Chapter 234 : Hunyuan Golden Core

Chapter 234: Hunyuan Golden Core

“Buzz!”

Unlike the earlier reaction, this time the Inheritance Stone Stele visibly trembled, letting out a deafening sound.

Seeing this, the cultivators present were all stunned, their gazes fixed upon Zhao Qingluo.

【Wood-attribute Heavenly Root, Dao Foundation at the extreme of Earth, aptitude evaluated as Middle-High Grade.】

【Longevity is not mere survival, fortune is but tribulation; cultivation method evaluated as Middle-High Grade.】

【Divine Sense comparable to an early Golden Core cultivator, Spirit Platform and Sea of Consciousness clear, Heart Monkey not yet descended, temperament evaluated as Middle-High Grade.】

【Threefold Evaluation: Middle-High Grade. Upon encountering the Heart Monkey, there is a five percent chance of escape. Granted one Third-Tier Treasure Herb ‘Azure-Mystic Fruit’.】

【Subdue the Heart Monkey to inherit my mantle and command the Heavenly Evolution of Stars.】

Soon, the stele inscriptions vanished, and within the pitch-black space, a spiritual herb suddenly shot forth, landing in Zhao Qingluo’s palm.

The herb’s fruit was the size of a pigeon’s egg, translucent jade-green. If crushed, it would release pale azure spiritual liquid—exactly as recorded in ancient texts: the Third-Tier High-Grade Treasure Herb, Azure-Mystic Fruit.

If a wood-attribute Foundation Establishment cultivator consumed the Azure-Mystic Liquid and refined it with their cultivation method, they could directly ascend one minor realm. At the same time, it would burn away stray thoughts, purify the mana within the Dantian, and enhance Divine Sense, making them less susceptible to external demonic interference.

If consumed by a wood-attribute Golden Core cultivator, it would greatly enhance the tenacity and strength of Divine Sense, effectively reducing the severity of the Nascent Soul Heart-Demon Tribulation and increasing the success rate of forming a Nascent Soul by ten percent.

In an instant, all cultivators present—including the three beasts—cast blazing gazes upon Zhao Qingluo.

What one fears is not scarcity, but inequality.

A treasure as precious as the Azure-Mystic Fruit was of such immense value that calling it a Nascent Soul treasure would not be an exaggeration. It was enough to cause their already fragile alliance to collapse in an instant.

“How now, do you all intend to seize it by force?”

Zhao Qingluo gripped the Green-Vine Sword tightly, unleashing an aura that surpassed even False Core True Persons, ready to strike at any moment.

“Fairy Zhao, please be at ease. Though the Azure-Mystic Fruit is precious, it still pales before the myriad treasures hidden within the stele’s array space.” Han Shengwu spoke: “What is most urgent now is for us to join forces and break the great array inscribed upon the stele.”

The Heart Monkey, the evaluations—none of it mattered.

Eroded by endless years, and with no formation master to maintain it, the array upon the Inheritance Stone Stele inevitably contained flaws.

By exploiting these flaws, they could attempt to jointly dismantle the Fourth-Tier Mysterious Formation.

Yet among the Foundation Establishment cultivators present, formation masters were few, and all merely Second-Tier High-Grade. With such shallow attainments in formations, it would be near impossible to trace the operation patterns and flaws of a Fourth-Tier Mysterious Formation.

But it mattered little—after all, within the Five Great Sects, there was no shortage of treasures capable of surveying such formations.

For instance, Han Shengwu carried upon him a Third-Tier High-Grade artifact bestowed by True Person of Nine Palaces: the 【Eight-Trigram Formation-Breaking Disk】.

This disk required eight peak Foundation Establishment cultivators working in unison to display even a fraction of its power.

Thus, Han Shengwu was the one most eager for the Five Great Sects’ cultivators to continue cooperating.

As for the Azure-Mystic Fruit, once the stele’s array was broken, it could be contended for by ability.

“Brother Han speaks truly. Breaking the stele’s restriction is our foremost task.” Saying this, Zhou Yuan turned to his fellow sect member.

The formation master of the Blazing Gold Sect immediately retrieved a Third-Tier High-Grade artifact from his storage ring—the 【Formation-Dissolving Shears】.

Wielded by a Golden Core True Person, this artifact could effortlessly dismantle a Third-Tier Treasure Formation.

But Zhou Yuan himself knew nothing of formation arts, and thus placed his hopes upon his junior disciple.

This junior was a Second-Tier High-Grade formation master. With the aid of the Formation-Dissolving Shears, and together with Han Shengwu, they might slowly wear down the stele’s restrictions.

Even if they could not pinpoint flaws within the Fourth-Tier Mysterious Formation, they could at least record the array data they uncovered, then bring it back to their sect to be studied by Third-Tier High-Grade formation masters. With their guidance, they could return to the Tianyan True Realm and dismantle the array.

“Wait, Fellow Daoist Chen, you are the only one left untested.”

As Zhao Qingluo spoke, all gazes turned toward Chen Beiwu.

Hearing this, Chen Beiwu stepped forward, his eyes upon the stele.

He had not intended to touch the Inheritance Stone Stele. After all, it was too perilous, too prone to ominous portents.

But Zhao Qingluo’s evaluation and the treasure she obtained stirred a thought in his mind.

With a Flawless Dao Foundation, mastery of Tai Xuan Guarding-the-One, and coupled with the All Laws Converge, Heaven Book of the Divine Tree—perhaps he could gain the stele’s recognition, and be granted a Fourth-Tier Mysterious Herb, even a True Monarch’s legacy.

“Buzz!”

At the moment the Gate of Ten Directions fully formed, Chen Beiwu withdrew the Twelve Yuanchen Fiend Bow and, under countless gazes, loosed the Ox of Chou · Mountain-Crushing Arrow Style at the Inheritance Stone Stele.

‘Such formidable archery!’

Sensing the gathering of heaven and earth’s essence, Han Shengwu’s eyes changed as he looked at Chen Beiwu.

From Chen Ziang, he actually caught a shadow of Senior Sister Zhu Qiong.

“Boom!”

At the instant the arrow struck, under the incredulous stares of many cultivators, the Inheritance Stone Stele split apart!

“Crash!”

Three thousand fragments peeled off the stele’s surface, each reflecting a different stellar anomaly—the long-lost Celestial Diagram of the Three Enclosures and Twenty-Eight Constellations of the Tianyan Realm.

In the dark space, the Fourth-Tier Mysterious Treasure 【Star-Evolution Disk】 burst forth with dazzling radiance.

In the next instant, the stellar images revolved, Four Symbols converging into the center—manifesting azure dragon spitting talismans, vermilion bird spreading wings, white tiger bearing blade, and black tortoise carrying stele, among countless visions.

【Water-Wood dual Heavenly Root, Dao Foundation: Flawless Heavenly Evolution. Aptitude evaluated as High Grade.】

【Water and Wood as foundation, commanding all laws. Cultivation method evaluated as High Grade.】

【Divine Sense Guarding-the-One, unshaken by myriad demons. Temperament evaluated as High Grade.】

【Threefold Evaluation: Superior Grade. Upon encountering the Heart Monkey, there is a chance to attempt subjugation. Granted one Fourth-Tier Mysterious Pill ‘Heavenly-Evolution Pill’ and one Fourth-Tier Formation Disk ‘Wandering-Void Realm’.】

【Obtain recognition of the Heart Monkey to inherit my mantle and command the Heavenly Evolution of Stars.】

Reading the visions and inscriptions upon the stele, the dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators present all widened their pupils, their hearts shaken to the core.

A Heavenly Evolution Dao Foundation?

Chen Ziang was actually a peerless prodigy who had reached the Thirteenth Layer of Qi Refining and forged a Heavenly Evolution Dao Foundation!

“Whoosh!”

At that moment, within the dark space of the Star-Evolution Disk, two dim stars abruptly flared, appearing instantly in Chen Beiwu’s palm.

‘One who has forged the Heavenly Evolution Dao Foundation and consumes the Fourth-Tier Mysterious Pill, the Heavenly-Evolution Pill, shall raise their probability of forming a Golden Core by seventy percent.

With a deep foundation, the gathered Earthly Sha Qi will all be of superior grade, granting a thirty percent chance of forging the supreme First-Grade Golden Core 【Hunyuan Golden Core】. With this, my mantle shall be inherited, and one may cultivate the Supreme Daoist Arts of the Tai Void Formation Sect—the 【Secret Talisman of the Thirty-Six Grotto-Heavens of Millet-Transforming Tai Void】.’

‘By activating the Wandering-Void Realm Disk with Divine Sense, one may forcibly tear space apart and depart from the Tianyan True Realm, or use it to sense and re-enter the Tianyan True Realm.’

Hearing the ancient voice echo in his mind, Chen Beiwu wasted no time. He immediately urged the Gate of Ten Directions, transporting himself to another spatial anchor.

If he did not leave now, bearing both a Fourth-Tier Mysterious Pill and a Fourth-Tier Formation Disk, he would become the target of all present.

“Stay behind!” Zhou Yuan roared, both hands gripping the Broken-Mountain Staff, smashing it down toward Chen Beiwu.

The cultivators of the Blazing Gold Sect and Greenwood Sect exchanged a glance, and simultaneously unleashed their arts.

Yet the golden light’s transference was far too swift. By the time the Broken-Mountain Staff and the spells struck down, Chen Ziang’s figure had long since vanished.