive, leading to a path of desire and destruction. The Greater-Yin Cult, which stands out among the Divine Nine, specializes in cultivating the Golden Core of Greater Yin, so they have always kept a distance from other sects."
I see...
Chu Liang now understood why there were no Golden Cores of Greater Yin or Greater Yang; evidently, the side effects were too severe that they decided to ban the formation of such cores on Mount Shu.
After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Senior Sister Chen, please refine the Golden Pill of Lesser Yin for me."
"Alright." Seeing that Chu Liang still insisted on forming this core, Chen Su stopped saying anything and began preparing for the refinement of the pill.
The refinement of pills was considered the simplest in alchemy techniques, as it only required the aggregation of medicinal power. After all, upon consumption, they still needed to completely break it down and undergo a process of re-aggregation.
When Chen Su stared at the materials provided by Chu Liang, she suddenly felt her hands tremble.
The Nethersea Golden Lotus, as a material for Core Formation, was already extremely expensive. Moreover, there was also a stalk of Celestial Herb of Ascension, typically used to refine ultimate-grade Golden Pills. How many alchemy students at Mount Shu Sect has ever gotten the chance to refine pills with a stalk of Celestial Herb of Ascension?
Typically, when refining such a pill, a disciple at the Core Formation stage would oversee it. This is because the process is usually short, and it helps prevent any materials from being stolen. Seeing Chen Su nervous, Chu Liang reassured her, "Senior Sister Chen, don't overthink this. I have prepared two sets of the same Core Formation materials. Even if there's a mistake, it will be okay."
Chen Su replied, "Even if you've prepared all the materials, if the process fails, how will you get another Celestial Herb of Ascension?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Liang suddenly recalled something.
Right. What happened to the seed of the Celestial Herb of Ascension that I planted?
Chu Liang naturally came here for a reason.
After a short rest back home, he still had a lot of things on his mind, so he got up again.
Firstly, he sent a flying-crane message to Senior Sister Jiang, but he hasn't received a reply yet.
Next was the matter of Core Formation. He needed to refine a pill, and he had already prepared the materials for the Core Formation, including two top-grade materials for the high-tier Golden Core and a stalk of the Celestial Herb of Ascension needed for the ultimate-tier Golden Core.
Despite making all the preparations, he realized that he lacked a cultivation technique for the fourth realm. This technique should also outline the specific methods to execute core formation.
This realization struck him only at the last moment.
The foundational cultivation manuals of the Divine Nine's Profound Mental Cultivation Technique for each realm weren't given to disciples beforehand. Typically, the next manual would be given when the disciple had attained the next cultivation realm.
This manuals were free and every peak master possessed them. However, Chu Liang had forgotten to ask his teacher for the next manual, which was why he had gone back.
But then, he heard Di Nufeng crying his name, as if she was in mourning. And so, he quickly stepped inside to see what was happening.
As soon as he entered, Wang Xuanling and Xu Ziyang were shocked. Thankfully, they were cultivators who could distinguish between a person and a ghost with just a glance. If not, they would have thought that he was a ghost visiting home.
"Are you alright?" Wang Xuanling was the first to react.
Although Chu Liang was injured, his injuries were significantly less severe than Xu Ziyang's. His injuries were not a major concern.
Xu Ziyang asked, "Junior Brother Chu Liang, when did you leave the Immortals' Marsh?"
Di Nufeng's cries stopped suddenly.
The atmosphere became a bit awkward. Sensing that something was amiss, Chu Liang quickly explained, "Senior Uncle Wang, Master! Senior Brother Xu! Some accidents occurred, and I have just stepped foot onto Mount Shu!"
"Just now?" Wang Xuanling cast a glance at Di Nufeng and immediately knew what had happened.
Chu Liang must have returned a while ago.
Otherwise, why would Di Nufeng be so calm? She was trying to scam them using Chu Liang! Truly shameless!
"Yeah. How did you come back? Tell everyone what happened!" Di Nufeng hastily said, "I was so worried about you!"
"Ah..." Chu Liang continued, "I need to report this to my teacher. Since Senior Uncle Wang is here, let's discuss it together."
With that, he recounted the series of events he had just explained to Di Nufeng. Throughout the entire process, Di Nufeng pretended as if she were hearing it for the first time and gave more exaggerated responses. She would occasionally respond with "Hmm," "Ah," "Oh," "Impressive," and so on.
Hearing about these events actually alleviated the anger that Wang Xuanling had just felt.
"Heavenly Origin Tomb... Jiang Kui?" Wang Xuanling pondered upon hearing this name, "A surnamed Jiang cultivator at the Heavenly Origin Realm, the eighth realm of cultivation. He must be from the Jiang Family, one of the three major aristocratic families. There probably aren't many that share the same name as him. If we go back and check the records of the past ten thousand years, we should be able to find the life story of this senior Jiang Kui.
"I don't understand why he claimed responsibility for all the Ba in the marsh. His act of using his body to nourish the Celestial Herb of Ascension to help nurture talented cultivators is a commendable deed. Thanks to his contribution, we have many successful cultivators who have formed the ultimate-tier Golden Cores."
"Indeed." Chu Liang nodded.
"But that little girl is really strange. Maybe she is the Cataclysmic Ba in the Immortals' Marsh!" Wang Xuanling said. He pondered again and remarked, "So they didn't find her because she escaped through the underground waterways directly to the South Sea."
When they sealed the Immortals' Marsh with the Divine Mirror of the Eight Trigrams, that giant fish might have already escaped.
Normally, when the Cataclysmic Ba leaves the Immortals' Marsh, natural disasters that were world-shattering would often happen. One would just have to search in the specific areas where calamities would occur. It was usually very challenging for them to hide their tracks. And so, the members of the immortal sects in the Divine Nine assumed that the Cataclysmic Ba was still in the Immortals' Marsh.
"As for that Whale-Riding Immortal, we don't know who he is," Wang Xuanling concluded. "I just hope he isn't using the power of the Cataclysmic Ba to cause trouble in the mortal realm."
Chu Liang did not mention that the Whale-Riding Immortal had entrusted him with items for Senior Sister Jiang. Even though this information would have helped identify the immortal's identity, Chu Liang had no intention of sharing it without discussing with Senior Sister Jiang first. After all, compared to Wang Xuanling and Xu Ziyang, his relation with Senior Sister Jiang was much closer.
After contemplating all these matters, Wang Xuanling looked deeply at Chu Liang.
"I heard that you had a chance to escape but chose to stay behind to rescue fellow disciples. It might have been luck that granted you this Celestial Herb of Ascension, but it's also a reward for your righteousness and courage. Focus on cultivation and your future will be limitless," Wang Xuanling sincerely praised. Then, he glanced at Di Nufeng, adding, "Don't learn from your Teacher."
"Hey!" Di Nufeng glared and scolded. "You old man! Bad-mouthing me in front of everyone? Do you think I won't get mad about it?"
"Humph." Wang Xuanling brushed his sleeves. He then turned to the left and said to Xu Ziyang, "Let's go!"
Wang Xuanling and his disciple then departed the Silver Sword Peak.
"Haaizzz..." Di Nufeng sighed with regret as she remarked, "My twenty thousand sword coins flew away just like that."
Chu Liang chuckled.
He really needed to learn from his teacher on how to be more shameless.
...
After obtaining the Divine Nine's Profound Mental Cultivation Technique: The Book of Golden Core, Chu Liang went to the Hall of Alchemy to see Senior Sister Chen.
He remembered how Senior Sister Chen had promised to refine the pill for him at no cost.
As expected, Chen Su was not at the Hall of Alchemy. Since she had just returned from the Immortals' Marsh, she probably hadn't been able to attend to her tasks at the Hall of Alchemy.
The attendant at the Hall of Alchemy promptly sent a flying-crane message to notify Chen Su that someone was looking for her. Soon after, Chen Su hurriedly arrived. The sight of Chu Liang filled her with a mix of surprise and joy.
"Junior Brother Chu! You're safe! That's fantastic!" Chen Su exclaimed with a smile. "I heard that the Immortals' Marsh became chaotic due to the emergence of the Cataclysmic Ba. The Divine Nine have been called to action to resolve this issue. We were worried about your safety!"
"I was lucky and nothing happened to me. In fact, this disaster blessed me with a stalk of the Celestial Herb of Ascension," Chu Liang said with a smile.
"What? You even found a stalk of the Celestial Herb of Ascension!" Chen Su's eyes lit up. She then said, "You sacrificed yourself to save your fellow sect members. If there was a stalk of Celestial Herb of Ascension, you should have been the one to take it."
"I came here to ask Senior Sister Chen to refine a pill for me," Chu Liang stated in a straightforward manner after the brief conversation.
"No problem!" Chen Su said.
Chu Liang then took out all the materials he had prepared.
"Nethersea Golden Lotus?" Chen Su stared at the treasure of nature in shock.
She then said, "This is far too extravagant for core formation... Do you plan to form the Heavenly Golden Core of Lesser Yin?"
"Yes," Chu Liang answered.
He intended to form this golden core during his first core formation and give this Golden Core to the puppet. As for himself, it would be better to cultivate the Golden Core of Lesser Yang.
"It is... very rare for guys to cultivate the Golden Core of Lesser Yin," Chen Su smiled and said, "Aren't you worried about any side effects?"
"Side effects?" Chu Liang asked, "What side effects could there be?"
"When this pill is turned into your inner core, it will become part of your body. The characteristic of this Golden Core will influence your body." Chen Su said, "For guys that cultivate the Golden Core of Lesser Yin, their personality might become more reserved, calm, and even somewhat gentle."
"Hmm..." Chu Liang pondered for a moment.
The Golden Core will be implanted in the puppet, so it probably won't affect me. By then, I will have two Golden Cores. Even if there is a side effect, it should be neutralized, so it shouldn't be a big deal.
Chen Su stared at him in silence. She then said, "Of course, you may have acquired this Nethersea Golden Lotus by accident and felt too lazy to search for other treasures of nature. If you don't mind the potential side effects, it is doable. After all, this Golden Core of Lesser Yin isn't a Golden Core of Greater Yin. The effects shouldn't be too outrageous."
"There's a Golden Core of Greater Yin?" Chu Liang stared at her, surprised. He had never heard of this.
"Of course there is, and the Golden Cores of Greater Yin and Greater Yang are the ultimate types with the strongest effects," Chen Su explained. "But we at the Mount Shu Sect have long eliminated these two types of Golden Cores."
"Why?" Chu Liang asked.
"Because these two types of Golden Cores have a significant impact on the human body," Chen Su explained. "Even if a woman cultivates the Golden Core of Greater Yin, she will gradually follow the path of melancholy and become cold and emotionless. If a man cultivates it, it's even more terrifying; he will gradually become more feminine. The Golden Core of Greater Yang, on the other hand, has the opposite effect, making people restless and aggressive, leading to a path of desire and destruction. The Greater-Yin Cult, which stands out among the Divine Nine, specializes in cultivating the Golden Core of Greater Yin, so they have always kept a distance from other sects."
I see...
Chu Liang now understood why there were no Golden Cores of Greater Yin or Greater Yang; evidently, the side effects were too severe that they decided to ban the formation of such cores on Mount Shu.
After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Senior Sister Chen, please refine the Golden Pill of Lesser Yin for me."
"Alright." Seeing that Chu Liang still insisted on forming this core, Chen Su stopped saying anything and began preparing for the refinement of the pill.
The refinement of pills was considered the simplest in alchemy techniques, as it only required the aggregation of medicinal power. After all, upon consumption, they still needed to completely break it down and undergo a process of re-aggregation.
When Chen Su stared at the materials provided by Chu Liang, she suddenly felt her hands tremble.
The Nethersea Golden Lotus, as a material for Core Formation, was already extremely expensive. Moreover, there was also a stalk of Celestial Herb of Ascension, typically used to refine ultimate-grade Golden Pills. How many alchemy students at Mount Shu Sect has ever gotten the chance to refine pills with a stalk of Celestial Herb of Ascension?
Typically, when refining such a pill, a disciple at the Core Formation stage would oversee it. This is because the process is usually short, and it helps prevent any materials from being stolen. Seeing Chen Su nervous, Chu Liang reassured her, "Senior Sister Chen, don't overthink this. I have prepared two sets of the same Core Formation materials. Even if there's a mistake, it will be okay."
Chen Su replied, "Even if you've prepared all the materials, if the process fails, how will you get another Celestial Herb of Ascension?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Liang suddenly recalled something.
Right. What happened to the seed of the Celestial Herb of Ascension that I planted?
