Translator: AnubisTL
After successfully exchanging for two portions of Azure Jade Spirit Water and one portion of Heavenly Fire Treasure Nectar, Li Qing and Shen Ningbing left the Hall of Rare Treasures, both thoroughly satisfied.
Behind them, the middle-aged woman escorted them to the door, her expression unusually restrained.
As the pair disappeared from her sight, she couldn't help but wipe a bead of cold sweat from her forehead.
"The cultivation world truly breeds extraordinary talents," she murmured. "Where on earth did this pair of fiendish dao companions come from? I've never even heard of them before."
"Senior Brother Li, why don't you keep the Heavenly Fire Treasure Nectar?" Shen Ningbing suggested softly as they soared through the air side by side. "One portion of Azure Jade Spirit Water should be enough for me."
She had considerable confidence in her abilities, believing that a single core formation spiritual material would give her a high chance of success in achieving core formation.
But Li Qing shook his head. "No, one core formation spiritual material is still too risky. I'll give you the Heavenly Fire Treasure Nectar as well."
This wasn't out of generosity; Li Qing had already carefully planned this in his mind.
At this stage, Li Qing was only in the late foundation establishment realm, still some time away from reaching its peak and unable to attempt core formation in the near future.
Shen Ningbing, on the other hand, had reached the pseudo core formation stage, her cultivation progress stalled. She was ready to attempt core formation at any moment.
Considering the urgency, Shen Ningbing clearly needed the Heavenly Fire Treasure Nectar more.
This arrangement had a significant advantage: by helping Shen Ningbing achieve core formation quickly, their group would gain a much-needed boost in survival capabilities.
The recent events at the Imperial City gates had revealed that the relationship between the righteous and demonic paths was far from harmonious, and conflict could erupt at any moment.
"Senior brother Li, there's only one portion of Heavenly Fire Treasure Nectar. You should keep it. I have considerable confidence in myself!" Shen Ningbing insisted, still trying to decline.
But Li Qing remained firm. "Junior sister Shen, listen to me. The Great Wilderness Domain is unlikely to enter a peaceful era anytime soon. Only by you successfully achieving core formation can we hope to protect ourselves."
"Besides, don't feel indebted to me. Once you become a core formation realm cultivator, you can help me gather core formation spiritual materials in return."
"I imagine collecting yin-yang spirit liquid and Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid shouldn't be too difficult for a cultivator in the core formation realm, right?"
As one's cultivation level rises, the caliber of resources they encounter naturally increases as well.
Back when Li Qing was still in the qi refining realm, he struggled desperately to obtain even a single foundation establishment pill.
Now, however, foundation establishment pills were trivial. If he wanted one, he could simply hunt a few Second-Tier Demonic Beasts in the great wilderness, extract their second-tier crystal cores, and have someone refine the pills for him.
He could even exchange a few second-tier crimson crystals on the black market for foundation establishment pills.
Once Shen Ningbing successfully reached the core formation realm, her increased strength would undoubtedly make gathering core formation spiritual materials far easier.
More importantly, Li Qing had little faith in his own aptitude. During his foundation establishment, he had consumed four foundation establishment pills!
Facing the even more challenging core formation stage, a single portion of Heavenly Fire Treasure Nectar seemed insufficient.
To achieve core formation, he was determined to gather at least four types of core formation spiritual materials.
This included not only the Heavenly Fire Treasure Nectar and Azure Jade Spirit Water, but also the two superior core formation spiritual materials: yin-yang spirit liquid and Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid.
Finally, by supplementing it with the soul core method, Li Qing felt he would have a reasonable chance of success.
Since he hadn't yet gathered all the necessary resources, Li Qing considered giving the Heavenly Fire Treasure Nectar to Shen Ningbing as a gesture of goodwill.
After hearing Li Qing's reasoning, Shen Ningbing remained silent for a moment before nodding. "In that case, senior brother Li, please give me the Heavenly Fire Treasure Nectar now."
Li Qing was taken aback, momentarily stunned.
"Junior sister, what are you planning?"
At that moment, a resolute glint flashed in Shen Ningbing's eyes.
"Didn't the owner of the hidden treasures pavilion say that yin-yang spirit liquid might appear at the Great Wilderness Domain auction assembly?"
"The auction is still three days away. I plan to begin my core formation before then, so I'll be ready to bid on the yin-yang spirit liquid when it appears!"
Li Qing's heart skipped a beat at her words. He hadn't expected his junior sister Shen to be so daring!
To be honest, he had almost given up on acquiring the yin-yang spirit liquid at the auction. But Shen Ningbing's decision reignited his own ambition.
After pondering deeply for a moment, Li Qing shook his head hesitantly. "Three days? Isn't that too rushed, Junior Sister? Core formation is no trivial matter!"
"You still have plenty of time. There's no need for you to push yourself so hard. I don't think this plan is stable enough."
Hearing Li Qing's concern, Shen Ningbing smiled radiantly, like a flower blooming on a snowy mountain—coldly elegant yet undeniably beautiful.
"Senior Brother, do you not trust me?"
Staring at the captivating smile on his junior sister's face, Li Qing found himself at a loss for words.
She possessed an ice attribute variant spirit root, far surpassing his own four spirit root aptitude. He realized he had no right to worry so much about her cultivation path.
"I'll ask one last time: are you absolutely sure about this?"
Shen Ningbing nodded gently, her delicate eyebrows relaxing. "Yes. I observed from the air just now—there are several Spirit Vein Lands both inside and outside the Imperial City. They're perfect for core formation."
"I may need you to act as my Guardian for the next few days, Senior Brother."
Seeing Shen Ningbing's resolute expression, Li Qing opened his mouth to speak, but ultimately refrained from further persuasion.
Always one for caution, he had no right to demand others share his meticulous approach.
Moreover, Shen Ningbing's decision to immediately undergo core formation was ultimately to ensure he could secure the yin-yang spirit liquid at the upcoming auction assembly.
With a True Lord of the core formation realm acting as Guardian, he could openly bid for the yin-yang spirit liquid without anyone foolishly coveting this core formation spiritual material.
The Imperial City of the Ancient Hua Immortal Dynasty naturally lacked no spiritual veins; in fact, a dragon vein lay beneath its foundations.
The entire city was enveloped in dense spiritual energy, further enhanced by a Spirit Gathering Grand Formation that continuously drew spiritual energy from the heavens and earth.
North of the Imperial City, some distance from the Heavenly Palace Market, lay a relatively secluded area seldom frequented by cultivators.
Of course, when Shen Ningbing began condensing her Golden Core, the resulting commotion would inevitably attract attention from other cultivators.
At that point, they might truly make a grand spectacle of themselves!
"This place will do," Shen Ningbing said, surveying the surroundings and nodding in satisfaction. "The spiritual energy here is sufficiently dense."
"Very well, I will serve as your Guardian here for the next few days."
Li Qing involuntarily clenched his fists.
He knew he would likely have to make a grand display of power soon, and he couldn't help but worry about Shen Ningbing.
Swish! Swish!
Wielding the Ice Profound Sword, Shen Ningbing casually unleashed several sharp and piercing sword qi strikes, effortlessly carving out an underground cave abode.
Boom!
With a wave of her hand, she unleashed a surge of Ice Attribute true essence, instantly freezing the cave abode into a crystalline ice palace.
Having completed her preparations, Shen Ningbing glanced at Li Qing one last time and said, "Senior Brother, I leave the rest to you!"
Before Li Qing could reply, she leaped down into the ice palace-like cave abode.
No response was needed. She simply trusted Li Qing—the senior brother who had accompanied her all the way from the Azure Ridge Domain to the Great Wilderness Domain. That was all that mattered.
Silence descended upon the surroundings. Li Qing took a deep breath and casually settled into a meditative posture on a nearby rock.
On the first day, Shen Ningbing made no significant movements, and the spiritual energy in the area flowed normally.
This seemed to be a period of adjustment for Shen Ningbing, as she hadn't truly begun her breakthrough yet.
The moment her essence, qi, and spirit returned to their peak would mark the true beginning of her Golden Core condensation.
However, the tranquility here did not extend to the Ancient Hua Imperial City.
Just yesterday, Gui Fan of the Ghost Sword Sect and Zhang Xiao of the Taiyi Sect finally lost their patience and engaged in a tentative clash.
Neither could gain the upper hand, resulting in a stalemate. The two ultimately agreed to a decisive battle to the death after achieving core formation.
This news sent shockwaves through the entire Imperial City!
One was the young sect master of the Ghost Sword Sect, while the other was the newly appointed Heavenly Prodigy elder of the Taiyi Sect.
In truth, these two represented their respective sects entirely.
Their impending duel was, in essence, a proxy war between the Taiyi Sect and the Ghost Sword Sect.
The Taiyi Sect, an ancient powerhouse of the righteous path, had stood firm in the Great Wilderness Domain for countless years, serving as the undisputed leader of the righteous factions.
The Ghost Sword Sect, a rising force within the demonic path, had been gaining momentum with astonishing speed.
"Gui Fan versus Zhang Xiao—this is going to be a spectacle!"
"To agree to a battle after core formation—that's truly audacious! Do they think the core formation barrier won't stop them?!"
"Ah, these are the Heavenly Prodigies of the great sects. What seems like an insurmountable Heavenly Chasm to us—the core formation realm—is merely a stepping stone on their cultivation path."
Many cultivators in the Imperial City were buzzing with speculation.
The city was currently the most bustling place in the entire Great Wilderness Domain, and any notable event drew countless eyes.
That very night, in a secluded corner north of the Ancient Hua Imperial City, a faint aura suddenly rippled outward!
Boom!
The temperature in the entire northern district of the Imperial City plummeted to extreme cold!
This sudden, unnatural drop in temperature startled many.
"What's happening? It's suddenly freezing!"
"Hiss! I'm shivering from the cold! What's going on?!"
"Just now, I sensed an overwhelming pressure, but it vanished almost immediately. Was it just my imagination?"
"..."
In the next moment, the spiritual energy in the heavens and earth surged violently, then swept northward toward the Imperial City with astonishing force.
(End of the Chapter)
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