Chapter 619: I'm Forming a Core?

Very quickly, Luo Chen overturned his earlier sentiment. He felt genuinely grateful that he had never joined the Ice Fortress in his early years. The reason was simple: The sect's resources were far too lacking.

During his cultivation, he had hoped to refine a few pills and study the nature of the Withering-Flourishing Fire in the process. Yet when he submitted a list of required ingredients, the Ice Fortress spent several days piecing together a delivery, and even then, the batch they sent was disappointing. The quality varied greatly, the age of the herbs was inconsistent, and the processing was far from standard.

"Strange," he murmured. "The Ice Fortress once had an alchemist master. With that precedent, there should be established procedures for handling material and capable personnel as well. Several key ingredients are missing, too."

After carefully sorting through what he had, he came to only one conclusion. At best, he could manage a few furnace runs, perhaps a hundred pills in total.

"Forget it," he muttered. "They are not the alchemists of the Luo Tian Society I trained myself. They don't understand my habits, and their quality control is far inferior. This place isn't suited for alchemy anyway. I'll plan again once I leave the Ice Prison."

He dismissed the notion of refining pills and redirected his focus entirely to cultivation.

Before long, he made a discovery. This time, it was good news. His divine soul foundation had strengthened once again, this time by nearly thirty percent. It was no weaker than that of seasoned late-stage Initiates who had cultivated for one or two centuries.

"It must be due to breaking through the Heart Devil and clearing my thoughts," he mused quietly. "And perhaps also because of the three years spent refining the Withering-Flourishing Fire, which continuously tempered my soul. Now that the strain has finally lifted and my spirit can recover, it has been growing stronger in the process."

Luo Chen's divine soul foundation had long exceeded the limits of his cultivation, and had already been comparable to that of a ninth-stage Initiate. With this recent breakthrough, his divine soul advanced even further; his divine soul was now comparable to that of a Perfected Mastery Initiate. If he could take one more step beyond that, his soul strength would rival that of an Adept. Yet that final step would be unimaginably difficult.

Maybe the Falling Cloud Sect really does have a divine soul-tempering method capable of allowing Initiates to command puppets stronger than themselves. Some can even control multiple at once.... If only I could obtain such a method...

Of course, that was nothing more than wishful thinking. Such arts were always a sect's most guarded secrets, not something that could be obtained so easily.

Perhaps I could ask Senior Sister Ice Torrent about it when the opportunity arises?

A quiet sense of anticipation welled up within him. He found himself already looking forward to their next meeting.

Having set aside his alchemical pursuits, he devoted his limited spare time to reading. Beyond cultivation, the books he immersed himself in all revolved around a single theme: the Core Formation methods he had acquired.

He now also possessed the Falling Cloud Sect's cultivation insights on Beaded Curtain Lock, obtained in Skyfire Immortal City through that deal with Tian Xingzi. With no better options available, he could only study these techniques in depth. At one point, he had asked Ice Torrent whether the Ice Fortress possessed a Core Formation method superior to the Dragon-Phoenix Tribulation. She had answered candidly that they did—a Middle Core Formation method known as Iceheart. However, it was not suitable for him. It was intended for female cultivators who cultivated water and ice energy. According to Ice Torrent, when practiced in conjunction with the Jade Dew Pill, its effects were extraordinary.

That was why, upon learning that Luo Chen served under Fairy Ruthless's command, the Ice Fortress had decisively appointed him as a guest elder. And although Iceheart was not meant for him, Ice Torrent had told him that he could consult her at any time regarding Core Formation matters. If she wasn't available, he could seek out Fairy Ruthless instead. Ice Torrent had already spoken to Fairy Ruthless in advance, ensuring that Fairy Ruthless would not refuse him.

With such openness between them, it was no wonder Luo Chen had set aside his earlier determination not to become too closely tied to the Ice Fortress. From then on, he addressed her warmly as Senior Sister.

"Since I cannot depend on the Ice Fortress for a Core Formation method, I can only rely on the resources already in my hands. Three Lower Path methods and one Upper Path method should be more than enough."

He began by opening the cultivation insights on Beaded Curtain Lock that the Falling Cloud Sect had provided him. Coincidentally, the author of those notes was a man named Linghu Jie—the very same Adept who, back at Dahe Market, had commanded three Puppet Ghost Kings to besiege Pang Renxiong. He recalled the man's formidable strength, and he felt an even greater eagerness to study his insights.

Beaded Curtain Lock is a secret art our sect's ancestor acquired within a hidden realm. It is supported by three supplementary arts and two derivative techniques. With this art, the ancestor laid the foundation of the Falling Cloud Sect's legacy. Practicing this art is excruciatingly painful and exceedingly difficult. When used alongside our sect's other divine soul inheritance, the results are optimal. Without that inheritance, one must possess an exceptionally strong divine soul foundation. Otherwise, the mildest outcome is soul confusion, and the worst is complete ruin of one's Dao. As for forming the Golden Core, there is no hope whatsoever. When I reached Core Formation, I had achieved only minor mastery of this art, as the agony was unbearable and time was not on my side...

The text was written in small characters. It was plain and lacked any flourish or embellishment. Yet its contents were so captivating that Luo Chen found himself engrossed before he even realized it.

***

Three months later, a new visitor arrived.

When Luo Chen finally looked up from his books, a cold-faced woman stood before him. He smiled lightly and said, "Fellow Daoist Tantai, it has been some time. Why the gloomy expression? If something troubles you, tell me, perhaps it'll cheer up a weary cultivator like me."

Tantai Jin shot him a sharp glare. "Elder Luo, mind your manners."

Luo Chen only laughed, taking no offense. He had long seen through her icy demeanor; it was merely an imitation of her master, Fairy Ruthless. Her true temperament was surely quite different. As for himself, after such long months of cultivation, he merely sought a little lighthearted conversation to ease the monotony.

His gaze drifted to the wooden tray in her hands, curiosity flickering in his eyes. He looked at her and asked, "What do you have there?"

"These are the formal provisions for an elder of our sect," Tantai Jin replied coolly. "Two sets of robes with our insignia, an official elder's token, since your previous one was only temporary, and a storage pouch."

She paused briefly before continuing. "There were also supposed to be spirit stones, pills, artifacts, and talismans. But the Supreme Elder said you are not lacking pills, and since you maintain trade with our sect through the Jade Dew Pills, you will also not get the spirit stones. She said... you would understand."

Altogether, there were seven items, carefully arranged. Luo Chen looked them over with interest. He smiled faintly and asked, "And what about my enchanted artifacts and talismans?"

Tantai Jin raised an eyebrow and said, "Are you perhaps lacking enchanted artifacts?"

Fair enough!

Luo Chen truly lacked none. His collection of treasures was already vast and varied. If anything, he had too many.

Tantai Jin continued, "As for talismans, our sect creates Divine Ice Jade from Black Ice, and from that, Divine Ice Talismans. They are used to prevent disciples from falling into deviation during cultivation. My master already gave you one long ago."

Luo Chen reached for his chest and touched the jade pendant hanging there. It was the very Divine Ice Talisman she spoke of. The piece had been crafted using talismanic engravings, and though it was more like an enchanted artifact, calling it a talisman was not wrong.

Luo Chen accepted the robes, the token, and the pouch. Once he put them on, he would officially be a true guest elder of the Ice Fortress.

"Why deliver these all of a sudden?" he asked.

At his question, Tantai Jin's expression darkened slightly. "In three months, the sect will be hosting Fairy Icesoul's Core Formation Ceremony. You've already stated you will not attend, but just in case, the Supreme Elder instructed my master to send these to you."

Luo Chen immediately understood and realized why she was in such a poor mood today. Fairy Icesoul's reputation far outshone her own. She had seized the position of Dao Scion early, suppressing all her peers within the Ice Fortress. Now, she had reached the Golden Core Realm ahead of time and was likely to become sect leader; how could Tantai Jin possibly be pleased?

Luo Chen shook his head and said with a faint smile, "You're not doing badly yourself. I can sense your energy flow is steady and your spirit power well-contained. I'd say you're only forty or fifty years away from reaching Perfected Mastery of Foundation Establishment. By then—"

The first part of his words pleased her. But when she heard the latter half, her face immediately stiffened. Forty or fifty years? How many Initiates even had that many decades to spare?

Meanwhile, the state of the Ice Fortress left Luo Chen speechless. After more than three years in the Ice Prison, he had gradually pieced together the sect's condition from the information he'd gotten from the few people he had met. The Ice Fortress was by no means weak; in fact, because it was rooted in the perilous lands of the Jade Cauldron Domain, its cultivators were often stronger than those of Green Pill Valley or Ailao Mountain. Yet that same harsh and barren environment severely hindered their growth.

Even sustaining nine Adepts already placed a heavy strain on the sect's resources. Now, with Fairy Icesoul newly advanced to the Golden Core Realm, the burden had only worsened. For a sect unable to expand its territory, her breakthrough was not a blessing but an added weight.

More powerhouses meant greater strength, but it was not always a worthwhile pursuit. It depended on whether the sect's internal resources could support them. Without sufficient resources, the presence of too many high-tier cultivators would instead slow the sect's growth.

From what Luo Chen had learned, the Ice Fortress's income came primarily from managing its own immortal city and overseeing roughly twenty marketplaces under its authority. For instance, Snow Lotus Market was one of the places they had established themselves.

Aside from that, the Ice Fortress also profited by selling rare resources native to the Heavenly Mountains, most of which were associated with water and ice elements. Because the sect's income was limited, many of its high-tier female cultivators practiced secondary crafts to earn spirit stones for personal use. For instance, Fairy Ruthless excelled in talisman crafting, while Grand Elder Ice Torrent was renowned for her unmatched healing arts. However, these were all private earnings and had nothing to do with the sect's collective wealth.

In truth, the Ice Fortress's situation mirrored that of most sects in the Jade Cauldron Domain. The world brimmed with spirit energy and abundant resources, yet the number of human cultivators kept growing. No matter how plentiful the resources, they could never sustain such an enormous population.

To resolve such a problem, a sect could decide to consume its own strength, sacrificing part of its cultivators to free up resources. The Jade Cauldron Sword Sect was clearly going down this path, which was why they had remained indifferent to the Flame Alliance's destruction. The other option was to expand outward and increase the share of resources. And in that case...

Two words surfaced in Luo Chen's mind: Frontier war! Yet he quickly dismissed the thought. Perhaps the Falling Cloud Sect had the strength to wage such a campaign, but the Ice Fortress fell far short of that standard. Most importantly, the sect lacked a Nascent Soul Sage to lead them.

***

Time passed slowly. The day of Fairy Icesoul's Core Formation Ceremony was drawing near, and a festive atmosphere spread throughout the Ice Fortress. Groups of female cultivators bustled about, cleaning the sect grounds and preparing the grand ceremonial venue.

Although Ice Immortal City, the city under the Ice Fortress, ranked last among the ten great immortal cities, it had grown increasingly lively over the past few months. Cultivators from various sects arrived one after another, led by their elders and superiors.

Rumor had it that even the rival Jade Cauldron Sword Sect had sent an envoy to attend. No one could tell whether their intent was to stir trouble or to offer congratulations, but the mere act of sending an envoy made many realize that something significant was about to unfold.

The long-standing civil war within the Jade Cauldron Domain might reach a decisive turning point during the ceremony. The outcome would determine whether the conflict would escalate further or finally come to a halt, allowing all forces to recover.

In any case, the turmoil of the outside world had little to do with Luo Chen, who remained devoted to quiet cultivation. On that day, as he sat cross-legged upon the ice bed, his entire body began to tremble violently. The spirit energy around him surged and fluctuated wildly. What had been flowing outward suddenly reversed its course. Not only the spirit energy, but even the spirit power within his meridians, apertures, and internal organs began to flow backward. The phenomenon unfolding before him was by no means a sign of breakthrough.

With his heart steady, Luo Chen turned his focus inward. His spirit consciousness locked firmly upon his sea of qi. Within that vast inner space, a vortex churned ceaselessly.

It was the same vortex that had emerged when he attained minor mastery of the Clear Origin Mystical Pill Method. Over the years, it had continued to expand and revolve without pause. Every time he consumed a pill, the spirit power refined from it would first flow into that vortex.

Within the vortex, the energy would be cleansed and transformed into an even purer and more refined form, while the pill's residual toxins were expelled from his body. He had lived with this phenomenon for so many years that had long since grown accustomed to its presence and seldom paid any mind to it.

What truly concerned him was that his mastery over the Clear Origin Mystical Pill Method had been stuck at the peak of Grandmaster level at 999/1000 for countless years. It was a truly baffling phenomenon. Normally, once a cultivator's mastery of a spell or alchemical technique reached a certain level, it would naturally progress to Perfected Mastery, yet his mastery over the Clear Origin Mystical Pill Method had remained stalled for years, unable to advance even a single step further. That strange state had persisted for so long that Luo Chen had gradually stopped caring about it altogether.

What he had never anticipated was that on this very day, the Clear Origin Mystical Pill Method would suddenly reach Perfected Mastery. The advancement came so abruptly that it caught him entirely off guard.

At that moment, within his sea of qi, the vortex that had long rotated clockwise abruptly changed direction and began spinning in reverse. At the same time, it swelled at a terrifying rate as every trace of spirit power within his body surged toward it.

Those streams of spirit power had been refined over many years, and their purity was so great that they had long since condensed into liquid form. At that moment, countless waves of that spirit liquid surged like a boundless sea, rushing toward the vortex. The torrents poured inward, drawn into the vortex. They gathered, compressed, and merged into one.

Within Luo Chen's sea of qi, a faint and indistinct pill-like sphere slowly began to take shape. A profound and ineffable sensation rose in his heart, as if the mysteries of heaven and earth were being unveiled before him.

Sun and moon refined within a furnace, creation emerging from the void, dragon and tiger roaring in unison—such were the signs described in the

Dao Revelation of Nanshan

part that talked about the manifestation of the Middle Path.

"I'm... forming a core?" he murmured in disbelief.