Golden Elixir Perfection

The clamor of the Black Wind Market City was isolated outside the stone door of the Immortal Cave.

The temporary Immortal Cave Nightmare rented was located on the edge of the Market City. The price was high, but its advantage was its quiet location and the decent protective Formation it came with. He was not in a hurry to immediately enter the Nether Ghost Domain; sharpening the knife does not delay the wood chopping, especially after learning about the chaotic situation at Ghost Cry Gorge, improving his strength was imminent.

Inside the Immortal Cave, Nightmare sat cross-legged. Instead of immediately Cultivating, he first meticulously reviewed the two Jade Slips he had purchased from the Heavenly Secret Pavilion.

The map of the Nether Ghost Domain was detailed, marking many dangerous areas and resource points. Among them, "Ghost Cry Gorge" and the deeper "Soul Burying Valley" and "Yin Nether Ravine" were marked as extremely high-risk areas, with blood-colored skull warning symbols that were shocking to behold. Information regarding the nine nether soul-returning grass remained vague, only mentioning that it might appear in extremely Yin locations accompanied by the "netherworld ghost lotus," which itself was a top-tier medicinal treasure capable of inciting frantic competition among Golden Core Cultivators.

"Ghost Cry Gorge... Ancient Cultivator Immortal Cave..." Nightmare lightly tapped his knee with his finger, his gaze profound. "Xuanming Sect, Tiansha Sect... with these great Demonic Path and Ghost Path Sects intervening, the water has become muddier. Perhaps, this is also my opportunity."

It's easier to fish in muddy waters. But the prerequisite is that this "fish" must be strong enough, or it will simply be swallowed by a larger predator.

His current cultivation is at the Peak Golden Core Stage. Relying on the Myriad Poison Demonic Scripture and the Wind-Devouring Demonic Vine, his combat power is comparable to an ordinary Perfected Golden Core or even a Half-step Nascent Soul. However, if he faced multiple Prodigies of the same rank from major Sects simultaneously, or encountered a true Nascent Soul old monster, he would still fall short.

"I need stronger power..." Nightmare took a deep breath and made his decision.

With a flip of his wrist, a jade stone the size of a pigeon's egg, entirely black but with points of faint blue light flickering inside, appeared in his palm—the Yin Fiend Spirit Jade. This was one of the miscellaneous items he had casually bid on at the Dark Auction. It contained pure Yin Fiend power, making it a great tonic for him.

At the same time, with a thought, the Wind-Devouring Demonic Vine slithered out from his sleeve, happily circling his body and conveying feelings of yearning. This demonic vine also required a large amount of Yin Fiend energy to grow.

"The Yin Fiend Qi here is dense, perfect for Cultivation. Right here, I will attempt to charge into the Perfected Golden Core realm!"

Nightmare's gaze sharpened, and he no longer hesitated.

He formed hand seals, and the Myriad Poison Demonic Scripture roared into operation! The originally peaceful Yin Fiend Qi inside the Immortal Cave was instantly stirred, drawn by an invisible force field, frantically converging toward him, forming a visible gray vortex!

Simultaneously, the Yin Fiend Spirit Jade in his hand shone brightly, and an even purer and vaster surge of Yin Fiend power flooded into his Meridians like a released torrent!

"Buzz—!"

Nightmare's body trembled slightly, and fine black demonic markings appeared on the surface of his skin. His entire being emitted a profound, dark, all-consuming Aura. Inside his Dantian Qi Sea, the pitch-black Golden Core spun rapidly, greedily absorbing the surging energy. Its volume slowly expanded at an imperceptible rate, its color deepening further, and even more complex and mysterious natural patterns began to appear on its surface.

The Wind-Devouring Demonic Vine also excitedly rooted itself in the Void Realm. Its vines stretched out like countless greedy small mouths, frantically devouring the pervasive Yin Fiend Qi. Its dark body became increasingly crystalline, and the wind patterns on its leaves almost seemed to come alive. Its Aura steadily advanced toward the Peak Golden Core Stage!

Time is forgotten during Cultivation.

Inside the Immortal Cave, Nightmare was wrapped in dense, almost liquid Yin Fiend Qi, like a demonic statue existing since ancient times. His Aura steadily increased, becoming stronger and stronger, drawing closer to the critical point.

The Black Wind Market City remained bustling. Every moment, Cultivators full of hope entered the Nether Ghost Domain, and Cultivators returned with wounds and gains. Even more, some remained forever in that place of deathly silence.

The competition for the Ancient Cultivator Immortal Cave at Ghost Cry Gorge grew increasingly fierce. Rumors even suggested it had attracted the attention of Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators. However, it seemed the Restriction outside the Immortal Cave had a special suppressive effect on high-level Cultivators, temporarily preventing the Nascent Soul old monsters from taking action personally, forcing them to continue competing behind the scenes. This made the battles among Golden Core Stage Cultivators even more brutal.

Seven days passed.

On this day, the vortex of Yin Fiend Qi gathered inside Nightmare's Immortal Cave suddenly stalled, then violently retracted inward, completely submerging into his body!

The next moment, a terrifying Aura, several times stronger than before, suddenly erupted from within him!

"Boom!"

The protective Formation inside the Immortal Cave flashed violently, nearly collapsing under this sudden Aura!

Nightmare suddenly opened his eyes. Deep within his gaze, two dark vortices seemed to spin, captivating the Soul! He slowly raised his hand, clenched his fist, and felt the vast Demonic Essence roaring and surging within him, almost overflowing. An unprecedented feeling of power filled his entire body.

Perfected Golden Core!

Utilizing the dense Yin Fiend environment and the Yin Fiend Spirit Jade, he naturally stepped into the Perfected Golden Core realm! He was now just one step away from the Nascent Soul Dao!

At this moment, he felt that if he encountered those members of the Black Fiend Gang again, he wouldn't even need to use the Wind-Devouring Demonic Vine. Relying solely on his own Demonic Essence, a single Soul Shattering Finger would be enough to instantly kill them all!

The Wind-Devouring Demonic Vine beside him also completed its consumption. Its body was no longer purely dark black, but faintly revealed a dark golden luster. Its Aura had astonishingly reached the Peak Golden Core Stage, just a hair's breadth from Perfection. As the vines danced, they no longer caused mere wind sounds, but subtle spatial fluctuations, indicating a definite increase in power.

"Very good!" Nightmare nodded in satisfaction.

His cultivation had Broken Through, his strength greatly increased; it was time to depart.

He removed the Immortal Cave Restriction. Just as he stepped out of the stone door, he heard chatter and discussion spreading throughout the Market City.

"Did you hear? Things have really heated up at Ghost Cry Gorge! The people from Xuanming Sect and Tiansha Sect had a chaotic battle yesterday, resulting in the deaths of over a dozen Golden Core Cultivators!"

"More than that! It's said that a few ruthless Loose Cultivators emerged, seizing several abandoned treasures from the outskirts of the Immortal Cave during the chaos. Now they are being hunted by the two major Sects!"

"Tsk tsk, that's deadly... but fortune is sought in danger. I heard someone snatched a damaged Spirit Treasure Flying Sword!"

"A Spirit Treasure?!" Everyone exclaimed, their breathing quickening.

Hearing this, Nightmare felt even more certain. Chaos was his best stage.

He no longer delayed and walked straight toward the Market City exit. Cultivators streamed continuously from the exit, some grouped, some solitary, all wearing solemn expressions and filled with vigilance.

After paying the fee to leave the Market City, Nightmare stepped out of the protective range of the Formation light shield.

Instantly, a denser, colder wave of Yin Fiend Qi, carrying the stench of decayed Souls, surged toward him, attempting to erode his Physical Body and Divine Soul. An ordinary Early Golden Core Cultivator here would likely have to exert most of their power immediately just to resist it.

But Nightmare merely took a slight breath. The Myriad Poison Demonic Scripture operated automatically, converting this Yin Fiend Qi, which would be fatal to ordinary people, into pure Demonic Essence. Not only was he unharmed, but he felt completely at ease.

He identified the direction; it was toward Ghost Cry Gorge.

However, just as he was about to set off, the corner of his eye caught three Cultivators following him leisurely not far behind. These three wore ordinary clothes and looked like Loose Cultivators, but their steps were steady, their Aura refined, and the exchange of glances between them carried a subtle, hard-to-detect sense of tacit understanding and greed.

"I've been targeted?" Nightmare sneered inwardly.

It seemed his Aura of Breakthrough, which he hadn't fully restrained when he emerged from seclusion, combined with his solitary state, had caused some people to mistake him for a fat sheep.

That works too. I'll use you to test the power of the Perfected Golden Core realm.

He pretended not to notice, subtly accelerating his pace, heading toward a more remote area with denser Evil Qi.

Seeing this, the three men exchanged glances, a sinister smile appearing on their faces, and immediately sped up to follow.

The four followed closely, quickly moving away from the clamor of the Market City entrance and deep into the desolate, dead silent mountains covered in gray mist.

Seeing that the time was right, the sallow-faced Cultivator in front suddenly stopped and slowly turned around.

The three trackers immediately spread out, surrounding Nightmare in a triangular Formation. The leader, a Horse-Faced Cultivator at the Middle Golden Core stage, laughed sinisterly: "Fellow Daoist, you seem to be in a hurry. Where are you rushing off to? Why don't you lend your Spirit Stones and treasures to us three brothers for a while? Perhaps we can leave you a complete corpse."

Nightmare's gaze swept over the three men, his voice calm and steady: "Just the three of you pieces of trash?"

"You're courting death!" The Horse-Faced Cultivator roared in anger, suddenly summoning a White Bone Flying Fork that screamed like a mournful ghost, stabbing straight toward Nightmare's heart! The other two also attacked simultaneously: one waved out a sky full of Poisonous Sand, and the other summoned a Blood-Colored Flying Knife. Their coordination was highly tacit.

Facing the siege of the three men, Nightmare didn't even bother to use a Divine Ability.

He simply raised his right hand and clapped forward!

Boom!

Pure and vast Demonic Essence erupted from his body, instantly transforming into a pitch-black Demonic Palm several yards wide! The patterns on the Demonic Palm were clear, containing terrifying power of suppression and destruction!

The White Bone Flying Fork, Poisonous Sand, and Blood-Colored Flying Knife struck the Demonic Palm like eggs hitting a rock. Their spiritual light instantly dimmed, and they wailed as they flew backward!

"What?!"

The three Robber Cultivators' expressions changed drastically, their eyes filled with horror! The power of this casual palm strike far exceeded their imagination!

"Perfected Golden..." Before the Horse-Faced Cultivator could finish his cry of alarm, the massive pitch-black Demonic Palm slammed down with the force of Mount Tai!

"No—!"

The desperate screams stopped abruptly.

The ground trembled violently, and smoke and dust mixed with Evil Qi shot into the sky.

When the dust settled, all that remained was a massive, deep palm print crater and three pools of unrecognizable bloody flesh.

Nightmare didn't even look at the scene in the pit. He grabbed the three Storage Pouches through the air, and a flash of Demonic Fire instantly reduced the remains to ash.

It was as if he had casually swatted three buzzing flies to death.

He felt the Demonic Essence inside his body, which was barely depleted, and nodded.

"Perfected Golden Core is indeed different from before."

Straightening his robes, Nightmare transformed into a faint, ethereal shadow and sped toward Ghost Cry Gorge.

The real hunt had begun.