Roaring Metal’s Law, Lush Wood’s Law, Solid Earth’s Law.
As for fire... Li Fan surveyed his options, comparing them, and decided it would be more practical to simply use Crimson Flame’s Law.
In this world, Crimson Flame had been strengthened by heaven and earth, and Its combat power had greatly increased. It was no longer the unremarkable entity It once was. Using It as one of the five elemental laws for Li Fan's core formation was entirely feasible.
This attempt to form my Golden Core, using the laws of five elements as a foundation supplemented by two sets of mutually opposing laws, is a bold experiment of mine.
There might be some minor flaws, but expecting perfection on the first try is impossible.
Back then, it took me a hundred lifetimes to forge a perfect Dao Foundation using Return to Truth.
Achieving a perfect Golden Core certainly won't be easy either.
Let's just give it a try.
With this in mind, Li Fan spent a total of 180,000 contribution points to purchase the three core formation insights.
In an instant, three Golden Cores of different shapes, appearing somewhat incomplete, materialized in Li Fan's hand.
Just like when refining Curios of heaven and earth, use the Object Devouring Technique to swallow them, then strip away and comprehend the laws contained within.
Without hesitation, Li Fan swallowed the three Golden Core fragments in one gulp.
Operating the Object Devouring Technique, the fragments traveled to his dantian.
Return to Truth exerted a powerful pull, and flecks of golden light drifted up from the fragments, drawn into it like a black hole
Bit by bit, insights into the Laws of Metal, Fire, and Earth surfaced in Li Fan's mind.
It was different from anything he had heard, seen, or personally learned from others.
This feeling was like recalling a memory one was born with but had forgotten, the sensation far more profound in that instant of recollection.
This is indeed good stuff, saving me much effort. Those contribution points were well spent.
Unfortunately, those circulating publicly are only ordinary insights. Even if one can easily form a core with them, the final achievements will be limited.
If I weren't simply using them to complete the laws of five elements, and didn’t have insights into the four Laws of Ink Death, Hidden Reserves, Heaven-Scorning, and Blue Flame, I would absolutely never ruin my prospects like this.
As time passed, the three Golden Core fragments grew smaller and smaller.
Once they were completely absorbed, Li Fan successfully comprehended the laws of five elements.
All preparations are in order. I can begin core formation.
To reduce the difficulty, Li Fan also purchased Metal, Wood, Fire, and Earth attribute Curios of heaven and earth from the Tianxuan Mirror to serve as foundations during law coalescence.
After quickly reviewing his insights of the nine laws in his mind one by one, Li Fan took a deep breath.
Activating the seclusion and do-not-disturb function of his residence, a sharp glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes as he formally began his core formation.
First, the boundless power of hidden reserves within my body, the Law of Creation.
Boom!
A sound like a volcanic eruption echoed faintly from within his body. Li Fan operated the Creation Forge Technique at full power, mobilizing the infinite, vitality-rich power of hidden reserves within him.
Soon, a flush of crimson appeared on Li Fan's face.
This was because his true self had not previously cultivated the Creation Forge Technique; his physique was relatively weak and couldn't quite withstand the sudden activation of so much power from his hidden reserves.
However, Li Fan's heart was as still as water, without a trace of fear.
The sensation of his avatar being devoured by the black particles resurfaced in his mind.
From Return to Truth, a force of eradication and dissolution suddenly appeared, coursing through his entire body in an instant, counteracting the burgeoning power of hidden reserves.
Creation and dissolution, two mutually opposing forces, engendered and restrained each other, entwining together.
As they collided within Li Fan's body, they gradually wove together like a spiral. After making a cycle through his body, they poured back into Return to Truth.
These two methods have reached equilibrium. I can attempt the next step.
Li Fan's heart was devoid of joy or sorrow.
Half of Return to Truth suddenly transformed, taking on the likeness of the Heaven-Scorning Sword Intent.
This time, the Heaven-Scorning Sword Intent that manifested was not just based on Zhang Haobo’s Foundation Establishment Curio from his twelfth lifetime. It also incorporated Li Fan's new insights from witnessing the Heaven-Scorning Sword fragment in this life.
It carried an even greater sense of distortion and madness.
Black baleful energy surged from the Heaven-Scorning Sword Intent, spreading relentlessly throughout his dantian.
The spiritual qi gathered within his dantian instantly grew chaotic. And as the baleful energy spread, it seemed on the verge of erupting and spiraling out of control.
A whispering murmur abruptly sounded in Li Fan's ears. Even with a mind tempered by countless simulation cycles, he found himself uncontrollably agitated. A hint of madness gradually surfaced in his pitch-black eyes.
At that moment, the Blue Flame phantom spirit emerged from his sea of consciousness, transforming into a trickling stream of azure flame that washed over his entire being.
The agitation and distortion were suppressed in an instant.
The Heaven-Scorning Sword Intent seemed to sense something, its form trembling slightly as if in great displeasure. But the stream of Blue Flame had already arrived within his dantian, enveloping the sword intent. No matter how the black baleful energy rushed and battered the walls of its prison, it could not break through the Blue Flame's blockade.
Freed from the influence of the Heaven-Scorning Sword Intent, the distortion in Li Fan's eyes slowly faded.
The Heaven-Scorning Sword is truly formidable. Even glimpsing a sliver of its true nature nearly caused me to lose control. Fortunately, I have the absolutely rational Blue Flame to help me avert disaster.
Heaven-Scorning and Blue Flame have also achieved equilibrium. With the four foundational forces ready, what comes next is the laws of five elements.
In one gulp, he swallowed the four Curios of heaven and earth he had prepared in advance.
Return to Truth transformed once more, this time into the likeness of the Deepsea Pearl.
The powers of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth attributes converged simultaneously within his dantian. Together, they were an immense force, so vast that Li Fan's dantian faintly showed signs of bursting. His physical body even began to swell.
Li Fan’s heart sank. He diverted a sliver of his focus to prepare to trigger Return to Truth in case of failure.
He concentrated all his remaining mental energy on striving to regulate the balance of the forces within him.
But the powers of the five elements complemented each other. After entering his dantian, far from dissipating, they only grew stronger as time passed, merging and intertwining.
This is a bit too much after all. Li Fan sighed inwardly. Will this attempt end in failure?
Just as he thought this, the spiral of creation and dissolution, and the sword-flame of reason and distortion, jointly launched an attack against the power of the five elements. Perhaps the rampant behavior of this external force had provoked the displeasure of these two pairs of powers.
It was as if a tremendous explosion erupted within his dantian.
Pfft!
The violent impact caused Li Fan to cough up a mouthful of blood. Yet, on his face, instead of alarm, there was joy.
Because Li Fan sensed that within the aftermath of the explosion, a massive vortex had appeared within the glowing cloud that was the true form of Return to Truth.
The power of the five elements, the spiral, and the sword-flame were all sucked into the vortex. Within it, they mingled, yet remained distinct.
At the vortex's deepest point, a Golden Core was slowly taking shape—a sphere of swirling primordial chaos, neither wholly black nor wholly white.