206: Chapter 206 High-Grade Golden Elixir!

Nangong Zili's heart trembled.

Her gaze focused.

The spiritual energy that had been transferred from Ye Changge's body into her Meridians did not dissipate after completing a full cycle. Instead, it slowly sank toward the depths of her Dantian.

Within her Divine Sense perception, she noticed that the surface of her perfectly round and brilliant Fourth Grade Golden Core, which radiated a clear glow like moonlight, had somehow been stained with an extremely faint trace of gold.

That trace of gold was as thin as a hair, yet it was incredibly solid, as if a golden thread was entwined around the moonlight. Though it was only a single wisp, it radiated a charm that made her heart palpitate.

That was...

The charm of a High Grade Golden Core!

Nangong Zili's pupils constricted suddenly, and her breathing hitched.

She stared fixedly at that trace of gold, her Divine Sense scanning it repeatedly, confirming she hadn't seen it wrong.

That was indeed a characteristic only found in a High Grade Golden Core—among Golden Cores, the Third Grade was the boundary.

For Third Grade and below, although the Golden Core was round, there would always be flaws and the color would be mottled.

Only at Second Grade and above would the 'Golden Nature' appear, with a pure gold color that was harmonious and flawless.

And this trace of gold on her Golden Core, although weak and merely a thin layer attached to the surface, was indeed the 'Golden Nature'!

It was a feature unique to a High Grade Golden Core!

"How... how is this possible?!"

Stormy waves surged within Nangong Zili's heart.

She abruptly raised her head and looked at Ye Changge, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.

Raising a Golden Core to High Grade?

Such a thing was unheard of to her!

Once a Golden Core was formed, its grade was fixed. This was a universally recognized iron law of the Cultivation World. Unless one underwent Reincarnation to Cultivate again, there was absolutely no possibility of changing it.

Yet the man before her had actually... merely through Dual Cultivation, left a trace of a High Grade Golden Core on hers?

Even if it was only a trace, and even if it was still far from being a true High Grade Golden Core, this was a qualitative change!

It was an improvement of the very essence!

Nangong Zili's heartbeat suddenly accelerated.

She recalled the indifferent mockery in her heart when Ye Changge had spoken earlier. 'Improving the Golden Core grade'—at the time, she only thought he was talking nonsense and even found it laughable.

If Golden Core grades could be easily improved, wouldn't those Core Formation Cultivators stuck at Fourth or Fifth Grade fight to the death for it?

But now, she had seen it with her own eyes.

That trace of gold, though weak, truly existed.

Nangong Zili took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in her heart,

And began to carefully examine the changes on her Golden Core.

After a moment, her brow furrowed slightly before smoothing out.

"Only a trace..."

She whispered to herself, but there was no disappointment in her tone; instead, it carried an irrepressible excitement.

Because she could feel that the 'Golden Nature' of that trace was not a dead thing, but alive—it was slowly and almost imperceptibly penetrating deeper into her Golden Core.

This meant that as long as they continued, this trace of gold would grow thicker and thicker, its coverage would expand, until... it completely changed the grade of her Golden Core!

Nangong Zili's hands trembled slightly.

How difficult had her path been since she started cultivating?

She possessed the Moonlight Spirit Body and had experienced several fortuitous encounters, even surviving life-and-death situations in a Secret Realm,

Only then did she barely manage to form a Fourth Grade Golden Core.

Fourth Grade sounded like it wasn't low, and it was considered above-average talent among Core Formation Cultivators.

But she knew in her heart that with a Fourth Grade Golden Core, the hope of reaching the Nascent Soul stage was slim.

In the entire Zhao State, there was only one Nascent Soul True Lord on the surface.

In her Yu Kingdom, though its strength surpassed the Zhao State, there were only two Nascent Soul True Lords.

This wasn't because the Cultivators of the two kingdoms lacked talent, but because

The grade of the Golden Core limited the future path for too many people.

With a Fourth Grade Golden Core, the probability of reaching Nascent Soul was less than ten percent.

One could even say there was almost no chance.

But what if it were a High Grade Golden Core?

Nangong Zili's breathing became rapid.

For a High Grade Golden Core, even if it was only Third Grade, the probability of reaching Nascent Soul was thirty percent!

Thirty percent!

It might not sound like much, but in this Cultivation World, it was enough to drive countless Core Formation Cultivators mad. After all, that was the Nascent Soul stage.

Once one stepped into the Nascent Soul stage, their Lifespan would explode, their Divine Abilities would surge, and they would truly stand at the Peak of this world.

And herself...

Nangong Zili looked at the trace of gold on her Golden Core again, an indescribable emotion welling up in her heart.

She actually had a chance to achieve a High Grade Golden Core?

She subconsciously looked up at Ye Changge opposite her.

The man was leaning lazily against the edge of the couch, his upper body bare, revealing a lean and sturdy chest.

A faint smile played on his handsome face as he looked at her affectionately.

Those deep eyes were currently meeting hers calmly, as if he had long anticipated her reaction.

Nangong Zili's heart trembled slightly under that gaze, and she shifted her eyes away somewhat unnaturally.

She didn't know why, but over the past few days, this dog man seemed... more and more pleasing to the eye.

Clearly, at the beginning, she had wanted nothing more than to strike him dead with a single palm.

But after spending these few days together, especially after each session of Dual Cultivation,

That inexplicable irritability and resistance in her heart had somehow dissipated a lot.

Even...

Nangong Zili bit her lip, the tips of her ears turning slightly red.

She hadn't even realized that she had stopped resisting Dual Cultivation with him.

"Hmph."

Nangong Zili suddenly gave a cold snort, forcibly suppressing that strange feeling in her heart.

She lifted her chin and said in her usual cold and haughty tone:

"dog man, now that Dual Cultivation is over, get lost."

As soon as the words left her mouth, she herself was slightly stunned.

This voice... why did it sound a bit off?

She clearly meant to scold him coldly, but the words she spoke carried a softness she hadn't even noticed herself.

The end of her sentence rose slightly, not sounding like she was driving him away, but rather like... acting spoiled?

Nangong Zili felt a burst of shame and annoyance. Just as she was about to add another harsh word, she suddenly noticed a burning gaze falling upon her.

She looked up and met Ye Changge's affectionate eyes.

That gaze was so gentle it almost overflowed like water.

Nangong Zili's heart panicked for some reason.

Those peach blossom eyes widened slightly, a flash of fluster passing through them.

She subconsciously turned her face away, but then felt that this action was showing too much weakness.

So she abruptly turned her head back, wanting to glare back at him.

But as soon as she touched those gentle eyes, her heart trembled again, and she quickly shifted her gaze away.

"What are you looking at!"

She let out an annoyed low shout and waved her hand. A bolt of spiritual energy instantly shot out, hitting Ye Changge right in the chest!

Caught off guard, Ye Changge was sent flying by the spiritual energy. He flipped in the air and slammed heavily against the stone wall of the Immortal Cave, letting out a dull thud.

He slid to the ground and rubbed his aching back, but instead of being angry, he grinned.

Ye Changge stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes, feeling no resentment in his heart.

After all, his child's mother was pregnant; it was perfectly normal for her to have a bit of a temper.

As he thought this, his gaze unconsciously fell on Nangong Zili's still flat lower abdomen.