Chapter 21: Birth of the Demonic Core
After the three Core Formation cultivators departed, Xiao Ning allowed himself a brief moment of satisfaction. The mission had gone better than expected. Not only had he secured the soul fragments needed to stabilize his Spirit Palace, but he had also strengthened loyalty within the Shadowclaw Sect by distributing rare cultivation techniques to key members.
Returning to his secluded meditation spot in Blood Meridian Valley, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
"Let’s see if this works," he muttered, reaching out with his mind to manipulate the surrounding Asura Qi, shaping it into the palace’s foundation.
With the collected soul fragments in hand, Xiao Ning began weaving them into the structure. It was a painstaking process, demanding total focus and precise control over both the Asura Qi and the compressed souls. Each pillar needed perfect alignment; a single misstep could collapse the entire formation.
His mind became a battleground—wrestling with the volatile asura qi while preserving the soul fragments’ stability.
Then came the final step: sacrifice.
Ten Foundation Establishment souls were offered to anchor the structure. Their integration was smooth, almost eerily so. The palace drank in their essence, stabilizing as the last pillar snapped into place. A low resonance thrummed through his dantian, and the obsidian walls of the Spirit Palace glowed faintly with crimson runes.
Xiao Ning exhaled slowly. "It’s done."
Now came the next phase: ascending his cultivation.
He gradually released the seal on the Paradox Meridians, allowing his spiritual energy to circulate freely once more. The process went smoother than he expected. The integration of the Asura Scripture’s methods with his existing foundation created a perfect synergy.
According to the scripture, the next step was core formation—but not the traditional Golden Core. No, his would be different.