Chapter 166: 166. Chapter 166: Second‑Tier Golden Core, the Vengeful Ones

166. Chapter 166: Second‑Tier Golden Core, the Vengeful Ones

Forming the Golden Core is not only a realm that even Scattered Cultivators find impossible to reach in a lifetime; even the prodigy disciples of major cultivation families and top sects often stop before the Golden Core.

Thus the Golden Core realm can be called a watershed in the Cultivation World.

Once a Golden Core is formed, one can obtain almost anything under heaven, qualify to refine a personal Magic Treasure, practice various divine abilities, and have countless more methods than before the Golden Core.

If the Foundation Establishment Realm is considered the true entry into the Cultivation World, distinguishing one from ordinary mortals in the real sense.

Then the Golden Core realm is a step out of the lower tiers of the Cultivation World, providing the capital for one to settle and establish a destiny in the boundless heavens.

For example, in the Da Yu Cultivation World, even the lofty two Nascent Soul sects can appoint a Golden Core True Person as an elder.

Therefore, when Character: Liyang Immortal City heard that Gu Zongyuan successfully formed a Golden Core at such a time, it was an immensely uplifting piece of news, second only to Character: Liyang Zhenren defeating Wei Wufeng.

In fact, Gu Zongyuan's Golden Core formation was kept very secret, carried out in the shadows.

Forming the Golden Core is an important milestone on the cultivation path; even the pride of heaven, once able to cross this massive hurdle and succeed in the Golden Core, does not achieve the breakthrough in a single day.

Ten days earlier, while his master Character: Liyang Zhenren and Wei Wufeng sparred in a duel over the great lake outside the city, Gu Zongyuan appeared in the public eye, watching the battle from the side.

Ten days later, atop the Character: Liyang Mountain Range, a massive Golden Core cloud suddenly erupted; the vortex of heavenly qi created such a commotion that almost every cultivator in Character: Liyang Immortal City was alarmed and could see it by looking up.

This shows that after Gu Zongyuan finished watching the battle and returned to the city, he immediately, under Character: Liyang Zhenren's protection, began a secluded breakthrough atop the Character: Liyang peak.

Aside from himself and Character: Liyang Zhenren, no one else knew about this.

Character: Liyang Zhenren used a formation to conceal the activity until the Golden Core reached its final step; when the cloud was about to form and the celestial phenomena could no longer be hidden by the formation, the public became aware.

The master and disciple were exceedingly cautious.

Not only did they conceal the early secluded breakthrough, but when the breakthrough was about to succeed and the cloud formed, Character: Liyang Zhenren immediately activated a mountain‑protecting great formation as a precaution.

The Character: Liyang Immortal City's formations consist of two layers.

The first layer is a city‑protecting great formation that envelops the entire Character: Liyang Immortal City, set up jointly by two third‑rank formation masters and dozens of second‑rank formation masters.

This formation is extremely costly, taking over a dozen years to lay out; its power is impressive, and when fully driven it can reach third‑rank superior defensive strength.

Unless a Nascent Soul True Lord arrives in person, it is very hard to breach.

However, this city‑protecting formation also has obvious drawbacks.

Once it operates, the cost and the number of cultivators required to control the formation are both great.

Thus the city‑protecting formation serves more as a deterrent, to be urgently activated in special circumstances.

In ordinary trouble or prolonged wars, the city‑protecting formation is almost decorative, with little practical effect.

The second layer is the mountain‑protecting great formation on Character: Liyang's main peak.

This mountain‑protecting formation costs far less than the city‑protecting one, yet its power is a level higher, reaching third‑rank supreme tier.

Even during Character: Liyang Zhenren's peak, it is hard to break this mountain‑protecting formation.

Moreover, the protected area of the mountain formation is small, and Character: Liyang Zhenren himself can control it.

With Character: Liyang Zhenren personally guarding and the mountain formation in place, even a foe like Wei Wufeng cannot prevent Gu Zongyuan's Golden Core formation.

They can only watch helplessly as Gu Zongyuan steadily advances through the final steps of the Golden Core, with auspicious clouds descending and a new Golden Core aura radiating from the summit of Character: Liyang Peak outward.

For several days after his Golden Core formation, Gu Zongyuan still chose to seclude himself in Character: Liyang Zhenren's cave to cultivate and solidify his foundation.

At this moment, the outside world's greatest concern is the quality of Gu Zongyuan's Golden Core! Not long ago, Qin Feng, the celestial pride of Xingyue Palace, formed a flawless, perfect Golden Core, ranking first‑tier and destined to become a Nascent Soul seed.

Gu Zongyuan, Character: Liyang Zhenren's most favored disciple and once recognized as Character: Liyang Immortal City's strongest Foundation Establishment talent, what tier will his Golden Core reach? Those enemies hoping for Character: Liyang Zhenren's downfall naturally wish his Golden Core were only the weakest 'Su Ying' color, barely surpassing Fake Core True Persons, making mid‑stage breakthroughs extremely difficult.

The vast majority of cultivators in Character: Liyang Immortal City, however, hope Gu Zongyuan can fight for pride, forming a first‑tier Golden Core like Qin Feng and eventually inherit Character: Liyang Zhenren's mantle.

Three days later.

Gu Zongyuan emerges from seclusion and publicly announces his Golden Core results.

He did not give the enemies of Character: Liyang Immortal City what they wanted—a lowest‑tier Su Ying Golden Core—nor did he form the flawless crimson Golden Core favored by the city's supporters.

It is a middle, second‑tier Golden Core.

Yet his Golden Core's impurity is minimal, almost invisible, differing from a first‑tier Golden Core by only a hair; after this news spread, Character: Liyang Immortal City's morale rose significantly again.

Only a step below a flawless Golden Core, it is already considered a dragon‑and‑phoenix among men, extremely rare in the Da Yu Cultivation World.

Back then, Character: Liyang Zhenren's Golden Core coloration was never as high as Gu Zongyuan's.

Therefore, barring any mishap, Gu Zongyuan can smoothly mature for a few hundred to a thousand years and will inevitably become Character: Liyang Zhenren's true heir, inheriting the title of the top Scattered Cultivator in the Da Yu Cultivation World.

After emerging and announcing his Golden Core results, Gu Zongyuan immediately declared that a Golden Core celebration will be held in half a month.

The event will be grand, inviting guests from all directions, with standards hardly lower than Qin Feng's.

This is not Gu Zongyuan or Character: Liyang Zhenren seeking glory or adulation; the purpose is clearly to strike while the iron is hot, boosting Character: Liyang Immortal City's morale online.

……

……

Outside Character: Liyang Immortal City.

Hundreds of li east lies a second‑rank spirit‑vein mountain peak.

Previously this was the cave residence of a mid‑Foundation Establishment cultivator, but half a year ago Wei Wufeng forcibly 'rented' it, making it his temporary lodging.

It also became a regular meeting place for Character: Liyang Zhenren's enemies to plot together.

In the past month, the flow of cultivators on this second‑rank spirit‑vein peak has noticeably increased.

Especially after Wei Wufeng's duel with Character: Liyang Zhenren.

On this day.

When Gu Zongyuan emerged, announced his Golden Core results, and prepared the grand celebration, over ten figures with auras at least at the Fake Core True Person level gathered here.

At this gathering, Wei Wufeng, as the 'host', naturally sat on the main seat.

But he was not the only main seat; there were two.

The other seat was occupied by a middle‑aged female cultivator whose appearance and aura were completely unfamiliar; her cultivation had already reached the mid‑Golden Core stage, and her strength was on par with Wei Wufeng, making her one of the top among mid‑Golden Core practitioners. With such power, it was reasonable for her to sit on the main seat.

Logically, a Golden Core True Person of such caliber could not be an obscure nobody; in the Da Yu Cultivation World, they are neither insignificant nor truly great.

There are quite a number of Jie Dan cultivators, and some newly promoted Jie Dan cultivators might still be unknown to the crowd.

If a Jie Dan cultivator has been famous for a long time and is powerful, they can certainly become renowned throughout the world! But this unfamiliar middle‑aged female cultivator, who goes by the name "Zhu Jian Real Person," claims to have a history similar to Wei Wufeng's—both bear an irreconcilable hatred toward Character: Liyang, yet when they were weak they could only flee in haste, leaving the Da Yu Cultivation World and wandering through other realms.

Now that her cultivation has succeeded, she has returned to seek revenge.

Some expressed doubt, but Wei Wufeng seemed quite familiar with Zhu Jian, personally vouching for her and confirming that Zhu Jian indeed harbors hatred toward Character: Liyang and sincerely wishes Character: Liyang dead.

Thus Zhu Jian also became one of the leaders of this group of "Avengers."

However, she has never revealed her identity; apart from this band of fake‑Dan and Jie Dan Real Persons, no one knows she exists.

When the time comes to act, they can give Character: Liyang a surprise.

Besides Zhu Jian, the other cultivators in the cave residence are all well‑known Real Persons in the Da Yu Cultivation World, each renowned and formidable in their region.

Some people openly bear a grudge against Character: Liyang.

But others, who have never heard of any conflict with Character: Liyang, inexplicably joined the cause.

For example…

Among them is a Real Person at the early Jie Dan stage; had Jiang Canghai not died, they would certainly recognize him here.

It is none other than Lu Daoming, the sect master of the Luoxia Sect!

He is the enemy Jiang Canghai wishes to shred to pieces!

Unfortunately, Jiang Canghai died on the southwestern battlefield, unable to exact revenge.

However, the Luoxia Sect's mountain gate has now fallen, its lineage destroyed, most disciples dead or wounded, the survivors either leaving or dispersing; sect master Lu Daoming's life is far less glorious than before.

For reasons unknown, Lu Daoming has joined the team seeking revenge on Character: Liyang.

"We can't delay any longer; we must act quickly!"

Wei Wufeng sat in the main seat, his gaze cold as he said.

By now, the injuries he sustained during that earlier duel had long healed.

That day he lost, and lost badly, yet the injuries were not terribly severe.

First, in his current role as the head of the Dan Dao Alliance in the Da Yu Cultivation World, even Character: Liyang would not dare to kill him publicly, no matter how much hatred he bears.

Otherwise, if the Dan Dao Alliance targeted Character: Liyang Immortal City, that city would truly cease to exist.

Second, Character: Liyang, though outwardly strong, suffers permanent, hard‑to‑heal injuries, greatly reducing his power.

Defeating him is already difficult; to seriously wound him requires a price that would worsen his injuries. Thus, after weighing, Character: Liyang only strikes sparingly, never delivering a killing blow.

"The longer we drag this out, the worse it becomes for us! Even the complication of Gu Zongyuan doesn't change that. A freshly Jie Dan youngster, no matter how fine his Golden Core, won't be very strong! If Character: Liyang, that old man, uses the Jie Dan celebration as a chance to rally a group of allies, that would be trouble for us!"

Wei Wufeng said coldly. (End of chapter)