Chapter 578: Golden Core

In a relatively safe underground cave.

Li Pin looked at Zhao Tiangang with a serious expression. "Is the Void Art really the ultimate cultivation technique?"

"Yes," Zhao Tiangang replied, his tone equally solemn. "It is indeed the ultimate technique! The Void Emperor's rise to power was largely due to this art. This is a fact recognized by all pioneers, even the Gold ones."

Li Pin recalled the past five days he had spent practicing the Void Art.

Yes, five whole days! He had practiced the Void Art for five days straight. Yet after all that time, he had seen almost no results. His qi and blood showed no signs of being nourished. There was no internal energy forming, and his physique hadn't been tempered in the slightest.

It wouldn't be right to say it had no effect at all... but the results were so weak they might as well be the same as elderly people doing light exercise.

If not for his Clairvoyance, he wouldn't have even noticed the minuscule changes in his body.

Li Pin couldn't help but ask again, "Are you sure the Void Art actually works?"

"It definitely works," Zhao Tiangang insisted. "This technique is named after the Void Emperor himself. It's the foundation of his cultivation. In the pioneers' circle, it's universally regarded as the supreme technique."

"Swear on it," Li Pin demanded.

"I swear." Zhao Tiangang raised his hand. "If I'm lying, may I not survive this cycle."

Seeing how certain he was, Li Pin ran through the Void Art in his mind once more.

"I understand your doubts, Pioneer Li, but this is the ultimate technique. It's not something just anyone can master. If it were, there would have been more than one Void Emperor after all these years."

Zhao Tiangang hesitated before advising, "If it's not working for you, maybe it's best to stop. Many pioneers suspect this technique was designed solely for the Void Emperor. Like the legendary Transcendent Arts, it might only be comprehensible to those who have condensed True Spirit at the Cosmic Radiance level."

Li Pin glanced at Zhao Tiangang.

The concept of Transcendence...

Not many knew about it. Usually, it only came up at the Astral God Realm, and deeper study began at the Cosmic Radiance stage.

The Void Emperor was a Transcendent powerhouse of the Void Faction, and the Silver and Gold Pioneers in the Void Divine Treasure World had come from all across the universe. Given that Zhao Tiangang had spent four cycles there, it wasn't surprising that he had come to understand the concept.

"So... this technique might be something the Void Emperor created specifically for himself?"

"Very likely," Zhao Tiangang replied.

Li Pin thought of Transcendent Ember, a technique classified as a Transcendent Art.

He hadn't mastered it yet, but at least he could understand it. But the Void Art... he seemed to understand it, yet at the same time, he didn't.

If that was the case, did it mean the Void Emperor was stronger than an ordinary Transcendent Being? No wonder the human race's higher-ups were so invested in him.

"I've heard that below the Void Art, there's a technique called the Lesser Void Art," Zhao Tiangang said. "I'm not sure if it serves as a prerequisite to the Void Art, but it usually surfaces only in the third phase. Even then, only the most exceptional Gold Pioneers are capable of mastering it."

Li Pin noted the name. "Lesser Void Art,

huh...

"

After some deliberation, he once again turned his attention to the Three Thousand Dao Scripture.

This technique... Golden Core, Primordial Spirit, Dao Manifestation, Dao Integration?

Over the past few days, while studying the Void Art, Li Pin hadn't neglected the Xuan Pin Gate or the Innate-Qi Refining Technique. The Three Thousand Dao Scripture, with its similarities to the Innate-Qi Refining Technique, had been a major focus.

The Golden Core theory in the Three Thousand Dao Scripture is quite similar to that of the Innate-Qi Refining Technique. Both emphasize unity, internal circulation, and self-perpetuation. And the process of condensing the Golden Core...

Li Pin smiled faintly. "It's life force."

He was familiar with that.

However, his body was still weak. Condensing life force recklessly could drain his qi and blood. At the very least, he needed to reach the level of a tier nine martial artist. Ideally, he would break through to tier ten.

Li Pin thought with a trace of regret,

What a shame this world lacks cultivation resources. With just one Beast Blood Crystal to replenish my qi and blood, I could break through to tier ten in an instant and start condensing life force.

Based on Zhao Tiangang's descriptions, the Golden Core stage in the Three Thousand Dao Scripture was roughly equivalent to this world's Legendary realm.

The Primordial Spirit stage... likely corresponded to the Demigod realm.

Before the Primordial Spirit stage, there was also the Nascent Spirit stage, but that realm only seemed to exist as compensation for the energy deficiency in the Wasteland Domain.

Beyond the Primordial Spirit stage came the Dao Manifestation stage, comparable to the True God realm.

Whether True Gods literally equated to God Kings, or the God King Realm, remained uncertain.

Beyond that was the Dao Integration stage—the final cultivation realm of the Mara World, equivalent to an Ancient God, or the Planet Lord Demigods of the real world.

"Come to think of it, isn't the Dao Manifestation stage based on the theory of Heaven-and-Earth Manifestation? So why call it Dao Manifestation?" Li Pin muttered before continuing his practice of the Innate-Qi Refining Technique.

Refining essence into qi... Only with strong enough internal energy, qi, and blood could life force be condensed, leading to the formation of a Golden Core.

***

The rules of this world were truly harsh.

Even physical growth required an adaptation process. It wasn't as simple as infusing energy and undergoing a complete transformation. Instead, the body had to grow and strengthen gradually, step by step.

An entire month passed before Li Pin finally condensed the Imperishable True Body.

A month in the Void World was only a few stellar days in cosmic time, but even so, Li Pin couldn't help but feel the sluggish pace of cultivation here.

He possessed not only his Clairvoyance but also a level of control comparable to an Astral God. Such advantages were beyond what any ordinary pioneer could hope to match.

"It's like playing too much on private servers and then struggling to adjust to the official version," Li Pin mused.

To him, Gaia was the official version. By the time of the Dragon Swamp Nebula era, things had shifted toward a private server model. Venturing into the cosmos felt like entering an ultra-modified private server. Now, in the Void Divine Treasure World, it seemed the version had reverted to the Gaia era. As for Blue Planet? That was like an ancient version.

Li Pin continued adapting through his cultivation. "Though cultivation is slower here, it allows me to truly experience the sensations of a flesh-and-blood body again. I'm rediscovering the potential hidden within this mortal form."

As his martial prowess grew, so did his mental spirit. Once his mental spirit reached a sufficient level, he realized he couldn't afford to continue at this pace.

According to Zhao Tiangang, the human form of the Void Emperor, Baili Qingfeng, would break through to the Legendary Realm within a year. Li Pin didn't have the luxury of waiting that long.

"Humans have limits," Li Pin muttered. "Fortunately, this world isn't limited to humans. There are ferocious beasts, legendary creatures, and even divine beasts."

With that thought, he pushed his Clairvoyance to its peak, channeling his immense mental spirit. His perception extended beyond the cellular level, reaching the depths of his genetic structure. His genes began to shift subtly, transitioning from human to those of a legendary creature brimming with boundless qi and blood.

But he didn't intend to fully evolve. He was merely borrowing the power of these genes.

The shift in his genes significantly increased his appetite, and his qi and blood surged at an exponential rate.

***

In just a few months, under Zhao Tiangang's incredulous gaze, Li Pin shattered the final limits of the human body and stepped directly into the realm of a tier ten martial artist.

This was the equivalent of the strongest beings in the Wasteland Domain or a Knight Commander in the Twin Moon Domain.

Even after reaching this level, he didn't stop. He swiftly channeled his Vitality, Qi, and Spirit, condensing his life force. With that foundation in place, he followed the Golden Core cultivation method from the Three Thousand Dao Scriptures.

Everything was going smoothly until he suddenly hit a roadblock.

Li Pin's eyes lit up. "Oh? I failed? Hit the version cap already?"

Zhao Tiangang sensed the overwhelming power radiating from Li Pin— a realm he himself wouldn't reach for another two or three years. At that moment, he truly understood the meaning of disparity.

With that, he silently resumed his arduous training, aiming to break through to tier eight.

"Enough training. It's time to meet the Void Emperor," Li Pin said.

Zhao Tiangang's heart skipped a beat. "You're going... now!?"

"The sooner, the better." Li Pin stood up. "If you're staying, continue your seclusion here."

"I'm going," replied Zhao Tiangang.

Even if just meeting the Void Emperor meant near-certain death, Zhao Tiangang wasn't about to let go of this opportunity. He rose to his feet and followed Li Pin.

Without delay, the two left the area, heading straight for Tianzhu Plains.

After some time, Li Pin noticed something. "There seem to be more ferocious beasts than before."

Zhao Tiangang responded, "The battle at Mount Tianzhu should be over by now. Blood Wolf City was likely wiped out. With the cavern dwellers, an intelligent species, gone, this region naturally has more space for the beasts to thrive. It's only expected that their numbers have increased."

Li Pin acknowledged with a nod.

With their enhanced cultivation, their travel speed had increased significantly.

In just three days, the spatial gate at Tianzhu Plains was already within sight.

"By now, this battlefield should be under the control of Xiya, the nation where the Void Emperor's human form was born. This is also likely the first time he announces his existence as the Void True God," Zhao Tiangang said before adding, "Xiya's army is weak. Should we force our way through?"

"If we do, entering Xiya later will be troublesome. It's better to use our status as tier ten martial artists—Supreme Experts—to have them escort us directly to the Void Emperor."

"Agreed."

Around the spatial gate, numerous fortresses had already been constructed.

However, since both of them still appeared human, no immediate attacks came their way.

Shortly after, a tier six martial artist arrived, leading a squad of soldiers and a dozen armored vehicles.

Zhao Tiangang spoke. "We are martial artists training and cultivating in the underground world. This is Supreme Expert, Lord Li Pin. He needs to pass through this spatial gate to return to Celestial Barren."

The tier six martial artist's pupils dilated sharply. "Supreme Expert!?"

Realizing the significance of the situation, his demeanor shifted immediately. "Please, come with me."

Li Pin boarded one of the armored vehicles heading toward the spatial gate.

On the way, he asked casually, "The Void... Baili Qingfeng, where is he now? I'm quite curious about him."

The tier six martial artist remained wary. "Apologies, but we don't know the chairman's whereabouts."

"Then arrange a plane. Take me directly to Xiaya."