191: Condensing the Golden Elixir

Once she confirmed this, immense joy and excitement welled up in Luo Ling'er's heart.

She and Lin Feng had faced life-and-death trials together—in Sunset Valley, the Silent Sea of Ashes, and the Floating Island—truly supporting each other through perilous times. She was well aware that Lin Feng's foundation was profound, far exceeding that of ordinary disciples. Seeing her friend now summon such a vast celestial phenomenon, her heart naturally swelled with joy.

"This is wonderful! Junior Brother Lin is finally taking that step!" She couldn't help but lightly tap her foot in excitement.

However, after the initial burst of joy, she gazed at the magnificent spectacle—the entire Embracing Moon Peak shrouded in light, as if the heavens and earth were celebrating—and then felt the spiritual power of her own newly stabilized late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation. A strong sense of urgency quietly crept into her heart.

Clenching her fists, her fingertips nervously twisted the leaf of a nearby Calming Grass.

"I've only just stabilized my realm, yet Junior Brother Lin is already... already so far ahead," she murmured. "I cannot afford to be complacent anymore. I must redouble my efforts in cultivation! Otherwise, it will become increasingly difficult even to watch his retreating figure from a distance..."

Outside the alchemy room on Cloud Bamboo Peak, Su Sizhu had just finished refining a batch of pills. She was slightly frowning as she scrutinized their quality, appearing somewhat dissatisfied.

Suddenly, sensing a disturbance, she abruptly raised her head. Her gaze pierced through the mists, locking onto the astonishing phenomenon above Embracing Moon Peak.

Her pupils contracted slightly, and an expression of shock, difficult to conceal, appeared on her usually impassive face.

"A sky full of radiant light, ethereal immortal music... this is the sign of a Superior Grade Golden Core," she whispered softly.

She had dealt with Lin Feng numerous times, from their initial discussions on the Dao of Alchemy to resolving the hidden dangers of the Bewitching God Pill on the Floating Island. She knew he possessed a resilient character and exceptional talent, but witnessing such an astonishing Core Formation phenomenon firsthand still left her deeply shaken.

Comparing this scene to her own situation—having been trapped at the late-stage Foundation Establishment bottleneck for years, unable to take that final step—a feeling of melancholy and bitterness inevitably arose in her heart.

But she quickly composed herself, and her gaze became resolute once more: "If Junior Brother Lin can achieve this, then I cannot give up."

On Cloud Iris Peak, Fang Lingyao was playing the zither inside a bamboo pavilion, the music soft and lingering.

Suddenly, her fingers stilled, and the music abruptly ceased. She slowly rose and walked to the edge of the pavilion, looking toward Embracing Moon Peak. Intense ripples surfaced in her usually gentle and serene eyes.

"The spiritual energy vortex is this massive... and that radiant light..." As a True Disciple of Cloud Iris Peak, her experience far exceeded that of her peers, and she immediately determined that this was definitely not an ordinary Core Formation phenomenon.

"It's him... he has actually reached this stage..." Scenes of her and Lin Feng at the Chan Yin Temple and when they were trapped on the isolated island flashed through her mind.

She had always known Lin Feng was extraordinary, but she hadn't anticipated that he would be able to mobilize such immense power of heaven and earth during his Core Formation.

After the initial shock subsided, a faint trace of relief and... expectation? flashed in Fang Lingyao's eyes.

She had been confined to late-stage Foundation Establishment for years due to a cold ailment, and even the Bodhi Seed she painstakingly acquired had failed to help her form her core. Lin Feng's success now reignited a spark of hope amidst her despair.

Deep within the sect, several incomparably powerful divine senses swept out, paused briefly at the periphery of Embracing Moon Peak, and then swiftly withdrew. Yet, the profound sense of relief and solemnity they conveyed caused several keenly perceptive Core Formation Elders to feel a deep reverence.

Inside the Serene Heart Cottage on Beast Taming Peak, Xiao Qinghan stood by the window, her gaze cutting through the clouds and mist, settling on the astonishing phenomenon above Embracing Moon Peak.

As the radiant light intensified and ethereal immortal music drifted closer, a trace of unconcealed delight was clearly reflected in her usually placid eyes, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously lifted into a slight smile.

"He truly succeeded... and a Golden Core of such quality, no less." She murmured, her voice laced with a sense of immense relief, and even a faint trace of pride that she herself hadn't noticed.

The scale of this phenomenon far surpassed her own Core Formation event, clearly demonstrating the depth of Lin Feng's foundation and his immense potential.

Recalling their shared trials in the secret realm, and the month of dual cultivation that followed, the strange sensation of their energies merging seemed to resurface.

Even back then, she had a faint feeling that this person was destined for greatness. Now, it seemed that intuition was correct.

A subtle expectation arose deep within her heart: the anticipation of seeing how far he would go in the future, and the hope that... perhaps she might stand side-by-side with him one day, to gaze upon the scenery from greater heights.

Simultaneously, deep within Beast Taming Peak, a middle-aged Daoist nun with a gentle temperament slowly opened her eyes. It was True Monarch Jingyu, Xiao Qinghan's master.

Sensing the commotion coming from Embracing Moon Peak, a gratified smile appeared on her face.

"Good, good, good!" She repeated the word three times, her eyes filled with admiration. "That girl Qinghan truly has unique insight. This young man's character, destiny, and foundation are all of the highest caliber. Now that he has formed a Golden Core of this quality, his future is boundless."

She recalled how she had tacitly approved, even supported, her disciple's interactions with Lin Feng, and how, after Lin Feng helped Qinghan achieve Core Formation, she had generously presented him with Soul Nurturing Wood as thanks.

Now, it seemed this investment was well worth it. For the Tianxuan Sect to gain another Core Formation cultivator with such potential was a great blessing for the entire sect.

On Cloud Mist Peak, Lu Yuchan, dressed in azure robes, stood silently by the cliff edge. The mountain wind whipped at her sleeves, yet she remained completely oblivious.

Her gaze had not left Embracing Moon Peak since the spiritual energy vortex first began to form.

"This boy... ultimately, he did not fail to meet my expectations." Scenes flashed through her mind: the instant attraction when she first spotted Lin Feng during the sect's secret realm assessment, the lengths she went to forcefully take him as a disciple; and the various arrangements, such as sending him to the Mysterious Thunder Valley for body tempering and to the Azure Cloud Sect for experience.

She clearly saw that Lin Feng possessed a resilient character and exceptional comprehension, but she had never anticipated that he would reach such a height, capable of summoning a nearly legendary celestial phenomenon upon forming his Golden Core.

"A First-Grade Golden Core... a Core of Purple Gold..." Lu Yuchan's eyes grew profound as she gazed at the distant horizon. "Perhaps... the new Nascent Soul that my Tianxuan Sect has awaited for a millennium truly has a chance to be realized through this child?"

This thought caused a slight ripple in her heart. The Tianxuan Sect had not seen a new Nascent Soul cultivator in nearly a thousand years, and the sole pillar supporting the sect, Venerable Xuangu, had passed away a century ago. Since then, the sect's high-level fighting strength had been severely lacking, and this enormous burden weighed heavily upon the elders.

Now, Lin Feng's sudden emergence undoubtedly injected a powerful stimulant into the long-dormant sect, allowing her, his master, to see boundless hope.

Inside the cave dwelling, Lin Feng was completely oblivious to everything happening outside. He had reached the most crucial moment; spiritual energy surged into his body like a tidal wave, all converging towards his Dantian.

Within his Dantian, the liquid spiritual energy had already been compressed to the extreme, forming a rapidly spinning vortex that emitted a low, deep rumble.

At the center of the vortex, a single point of brilliant golden light stubbornly ignited. Initially the size of a grain of rice, it radiated a gravitational pull that seemed capable of swallowing all things.

The influx of the vast spiritual energy torrent brought a shocking impact that threatened to tear his meridians apart.

But at this crucial moment, his meridians—tempered by the Nether Cold Marrow and Crimson Sun Essence—displayed astonishing toughness, firmly constraining this violent energy and guiding it toward the Dantian vortex.

Lin Feng guided every fraction of spiritual power, like the most skilled artisan, hammering the surging energy thread by thread into the nascent Golden Core embryo.

Outside the cave dwelling, the celestial phenomenon persisted for three days and three nights.