185: Focus on cultivation, and reach the peak of Core Formation!

The mundane days of cultivation were always so simple and unadorned, yet they held a silent, nourishing progress.

After Su Ling moved into Lingyun Villa in Shadow Moon Valley, he settled his heart to refine his cultivation.

This villa's Immortal Cave was built upon a Spiritual Vein, and with the enhancement of a top-tier Spirit Gathering Formation, the concentration of Spiritual Qi inside was more than three times that of the outside world.

In the cultivation room specifically, the Spiritual Qi was so thick it resembled the Heavenly Palace from the Journey to the West in his past life.

Amidst the swirling spiritual mist, a spiritual spring had even formed at the center.

Wisps of wood and water spiritual rhythm surrounded his body, nourishing his Meridians and Divine Soul.

Taking advantage of such a uniquely blessed cultivation environment, Su Ling's cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds.

In just five years, he successfully broke through to Late-stage Core Formation.

After another thirty years of dedicated bitter cultivation, he stood firmly at the Peak Core Formation Stage, only a step away from the Nascent Soul Realm.

During the gaps in his secluded meditation, Su Ling also had a few small gatherings with several old friends.

As Lu Tao had predicted back then, Qi Yunling, relying on his talent of a supreme grade Wind Spiritual Root, was favored by True Lord Yun Miao, who specialized in the Law of Wind, and was taken in as a Personal Disciple.

With the enhancement of a top-tier wind-attribute Cultivation Technique, he was now at the Middle Stage Nascent Soul Realm, his wind-attribute techniques elegant and agile, showing much of his master's style.

Luo Xuanxiao's destination, however, was slightly unexpected.

He was not limited to being a lightning-attribute Cultivator due to his Legacy of the Zixiao Thunder Technique; instead, he was taken under the wing of an old True Immortal named True Lord Liu Yan.

This True Lord Liu Yan had attained immortality through the Law of Fire, but he was currently researching the Laws of Lightning and Wood as well.

It seemed he wanted to use these three Laws to seek the Great Dao of a Golden Immortal.

Seeing that Luo Xuanxiao possessed a supreme grade Lightning Spiritual Root and specialized in the Zixiao Thunder Technique, he brought him into his Sect to teach him the path of blending lightning and fire.

Even more surprising was Wen Qingzhu, whose National War point ranking wasn't particularly high back then.

Relying on his High Grade Fire Spiritual Root Aptitude and his background from the Fentian Sect of Danxia Island, he was actually also favored by True Lord Liu Yan, becoming fellow Disciples with Luo Xuanxiao.

Wen Qingzhu had a gentle personality and was socially adept. Leveraging the karma of having fought alongside Su Ling and Luo Xuanxiao back then, and gaining the status of Luo Xuanxiao's 'Junior Brother,' he gradually integrated into their small group.

However, his connection with Liu Muyao never ceased; they frequently exchanged messages and occasionally agreed to complete Sect missions together.

For this reason, Lu Tao often teased him about it, jokingly saying he was 'driven by lust, the old drinker's heart is not in the wine but in the lady'.

Wen Qingzhu always responded with a smile and silence, offering no defense.

No one knew exactly what his intentions were.

During these thirty-five years, Su Ling did not just focus on refining his cultivation; he also did not neglect the nurturing of his azure roc wings.

During this period, he continuously spent huge sums to purchase large quantities of fifth-rank gold-thunder attribute Yao Beast essence blood from Refining Cauldron Peak, pouring it into this Medium Grade Spirit Treasure regardless of the cost.

Under the nourishment of such massive resources, the item spirit of the azure roc wings became increasingly active, and its flying speed soared, now reaching the level of a High Grade flying Magic Treasure.

As Su Ling's cultivation grew deeper by the day, the magic power consumption required to control the azure roc wings also relatively decreased.

With his current magic power reserves at the Peak Core Formation Stage, he was already able to use the azure roc wings as a standard means of transport.

What put him even more at ease was that, after multiple tests, as long as the item spirit was not exposed, the azure roc wings would at most show the fluctuations of a low-grade spirit tool to outsiders.

As the Personal Disciple of Immortal Venerable Clear Ripple, holding the Low Grade Spirit Treasure phoenix dance nine-fierce ruler and having two low-grade spirit tools on him, even if there was one more 'spirit tool'... it would definitely not attract too much scrutiny, serving as a perfect cover.

Every once in a while, Su Ling would also head to Tingtao Water Pavilion to consult Immortal Venerable Clear Ripple about the problems he accumulated during his cultivation.

However, not long after he promoted to Late-stage Core Formation, Immortal Venerable Clear Ripple announced she was entering secluded meditation.

Therefore, Su Ling, who was in a state of being 'free-ranged,' could only go to the Hall of Heart Inquiry to seek guidance.

Fortunately, his Realm was still low, so the teaching Senior Brothers and Elders of the Hall of Heart Inquiry could all resolve his doubts.

He wouldn't end up with nowhere to turn for advice.

Once his Realm was completely stabilized, Su Ling finally ended his seclusion and pushed open the gates of Lingyun Villa.

Just as he stepped out of the Immortal Cave, he noticed several communication jade slips hanging on the Restriction formation, their spiritual light flowing; they were clearly messages sent by friends during his years of seclusion.

Su Ling took down the Jade Slips one by one and probed them with his Divine Sense.

The largest number of them were messages sent by Lu Tao, most of which had arrived within the past year.

Shortly after that fellow returned to the Sect, he was thrown into the Hundred Refinements Spring by True Lord Lu Feng to temper his Physical Body, soaking there for a full ten years.

It was said that when he came out, his skin was torn and flesh was gaping, and he had lost a whole circle of weight.

But because of this, he had forged a body of bronze skin and iron bones, and his Immortal Golden Body Art had progressed to the next level.

Right after coming out of seclusion, Lu Tao couldn't wait to hang out with Su Ling for nearly a month, calling it 'sparring with the Startling Thunder Sword Art to progress together'.

In reality, he had just been cooped up for ten years and wanted someone to vent to.

Unfortunately, the good times didn't last. After less than two years, he was dragged to the Qingming Sword Sect by True Lord Lu Feng to temper his Sword Intent using their Sword Tomb; this trip lasted for over twenty years.

It wasn't until a year ago that Lu Tao finally returned to the Bitao Sect, his cultivation also breaking through to the Middle Stage Nascent Soul Realm.

The first thing he did upon returning was to look for Su Ling, only to find he was still in seclusion, so he could only leave a message and return to his own Immortal Cave dejectedly.

His most recent message was sent three days ago, still asking about the time Su Ling would emerge from seclusion.

The other Jade Slips were sent by Luo Xuanxiao, Qi Yunling, and Song Moting respectively.

They were basically daily greetings and invitations for small gatherings.

Song Moting's message was the most concise and clear, only saying that a top-tier auction would be held in Cangming City within the Vast Sea Imperial City, officially starting in half a month.

He invited Su Ling to go together, taking the opportunity to gather with the other fellow Disciples and enhance their friendship.

“An auction...”

Su Ling's fingertips rubbed the cool Jade Slip, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes.

He was now at the Peak Core Formation Stage and would soon face Nascent Soul Condensation.

If he could find something he liked at the auction, it might help him break through to the Nascent Soul Realm faster.

Moreover, having been in frequent seclusion for the past thirty years, he had rarely gone out.

Now was indeed the time to go out and gather with old friends... “I say, Senior Brother Song, you’re being too unfair!”

“For such a fun event, you actually only invited Su Ling and didn't invite me!”

On the way to the Vast Sea Imperial City, Lu Tao sat on the deck of the taixu boat, looking at Song Moting with an indignant expression and constantly grumbling.

“Invite you?”

Song Moting rolled his eyes and said with a half-smile, “Do you still have any Spirit Stones?”

“Uh...”

Lu Tao was struck as if by lightning, looking utterly dejected.

Even as the Disciple of a True Immortal, True Lord Lu Feng would not give him many resources for no reason.

In order to Cultivate the Immortal Golden Body Art and to nurture his life-bound Flying Sword.

The Spirit Stones he earned were basically all used to buy auxiliary Materials.

During these thirty-plus years, his life-bound Flying Sword had already reached the level of a supreme grade Magic Treasure.

But the Spirit Stones earned during the National War, as well as the Sect benefits from these years, were almost exhausted.

What he had left now was only a few million Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

To participate in a top-tier auction within the Imperial City, it was truly not enough to look at.

However, catching a glimpse of the smiling but silent Su Ling, Lu Tao's face immediately brightened, and he chuckled, “I am poor, but Junior Brother Su and I are as close as can be! He gets to collect one million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones every ten years, so he must still have a lot now!”

“Yes, I indeed still have quite a lot.”

Su Ling laughed and nodded in admission.

Both Luo Xuanxiao and Qi Yunling cast envious glances.