Condensing the Spirit Platform into the Golden Core means further compressing and solidifying the Foundation Establishment Spirit Platform within the body, transforming it into the internal Golden Core.
As for the Golden Core Dao, once reaching the Golden Core stage, one can officially be called a Landbound Half-Immortal, possessing the power to command wind and rain, and even move mountains and fill seas.
At the Golden Core level, even in a highly competitive otherworld, one can serve as a nation’s patron.
Within medium or small sects, it already counts as an elder-level rank.
And for Earth, where Immortal Spirits have only awakened for seventeen years, this level allows one to walk with impunity.
Even if overwhelmed by multiple opponents, no one can threaten the lives of me and Cluru.
Yet, at this moment, I encountered a problem.
Within my inner viewing space, a man’s projection stood before me.
The man had white hair flowing down his waist, sharp eyebrows and bright eyes—a kind of handsomeness that was simply unreasonable.
In a female-dominated world, he would be the kind of devastating beauty capable of toppling kingdoms.
Yes, that was me.
More precisely, it was the projection left behind from when I served as Immortal King—the Immortal King Yunxian.
“Brother, is this really non-negotiable?” I asked with a frown.
“You set the rules yourself, what do you think?” Immortal King Yunxian retorted.
Not good, not good.
I’ve done usurpation before in other worlds—just that time I usurped the Immortal King’s position.
I’m well-versed in that process: first remove the previous leader and his confidants, then create some big news to assert authority.
The problem lies in that authority assertion.
Back then, to gain the support of the Righteous Path after becoming immortal, I revised the Becoming Immortal Dao and set a rule—
Those with an overly demonic heart are forbidden from forming the Immaculate Nine-Turn Golden Core.
Demonic cultivators were rampant in the otherworld, those bastards refining pills from the masses, staging traps to seize others’ cultivation, employing all sorts of tricks rivaling even the Immortal Spirit Association.
To discipline these cultivators who refused to abide by the rules of proper Dao Comprehension, I established a rule—each time demonic methods are used, a bit of demonic attribute is added.
The higher the demonic attribute, the greater the obstacle when advancing realms.
And the obstacle they would face was the projection of me, an Immortal King.
“If you’d known how things would end, wouldn’t your conscience have hurt back when you used those demonic methods?” Immortal King Yunxian said mockingly, using a ridiculously annoying tone to try and shake my Dao heart for advancement. “Serves you right, truly serves you right! So satisfying!”
“……”
Why is this bastard so annoying!
“Form your core! Form it! Every time you form it, I’ll smash it to pieces. Oh, try again and I’ll smash it again, smash it five, seven, eight, nine, ten times, and only then will your little demonic heart get a fresh start…”
Because I looked down on demonic cultivators and wanted to give them a hard time, this projection was set up to be very absolute.
The kind of existence that, even if I can’t kill you, I’ll disgust you to death.
If I tried to form the core now, this guy would immediately move to shatter it.
Even if I barely managed to form the core quickly, it would be impossible to form a high-quality Golden Core. My immortal path would stall right here.
“I have to shut this thing down, this brain-dead AI…” I rubbed my forehead, thinking. “I can close it, but to do so I need to manipulate the Dao as an Immortal King.”
If I use the Immortal King’s Seal, it will briefly connect to the otherworld and might even transport me back there.
Sigh, it seems there’s no other way.
Better close it.
I formed a hand seal, sensing the Immortal King’s mark deep within my soul… This is the symbol of ruling the Cultivation World. Even though the Immortal Realm has been destroyed by me, this mark connecting to the Dao still remains.
At the instant the soul link formed, countless Daos of the otherworld flooded my mind.
“Add myself to the ‘no punishment’ list… done.”
“Tsk tsk tsk, strong backing, how boring,” the Immortal King Yunxian before me suddenly lost interest, his form fading.
That bastard finally left.
Closure successful.
The minor obstacle ended, now it was time for a smooth core formation…
With the help of pills and experience, my pitch-black Spirit Platform quickly condensed into a pitch-black sphere.
“How strange, why isn’t this damn core turning gold?”
Is this really a Golden Core or some kind of demonic core?
I clearly felt a compression of spirit energy comparable to the Immaculate Nine-Turn Golden Core.
My current strength is definitely not inferior to a perfect Immaculate Nine-Turn Golden Core.
But the color of this core looks wrong.
Black as a lump of coal.
I’ve never seen anything like this before…
Forget it, as long as it works.
I wonder how Cluru’s side is doing.
If those bastards find us, with Cluru’s strength, she definitely can’t hold them off… Then I’ll have to find Little Hou Tu, and shout out, “Revive, my beloved!”
Just thinking about it is troublesome.
Pouring spirit energy throughout my body, my aura exploded. Wearing the Three Flowers on my head, the Golden Core formation was complete!
For Cluru, the battle had already lasted five minutes.
Her tentacles formed a barrier that darkened the sky, completely isolating inside and outside.
Outside, Yun Muchen and other powerful experts unleashed attacks like a violent storm.
But Cluru only silently embraced the girl in her arms, enduring those relentless assaults.
She didn’t make a sound, so as not to disturb the breakthrough the girl was undergoing.
Tentacles snapped one by one.
Then quickly regrew to fill the gaps, standing firm before the enemies.
It didn’t hurt much, but her life energy was draining rapidly.
Both Immortal Spirit power and spiritual energy were being depleted at high speed. Cluru’s gums bled as she clenched her teeth.
Those tentacles, viewed as evil relics, had become the world’s most impenetrable defense line.
Like an iron door in a basement, or that cramped little bed.
Cluru closed her eyes, enduring a painfully long moment. She had to keep growing, keep growing…
But the opponents were too strong.
The growth of her tentacles slowed noticeably.
Cluru gritted her silver teeth.
Sorry… little fool…
I… I don’t think…
I can hold on anymore…
Under enormous strain, her consciousness began to blur, growth becoming muscle memory, an instinct.
Even if it meant overdrawing her life…
The arms wrapped around the girl’s waist were losing strength, slowly slipping down from her.
Cluru smiled bitterly, visions flashing before her eyes.
Damn it… still didn’t manage to eat…
You’re so cute when you move.
“Bang!”
Finally, Cluru completely lost strength.
She had no power left to overdraw. To withstand the bombardment of three dojo-level strong opponents for five minutes was already her limit.
Her body went limp, collapsing forward onto the girl’s knees.
The sorrow of death was about to take hold when—
“Stop!”
A surging warmth suddenly flooded Cluru’s body, infusing her with boundless vitality!
Pulling her from the brink of death back to full strength in an instant!
I opened my eyes.
The power of the Golden Core finally restored some of my former might.
Many Immortal arts that I couldn’t use before now had enough spirit energy to support them!
One hand hugged Cluru’s waist, holding her close.
The other formed the hand seals that made Yun Muchen both familiar and utterly terrified!
Five Sacred Mountains and Three Earths, Law of Heaven and Earth!
“This is the path you’ve dreamed of but will never reach. This is the kingly way you could have become, but with your own hands buried the bright future!”
I hovered in the sky, looking down at Yun Muchen like an ant, passing judgment on him.
The divine sky tore open a rift. This time, the Azure Dragon didn’t appear as just a scale and claw but as the entire enormous body looming over the boundless clouds! Bearing its full power!
Seeing Yun Muchen trembling, knees weak as he collapsed to the ground, I smiled coldly and said:
“This path was your choice. Enjoy it… fool.”