My martial arts have no bottlenecks.

Chapter 152 Core Formation (Happy New Year's Eve)

On the high platform.

Liu Jingtao continued speaking.

"Liang Cheng is the number one in the ring, and will refuse to fight until the end."

"The rest of you will continue the competition today to determine the top twenty."

Liang Cheng did not watch the rest of the competition.

He sat in the main hospital seat, closing his eyes and regulating his breathing.

The fierce battle raged all around, with the sounds of exploding qi, clashing swords, and cheers rising and falling from below the arena.

However, he paid no attention and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.

Seven days later.

After the ring-off battles, the top twenty were all decided.

Ye Zhi Qiu ranked seventeenth, Xiao Qing Xue nineteenth, and Qin Lie, despite being injured, managed to break into the top fifteen.

Unfortunately, Qin Wentian was eliminated at number twenty-one, missing the mark by one place. He remained silent for a long time, and the others were at a loss for how to comfort him.

o

Then Liu Jingtao stood up; after announcing the results; those not on the list were all sent to Xuanbing Island; for a moment; the eliminated were speechless and choked with grief.

The Ascension Ceremony is so brutal, the elimination process is extremely cruel.

And all of this has nothing to do with those who are promoted.

Only by joining the Penglai Sect can one obtain the Refining Spirit Method and have the opportunity to form a Golden Core and transcend the mortal realm!

"The first twenty, follow me."

Just then, Liu Jingtao spoke.

He did not explain where he was going.

The crowd followed behind.

Liang Cheng walked in the middle of the group, with Liu Jingtao and several deacons of the Penglai Sect in front of him, and the top talents from various islands and the top twenty winners behind him.

The group left the venue and headed deeper into Xuanbing Island.

The wind and snow got heavier and heavier along the way.

The stone steps beneath my feet were covered with a thin layer of ice, and the higher I went, the colder it became.

Liang Cheng raised his head and glanced ahead.

Ahead stood a solitary peak, steep as a sword, piercing straight into the sea of ​​clouds.

A cave entrance is faintly visible from the summit, its depths unknown.

Half an hour later.

Liu Jingtao stopped at the entrance of the cave at the top of the mountain.

He turned to face the top twenty people in this arena battle.

"In the Ascension Tournament, the arena tests combat strength."

He paused at this point.

"This second test is about comprehension."

Upon hearing this, everyone was puzzled.

Liu Jingtao didn't offer any further explanation, but simply waved his hand.

"Come, follow me inside."

Without hesitation, Liang Cheng stepped directly into the cave. After walking for a short while, darkness engulfed him, and he could no longer see anything.

But the moment he stepped into the cave, his soul fluid trembled slightly deep within his sea of ​​consciousness.

Liang Cheng paused involuntarily.

However, the tremor only lasted for a moment before subsiding, as if it had just been an illusion.

Liang Cheng remained calm and continued forward.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, light finally appeared at the end of the darkness.

That was the faint light emanating from the stone wall, icy blue and cold, like a chilly pool under the moon.

The stone wall is enormous, about three zhang high and five zhang wide. Its surface is not smooth, but covered with layers of engravings.

It's not text.

It is an unknown rune.

The group stopped in front of the stone wall, gazing at it, occasionally frowning.

Some looked bewildered, while others seemed thoughtful.

Liang Cheng stood in front of the stone wall, his gaze fixed on the carvings.

At first glance, it appears chaotic and disorderly, as if carved with knives and axes, without any discernible pattern.

At second glance, the engravings seemed to come alive.

Chilling cold to the bone.

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, the Divine Soul Liquid trembled once more.

This time, it was even more obvious than before.

Liang Cheng calmed his mind and focused his spirit.

At this moment, Liu Jingtao spoke again, "This wall is called the Ice Soul Wall."

Liu Jingtao's voice came from behind, low and calm.

"The one who carved this inscription was the foremost rogue cultivator two hundred years ago, the Hermit of Cold Pool."

Han Tan Sanren?

The moment Liang Cheng heard those four words, his mind was jolted.

He remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was extremely astonished.

"The Great Dao that the Hermit of the Cold Pool comprehended is on the stone wall. Its divine charm arises spontaneously. You need to use it to comprehend the Dao. The final result will be ranked according to what you comprehend and gain."

After Liu Jingtao finished speaking, he instructed the steward to distribute prayer mats. Twenty disciples sat cross-legged on them, quietly staring at the stone wall, trying to comprehend the Daoist principles within.

the other side.

Liu Jingtao and the others stepped aside.

Chen Xuanfeng couldn't help but sigh, "It is said that at that time, the three sects and six schools stood in a tripartite balance, and the cultivation techniques were all passed down within the sects. If a rogue cultivator did not have a great opportunity, he would find it difficult to break through the mortal realm and form the core in his entire life."

Upon hearing this, Liu Jingtao nodded.

"Indeed, Han Tan Sanren, as a rogue cultivator, comprehended the cultivation method on his own, broke through the mortal realm and formed the core, and then further condensed the golden core. He can truly be called an unparalleled genius."

These words moved everyone present.

Golden Core Realm.

That's a higher realm than Core Formation.

Han Tan Sanren was a rogue cultivator who came from a humble background. He had no sect resources and no master to guide him, yet he still managed to reach the Golden Core stage.

What does this mean?

It's simply unbelievable.

"He can be called the number one independent cultivator, breaking the monopoly of sects and opening up a new path."

Liu Jingtao continued.

"At that time, all three sects wanted to recruit each other, offering them the position of guest elder."

"But the Hermit of the Cold Pool accepts all such requests."

He said

Liu Jingtao sighed silently, then continued.

He said that I have spent my life practicing as a wandering monk, not seeking to join a sect, but only hoping that in my later years as a wandering monk, I can still have a path to continue on.

Upon hearing this, none of Chen Xuanfeng and the others in the cave uttered a sound.

Another island elder, responsible for escorting the disciples, looked at the stone wall in front of them and said with emotion, "In his later years, the Hermit of Cold Pool took in a disciple, bestowed upon him the surname Tan, and brought him back to Xuanbing Island to teach him martial arts. This is the origin of this inheritance stone wall."

"It's a pity that the disciple had mediocre talent and never broke through to the mortal realm and formed his core in his entire life."

"Knowing that they could not preserve this heritage, the descendants of the Tan family donated this wall to the Penglai Sect."

Upon hearing this, Liu Jingtao nodded.

"Indeed, the Penglai Sect placed this stone wall on Xuanbing Island. For this year's Ascension Conference, the sect leader issued a special decree to recruit disciples using it."

"Now, the top twenty winners of the arena can enter to study and comprehend the secrets."

"I don't know how they will fare, but how much they can learn depends on their own fate."

Han Tan Sanren —

Chen Xuanfeng and the others were filled with emotion; such figures were truly admirable.

Just then, one of them spoke up: "I heard that Huangfu Qi, a true disciple of Penglai Sect, had a past relationship with Han Tan Zhenren. Later, I don't know if he was influenced by Han Tan Zhenren, but he actually left the sect and returned to Zhongyuan Island Martial Academy to retire."

"I've heard about this too, but I don't know if there's any connection."

Chen Xuanfeng sighed.

Who can truly know what happened back then?

Chen Xuanfeng was talking outside, while Liang Cheng sat cross-legged on a futon, the icy blue light of the stone wall reflecting on his face, motionless.

Within his dantian, nine seeds of qi were slowly rotating, their azure light solid as pearls, full and ready to burst.

He is just one step away from achieving the Core Formation and breaking through to the Mortal Realm.

He originally planned to take this step after entering the Penglai Sect, where he could obtain the Refining Spirit Method and break through to the mortal realm.

But now, plans can't keep up with changes.

He looked up at the stone wall.

Those markings were no longer unfamiliar runes in his eyes.

Every stroke, every line, echoes the Ice Soul Scripture recorded on the jade slip in his possession, and they all originate from the same source.

Liang Cheng lowered his head.

He was originally afraid that if he practiced the Ice Soul Scripture, the Penglai Sect would consider him to have entered the sect with pre-existing skills and would not be treated as a true disciple. But now he has no more worries.

After all, with the stone wall in front of him, and he himself said that the Ice Soul Scripture was contained within it and that he had comprehended it, who could say that it was wrong?

With that thought in mind, he no longer hesitated.

Since that's the case, he accepted this opportunity bestowed upon him by heaven.

Thinking of this, he closed his eyes again.

Within his body, the Broken Wave Technique was once again activated at full power, and the nine Qi Seeds spun faster, with the azure Qi surging like a raging torrent, cleansing his meridians.

Get yourself into peak condition!

One Sunday.

Two Sundays.

Three cycles.

With each rotation, the protective energy solidifies a little more.

Under continuous impact, cracks gradually appeared on that thin bottleneck.

not enough.

Lacking the Refining Spirit Method that could bring about the ultimate transformation, Liang Cheng took a deep breath.

As soon as he had a thought, he recalled the Ice Soul Scripture in his mind, and the icy blue light on the stone wall seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, slowly converging around him.

It wasn't that he actively absorbed it, but rather that the operation of the Ice Soul Scripture's Refining Divine Technique naturally caused the stone wall to resonate.

The Ice Soul Sutra inscribed on the stone wall and the Ice Soul Sutra he obtained share the same origin.

Liang Cheng's mind sank into an unprecedented state of clarity.

Within the dantian, the ninth cycle of circulation was completed.

Boom!

The nine seeds of罡气 (罡气 is a type of internal energy) trembled simultaneously!

The azure light surged, the distance between them suddenly closed, and they slowly drew closer and merged.

The edges of the first and second lights touched, their light intertwining like water and milk blending together.

The third and fourth followed closely behind.

The fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth stones

Nine stars aligned!

In the blink of an eye, all nine Qi Seeds merged!

It transformed into a fist-sized ball of light, a blend of azure and icy white!

But this is just the beginning, not the end.

Liang Cheng did not stop the cycle of Qi circulation.

Following the Ice Soul Sutra's mental techniques, he began to break through the final barrier.

At this moment, a chill began to rise, and within the dantian, a thin layer of ice crystals condensed on the surface of the ball of light, like the thin ice on the first night of early winter on a lake.

Then the thin ice gradually thickened!

The second layer.

The third layer.

Fourth floor.

The fifth floor.

With each layer advanced, the chill deepened, and the ice crystals thickened. Finally, the ball of light within the dantian was completely enveloped by three inches of thick mysterious ice.

Like a piece of frozen amber.

At this moment, a thought struck Liang Cheng.

Breaking the ice and being reborn!

A crack suddenly appeared on the surface of the Xuanbing ice that was encasing and fusing the Qi Seed Light Cluster.

Click.

The cracks spread.

Then, with a series of cracking sounds, the ice layer shattered!

All that could be seen was shattered ice flying everywhere, turning into countless ice shards in the dantian, while the ball of light, after breaking free from the ice, actually began to collapse inward!

Extreme condensation.

The ball of light grew from the size of a fist to the size of a pigeon egg, and then to the size of a knuckle—

The collapse and shrinkage became increasingly violent.

Liang Cheng's forehead began to sweat.

The oppressive feeling brought about by this condensation was like the entire Xuanbing Island pressing down on his dantian, but he did not stop at this moment.

When the ball of light becomes the size of a soybean, it becomes round and solid.

Clear and transparent like crystal.

But this is not enough.

The transformation continues.

Liang Cheng was completely absorbed.

The so-called method of refining the spirit is to transform qi into spirit.

This is the final step in forming the Golden Core.

Using his life's cultivation of internal energy as fuel, he ignited the true fire.

Burn away all impurities.

Only the true elixir remains.

boom!!

Inside the dantian, the soybean-shaped ball of light suddenly ignited with an icy blue flame!

This is no ordinary fire.

It was real fire.

This fire does not burn the flesh.

Only burn cultivation.

The lifelong cultivation of the nine Qi seeds fused together became fuel, being refined bit by bit by the true fire, with impurities turning into green smoke that dissipated from the body.

The essence was repeatedly refined and condensed into the deepest part of the light cluster.

The last, extremely small core condensed at the center of the light cluster.

In the beginning, it was like dust.

Then, like a grain of rice.

Then like beans.

The more intense the fire burns, the more solid and condensed its core becomes.

Liang Cheng's face was deathly pale, and his aura fluctuated wildly, like a candle flickering in the wind.

At that moment, the incomplete True Meaning of Crossing the Sea within his body suddenly began to operate wildly, and the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth was frantically absorbed into his body.

The internal fire seemed to be replenished with fuel again, burning for a full quarter of an hour.

In that fifteen minutes, Liang Cheng seemed to have died once and then come back to life.

Finally, the fire went out.

The ball of light inside the dantian had completely disappeared.

Instead, there was a perfectly round, flawless, ice-blue elixir the size of an infant's fist.

Its body is as clear as ten-thousand-year-old ice, with a deep blue light slowly flowing inside, like the ebb and flow of tides, endlessly regenerating.

The elixir rotates slowly within the dantian. With each rotation, pure elixir energy escapes, permeating the meridians throughout the body.

All previous damage and old wounds have been repaired.

The meridians in the body have expanded more than tenfold, becoming as resilient as an old vine.

Flesh and blood, bones, internal organs —

Wherever the elixir energy passes, everything undergoes rapid transformation at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Liang Cheng seemed to have a connection with heaven and earth.

His lifespan thereafter was five hundred years.

at the same time.

Deep within the sea of ​​consciousness.

That drop of divine soul liquid, which had been dormant for so long, exploded like the blazing sun, radiating golden light!

The previously chaotic sea of ​​consciousness suddenly became clear at this moment.

It is no longer nothingness.

Instead, it was a golden ocean.

Vast and boundless, with shimmering waves.

The Frost-Refining Short Sword was quietly floating above the sea.

The sword's blade was ice-blue, reflecting the golden waves.

Liang Cheng had a sudden thought.

The short sword trembled slightly.

Within the sea of ​​consciousness, it moved forward half an inch.

Then he abruptly calmed his mind and forcibly severed his connection with the short sword.

There are many people here, so we cannot reveal the existence of the short sword.

But this instantaneous feeling had already made him eager to try it out.

This sword is usable.

Overjoyed, he looked inward again at himself.

The true elixir within the dantian circulates normally, and the elixir energy throughout the body is condensed and does not dissipate.

As his thoughts raced, an unprecedented realization welled up within him.

That was the intent of a sword.

It is not the rudimentary form of sword intent.

This is the true meaning of martial arts.

He had only grasped 30% of the rudimentary essence of the Nine Heavens Mountain-Splitting Blade when he was in the True Qi Realm. Now, as he broke through the mortal realm and formed his core, that thin layer of paper shattered.

The intent of the blade surged like a tide, permeating every part of his body.

He closed his eyes.

It was just a fleeting thought.

The Struggle Blade hummed softly in its sheath.

No need to draw the sword.

The intent to strike is already there.

Just then.

boom!!!

The entire cave trembled violently!

At this moment, Liang Cheng's true core has been formed. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth within a ten-mile radius of Xuanbing Peak is being stirred up by an invisible giant hand and is surging wildly toward Liang Cheng's body!

Aura Storm!

The stone wall emitted a surge of icy blue light, directly echoing the true core in Liang Cheng's dantian!

One breath in, one breath out.

Like the ebb and flow of the tide.

"What's going on?!"

One of the disciples who had been studying the stone wall opened his eyes in shock.

"The spiritual energy of heaven and earth has surged!"

"What happened to the stone wall?!"

Liu Jingtao suddenly stood up.

Chen Xuanfeng and the others did the same.

They stared intently at Liang Cheng's back as he sat cross-legged, surrounded by layers of icy blue light that could be seen with the naked eye.

That's breaking through a barrier.

Breaking through the mortal realm to form the Golden Core.

Chen Xuanfeng took a step forward.

He didn't say a word.

He simply stayed close to Liang Cheng, his eyes fixed on everyone.

Liang Cheng opened his eyes at this moment.

He looked up and subconsciously glanced at the stone wall.

Just that one glance.

boom!!!

The stone wall suddenly cracked open!

Cracks spread like a spider web, and pebbles fell in a rustling sound!

The entire Xuanbing Peak began to collapse from the inside!

"Oh no! The peak is about to collapse!"

Liu Jingtao gave a sharp shout.

With a wave of his sleeve, a Dharma boat appeared out of thin air, swelling in the wind!

"Everyone! Get on the Dharma Ark! Quickly!!"

The disciple who was studying the stone wall was shocked and stood up. He didn't even bother to put away his prayer mat and scrambled towards the Dharma boat.

Liang Cheng stood up and took one last look at the stone wall.

At this moment, a thin crack is appearing in the very center of that icy wall.

Fine lines spread.

Like a spider web.

Then it collapsed with a roar, and the icy blue light completely dissipated.

Liang Cheng then turned around, and with a thought, stepped into the Dharma Boat.

The Dharma boat rose into the air.

Almost at the same instant.

The entire Xuanbing Peak crumbled layer by layer from its summit downwards, with massive amounts of ice and snow pouring down like a raging torrent, burying the entire cave.

At this moment, the Dharma Boat was suspended a hundred feet in the air.

Inside the cabin, gasps of shock rose and fell.

Someone was leaning against the porthole, looking down at the collapsing snow-capped peaks, their face pale, gripping the armrest of the seat tightly, their knuckles white.

Liu Jingtao stood at the bow of the cabin, staring at the collapsed Xuanbing Peak, unable to believe his eyes.

After a while, he turned around, his gaze sweeping over everyone and landing on Liang Cheng.

He thought for a moment, then called Liang Cheng aside, set up a soundproof barrier, and then spoke.

"You have broken through the mortal realm and formed your core."

Liang Cheng did not deny it; this was his original plan, and he answered frankly.

"Yes."

After a moment of silence, Liu Jingtao finally couldn't help but ask, "What exactly did you glean from studying the stone wall?"

Liang Cheng calmly said, "The Ice Soul Scripture."

The Ice Soul Scripture!?

The instant those three words were uttered.

Liu Jingtao's pupils contracted.

He naturally knew what the Cold Pool Hermit's Refining Spirit Technique was, but he never expected that the stone wall would also contain the Ice Soul Scripture!

He looked at Liang Cheng for a long time before slowly speaking.

"You comprehended the Ice Soul Scripture in front of the stone wall."

"And then, using this scripture, one can transcend the mortal realm and form the elixir?"

Liu Jingtao lost his composure and couldn't help but ask again.

Liang Cheng remained calm and replied, "Yes."

Liu Jingtao fell silent.

He recalled that in the twelve years he had presided over the Ascension Ceremony, he had never seen anyone comprehend the Refining Spirit Method, let alone anyone who, after comprehending the technique, broke through to the Core Formation stage on the spot.

He thought of the hermit of the cold pool.

That peerless genius who, as a rogue cultivator, comprehended the cultivation method on his own and condensed the golden core.

The young man before us had also comprehended the technique on his own in front of the stone wall, and even broke through to a higher realm on the spot.

evildoer.

Tianjiao (a person's name)

Even that is probably not enough to describe Liang Cheng's situation at this moment.

Liu Jingtao then withdrew his gaze.

"Do you know that this Ice Soul Wall is a treasure of the Penglai Sect? Over the past two hundred years, countless people have tried to comprehend it. Those who can comprehend even a single move or two from it are already exceptionally talented."

"And those who comprehend the entire Ice Soul Scripture 1"

"You're the first one."

Liang Cheng remained silent. He naturally knew the truth; it was merely an excuse for him to break through to the Core Formation Realm by cultivating the Spirit Refining Technique.

Liu Jingtao regained his composure and turned to look out the porthole.

Xuanbing Peak has completely collapsed, with half of the mountain turning into snow and gravel, burying the stone wall that has been passed down for two hundred years.

He lifted the soundproof barrier and said, "The second test, the Comprehension Competition, cannot continue because the stone wall is damaged."

The cabin was deathly silent. The disciples whose meditation had been interrupted looked at each other in bewilderment. Some opened their mouths as if to say something, but in the end, they said nothing.

At this moment, Liu Jingtao took out a communication jade talisman and immersed his divine sense into it.

Three breaths later.

The jade talisman lit up.

He closed his eyes to receive it.

When he opened his eyes and made the announcement, everyone held their breath.

"The sect leader has given an order."

"All of the top twenty disciples in this Ascension Ceremony will be admitted."

Some people were stunned.

Some people couldn't believe it.

Some people covered their faces on the spot, their shoulders trembling.

Qin Lie took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Ye Zhi Qiu slammed his fist on the armrest of the chair.

Xiao Qingxue finally released her grip on the sword.

Liu Jingtao did not look at them.

His gaze fell on Liang Cheng, and then he secretly transmitted his voice.

"The sect leader has one more thing to say."

"Bring Liang Cheng over; he wants to see you in person."

P.S.: Brothers, it's almost Chinese New Year, so I might not be able to guarantee updates. But I'll try my best to write 10,000 words a day. If I can't keep up and updates become less frequent, I hope you'll understand.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year and all the best!