Chapter 604

How could you two have prepared these spiritual materials for so long?" Yan Buji found it a bit strange.

By rights, the pills for breaking through to the Golden Core stage need at most fourfold transformations, and even some top‑grade three‑fold transformation pills would suffice. With your status as disciples of Paolong Sacred Land, how could you possibly not be able to obtain such three‑ or four‑fold transformation Spiritual Material?

Ah, Elder Brother Yan, you don't know about this." The Core Formation Cultivator beside him sighed: "Most of the Spiritual Material within the sect is allocated fixed quotas; you should have seen that forest in the outer area before you came."

Hmm, what's the problem?

The Spiritual Material in that forest cannot be freely harvested; either you exchange contributions for it inside the sect, or you can only buy it outside.

Earlier, in our desperate attempt to break through, we used up all our contributions, yet still failed to break through. This time we borrowed a batch of contributions, exchanged them for Spiritual Material inside the sect, and then spent a large sum of Spiritual Stones outside to finally gather all the needed Spiritual Material.

The two said this, also appearing somewhat strained.

Yan Buji pinched his chin: "So you two haven't been doing well either."

Such a great sect has its own difficulties; the stronger the sect, the more its resources are concentrated, making it hard for us ordinary disciples to obtain good things, and sometimes even our daily supplies....

Enough!" the Core Formation Cultivator beside them gestured to stop speaking.

Yan Buji also heard that.

Maintaining resource allocation for a power of this scale easily runs into problems, which could be due to improper management or someone lining their own pockets for personal gain, leading to insufficient daily supplies for lower‑level disciples—none of which is hard to imagine.

However, hearing them say this, Yan Buji instead felt relieved.

If a power were truly perfect in every aspect, then one would actually find it hard to insert oneself into it.

Yan Buji took the Spiritual Material and smiled: "In that case, you two just wait for good news."

Then I'll trouble you, Elder Brother Yan!

Yan Buji entered the room and began refining pills.

Two days passed.

Yan Buji came out holding the pills and handed them to the two.

Elder Brother Yan, you've already finished refining them?

How come? You don't believe me?" Yan Buji laughed.

I knew Elder Brother Yan refines pills quickly, but I didn't expect it to be this fast.

Yan Buji smiled: "The pills are for you; I also don't plan to go out lately, so you'll have to cultivate on your own."

Thank you, Elder Brother Yan!

If I manage to break through, I'll definitely host a banquet and treat Elder Brother Yan to drinks!

Yan Buji narrowed his eyes, but didn't say much more.

As Yan Buji entered the pill‑refining room to continue refining the Unity‑Slaying Pill, the two Core Formation Cultivators also began to think.

What should we do? Should we go into seclusion now, or....

Let's wait another two days, then when the time comes go to the Internal Affairs Hall to hand over the task; that way we can also obtain contributions.

Okay.

The two discussed it, and two days passed in the blink of an eye.

When the two arrived at the Internal Affairs Hall, they approached the outer‑gate attendant handling affairs and cupped their hands: "Greetings, Attendant Qian."

What? You two came together—did something happen at the Pill Refining Hall?

No, it's just that the time is up; this time we've come to hand over the task and won't be going back.

Not going?" Attendant Qian gave them a strange look: "You two hardly have any contributions, and just a few days ago I heard you borrowed a lot of contributions and Spiritual Stones—what are you planning to do?"

Replying to the attendant, we just want to give it another shot!

Attendant Qian hesitated a moment, then nodded: "All right, but I'll say this up front—breaking through to the Golden Core isn't something simple; your previous failure might have been due to poor adjustment and you also suffered heavy injuries, but if you fail again this time, you probably won't get another chance to break through."

Thank you, Attendant Qian, for the guidance." The two also felt some pressure; after completing the task, they didn't worry about anything else, returned to their lodgings, put up a seclusion sign, and began preparing to break through.

After leaving the Internal Affairs Hall, the two exchanged a glance.

Anhua, do you have confidence?

Yes! I can't let Nuonu down again; this time I'll definitely keep up with her steps!" Anhua clenched his fists, giving himself a pep talk.

And you, Ma Liu—you were seriously injured in your previous breakthrough attempt; have you really recovered?

Ma Liu shook his head: "I've long since recovered. But you're the same, I'm just worried you're putting too much pressure on yourself—if you're unstable during the breakthrough, it'll be trouble."

Anhua took a deep breath, recalled his goal, his eyes firm: "No way, I've already made all the preparations!"

Let's hope so.

Sigh.

Ma Liu knew that Anhua's talent wasn't bad, but his childhood friend who joined the sect with him had even better talent and had already entered the Inner Gate before them, and they hadn't been in touch for a long time.

Last time, it was because Anhua heard that the Inner Gate was expanding its manpower that he forced a breakthrough without proper preparation, resulting in serious injury.

Now that everything is ready, Ma Liu instead worries that Anhua, because of his previous failure, is putting too much pressure on himself.

In the blink of an eye, another three months passed.

Suddenly, a vortex of spiritual energy erupted in the sky above the Outer Gate, and immediately a second vortex of spiritual energy began to erupt!

Seeing this, the surrounding disciples couldn't help but exclaim: "Someone broke through?!"

This is a sign of breaking through to the Golden Core stage.

I don't know who it is, but two people actually broke through at the same time.

The surrounding disciples, unfazed, just sat aside and watched the phenomenon in the high sky if they had nothing else to do.

When cultivators break through, especially when breaking through the Golden Core barrier, it easily causes disturbances in spiritual energy, forming phenomena like vortices and tornadoes.

If the person has even greater talent, the resulting phenomena will be larger and more splendid, which is also why one judges whether a cultivator is strong.

Ye Lin, walking on the road, felt the change in spiritual energy, looked up at the sky, and said with a strange expression:

How come it feels not as impressive as when I broke through to the Foundation Establishment Stage?

Ye Lin thought it over, found it uninteresting, and returned to his dwelling to continue cultivating.

At the same time.

An Hua gritted his teeth, concentrating all his essence, qi, and spirit, condensing his mana near the dantian.

Just a little more....

An Hua gritted his teeth, expending all his resources, and quickly resorted to his last resort!

An Hua took the pill!

A stream of pure spiritual energy burst from within, quickly stabilizing the unstable mana and gradually guiding it into the dantian.

Nuo Nuo, wait for me, this time I will....

Boom—

What?!

An Hua widened his eyes; the mana in his dantian suddenly trembled violently, and by the time he reacted, the instability could no longer be quelled, and in an instant—

Bang!

Cough—ahhh!!!

An Hua spat out a mouthful of blood.

Meanwhile,

Outside, one spiritual energy vortex gradually dissipated, while another vortex swiftly descended and merged into the body of another cultivator breaking through.

In just a few breaths, one succeeded and one failed!

I did it! I finally achieved Golden Core!! Ma Liu stabilized his mana, then looked at the Golden Core in his dantian and cheered happily.

Immediately, Ma Liu, while stabilizing his realm, sent a mental message: 'An Hua, An Hua, how are you? Did you make it?'

I.... An Hua coughed a few times, his face full of bitterness.

Ma Liu frowned, realizing something was wrong.