Even though the pain was intense, the effects of the “Jade Marrow Gold” were obvious. Almost instantly, Wei Tu could feel his physical strength increasing.
Two or three years later.
The skin covered with “Jade Marrow Gold” on Wei Tu’s body peeled off like falling snow, revealing fresh skin as smooth as white jade.
At the same time, dragon roars and tiger growls echoed from within his body.
"Advancing in body refinement, every stage is no easy task." Wei Tu broke free from the pain, focused his mind, and couldn’t help but sigh.
During the use of “Jade Marrow Gold,” it felt like he was a drowning man in the deep sea, suffocated all over, wanting to escape, but reason told him he had to stay submerged.
Luckily, he was a talisman master, with mental strength stronger than ordinary cultivators. Otherwise, under such torture, he would’ve gone mad long ago.
"I’ll rest for a few months before using it again." Wei Tu looked at the “Jade Marrow Gold” in the jade box in front of him, determination flashing in his eyes.
The strength of the flesh was forged through this cycle of destruction and rebirth.
Time flowed slowly.In Cloud Lark Residence, Wei Tu’s days consisted only of seated cultivation and refining his body using “Jade Marrow Gold.”
During his body refinement, Wei Tu discovered something worth celebrating.
Every time his body refining cultivation broke through, the “spiritual energy lake” in his dantian would expand.
Accumulated over time, in just these few years, the total amount of his spiritual energy had increased by five percent.
That might not sound like much, but that five percent was equivalent to twenty percent of a Foundation Establishment early-stage cultivator’s spiritual energy.
Of course, during the gaps in his seclusion, Wei Tu also spared some attention to command his “Sword Warrior Puppet” to feed the Seven-Colored Phantom Moth and the Wind-Cleaving Eagle with “Immortal Spirit Dew.”
In a blink, several more years passed.
When the seven-year agreement with Nan Zi arrived, Wei Tu still hadn’t come out of seclusion.
"What’s going on? Why is this Wei Tu’s seclusion so long?" Nan Zi stood at the door of Cloud Lark Residence, touching the wooden sign that read “In Seclusion,” her face showing confusion.
Normally.
Even if a Foundation Establishment cultivator was breaking through, they wouldn’t stay in seclusion for four or five years. At most, they’d come out after two or three.
While many Foundation Establishment cultivators did stay in seclusion longer, most of them did so just to kill time, under the excuse of cultivation.
"Senior Brother Wei probably has something important, no time to meet Miss Nan." Hua Xianlong, standing behind Nan Zi, shook his gold-edged folding fan, pretending to be wise.
"Are you trying to sow discord between me and Daoist Friend Wei?"
Nan Zi wasn’t fooled by Hua Xianlong’s words. She gave him a half-smile, her eyes sharp.
She clearly remembered that over ten years ago, when she asked Wei Tu about Hua Xianlong, Wei Tu didn’t badmouth him in front of her.
In comparison.
Wei Tu’s character stood out immediately.
Hua Xianlong’s face stiffened when he heard this. He folded his fan with a snap, displeased, and said, "Two years ago, on the day Master gave a lecture, Senior Brother Wei didn’t show up..."
"Because of this, Master is very displeased with Senior Brother Wei."
"A man who doesn’t respect his master, how could he possibly respect you, Miss Nan?"
Hua Xianlong sneered.
Since taking Master Che as his teacher, he had long been resentful that Wei Tu was favored by Che Zhenjun.
If Wei Tu hadn’t become “Senior Brother,” stealing the duty of teaching Mu Die, then Mu Die, that “little junior sister,” would now be his.
Of course, the main reason he bore a grudge against Wei Tu was that Wei Tu’s cultivation was weaker than his, only surpassing him in talisman skills.
If Wei Tu’s cultivation was like Gao Chen’s, a False Core True Master, Hua Xianlong wouldn’t dare stir trouble.
Absent from the lecture?
Nan Zi’s beautiful eyes flickered, and she became even more curious about Wei Tu.
From their two meetings over a decade ago, she knew Wei Tu wasn’t someone who’d break a promise.
Missing their seven-year appointment.
Missing Che Zhenjun’s lecture too.
Wei Tu… surely had his secrets.
...
Wei Tu knew nothing of what was happening outside. He was now fully focused, his mind set only on cultivation, waiting for his body refining to reach the late second-rank peak.
Time flew, days and months passed like a shuttle.
By the tenth year of his seclusion, the third-rank cultivation technique he had switched to, the “Divine Wood Origin Technique,” had reached the third level.
By the fifteenth year, with the help of the body refining treasure “Jade Marrow Gold,” Wei Tu’s body refining reached the “major accomplishment” stage of late second rank.
Just one more step to the peak.
By the twenty-third year.
Wei Tu’s “Hundred Veins Blood Tempering Art” reached the ninth level, and his cultivation broke through to the late second-rank peak.
Qi and body, both at peak.
However, Wei Tu didn’t rush to end his seclusion. He continued to cultivate, waiting for the opportunity to form his Golden Core.
Time flashed by.
Another four years passed.
That year, Wei Tu came out of seclusion and rushed to the Loose Immortal Alliance to apply for a third-rank residence.
—Golden Core disciples had the privilege to enter a third-rank residence for seclusion once every ten years. The duration was two months.
This was a Golden Core disciple’s benefit.
The cultivators of the Loose Immortal Alliance, upon seeing Wei Tu’s identity token, didn’t give him any trouble and quickly arranged a third-rank residence for him.
All third-rank residences were located at the peaks of Honghe Mountain Marketplace, right next to the mansions of the Golden Core True Lords.
After receiving the residence token, Wei Tu didn’t waste a moment. He immediately flew to the third-rank residence and began his seclusion.
Almost the very next day.
The sky over Honghe Mountain Marketplace suddenly filled with dark clouds, lightning danced wildly, and the heavens changed dramatically.
At the same time, the spiritual energy from the surrounding peaks surged like a tide toward the third-rank residence where Wei Tu was.
This immense spiritual energy formed a giant vortex, spinning above Honghe Mountain Marketplace.
“Someone’s forming their core?”
As the phenomenon appeared, all the cultivators outside the residences instinctively looked up, their faces filled with envy.
Foundation Establishment cultivators were considered the backbone in all major factions.
But in times of war, Foundation Establishment cultivators were just a notch above Qi Refinement cannon fodder.
However, Golden Core cultivators were different.
No matter the faction or place, Golden Core cultivators were firmly part of the upper ranks, the ones who held real power.
Several Golden Core True Lords flew out of their mansions and arrived outside Wei Tu’s residence.
Among them was the master Wei Tu had taken on several decades ago—Che Gongwei.
“Who’s entered this residence for seclusion?” A green-robed cultivator with a fine jade band on his forehead looked at the residence manager on the ground and asked.
The residence manager was an old man in gray robes, his face full of panic.
“It’s True Lord Che’s disciple, Wei Tu.” This gray-robed old man had already investigated when the phenomenon started, so he answered smoothly.
As he spoke, the gray-robed old man cautiously glanced at True Lord Che.
“What? Wei Tu?” True Lord Che was shocked, completely caught off guard.
With his cultivation, he wouldn’t normally lose composure like this. But… the Golden Core Realm was just too important.
True Lord Che had never thought that the one breaking through to Golden Core this time would be Wei Tu, the newly accepted “Senior Disciple.”
“So he missed those lectures because he was preparing for Golden Core?” True Lord Che thought back to Wei Tu’s strange actions over the past decades, pondering.
He’d been curious about Wei Tu’s prolonged seclusion more than ten years ago.
But a cultivator’s seclusion, even for a master, wasn’t something to interrupt lightly.
And as a Golden Core True Lord, a busy man, how could he worry about such a minor matter?
With time, he simply put it out of his mind.
After all… if Wei Tu didn’t come to hear his lectures, it was Wei Tu’s own loss. As a master, there was nothing for him to care about.
“Your disciple, Daoist Friend Che?” The green-robed cultivator glanced at True Lord Che, his eyes full of curiosity.
True Lord Che nodded at first, then shook his head with a bitter smile.
“Daoist Friend Qi, I had no idea my disciple… actually had such ability, silently preparing to form his core.”
True Lord Che felt his old face couldn’t hold up, laughing self-deprecatingly.
A disciple breaking through, yet the master didn’t know—this was enough to be a joke in the cultivation world.
The green-robed cultivator, known as “True Lord Qi,” shook his head and comforted, “The plan we set decades ago, taking in rogue cultivators as disciples. These rogue cultivators, not raised from youth, naturally keep some distance… it’s normal, Daoist Friend Che, don’t mind it.”
As the words fell.
True Lord Che thought it made sense, and his expression eased.
“But this sudden core formation by Wei Tu, I fear he may fail.” With his mind calmer, True Lord Che began to worry about whether Wei Tu would succeed.
No matter what.
Wei Tu had taken him as master.
If Wei Tu succeeded in forming his core, he would gain a “Golden Core disciple,” and his power and reputation in the Loose Immortal Alliance would grow.
“I remember Wei Tu went to the Cloud Ze Secret Realm of the Heshan Huang Clan.”
“This time, his seclusion breakthrough must be due to some Golden Core opportunity he found in Cloud Ze Secret Realm.”
“Otherwise, with his cautious nature, he wouldn’t have rushed into seclusion to break through.”
True Lord Qi smiled faintly.
Wei Tu alone wasn’t worth much attention, but what he cared about was the Heshan Huang Clan, which held the inheritance of a third-rank formation master.
While keeping an eye on the Heshan Huang Clan, he had remembered the only surviving cultivator from the last Cloud Ze Secret Realm trip—Wei Tu.
“I wonder what method he used to avoid Huang Xinglie’s detection,” True Lord Che sighed.
Just thinking that Huang Xinglie, also a Golden Core cultivator, had suffered a major setback at Wei Tu’s hands made him feel a bit better.
It meant he wasn’t foolish—Wei Tu was just too cunning.
“Wei Tu didn’t report this breakthrough to us, but he’s the only one in our Loose Immortal Alliance in Zheng Kingdom about to reach the Golden Core Realm…”
“We must guard the way for him.”
After some idle talk, True Lord Qi looked at the surrounding Golden Core cultivators and spoke in a firm tone.
His meaning was obvious.
Even though Wei Tu had concealed his attempt to break through, which was a bit underhanded, no matter what, Wei Tu was a cultivator of the Loose Immortal Alliance and, on the surface, the disciple of True Lord Che.
Besides, Wei Tu was a Zheng Kingdom cultivator.
This identity was extremely crucial for the Loose Immortal Alliance, which had once been part of Jing Kingdom’s forces.
Given all these factors, the Loose Immortal Alliance had to protect Wei Tu’s breakthrough.
Otherwise, the hearts of the alliance’s cultivators would surely waver.
“Even if Wei Tu wasn’t from the Loose Immortal Alliance, as long as he wasn’t an enemy of ours, we’d still have the duty to guard his path…”
One of the Golden Core True Lords laughed heartily.
Forming a Golden Core wasn’t something that happened quickly.
At the shortest, seven or eight days; at the longest, three or four months.
Thus, while Wei Tu was still in seclusion, the news of his breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm spread quickly from Honghe Mountain Marketplace.
In no time, the whole cultivation world was in an uproar.
“Regret!” At the Heshan Huang Clan, the clan head Huang Changshun sat in a daze on the seat of the clan hall. After a long time, he finally uttered this word.
Back then, he was convinced Wei Tu could never form a Golden Core, so to win over Alchemist Shu as a patron, he had done everything to make life difficult for Wei Tu.
Now, Wei Tu was on the verge of forming a core. Even if he failed, he’d still be a false core True Lord.
A false core True Lord who was also a second-rank top-grade talisman master, and harbored ill will toward the Heshan Huang Clan—Huang Changshun couldn’t imagine the disaster that would bring.
“Wei Tu? He’s about to break through to Golden Core? Could it be he took Sister Si’s ‘Illusion Crystal Pouch’ and used it to hide from Huang Xinglie’s detection?”
Far away in Jing Kingdom, Liu Zuoshi once again suspected that the one who killed Si Qing Daoist was none other than Wei Tu.
But unlike last time, this time Liu Zuoshi was almost certain that Wei Tu was the killer.
Only this could explain how Wei Tu’s cultivation advanced so quickly after leaving Cloud Ze Secret Realm, and why he now had the confidence to attempt Golden Core.
“With the Loose Immortal Alliance guarding him, we demon cultivators would pay too high a price to stop his breakthrough. And… it would also expose the treasure of Nanhua Sect…”
Liu Zuoshi’s face darkened with worry.
“In twenty years, the five demon sects will join forces to invade Zheng Kingdom. At that time, our Tian Girl Sect’s True Lords can take Wei Tu, and force him to reveal what happened in the secret realm.”
Liu Zuoshi’s eyes gleamed, and he quickly thought of an opportunity to strike.
In twenty years, the five demon sects would have fully digested their gains from invading Jing Kingdom.
By then, the Zheng Kingdom would face a five sect demon force even stronger than what Jing Kingdom faced a century ago.
Meanwhile, in Xiyue Mountain.
“Third Brother is about to form his core?”
Fu Zhizhou, walking through the Zhao Clan’s grounds, had a complex look on his face upon hearing the news.
“Hehe, he’s about to break through to Golden Core. And you? When will you break through? You’re still at mid Foundation Establishment?”
“Where’s your pride now? When you left the Brotherhood meeting in such a grand fashion, wasn’t that so impressive?”
Suddenly, a voice filled with demonic energy echoed in Fu Zhizhou’s mind.
At the same time, a strange dark red mark as thick as a thumb appeared on Fu Zhizhou’s neck.
This mark seemed alive, slowly creeping up his neck toward his face.
“Shut up!” Fu Zhizhou coldly snorted, using his technique to suppress the demonic voice in his mind.
“Merge with me, borrow my Dao power, and you can break through to Golden Core as easily as he did…”
As Fu Zhizhou suppressed it, the demonic voice weakened, but before it faded, it continued to tempt him.
Just before it became silent.
The voice turned, cursing, “If I hadn’t fallen and your body wasn’t the only suitable one nearby, how could I have chosen someone as cold-hearted as you?”
Wei Tu’s breakthrough news wasn’t only known to Fu Zhizhou in Xiyue Mountain.
“Over forty years… I didn’t expect him to reach Golden Core too.”
A girl in a moon-white dress silently gazed at the jade talisman in her hand, a trace of longing in her eyes.
This girl in white was none other than Zhao Qingluo, who had successfully reached Golden Core herself just a few years ago.