Li Fan had no personal experience with forming a Golden Core, and the jade slip left behind by Third Senior Brother contained only the sparsest description of the process.
At a complete loss, he could only rely on experimentation to find his way forward.
Whether in ancient times or the modern cultivation era, core formation had always been an immensely difficult hurdle. The gap in power before and after forming a core was like the difference between heaven and earth. Hence the saying: “Once a golden pill is swallowed, my fate is mine alone, no longer heaven’s to command.”
Seizing this rare opportunity, Li Fan practiced the core formation method within another’s body, laying the groundwork for his own future cultivation.
Deeply immersed in training and oblivious to the passage of time, he was suddenly jolted awake by a violent explosion.
Boom!
The entrance to the Embodiment Transformation Dao Sect’s cave dwelling was under attack, and the entire space shook violently.
Li Fan immediately halted his cultivation and steadied himself, preparing for battle.
Moments later, the door was blasted into splinters as a group of people barged inside.
“This is it, the Embodiment Transformation Dao Sect.”
“So, brothers, what do you think of the spot I found?”
“Rich in spiritual qi, defensible terrain. Easy to hold, hard to attack. A fine place to establish a sect.”
“I heard all the sect’s disciples died in the last great battle. No wonder it fell into our laps.”
“Perfect. Saves us a lot of trouble...”
Seven cultivators, dressed in mismatched styles and wearing vicious expressions, chatted casually as they strolled through the cave dwelling as though it already belonged to them.
“Wait—there’s someone here!”
“Stay alert!”
The cave dwelling wasn’t large. It didn’t take long for them to spot Li Fan.
They immediately surrounded him, cutting off all routes of escape.
Li Fan quickly assessed the situation, his heart sinking.
Two Golden Core cultivators. Five at the Foundation Establishment stage.
It seems this memory simulation ends here. He thought.
As the men stared at Li Fan, trapped in their midst, uncertainty crept into their expressions, and quiet discussion broke out among them.
“Boss, what do we do? Looks like the Embodiment Transformation Dao Sect left a kid behind to guard the place.”
“Hmph. After finally finding such a decent cave dwelling, you think we’re just going to give it up?”
“Second Brother’s right. I say we kill the brat. No one will ever know.”
“Is that really necessary? He looks five or six at most. Why not just drive him out?”
“What soft-hearted nonsense! If we let him go, what if he spreads word that we seized his cave dwelling?”
“And besides, Foundation Establishment at five or six years old? That kind of talent is terrifying. If he reaches Golden Core, or even Nascent Soul, in a few years and comes back for revenge...”
“Sixth Brother has a point. Let’s just kill him and be done with it.”
“But the Ten Great Immortal Sects jointly issued a prohibition against killing. They ordered everyone to recuperate and cease all slaughter. If we’re discovered, we could be captured and forced into... breeding programs...”
At those words, the color drained from their faces. The ferocity in their eyes gave way to unmistakable panic.
In the end, the leader made the final call.
“We’ve already come this far. There’s no turning back. He’s only at the Foundation Establishment realm anyway. If he were at Golden Core, I might have thought twice.
“A Foundation Establishment cultivator isn’t even cannon fodder. So what if we kill him? Even if the Immortal Sects find out, they won’t do anything serious to us.”
“Attack!”
Though he barked the command, the leader himself did not move.
The five Foundation Establishment cultivators exchanged uneasy glances. Reluctant but unwilling to disobey, they drew their artifacts and charged at Li Fan.
They hold an absolute advantage in numbers and strength. Li Fan thought coolly. Yet from start to finish, they never even bothered to ask for my opinion.
Do they really look down on me that much...
A flicker of murderous intent flashed through his eyes.
I was planning to retreat. But now... why not have a little fun with you instead?
Three swords, an iron hammer, and a small seal flared with radiant light, shooting toward him at the same time.
Li Fan remained motionless.
He activated the secret art, the Embodiment Transformation Technique.
His consciousness left his body, splitting into five streams that latched onto the incoming artifacts.
In an instant, the five weapons felt like extensions of his own body.
With a mere thought, he seized control, turning them back against their original owners.
So they’re just incompetents who don’t even understand the basics of artifact refinement. Li Fan sneered inwardly.
This secret art, known as Embodying External Objects, was a specialized technique within the Embodiment Transformation Technique. It allowed a cultivator to influence and even seize control of another’s artifacts. When used at a critical moment, it could produce miraculous effects capable of reversing the flow of battle.
Naturally, its effectiveness depended on how much control the opponent had over their own artifacts.
Situations like this, where complete domination was achieved with such ease, were exceedingly rare.
There was only one explanation: these five hadn’t even performed the most basic refinement rituals.
It was as though they had picked the artifacts up off the ground and begun using them directly, lacking even the most fundamental understanding of cultivation tools.
The sudden betrayal of their own artifacts caught the five completely off guard. Cries of alarm rang out as they scrambled to defend themselves, panic throwing them into disarray.
Their skills were truly mediocre. In their confusion, each of them sustained injuires.
Naturally, Li Fan seized this opportunity. Maintaining control over the five artifacts, he launched a relentless barrage of attacks.
Fighting one against five, he suppressed them entirely, leaving them no chance to mount a counteroffensive.
Just as victory was gradually coming within reach, the leader of the group finally lost his patience.
“Useless trash!” he roared.
With a sharp gesture, he summoned a flying sword that radiated chilling light. Infused with overwhelming Golden Core-level power, it streaked toward Li Fan like a bolt of lightning.
Li Fan focused his consciousness, attempting to seize control of the sword.
It wavered for only an instant, then pierced straight through his body.
The gap between cultivation realms is simply too vast. No secret technique can bridge it.
The surrounding world froze, then shattered piece by piece.
As though bursting from the depths back to the surface, Li Fan returned to the real world.
On Return to Truth’s panel, the remaining uses of Eternal Remnant Will had dropped to two.
When he tried to recall the contents of the Embodiment Transformation Technique, it was as futile as grasping the moon’s reflection in water. Yet all of his personal experiences remained vividly clear.
After a moment of contemplation, Li Fan did not immediately attempt another run.
Instead, after erasing all traces at the sea floor, he restored his original appearance and quietly returned to Myriad Immortals Island.
There are two possible ways to break this deadlock.
The first is to find a way to treat Tian Yang’s debilitating illness. In the early stages, I should involve myself directly in the unfolding events. With enough variables, perhaps a different outcome will emerge.
The second is to reach the Golden Core realm during the period following the consumption of the Taishang Foundation Forging Pill.
If I can defeat those seven people, I should be able to unlock the subsequent developments.
No need to rush.
First, I need to determine what exactly happened to Tian Yang.
Without delay, Li Fan began searching through the Tianxuan Mirror using key terms.
Weakness. Lethargy. A body that never grows.
Moments later, dozens of results appeared.
A fetus forcibly expelled by a female cultivator before fully developing...
Congenital weakness of the constitution. Insufficient prenatal essential qi...
Requires treatment with potent elixirs capable of replenishing prenatal essential qi.