Chapter 167: Brocade Clothes, Daily Travel

Inside the Mysterious Gate of Heaven and Earth

Zhang Jian held a solidified gray talisman in his hand, his soul manifestation silently entered Tongshan, rushing straight toward Beheading Demon Peak.

After breaking through the Golden Core realm, Zhang Jian naturally needed to report to the Beheading Demon lineage.

The Tongshan Dao lineage treats true disciples of each realm differently.

Although dwelling in the mortal world, some of one's own resources cannot simply be discarded.

Bai Xianyin looked in surprise at the figure surrounded by a layer of golden radiance.

This figure was enveloped by round, harmonious, primordial profound light, the golden core light bursting forth, its spiritual pressure heavy and far surpassing before.

She couldn't help but be astonished.

"Young Master, you've formed your Golden Core this quickly?"

"Fast?"

Zhang Jian smiled as he looked at the little girl before him.

"Not just fast—it's outright exaggerated!"

Bai Xianyin's eyes held a strange look; a year ago when she saw Zhang Jian, he had just tested his fate and barely completed Foundation Establishment, yet in the blink of an eye, upon meeting again, he had already advanced to Golden Core achievement.

Even ordinary true disciples within the sect, even if possessing an innate Dao body, must cultivate for decades or centuries to refine their spiritual power, and to perfect their soul, essence, and fate before daring to cautiously attempt a breakthrough.

Upon achieving Golden Core, one could be said to gradually transcend life and death.

To be called an Earthly Immortal is not an exaggeration.

No one here dares to be disrespectful!

After thinking, Zhang Jian laughed: "I feel it's still quite normal!"

Bai Xianyin shook her head like a rattle-drum: "Not normal at all!"

At this moment, she looked up and down at Zhang Jian, but only saw his Golden Core aura circulating, pure and flawless, vast and profound.

Not like a mediocre Golden Core, but rather top-tier.

It certainly didn't look like a false core formed by using forbidden arts!

Tiexin Daoist sat cultivating before the mountain, having long noticed this scene, and couldn't help but wear a strange expression.

He couldn't help but ask: "Junior Nephew, how did you pass through the heart demon tribulation?"

"Does forming a Golden Core involve a heart demon tribulation?"

Zhang Jian blinked, somewhat surprised.

There was still a hint of innocent childlike purity in his eyes.

"Well..."

Tiexin Daoist nearly choked on his words.

Breaking through the Golden Core realm—how could there possibly be no heart demon tribulation?

Fundamentally, forming a Golden Core is a stage of harmonizing essence, energy, and spirit, along with spiritual power; one must refine essence, energy, spirit, and even spiritual power to a certain degree, then use a secret method to form the core, creating a state similar to embracing the core, with essence harmonized, after which bodily consumption becomes extremely minute, seeking longevity.

Cultivators absorb heavenly and earthly spiritual qi, various heavenly materials and earthly treasures, which inevitably accumulate some impurities, or the mind becomes stained with dust; during refinement, they naturally attract the gaze of extraterritorial heavenly demons that feed in the void.

This is the source of the heart demon tribulation.

Every cultivator forming a Golden Core, to some degree, will experience a heart demon tribulation.

Even if one possesses an exceptionally pure innate Dao body.

Zhang Jian faced the two gazes and smiled.

"Tiexin Shushu, I truly have not experienced any heart demon tribulation!"

"Not even using the sect's wondrous method of forming the core—I formed it naturally!"

Upon hearing this, Tiexin Daoist couldn't help but stand up.

"Naturally forming a core—how is that possible?"

He almost lost composure.

If it weren't for Zhang Jian's sincere attitude, he would almost have thought Zhang Jian was mocking him.

Because this is a scene from myth; legends say only supreme existences between heaven and earth can naturally form a core without active cultivation, and still achieve a supreme-grade core.

At this moment, a calm voice came from above the mountain peaks.

"Alright, Junior Brother, A Yu's feet are special—before achieving the Nascent Soul, there will be no heart demon tribulation!"

The true form of the Beheading Demon True Lord manifested.

"Master!"

Upon seeing the Beheading Demon True Lord, Zhang Jian slightly performed a salute.

The Beheading Demon True Lord smiled faintly, glanced up and down at Zhang Jian, and wasn't too surprised by his progress.

Possessing the Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart, this ancient sage's constitution— which extraterritorial heavenly demon would dare to approach lightly?

Before reaching the Nascent Soul realm, there would likely be no false thoughts entangling the heart, no heart demon harassment, etc.

Unless one's luck is truly terrible, encountering a wandering extraterritorial demon god—such luck is generally beyond ordinary cultivators.

"Come up the mountain!"

The Beheading Demon True Lord immediately greeted Zhang Jian to come up the mountain, assigning the minor matters to Bai Xianyin.

Naturally, Golden Core realm disciples receive Golden Core realm treatment.

Not only can they reselect techniques, but also receive resource allocations, such as being able to carry a mount or having several recommendation slots for joining the sect, etc. —these are substantive benefits.

Golden Core cultivators, in the vast emptiness of heaven and earth, need only be cautious to already be sufficient to roam freely.

In some cultivation families, calling one an "Old Ancestor" is not excessive.

Even within the ancient Tongshan Dao lineage, they hold a special status.

……

Zhang Jian's return to the Tongshan Dao lineage this time was purely for the simple purpose of showing off, and to gain various benefits thereby, with no other aim.

As for setting up a temporary special stove with the Slaying Demon True Lord, that was an unexpected gain.

Elderly affection is far better than an uncle's lack of love or a grandmother's lack of affection.

It can also reduce some trouble.

No need to strive and beg for everything oneself.

After returning from Tongshan, Zhang Jian began to cling to another powerful figure, preparing some gold and silver ingots for ancestral worship.

In the previous Haojing City, with its crowded streets and watchful eyes,

Zhang Jian knew someone was specifically watching him, so he rarely clung to powerful figures anymore.

Only after his cultivation breakthrough allowed him to easily evade some deities' gazes did he resume ancestral worship.

In his view, however, the creative paper horse shop owners in Haojing City were still few.

He walked around Haojing City but could not find a shop comparable to the 'old treasure' in Fengyang Commandery.

In his opinion, the owners of these paper horse shops lacked flexibility, offering either beautiful women or boys, things he dared not send over.

As for clothing, houses, and the like, there was even less novelty.

Nevertheless, after circling Haojing City, he still found a shop somewhat 'respectable' in paper horse offerings.

……

Deep in the immortal realm.

Before the Two Realms Pool, the originally pure nine-colored pool water suddenly gave rise to various phenomena.

The Qingxiao Daoist Sovereign, who was cultivating in the Dao field, felt something and instantly appeared before the Two Realms Pool.

Gazing at the continuously expanding incense flood before him, the Qingxiao Daoist Sovereign felt some astonishment in his eyes.

During this period, Zhang Jian's ancestral worship rhythm had slowed, but he did not expect that a single offering would far surpass the numbers of previous rites.

Shortly thereafter, a thick river of incense merged into the Qingxiao Daoist Sovereign's body, causing her entire being to be suffused with a layer of intense golden divine charm; within the vast and righteous divine charm, various great path omens appeared and disappeared.

"One hundred and fifty thousand superior-grade incense!"

The Qingxiao Daoist Sovereign's expression focused.

This quantity exceeded her expectations.

The incense obtained this time was actually more than the previous two combined.

At the same time, her gaze fell upon the nine-colored pool water, where immortal music continuously echoed, and an object instantly formed within the divine charm of the Heavenly Dao.

Blinding golden light made it impossible to look away.

"This thing..."

After a careful look, the Qingxiao Daoist Sovereign could not help but feel somewhat speechless.

"How thoughtful of you!"