179: Golden Core Peak

The Netherworld Devil Monarch roared in defiance, violently crashing against the barrier from outside.

The inky black Qi mass sometimes transformed into sharp claws to tear, and other times condensed into a giant hammer to smash, each impact causing the entire Sea of Consciousness to tremble violently.

This caused Li Xiangyun's Divine Soul to develop fine cracks due to the unbearable pressure.

But whenever cracks appeared, the vitality of the Spiritual Marrow Liquid would rush in to repair them, while the deathly aura of the Nine Netherworld Divided Fire would make the edges of the cracks even tougher.

The two forces seemed to have reached a tacit understanding, constantly tempering the protagonist's Divine Soul Foundation in a cycle of “injury” and “repair.”

A stalemate began.

Li Xiangyun gritted his teeth, supporting the Taiji barrier from within, while the Netherworld Devil Monarch continuously attacked from outside.

However, as time passed, Li Xiangyun could feel his Soul Power continuously strengthening, while the Netherworld Devil Monarch, like a rootless duckweed, grew weaker and weaker.

Although this process was not very fast, Li Xiangyun believed that it wouldn't be long before the offense and defense would shift.

It was precisely during this rare moment of respite that Li Xiangyun began to ponder Senior Cang Lanzi's previous words, and even the entire sequence of events.

Clearly, although Li Xiangyun had seemed to fall into a coma just now, he was actually concentrating on dealing with the Netherworld Devil Monarch's invasion and thus couldn't be distracted.

But this did not mean he couldn't perceive the situation outside.

And through Senior Cang Lanzi's conversation with the Spirit Marrow Jade Root Tree, there was no doubt that the gift Senior Cang Lanzi spoke of was the Netherworld Darkfire.

The events that had transpired along the way certainly lived up to the phrase “nine deaths, one life.”

But what truly surprised him was Senior Cang Lanzi's conversation with the Netherworld Devil Monarch and even the Spirit Marrow Jade Root Tree.

From Senior Cang Lanzi's conversation with the Netherworld Devil Monarch, it could be seen that Senior Cang Lanzi had discovered this Secret Realm and the Netherworld Darkfire very early on.

And Senior Cang Lanzi not only disrupted the Netherworld Devil Monarch's resurrection but even seized a wisp of the Netherworld Darkfire's Origin Divided Fire to create the nether soul guiding lamp.

Combining this with Senior Cang Lanzi's conversation with the Spirit Marrow Jade Root Tree, Li Xiangyun suddenly had a bold idea.

That is, the person Tang Fu mentioned who sold information about the Netherworld Darkfire was very likely Senior Cang Lanzi!

However, what puzzled Li Xiangyun was that, given the strength Senior Cang Lanzi displayed, he should have been fully capable of seizing the Netherworld Darkfire, so why didn't he?

Also, he didn't know whether Senior Cang Lanzi spread the news before or after he knew him.

If it was before, then what was Senior Cang Lanzi's purpose? And for whom was it prepared?

If it was after, then did he really trust himself that much!?

For a time, Li Xiangyun thought of many things, resolving many doubts, but also encountering many new questions.

Sometimes, he would also be troubled by his own overthinking.

After all, sometimes overthinking doesn't solve problems, but instead brings trouble.

But isn't it precisely this spirit of inquiry that has allowed him to reach this point?

Thinking this, Li Xiangyun suddenly felt the Golden Core in his Dantian emit a crisp “hum.”

The opportunity for a Breakthrough had arrived!

The Sea of Consciousness and the Dantian seemed to be connected by invisible threads; the moment they touched.

Li Xiangyun's Divine Soul suddenly emitted a clear hum, a sign that the strength of his Divine Soul had broken through its shackles.

This hum, like a bugle call, instantly ignited the Golden Core in his Dantian, which had been accumulating power.

The Golden Core, originally the size of a pigeon's egg, trembled violently, and the dense, star-chart-like Dao patterns on its surface suddenly lit up.

Golden and shadowy spiritual light surged wildly within the patterns, initially like two undisturbed streams, flowing along fixed trajectories.

As the intent of Breakthrough came from his Divine Soul, the two colors of spiritual light suddenly accelerated and collided, each impact splashing out tiny specks of light, like sparks falling into an oil pan, instantly igniting the entire core.

Inside the Golden Core, the originally distinct Yin and Yang spiritual power began to violently intertwine.

The golden vital spiritual power transformed into a surging fire Dragon, while the shadowy blue deathly spiritual power condensed into a howling ice flood Dragon; one Dragon and one flood Dragon fiercely entangled and bit each other within the core, yet permeated each other at the moment of collision.

The two extreme forces continuously compressed and purified each other in their confrontation, causing the core to expand to its limit, with even fine cracks appearing on its surface, as if it would shatter in the next second.

“Condense!” Li Xiangyun's Divine Soul will was like an iron gate, firmly pressing down on the Golden Core that was about to collapse.

The Yin and Yang vortex in his Sea of Consciousness suddenly accelerated, and the Yin-Yang Life-Death Dao Intent flowed into the core through the connection between his Divine Soul and Dantian, transforming into a pair of invisible large hands, forcefully blending the turbulent spiritual power.

The Dao patterns began to change at a visible speed.

The originally chaotic patterns, under the guidance of the Yin-Yang Dao Intent, gradually formed closed loops connected end to end, each loop circulating a half-golden, half-shadowy dual-colored light stream, like countless miniature Taiji diagrams.

When the last closed loop closed, the patterns on the entire Golden Core's surface were completely finalized.

It was no longer a scattered star chart, but a Yin-Yang Life-Death Dharma net covering the core, firmly locking all spiritual power within it.

“Boom— —”

A deafening roar erupted from the depths of his Dantian. The Golden Core, which had expanded to its limit, suddenly contracted, but at the moment of contraction, it burst forth with unprecedented brilliance.

The jade-colored luster at the edge of the core completely solidified, like the most gentle mutton-fat jade encasing the core.

The dual-colored spiritual light inside was no longer violent, but transformed into two slowly rotating halos, gold on the outside symbolizing “Life,” and shadowy blue on the inside symbolizing “Death,” interdependent and endlessly cycling.

Immediately after, an aura unique to the Golden Core Peak surged out from the core like a tsunami breaking free from its restraints.

At the same time, the Spiritual Qi of the outside world also began to boil violently, and then surged into Li Xiangyun's body.

Wherever the Spiritual Qi passed, the Meridian walls were flushed and made more resilient, and the spiritual power overflowing from his pores carried a faint jade-colored halo.

Li Xiangyun could clearly feel that his connection with the Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth had become closer, as if he could mobilize the Spiritual Qi within a hundred-mile radius with a raise of his hand.

Of course, this was just an illusion from the initial Breakthrough.

But even so, a hint of joy flashed in Li Xiangyun's heart.

Golden Core Peak, finally achieved!

However, this was not the end, because Li Xiangyun could feel that the power of the Spiritual Marrow Liquid and the Nine Netherworld Divided Fire had not been exhausted.

This led to his cultivation still climbing upwards, even though he had already broken through to the Golden Core Peak.

Perhaps, he could take this opportunity to break through to the Nascent Soul in one go!

A surge of excitement rose in Li Xiangyun's heart.

At this moment, even with his Heart-Nature, he couldn't help but feel a little excited.

After all, this was the Nascent Soul!

Compared to the Golden Core's eight hundred years of Lifespan, the Nascent Soul had a full fifteen hundred years!

This brought him one step closer to longevity.