Chapter 482: Fake Core Realm

Ji Wu's choice had caught Qin Sang completely off guard and thoroughly disrupted his plans.

Although he had secured the Snow Spirit Lotus and the Iris Flower, it did not mean he could now rest easy, nor did it guarantee he would successfully form a core. Qin Sang had yet to personally experience the process, but from the pitiful success rate of countless predecessors, he already knew just how difficult Core Formation would be.

He had no confidence in his heart and had to prepare for both outcomes.

Daoist Jiupao’s Golden Core was, at present, the only Golden Core within Qin Sang’s reach, the only one he had any chance of obtaining.

Opportunities were fleeting and would not come again.

Before leaving Stargazing Island, Snake Granny had explicitly told them that the battles ahead would not be intense. Because of their meritorious service, they would be granted a special reward: they could use sensing a breakthrough opportunity as an excuse to return to their sects for secluded cultivation and temporarily leave the Chaotic Island Waters.

After obtaining the Restorative Pill, Ji Wu would likely not linger long in the Chaotic Island Waters. Daoist Jiupao was in urgent need of healing, and the sooner he was returned, the better.

However, Ji Wu was a reclusive man who rarely interacted with outsiders. Now carrying such a priceless treasure like the Restorative Pill, he surely would not dare make a public spectacle. Even if he left, he would do so secretly without alerting anyone.

Qin Sang had no way of knowing his exact movements.

Sitting in his cave dwelling for a while in deep thought, Qin Sang suddenly stood up. He left a note behind, quietly slipped out of the cave dwelling, circled around for some time to ensure no one was tailing him, and finally flew out of the Thousand-Illusion Array of True Waters.

Leaving the Chaotic Island Waters at this time carried considerable risk. After all, the Snow Spirit Lotus and the Iris Flower could provoke far more greed than the Restorative Pill. Moreover, without reaching the Fake Core Realm, he could not consume them immediately, and there was no guarantee that someone might not be tempted to act recklessly.

Thus, he moved with extreme caution. Fortunately, no one followed him.

Most likely, no one would have expected Qin Sang to dare leave the Chaotic Island Waters at a time like this.

Once outside the array, Qin Sang hid in the shadows, remaining on high alert. After flying a distance northeast, he arrived at a small desolate island.

This island was barely larger than the cave dwellings scattered across the Chaotic Island Waters, an unremarkable place.

By now, it was early the next morning. The first rays of sunlight bathed the island’s wild grasses in a golden hue. When the morning breeze swept across, the blades of grass bowed low, as if a golden carpet had been spread over the land.

It was a pity that the spiritual power in these waters was extremely thin; though the scenery was beautiful, it was unsuitable for a proper cave dwelling.

Nonetheless, after thoroughly surveying the area, Qin Sang decided to establish his cave dwelling there.

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Using spiritual power to shield himself, he plunged into the water, diving continuously until he reached the bottom. Parting the dense water plants, he excavated a cave dwelling at the island’s root. He carefully set up a grand array and multiple barriers, ensuring protection, concealment, and early warning capabilities.

The cave dwelling was cramped, just spacious enough to set up a spirit-gathering array.

Having earned a small fortune at Zhitian Peak, Qin Sang did not hesitate to spend spirit stones and laid down the best spirit-gathering array he could afford. Very soon, the spiritual power inside the cave dwelling grew dense and rich.

After running a full cosmic orbit of his art, Qin Sang nodded in satisfaction.

Then, he sank his mind into his primordial spirit space, unlocking the Xuyuan Seal on the Heart-Devouring Insect. He released the seal, exposing the Heart-Devouring Insect to the outside, allowing its aura to spread without restraint.

Choosing this island had not been a random decision. Qin Sang had scouted it carefully.

If Ji Wu wanted to return to the Demonic Flame Sect as quickly as possible, there was a high probability he would pass through these waters.

A person infected by the Heart-Devouring Insect was equivalent to a slave; ordinary cultivators would find it hard to resist such temptation.

Qin Sang had considered ambushing Ji Wu elsewhere, even closer to the Demonic Flame Sect itself, but ultimately rejected the idea. Firstly, his cultivation was weaker than Ji Wu’s, and Ji Wu possessed a flying artifact vastly superior to the Nether Cloud, making it impossible for Qin Sang to outrun him even at full speed.

Secondly, if Daoist Jiupao were inadvertently lured over, Qin Sang would have no way to escape.

After weighing his options, Qin Sang decided to establish a cave dwelling here, waiting for Ji Wu while refining the spiritual pills he had seized from the handsome young man, thus ensuring he would not delay his cultivation progress.

This way, even if he failed to ambush Ji Wu, he could still raise his cultivation to the Fake Core Realm as quickly as possible and proceed with his backup plan.

The cave dwelling was hidden underwater, protected by spiritual arrays Qin Sang had meticulously set up. Even if cultivators passed by, they would never guess someone had built a cave dwelling in such a barren place.

Only those familiar with Heart-Devouring Insect gu would be able to detect his presence.

With all of Kuiyin Sect’s Golden Core cultivators dead, Qin Sang had no fear of attracting an opponent he could not handle. If any surviving Kuiyin Sect's remaining members were foolish enough to show themselves, he would simply take care of them as well.

Having made all his preparations, Qin Sang calmed his mind. He retrieved the pills from his Mustard Seed Pouch and immersed himself in meditation.

As each pill was refined, his aura steadily grew stronger. He had already been close to the Fake Core Realm, and with the help of these pills, his cultivation advanced even faster.

Time passed unnoticed in the silent cave dwelling.

In the dim light, the faint outlines of sword qi marks could be seen carved into the stone walls. In this rough stone cave, Qin Sang sat cross-legged atop a cold slab of rock. Apart from replenishing spirit stones when the spirit-gathering array ran out of power, he remained motionless, focused entirely on bitter cultivation.

No one knew how much time had passed when a soft sigh suddenly echoed within the cave dwelling.

The sigh carried no hint of regret. Rather, it sounded like a breath of relief, tinged with a faint but unmistakable trace of joy.

Qin Sang straightened his back, stretched lazily, and awoke in a leisurely manner. Lowering his head, he examined his body. His eyes were bright and sharp, gleaming with an unusual brilliance.

At long last, he had perfected Foundation Building and had broken through to the Fake Core Realm!

His cultivation had reached a bottleneck; it could advance no further, and all that remained was Core Formation.

However, Qin Sang could still sense a slight restlessness within his aura. It would be best to let it settle for a time before attempting Core Formation.

The only flaw was that the damage to his foundation lingered, but compared to the satisfaction of breaking through to the Fake Core Realm, that minor discomfort was hardly worth mentioning.

Qin Sang sat on the ground in a casual, unrefined posture, resting his chin on his palm. He carefully savored this rare moment of comfort. Yet he knew all too well that such carefree times were fleeting—the road ahead remained filled with thorns.

He looked back on the years that had passed.

From the moment he arrived in this world, even setting aside his journey toward the Foundation Building Realm...

Since reaching the Foundation Building Realm, more than seventy years had passed. In those seventy years, he had not dared relax for even a moment, surviving countless perils and seizing every opportunity with all his might.

Fairy Chenyan, the Heavenly Corpse Cave, Xuanlu Stronghold, the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, the Endless Valley, the Chaotic Island Waters, Zhitian Peak...

Scene after scene flashed through his mind.

There was no sorrow or joy, only solemn remembrance.

At least he had not wasted his time, nor had he failed himself. He had successfully reached this point.

The road ahead remained uncertain.

But at the very least, when he looked back, he could proudly say one thing—he had no regrets.

Phew!

Lost in thought for nearly an hour, Qin Sang finally reined in his drifting mind and let out a long breath. Centering himself, his gaze grew sharp once more.

Calculating the time, it had been almost a month since he set up this cave dwelling.

During this month, Qin Sang had sensed cultivators flying overhead on several occasions, but Ji Wu had never appeared.

The barriers around the cave dwelling had not been triggered even once. Whether Ji Wu had never left the Chaotic Island Waters, or had taken another route, he had yet to show himself.

Qin Sang had never resealed the Heart-Devouring Insect. And yet, Ji Wu had not taken the bait. The lure that had never failed before had now proven useless!