173: Chapter 173 Three Years! Core Formation! The Shock of the Wood Dragon Island Master!

Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Three: Three Years! Core Formation! Island Master Mu Long's Shock!

Time flies, and seasons pass.

At the top of Tianmen Peak, the four seasons rotated, and the sea of clouds churned.

Inside the Immortal Cave, Xin Ruyin Cultivated, studied Formations, and managed the Immortal Cave day after day; Xiao Mei fed the spirit pets daily at fixed times, taking perfect care of the Illusion Spirit Butterfly Swarm and the Purple Crystal Sable; Zhao Wen quietly left the island every once in a while, scurrying for the resources on his master's list.

But the door to the Quiet Room remained tightly shut, never once opening.

On this day, in the main hall.

Xin Ruyin was discussing the Spiritual Qi circuit of a complex Formation with the phantom condensed from the magic power of True Person Ling Yun.

True Person Ling Yun spoke eloquently, analyzing every detail, while Xin Ruyin listened intently, nodding occasionally and asking questions.

In three years, her mastery of Formations had jumped significantly under the selfless instruction of True Person Ling Yun, a Nascent Soul expert, and there were faint signs of her breaking through a Bottleneck to glimpse a higher level.

Her cultivation also stood firmly at the Middle Stage Foundation Establishment.

But today, she was a bit distracted.

From time to time, her gaze would drift gently toward the stone door at the end of the corridor that remained tightly shut.

True Person Ling Yun noticed, stopped his explanation, and the phantom stroked its beard, saying with a smile, "Little girl, is your heart in turmoil?"

Xin Ruyin was slightly startled, then lowered her eyes in embarrassment: "Senior has a Wisdom Eye."

"It is only human nature, do not dwell on it."

True Person Ling Yun's voice was gentle: "Little Friend Lu's Foundation is so solid and his preparations so thorough that I have rarely seen the like in my life. With such a background, although the path to Core Formation is risky, he should be fine. Rest your heart."

Xin Ruyin nodded gently: "What Senior says is true."

Nearby, Xiao Mei held the glowing Purple Crystal Sable, feeding it purple spirit crystals while saying crisply, "Young Miss, don't worry! Master Lu went into seclusion this time to Breakthrough to Core Formation, it can't be that fast! I heard those old Cultivators in the market say that some people stay in seclusion for Core Formation for over ten years!"

She paused and added, "It's only been three years. Maybe Master Lu is fighting his Heart Demon right now!"

Xin Ruyin was amused by her words, and her mood relaxed a bit as she nodded, "Yes, I was too impatient."

She withdrew her gaze and looked back at the phantom Formation diagram condensed by True Person Ling Yun, trying to sink her mind into the profound changes of the runes... Another month passed.

On this day, the weather was clear and cloudless for ten thousand miles.

At the top of Tianmen Peak, Xin Ruyin was carefully watering a three-hundred-year-old Jade Lingzhi that had just been transplanted into the Spirit Medicine garden.

The Purple Crystal Sable lay lazily on the warm jade by the medicinal field, basking in the sun, its body glowing with purple light.

Suddenly—

The Purple Crystal Sable snapped its head up, its glass-like purple eyes looking warily toward the Quiet Room, letting out a sharp, low cry.

Xin Ruyin's hand trembled, and the spirit spring water spilled.

In the next moment—

"Boom—!!!"

A dull roar that did not come from reality but directly shook the Divine Soul, as if rising from the depths of the Nine Serenities and falling from the peak of the firmament!

The originally clear blue sky suddenly changed!

Pitch-black clouds surged from nowhere, gathering like thousands of galloping horses, covering the sky above Tianmen Peak in an instant and rapidly spreading in all directions!

The black clouds pressed down, hanging low as if about to fall, with silver snakes dancing within them. Piercing bolts of lightning tore through the darkness, accompanied by deafening thunder that exploded over the Qingyun Mountain Range!

At the same time, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi from all directions seemed to receive some supreme summons, frantically gathering toward the top of Tianmen Peak!

The Spiritual Qi whistled, and the wind howled.

Centered on Tianmen Peak, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi within a radius of over a hundred miles was forcibly pulled and absorbed, forming a massive, visible milky-white Spiritual Qi vortex over ten miles in diameter!

At the center of the vortex was that stone door of the Quiet Room that had been closed for three years!

"This is..."

Xin Ruyin looked up at this earth-shaking phenomenon, her eyes suddenly moist.

This was the Core Formation Phenomenon!

Husband Lu... he succeeded!

...Qingyun Mountain Range.

Thirty-Six Spirit Peaks, hundreds of Immortal Caves.

Countless Cultivators interrupted their cultivation one after another and rushed out of their Immortal Caves, looking in horror at the terrifying Spiritual Qi vortex in the direction of Tianmen Peak.

"Someone is performing Core Formation!"

"That's Tianmen Peak! The Daoist field of True Person Hei Sha!"

"Hasn't True Person Hei Sha already reached Core Formation? Is this... someone else performing Core Formation?!"

"Who else is on Tianmen Peak?!"

"This phenomenon... is so astonishing, it's even more grand than when True Person Hei Sha reached Core Formation back then!"

"Could it be that person's Junior? That rumored Lu-surnamed Cultivator?"

Shock, envy, jealousy, disbelief... various complex emotions rotated on the faces of countless Cultivators.

Tian Zhu Peak.

Wood Dragon was comprehending a Cultivation Technique in his Quiet Room when he suddenly snapped his eyes open, his figure flashing as he reached the peak.

He looked at the terrifying Spiritual Qi vortex toward Tianmen Peak, his expression changing drastically.

"This is..." He extended his Divine Sense to its full extent, sensing that powerful aura that was rapidly climbing and about to break through the Bottleneck, his pupils shrinking suddenly.

Tianmen Peak!

Core Formation!

He suddenly remembered that three years ago, Daoist Hei Sha had personally visited and exchanged a significant price for a dust settling pill, explicitly stating it was for the Core Formation of his "Junior Lu Qiu."

At that time, he only thought that the Lu-surnamed little friend was at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage and was preparing Core Formation spiritual items in advance.

Such things were very common in the cultivation world; some people began preparing ten or even dozens of years in advance.

But he never expected... it had only been three years!

Three years!

A "Foundation Establishment Junior" he had never truly cared about was actually starting to charge for Core Formation!

And looking at the momentum of this heavenly phenomenon, it was actually quite extraordinary!

"This... how is this possible?!"

Wood Dragon's face shifted. Besides shock, there was more of an indescribable complex emotion.

He had cultivated for over several hundred years and had seen many geniuses, though perhaps not as many as carp crossing a river.

But someone like Lu Qiu, who went from Late Foundation Establishment Stage to charging for Core Formation—preparation, seclusion, and Breakthrough all in one go, taking only a few years in total—he had never seen.

The Escape Lights of True Person Yuan Jun and True Person Kan Qin also arrived rapidly, landing beside Wood Dragon, looking toward Tianmen Peak with equal horror.

"Island Master, this, this is..." True Person Yuan Jun's voice was a bit unstable.

Wood Dragon took a deep breath, suppressing his churning thoughts, and said solemnly, "It's Tianmen Peak. Fellow Daoist Hei Sha once sought a dust settling pill for that Little Friend Lu... It seems that Little Friend Lu is charging for Core Formation."

"Lu Qiu?!"

True Person Yuan Jun blurted out, "That Junior at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage? How old is he? He's only been on Kuixing Island for... how many years?"

True Person Kan Qin also covered her mouth, her cold face rarely showing shock.

"Three years."

Wood Dragon said slowly, "From Late Foundation Establishment Stage to charging for Core Formation, it only took three years."

He paused, his voice a bit strained: "This kind of Breakthrough speed... I have never heard of it."

The three Core Formation Immortal Masters stood atop Tian Zhu Peak, looking at the earth-shaking Core Formation Phenomenon, speechless for a long time.

After a long while, Wood Dragon said solemnly, "Let's go to Tianmen Peak."

...Three Escape Lights streaked across the sky and arrived outside Tianmen Peak in an instant.

At this moment, many Foundation Establishment Cultivators who had heard the news had already gathered outside the peak, all blocked by the Peak Protecting Great Formation. They could only look at the terrifying Spiritual Qi vortex at the peak from afar, discussing fervently with fanatical expressions.

Wood Dragon stood in the air, his voice calm but clearly penetrating the Restriction:

"Fellow Daoist Hei Sha, please show yourself."

A moment later, the Peak Protecting Great Formation fluctuated slightly, and a black-robed figure emerged; it was Hei Sha.

Wood Dragon did not beat around the bush, looked directly at Hei Sha, and asked solemnly, "Fellow Daoist Hei Sha, who is performing Core Formation?"

Hei Sha's crimson eyes swept over the three Island Masters, his voice hoarse and flat:

"It is my Martial Nephew, Lu Qiu."

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of Wood Dragon, True Person Yuan Jun, and True Person Kan Qin all changed drastically!

True Person Yuan Jun opened his mouth, seeming to want to say something, but nothing came out.

True Person Kan Qin was also staring blankly at the top of Tianmen Peak, her eyes full of disbelief.

Wood Dragon was stunned for a good while before letting out a long sigh of relief, his voice carrying undisguised emotion and praise:

"Fellow Daoist Lu... is truly exceptionally gifted. I am impressed."

True Person Yuan Jun and True Person Kan Qin looked at each other, then cupped their hands together and said solemnly, "Congratulations to Tianmen Peak for the birth of another Core Formation Immortal Master."

Hei Sha nodded slightly as a return of courtesy. He said solemnly, "Martial Nephew Lu is at a critical moment of Core Formation. I need to act as his Protector and cannot stay long. When he successfully leaves seclusion, he will surely visit the three Island Masters in person to thank you for your help."

Wood Dragon nodded, his tone sincere: "As it should be. Core Formation is a major matter. Fellow Daoist Hei Sha, please proceed. We will await Fellow Daoist Lu's good news in our residences."

Hei Sha said no more, his figure flashing as he returned inside the Peak Protecting Great Formation.

The three Island Masters stayed for a moment longer, watching the Spiritual Qi vortex gradually stabilize and the thunderclouds begin to slowly dissipate, before turning to leave... Inside the Tianmen Peak Immortal Cave.

Xin Ruyin stood in the courtyard, looking up at the gradually subsiding phenomenon in the sky, her clothes fluttering slightly in the Spiritual Qi aftershocks. Her eyes were slightly red, but a gentle smile hung on her lips.

"Young Miss, look! Master Lu is about to reach Core Formation!" Xiao Mei held the Purple Crystal Sable, her face red with excitement, jumping in place, "Master Lu is going to become a Core Formation Immortal Master!"

The Purple Crystal Sable was dizzied by her shaking, let out a dissatisfied grumble, broke free from her embrace, and leaped lightly onto Xin Ruyin's shoulder. Its fluffy big tail brushed gently against her cheek as if comforting her.

Xin Ruyin raised her hand to gently stroke the smooth fur of the Purple Crystal Sable and said softly, "Yes... Husband Lu has reached Core Formation."

She looked at that stone door that was still tightly shut, her heart filled with endless joy, but also a bit of indescribable melancholy.

Core Formation and Foundation Establishment are separated by a natural chasm.

From now on, Husband Lu is an Immortal Master, while she is still a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

In the cultivation world, Lifespan, status, and ability are all incomparable.

She never doubted Husband Lu's affection for her, nor did she believe he would look down on her because of the difference in cultivation.

It was just... she didn't want the gap between them to be too large.

She did not want to be just a "Dao Companion" protected under his wings; she hoped that one day, she could truly stand side-by-side with him and become his help when he needed it.

"I must work hard too," Xin Ruyin said softly, her gaze determined.

Xiao Mei blinked, not quite understanding why her Young Miss suddenly said this, but immediately nodded like a chicken pecking at grain: "Mm-hmm! Young Miss is so good at cultivation, you'll definitely be able to reach Core Formation soon too!"

Xin Ruyin smiled gently and did not explain.