“Why are you spacing out?” Zhu Siyao sat cross-legged on the smooth Cultivation Platform, her bright eyes filled with a hint of confusion as she looked at Jiang Huai, who was staring blankly while holding the Immortal Material.
“Aren’t you supposed to breakthrough your Golden Core today?”
Ever since obtaining these Immortal Materials from Tang Zhaoxue that day, a thought had been swirling in Jiang Huai’s mind. After much hesitation, he still hadn’t dared to speak it to Zhu Siyao.
The return journey was uncertain; he didn’t know when he could make it back to the Five Provinces.
Zhu Siyao’s innate talent wasn’t outstanding. If nothing unexpected happened, this breakthrough would probably only produce a Pure Golden Core at best, which wouldn’t greatly increase her combat strength.
If only she could have Innate Primordial Qi…
Jiang Huai’s gaze fell on Zhu Siyao.
The young girl wore a thin, loose white cultivation robe, sitting cross-legged with her head tilted slightly as she looked at him. A few strands of black hair playfully fell beside her cheek.
She blinked, her expression carrying a rare mix of coyness and liveliness, while her exposed, fair jade-like feet unconsciously curled slightly inward.
‘What is he looking at?’
Jiang Huai frowned slightly but eventually suppressed the somewhat absurd thought.
Forget it. Even if Zhu Siyao was willing, how could she face Zhuxin in the future?
The future could be talked about later.
He took a deep breath, dispelling the chaotic thoughts, and his tone returned to calm:
“It’s nothing. Focus your mind and prepare to breakthrough.”
He handed over the Immortal Material in his hand, which shimmered with dazzling light and contained immense spiritual power.
Zhu Siyao reached out and took it, a strange ripple stirring in her heart.
The last time she received breakthrough Immortal Material was from her mother, but this time it was Jiang Huai.
She said nothing more and obediently swallowed the material before closing her eyes and fully activating her cultivation technique.
The pure medicinal power dissolved inside her, like a warm current sweeping through her limbs and bones, drawing the surrounding spiritual energy crazily to converge and pour into her meridians, compressing and condensing endlessly toward her dantian’s Qi Sea.
The initial process was not smooth.
The spiritual energy was restless and turbulent, and the gradually forming Golden Core’s silhouette looked rather chaotic.
Its glow dimmed, almost fixing at the most ordinary Patterned Golden Core stage.
Jiang Huai frowned and sighed inwardly.
Is this really it? Just a Patterned Golden Core.
No, it can’t end like this!
Zhu Siyao bit her silver teeth tightly.
Countless images flashed through her mind: Jiang Huai bargaining for resources on her behalf, his focused gaze as he protected her at this moment, the omnipresent dangers of this unfamiliar world, and the long future in which she might only rely on him.
She wanted to be stronger, to have enough strength to stand by his side, rather than always be his burden.
She wanted to truly fight alongside him, to share his worries and difficulties.
She couldn’t stay here.
An unprecedented stubbornness and determination burst forth from her heart.
She frantically squeezed every ounce of potential from herself, recklessly guiding the vast spiritual energy to a deeper level of refinement.
Pain pierced throughout her body, her meridians seeming about to be shattered by the spiritual power.
If this continued, Zhu Siyao would probably suffer broken meridians, but she still carefully controlled the spiritual energy and endured the torment.
Outside, Jiang Huai’s previously calm eyes suddenly sharpened with surprise.
He clearly sensed that the aura around Zhu Siyao, which had been stabilizing, was rising again, becoming purer and more condensed.
Within her dantian, the originally mottled Patterned Golden Core began to emit a pure luster. The impurities were forcibly removed, transforming it into a perfectly round Pure Golden Core.
A Pure Golden Core.
However, the change did not stop there.
At the very moment the Golden Core solidified into a pure color, a profound pattern quietly appeared on its surface as if naturally formed.
One Turn.
Immediately after, a second pattern also surfaced.
Two Turns.
The mighty spiritual energy still surged without cease, pushing the Golden Core to strike at an even higher level!
Beads of sweat formed on Zhu Siyao’s forehead, her body trembling slightly—she had clearly reached her limit but still clung on with sheer grit.
I want to become stronger. I want to become stronger!
Seeing this, Jiang Huai gathered a thread of Innate Primordial Qi between his fingers and gently pressed it onto her forehead.
“Don’t force yourself. You’ve done very well.”
When his fingers touched her, something inside Zhu Siyao seemed to resonate…
It was the medicinal power of the pill Qin Qingyue had earlier asked Su Yingman to refine and that Zhu Siyao had long since taken.
Now, it strangely intertwined with the Innate Primordial Qi Jiang Huai transmitted.
The two forces of the same origin interwove and heated inside her body, like the gentlest shield, instantly easing the tremendous pressure that almost tore apart her meridians.
Finally, after an almost inaudible faint buzzing, a third faint pattern was difficultly yet distinctly imprinted on the Golden Core!
Peak of Three Turns!
The aura gradually stabilized, and Zhu Siyao radiated a spiritual pressure far denser and stronger than that of most new Golden Core cultivators.
She slowly opened her eyes, her gaze flashing with spiritual light—tired but filled more with disbelief, joy, and excitement.
She had never imagined she could reach the Three Turns level.
Jiang Zhun looked at her with genuine surprise in his eyes.
He never expected Zhu Siyao, relying on such willpower, to break through the shackles of her innate talent and form a Three-turn Golden Core in one leap—far beyond his best expectations.
“How is it? How is it?” Zhu Siyao proudly lifted her delicate face, staring at Jiang Huai like a child awaiting praise, her eyes shining with excitement.
For Jiang Huai, who bore the Chaos Dao Platform, a Three-turn Golden Core was not much.
But for someone he cared about, he never dampened their spirits. Smiling, he encouraged her:
“You’re amazing, far beyond what I imagined.”
“Hmph!” Zhu Siyao excitedly jumped up and stretched, feeling her whole body brimming with power and itching to test this newfound strength.
Her youthful temperament was fully on display.
Jiang Huai said, “Golden Core cultivation in this world is probably already the backbone of the Sect.”
“Three Turns are even rarer here. You can go compare with some Stewards or Outer Sect Elders.”
At his words, Zhu Siyao’s thoughts stirred, and the familiar Scarlet Armor instantly covered her body.
Her eyes gleamed with brilliance, adding a few hints of martial elegance and calmness—her aura somewhat resembling her mother, Zhuxin.
“Let’s go. You can come see for yourself.” Zhu Siyao grabbed Jiang Huai’s hand and ran toward the courtyard’s exit.
Jiang Huai could only smile helplessly and let her pull him along.
However, just as they stepped forward, he suddenly stopped, his body stiffening slightly.
“Hm? What’s wrong? Don’t want to go?” Zhu Siyao looked back curiously, but noticed Jiang Huai’s hand trembling faintly.
“Did something happen?”
She immediately dropped her playful mood and asked with concern.
Jiang Zhun slowly lifted his head, his eyes shining with ecstatic joy.
At that exact moment, a clear and gentle warmth simultaneously radiated from the Black Dragon Mark and the Spirit Sword Pattern on his lower abdomen.
This meant Qin Qingyue and Wu Zhaohua were drawing near.
Near enough for these twin marks, which spanned endless voids, to resonate with such clarity.