Chapter 164: Shifting Storms

164. Chapter 164: Shifting Storms

Half a year passed in an instant.

Xiao Zhangqing's third‑stage puppet is progressing well, already at the final stage; if he can finish it smoothly, it is expected to become the first successful third‑stage puppet of Character: Liyang Zhenren City.

In these six months, Character: Liyang Zhenren City, and even the entire Da Yu Cultivation World, have seen many major events.

First, the young prodigy of the Nascent Soul sect Xingyue Palace, Qin Feng, who has completed the Foundation Establishment stage, traveled the world to build a foundation before forming a Golden Core, challenging various masters; not only did he dominate the Foundation Establishment realm, he also matched and even defeated many Fake Core True Persons!

Originally, Character: Liyang Zhenren City was to be the final stop of his journey.

Within Character: Liyang Zhenren City, many ulterior individuals were also waiting for his arrival, to challenge the strongest Foundation Establishment cultivators of the city.

After the young master of the Song family, Song Changning, was killed by Xiao Zhangqing, the two most dazzling figures among the strongest Foundation Establishment cultivators of Character: Liyang Zhenren City unquestionably became Xiao Zhangqing and Gu Zongyuan.

Many people look forward to a duel between Qin Feng, hailed as the brightest Foundation Establishment prodigy in the entire Da Yu Cultivation World, and the two geniuses of Character: Liyang Zhenren City.

There is also Ding Yanran, a female disciple from Xingyue Palace and Qin Feng's junior sister and little fan, who after attending an auction has been waiting a long time, hoping Qin Feng can help her vent her frustration and see if she can seize back the Jiao Long Essence Pill from Xiao Zhangqing.

But in the end, to many people's disappointment, Qin Feng could not reach Character: Liyang Zhenren City.

Before heading to Character: Liyang Zhenren City, Qin Feng challenged a long‑renowned early‑stage Golden Core True Person; although he did not win and lost a bit, he gained insight in the duel, and immediately returned to Xingyue Palace.

Less than a month later, Xingyue Palace announced that Qin Feng had successfully formed a Golden Core, becoming Qin True Person!

Moreover, his Golden Core quality is extremely high, a superior 'Perfectly Complete and Flawless' grade!

In the Cultivation World, every cultivator's Golden Core quality varies, roughly divided into three grades.

The highest grade is 'Perfectly Complete and Flawless', the true Golden Core; anyone who attains it inevitably shines brightly in the Golden Core realm and holds the seed to become a Nascent Soul True Lord. With steady cultivation, they will at least become a senior cultivator in the later Golden Core stage. The early, middle, and late bottlenecks of Golden Core formation are virtually nonexistent for Golden Core cultivators.

The next tier has Golden Core quality with slight discoloration; the Golden Core is not as flawless and shines with the color of its inherent spirit root. Nevertheless, even a second‑tier Golden Core True Person is quite rare in the Da Yu Cultivation World; it is rumored that Character: Liyang Zhenren, the top Scattered Cultivator of Da Yu, originally formed a Golden Core of second‑tier, slightly mottled quality.

Thus, a second‑tier Golden Core True Person, given enough opportunity, still retains a sliver of hope to become a Nascent Soul True Lord, with great prospects.

As for the third‑tier Golden Core quality, they can no longer be called Golden Core cultivators, because their 'Golden Core' color is 'Plain White', i. e., pure white.

These Golden Core True Persons, though they have succeeded in forming a Golden Core, are not doomed; they can continue to accumulate profound cultivation over the years, yet most will remain stuck at the early Golden Core stage for life. The middle‑stage barrier may be insurmountable for centuries, as with the former Xue Ya True Person.

Among the Seven Heroes of Character: Liyang, the sole Golden Core Guang Qin True Person also has the lowest‑grade 'Plain White' quality.

Although it is the lowest grade, this is the reality for the vast majority of Golden Core True Persons in the Cultivation World.

Being able to form a Golden Core already makes one a one‑in‑ten‑thousand rarity, positioned in the upper echelons of the Cultivation World, possessing the capital for survival in the boundless heavens, and becoming a coveted target for major sects.

Of course, the so‑called Fake Core True Person has not succeeded in forming a Golden Core; inside is a decayed, dormant, lifeless 'Gray Core', not counted among the three Golden Core grades.

Thus, although Fake Core True Persons hold a notable status, they are not highly regarded by Golden Core cultivators.

Even when a great war erupts, such as the current war between the Southwest Region of Da Yu and the Demon Sect Evil Cultivators, Golden Core True Persons may join the battle but mainly as strategists behind the scenes, occasionally taking part in key actions. Fake Core True Persons, however, are sent to the front lines, serving as a kind of 'cannon fodder'.

Qin Feng formed a top‑grade Perfectly Complete and Flawless Golden Core; the entire Xingyue Palace rejoiced, announcing the joyous event to the world and holding a grand Golden Core ceremony, where even the Nascent Soul Old Ancestor briefly appeared, showing the high regard.

As a major Nascent Soul sect with over a thousand years of heritage, Xingyue Palace has many Golden Core True Persons, yet before Qin Feng, only one cultivator had truly formed a Golden Core; that individual was over two hundred years old, had already reached the late Golden Core stage, once attempted to break into the Nascent Soul realm but failed.

Thus this Golden Core True Person is essentially 'ruined', with almost no path forward.

Qin Feng's Golden Core now brings new hope to Xingyue Palace.

Xingyue Palace celebrates, yet the overall situation of the Da Yu Cultivation World remains worrisome.

The war between the Southwest Region and the Demon Sect Evil Cultivators, though distant and slow to convey news, has spread throughout the Da Yu Cultivation World within half a year.

The entire Southwest Region has fallen, completely seized by Evil Cultivators.

Although the Demon Sect's aggressive, cost‑unconscious advance is a factor, the Da Yu Cultivation World's incomplete resistance and insufficient focus on the Southwest Region also contribute.

Now, the Da Yu Cultivation World has fully retreated to the opposite side of the Yunling Mountains, preparing to demarcate the border with the Demon Sect along the mountains, a 'divide‑and‑govern' arrangement.

Unfortunately, this is merely the Da Yu Cultivation World's one‑sided wish.

After invading and occupying the Southwest Region, the Demon Sect Evil Cultivators have no intention of stopping; they have scarcely rested, instead rallying troops to cross the Yunling Mountains and invade the interior of the Da Yu Cultivation World.

Consequently, the Da Yu Cultivation World must intensify its focus.

Not only are more cultivators drawn from across the lands to the front, but the two major Nascent Soul sects, Seven Star Sword Sect and Xingyue Palace, also lead by sending late‑stage Golden Core elders. Thus, sects and cultivation families in each region are forcibly conscripted, with one‑twelfth of their cultivators dispatched to the Yunling Mountains for joint defense.

The Yunling Mountains have become a massive meat grinder; countless battles of all scales occur daily, with Foundation Establishment deaths uncountable, and even Fake Core True Persons and Golden Core cultivators occasionally fall.

In an instant, the entire Da Yu Cultivation World's atmosphere shifted; even Character: Liyang Zhenren City, situated in the central region far from the Yunling Mountains, can clearly feel the war's aura.

For example, the prices of various pills, Magic Treasures, and Talisman Scripts have surged by twenty to thirty percent in a short time, while the costs of cultivation methods and inheritances have dropped.

Especially after Character: Liyang Zhenren returned gravely wounded, Character: Liyang Zhenren City acquired a sense of impending mountain rain and wind filling the towers.

Indeed.

As the top Scattered Cultivator of the Da Yu Cultivation World and a late‑stage Golden Core cultivator, his strength surpasses the Golden Core cultivators of the two major Nascent Soul sects and many ancient Golden Core sects, making him arguably the pinnacle just below the Nascent Soul level; yet this time he suffered a major setback, nearly losing his life!

Character: Liyang Zhenren was not injured by Demon Sect Evil Cultivators on the Southwest battlefield.

Given Character: Liyang Zhenren's realm and strength, even if he entered the battlefield without a Nascent Soul, his caution would keep him safe.

Rumor has it that while exploring an ancient ruin, he sought a Nascent Soul opportunity and fell into a trap. At the crucial moment, the opportunity eluded him, and he suffered severe injuries that seemed to affect his very foundation, causing a regression in power and completely destroying his chance to become a Nascent Soul True Lord! Normally, Character: Liyang Zhenren lives a reclusive life; even senior members of the ten great families of Character: Liyang Zhenren City are unaware of his condition.

He is wounded, and unless he voluntarily reveals it, outsiders cannot know.

This time it is clear that ulterior individuals fanned the flames behind the scenes, spreading news of Character: Liyang Zhenren's plight.

The reason is simple.

Character: Liyang Zhenren City has always been a city of Scattered Cultivators, maintaining neutrality, but that does not mean Character: Liyang Zhenren has no enemies! On the contrary, many in the Da Yu Cultivation World hope for his downfall.

Some are foes of Character: Liyang Zhenren, such as the recently renowned True Person Wei Wufeng.

He originally came from a Golden Core family in Da Yu; his father was the clan head. Over a hundred years ago, for unknown reasons, he bore a mortal feud with Character: Liyang Zhenren, after which the enraged Character: Liyang Zhenren eradicated the Wei clan, killing many and forcing others to flee.

At that time, Wei Wufeng, still at the Foundation Establishment stage, luckily escaped with his life and left Da Yu, heading to other cultivation realms.

His luck and talent are remarkable; after decades away, he returned, not only having become a Golden Core True Person but also reaching the middle Golden Core stage.

If that were all, it would be nothing special.

A mid‑stage Golden Core True Person poses no threat before the late‑stage, virtually invincible Character: Liyang Zhenren.

Thus, as the head of the Dan Dao Alliance in Da Yu, even though Wei Wufeng repeatedly opposed Character: Liyang Zhenren after his return, pulling the Alliance's branch out of Character: Liyang Zhenren City, Character: Liyang Zhenren could only turn a blind eye.

Therefore, as the person in charge of the Alchemy Dao Alliance in the Da Yu Cultivation World, even though Wei Wufeng, after returning, repeatedly opposed True Person Character: Liyang, withdrawing the Alchemy Dao Alliance's branch in Character: Liyang Zhenren City, True Person Character: Liyang could only pretend not to see it and ignore it.

Obviously, the hatred of exterminating a clan and the vengeance for killing his father from back then, even after a hundred years, Wei Wufeng still keeps them firmly in his heart.

If given the chance, he will surely retaliate double.

It was only because Character: Liyang Zhenren's power was far too great, and he occupied the bustling Character: Liyang Zhenren City with a massive protective formation, that without the Nascent Soul True Lord intervening, there was no hope.

Now that Character: Liyang Zhenren is seriously wounded and his strength no longer at its peak, cultivators like Wei Wufeng who bear a mortal grudge against him naturally gather like sharks smelling blood.

Rumor has it that Character: Liyang Zhenren's enemies have secretly formed an alliance, plotting revenge while Character: Liyang Zhenren is injured, seeking his life! As for now, with the Da Yu Cultivation World's war erupting and the Demonic Sect surging, hoping the two great Nascent Soul sects will step out to temporarily quell the fury and unite against the outside is impossible.

Not to mention whether the two great Nascent Soul sects would obey the Avenger Alliance's command.

Even if the Nascent Soul sects' words were effective, they are most likely not to issue an order.

Character: Liyang Zhenren City is not only coveted by these avengers; many more people covet the massive profits of this bustling city! Even the two great Nascent Soul sects themselves!

After all, the Blood Crow True Person's alliance with the rogue puppet evil lord set a trap to try to slay the ancient sect's founder not long ago, and the two great Nascent Soul sects are still highly suspect behind it.

…

The Da Yu Cultivation World is ever‑changing, and the clouds over Character: Liyang Zhenren City are treacherous.

But all this has little impact on Xiao Zhangqing, who lives secluded in Jin Xiu Fang.

On this day.

A subtle mysterious ripple emanated from the cultivation chamber, and moments later—

Boom! A muffled collision sound rang out; even concealed by the formation, the outside could still feel a fleeting pressure that made even refined Qi and Foundation Establishment cultivators startle.

"Finally, it's done!"

Xiao Zhangqing looked at the roughly two‑meter‑tall, metallic dark‑colored humanoid puppet before him and nodded with satisfaction.

"Although it's not perfect, it can barely be called a third‑tier medium‑grade puppet! At least it can handle most early Core Formation cultivators and stall a mid Core Formation cultivator!"

From the recent test results and his earlier encounters with several Fake Core True Persons and the Blood Crow True Person who had just broken through mid Core Formation, Xiao Zhangqing judged that this freshly forged puppet could easily crush the Fake Core True Person.

Even without using a killing move, the Blood Crow True Person is no match for this puppet! "The cost isn't large. One high‑grade Spirit Stone can power the puppet for at least half an hour."

Xiao Zhangqing weighed it.

One high‑grade Spirit Stone equals ten thousand low‑grade Spirit Stones—not cheap.

But hiring a mid Core Formation true person to fight wholeheartedly for half an hour yields an excellent Cost Performance Ratio.

"With this puppet, my sense of safety has greatly increased!"

Although he has spent the past six months busy cultivating and secluding to forge the puppet, he is fully aware of the recent major events.

Character: Liyang Zhenren City has become the target of all arrows; if Xiao Zhangqing's strength were insufficient, being just an ordinary mid Foundation Establishment cultivator or a complete Foundation Establishment cultivator, he would have fled long ago, away from this trouble‑filled place.

For many cultivators, the more dangerous the place, the greater the potential opportunity.

But this rule does not apply to Xiao Zhangqing at all.

The reason he didn't leave is that the current crisis in Character: Liyang Zhenren City poses little threat to him.

Even if Character: Liyang Zhenren is seriously wounded, defeated, or meets his end at the hands of the avengers, no one can threaten him.

Among Character: Liyang Zhenren's enemies, the strongest is none other than mid Core Formation Wei Wufeng.

His puppet can even withstand him! (End of chapter)