86: Breakthrough to the middle stage of True Dan

At this moment, on a muddy path outside Chaoge City.

Several passersby were rushing.

Jia Sidao, wrapped in tattered grey clothes, disheveled, and carrying a bulging grey package on his shoulder, fled in a panic.

Gone was any trace of his former grandeur.

Suddenly, a Daoist floated down and landed on the ground.

He wore a fiery red Daoist robe with purple heart flames carved into the cuffs.

His aura was ethereal, like an immortal.

“Chancellor Jia, still well?”

Yan Qing turned back and spoke with an indifferent expression.

“It’s you…”

Jia Sidao’s face paled in shock, showing struggle and resentment.

“Yan Qing, I never thought that the one who would ultimately seek my life, Jia Sidao, would be you!

In the past, I should never have taken in a master-devouring dog like you!”

Hearing this, Yan Qing showed no expression, merely shaking his head slightly: “Jia Sidao, when I pledged allegiance to you, it was merely a transaction.

Whatever small sentiment existed has long been consumed by your years of pursuit.”

In the past, Yan Qing had concluded that Emperor Jingtai would not live for more than a year.

He had promptly changed his allegiance, turning to Imperial Daughter Wu Mingyue.

Who knew that Jia Sidao would find a precious medicine from somewhere and use a special secret method to extend Emperor Jingtai’s life by five years, barely keeping him alive.

As long as Emperor Jingtai didn't die, Jia Sidao wouldn't fall.

In the following years, Jia Sidao even dispatched his subordinates to hunt down the Cultivators who had changed their allegiance.

Yan Qing was one of them.

Jia Sidao’s expression was solemn, but a hint of murderous intent appeared in his eyes.

“Yan Qing, you shouldn’t have, of all things, tried to… ambush me alone.

Go.”

The several grey-clothed individuals accompanying him revealed their auras and cast their Dao Arts.

Each of them was a skilled Spirit Building Stage cultivator.

Talismans, blood knives, ice… various Dao Arts assailed him, but Yan Qing merely sneered, drawing a circle with his wide sleeve, and instantly, all the different Dao Arts were encompassed and absorbed into his sleeve.

A True Core the size of a longan appeared above his head.

“What? A True Dan Grandmaster!”

“Oh no, run!”

The remaining Spirit Building Stage cultivators were greatly alarmed, scattering and fleeing.

However, a hearty laugh came from behind them.

Immediately after, purple heart flames burned in the Void Realm, and a few painful wails echoed from afar, quickly disappearing.

“You…”

Jia Sidao’s face was aghast, and he retreated repeatedly.

He never imagined that the young Daoist who had just entered the Foundation Building Realm under him would one day achieve a Breakthrough to True Core and become an Old Ancestor of a sect.

At this moment, he was filled with deep regret.

“Please… spare me…”

Jia Sidao knelt on the ground, snot and tears streaming down his face.

His only response was a flash of cold light.

Whoosh—

A Lung Metal Sword Qi swept past, leaving a red line on Jia Sidao’s neck.

A few breaths later, blood spurted out.

A head with wide-open eyes rolled to the ground.

Not long after, in the Imperial Court’s main hall, Yan Qing strode in, holding a head high, shocking the entire court.

“This… is… the treacherous Chancellor Jia Sidao!”

“What? Didn’t he disappear days ago?”

“This man truly possesses great skill, to have slain this traitor.

It is said that he kept a large number of Foundation Building henchmen under his command.”

Upon the imperial throne, Wu Mingyue rose slightly and descended the steps.

At this moment, she wore a crimson-gold Dragon Crown and a five-clawed Golden Dragon robe.

Every step she took exuded the majesty of an Empress.

“Yan Qing, you actually did it…”

Then, she flicked her Dragon robe and loudly declared: “From this day forward, Cultivator Yan shall be enfeoffed as the Imperial Preceptor, and the name of the Five Viscera Temple shall be revived.”

“Wait…”

Yan Qing raised a hand to signal, then opened his mouth and spat out a True Core, which appeared above his head, shining brilliantly and astonishing everyone.

“The Five Viscera Temple has long been destroyed, hidden in the dust… From this day forward, there shall only be my Heart Fire Sect in the world.

I am the founding Ancestor—Heart Fire Old Ancestor!”

Such awe-inspiring majesty caused even the True Core Ancestors hidden behind the scenes to cast a sidelong glance.

Yuanlian Island.

Gu Changsheng stood among the treetops, gazing in a daze towards the northwest.

That was the direction of the Great Shang Imperial Court.

His Qi Observation Technique had already been elevated to the seventh tier.

It could not only observe a person’s Luck but also see the changes in a province’s Luck.

At this moment, purple Qi swirled there, and the slumbering, broken Golden Dragon faintly showed signs of life.

This was the manifestation of Great Shang’s Luck.

“Nine Phoenixes cry in unison, devouring the Dragon and lying on the mountain.

In the past, that little girl actually became the Empress of Great Shang.”

Gu Changsheng said with an indifferent expression.

Thinking about it carefully, Emperor Jingtai’s demise also had some credit to him.

Suddenly, a wisp of purple heart flame appeared above the Luck of the mountains and rivers, enveloping the four wilds.

A hint of surprise appeared in Gu Changsheng’s eyes: “I didn’t expect that my nominal Disciple would also achieve a Breakthrough to True Core and become an Old Ancestor.

Moreover, the quality of his True Core seems to be quite high.”

“I wonder, in the future, if I were to appear before him in Dan Chenzi’s guise, how would he react?”

Gu Changsheng stroked his chin.

The image of the honest, shy boat-boy from back then appeared in his mind.

He knew well that the cultivation methods of this world were strange.

When cultivated to a profound level, a complete change in personality, as if one had become a different person, was considered minor.

Perhaps Yan Qing was already completely different from his past self.

“My Disciple has achieved a Breakthrough to True Core, yet I, as his teacher, am still in the Early Stage of True Core Realm. That’s a bit unreasonable, isn’t it?”

Gu Changsheng mocked himself.

Cultivation in the True Core Realm was unlike before.

It was slow, and advancements in Realm often took centuries.

Moreover, Gu Changsheng cultivated all three Dao.

The accumulation required for Realm advancement was three times that of his peers.

Even with his cultivation of the Heavenly Grade cultivation method, it would be considered fast if he could achieve a Breakthrough to the Middle Stage of True Core Realm before he was a hundred years old.

Suddenly, his Dantian swelled, and black Qi surged.

A hint of surprise appeared on Gu Changsheng’s face: “Hmm? The Breakthrough is happening now…”

He immediately turned and returned to his secret chamber.

Cultivation was not rigid; occasionally, one would gain insights and achieve an opportunity for Realm Breakthrough, which was not strange.

Three days later, a hearty laugh emanated.

Gu Changsheng, radiating vitality, slowly walked out of the secret chamber.

He opened his mouth and spat out three True Cores, which appeared in the Void Realm.

Visibly, they were a size larger than before.

Especially since he cultivated all three Dao, his magical power was three times that of his peers.

At this moment, in terms of both quantity and quality of magical power, he was more than ten times stronger than before.

“Every time I achieve a Realm Breakthrough, my strength multiplies.

Now, in the True Core Realm… I fear there is no longer anyone who can withstand a single move from me.

Combined with my Body Refining cultivation, I can probably rival a Half-Step Profound Cave.”

A Cultivator who has surpassed True Core Perfection but has not yet fully entered the Dongxuan Realm is considered a Half-Step Profound Cave Realm.

Theoretically, Duke Zhang Liang and the Peak True Core Realm Ancestors of Great Shang could all be categorized as such.

Now, with his Realm Breakthrough, his strength had soared again.

Obtaining the secret arts and scriptures of Formation Dao would be simpler.

After some thought, Gu Changsheng’s gaze turned towards the Imperial Court.

“For a thousand years, Great Shang has been the largest cultivation force in the world.

Even though the Nine Provinces of the world are now in disarray, a rotten ship still has three catties of nails.

The probability of obtaining Formation arts there should be the greatest and most comprehensive.

Moreover, it is also the safest…”

Gu Changsheng had secretly divined Duke Zhang Liang, and the hexagram had repeatedly shown ill omens.

He even suspected that Zhang Liang might have already achieved a Breakthrough to Profound Cave.

“Very well, I shall make a trip to the Imperial Mausoleum.

What can the True Core Ancestors and foreign retainers of the Great Shang Imperial Family do to me…”

Gu Changsheng flicked his long sleeve, transforming into a long rainbow, and headed straight for Chaoge.