130: Breakthrough to the mid-stage of Golden Core

Hum!

The faint light from the activation of the Formation flashed and vanished, and the concentration of Spiritual Qi within the tent instantly rose by a level, becoming fresh and vibrant.

Yao Delong closed his eyes, placed his hands in a Seal upon his knees, and slowly circulated the Great Evolution Mixed Yang Scripture within his body.

After his previous Dual Cultivation with Liu Rumei, as well as the subsequent exhaustion and tempering from dealing with ambushes and refining the nine revolutions purification elixir in Biqu City, he had clearly touched the threshold of the Middle Golden Core Stage.

Now situated in this temporary camp, with the perilous Heavenly Demon Mountain Range right before him, he needed greater strength to deal with unknown risks.

This night before their departure was the best time to attempt to break through the Bottleneck!

Pure Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, guided by the Spirit Gathering Formation, gathered in wisps, surging into Yao Delong's body like swallows returning to their nest, greedily absorbed and refined by the Golden Core slowly rotating and emitting a pale golden light within his Dantian.

His aura began to become dense and heavy, and signs of a Breakthrough were faintly brewing.

Inside the tent, Xin Yuelan hugged her knees and curled up in a corner, her blood-red eyes gazing complexly through the holes in her mask at Yao Delong, who was meditating opposite her.

The aura around him was like an undercurrent surging beneath a calm sea, becoming increasingly dense and heavy, faintly revealing a sharpness as if about to break out of a cocoon.

Xin Yuelan's heart was filled with mixed feelings, her thoughts churning.

Back when she had sent people to intercept and kill Yao Delong to seize the Profound Dao Pill outside White Cloud City, this old rascal was nothing more than a greenhorn who had just entered the Foundation Establishment!

How long had it been? In just a few short months, not only had he successfully achieved Core Formation and stepped into the Early Golden Core Stage, but in that skirmish, with only Early Golden Core Stage cultivation, he had forcibly captured her—a Saintess of the Heavenly Demon Sect who enjoyed countless resources and possessed top-tier demonic Cultivation Techniques, and was at the Late Golden Core Stage!

Now, he was actually going to Breakthrough again? From the Early Golden Core Stage to the Middle Golden Core Stage, this speed... was simply inconceivable!

A strong sense of frustration and absurdity surged in her heart.

She had racked her brains, even going so far as to lurk on the outskirts of the Yin Yang Sect for several months, just for that Profound Dao Pill that could increase the chance of Nascent Soul Formation, but in the end, she didn't get the pill and instead became a prisoner.

And this brat, it seemed that every time he encountered a crisis, he could always unleash even more astonishing potential, turning danger into safety, and even advancing further!

Regret? Yes. She regretted why she hadn't taken action personally back then to annihilate him with thunderous force.

Humiliation? Even more so. A dignified Saintess, reduced to a prisoner, and having to be ordered around.

Unease? The deepest. She did not know how this guy, with his endless means and rapid progress, would eventually deal with her.

Various emotions entangled her heart like poisonous vines, making her restless in the cramped tent.

Yao Delong was completely unaware of the witch's churning emotions.

His entire mind was immersed in the surging Yuan Qi within his body.

The Great Evolution Mixed Yang Scripture was running to its extreme, and the dark golden Golden Core within his Dantian was rotating at high speed, greedily devouring the pure Spiritual Qi gathered by the Spirit Gathering Formation.

The light on the surface of the Golden Core became increasingly intense, and within it, some kind of power seemed to be accumulating and expanding, impacting that invisible barrier leading to a higher Realm.

Time passed in silence.

Outside the tent, the clamor in the plaza gradually subsided, leaving only the sound of the sentries' footsteps and the roars of beasts from the distant mountains.

Inside the tent, Spiritual Qi was dense, and Yao Delong's aura was like a spring compressed to its limit, becoming increasingly condensed and dangerous.

Finally, in the darkest moment before dawn, that tough barrier was fiercely broken through by the power that had accumulated to its peak!

Hum!

An aura far more powerful, condensed, and sharp than before, like a sleeping Dragon awakening, instantly erupted from Yao Delong's body!

The simple soundproofing and shielding Restrictions set up inside the tent flickered violently, like a candle in the wind, barely suppressing the fluctuation of this Breakthrough within the tent, but a trace of an extremely faint, yet essentially distinct, Middle Golden Core Stage aura still quietly spread out like a stone thrown into a calm lake.

This aura flashed and vanished, as fast as an illusion.

However, in another more spacious tent not far from Yao Delong's, which was equipped with more powerful Restrictions, a young man sitting cross-legged, dressed in the attire of a Moyang Sect Core Disciple, suddenly opened his eyes!

He had a handsome face and eyes as sharp as a hawk, and he was none other than the Great Cultivator at the Golden Core Perfection invited by the White Horse Merchant Guild this time, an Inner Sect Core Disciple of the Moyang Sect—Li Chen!

"Hmm?"

Li Chen frowned slightly, his powerful Divine Sense instantly sweeping across the direction where the aura had leaked.

Although that trace of aura was weak and had disappeared instantly, the sudden eruption of pure Yuan Qi fluctuations belonging to the Middle Golden Core Stage could not be hidden from a Cultivator of his Realm.

"It seems like a Breakthrough to the Middle Golden Core Stage just happened? The aura is quite condensed... interesting."

A trace of surprise flashed in Li Chen's eyes.

He remembered that direction; it seemed to be the tent of that young Cultivator who had brought a Mortal maid and was generous with his spending.

During the day, he had sensed the other party's aura to be only at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage; he hadn't expected that he had actually hidden his cultivation? Or was it... a Breakthrough on the spot?

He stood up and walked out of the tent silently, his gaze like lightning, cast toward the location where Yao Delong was.

In the night, that gray tent was quiet, the isolation Restrictions were still running, as if everything just now was just an illusion.

Li Chen's Divine Sense swept over it again, but it was like a clay ox entering the sea, unable to capture any abnormalities anymore.

The other party had clearly stabilized his Realm, and his methods of concealing his aura were quite brilliant.

"Forget it." Li Chen shook his head slightly, a trace of understanding and caution flashing in his eyes.

When traveling, who doesn't have a few secrets?

Since the other party could Breakthrough under his nose without alarming others, this level of control was extraordinary.

Rashly investigating would be counterproductive.

He was experienced and well aware that the cultivation world was full of hidden talents; some seemingly unremarkable people might be involved in significant trouble behind the scenes.

As long as the other party did not threaten the safety of the caravan, he was happy to pretend he didn't know.

He did not linger, turned around, and returned to his own tent, as if nothing had ever happened.

Inside the tent, Yao Delong slowly opened his eyes, brilliance shooting from his pupils like stars in the dark night, then quickly retracted, returning to calm. Middle Golden Core Stage!

The Yuan Qi in his body surged like a river, his range of Divine Sense perception had also expanded quite a bit, and his control over his power was more precise.

He felt the surging power within his body, and the corner of his mouth curled into a satisfied arc.

"It's time to set off." He glanced at Xin Yuelan, who seemed to be distracted in the corner, his voice indifferent.

Xin Yuelan was startled by his voice, and looking at Yao Delong, whose aura was even more unfathomable before her, she pressed her red lips under the mask even tighter.

When the two walked out of the tent, the sky was already dawning.

The plaza was already bustling with noise, with carriages and horses neighing.

The White Horse Merchant Guild's team was ready to set off, the guards were energetic, and the pack beasts were carrying heavy cargo, snorting.

The guard captain, Ma Lei, stood beside a tall beast-drawn carriage, his voice like a bell: "The time has come! Set off!"

Following his order, the massive caravan, like a waking Dragon, slowly started moving, driving out of Qingshan Town in an orderly fashion, and plunged into the vast, deep, and Demonic Qi-filled Heavenly Demon Mountain Range ahead.

The mountain road was rugged, and the trees reached for the sky.

The caravan's speed was not slow, and the guards and the Cultivators who had joined temporarily scanned the surroundings vigilantly, while Xin Yuelan followed by Yao Delong's side, walking unsteadily.

Although she was a Saintess of the Heavenly Demon Sect and her Physical Body had been tempered by various Heaven And Earth Treasure, at this moment, her cultivation was completely lost. Her physical strength was also bound by Yao Delong's strange Seal, making her no different from a real Mortal woman.

This rapid advancement and the rugged mountain road were simply torture for her.

Not long after, she was drenched in sweat, her breathing was slightly labored, and her footsteps became noticeably heavier.