Chapter 316 - 152: Core Formation
The True Pill spun slowly within his Dantian. With each rotation, a stream of pure Pill Qi would escape and permeate his Meridians.
All of his old, damaged injuries were completely repaired.
The Meridians inside his body widened by more than ten times, becoming as tough as old vines.
Flesh, bones, organs...
Everywhere the Pill Qi passed, a rapid transformation occurred, visible to the naked eye.
Liang Cheng seemed to sense a connection with the heavens and earth.
From this day forward, his lifespan would be five hundred years.
...
「At the same time.」
In the depths of his Sea of Consciousness.
That drop of Divine Soul Liquid, which had been dormant for so long, now exploded like a blazing sun, releasing boundless golden light!
His originally chaotic Sea of Consciousness suddenly became clear at this moment.
It was no longer a void.
But a golden ocean.
Boundless and vast, its surface shimmering with light.
The Ling Frost Short Sword was hovering silently above the ocean’s surface.
Its ice-blue blade reflected the golden waves.
A thought flickered through Liang Cheng’s mind.
The Short Sword trembled slightly.
Inside the Sea of Divine Soul, it moved forward half an inch.
Then, he abruptly suppressed his thoughts, forcibly severing his connection with the Short Sword.
’There are too many people here. I can’t expose the Short Sword’s existence.’
But that momentary connection had already made him eager to try it out.
’This sword... I can use it.’
Delighted, he looked within himself once more.
The True Pill in his Dantian was operating as usual, and the Pill Qi surrounding him was condensed and stable.
As his thoughts flowed, an unprecedented wave of enlightenment washed over him.
It was Blade Intent.
Not the rudiments of Blade Intent.
It was Martial Dao True Intent.
Back in the True Gang Realm, he had only grasped thirty percent of the rudiments of Blade Intent for the Nine Heavens Mountain-Breaking Saber he had comprehended on his own. Now, upon Breaking Mortality and Forming his Core, that final barrier shattered.
Blade Intent surged through his limbs and bones like a tide.
He closed his eyes.
With just a thought.
The Zhenxian Saber hummed softly in its sheath.
It didn’t need to be drawn.
The Blade Intent was already present.
Just then.
BOOM—!!!
The entire cave trembled violently!
Now that Liang Cheng’s True Pill had formed, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi in a ten-mile radius around Profound Ice Peak was stirred as if by an invisible giant hand, rushing madly toward his body!
A Spiritual Qi storm!
The eerie, ice-blue glow of the stone wall flared, resonating directly with the True Pill in Liang Cheng’s Dantian!
An inhale, an exhale.
Like the ebb and flow of a tide.
...
"What’s going on?!"
A Disciple comprehending the wall opened his eyes in horror.
"The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi is running rampant!"
"What in the world is happening to the wall?!"
...
Nearby, Liu Jingtiao shot to his feet.
Chen Xuanfeng and the others did the same.
They stared intently at Liang Cheng’s seated back. Visible, ice-blue halos were rippling outward from the figure in the green robes.
It was a realm breakthrough.
Core Formation and Breaking Mortality.
Chen Xuanfeng took a step forward.
He didn’t say a word.
He simply stood guard over Liang Cheng, his eyes fixed on everyone else.
At that moment, Liang Cheng opened his eyes.
He instinctively looked up at the stone wall.
With just that one glance.
BOOM—!!!
The stone wall suddenly cracked!
Fissures spread like a spiderweb as rubble rained down!
The entire Profound Ice Peak also began to collapse from within!
"Not good! The peak is collapsing!"
Liu Jingtiao shouted.
With a wave of his sleeve, a Dharma Ship materialized out of thin air, growing rapidly in the wind!
"Everyone! Get on the Dharma Ship! Now!!"
The Disciples comprehending the wall scrambled to their feet in terror, not even bothering to collect their cushions as they stumbled and crawled toward the Dharma Ship.
Liang Cheng stood up and gave the stone wall one last look.
The Ice Soul Wall was now splitting down the middle, a fine crack appearing.
The crack spread.
Like a spiderweb.
Then it crumbled with a roar, and the eerie, ice-blue glow vanished completely.
Only then did Liang Cheng turn. With a thought, he stepped onto the Dharma Ship.
The Dharma Ship soared into the air.
In almost the exact same instant.
The entire Profound Ice Peak, from its summit downward, shattered layer by layer. An immense weight of ice and snow cascaded down like a furious torrent, completely burying the cave.
The Dharma Ship now hovered a thousand feet high in the air.
Inside the cabin, the gasps of the still-shaken disciples rose and fell.
Someone leaned against a porthole, staring down at the collapsing snow peak. His face was pale, and his knuckles were white as he gripped the armrest of his seat.
Liu Jingtiao stood at the bow of the cabin, watching the collapsing Profound Ice Peak in disbelief.
After a while, he turned, his gaze passing over everyone to land on Liang Cheng.
He thought for a moment, then called Liang Cheng to one side and set up a Sound Insulation Prohibition before speaking.
"You’ve undergone Breaking Mortality and Core Formation."
Liang Cheng didn’t deny it. This had been his plan all along, so his answer was straightforward.
"Yes."
Liu Jingtiao was silent for a moment before he finally couldn’t help but ask, "What exactly did you comprehend from the stone wall?"
Liang Cheng said calmly,
"The Ice Soul Scripture."
’The Ice Soul Scripture!?’
The moment those three words were spoken.
Liu Jingtiao’s pupils contracted.
He naturally knew what kind of Cultivation Technique the Cold Pool Wanderer’s Refining Spirit Skill was. He never imagined the wall also contained the Ice Soul Scripture!
He stared at Liang Cheng for a long time before slowly speaking.
"Before the wall, you comprehended the Ice Soul Scripture."
"And then used it to achieve Breaking Mortality and Core Formation?"
Liu Jingtiao, having lost some of his composure, couldn’t help but ask again.
Liang Cheng remained calm and replied, "Yes."
Liu Jingtiao said no more.
He thought back on the twelve years he had presided over the Immortal Ascension Conference. He had never seen anyone comprehend the Refining Spirit Skill, let alone someone who comprehended a Cultivation Technique and immediately broke through to the Core Formation Realm.
He thought of the Cold Pool Wanderer.
That peerless genius who, as a Loose Cultivator, comprehended his own Cultivation Technique and condensed a Golden Core.
The young man before him had also comprehended a Cultivation Technique before the wall and, what’s more, broke through to the next realm on the spot.
A monster.
A heaven-blessed prodigy.
Neither word was probably sufficient to describe Liang Cheng’s situation.
Liu Jingtiao then withdrew his gaze.
"You should know, this Ice Soul Wall is a great treasure of the Penglai Sect. For two hundred years, countless people have tried to comprehend it. Those who can grasp even a single move or half a stance are already considered exceptionally talented."
"But as for someone who has comprehended the entire Ice Soul Scripture—"
"You are the first."
Liang Cheng remained silent. ’Of course, I know the real situation. This is just an excuse for using the Refining Spirit Skill to break through to the Core Formation Realm.’
Liu Jingtiao, having regained his composure, turned to look out the porthole.
Profound Ice Peak had completely collapsed. Half the mountain had turned to snow and rubble, burying the two-hundred-year-old wall.
He dispelled the Sound Insulation Prohibition and announced, "The second trial, the test of comprehension, can no longer continue as the wall has been destroyed."
The cabin fell silent. The Disciples whose comprehension had been interrupted looked at each other in dismay. Someone opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately said nothing.
Liu Jingtiao then took out a Communication Jade Talisman and submerged his Divine Sense into it.
「Three breaths later.」
The Jade Talisman lit up.
He closed his eyes to receive the message.
When he opened his eyes and made the announcement, everyone held their breath.
"The Sect Leader has issued a command."
"For this Immortal Ascension Conference, all Disciples in the top twenty—"
"—will be accepted."
Some were stunned.
Some were in disbelief.
One covered their face on the spot, their shoulders trembling.
Qin Lie took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
Ye Zhiqiu slammed his fist on the armrest of his seat.
Xiao Qingxue’s hand, which had been resting on her sword, finally relaxed.
Liu Jingtiao didn’t look at them.
His gaze fell on Liang Cheng, and he sent a Secret Transmission.
"The Sect Leader had one more thing to say."
"Bring Liang Cheng to him. He wants to meet you personally."
...
PS: Brothers, it’s the New Year, so I can’t guarantee future updates. I’ll do my best to release 10k words a day, but if I can’t make it one day and the update is smaller, I hope everyone can understand.
Wishing everyone a Happy New Year and all the best!