Chapter 184: Not a Problem! I have more!

Chu Liang hadn't received a reply from Jiang Yuebai's flying crane and it was hard for him to reach out first.

If she's not replying, it must mean that she has other matters to attend to. She would surely respond when she has the time...

Chu Liang thought to himself.

The most pressing matter at hand, aside from the items for Senior Sister Jiang, was the Celestial Herb of Ascension planted outside. He planned to take a look and then begin the process of Core Formation upon his return.

As Chu Liang rushed all the way to the cave, his heart pounded with a mixture of anticipation and unease. When he learned of how the Celestial Herb of Ascension came into existence while he was at the Immortals' Marsh, he didn't have high hopes that the seed that he planted here would sprout into something.

But what if?

As he entered the cave, the first thing that met his gaze was the barren earth.

Haaa.

Chu Liang sighed to himself. There was indeed nothing.

Wait a minute?

Suddenly, he turned his glances and realized that something was amiss.

As he approached, he saw that the area where the bones were buried was no longer a flat surface. Instead, there was a small pit in the ground and the seeds inside were nowhere to be found.

A thief? That's impossible!

Chu Liang stood up abruptly and immediately started scanning the surroundings with his divine sense.

He then soared out and circled around in the cave. Finally, under a large tree, he discovered a small seedling.

The leaves of the seedling had golden patterns. The patterns looked like the veins in a human body...

It was clearly a stalk of the Celestial Herb of Ascension!

How dare this little thing try to escape!

Previously, Chu Liang had sprinkled a large amount of Herbal Wood Spirit Powder. With ample spiritual energy and suitable conditions, the plant's leaves, stems, and outer areas would swiftly receive the nourishment they needed.

The spiritual energy was the only aspect that proved most challenging to replenish through external means.

And the golden skeleton had managed to provide the spiritual energy needed.

The seedling of the Celestial Herb of Ascension had most likely absorbed enough spiritual energy.

Upon sensing human aura, it uprooted itself from its original planting spot and started moving towards the location where the human aura was the strongest.

Thankfully, Chu Liang had discovered this early.

If he had arrived later, this seedling could have wandered off to who knows where.

What did it mean to have two Celestial Herbs of Ascension? It meant that he would be able to form two Golden Cores! Two ultimate-tier Golden Cores!

Even as Chu Liang gazed upon this harvest, which would send thrills through anyone who beheld it, he looked very calm.

He first took out a red string and gently tied this seedling to a large tree on the side.

He then sprinkled another packet of Herbal Wood Spirit Powder to nourish this seedling even more.

He then waited for around two hours. During this time, Chu Liang studied the process of Core Formation meticulously, waiting patiently until the seedling grew into a mature Celestial Herb of Ascension.

He then plucked this Celestial Herb of Ascension and brought it back to the Silver Sword Peak.

...

"Golden-Furred Hou! Stand guard at the door! Don't let anyone disturb me until I leave the cabin on my own accord. Got it?"

Chu Liang arranged for the Big Head to stand guard at the door before he started his first-ever attempt at Core Formation.

He followed the instructions outlined in the manual

Divine Nine's Profound Mental Cultivation Technique: The Book of Golden Core.

First, he examined the pill carefully, analyzing it for a while before gulping it down.

Immediately, he sensed an intense surge of spiritual energy flooding his stomach.

Instantly, it felt as though he was choking from overeating.

"

Uh...

" He burped out a turbid breath. Without hesitation, he formed a finger seal and began practicing the Qi-Circulation Technique. It felt as though a gust of wind had stirred up the Sea of Qi within his body, igniting a spiritual fire within him.

The spiritual fire consumed the pill, boiling the immense amount of spiritual energy it contained.

As the pill vaporized and entered the Sea of Qi, which had previously felt somewhat empty, it suddenly swelled and expanded.

His Sea of Qi was filled to the maximum capacity!

Even though he had read many guides beforehand, Chu Liang couldn't have imagined that the surge of spiritual energy from the pill would be so immense after it started vaporizing! If he were unprepared and tried to withstand it abruptly, there was even a possibility that his Sea of Qi could burst open!

Chu Liang had no idea that high-tier, mid-tier, and low-tier Golden Cores contained different amounts of spiritual energy.

As for the ultimate-tier Golden Core, it contained the most spiritual energy.

Regardless, he had no choice but to continue refining this pill with the spiritual fire within his Sea of Qi. At the same time, he was using his foundational qi to exert pressure from all sides, constantly compressing this pill.

This process was extremely painful. After all, everything was happening within the Sea of Qi in the Dantian, which could be considered the weakest spot of a cultivator.

Both the burning of the spiritual fire and the collision of foundational qi would cause intense pain.

Beads of sweat the size of beans quickly dripped down.

The surge of spiritual energy was so immense that Chu Liang's reaction was extremely intense. If one were to get close enough, they would hear the crackling sound of the storm coming from within his Sea of Qi.

By relying on his strong willpower, Chu Liang forcefully practiced the Qi-Circulation Technique, which continuously replenished the spiritual fire in his Sea of Qi. He gritted his teeth and endured for who knew how long.

When the sunlight peeking through the windows turned into a golden hue, Chu Liang finally relaxed his furrowed brows.

As he scanned the Sea of Qi with his divine sense, he saw that the Sea of Qi had expanded into a limitless space.

Only then did it truly deserve to be called a sea!

In the center of the Sea of Qi, there was a floating area radiating golden light. Upon closer look, one would see a white and golden sphere suspended within the area.

It was only today that the Dantian truly deserved its name [1]

The core was formed!

Despite the pain, the overall process went smoothly, perhaps thanks to the Celestial Herb of Ascension, which stabilized the surge of spiritual energy and significantly reduced the difficulty of Core Formation.

As the Golden Core spun, waves rose from the flat ground!

Immediately, a massive vortex immediately came to life, instantly engulfing the entire Sea of Qi! It was cold and chilling!

Rumble—

With each rotation of the golden core, the foundational qi stirred up was immensely powerful. The difference compared to before was like heaven and earth.

From now on, even a casual swing of his sword would unleash sword qi several times more powerful.

Could this be the power of the ultimate-tier Golden Core?

Chu Liang wondered. Suddenly, he opened his eyes.

Is this the feeling of being at the fourth realm? The feeling of being the only supreme one in the world?

He thought to himself.

Bam!

Suddenly, a Big Head at the fifth realm poked through the window with eyes brimming with infinite pleading.

The Golden-Furred Hou had been safeguarding the door for a long time so it must be hungry.

Chu Liang had just reached the fourth realm and was no longer feeling that ambitious. He waved his hand and said, "Go eat. I don't need you here anymore."

"

Bark—

"

The Golden-Furred Hou barked happily twice, then turned around and leaped away in excitement[2].

Chu Liang didn't stand up because his mission had not ended.

...

Once again, his divine sense entered into the White Pagoda.

Now sat peacefully there was the Golden-Core Puppet, which had never started working since he acquired it.

Chu Liang stepped forward.

He pressed the Golden-Core Puppet on the head with one hand. With a flicker of his divine intent, a gleam of light suddenly radiated! The Golden-Core Puppet immediately shimmered with golden veins all over its body, connecting with him seamlessly.

In that instant, Chu Liang also grasped the technique of transferring the Golden Core. A brilliant platinum light followed the veins' connection, gradually shifting from Chu Liang's body into the Golden-Core Puppet's body.

Bang!

As the Golden Core entered into the Puppet's stomach, its eyes suddenly opened!

Chu Liang's facial features appeared on the big doll head.

Boom!

With the Golden Core as its foundation, it began to practice the Qi-Circulation Technique, and qi coursed through all the meridians in his body.

The circulation of qi started, and it was incredibly fast.

On the other hand, Chu Liang lost the sense of fulfillment brought by the Golden Core.

However, in the next moment, he felt an inexplicable connection with the Golden-Core Puppet.

He felt his body being inundated with an abundance of energy, greatly contributing to the progress of his cultivation.

Before his Sea of Qi was filled to its maximum capacity, his foundational qi would continue to increase.

If it stopped, it would signify the period of breakthrough into another realm, marking the start of the next cultivation level.

As for the Qi-Circulation Puppet, it continued working very hard as wisps of smoke billowed from it. However, compared to the fourth-realm puppet that was powered by the Golden Core, the third-realm Qi-Circulation Puppet was like an outdated model.

Even though the Qi-Circulation Puppet executed a third-realm technique and achieved Perfect Qi Circulation, it remained inferior to a puppet powered by the ultimate-tier Golden Core and practiced a fourth-realm technique.

Nevertheless, Chu Liang was a person of conscience and empathy. Even as the senior employees aged, he wouldn't dismiss them... As long as the older employees could endure working without any rest for twelve hours, they would remain just as valuable as the younger ones[3].

The Qi-Circulation Puppet only needed three Qi-Gathering Pills. The new one required three Spirit Concentration Pills...

And so, the dedication of the senior employee surpassed that of the newcomer by a significant margin.

The next time he feeds the Golden-Core Puppet the Spirit Concentration Pills, he should do it without the Qi-Circulation Puppet seeing...

He should keep their salary confidential so that the Qi-Circulation Puppet won't feel unfairly treated[4]

As Chu Liang watched the two large-headed dolls working vigorously and felt the continuous growth of his Sea of Qi, he felt a sense of fulfillment.

"Keep up the good work! And I will find you both a wife next year." he muttered.

...

In the evening, Chu Liang once again arrived at the Hall of Alchemy.

"Junior Brother Chu?" Chen Su stared at him in confusion, "Why aren't you practicing Core Formation? What brings you here to see me again?"

"I did," Chu Liang said with a smile.

"You..." Chen Su assessed Chu Liang for a moment and was about to comment that he still emitted the aura of someone at the pinnacle of the Spiritual Awareness Realm.

But then, she suddenly realized a possible reason and asked, "Did you fail? You..."

"Indeed," Chu Liang smiled as he shook his head. "Unfortunately, I failed. I came to ask you to refine another pill for me."

"I..." Chen Su immediately looked bewildered.

Although she wasn't the one practicing Core Formation, the pill that failed to become a Golden Core had been refined with the Celestial Herb of Ascension, which they had found after countless hardships...

The more she thought about it, the more she felt like crying.

Even with the Celestial Herb of Ascension that could stabilize spiritual energy, he still failed the practice of Core Formation.

Chen Su almost blurted out "Idiot."

But she knew that Chu Liang must be feeling devastated at this moment and likely forcing a smile.

It was difficult for Chen Su to blame him or say anything harsh.

However, as she put herself in Chu Liang's shoes, she couldn't help but feel sad and remorseful.

After taking some time to compose herself, she clenched her teeth and remarked, "What a waste of those materials."

Chu Liang replied calmly, "It's fine. I have more."

He carefully retrieved the second set of pill refinement materials and continued, "But I only have one Sword-Leaf Dark Sunflower left, so I can only refine the Heavenly Golden Core of Lesser Yang."

"Golden Core of Lesser Yang would suit you better...but..."

Chen Su gazed at the array of items before her. It had been the Nethersea Golden Lotus last time, and now it was the Sword-Leaf Dark Sunflower...

She couldn't help but feel bewildered. All the materials required for his formation of a high-tier golden core were incredibly lavish. They were valuable enough for a cultivator at the Realm of the Five Elements to level up twice.

As a third-realm disciple, where did he acquire such materials?

Chen Su wondered.

She paused for a second, then sighed and said, "It's a pity that despite having such excellent materials, you'd still only be able to form a high-tier Golden Core. The Celestial Herb of Ascension is something that can only be found through luck and cannot be sought after."

Immediately, she saw Chu Liang take out a familiar-looking plant.

He then said in a casual manner, "Not a problem. I have more."

1. The "丹" (dan) in "丹田" (Dantian) means pill, while the "田" (tian) means field. So now, his Dantian finally has a pill in the area of growth. ☜

2. TLN: I know it's weird for a lion-like creature to bark, what can I do when I have to translate a happy roar. ☜

3. Once again, the author is commenting about toxic work culture. ☜

4. Seriously, which company hurt our author? ☜