Chapter 84 – Golden Core!
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Translated by Frog in the Well
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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***
Just as Jin So-myeong was in the midst of challenging Golden Core.
Intense shockwaves raged without rest in the sky above Sky Island.
It was because two cultivators who had reached the late Golden Core stage clashed.
Boom!
The Lord of Sky Island, who scattered the flying vortex, frowned. He spoke to the Sea Dragon Clan Elder blocking his path.
“Why have you, who should be guarding the Sea Dragon Clan’s nest, come all the way here?”
“The reward given by the Golden-Haired Sacred Ape was quite substantial. Would you believe it if I said high-grade spirit stones were piled up like a mountain?”
The Lord of Sky Island, who quietly listened to the sneering voice, shook his head.
“You probably just wish for our humans and the demon race to fight and beat each other so that our numbers decrease.”
“…Do you stay still even while knowing that? You should shake me off right now and defend the spiritual vein, shouldn’t you?”
“Perhaps the situation will end soon. Because a new weight will appear.”
At the calm voice that was neither relaxed nor urgent, the Sea Dragon Clan Elder’s gaze turned.
Right above Filial Moon City.
Even though the flow of spiritual Qi was blocked by the formation the Golden-Haired Sacred Ape installed in the deep sea, the weather anomaly continued.
It meant that the Golden Core breakthrough had not failed. It was quite fascinating, but that was all.
“What meaning is there to a single greenhorn who has just become a Golden Core?”
“The meaning… you will find out soon.”
“Hmph.”
Simultaneously with the Sea Dragon Clan Elder snorting. Dharma spells collided in the empty air.
At the same time.
In another sky, as many as sixteen Demon Kings gathered and poured out divine abilities.
Flames in the shape of dark red spears fell like rain, and a whitish, sharp wind raged violently.
“Kahahah! Attack! Attack! We must concentrate our strength at a single point!”
The Golden-Haired Sacred Ape, whose pupils were dyed with ecstasy, shouted like mad. Under his command, the Demon Kings raised their demon Qi.
Whether they liked it or not, facing the enemy now, everyone followed the Golden-Haired Sacred Ape.
It was to destroy the Reverse Polar Strong Chain Formation that protected Sky Island.
Of course, the human side had no intention of leaving it be.
Excluding the Lord of Sky Island who was clashing with the Sea Dragon Clan Elder, Golden Core Sages drew their Magic Treasures and blocked them…
***
At that time.
Jin So-myeong was pouring high-grade spirit stones into the Secret Realm of the Mind in response to the suddenly cut-off spiritual Qi.
The moment his daily spirit stone production reached 27.
He judged that it was sufficient to form a Golden Core, and immediately continued the breakthrough.
Although he was worried that something had gone wrong with Sky Island, he forced himself to pay no mind.
Once it had already begun, he could not stop. He had to focus on the Golden Core breakthrough right now.
Hummm!
Heaven-and-earth primal Qi, the purest energy under the heavens, continued to flock in.
He absorbed all the energy without leaving even a single drop and stacked it in his dantian.
He even forgot the passage of time.
How absorbed had he been? The whirlwind formed around him grew increasingly larger.
At first, only the heaven-and-earth primal Qi within a radius of 10 li was absorbed, but before long, it expanded to 30 li.
‘Ugh…’
A groan escaped on its own.
It was because his Qi-Sea dantian , which seemed like it would have no limits like an infinite sea, was full.
A raging wave arose in the sea within his mind.
An instinctive fear licked the back of his neck. If things continued like this, it seemed a major mishap would surely occur.
It felt like death was approaching, but he did not hesitate.
Hesitating in the process of forming a Golden Core was precisely the path leading to true failure and death.
‘I continue.’
He absorbed all the heaven-and-earth primal Qi rushing in from the vortex that had expanded to 50 li before he knew it.
He forcibly injected energy into his already full dantian to raise the pressure.
The moment the highly compressed energy exceeded the critical point.
Whoosh!
A blue flame flared up in his dantian.
It was a Rank 3 flame that the world called Core Fire !
“…!”
His breath caught.
Although he thought he had developed immunity to all kinds of pain by learning the Five Viscera Hundred Tempering Art, this flame was hot beyond imagination.
The blue flame starting from his dantian spread to his entire body.
The world blurred.
The Core Fire did not burn only physical things. The space between his eyebrows grew burning hot, and even his divine soul melted.
“Argh.”
He gritted his teeth. The pain that made him feel like he would become an idiot was a problem, but the stuffiness was greater.
Ever since he became a Foundation Establishment cultivator, his Divine Sense that always surveyed his surroundings had vanished. It was uncomfortable, as if he had become blind.
At that time.
The lightning sleeping in his mind awoke. As if to protect its master, it tried to attack the Core Fire, but he hurriedly blocked it.
Although this process was painful, it was a process that must be undergone to become a Golden Core.
Sure enough.
The temperature, endlessly raised by the Core Fire, reached its extreme.
The vast spiritual power filling his Qi-Sea dantian boiled and simultaneously began to be refined.
Impurities he did not even know existed disappeared.
The spiritual power was purified to an extremely pure state!
Under the extreme environment where even his divine soul would melt.
The single pure crystal remaining after melting, boiling, and burning. That was precisely dharma power!
Finally, body purification. The moment even the most fundamental energy composing the physical body melted down.
‘Now.’
Centering on his soul, he gathered the refined energies into one.
In order to form the Core called a Golden Core!
The moment a gently glowing golden bead was born within his mind, his thoughts snapped off.
It is hot.
Or is it cold? Would it feel like this if the soul were branded with fire?
Now, all the power he had accumulated so far was compressed to a high density, becoming a speck-sized crystal.
What state would the soul situated at the center of the crystal formed by vast power be in? Naturally, it was crumpled under the immense pressure.
As the soul was suppressed, his consciousness sank into the depths. Reason vanished, and only faint instinct remained.
‘Ah…’
Irrespective of his will, his strength drained completely. Because as his soul was repressed, he became as weak as a newborn.
Just as even the Golden Core he had condensed with strong mental power was about to scatter.
He squeezed out his last strength. Right now was the moment he had to consume the White Spirit Herb.
Melt.
The mysterious spiritual herb called a Golden Core spiritual object melted as soon as he put it in his mouth.
An energy white as snow permeated the Golden Core that was just forming.
Awakening a single strand of sleeping consciousness, it helped him support the Golden Core which had become unstable as if about to collapse immediately.
Just as he was about to feel relieved.
To the mind weakened as the soul was suppressed, the dark inner self that usually hid came visiting as a shadow.
“A mere wretched mixed spiritual root! How dare a fellow like you covet a Golden Core! You have no qualification!”
Whose voice was this? It was probably the fear accumulated unconsciously.
‘Did I have such thoughts…’
He had no intention of forcibly denying it. Every human lives carrying fear. That was a very natural fact.
The important thing was what action one took at the moment of choice.
Quietly staring at the shadow, he shook his head.
“What is so special about a Golden Core? Why can’t it be me? And…”
Jin So-myeong did not revere the Golden Core. He merely viewed it as one of the gateways he would pass numerous times in the future.
“It is not aptitude that decides how far I go, but myself.”
“Hmph. Talk is cheap. If you didn’t have the Supreme Great Ability, you would have begged for food and died long ago!”
The sneering voice grew increasingly louder. It became thunder falling from the sky and pierced his eardrums.
It was as if an absolute existence was passing judgment.
At the firm yet majestic voice as if speaking the truth, a question arose.
Is it really so?
“You do not know without trying.”
Had it been the early days of cultivation, he might not have known, but he was not shaken now.
In fact, he had experienced it after consuming the Dream-Roaming Primal Pill. He had obtained the Foundation Establishment spiritual object without the Supreme Great Ability.
Although it was a dream, it was extremely realistic, which was enough to build confidence.
“You will fail! You have survived because you were lucky until now, but in the end—”
He waved his hand at the shadow talking as if in a death struggle.
Kaboom!
He burned it with the lightning in his mind raised by the Heavenly Thunder Dao Body Art.
Within the darkness that had finally grown quiet, he did what he had to do.
He absorbed the heaven-and-earth primal Qi rushing in from all directions and guided it to the Golden Core. The continuously growing pressure crushed his soul, but he endured.
Rumble!
At some point, the floor split centering on him.
It was because the energy injected into the Golden Core reached a true Rank 3 level and radiated its presence.
Simultaneously, the blazing Core Fire emitted heat as if exploding.
It melted all kinds of miscellaneous powers mixed in the Golden Core into one.
Was it because it was too painful? Rather, not a single sensation was felt.
It could only be expressed that an instant like eternity had passed.
“…Ah.”
First of all, his Divine Sense returned. The world that was dyed in darkness brightened.
As he completely seized control of the Golden Core, the consciousnesses that had sunk awoke one by one.
Although his soul was still situated at the center of the Golden Core, there was no pain.
It was just comfortable. As if it was in the place where it should naturally be.
As he reached out his hand, vast energy condensed in the empty air, and the unique pressure of a Golden Core spread.
Crunch!
It was an absurdly powerful strength. Even though he did nothing, it was to the extent that the cultivation room floor shattered and split like a turtle shell.
Staring at the energy swimming freely in the empty air, he closed his eyes.
A radius of 2 km in a spherical shape. Everything within it was clear as if held in his hand.
As he formed the Golden Core, his Divine Sense also became twice as strong!
Realizing that, a sense of reality gradually set in.
“…Haha. Ahahaha!”
He burst into laughter, unable to hold it back.
A power one level above the spiritual power handled by Foundation Establishment cultivators.
He had become the master of dharma power!
The moment he clutched his fist while appreciating the majestic energy radiating from the Golden Core.
A power that could tear down even a mountain condensed. He felt like he would be wrapped by the sense of omnipotence as if he could do anything.
‘Whew… Let’s calm down.’
Was it because he had just broken through the realm? His emotions fluctuated too easily.
What was important now was to settle his excited mind and stabilize the Golden Core he had formed with difficulty.
Once his excitement faded, the worry he had intentionally forgotten came to mind.
‘Why did the spiritual vein suddenly become like this?’
The constantly provided spiritual Qi being tightly blocked was not normal no matter how he looked at it.
It seemed something had gone wrong with Sky Island.
Crackle!
He consumed five thousand Supreme Great Ability beads in a single breath.
He governed the energy that had become unstable while breaking through the realm as quickly as possible.
One hour later.
Jin So-myeong, who had completely gathered the fluctuating energy, brushed off his seat and stood up.
He went outside the cave dwelling and surveyed the surroundings.
“…”
Although the atmosphere of the streets was seemingly the same as usual, the air was different. It was stuffy to breathe, as if something heavy had settled down.
Jin So-myeong, who narrowed his eyes, raised his gaze.
Boom! Boom!
The shockwaves bursting endlessly in the sky informed him of the situation.
He saw the Demon Kings pouring dharma spells toward Sky Island, and the human-side Golden Core Sages trying to block them.
The situation was clear.
Although he did not know what the Demon Kings had done, the connection between Sky Island and the spiritual vein was cut off.
They seemed to be trying to smash the Reverse Polar Strong Chain Formation, which had become weaker than usual, with force.
‘I should help.’
Looking at the Reverse Polar Strong Chain Formation that shook as if about to collapse immediately, he kicked off the ground.
Kaboom!
The moment he raised the lightning in his mind to use the Lightning Escape Art.
The lightning scattered in all directions. It was a domineering power to the extent that the stone floor melted from the aftermath alone.
‘…Huh?’
Even while heading to the battlefield by casting the Lightning Escape Art, he was flustered. It was because the lightning’s power was too strong.
The surrounding scenery stretched long. Everything in front flowed behind him and vanished in an instant.
It was an absurd speed.
The Lightning Escape Art became five times faster than usual, making it hard to control.
He instinctively realized what change had occurred.
‘…This is the true power of the Mastery-grade Heavenly Thunder Dao Body Art.’
Originally, Mastery-grade dharma spells and cultivation methods were divine abilities powerful enough to work against Golden Cores.
However, until now, he had lacked the strength fitting for the divine abilities. That was why they did not exert their proper power.
It was a situation similar to having a divine weapon of legendary grade but being unable to wield it because he lacked the spiritual power.
But now that he had become a Golden Core Sage.
The true power of the Heavenly Thunder Dao Body Art, which had reached the Mastery stage, awoke.
A single blink of an eye .
Distance lost its meaning.
The moment Jin So-myeong teleported across empty air and appeared on the battlefield.
Few reacted.
The Golden Core sword cultivator Gwang-myeong and the Golden-Haired Sacred Ape who was commanding the Demon Kings flinching was all.
Before the gazes of those fighting fiercely could even turn.
Jin So-myeong extended his fist, and a brilliant swarm of light poured toward the Demon Kings.
He cast the Light-Accumulating Destructive Vibration, the domineering divine ability that had turned even mountains into powder using Foundation Establishment spiritual power, with dharma power!