301: Unable to refine

He had previously entertained the notion of seeking quick success, thinking about frantically plundering the Yin Essence of female Cultivators and forcibly increasing his Cultivation base using the Method of Yin and Yang Harmonization, allowing himself to rapidly ascend to the peak of this world.

But as soon as that thought surfaced in his Sea of Consciousness, the System in his mind issued a clear warning, stating that such an action would forcibly disrupt his own Dao Foundation, destroy the balance of Luck in this world, affect the operation of the Heavenly Dao, and might even invite Heavenly Punishment.

It was precisely that warning that made Situ Jun completely discard that shameful thought.

He understood that in the Dao of Cultivation, the biggest taboo was rushing for success, and the matter of a Dao Companion was the same; his destined affinity would eventually appear, and he should not deliberately or obsessively seek or plunder it. Only by following his true heart and letting nature take its course could he walk the long path.

Situ Jun was silent for a moment. Although he felt unwilling, he understood that the limitations of his Cultivation base were not easily surpassed.

He took a deep breath, suppressed the restlessness in his heart, looked at Tu Xiong, and said in a deep voice:

"I'll try. Even if I can't refine it, I can still figure out the characteristics of the spirit core and prepare for my future Breakthrough to the Soul Transformation Stage."

With that, he sat cross-legged beside Tu Xiong, quickly formed hand seals, and the silver Spiritual Qi around him suddenly erupted, surging out like a tide. It condensed into a translucent barrier around him, enveloping the entire Core Space and isolating it from external interference.

He slowly closed his eyes, and his Divine Sense spread out like a fine spiderweb, cautiously surging toward the floating, glistening white spirit core.

As his Divine Sense poured in, Situ Jun instantly felt the immense power contained within the spirit core—it was pure Spatial Power, like a boundless sea of stars. It was also mixed with countless fragmented images, which were the external scenes of the space pearl: the emerald plain, towering mountains, swirling clouds, and even the figures of Mo Chenggui and others searching the plain, all clearly presented in his Sea of Consciousness.

Situ Jun was both shocked and delighted. He quickly focused all his attention, mobilized the Spiritual Qi within his body, and attempted to imprint his Divine Sense inside the spirit core. Even leaving just a trace might allow him to find a Breakthrough point for refining it.

But the moment his Divine Sense touched that immense Spatial Power, a terrifying Recoil Force suddenly erupted!

That power was like raging waves, carrying an irresistible dominance, instantly crushing his Divine Sense, which scattered like shattered glass.

Even more terrifyingly, that Recoil Force followed his Divine Sense and struck back, like sharp blades viciously slashing at his Sea of Consciousness and Meridians.

Situ Jun felt a sharp pain in his chest, and a metallic sweetness surged in his throat. Unable to hold it back any longer, he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, which landed on the stone surface in front of him, staining it red.

"Pfft—"

Situ Jun suddenly opened his eyes, his face as pale as paper, his chest heaving violently, and his forehead covered in cold sweat.

He could clearly feel the Spiritual Qi within his body churning like tangled threads, and his Sea of Consciousness was throbbing with pain. The dominance of that Spatial Power far exceeded his imagination; with his Half-step Soul Transformation Stage Cultivation, he couldn't shake it even slightly, and was instead injured by the backlash.

"It really won't work..."

Tu Xiong looked at Situ Jun's pale face; the expectation in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a hint of disappointment, though it was expected.

He hesitated for a moment and said softly:

"Master, the Spiritual Qi in this space is several times denser than the outside world. With Master's natural talent, Breakthrough to the Soul Transformation Stage is only a matter of time. Why doesn't Master Cultivate and Break through here first? It won't be too late to refine this spirit core once your Cultivation base is sufficient..."

Situ Jun raised his hand to wipe away the blood from the corner of his mouth, slowly calmed the surging Spiritual Qi within his body, and nodded:

"You are right. Since we have found the Core Space and know the method to leave, there is no need to rush. The immediate priority is for you to recover from your injuries and regain your strength. Then, I will plan for my Breakthrough."

After speaking, he opened his Storage Pouch again and took out the remaining healing Medicinal Pills and herbs—there was "Purple Heart Grass" that could repair Meridians, "Qi Condensation Pills" that could replenish Spiritual Qi, and several precious "Bone Restoration Pills," all of which he had bought from the System Store using a considerable amount of heavenly luck value.

He first ground the Purple Heart Grass, refined it with Spiritual Qi until it became a pale purple medicinal liquid, and carefully applied it to Tu Xiong's chest wound. He then placed a Qi Condensation Pill into his mouth. Finally, he expended his own Spiritual Qi to meticulously nourish Tu Xiong's damaged Meridians, ensuring the medicinal effects were maximized.

After doing this, he placed a Spirit Gathering Formation Plate in each of the four corners of the space. As he activated the Formation Plates with the Spiritual Qi from his fingertips, they instantly activated. The surrounding Five Elements Spiritual Qi seemed to be guided, converging toward Tu Xiong, forming a faint vortex of Spiritual Qi to help him recover faster.

Tu Xiong leaned against the stone wall, feeling the strength gradually returning to his body. Watching Situ Jun's busy figure, his heart was filled with gratitude, yet also deep guilt.

If he hadn't rashly transmitted a message to Situ Jun back then, leading him here, Situ Jun wouldn't have been caught in the Teleportation Array, subsequently trapped here, and even injured while trying to refine the spirit core.

"Master, I'm much better. You don't need to waste so many precious Medicinal Pills and Spiritual Qi on me, I..."

Situ Jun waved his hand, interrupting him, his tone carrying undeniable firmness:

"Rest assured and recover; don't overthink things. I'll go out and check the situation outside, and also look for some Opportunities to see if I can find a chance to Breakthrough my Cultivation base, so that I can refine this spirit core sooner and take us out."

Tu Xiong opened his mouth, wanting to say something more, but seeing Situ Jun's determined gaze, he finally nodded.

He knew that being severely injured now, he couldn't help and would instead become a burden. He could only obediently stay here to recover, ensuring Situ Jun wouldn't be distracted.

Situ Jun stood up, carefully checked Tu Xiong's injuries again, and after confirming that the Spiritual Qi within his body had stabilized and the Spirit Gathering Array was operating normally, he turned and walked toward the translucent entrance.

He raised his hand to form a seal, and the Spiritual Qi from his fingertip landed on the runes at the edge of the entrance. Following a faint buzzing sound, the entrance slowly opened, revealing the same deep darkness as before.

Without hesitation, Situ Jun stepped into the entrance, and his figure disappeared into the darkness once more.

The moment he passed through the passage, the feeling of weightlessness struck again, but this time he was prepared and quickly adapted to the spatial shift.

When the scene before his eyes became clear again, he had returned to the large space within the pearl.

Before him was still the emerald plain, lush with green grass and covered in wildflowers. The mountains in the distance were shrouded in mist, appearing faintly.

However, unlike before, there was a faint scent of blood in the air. Although the scent was weak, it was enough to indicate that some unexpected changes had occurred outside while he was inside the Core Space—perhaps a conflict had broken out between other Cultivators, or someone had found a treasure, leading to a clash.

Situ Jun took a deep breath, suppressed the thoughts in his heart, and the silver Spiritual Qi around him surged again. His Divine Sense spread out like a tide, carefully investigating the surrounding movements.

This time, his goal was clear: on one hand, he needed to search for Opportunities within this space to Break through his Cultivation base, whether it be Heaven And Earth Treasure or Ancient Ruins—anything that could help him Break through to the Soul Transformation Stage was worth trying; on the other hand, he needed to constantly pay attention to the movements of Elder Yin Gu and the others—those people were inherently greedy and would surely stop at nothing for Daoist Ming Ya's Legacy. If they were to discover the existence of the Core Space, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The silver stream of light sped across the plain once more. As his robes fluttered, Situ Jun's gaze became increasingly determined.

He knew that every step he took next would be crucial. It concerned not only whether he could Break through his Cultivation base, but also whether he and Tu Xiong could successfully leave this space pearl. All of this required him to proceed cautiously, step by step.