Translator: CinderTL
On Flaming Phoenix Peak.
Li Chunjun returned with Jiang Yuqiu and the others.
After Jiang Yuqiu repeatedly urged him not to wander off recently, she hurriedly left.
Back in his courtyard.
Li Chunjun gestured with his hand, summoning his Lifebound Flying Sword.
"Sword Cultivators are strong, but also weak."
He caressed the Scarlet Sky Sword.
Force is mutual.
If the protective magical artifact of the Evil God's Chosen had been a bit stronger, even if the Scarlet Sky Sword could have shattered it, the backlash would have been more severe.
In that case, recovering for a month or two would be the least of his worries; it could take a year or two, or even damage his foundation.
Moreover, after being attacked twice in a row, he realized something.
The Taixu Sword Sect was not as strong as he had imagined.
Or rather, their strength was too one-sided.
They excelled only in direct combat.
If it came to an all-out war, the Taixu Sword Sect could completely annihilate the Chiyang Sword Sect.
Adding the Zhou Tian Sect and the Piao Miao Sect probably wouldn't make a difference.
But if both sides played by the rules, engaging in subtle maneuvers and conspiracies behind the scenes...
The Taixu Sword Sect might not be able to handle the Chiyang Sword Sect.
Like this time.
Just over ten days ago, a Core Formation cultivator from the Chiyang Sword Sect had ambushed him, and the Taixu Sword Sect had launched a massive operation to root out all infiltrators within their territory. And the result?
They achieved nothing.
Perhaps this was related to him leaving Flaming Phoenix Peak and venturing into the East Province, putting himself in danger.
But...
The East Province was also within the Taixu Sword Sect's sphere of influence.
Especially since he had gone to the area around the provincial capital.
If even the outskirts of the provincial capital were infiltrated...
The Taixu Sword Sect's ability to detect spies and hidden pawns... was questionable.
"Relying on others is not as good as relying on oneself."
Li Chunjun thought to himself.
This was also why he remained calm when facing Huan Ming and the others.
If others were truly reliable, and if rules truly worked...
The incident in Guangzhou wouldn't have happened.
...
Soon, Jiang Yuqiu and Huan Ming's disciples brought over a strand of Innate Grand White Qi and a Golden Core Pill.
"With the Innate Grand White Qi, your Lifebound Flying Sword will recover quickly, and it will even enhance the sharpness of the sword," Jiang Yuqiu instructed.
Then, she took out an exquisitely carved box: "This is the Golden Core Pill... a top-grade Golden Core Pill requested from the upper sect!"
Li Chunjun had been reading many books and filling in his knowledge gaps during his time in the Taixu Sword Sect.
Although he still couldn't compare to those seasoned high-level Qi Refining cultivators, he had gained some understanding of famous cultivation resources.
The Golden Core Pill! A treasure for Qi Refining cultivators to break through to Core Formation!
The transition from Qi Refining to Core Formation is akin to the conscious mind taking over the subconscious, with the "Core" as the new control center to harness all of one's power.
The Golden Core Pill allows a cultivator to achieve a state similar to "Core Formation" before actually forming the Core, preventing the conscious mind from losing control over the body's essence, energy, and spirit, which could lead to their dissipation and ultimately, death from the Five Decays.
The higher the quality of the Golden Core Pill, the longer it can maintain the "Core Formation" state, allowing the cultivator to better take control of their body.
It is said that a top-grade Golden Core Pill can increase an ordinary cultivator's chances of breaking through by thirty percent.
"In the coming days, focus on your cultivation and avoid wandering around. After these two attacks, you should understand just how wary the Chiyang Sword Sect is of you, especially now that our sect has sent envoys into the Great Shang to pressure them," Jiang Yuqiu said with seriousness.
Li Chunjun nodded. "I will soon begin to touch upon the Spirit Refinement Great Realm and will not venture out lightly."
"That's good to hear," Jiang Yuqiu replied.
Through their time together, she had come to realize that while Li Chunjun often appeared obedient, he was actually a person of strong convictions. Once he set his mind on something, it was difficult for others to change it. However, once he made a promise, he would see it through to the end.
"Will the Taixu Sword Sect and the Chiyang Sword Sect go to war in the Great Shang?" Li Chunjun asked.
"The Great Shang is equivalent to one-third of the territory controlled by the Chiyang Sword Sect. They won't easily give it up. At that time, clashes at the disciple and Core Formation levels will be inevitable. However, our Taixu Sword Sect is fully prepared for this," Jiang Yuqiu said with ease. "If the disciples and Core Formation experts of the Chiyang Sword Sect dare to come, we will deal with them. Once they suffer enough losses, they will naturally propose a competition among their true disciples. And as for their true disciples... Zhou Wu Gou, for instance, our nine true disciples of Taixu have plenty of people who can handle him."
Li Chunjun nodded and didn't ask further.
In a direct confrontation, the Taixu Sword Sect indeed feared none of the eight major sects. Even if two or three of them joined forces, the Taixu Sword Sect would still fight without hesitation.
However...
"Be careful of their underhanded tactics," Li Chunjun reminded.
"Don't worry, the higher-ups of our sect are well aware of their own weaknesses and won't give them the chance to use such tactics," Jiang Yuqiu said with a smile. "You just focus on your cultivation. The sect has ample experience in handling such matters, so you needn't worry."
Seeing this, Li Chunjun said no more.
After Jiang Yuqiu left, Li Chunjun took out the Innate Grand White Qi and began refining it immediately. Although this rare treasure was not Life Essence, it had an excellent restorative effect on his Lifebound Flying Sword. Moreover, it made the Scarlet Sky Sword even sharper.
From this, he deduced that it must be a fourth-tier rare treasure, possibly even a top-tier fourth-tier item, comparable to Taiyi Essence Gold and Black Flame Diamond.
While refining the Innate Grand White Qi, Li Chunjun also continued to refine pills and cultivate. He glanced at his current status.
[Life Level: 22 (19015/20000)]
He was 985 points short.
This was a much larger gap than the previous 150 points, equivalent to two or three Divine Race Believers comparable to Qi Refining Level 9.
However, Refining Sword into Core was the first major hurdle he had encountered on his cultivation path. A single misstep could lead to life and death struggles. Once dead... everything would be over.
To ensure he was in the best possible state for his advancement, it was not excessive to be cautious.
...
On this day, just as Li Chunjun finished refining the Innate Grand White Qi and was wielding his flying sword to feel its changes, a figure in a flowing dress arrived outside the courtyard.
"Junior Brother."
"Senior Sister."
Li Chunjun glanced over and responded. With a wave of his hand, the Scarlet Sky Sword transformed into a golden light and disappeared into his body.
"Junior Brother's flying sword..."
The sword light was too fast; she hadn't been able to see it clearly.
Li Chunjun didn't explain further and instead shifted the topic, saying, "From the looks of it, Senior Sister, you've already formed your Golden Core, and the Nascent Soul is within reach."
"It's just an ordinary Golden Core, not an Indestructible Golden Core. Unlike you, Junior Brother, who, upon forming your Golden Core, merged it with your Sword Intent, allowing you to lock your essence and achieve an Indestructible Golden Core," Jiang Wanyu said with a smile.
"Whether it's a Golden Core or an Indestructible Golden Core, the difference lies mainly in the path to forming the Nascent Soul. But in essence, both can break through to the Nascent Soul Realm, attain the status of a True Person, and achieve longevity, living for a thousand years," Li Chunjun replied.
"Nascent Soul cultivation is also a journey of life and death. The Indestructible Golden Core offers a much higher chance of success, something many envy," Jiang Wanyu said, her eyes scrutinizing Li Chunjun. "Junior Brother, you haven't been slacking off in your sword practice recently, have you? Beyond the Flame Phoenix Sun Refining lies the Flaming Phoenix Profound Light, a top-tier offensive technique in the Core Formation Realm. Combined with the Void Sword Flash, few cultivators of the same realm can withstand it."
"Sword practice..." Li Chunjun paused. "I've been dealing with a lot of things lately, so my progress has slowed."
"Shall we make up for it now?" Jiang Wanyu happily extended the invitation.
"Now..." Li Chunjun glanced at her.
Her smile was radiant, her eyes like stars.
She was truly beautiful.
So, he averted his gaze. "I need to regulate my own state recently, so I don't have time for now."
"Oh," Jiang Wanyu nodded. "A Sword Cultivator's Lifebound Flying Sword is indestructible, but it's also prone to damage. Every time it's damaged, it must be carefully repaired."
After saying this, she smiled again. "It's alright, we can practice again later."
"Mm," Li Chunjun acknowledged.
"Junior Brother, you should be preparing to refine your sword into a core, right? Refining the sword into a core is extremely perilous for us of the Flame Phoenix lineage. Fortunately, we possess the Flaming Phoenix Power, which gives us a significant innate advantage. Utilizing these advantages properly is key to successfully refining the sword into a core," Jiang Wanyu said.
Li Chunjun was somewhat intrigued by this.
He knew too little about the Flaming Phoenix Power.
Especially the part involving resurrection.
He had never used it, so he wasn't clear.
He couldn't just decide to die once to test it, wasting such a precious opportunity. But Jiang Wanyu had already refined her sword into a core, and she had done so using the Flaming Phoenix Power, just like him...
"Can you tell me about your process of refining the sword into a core?" Li Chunjun asked.
"Of course," Jiang Wanyu gave him a curious look. "Even if you hadn't asked, I would have told you when you were close to forming your core. Since you're asking now, let's talk about it."
She pointed to the grassy slope on the side of the courtyard where they rested during sword practice. "Shall we go there?"
Li Chunjun glanced at it and finally agreed.
"Alright."
The two of them then went to the grassy slope at the back of the courtyard and sat down.
Jiang Wanyu organized her thoughts and began recounting her entire process of refining the sword into a core.
When the Lifebound Flying Sword is cultivated to a certain level, it can be integrated into the body.
However, a sword refined into the body is still an external object.
To break this barrier and refine the sword into a core, the sword must be liquefied, even vaporized, and completely fused with the cultivator's essence, energy, and spirit, becoming a part of the self.
The Lifebound Flying Sword replaces the cultivator's "Core Formation" as the central control hub, coordinating all the essence and energy within the body.
Jiang Wanyu explained everything in great detail.
Li Chunjun listened as patiently as he could.
After several hours, he couldn't help but ask, "When a Flaming Phoenix Sword Cultivator encounters danger, they can use the Flaming Phoenix Blood to restore their condition. How is this ability best utilized in the process of Refining Sword into Core?"
"This... is a bit hard to explain."
Jiang Wanyu spoke, seemingly reluctant to see Li Chunjun disappointed.
After hesitating for a moment, she said, "Let me give you a sense of it, and you'll understand."
"A sense of it?"
"Yes."
Jiang Wanyu glanced at Li Chunjun and whispered, "Use your Divine Sense to enter my body and sense the operation of my Lifebound Flying Sword and my own vital energy. Naturally, you'll understand the role the Flaming Phoenix Power plays in this process."
(End of the Chapter)
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