Inside the stone door engraved with the word "Pill" was a long, narrow passage.
Light emanated from both walls, keeping the passage from being too dim.
After walking for dozens of meters, Xu Chuan arrived at a room. It was an alchemy room with a bronze pill furnace situated right in the center.
In front of the furnace lay a meditation cushion, and to its left stood a stone table. Aside from these, the room was entirely empty.
The moment Xu Chuan stepped inside.
The same mechanical voice from earlier echoed once more.
"First trial of the Dao of Alchemy assessment. Choose one of the following pill recipes to refine. The time limit is six hours. Passing this trial will grant access to the second trial.
"Note: The difficulty of the chosen pill and the final evaluation will both affect the rewarded items.
"Candidate, please select the pill you wish to refine. You have sixty breaths of time to choose."
Xu Chuan immediately looked over.
The first was the recipe for the Spirit-Gathering Pill, whose efficacy was surprisingly thirty percent stronger than the Qi-Gathering Pill.
The second was the Realm-Breaking Pill recipe, which was the complete version of the fragmented recipe the Zhou family had obtained back then.
The third was the Spirit Condensing Pill recipe, designed to purify the mana of Qi Refining stage cultivators.
Without a doubt, the Spirit Condensing Pill was the hardest to refine.
With a cursory glance, Xu Chuan determined that the value of its materials was several times higher than that of the True Essence Pill, and its refinement difficulty was thirty percent greater.
"I choose the third recipe," he declared.
As soon as he spoke, the Spirit Condensing Pill recipe drifted into his hands while the other two vanished into thin air.
"The materials have been prepared in the storage pouch on the stone table. There are three sets of ingredients inside. If all three attempts fail, the assessment is failed."
The mechanical voice rang out again.
Turning his head, Xu Chuan indeed spotted the storage pouch.
It definitely hadn't been there a moment ago.
Such mysterious methods truly left him astounded.
"If I succeed on my first try, can I continue refining with the remaining materials? And will the resulting pills belong to me?" he asked.
Within the mysterious space.
Hearing this, the Dragon Girl's lips twitched slightly. This guy really wanted to take advantage of every little thing!
"Refining is permitted at any point within the assessment time limit until the candidate announces the conclusion of their session. Any pills refined by the candidate may be taken away."
The corners of Xu Chuan's mouth curved upward.
"Candidate, you now have one hour to study the pill recipe. If you feel your study is complete, you may begin immediately.
"The assessment timer will start the moment you begin refining."
Xu Chuan immediately started studying the Spirit Condensing Pill recipe. Then, he took out a set of materials from the storage pouch and used his Shennong's Hundred Herbs talent to taste them.
He had seen the materials for the Spirit Condensing Pill before; it would be incredibly difficult to gather even a few sets around the seven cities of Heavenly Azure Prefecture.
Now that he had free ingredients in front of him, he naturally wanted to maximize his alchemy yields.
One hour later.
Xu Chuan officially began the refinement process.
The provided cauldron was a Magic Treasure pill furnace, but Xu Chuan chose not to use it this time. Instead, he took the Li Feng Furnace from his storage pouch and used it for the refinement.
He reckoned that the Dao of Alchemy assessment would have at least three trials, corresponding to Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 pills, respectively.
Using the Magic Treasure pill furnace for Tier 3 pills would speed up the refinement process.
However, that required him to first familiarize himself with the furnace's flames.
Xu Chuan planned to finish refining the required assessment pills first, then use the spirit grass he brought himself to practice alchemy and get used to the Magic Treasure pill furnace.
Four hours later.
Xu Chuan finished refining all three sets of Spirit Condensing Pill materials.
The first batch yielded nine pills: five high-grade and four mid-grade.
The second batch yielded nine pills: seven high-grade and two mid-grade.
The third batch yielded nine pills, every single one of them high-grade.
The Dragon Girl, watching from behind the scenes, was mildly surprised.
To achieve such a near-perfect refinement with a brand-new recipe and only three sets of materials was a true testament to Xu Chuan's talent in the Dao of Alchemy.
Moreover, this particular recipe was a notch more difficult than ordinary Tier 2 pill recipes.
However, seeing him proceed to use the Magic Treasure pill furnace to refine other pills, her lips twitched again.
What kind of person was this!
To exploit a situation to such an extreme degree... even in ancient times, such a shameless person would be hard to find!
Once the six hours were up.
"The assessment has concluded. Candidate, please submit your assessment pill."
Naturally, Xu Chuan submitted the pills from his third batch.
"Spirit Condensing Pill. Formed nine pills, all high-grade. No failures during the refinement process, and every batch yielded at least five high-grade pills. Assessment evaluation: Superior-Elite.
"Special reward: Three high-grade Foundation Establishment Pills."
Xu Chuan's eyes lit up. He turned his head and, sure enough, a new porcelain bottle had appeared on the stone table.
"The second assessment will begin in twelve hours."
Xu Chuan pocketed the porcelain bottle and sat cross-legged to adjust his breathing.
Alchemy consumed both divine sense and mana. He immediately swallowed a high-grade Truth Condensing Pill to accelerate his mana recovery.
As for his divine sense...
With his current Golden Core level divine sense, the drain was negligible.
In the blink of an eye, the second trial began.
Once again, three pill recipes appeared.
The first was the Origin-Gathering Pill, suitable for the Foundation Establishment stage. Its efficacy was fifty percent greater than the True Essence Pill, and it remained effective even in Late Foundation Establishment.
The second was the Void Rushing Pill, an old familiar sight.
The third was the Heavenly Spirit Pill, which accelerated mana crystallization and aided in breaking through to Core Formation.
Xu Chuan's eyes widened instantly, wild joy blossoming in his heart.
As expected of an Ancient Great Sect!
If he could obtain their Alchemy Dao Inheritance, it would be an earth-shattering opportunity for him.
Of course, some of the materials listed in these recipes might be incredibly difficult to find, or perhaps even extinct.
"I choose the third one," he declared.
Both Xu Chuan and Xu Deling were on the verge of Core Formation. Pills that aided in this breakthrough were naturally a case of "the more, the better."
This time, he was given six hours to familiarize himself with the recipe.
Xu Chuan repeated his previous process: tasting the herbs to discern their properties, then using his own body as a simulated pill furnace to mentally test the refinement.
Following that, he officially began refining.
The refinement process took a full twenty-four hours.
Xu Chuan continued to use the Li Feng Furnace.
He devoted his entire focus to the task, not allowing himself to be distracted for even a second.
The very first batch was a success, yielding three pills: one high-grade and two mid-grade.
While the Heavenly Spirit Pill wasn't as difficult to refine as the Core Formation Pill, it was still far from easy, surpassing even some Tier 3 pills in complexity.
If not for his Shennong's Hundred Herbs talent, producing a high-grade pill on the first try would have been nearly impossible.
The second batch yielded four pills: three high-grade and one mid-grade.
The third batch yielded six pills: five high-grade and one mid-grade.
"This kid's talent in the Dao of Alchemy is absolutely on par with the renowned alchemy geniuses of the Azure Dragon Sect!"
The Dragon Girl's eyes shimmered with brilliant light as she murmured her praise.
After finishing, Xu Chuan once again spent his remaining time familiarizing himself with the Magic Treasure pill furnace.
Though the time was short...
It was enough for him to grasp the furnace's flames and perform basic alchemy.
"Heavenly Spirit Pill. Formed six pills, five high-grade. No failures during the refinement process, and every batch produced high-grade pills. Assessment evaluation: Superior-Elite.
"Special reward: One bottle of high-grade Spirit-Purifying Pills and one bottle of high-grade Heavenly Spirit Pills."
Xu Chuan had refined Spirit-Purifying Pills before.
They could eliminate hidden bodily ailments and purge accumulated pill toxins.
Taking them prior to Core Formation also provided a supplementary boost to the breakthrough.
Because Xu Chuan consistently chose recipes comparable to higher-tier pills, succeeded on his first attempts without any failures, and earned the highest evaluations, he was able to acquire these rare rewards.
The break before the third trial was a full day.
Xu Chuan restored himself to peak condition in just twelve hours. He spent the rest of his time studying fire control.
Soon, the third assessment began.
The three recipes presented were the Core Formation Pill, the Dragon Origin Pill, and the Taiyi Green Sun Pill.
The Core Formation Pill needed no introduction. It aided Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivators; even a low-grade pill increased the success rate by fifteen percent, while a high-grade one boosted it by thirty-five percent.
Combined with the Spirit-Purifying Pill and the Heavenly Spirit Pill...
If all three pills were high-grade, the chances of successful Core Formation would reach fifty percent.
Alternatively, forming a core using Connate Spirit Objects offered different odds: a low-grade object provided a twenty percent boost, with mid and high grades offering thirty and forty percent, respectively.
Meanwhile, Divine Ability Core Formation directly increased the success rate by a massive fifty percent.
The second option, the Dragon Origin Pill, was a Tier 3 high-grade pill, just like the Core Formation Pill.
Its effects deeply tempted Xu Chuan, though it was strictly targeted at demonic beasts with True Dragon bloodlines. It could purify their bloodline, making it significantly easier for a Tier 3 flood dragon beast to advance to Tier 4.
'Could it know that I have a peak Tier 3 flood dragon beast nearing the end of its lifespan?' Xu Chuan wondered.
The 'it' Xu Chuan thought of was the entity presiding over the Secret Realm's assessments.
He was certain that such highly customized trials and rewards had to be controlled by a sentient being behind the scenes.
It was no wonder that out of all those who entered the Secret Realm, only a minuscule fraction managed to secure any opportunities.
Who received these legacies and opportunities was entirely up to the orchestrator's whims.
He suspected his every action had long been exposed to this entity's watchful gaze. It was likely precisely because of this that he was being offered these inheritance opportunities.
Fortune and misfortune are indeed deeply intertwined.
That pretty much summed it up.
However, Xu Chuan didn't sense any malice from the other party. In all likelihood, it was a Secret Realm spirit or an entity akin to a Magic Treasure artifact spirit.
The final option, the Taiyi Green Spirit Pill, was a life-extending pill suitable for Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators.
Judging by its described effects, it belonged to the absolute highest tier of longevity pills.
A Golden Core cultivator who consumed it would instantly gain one hundred and twenty years of lifespan, while a Nascent Soul cultivator would gain fifty years.
The difficulty of this third trial had clearly spiked.
All three were notoriously difficult Tier 3 pills to refine, though the Taiyi Green Sun Pill was undeniably a cut above the other two in complexity.
"Given the precious nature of these pills and the rarity of their materials, only one set of ingredients will be provided for each recipe. The candidate has only one chance to refine it. Please choose carefully."
"The Taiyi Green Sun Pill is indeed more precious and holds greater value, but it is of no immediate use to me or the Xu family," Xu Chuan muttered to himself. "I've already memorized the recipe. I can just gather the ingredients in the future when the Xu family has truly grown powerful.
"As for the Dragon Origin Pill... it's hard to say how much of the True Dragon bloodline it will actually purify, and the boost to reaching Tier 4 is too uncertain. I'll leave that for later as well."
Xu Chuan quickly made his decision: he would refine the Core Formation Pill.
Firstly, this pill was the most useful to the current Xu family. Secondly, Xu Chuan had refined it before. Although he had only done so once or twice, the experience remained fresh in his mind. He was confident he could produce a high-grade pill on his first attempt.
"I choose the first one, the recipe for the Core Formation Pill," he announced.
The Core Formation Pill recipe drifted down as the other two vanished. Simultaneously, the required materials materialized on the stone table.
Xu Chuan didn't hesitate and immediately set to work.
This trial allocated a generous three days.
Leveraging the Magic Treasure pill furnace, Xu Chuan successfully completed the refinement in just one day.
The batch yielded five pills: three high-grade and two mid-grade.
Only by combining the Alchemy Dao Inheritance fragments he had acquired from the Mysterious Moon Secret Realm with his innate medicinal talent, his cultivation method, and his newly advanced Golden Core divine sense could he achieve such a masterful level of proficiency.
If it were any other Alchemy Grandmaster attempting a pill as difficult as the Core Formation Pill, they would inevitably produce some low-grade pills—unless they had refined dozens of batches and reached the pinnacle of perfection.
"Core Formation Pill. Formed five pills: three high-grade, two mid-grade, and zero low-grade. Assessment evaluation: Superior-Elite.
"Special reward: One high-grade Dragon Origin Pill."
Xu Chuan had been hoping for the Dragon Origin Pill, but he hadn't expected the reward to match his desires perfectly, let alone be a high-grade one!
While he didn't know if this would be enough to push Moyue into Tier 4, it would at least give the old dragon a glimmer of hope!
This meant he had not failed to uphold his past vow.
'Does this mean merely producing a single high-grade pill in this round guarantees a superior evaluation?' he pondered.
Xu Chuan didn't voice his question. With a flick of his sleeve robe, he swept the porcelain bottle containing the Dragon Origin Pill into his storage ring.
The physical rewards from this Candidate True Disciple assessment, coupled with the recipes he had silently memorized, already constituted a monumental stroke of fortune.
"Congratulations on successfully passing the Dao of Alchemy assessment. You are hereby awarded a Candidate True Disciple Token."
Upon those words, a token materialized in midair. Its back was engraved with an azure dragon, while its front bore the ancient character for 'Chuan'.
It was similar to the tokens seen earlier in the Heavenly Azure Sect plaza, but exuded an aura of much higher quality.
"This token can be refined with a drop of blood. When the Azure Dragon Secret Realm opens next, it grants the bearer one chance to be teleported directly inside. However, this is contingent upon the bearer successfully completing Divine Ability Core Formation."
Xu Chuan committed this to memory, though he couldn't help but sigh softly. 'The next opening... won't be for another sixty years.'
Xu Chuan was not yet one hundred and twenty years old. A sixty-year wait represented half his entire current lifespan; it was hard not to lament such a vast stretch of time.
Suddenly recalling something, Xu Chuan asked, "May I ask if there is a fourth trial? And if passed, are there further rewards?"
The mechanical voice responded.
"As a Candidate True Disciple of the Azure Dragon Sect, you are qualified to undertake the fourth assessment. Do you wish to proceed?"
"I wish to proceed," he affirmed.
Even if he only managed to fleece a Tier 4 pill recipe out of it, it would be a massive profit.
Behind the scenes, the Dragon Girl pondered over which recipe to assign him.
After all, attempting to refine a Tier 4 pill while only at the Foundation Establishment stage was extraordinarily difficult. But if he succeeded, it would prove that Xu Chuan's alchemy potential was top-tier even by ancient standards, marking him as someone destined to become an apex Alchemist.
"Only one Tier 4 pill recipe is available: the Tribulation-Crossing Pill. Its effect aids Golden Core cultivators in resisting the Inner Demon Tribulation when advancing to the Nascent Soul stage. One set of materials is provided.
"Successfully forming the pill will grant a superior evaluation. Refining a high-grade pill will grant a superior-elite evaluation and a mysterious reward."
'It's actually this pill!' Xu Chuan was profoundly shocked.
The Inner Demon Tribulation was the greatest obstacle a Golden Core cultivator faced when ascending to Nascent Soul. Countless cultivators had perished under the assault of their inner demons, leaving behind nothing but empty husks.
The difficulty of refining this pill far exceeded that of an ordinary Tier 4 pill!
'The standard superior reward should already be extraordinary. I wonder what that mysterious reward could possibly be?'
"For this trial, there is no time limit for studying the recipe or for the refinement process. Candidate True Disciple Xu Chuan, pace yourself accordingly."
No time limit?
Xu Chuan chuckled inwardly.
The Secret Realm was only open for a total of one month, and there was already less than half a month remaining.
Retracting his wandering thoughts, Xu Chuan willed his divine sense, pulling the storage pouch into his grasp. He extracted the spirit grass materials from within.
The most precious ingredients of the Tribulation-Crossing Pill were the Tribulation-Crossing Lotus Seed, Bodhi Saliva, and Clear Heart Flower.
There were only seven other supplementary materials.
The Tribulation-Crossing Lotus Seed and Bodhi Saliva were incredibly difficult to refine. Without Golden Core-level true fire, melting them into medicinal liquid was impossible. Thankfully, he had the Magic Treasure pill furnace to assist him.
Xu Chuan once again began his process of tasting the herbs.
However, he only dared to pinch the tiniest slivers of the materials. After all, these were high-grade or top-tier spirit grasses, each brimming with immense medicinal power.
Twelve hours later.
Xu Chuan's tightly shut eyes snapped open.
'With my current alchemy proficiency, I have a sixty or seventy percent chance of successfully forming the pill. But a high-grade pill... I still need to deeply study the combinations and variations of these medicinal properties.'
Using his body as a simulated pill furnace, Xu Chuan continuously tested the permutations of the medicinal properties.
Three days vanished in a flash.
Xu Chuan finally commenced the refinement, though he estimated the remaining materials would yield a maximum of three or four pills.
But that didn't matter; he only needed to produce one high-grade pill.
Xu Chuan split his divine sense into nine threads, simultaneously refining multiple materials.
"Is this... the divine sense control secret method recorded in the lower volume of the Pill Scripture?"
The Dragon Girl gasped in shock, before sighing with emotion, "Fate truly works in mysterious ways!"
It was ironic because the very reward the Dragon Girl had prepared was the Azure Dragon Sect's copy of the lower and middle volumes of the Pill Scripture, authored by the ancient Alchemy Ancestor.
To spread the Way of Alchemy, the Alchemy Ancestor had divided his life's masterwork, the Pill Scripture, into upper, middle, and lower volumes, corresponding to three major realm brackets.
The lower volume corresponded to Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core.
The middle volume corresponded to Nascent Soul, Divine Transformation, and Void Refinement.
The upper volume corresponded to Body Integration, Great Vehicle, and Tribulation Transcendence.
The three volumes of the Pill Scripture had once spread far and wide across the world, containing countless alchemy-related secret methods and myriad pill recipes.
In the ancient era, almost every major sect and faction possessed a copy.
Of course, complete sets were incredibly rare, held only by the absolute pinnacle forces.
Utilizing his divided divine sense for precise control, Xu Chuan compressed the estimated seven or eight days of refinement time down to just three days.
He successfully formed the pills in a single batch, yielding exactly three: one high-grade, one mid-grade, and one low-grade.
"This child absolutely possesses heaven-defying talent in the Dao of Alchemy!" the Dragon Girl cried out upon seeing the result, her vertical golden pupils dilated in pure disbelief.
During the third trial, the Dragon Girl could still rationalize his success by assuming he had studied and refined those specific pills before.
But a top-tier pill like the Tribulation-Crossing Pill? She guessed that most modern sects didn't even have its recipe in their archives. Moreover, someone at the Foundation Establishment stage like Xu Chuan should have had zero chance of ever encountering a Tier 4 recipe.
Even if they had the recipe, gathering all the listed materials would be virtually impossible.
Above the Golden Core stage, relying on pills to rapidly advance one's cultivation was essentially unfeasible; cultivators primarily relied on bitter ascetic practice, only occasionally supplementing it with the rare pills they managed to acquire.
The main bottleneck was always the extreme scarcity of the necessary spirit grass.
This had been true even in the ancient era, though things were perhaps slightly better back then.
Xu Chuan exhaled softly, the corners of his mouth turning upward.
He had a strong premonition that this Tribulation-Crossing Pill would be of immense use to the Xu family in the future.
A moment later.
"Tribulation-Crossing Pill successfully refined. Yield includes high, mid, and low grades. Assessment evaluation: Superior-Elite. Special reward: One Alchemy Dao Inheritance."
An Inheritance Jade Slip materialized on the stone table.
With a flip of his hand, Xu Chuan summoned the Inheritance Jade Slip into his palm. He pressed it against his glabella, and a massive torrent of knowledge immediately flooded his mind.
'The Pill Scripture?'
'So the Nine Flames Art secret method that Senior Yun Zhongzi acquired actually originated from the ancient Pill Scripture?!'
Xu Chuan was astonished. This Pill Scripture was unspeakably profound. Despite only receiving the lower and middle volumes, the sheer volume of information was as vast as the sea. It was undeniably the magnum opus of a supreme Alchemist from the ancient era.
"May I ask which senior authored the Pill Scripture?" he inquired aloud.
"There is no need for you to ask. If fate permits, you will naturally learn of it in the future. Candidate True Disciple Xu Chuan, you have passed all your assessments. Proceed forward, and you may leave this place."
Not lingering any longer, Xu Chuan left the room and returned to the main hall.
Xu Deling was already waiting in the hall.
"Deling, how did your Dao of Artifacts assessment go?"
"I passed." Xu Deling broke into a wide grin, then briefly recounted her trial.
Her first trial was refining a Fine-Grade Magical Artifact, the second was a Top-Grade Magical Artifact, and the third involved an artifact with Artifact Patterns.
Having cleared all three trials, Xu Deling was rewarded with three exceedingly rare materials—all of which were precisely what she needed to forge the Magic Treasures detailed in the Fire Emperor Scripture.
"Grandfather, besides the materials, I also received an Artifact Dao inheritance. It covers everything up to Top-Tier Magic Treasures, though it contains no records regarding the Spirit Treasures beyond that.
"Oh, and I got two tokens."
"Two tokens?" Xu Chuan paused in surprise. "Let me see them."
One token was identical to Xu Chuan's—an Azure Dragon Sect Candidate True Disciple Token. The other was similar in design, but its back bore the insignia of a Vermilion Bird.
"Could this token belong to the Vermilion Bird Sect, an ancient faction renowned alongside the Azure Dragon Sect?"
"That's what I thought too."
Xu Chuan's eyes flickered, and he said softly, "Perhaps it felt you share an affinity with the Vermilion Bird Sect and gifted it to you. If you ever stumble across a Secret Realm or inheritance trial left behind by them, it will surely come in handy."
Xu Deling nodded slightly in agreement.
"Both of you have successfully passed the Azure Dragon Sect's Candidate True Disciple assessments. When you complete Divine Ability Core Formation and enter the Secret Realm again in the future, you will receive the corresponding True Disciple inheritances.
"Do you wish to leave the inheritance space now?"
Xu Chuan sent a telepathic message to his granddaughter. 'Deling, you leave first and wait for me outside. I want to try my hand at the Way of Deduction assessment.'
'Understood, Grandfather.'
Xu Deling immediately voiced her desire to leave.
The very next moment.
Her figure vanished from the hall.
Xu Chuan, meanwhile, stepped through the stone door meant for the Way of Deduction.
Three days later.
He walked out of the Deduction door, muttering inwardly, 'The Way of Deduction is indeed incredibly obscure and profound. Still, clearing the first trial and obtaining the Lesser Astral Scripture was well worth the effort.'
He glanced at the stone doors for Talisman Dao and Array Dao, sighing softly. 'If Mingyuan and Mingxian were here, they would definitely pass their respective Candidate True Disciple assessments as well.
'By passing the assessments, they might have even acquired methods for their own Divine Ability Core Formation.'
The Lesser Astral Scripture he had just received conveniently contained records of an Astral Divine Ability.
"I wish to leave the inheritance space," Xu Chuan declared.
With those words, his figure disappeared from the inheritance space.
The Dragon Girl was deeply shocked that Xu Chuan had actually passed the Way of Deduction assessment. She couldn't help but wonder if he also harbored some hidden talent for divination and foretelling.
The threshold to enter the Way of Deduction was notoriously high, far eclipsing even the Array Dao.
Even in the ancient era, inheritances of this path were exceedingly rare, shrouded in absolute secrecy, and boasted very few practitioners.
Because of this, the Way of Deduction assessment consisted of only a single trial.
If Xu Chuan hadn't decided to leave right after claiming his reward, the Dragon Girl felt she would have had a genuinely hard time figuring out what to do next.
Upon returning to the outside world.
Moyue suddenly contacted Xu Chuan. "Xu Chuan, why couldn't I reach you these past few days?"
Xu Chuan replied with a smile, "We must have been shielded by a powerful entity within the Secret Realm."
"However, Deling and I managed to obtain the legacy of the ancient Azure Dragon Sect and have become Candidate True Disciples. You could say we've stumbled upon a world-shaking opportunity."
"The ancient Azure Dragon Sect's legacy? Candidate True Disciples?"
Xu Chuan didn't hide anything from Moyue, briefly recounting their experiences.
"Xu Chuan, about that high-grade Dragon Origin Pill..."
"It naturally belongs to you. Once your strength recovers to peak Tier 3, I'll give it to you. It should provide a decent boost to your chances of breaking through to Tier 4."
"Thank you, Xu Chuan," Moyue expressed his gratitude earnestly, then added, "But Tier 4 isn't so easily achieved. You immortal cultivators face the Inner Demon Tribulation when stepping into the Nascent Soul stage.
"We Demonic Beasts, on the other hand, must endure the Lightning Tribulation.
"Countless peak Tier 3 Demonic Beasts are utterly terrified of the heavenly lightning, never daring to take that final step for their entire lives.
"With my old, worn-out body..."
"Don't worry," Xu Chuan interrupted. "If your body isn't resilient enough, the Xu family will forge Magic Treasures to help you withstand the heavenly lightning.
"Deling obtained a portion of the Azure Dragon Sect's Artifact Dao inheritance. Once she reaches the Golden Core stage, she'll definitely be able to accomplish it.
"If one Magic Treasure isn't enough, we'll forge two, or even three. We'll do whatever it takes to boost your chances of surviving the tribulation.
"Besides, if you become a Tier 4 Shapeshifting Great Demon, it will be a momentous occasion for the Xu family as well."
Moyue was deeply moved. He swore once again, "I, Moyue, swear upon the name of the Ancestral Dragon: I will never betray the Xu family in this lifetime. I shall share in your glory and your disgrace!"
"You've even learned to be melodramatic," Xu Chuan chuckled softly.
Next, he turned to Xu Deling. "Deling, we still have a few days left. Let's wander around the Secret Realm a bit more and see if we can scavenge any extra spirit grass or materials."
Xu Deling gave a slight nod.
The two of them were like cunning foxes. As long as they didn't wish to show themselves, no one would be able to catch even a glimpse of their shadows.
After all, Xu Chuan's spiritual sense probing range was over ten times larger than that of the other cultivators, and his scans were nearly imperceptible. Avoiding unwanted encounters was as easy as flipping his hand.
Even when hunting Demonic Beasts, they set up peak Tier 2 Formations to completely isolate the fluctuations of battle.
In the blink of an eye, the final day of the Secret Realm expedition arrived.
Xu Chuan firmly believed that the Xu family was undoubtedly the biggest winner of this trip.
However, Xu Deling voiced a concern. "Grandfather, do you think the Heavenly Azure Sect will inspect our storage pouches?"
Xu Chuan rubbed his chin, bowing his head in deep thought. After a moment, he replied, "Just to be safe, before we leave, we'll transfer everything we gained from the inheritance trials into my storage ring, then have Moyue swallow it for safekeeping.
"Given the grade of my storage ring, staying in his stomach for ten days to half a month won't cause any issues.
"As for the rest of our haul, it shouldn't raise any alarms.
"But in my opinion, the Azure Dragon Sect wouldn't covet these mere trinkets. Their foundation is far deeper than the Seven Cities' Golden Core Aristocratic Families and the Three Sects combined."
Xu Deling nodded slightly.
Meanwhile, at the foot of a mountain peak some three to four hundred kilometers away.
There was originally a cave here, but it had been concealed by an illusion formation.
Secluded within this cave was none other than Chen Changge, who had unexpectedly acquired a low-grade metal-attribute Connate Spirit Object.
He was using this Connate Spirit Object to push for the Golden Core stage.
Soon enough, the final day dawned.
At this moment.
All the mana within Chen Changge's Dantian sea of qi had completely crystallized.
In the next instant, his sea of qi abruptly boiled. His previously sluggish mana surged with vibrant activity as a profound shackle within his body was violently shattered.
Suddenly.
First, the spiritual mist within a few meters converged upon Chen Changge. Then, it expanded to a hundred meters, a thousand meters...
In less than half an incense stick's time, the spiritual qi spanning a fifty-kilometer radius surged toward him like a tidal wave, forming a visible torrent of energy in the sky.
The illusion formation he had set up shattered instantly, leaving the cave entirely exposed.
Five-colored spiritual lights intertwined, condensing into a multicolored spiritual qi vortex dozens of meters in diameter.
The vortex connected to the heavens, churning the cloud layers into a roiling frenzy as spiritual qi cascaded into Chen Changge's body like a majestic waterfall.
Such a massive heaven and earth phenomenon could be felt from over a thousand kilometers away.
Countless people turned their gazes toward the disturbance.
"That's... a Core Formation Phenomenon!" someone exclaimed in shock. "I saw an elder in my family breakthrough to Core Formation once, and it looked exactly like this!
"Who managed to encounter such a miraculous opportunity and successfully form their core inside the Secret Realm?!"
"Their luck is simply too absurd!"
"This person definitely found a massive opportunity. They might have even laid their hands on a Connate Spirit Object!"
"It's a pity they're already at the final, most crucial stage of Core Formation. Under the pressure of that spiritual qi vortex, even a Golden Core cultivator wouldn't be able to approach, let alone us."
A wisp of burning jealousy flickered in almost everyone's eyes.
In the Southern Heaven Region, only by successfully forming a Golden Core could one become a highly respected powerhouse.
To such experts, Foundation Establishment cultivators were little more than children playing house.
"Condense!"
Chen Changge's eyes snapped open, a brilliant light flashing within them. The remaining rosy rays of the Connate Spirit Object rushed entirely into his Dantian.
Countless motes of spiritual light gradually coalesced within his Dantian sea of qi, forming a pale golden core seed the size of a soybean.
The moment the core seed took shape, the surrounding spiritual qi vortex suddenly accelerated. Multicolored light poured in madly, causing the core seed to swell as intricate spiritual patterns surfaced on its exterior.
Just as the core seed was about to stabilize into a true Golden Core, an invisible bottleneck abruptly materialized. The circulation of his spiritual power drastically stagnated, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead as his complexion paled.
In this critical moment of peril, the residual connate essence from the Connate Spirit Object suddenly detonated within his Dantian. It transformed into a warm current that wrapped around the core seed and viciously battered against the bottleneck.
A low roar tore from Chen Changge's throat. The external spiritual qi vortex violently contracted, then immediately ballooned outwards. Within the five-colored light, a brilliant golden radiance began to faintly shine through.
Crack! A soft fracturing sound echoed.
The bottleneck shattered!
The core seed instantly stabilized!
It matured into a longan-sized Golden Core, hovering perfectly in the center of his sea of qi, radiating a suffocatingly thick Golden Core Pressure.
When the heaven and earth phenomenon first emerged, many cultivators immediately flew toward its epicenter.
Xu Chuan and Xu Deling were just as astonished. After a brief thought, they also flew over to see the spectacle.
Xu Chuan was intensely curious about who had obtained such a profound Golden Core Formation Opportunity that they dared to enter secluded cultivation right there in the Secret Realm—and actually succeeded.
Of course, speaking of Golden Core Formation Opportunities, Xu Chuan currently held a full five sets in his hands, even if they were just medicinal pills.
But when combined with the supplementary Spirit-Purifying Pills and Heavenly Spirit Pills, those sets could provide virtually any Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivator in the Secret Realm a solid chance of ascending to the Golden Core stage.
Half an incense stick's time later.
The heaven and earth phenomenon gradually subsided. The multicolored spiritual qi vortex slowly dissipated, and the spiritual qi within a fifty-kilometer radius calmed. The clouds parted, allowing the sunlight to spill over the land once more.
Chen Changge slowly retracted his aura. In his palm rested the Connate Spirit Object, now bereft of its radiant glow, reduced to a dull, dark-gold husk. He carefully put it away.
The Golden Core Pressure radiating from his body rippled outward like water waves, causing his robes to flutter wildly in the wind.
Looking up at the open sky, a faint smile graced the corners of his lips.
"I've finally stepped into the Golden Core stage. With this, my Chen family will command far greater authority within the Green Wood Sect."
Expanding his divine sense, he instantly detected the immortal cultivators hovering a few kilometers outside the cave and those still rushing toward him.
"Fellow Daoists, why don't you come over for a chat?"
Chen Changge spoke softly, yet his voice effortlessly echoed across a radius of dozens of kilometers.
"It's Chen Changge!" someone immediately recognized him.
"It's actually him!"
Many were left in utter disbelief.
Compared to almost everyone else present, Chen Changge was undoubtedly considered an elder generation figure.
"Of the original twin heroes of the Green Wood Sect, Feng Juechen successfully formed his core decades ago. And now, after surviving his fatal deadline, Chen Changge entered the Secret Realm and actually secured his own Core Formation opportunity!"
Many couldn't help but sigh in deep admiration.
But right now, the man standing before them was a Golden Core Perfected Being. The appropriate respect had to be given.
Hence, everyone reigned in their petty thoughts and respectfully approached the front of the cave.
Xu Chuan and Xu Deling were among them.
Chen Changge emerged from the cave clad in a pristine azure daoist robe, its hem utterly devoid of dust. His sleeves fluttered like flowing clouds brushing against the mountainside.
His hair was tied in a simple topknot, secured only by a ten-centimeter peach wood hairpin. The pin was light brown, entirely unadorned, and exceedingly plain.
His temples were slightly graying, and a few strands of frost-white hair mingled among his dark locks, draped casually by his ears.
His complexion was far more lustrous than before.
His eyes were as clear as calm autumn waters. Although he didn't deliberately project his aura when he gazed around, a tangible spiritual light lingered in the depths of his pupils. His lips were slightly pursed, exuding a transcendent calmness born from his recent breakthrough.
"We pay our respects to Perfected Being Chen! Congratulations on your successful Core Formation, Perfected Being Chen, and may you enjoy the great Dao of longevity!"
"We pay our respects to Perfected Being Chen! Congratulations on your successful Core Formation, Perfected Being Chen, and may you enjoy the great Dao of longevity!"
No one knew who initiated the chant, but everyone quickly followed suit, bowing respectfully with cupped fists.
Even Xi Tiannan, a disciple of the Xi family, didn't dare show the slightest hint of arrogance in the face of a true Golden Core Perfected Being.
"Fellow Daoists, there is no need for such formalities,"
Chen Changge said evenly. "We are about to exit the Secret Realm soon. Once my Chen family hosts a Golden Core Grand Ceremony, I will invite all of you to attend.
"For now, let us disperse."
The crowd bowed once more before taking their leave in droves.
'Daoist Friend Xu, please stay for a moment,' Chen Changge suddenly transmitted his voice to the grandfather-granddaughter pair.
Hearing this, Xu Chuan and Xu Deling remained behind.