Chapter 162 : Scheming for the Golden Core
Chapter 162: Scheming for the Golden Core
"Yes, Senior Sister. I’ve tried several times, but I still can’t complete the full extreme circulation of my mana," Chen Beiwu humbly asked for guidance.
After surpassing the limit of Qi Refining, his cultivation in the Seven Revolutions of Great Cycle Qi Refining progressed at a miraculous pace.
Even while reviewing past Immortal Alliance Entrance Exam questions alongside his cultivation, he managed to reach the Minor Completion stage in just over half a month. Yet he couldn’t advance to Major Completion no matter what.
With no other choice, Chen Beiwu sought out Senior Sister Yun for clarification.
"How many drops of liquid mana do you have in your body right now?" Yun Yishu asked.
Upon hearing this, Chen Beiwu immediately understood.
No wonder he had always felt a lack of drive after advancing to the Twelfth Level of Qi Refining—it turned out this was the missing piece.
"Looks like you've figured it out," Yun Yishu smiled. "Generally, a Qi Refining cultivator who has reached Minor Completion in the Seven Revolutions of Great Cycle Qi Refining should have condensed at least nine drops of liquid mana in their dantian's qi sea."
"And if you want to achieve the extreme circulation of mana and step into the Twelfth Level of Qi Refining, you’ll need at least eight drops of liquid mana to even attempt a breakthrough."
"If I’m not mistaken, Junior Brother, you probably have six to seven drops of liquid mana in your qi sea. Otherwise, you wouldn’t feel like you’re always just a breath away from breaking through."
As she said this, a trace of bitterness welled up in Yun Yishu’s heart.
The problem Chen Beiwu encountered was actually quite simple.
Put plainly, it was because his talent was too high, his comprehension of cultivation methods too fast, and the time he spent cultivating too short, resulting in insufficient accumulation of liquid mana in his qi sea—thus failing to break through.
In a way, this was a dilemma unique to geniuses.
Even the founder of the Seven Revolutions of Great Cycle Qi Refining likely never imagined that a Qi Refining cultivator could grasp the nature and transformation of liquid mana in merely three years—or even less.
"Thank you for the guidance, Senior Sister Yun." Chen Beiwu bowed slightly, gratitude evident on his face.
Senior Sister was spot on. He had exactly seven drops of liquid mana in his qi sea.
Two of them had been transformed with the help of the Golden Egg after taking the Yin-Yang Blood-Purifying Pill, and two more were the result of his hard work over this period, cultivated using Spirit-Nourishing Pills.
"No need to be so polite." Yun Yishu waved her hand. "Even without my reminder, you would’ve discovered the issue after cultivating for a while longer."
"Oh right—Junior Brother, do you want to become a sequence disciple?" As if suddenly remembering something, Yun Yishu asked.
"Of course I do. But isn’t the sect’s Six-Vein Competition starting next year?" Chen Beiwu replied.
"Chen Junior Brother, are you underestimating yourself?" Yun Yishu said sternly. "With your current cultivation level, participating in the Six-Vein Competition would be like bullying children."
"Senior Sister, you mean—?" Chen Beiwu’s eyes lit up.
"You don’t need to worry about the identity of a sequence disciple. I can help you secure it."
As she said this, Yun Yishu picked up the formation array in her hand and curiously asked, "If I may ask, Junior Brother, where exactly did you get this third-tier incomplete formation?"
"I stumbled upon it near a spirit lake," Chen Beiwu said.
Yun Yishu grew interested. "Do you know what kind of formation this is?"
Chen Beiwu shook his head, feigning ignorance.
"This formation’s banners align with the positions of the Big Dipper. The formation disk needs to be refined from Polar Cold Jade, arranged into a Nine Palaces Earth Fiend Killing Setup, and then uses the evolution of sun, moon, and stars to simulate the Purple Tenuity Star Map. No doubt, this is a third-tier Corpse Refining Grand Formation."
The more she explained, the more excited Yun Yishu became. She took the initiative to ask about the layout details of the spirit lake.
After listening to his account, Senior Sister Yun confidently said, "If my deduction is correct, that spirit lake where you obtained this formation likely hides the corpse and treasure hoard of a Golden Core True Person."
Chen Beiwu’s pupils contracted slightly, pretending to be shocked.
It was precisely because he already knew that a Golden Core True Person’s corpse lay hidden there that he had immediately run away without looking back. Even the spirit fish in the lake—he had only taken a few, not daring to delve deeper.
"A Golden Core True Person, even after death, could have left behind arrangements powerful enough to kill a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator."
Chen Beiwu’s expression grew serious. He offered a suggestion, "Senior Sister, for the sake of safety, should we notify Master to handle it?"
A Golden Core True Person’s legacy was certainly tempting, but Chen Beiwu also had to consider whether he had the strength to claim it.
The reason he was willing to sell the third-tier formation to Senior Sister Yun wasn’t just because he urgently needed contribution points and to repay a favor. He also had another idea in mind.
There’s a saying: the longer the night, the more dreams it spawns.
Qian Yuan had tightly clung to his ancestral tomb, afraid of making wedding clothes for someone else and losing his chance for revenge. He refused to seek out a third-tier formation master to break the formation and eventually died of old age by the spirit lake, ending up with nothing.
But Chen Beiwu had a clear understanding.
With his current cultivation, becoming a Golden Core True Person would take an extremely long time.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that by the time he had the strength to explore the lake, the Golden Core corpse hidden within would have already turned into a third-tier Fierce Corpse and broken free, leaving him with nothing.
Rather than that, it would be better to let Master take the opportunity.
Even if all he got was some leftover scraps from a Golden Core True Person’s legacy, it would be more than enough for Chen Beiwu to make a fortune.
Of course, he also understood that doing this meant relinquishing the initiative to Master.
If his Master were a stingy Golden Core cultivator, he might not even get a single scrap.
That’s why Chen Beiwu chose to consult Senior Sister Yun.
Compared to Master—whom he had only ever seen in Dharma Body form—Chen Beiwu trusted Senior Sister Yun far more.
And she did not betray that trust. She withheld nothing and fully disclosed the details of the third-tier grand formation, with no vague hints or selfish intentions to keep it for herself.
"This matter isn’t urgent. Refining corpses using lunar and stellar energy is already difficult, let alone forging a third-tier Golden Armored Corpse. It shouldn’t be able to break the formation and emerge anytime soon."
Yun Yishu calmly explained, "Master is currently out patrolling the Earth Proliferation Territory, with no set return date. He likely won’t have time to take action."
Chen Beiwu’s eyes showed a hint of disappointment.
Well then, maybe he had overthought it.
Judging by Senior Sister’s tone, the Golden Core legacy he had been fixated on probably didn’t mean much to his Master.
"In any case, I will send a message to consult Master. If he’s unavailable, we can always ask Hall Master Yu to step in," Yun Yishu suggested.
"Senior Sister, you don’t mean—?" Chen Beiwu looked up in surprise.
"That’s right. Hall Master Yu enjoys studying all kinds of formations. He would likely be very interested in this third-tier grand formation," Yun Yishu nodded.
Hearing this, Chen Beiwu’s face showed some hesitation.
With his Master, at least there was a disciple relationship. If Master took the lion’s share, as the disciple, he could still get some soup.
But Hall Master Yu was a different story.
Chen Beiwu and Hall Master Yu had never even met. If the latter took everything for himself, Chen Beiwu would have no recourse whatsoever.
"Don’t worry, Junior Brother. Hall Master Yu is known for his generosity. He has two hobbies—cultivation methods and formations—and isn’t particularly interested in things like treasure pills or magic artifacts," Senior Sister Yun smiled and promised.
"If the corpse-refining site truly holds a Golden Core True Person’s legacy, then based on your contribution, you should be entitled to choose at least a few third-tier treasure herbs or even a third-tier magic artifact."