Chapter 286: The Heavenly Demon Transformation Pill (In Honor of Lord Bodardo, Leader of the Dawn Alliance)

Inside a fourth-rank cultivation chamber.

Fang Xing sat cross-legged, his spiritual sense inspecting his Lower Dantian.

There, a white-gold sword core rotated slowly, each turn swallowing vast amounts of heavenly and earthly spiritual energy.

Nearly liquid spiritual energy passed through his life-force flying sword, being transformed and condensed… into Sword Core Essence stronger than even Golden Core True Qi, swiftly circulating along fixed meridians within his body.

"The Great Freedom Mysterious Golden Sword Scripture is truly worthy of being the cornerstone technique of a Nascent Soul sect…"

After a long while, Fang Xing opened his eyes: "Golden Core late stage… just a little more, and I'll reach Golden Core perfection."

"I'm not even fifty yet…"

This cultivation speed, if made public, would shock the entire cultivation world.

After all, ordinary cultivators are lucky if they achieve Foundation Establishment before sixty.

Even among the direct disciples of Nascent Soul sects, those who form a Golden Core before the age of sixty are hailed as once-in-a-generation geniuses!

But for Fang Xing, before sixty, he'll likely be aiming for Nascent Soul.

Of course, his cultivation speed has always been abnormal.

Not only is his innate talent extraordinary, but the fourth-rank spiritual vein chamber also boosts him.

More importantly… it's the vast quantity of spiritual herbs from the Linlang Blessed Land, and the divine efficacy of the Wan Hua Cauldron!

Without exaggeration, if Fang Xing one day forms a Nascent Soul, the entire Da Jing cultivation world—both orthodox and demonic factions—have all contributed to his success!

And the waste is severe.

Fang Xing silently calculated the massive spiritual resources he'd consumed in pursuit of speed, realizing it could have nurtured several Golden Core late-stage cultivators.

"Yet breaking from Golden Core mid-stage to late-stage… felt incredibly easy."

"For true geniuses, bottlenecks aren't bottlenecks, are they?"

Previously, after reaching the peak of Golden Core mid-stage power, Fang Xing casually consumed some spiritual pills—seized from storage bags of orthodox and demonic cultivators, purified by the Wan Hua Cauldron, and said to greatly aid breakthroughs—and effortlessly advanced to Golden Core late-stage.

The bottleneck that normally traps Golden Core cultivators for decades didn't even exist for him.

From here to Golden Core perfection is an open road—just keep accumulating power.

Moreover, during cultivation, Fang Xing never forgot to purify his own spiritual energy and strengthen his foundation.

Now, even without other methods, just with himself and his sword, he had confidence to slay experts like the Five Orthodox Sons or the Six Demonic Heroes.

"My alchemy has been honed to near fourth-rank level… I can begin preparing to refine the Nascent Soul Pill."

"I don't demand much—just enough to form a pill… after all, the main ingredients are plentiful, so I can afford to waste."

"As long as one pill succeeds, the Wan Hua Cauldron can save it."

Of course, ideally, I should refine a genuine pill—then, after enhancement by the Wan Hua Cauldron, its efficacy would be supreme, greatly increasing my chances of forming a Nascent Soul.

Fang Xing silently calculated his preparations for forming a Nascent Soul.

"Breaking through a major bottleneck usually requires overcoming three trials—physical body, spiritual energy, spiritual sense and demonic illusions…"

"My Great Freedom Mysterious Golden Sword Scripture is a Transformation Divine Art—my spiritual energy is pure, sharp, and infused with metallic Sword Core Essence… plus I possess a top-grade metallic spiritual stone. No problem there."

"As for demonic illusions… I've never even encountered them during Golden Core formation. I wonder if I'll get to see one when forming a Nascent Soul?"

"As for the Nascent Soul heavenly tribulation… I've already cultivated the Ten-Thousand Methods Ghost Infant and mastered two spiritual treasures—the Green Yang Demon Lamp and the Burnt Tail Qin. If I can't pass it, no cultivator can."

"Looking at it this way, aside from my physical body, every other condition for my cultivation avatar is maxed out—it'd be against heaven's will if I didn't form a Nascent Soul."

Fang Xing sighed.

The Nascent Soul Pill has extraordinary effects—it replenishes the essence, energy, and spirit of Golden Core late-stage cultivators, just like the Golden Core Pill, allowing most of its power to refine the physical body and aid breakthroughs in essence, energy, and spirit.

In short, it fills whatever is lacking.

Some cultivators have strong physical bodies but weak spiritual energy—they can channel most of the pill's power into the spiritual energy trial, promoting transformation.

Others have weak spiritual sense—they can concentrate the pill's power on spiritual sense, aiding its breakthrough.

This is the fundamental principle of breakthrough pills: compensating for innate deficiencies!

Of course, if a cultivator lacks all three—essence, energy, and spirit—and the pill's power still can't make up the deficit, failure is inevitable, and no one can help.

"Hmm?"

While pondering, Fang Xing sensed spiritual energy fluctuations outside, and smiled: "Someone forming a Golden Core?"

He didn't care at all about the Mu family's affairs.

As long as the Mu family hadn't produced a Nascent Soul True Lord right now, even if someone formed an Immortal Golden Core, as long as they didn't come to seize his chamber, he wouldn't bother.

But when Fang Xing extended his spiritual sense, he discovered the Golden Core formation aura collapsing violently.

In the end, the original true Golden Core aura was forcibly transformed into a false Golden Core aura.

"Is this… greed exceeding capacity? Trying to force a Half-Golden Core breakthrough and getting backlash?"

"Or… succumbing to demonic illusions and taking the Golden Core Pill?"

"Or… sabotage by a traitor?!"

Fang Xing glanced once and knew exactly where the unlucky cultivator had failed: "Too impatient. Had he advanced steadily, a true Golden Core wouldn't have been an issue… and if he'd had one more Golden Core spiritual item to maintain the pill's power at the final stage and solidify his foundation, he wouldn't have regressed."

As a near fourth-rank alchemist, he had authority on this.

He merely glanced, then ignored it, returning to his seclusion.

"Time to prepare refining the Nascent Soul Pill… thanks to nature's bounty—I have five Divine Infant Fruits as main ingredients… and the auxiliary materials are nearly all gathered from storage bags of orthodox and demonic cultivators…"

The original Nascent Soul Pill formula came from the Nine Demon Sect's "Huo Huo Moqing."

He'd even thoughtfully prepared most of the auxiliary materials.

The rest, Fang Xing intentionally collected within the Linlang Blessed Land.

And the storage bags of demonic Golden Core cultivators contained similar preparations.

Gathering enough material for five batches wasn't a problem.

"The key now… is to successfully refine at least one pill within five batches—even a low-grade one will do!"

Fang Xing pondered.

Divine Infant Fruits cannot be divided, so each refining session uses one whole fruit.

If given to a fourth-rank alchemy master, one batch of Nascent Soul Pill would guarantee at least one successful pill, possibly one or two low-grade ones.

The Nascent Soul Pill isn't an ordinary pill—the highest recorded success in the cultivation world was a fifth-rank alchemist producing five pills in one batch!

Alas, he was only a near fourth-rank alchemist, but with abundant raw materials, he still had a good chance.

"Usually, near fourth-rank alchemists aiming to advance to fourth-rank choose the cheapest pills to practice with…"

"Using the Nascent Soul Pill for practice… is truly wasting precious resources."

"Better to wait a bit—the Mu family, after all, once produced a Nascent Soul True Lord. They likely still have one or two fourth-rank formulas or fragments. I should try those first…"

Although fourth-rank pill formulas are hard to gather, Fang Xing was now wealthy and confident.

In recent years, besides cultivation, he'd devoted nearly all his time to alchemy.

"After I form a Nascent Soul, I'll see if the frontier war offers any opportunity… if not, I'll head to the Hanhai Cultivation Realm to seek scriptures beyond Transformation."

For ordinary Nascent Soul True Lords, the Great Freedom Mysterious Golden Sword Scripture was sufficient to reach Transformation.

But for Fang Xing, it was far from enough. His martial knowledge was already sufficient to reach Martial Godhood.

But beyond that—there was no path!

Although the Blue Star Federation was being established, Fang Xing still needed a backup plan: the Immortal-Martial Path!

Thus, gathering cultivation scriptures equivalent to realms beyond Martial Godhood, letting his cultivation avatar lead the way and then feed back knowledge to his original body, might well be a way to assist his breakthrough to Martial Godhood.

A flash of light appeared in Fang Xing's hand—a jade slip containing the Nascent Soul Pill formula—beginning his deep contemplation.

"Divine Infant falls into the cauldron, nine dragons soar—when green bamboo waterfalls flow straight down, jade pot turns thrice, then nine times… refined with red fruit, stored in jade vessels…"

"Damn alchemists—why use cryptic phrases and rhymes?!"

"Cultivation should be scientific! Specify dosages, fire control—why not just say it plainly?!"

After contemplating, Fang Xing felt like vomiting.

These were the traps in cultivation scriptures—some even hid key incantations, passing them only orally from master to disciple.

Fortunately, he had multiple copies of the Nascent Soul Pill formula to cross-reference.

He was himself a near fourth-rank alchemist with rich experience, able to deduce some elements.

With trial runs using the Divine Infant Fruit, burning through a few batches, he'd eventually grasp the method.

While contemplating, a message talisman flew into the chamber.

"Hmm?"

Fang Xing casually reached out, his spiritual energy snatching the talisman into his palm.

He listened for a moment, sighed: "Alright… I must meet them after all."

Instantly, a green pearl appeared in his hand—the Nine Demon Pearl.

Fang Xing willed it, transforming into Mu Mu Wansheng's appearance, his aura weak and feeble.

He summoned a small flag, waved it idly—mist swirled, revealing five-colored runes that concealed the beast pens, alchemy room, and other areas he didn't want outsiders to see.

After finishing, he flicked his finger, sending out a message talisman, simultaneously opening the outer array of the fourth-rank chamber.

Several beams of light flew in—the leader was Mu Wanzhang.

Beside him stood a young man with refined features and pale complexion, plus several Foundation Establishment stewards.

They entered the reception hall and saw Mu Mu Wansheng on the cloud bed—eyes instantly reddened: "Grand Elder…"

The "Mu Mu Wansheng" before them had white hair, no vitality, wrinkled skin, milky eyes, and even emitted a foul odor.

Clearly, he was near death.

"Ancestor, Mu Qingshi has failed your trust—I exhausted the family's reserves and only formed a false Golden Core. Please, Ancestor, punish me."

The young man with refined features was Mu Mu Qingshi—he knelt and begged for punishment, voice trembling with sobs.

"Good child..."

Fang Xing spoke, his voice hoarse: "This is not your fault. What exactly happened?"

He looked at Mu Wanzhang.

Mu Wanzhang had no choice—the family's Golden Core seed had only formed a false Golden Core, and the clan was immediately destabilized.

At this point, they could only come to visit the Ancestor, spread word of his well-being, and barely stabilize the clan's morale.

But they never expected that past requests to see the Ancestor had always been refused, yet this time he agreed.

He spoke bitterly: "Mu Qingshi's character is resilient, but he thinks too much... He had already achieved a true Upper Stream Golden Core, yet for the sake of the family, he forced himself to attempt a Half-Golden Core... He never realized his demonic obsession had not been fully overcome; he believed his Golden Core had fully formed, when in truth he had wandered into a demonic illusion and consumed the Golden Core elixir. His original true Golden Core's quality plummeted, barely holding onto a false Golden Core."

Mu Mu Qingshi was ashamed beyond words and knelt silently.

"Alas... This is fate."

Fang Xing coughed once, then looked at the cultivators present: "But... there is still a way to save him."

At these words, the expressions of all present cultivators turned sharply varied.

"Supreme Elder... Once the Golden Core is formed, there is no turning back."

Mu Wanzhang felt a flicker of hope, yet hesitated, voicing this common truth of the cultivation world.

"Heh... We cultivators must turn the impossible into the possible... The cultivation world holds countless rare techniques and secret arts—'once formed, no turning back' is far too absolute..."

Fang Xing shook his head: "During my time in the Linlang Blessed Land, I slew a demonic sect Golden Core cultivator and seized from his storage bag a secret technique called the 'Heavenly Demon Transformation Golden Core Art'! It can dissolve a cultivator's false Golden Core—or even a true Golden Core—without damaging the foundation, making it easier to re-form the Golden Core... This method of breaking down before rebuilding naturally enhances the quality of the new Golden Core."

He looked at Mu Mu Qingshi: "Mu Qingshi, you are the most outstanding of our Golden Core seeds. If you cannot succeed, no one can. I have decided to expend my remaining essence to perform this secret art on you, and to give you every Golden Core spiritual item in the clan. You were already one step away from Half-Golden Core—dissolving your false Golden Core and re-forming it gives you a strong chance of achieving Half-Golden Core, becoming the pillar that holds up our Mu family!"

At these words, Mu Mu Qingshi's eyes immediately turned red: "Ancestor..."

"This technique... it must be incredibly taxing to perform. Supreme Elder, what of your health?" Mu Wanzhang hesitated.

"It doesn't matter. I have only a few years left to live anyway. I should sacrifice this worn-out body to pave the way for the younger generation."

Fang Xing said calmly: "Where the old leaves fall, the seeds shall grow endlessly..."

For a moment, all the cultivators were deeply moved.

Mu Wanzhang returned to his cave dwelling, his heart surging: "If our Mu family can produce a Half-Golden Core cultivator, we can seal our mountain for a hundred years... Perhaps we can break through to Golden Core Mid-Stage! A Half-Golden Core cultivator in Golden Core Mid-Stage is no weaker than an ordinary Golden Core Late-Stage Grand Master. Our Mu family finally has a glimmer of hope for revival."

Just then, he suddenly heard a cough behind him, and his hair stood on end: "Who?"

"It's me!"

Fang Xing stepped out from the darkness, hands clasped behind his back.

"Supreme Elder, weren't you preparing to perform the Heavenly Demon Transformation Golden Core Art?" Mu Wanzhang was startled.

"What transformation Golden Core art? I lied to you."

Fang Xing revealed a sly smile.

In the demonic sects, such a Golden Core dissolving technique does exist—but its prerequisites are extremely complex and harsh, and crucially, it requires a Nascent Soul True Lord to perform, consuming vast amounts of primordial energy.

Not only am I incapable of it, but even if I could use the Ten Thousand Methods Ghost Nascent Soul to do it, I am not Mu Mu Qingshi's father—I would never expend so much for him.

Spreading this rumor was simply taking advantage of this group of false Golden Core and Foundation Establishment cultivators' ignorance!

"What?"

Mu Wanzhang's eyes widened.

"I suspect someone tampered with Mu Qingshi's Golden Core formation... Though our clan has sealed the mountain, internal remnants remain uncleaned. I said this deliberately to lure the snake out of its hole."

Fang Xing explained calmly.

The external forces certainly would not want to see the Mu family produce another Half-Golden Core cultivator.

And since they had struck once before, they would strike again.

Fang Xing was deliberately fishing.

"So that's how it is..."

Mu Wanzhang felt profound admiration—indeed, the old are the wisest. No wonder the Supreme Elder once led the clan as patriarch!

(End of Chapter)