Immortal Path Space

Chapter 371: Forging the Golden Core

After Wang Hong arrived at the base where Liu Changsheng was stationed, he led Liu Changsheng to inspect the Devilish Vine and Red Powder Skull Flower he had planted around the base.

These two Spirit Plants were thriving exceptionally well here, perhaps due to the rich nutrients. As Wang Hong explored the Devilish Vines, he discovered more Storage Bags hidden among them.

Analyzing the items inside these Storage Bags, it was evident that the deceased were Foundation Building cultivators, numbering over thirty in total.

It seemed that Liu Changsheng's activities had attracted the attention of others or rival factions. Their consistent supply of resources to the outside world, especially during the current resource shortage, made them vulnerable to covetous eyes.

"Many cultivators have been probing our vicinity lately, but those who attempted to invade have all perished," Liu Changsheng whispered from a safe distance behind Wang Hong. Due to the Devilish Vine's presence, he dared not approach too closely. He couldn't fathom why these Devilish Vines never attacked Wang Hong.

"What's our overall strength now?" Wang Hong inquired.

"We currently have ninety Foundation Building cultivators and a hundred Qi Cultivation late-stage cultivators, with fifty of them having reached the pinnacle," Liu Changsheng reported.

With this number of Foundation Building cultivators, they could contend with a Golden Core cultivator. However, the Immortal Way Trading Company had drawn significant attention, making their manpower somewhat unreliable.

Moreover, after this battle, Liu Changsheng contemplated altering their development strategy. Most of the casualties in this recent conflict were Qi Cultivation cultivators.

If he could provide more Foundation Establishment Pills, giving his Qi Cultivation cultivators a chance to advance to Foundation Building, the casualties in future battles would be greatly reduced.

He had previously hesitated because of the potential risks associated with an excess of Foundation Establishment Pills, but after years of covert development, he had accumulated considerable strength. Now, aside from major powers like the Qingxu Sect, even if other medium-sized factions had one or two Golden Core cultivators, he had the ability to resist.

Furthermore, if he dispatched another batch of Foundation Establishment Pills, the strength of his subordinates would undergo another significant surge.

"Compile a list of these pinnacle Qi Cultivation cultivators for me," Wang Hong instructed Liu Changsheng. He had thoroughly contemplated this decision on his way back.

Wang Hong returned to a secluded room within the base and summoned each of the pinnacle Qi Cultivation cultivators individually.

Each cultivator emerged from his chamber wearing a smile, then swiftly left to continue their closed-door cultivation. The same process repeated for the next cultivator.

A month later, the base had added fifty more Foundation Building cultivators, bringing Liu Changsheng's faction to a total of one hundred and forty Foundation Building cultivators.

"With our current strength, can we simultaneously engage two Golden Core cultivators without issues?" Wang Hong asked Liu Changsheng in a quiet room, seeking his expertise in the faction's combat strategy.

"If our aim is merely to engage two Golden Core cultivators, it can be done. However, these individuals excel at covert operations, assassinations, and gathering intelligence. They lack a distinct advantage in direct combat," Liu Changsheng explained, believing that it would be a waste to employ his trained operatives in straightforward battles.

"Ah, in the future, let's try to avoid having them engage in direct combat. However, now that the Immortal Way Trading Company has attracted attention, future battles may be unavoidable. As for the fifty new Foundation Building cultivators, we must keep their presence outside a secret for the time being," Wang Hong advised.

"Rest assured, East Master, these fifty individuals will not set foot outside the base for the time being," Liu Changsheng assured.

"Also, you've been at the late Foundation Building stage for quite some years now. Do you have a chance to form a Golden Core?" Wang Hong inquired. Liu Changsheng had been at the late Foundation Building stage when he started following Wang Hong, and now, after many more years, he was only a step away from reaching the pinnacle of Foundation Building.

To Wang Hong, this was merely a matter of obtaining a Green Spirit Peach, but he had never heard Liu Changsheng mention the Core Formation process. It seemed as though Liu Changsheng had given up on forming a Golden Core.

Liu Changsheng's expression turned somewhat melancholic as he responded, "While it is true that reaching the Foundation Building stage can be challenging, the main difficulty lies in the absence of Foundation Establishment Pills. However, the leap from Foundation Building to Golden Core is many times more challenging."

"Oh, can you tell me more about it? I have no knowledge of this process," Wang Hong inquired, intrigued by Liu Changsheng's tone, which suggested he had some understanding of Core Formation.

"I don't know much myself. The so-called Foundation Building stage is all about establishing a solid foundation for your future cultivation. If the foundation isn't strong enough, you won't be able to form a Golden Core. Even if you manage to force it through some special method, you will only become the weakest type of Golden Core cultivator, and your Realm will forever remain at the early stage, with no further progress."

"Are there special Core Formation methods?" Wang Hong asked curiously.

"I've heard of such methods, but I've never had the opportunity to learn them. East Master, you are a natural talent, and there's no need for you to resort to such methods."

Wang Hong had kept his Spiritual Roots level a secret from everyone, so in the eyes of many, he was undoubtedly a genius. Nevertheless, it was just out of curiosity, as he believed that with the assistance of his Space, he wouldn't need to resort to such measures.

He continued to inquire, "What are the key aspects one needs to establish a strong foundation during the Foundation Building stage? What level of attainment is required to form a Foundation?"

"As far as I know, it primarily involves the breadth of one's dantian sea and the purity of Spiritual Power," Liu Changsheng explained.

Wang Hong was relieved to hear that these were the main aspects. His dantian sea had been significantly larger than that of an ordinary cultivator since its formation, and he had also cultivated Blue Beauty Grass in his Space, a Spirit Herb known for enhancing the dantian sea.

In addition to that, his Spiritual Power had experienced rapid growth due to the frequent consumption of Pills and various Spiritual Objects, which sometimes caused instability in his Realm. However, he owned a vast white crystal fruit orchard in his Space, covering several acres. He often couldn't consume all the white crystal fruits, so he had them fermented into Spirit Wine. Both fresh white crystal fruits and white crystal fruit wine had a purifying effect on Spiritual Power.

With these considerations, Wang Hong felt that he had already succeeded in half of what was required for Core Formation, which brought a smile to his face.

"However, to form a Pill, you'll need many Spiritual Objects as assistance. Among them, the most famous one is the Golden Core Pill. It has the widest range of use and the best effect. It's said that taking one can increase the success rate by two or three times. However, forming a Golden Core is even more challenging than creating Foundation Establishment Pills. The main ingredient for forming a Golden Core must be at least a thousand years old. Besides the Golden Core Pill, there are other Spiritual Herbs that can assist in Core Formation, with varying effectiveness, ranging from half-finished to one or two percent."

"I see," Wang Hong mused. "No wonder Golden Core cultivators are so rare in the Cultivation World."

"Do you happen to have some of these assisting Spiritual Herbs prepared?" Wang Hong wanted to see what they looked like, and if possible, he might even extract some roots or components.

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