334: Chapter 334 Cultivation Cave

Lin Yue took a deep breath and said, "Cultivating here makes me feel completely calm. I no longer have to worry about Qi Deviation."

Chu Lan nodded. "Moreover, the activity of the Spiritual Qi has increased by at least thirty percent. Luo Li, the effect of your musical Formation is even better than I imagined."

Luo Li smiled slightly. "This is just the beginning. I also opened up a music chamber deep within the Immortal Cave. Would you all like to see it?"

Curious, everyone followed her to a stone chamber at the very depths of the Immortal Cave.

Pushing open the stone door, the sight before them made their eyes light up.

It was a stone chamber about thirty meters in diameter. The walls were carved with even more complex musical Formation patterns. These patterns were layered densely upon each other, emitting a faint silvery glow. In the very center of the chamber rested an exquisite flowing sound zither—the very one belonging to Luo Li.

"This music chamber is specially designed for me to practice musical Spells," Luo Li explained. "The Formation patterns on the walls can simulate various battle scenarios, allowing me to practice Spells like the 'Meteor Star Soul Suppressing Melody' and 'Star Battle Song' here without worrying about affecting the outside world."

She walked to the flowing sound zither and gently plucked the strings with her fingers.

A note sounded, and the Formation patterns around the chamber simultaneously lit up, conjuring various phantoms—flame warriors of the Demonic Flame Clan, mighty brutes of the Rock Demon Clan, assassin shadows of the Shadow Demon Clan... They were incredibly lifelike, lunging towards Luo Li.

Luo Li remained calm and composed. Her fingers danced across the strings, sending out waves of musical energy that shattered the phantoms one by one.

Moments later, the phantoms dissipated, and the stone chamber returned to calm.

Everyone watched, stunned. Lin Yue murmured, "This is too incredible... What's the difference between Cultivating here and actual combat?"

Luo Li replied, "There is still a difference. After all, they are just phantoms without genuine killing intent. But for practicing Spells, it's sufficient."

She paused briefly before continuing, "I plan to use this music chamber in the future to train a group of musical Cultivators. If there are any youths in the territory skilled in music, they can come here to learn. When the allied forces go into battle, they can use music to assist in combat, playing a significant role."

A look of appreciation flashed in Gao Feng's eyes. "A good idea. I'll leave this matter to you."

Luo Li nodded. "I will handle it well."

After the Immortal Cave was completed, everyone began their secluded Cultivation there.

Chu Lan traveled daily between the spirit plant garden and the Immortal Cave, tending to the spirit plants while Cultivating with the aid of the Spiritual Vein's power. Her Spirit Plant Art made new Breakthroughs during this time, and she had begun attempting to Cultivate higher-grade spirit plants.

Su Ning immersed herself in comprehending the Laws of space. She repeatedly studied the cultivation insights left behind by Senior Star Trace, and with the aid of the Spiritual Vein's power, her understanding of the Dao of space grew deeper.

Tian Xin drew Talismans in a corner of the Immortal Cave. The Talismans she created using dark power grew increasingly potent and varied. Besides Shadow Kill Talismans and Dark Concealment Talismans, she had developed new varieties like Dark Binding Talismans and Dark Corrosion Talismans.

Yao Guang set up an alchemy room within the Immortal Cave. Using the spirit plants provided by Chu Lan as ingredients, she refined various Medicinal Pills. Recovery Pills, Spirit Gathering Pills, Barrier Breaking Pills, Pure Heart Pills... Batch after batch of pills were born from her hands, piling up like a small hill.

Lin Yue sat in meditation within the Immortal Cave daily, Cultivating while continuously refining his Rock Demon Prison-Suppressing Array. He incorporated Chu Lan's spirit plants into the Formation, making the Rock Demon Phantom's defensive power increasingly stronger.

As for Gao Feng, he opened up an independent Cultivation chamber above the core of the Spiritual Vein, located in the deepest part of the Immortal Cave.

This Cultivation chamber wasn't large, only about nine meters in diameter. But its location was precisely where the Spiritual Qi of the entire Spiritual Vein was most concentrated. Pure Meteor Star Power surged from underground, converging here so densely it was almost on the verge of liquefying.

Gao Feng sat cross-legged, took out the meteor core crystal he had brought back from the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Races, and held it in his hand.

The meteor core crystal was the core treasure of the Meteor Battle Tower, containing the purest Meteor Star Power. Combined with the Spiritual Vein's power, the Cultivation effect would be multiplied.

He took a deep breath, slowly closed his eyes, and began circulating the War God Art.

Golden War God Power flowed within his body, resonating with the power within the meteor core crystal. That power coursed through his Meridians, repeatedly tempering his Physical Body and nourishing his spiritual energy.

His cultivation base, already at the Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Fourth Layer, began to slowly rise.

Within the Cultivation chamber, the golden light grew brighter and brighter, illuminating the entire stone room.

Outside the Cultivation chamber, everyone else was also immersed in their own Cultivation.

The entire Immortal Cave was enveloped in an atmosphere of tranquility and peace.

Time quietly slipped by.

Since the Immortal Cave was completed, everyone had entered a state of secluded Cultivation. Each day, apart from occasionally emerging to replenish food and pills, most of their time was spent immersed in Cultivation.

Gao Feng was even more so. He sat cross-legged in the Cultivation chamber at the deepest part of the Immortal Cave for a full three months.

During these three months, he tempered his spiritual energy daily with the Spiritual Vein's power, nourished his Physical Body with the meteor core crystal, and repeatedly contemplated the Golden Core chapter within the War God Art.

The Golden Core Stage was the first major hurdle on the path of Cultivation.

For Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage, the spiritual energy within their bodies is liquid, flowing through the Meridians like rivers. Cultivators at the Golden Core Stage need to compress this liquid spiritual energy into a solid Golden Core, causing a qualitative transformation in their spiritual energy. Once successful, the purity and potency of the spiritual energy would increase severalfold, and combat power would surge accordingly.

However, the process of compressing spiritual energy is extremely perilous.

Compressing liquid spiritual energy into a solid state requires withstanding immense pressure. This pressure not only acts on the spiritual energy itself but also backlashes against the Cultivator's Meridians and Physical Body. The slightest misstep could lead to chaotic spiritual energy, shattered Meridians, resulting in either a regression in cultivation or immediate death.

Gao Feng was well aware of the risks, so he proceeded with extreme caution at every step.

First, he guided the Spiritual Vein's power into his body, repeatedly tempering the spiritual energy within his Meridians to make it purer. This process lasted a month. The concentration of his spiritual energy had increased significantly compared to before, but there was still some distance to the Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer.

Then, he began attempting to compress his spiritual energy according to the methods described in the Golden Core chapter.

He gathered all the spiritual energy in his body into his Dantian, then used his will to drive it, making it slowly contract and condense. Under the pressure of his will, that liquid spiritual energy began to slowly converge towards the center, forming a small vortex.

But the moment that vortex took shape, a violent backlash force suddenly surged! That spiritual energy, like wild horses breaking free, rampaged wildly within his Dantian, shaking his internal organs to the point of nearly displacing them!

He hastily stopped the technique and meditated for three full days before finally calming that runaway spiritual energy.

First attempt: failure.

Gao Feng was not discouraged. After resting for a few days, he began his second attempt.

This time, he was even more careful and slower. He reduced the compression speed severalfold, confirming each step repeatedly to ensure no mistakes. The vortex formed again, more stable than last time.

But when he attempted to compress it further, the backlash force appeared once more, even fiercer than before! He spat out a mouthful of blood, his face instantly turning as pale as paper.

He quickly swallowed several healing Medicinal Pills and meditated for seven full days before stabilizing his injuries.

Second attempt: failure again.

Gao Feng still did not give up. He rested for half a month, waited until his injuries were completely healed, and began his third attempt.

Third, fourth, fifth...

Each time, he encountered backlash when trying to compress further. That spiritual energy seemed to have a will of its own, stubbornly refusing to be compressed. And each failure brought him injuries of varying severity, forcing him to spend time recuperating.

Over three months, he attempted no less than twenty times, yet not once did he truly manage to compress his spiritual energy to a degree sufficient for a Breakthrough.

On this day, Gao Feng awoke from yet another failed attempt, the taste of blood filling his mouth. He looked at the meteor core crystal in his hand, which had dimmed considerably, his brow furrowed.

"Why?" he murmured to himself. "Why does it fail every time?"

He closed his eyes, sinking into deep thought.

Outside the Cultivation chamber, Luo Li and the others had gathered, their expressions filled with concern.

"Three months," Luo Li said softly. "He's tried so many times, failing each time. If this continues, I'm afraid he..."

Chu Lan frowned. "Breaking through to the Golden Core Stage is inherently difficult, and even more so since he Cultivates the War God Art, which is harder than ordinary Cultivation Techniques. We can't let him struggle alone."

Su Ning nodded. "We need to help him."

Tian Xin asked, "How?"

Everyone fell silent for a moment before Luo Li suddenly spoke up. "I will play the Pure Heart Melody to help stabilize his mind. Each time he fails, it's likely due to an unstable mind causing his spiritual energy to go out of control."

Chu Lan said, "I will use the power of the spirit plants to nourish the cave's Spiritual Qi, making the spiritual energy purer and reducing resistance during compression."

Yao Guang said, "I will refine some Spirit Condensing Pills to replenish spiritual energy consumption and make the spiritual energy more concentrated."

Su Ning said, "I will use spatial Spells to set up a small Spirit Gathering Formation within the cave to increase Spiritual Qi concentration."

Tian Xin said, "I will draw some Pure Heart Talismans and place them around the cave to prevent Heart Demon intrusion."

Lin Yue said, "I will set up a defensive Formation outside the cave to ensure no one disturbs him."

Having decided on a plan, everyone immediately sprang into action.

Luo Li was the first to arrive at the entrance of the Immortal Cave. She sat cross-legged, took out her flowing sound zither, took a deep breath, and gently plucked the strings with her slender jade fingers. Clear, melodious notes slowly rose—it was the Pure Heart Melody.

The music was ethereal and pure, like a clear mountain spring, cleansing the mind. It passed through the cave's passages, through layers of stone walls, reaching Gao Feng's ears.

Gao Feng, immersed in the frustration of failure, suddenly heard the music. He felt his mind clear, the irritation and confusion dissipating greatly. He knew Luo Li was helping him.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes again, and began to meditate.

Chu Lan went to the spirit plant garden. Waving her hands continuously, she urged the spirit plants to release more life force. That life force merged with the cave's Spiritual Qi, making the already pure Spiritual Qi even more gentle and smooth to absorb.