Chapter 123: What is a Golden Core

To be fair, this Nether Yin True Qi is truly quite good.

Chen Ci couldn't quite put his finger on exactly what was good about it, but if their cultivation levels were the same, he felt he could hammer his former self to death in one blow.

Hmm. It's just impossibly difficult.

Chen Ci sighed, glanced at the gloomy river surface, and looked deeply melancholy; paired with his handsome appearance, several female cultivators in the distance on the deck stole glances at him from time to time, as if wanting to come over and strike up an acquaintance.

When it comes down to it, the cultivation aptitude of this body is too poor—or rather, not too poor, just not very good; if his cultivation aptitude were on par with this body's looks, he reckoned attaining a Golden Core would be a sure thing.

"What, having regrets?"

To the side, Lin Qinhu was also looking at the river, his gaze seemingly reaching the horizon, and he chuckled: "Your cultivation is not deep yet, so I can still take action to help you disperse your True Qi and restart; if it were any deeper, it wouldn't be so easy to do."

Chen Ci couldn't help but roll his eyes; if it weren't for this Lin Laohu standing nearby ruining the mood, he might have been in a better frame of mind to chat, gossip, and read palms with the few female cultivators.

"Why regret it? Living one hundred and twenty years versus three hundred years, the difference isn't actually that great."

Chen Ci said the first part with conviction, then lowered his voice for the second part, smiling sheepishly: "Lin Shixiong, may I ask, if one cultivates the Five Ghosts Possession Method to completion, how quickly can this Five Skandhas Yin Demon Art progress?"

"What is the use of asking this? It only disturbs your mind. Once you can cultivate the Five Ghosts Possession and practice it a bit, you will know."

Lin Qinhu shook his head: "Basically no one in the sect practices this Five Skandhas Yin Demon Art, precisely because it is too difficult and too slow. If you cannot cultivate the Five Ghosts Possession Method to assist your practice, it is not as promising as Middle Grade Qi Refining Methods. However, we Outer Transmission Apprentices cannot learn the Thousand Mountains Pulse Traveling Method, so if we want to attain a Golden Core and catch a glimpse of Longevity, this path is the only one that still offers a sliver of a chance."

Golden Core?

Chen Ci's heart stirred. He had originally thought the path after Qi Refining was Dao Foundation, Golden Core, and Primordial Spirit, but hearing what Lin Laohu had said these days, it seemed there were differences. He couldn't help but ask: "Shixiong, you said you would soon step into the Dan Realm; what exactly is the difference between this Dan Realm and a Golden Core?"

Lin Qinhu glanced at Chen Ci and said leisurely: "Do you know why I said earlier that you cultivating the Three Yin Qi-Eating Method would be more promising? If you only want to extend your life, cultivating Middle or Lower Grade Qi Refining Methods actually makes it more likely to step into the Dan Realm."

Chen Ci: "."

"You are old and your aptitude is not very good. Although you dare to risk your life, the possibility of successfully cultivating the Five Skandhas Yin Demon Art is actually not high."

Lin Qinhu swept a glance at him and smiled slightly: "But I also walked this path, so I don't mind telling you a few things about cultivation."

What do you mean by old?

What do you mean by aptitude not being very good?

He was only thirty-three years old and held an Upper Grade Qi Refining Method; he was young and promising, you know? This conversation couldn't continue; if you talk like this next time, I won't play with you anymore, okay?

"For a cultivator, whether it is Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment, it is actually all in preparation for the Dan Realm. Seven or eight out of ten difficulties on the road to Longevity lie within it. Only by stepping into the Dan Realm can one truly be considered to have attained the Dao and be respectfully addressed as a 'True Person'. The Golden Core is the final barrier before Longevity."

Lin Qinhu said slowly: "Once the Dao Foundation is Perfected and the Dharma Power in the body is full, one must set out to find an Earth Sha Yin Vein and draw the Earth Sha into the body. But Earth Sha is highly toxic, and a single wisp weighs a thousand catties. After drawing the Sha into the body, if the quality of one's Dharma Power cannot support it, the moment it touches the flesh even slightly, the cultivator will be dissolved by the Earth Sha in an instant, leading to death and the dissipation of the Dao. That is why 'Sha Fields' appeared. Countless Dao Foundation cultivators under heaven have died at this 'Judging the Sha' stage. However, there is a shortcut for this stage."

"A shortcut?"

"Yes."

Lin Qinhu looked at Chen Ci: "Cultivation is meant to be an uphill struggle, striving for excellence, but this stage allows one to avoid difficulty and choose the easy path. As long as it is not the lowest quality Lower Grade Dao Foundation, even if one has only opened one hundred and forty-four apertures to attain a Lower-Middle Dao Foundation and condensed a Dharma Power seal, one can go find an Earth Sha Yin Vein of the lowest quality where others have already exhausted most of the Sha Qi to judge the Sha. There is a two-tenths chance of successfully drawing the Sha into the body and stepping into the Dan Realm."

Chen Ci suddenly understood. This was the same principle as attempting a Dao Foundation after opening only one hundred and eight apertures. For a poor student, you don't fight or compete, you don't look too far ahead; being able to break through and extend your life is a victory.

But at this rate, one's path in the Dao would likely end there.

Chen Ci stroked his chin, roughly understanding the difference in Dao Foundation grades: the higher the quality of Dharma Power, the higher the survival rate when drawing Sha into the body.

"There are three types of Dan Realm. Although all are addressed as 'True Person', not only are there vast differences in Dharma Power and supernatural abilities, but there are also differences in lifespan. Simply drawing Sha into the body condenses a False Core, which can grant six hundred years of life."

"Ninety percent of Dan Realm cultivators under heaven are trapped in the False Core stage, with their souls and bodies aging together. Because stepping into the Dan Realm requires an Earth Sha Yin Vein, as long as a Dao Foundation cultivator is not afraid of death, there is always a chance to find a suitable Earth Sha to refine into their Dharma Power in this vast world."

Lin Qinhu pondered for a moment before continuing: "However, for a False Core to condense into a Solid Core, one needs a rare item called 'Heavenly Firmament Steel Qi'. This stage has two difficulties: Heavenly Firmament Steel Qi is as sharp as a divine weapon, and when you refine it into the False Core, if your foundation is unstable, the False Core will shatter instantly—this is the first difficulty. The second is that Heavenly Firmament Steel Qi only exists above the Nine Heavens; without the secret art of Walking in the Void, a False Core cultivator can never collect it by their own power—this is the second difficulty. If one can succeed in forming a Solid Core, one can obtain eight hundred years of life."

"Could it be that Golden Core True Persons cannot afford flying Dharma Artifacts to fly up into the sky?"

Chen Ci immediately discovered a key point.

"Heh, whether it is a flying Dharma Artifact, Cloud Riding and Mist Driving, or riding the wind, the highest one can go is no more than a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand feet. But Heavenly Firmament Steel Qi is above the Nine Heavens, over thirty thousand feet away. Otherwise, where do you think the term 'Walking in the Void' comes from?"

Lin Qinhu shook his head and smiled: "There are nearly thirty False Core Elders in the sect, but only three Golden Core True Persons. This is because our sect's fundamental scripture, the 'He Mountain Scripture', lacks the method of Walking in the Void, so we cannot collect Heavenly Firmament Steel Qi. As for how the three Golden Core True Persons managed to collect it, that is not something I would know. If one is lucky enough to condense a Solid Core, one only needs to use the Golden Core method to strike the 'Earth Sha' and 'Steel Qi' together to obtain a Hunyuan Golden Core, enjoying a thousand years of life. The only good news is that the He Mountain Scripture does not lack the Golden Core method. Although the sect often doesn't act like decent people, at this step, no one will trip you up."

"Lin Shixiong, is it true that only an Upper Grade Dao Foundation has hope of condensing a Golden Core?"

Chen Ci bared his teeth; the road to Longevity was indeed difficult at the beginning, difficult in the middle, and difficult at the end.

Moreover, he had originally thought the He Mountain Sect's fundamental scripture, the 'He Mountain Scripture', only lacked the method for the Primordial Spirit. With dozens of Golden Core True Persons in the sect, while not the best, they were more than enough to be better than the rest. It turns out it was all empty; missing a key secret art in the middle explains why, for an entire eon, not a single Primordial Spirit True Monarch has emerged—it was because the base number was too small.

But fortunately, there were still three real Golden Core True Persons in the sect. Wait, Jiao Zhenren... hey, isn't that a coincidence!

Chen Ci cheered himself on: progress, he must make fierce progress.

"More or less. Although I have heard that a Middle Grade Dao Foundation has a chance to strike for the Golden Core, the Dao Foundation would be unstable. If you want to make up for it later, who knows how many times more effort it would take? It's not that easy."

Lin Qinhu's eyes even revealed a trace of longing: "Riding the Qi of the Nine Heavens, roaming between heaven and earth—only a Golden Core True Person can attain such freedom. As for a Primordial Spirit True Monarch, I haven't even seen one, so I can't guess what that state is like."

Primordial Spirit.

Longevity.

Chen Ci also felt a bit sentimental. In his previous life, many people excitedly discussed whether Longevity was a curse, just like imagining that rich people weren't actually happy.

The happiness of the rich is something ordinary people cannot imagine.

The freedom of the long-lived is something the short-lived cannot experience. It is like a life of a day, an existence of a mayfly; those who live in a rush for a few decades can hardly know the vastness and wonder of this world.

"Hoo~"

Suddenly, the Treasure Ship seemed to slow down, and the hull vibrated slightly. Chen Ci looked ahead and saw they had arrived at a place where the mountains were steep and the river bent slightly. On both sides of the riverbank, many small boats were moored.

Calling them small boats, they were actually quite large compared to the 'Baohua Workshop', and would count as large ships in the mortal world.

By the river, there was also a medium-sized tower ship of the 'Baohua Workshop' docked. At its top stood a large flag with a red background, gold edges, and black patterns. The gold-edged black pattern was simple yet vivid, depicting what looked like a giant beast that was part dragon and part crocodile.

People were coming and going on it, and there were even some strange people with unusual appearances directing things and stopping passing ships.

Although the 'Baohua Workshop' slowed down slightly, it did not stop and passed straight through the river. Chen Ci looked around curiously, only to notice his cheap Shixiong's expression suddenly turn cold, with a trace of murderous intent in his eyes.

Chen Ci's heart stirred, and he subconsciously asked: "Shixiong, could this be..."

"Yes, this is Yingchou Ravine, heh."

Lin Qinhu stared at it for a long time. Only after the Baohua Workshop had passed for quite a while did he withdraw his gaze, remaining silent. The surrounding atmosphere suddenly turned cold.

Chen Ci clicked his tongue. With this Lin Laohu's petty nature, once his cultivation is higher in the future, the days of this Waterway Superintendent probably won't be easy.

"Chen Junior Brother, since you have chosen the path of the Five Skandhas Yin Demon Art, your Dao Heart must be firm. Today, I would like to grant you another path and offer you a fortuitous encounter."

Lin Laohu glanced behind him, gave a cold laugh, and looked at Chen Ci twice more.

Chen Ci: "Fine." Just listening to that tone, this guy was about to start painting cakes again.

Although the cakes smelled fragrant, Lin Laohu's cakes were truly hard; if one were not careful, one might even chip a tooth.

"Please speak, Senior Brother."

Chen Ci raised his hand in a salute, his attitude respectful.

"It is nothing else, just that Waterway Superintendent, that monster-like beastly thing, jumping up and down all day long, annoying people."

Lin Qinhu said with a mix of mockery and sarcasm: "If you dare to kill him in the future, I will fully support you in taking the position of Altar Master of the Fuhu Altar in Xishan Prefecture. How about it?"

"Ah?"

Chen Ci paused. No, how did this matter fall onto his head? You, who could slay a Dao Foundation cultivator upon first entering the Dao Foundation, and who claimed you could enter the Dan Realm in half a sixty-year cycle—did you really need to trouble someone else for such a small matter?

Couldn't you just press it to death with a little finger?

"Rest assured, it is not as if I am asking you to go right now."

Lin Qinhu chuckled: "Besides, within a hundred years, if you can attain the Dao Foundation, you might have to have a go with him anyway. Xishan Prefecture is too small and cannot accommodate three parties sharing the Earth Sha of Quanshan."

(End of chapter)