Chapter 273: Slay Zheng Hu!
Above Celestial Spring Peak, the spiral-shaped Radiant Glow of spiritual energy within a ten-mile radius suddenly began to expand after lingering for a long time.
“Did he really break through?!”
“Such a Core Formation phenomenon—High-grade Golden Core! He really broke through!”
“The phenomenon earlier clearly indicated he had reached the peak of Mid-grade Core Formation. Who would've thought he’d break through at the final moment?!”
The surrounding Foundation Establishment cultivators, Core Formation and False Core True Persons, all watched this scene with expressions of shock.
They had thought this Formation Master Lin would, at most, form a Mid-grade Golden Core.
The earlier phenomenon had already indicated that he’d reached the limit of Mid-grade, clearly running out of momentum. No one had expected a breakthrough in the end.
A hair’s breadth of difference can lead to a thousand miles of divergence.
Even if a Mid-grade Golden Core is of excellent quality, it still only leads to late Core Formation at best. Without a heaven-defying opportunity, one would be hopeless for Nascent Soul.
But a High-grade Golden Core—even if of the lowest quality—was a seed with a sliver of chance to become a Nascent Soul cultivator.
“Damn it!”
At this moment, the expressions of Zhu Family Head and Liang Family Head from the Four Seas Merchant Guild drastically changed. It was too late to make a move now.
Regret flooded their hearts. Who would’ve thought that this drifting cultivator would actually break through to High-grade Golden Core at the last moment?
“Damn it... Fellow Daoists Liang and Zhu, it seems this benefit is not meant for Zheng Hu after all.”
And Zheng Hu, who was currently fighting against Fairy of Rainbow Skirt, also changed expression upon witnessing the shift in the phenomenon.
He had thought this drifting cultivator, with his Low-grade Spiritual Root, had only formed a Low-grade Golden Core by sheer luck. Even if he reforged his core, forming a Mid-grade Golden Core was already impressive.
Never had he imagined it would leap directly into High-grade Golden Core.
In that instant, a murderous intent surged within him.
This was no longer just about his deal with the Four Seas Merchant Guild.
A life-blocking grudge must not be left unresolved. Dragging the Liang and Zhu Families into the water and eliminating this hidden danger was the only way.
“Old Tiger Zheng, don’t spout nonsense!”
The two from the Four Seas Merchant Guild also changed expressions, angrily rebuking Zheng Hu for shifting the blame.
However, before the two could react, the Core Formation phenomenon in the sky began to slowly dissipate.
“That fast?!”
Many were stunned. Though most had never witnessed Core Reforging, this clearly seemed too quick.
At the same time, many began to harbor suspicions—Lin Chang’an likely possessed a top-grade spiritual item that assisted in the reforging process.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.
And indeed, just as they suspected, the success of this Core Reforging relied entirely on stabilizing and reshaping the demonic energy of Core Formation, allowing him to swiftly recondense the core.
——
Inside the cave abode.
“It’s finally done!”
As Lin Chang’an slowly opened his eyes, a smile spread across his face.
“High-grade Golden Core. Finally formed!”
The reason for this smooth success was entirely thanks to stabilizing and reshaping the demonic energy during the core condensation. Once the golden core had liquefied, he immediately began reforging it.
This avoided the risk of lowered quality due to prolonged reconsolidation.
“No wonder they say a cultivator can only reforge their core once in a lifetime.”
At this moment, he could clearly feel that if his golden core were to undergo another reforging within a short time, the risks would be immense.
He would need to stabilize the golden core for the next hundred years at least.
Lin Chang’an nodded to himself. This act of Core Reforging was indeed a defiance of the heavens.
If it were so easy, major sects and clans would've long utilized this Core Reforging Secret Technique to boost potential by throwing resources at it.
The restrictions were many, and the risks enormous.
“But for me, this is already enough. The difference between a High-grade Golden Core and an Immortal Golden Core lies more in the edge it provides during Nascent Soul formation.”
The Immortal Golden Core, also known as the Flawless Golden Core, offers a slight boost to the chance of forming a Nascent Soul.
But a High-grade Golden Core had no such amplification.
The quality of a golden core determined a cultivator’s potential—especially for someone like him who had initially formed a Low-grade Golden Core. He could deeply feel the disparity.
For instance, a Low-grade Golden Core would hit a bottleneck at 90 experience points, whereas a High-grade Golden Core wouldn’t encounter one until 98.
The higher the quality, the easier it was to break through bottlenecks and advance in realms. That was potential.
Some cultivators were stuck at bottlenecks for life, never breaking through. Others managed to, but after decades or even centuries of grinding, their lives wasted away.
Spiritual Roots determined cultivation speed in absorbing spiritual energy. Whether one could overcome a bottleneck depended on personal potential.
Some suffered depleted vitality and exhausted potential. Even with Earth-grade Spiritual Roots, some were doomed to linger at early Core Formation for life.
“Even with my Regenerative Body, the internal injuries from this Core Reforging will take over a month to heal.”
Feeling the injuries inside his body, Lin Chang’an couldn't help but click his tongue in surprise.
Only someone like him could endure this. A regular Core Formation cultivator would need decades of rest to stabilize afterward—and even then, full recovery was uncertain.
“The Nascent Soul realm is still far off for me. There’s no rush for the Immortal Golden Core either.”
Lin Chang’an took a deep breath and waved his hand, dispersing the surrounding Spirit-gathering Formation.
This time, he had used ten High-grade Spirit Stones to conceal the phenomenon of core formation.
To outsiders, it looked like he had managed to push into High-grade Golden Core at the very last moment by sheer luck.
But in truth, his tempering of the High-grade realm had nearly reached the Immortal Golden Core threshold.
“But sure enough, someone’s watching from outside.”
A cold gleam flashed in Lin Chang’an’s eyes. Though he had been worried, he hadn’t expected anyone to be so audacious.
He was no longer the timid Qi Refining cultivator who had to swallow his pride to survive.
Now, he was a renowned Core Formation True Person of the Five Dragon Island seas.
——
Outside Celestial Spring Peak, Old Tiger Zheng immediately tried to drag the Four Seas Merchant Guild into the fray.
Before Zhu and Liang, the two Core Formation cultivators of the Guild, could even respond, a phoenix cry echoed from the peak.
“It’s a Third-rank Fire-devouring Demon Spirit!”
This sudden turn of events shocked countless onlookers.
A Third-rank mid-stage Fire-devouring Demon Spirit, emanating a scorching aura, charged straight at Zheng Hu.
And this was powered by a formation—not even within the formation’s boundaries, yet able to launch an attack.
This alone revealed Lin Chang’an’s mastery over formations.
That was what shocked everyone present.
“A mere youngster who’s just formed his core dares act so arrogantly!”
Zheng Hu, still locked in battle with Xuanyin Pavilion’s Fairy of Rainbow Skirt, became furious upon seeing Lin Chang’an launching an attack right after reforging his core.
“Brat, know this: even a Heavenly Spiritual Root can die prematurely! Potential does not equal power! Today, I’ll teach you a lesson.
Before a cultivator stronger than you—learn to show respect!”
With a furious roar, Zheng Hu unleashed a terrifying aura, and the bronze bell Magical Artifact in his hand blasted toward the Fire-devouring Demon Spirit.
Under a deafening boom, the demon spirit—no longer within the formation—was like a fish out of water. It was instantly trapped under Zheng Hu’s artifact.
Its piercing cries rang out as it struggled, its aura visibly weakening with each second.
“Hmph! Brat…”
Zheng Hu had just started to smirk when suddenly, his expression froze mid-sentence.
Six terrifying blood-colored sword gleams streaked toward him.
【Sword Shadow at Will】
During Core Condensation, Lin Chang’an’s spiritual sense, previously at the peak of early Core Formation, had—thanks to training aided by Sinister Spirit Ash—broken through to mid Core Formation.
Thus, he could forcefully activate a divine ability and unleash six sword gleams.
“Not good!”
Countless people were shocked at that moment. Even Zhu and Liang, the two from Four Seas Merchant Guild who had been ready to act, looked grim.
Boom boom boom!
“Since Fellow Daoist claims to have a deep friendship with me, then you should understand the consequence of today’s events. Please—go on your way!”
A blood-hued escape light infused with Sword Intent burst forth. Lin Chang’an coldly shouted, clutching the Blood Fiend Sword. One after another, powerful sword gleams rained down like a torrential storm.
Especially those six terrifying sword gleams—each one wielded power comparable to a mid-grade Third-rank Magical Artifact.
In the blink of an eye, they actually managed to suppress the veteran mid Core Formation cultivator, Zheng Hu, leaving countless cultivators utterly astonished.
“Lin, you bastard!”
Suppressed by the torrential downpour of sword gleams within the mountain, Zheng Hu couldn’t help but shout in both rage and shock.
Wasn’t this man newly into Core Formation? How could he be this terrifying? Even if sword cultivators were known for their powerful attacks, this was simply unreasonable.
“This is the demonic cultivation method—the Killing Origin Sword Art!”
Among the crowd were some well-informed cultivators. One of them exclaimed and instantly recognized the blood-colored sword gleams.
“Two hundred years ago, I had the fortune to witness the might of Blood Fiend True Lord—it was exactly this blood-colored sword gleam.”
“This Formation Master Lin is actually a sword cultivator!”
“The Killing Origin Sword Art—one of the top-tier demonic cultivation methods. Its drawbacks are immense—it injures the user as it harms the enemy. In the past centuries, only Blood Fiend True Lord was known to have cultivated it to the Core Formation Realm.”
Some of the powerful cultivation methods, secret arts, and divine abilities in the world of cultivation were indeed quite famous.
But the price of fame was that many people also knew of their strengths—and their fatal flaws.
“Lin, are you insane?! You just reforged your core, and you dare to recklessly activate the Killing Origin Sword Art? Beware of the baleful energy backlash!”
For a moment, Zheng Hu, thoroughly suppressed, was shocked and furious. Had he known this man bore such deep grudges and was a madman to boot, he would never have provoked him.
“Fellow Daoist, the hatred of blocking one’s path—cannot coexist under the same sky!”
As Lin Chang’an’s killing intent erupted, the terrifying aura of his Blood Fiend Energy stunned many onlookers.
“How... how many demon beasts did he have to kill to gather such horrifying baleful energy?!”
Some swallowed hard in terror, secretly thankful they hadn’t acted rashly. Otherwise, offending this killing star would have cost them dearly.
To be able to cultivate this top-tier demonic method, his temperament and willpower were anything but ordinary.
At this moment, Lin Chang’an exuded murderous aura, raising his hand—every motion unleashing terrifying blood-colored sword gleams.
His powerful Regenerative Body was rapidly healing the internal backlash.
Fairy of Rainbow Skirt, who was watching Lin Chang’an unleash his might, also flashed a glint of cold light in her eyes. With a flick of her wrist, she brought out a delicate Magical Artifact—Silver Chain Golden Bell.
As her wrist twirled, a soul-shaking bell chime resounded instantly.
【Magical Artifact · Silver Chain Golden Bell】
The pupils of Liang and Zhu from the Four Seas Merchant Guild contracted the moment they saw this. Clearly recognizing the artifact, they hurried to try to stop the battle.
“Fairy of Rainbow Skirt, please—hold your hand…”
But the moment the bell rang, Zheng Hu suddenly felt the world spinning, his spirit disoriented, as if he had lost all sense of weight.
“Not good!”
As an experienced Core Formation cultivator, Zheng Hu was horrified and roared in his heart, biting the tip of his tongue and spraying out a mouthful of vital blood.
But in that moment of distraction, the six blood-colored sword gleams were already in front of him.
Squelch!
Under the divine ability Sword Shadow at Will, six sword gleams with power comparable to mid-grade Third-rank Magical Artifacts—three of them smashed away his protective Bronze Bell Magical Artifact.
The remaining three sword gleams pierced through his chest, his dantian, and the Six Yang Acupoint.
Most notably, the sword gleam above his head came straight down from above.
“How… how is this possible, I—”
As Zheng Hu’s consciousness returned, he looked at the two figures retreating rapidly with disbelief.
Before he could finish speaking, two streaks of light shot forth—under Zheng Hu’s wide-eyed fury, his body was directly severed.
Lin Chang’an and Fairy of Rainbow Skirt, in the moment of retreat, had actually delivered another finishing strike in perfect coordination.
Even at the moment of death, Zheng Hu never imagined that his downfall would be due to a moment of greed.
From Lin Chang’an’s emergence to the slaying of Zheng Hu, it was all over in a flash—too fast.
So fast that no one could react. They could only look on in shock as the veteran mid Core Formation cultivator, True Person Zheng Hu, was slain before their eyes.
Liang and Zhu of the Four Seas Merchant Guild were both shocked and furious.
“Fairy of Rainbow Skirt!”
“Fellow Daoist Lin!”
Lin Chang’an and Fairy of Rainbow Skirt exchanged glances—both showing a strange expression. No—that should be a look of mutual admiration.
“Didn’t expect this Fairy of Rainbow Skirt to have such ruthless methods—she’s nothing like a pampered daughter of a sect.”
Seizing a fleeting opportunity to launch a sneak attack with a mental strike, hitting with precision, retreating decisively, and finishing the kill—all displayed her exceptional combat acumen.
Lin Chang’an had underestimated this Sect Master of Xuanyin Pavilion. Perhaps she had once been a pampered genius of the sect.
But she had just formed her core when disaster struck Xuanyin Pavilion.
Yue Kingdom fell into chaos, and she came to the Sea Abyss of Beasts, with her master wounded—she shouldered everything herself. Over these decades, all traces of pampering had long been washed away.
Fairy of Rainbow Skirt also fell into silent reflection. Indeed, among drifting cultivators who rose to prominence, all were ruthless with powerful divine abilities among their peers.
——
“Congratulations, True Person Lin.”
“Indeed, True Person Lin is worthy of the title—a true role model for us all.”
“Formation Master Lin.”
As the battle ended in the blink of an eye, leaving no opportunity to fish in troubled waters, this group of cultivators immediately smiled and cupped their fists in congratulations.
Among them, Liang and Zhu of the Four Seas Merchant Guild also stepped forward with righteous indignation to explain:
“Fairy of Rainbow Skirt, Fellow Daoist Lin, don’t fall for that villain’s treachery.”
“Indeed, this man had unclear ties with the demonic sect’s robber cultivators. This was clearly an act of incitement, attempting to stir chaos in the seas of Five Dragon Island.”
The two looked utterly sincere, as if speaking the absolute truth.
Faced with the crowd’s flattery, Lin Chang’an, not wanting to stir up unnecessary trouble, feigned a pale face and slightly rapid breathing.
This perfectly matched the image of someone who had just finished Core Reforging and forcibly used a powerful demonic method with heavy side effects.
Many people, after observing in secret, secretly let out a sigh of relief. But even so, they now regarded Lin Chang’an as someone absolutely not to be provoked.
A drifting cultivator with no ties—harmless most of the time, but if you made him your enemy, he’d be ruthless to the extreme.
Some even began analyzing Lin Chang’an’s strength in secret.
“Forcibly activating a demonic method, ignoring the backlash—he can temporarily reach mid Core Formation strength.”
From the earlier battle, this was the conclusion drawn by all the cultivators.
Now looking at Lin Chang’an’s complexion, everyone realized that such a heaven-defying technique couldn’t be maintained for long. Many again sighed in relief.
“Fellow Daoist Lin has just reforged his core and needs rest. Why don’t all you fellow Daoists come to my Xuanyin Pavilion for a chat?”
As the sect master, Fairy of Rainbow Skirt’s voice was cool and gentle. She smiled faintly, cupping her hands and speaking at a calm, unhurried pace.
If they hadn’t just witnessed her methods, her soft demeanor would have fooled them all.
Seeing this, Lin Chang’an also nodded silently. It seemed being the Guest Elder of Xuanyin Pavilion was indeed worth it.
To Fairy of Rainbow Skirt, Lin Chang’an—a Third-rank Formation Master who had now successfully reforged his core—had even greater potential and was now more valuable to Xuanyin Pavilion.
She naturally needed to draw him in.
At the same time, her admiration was sincere. She truly acknowledged this fellow Daoist with firm Dao Heart.