He fell off a cliff but unexpectedly gained a cultivation inheritance.

The twenty-five-day sect competition finally concluded amidst gasps of amazement and heated discussions. The Immortal Sword Sect, with its phenomenal record of winning the Foundation Establishment group championship and the Qi Refining group third place, instantly became the most dazzling force at this secret realm gathering. Zhang Bufan, who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, became the target of countless sects' secret covetousness. As Zhang Bufan stepped out of the Myriad Laws Plaza, his spiritual power detected several subtle, probing gazes, filled with undisguised greed and calculation. This set off alarm bells in his mind, and a strong sense of crisis lingered within him.

He immediately made a decision: from this moment until their return to the Huashan Secret Realm, he would stay by Yue Buwei's side at all times. Currently, the Pangu World was depleted of spiritual energy and resources; three Core Formation Pills would be enough to tempt many forces to take risks. However, Yue Buwei was a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, a top-tier fighter in the cultivation world. Unless a sect was willing to risk annihilation, they would never dare to easily harm those around him. This was the safest way to protect himself at the moment, and also the key to ensuring the safety of the prize and his fellow disciples.

Yue Buwei naturally sensed the malice permeating the surrounding air. The faint fluctuations of spiritual energy all stemmed from their covetousness of the Core Formation cultivator. His expression remained calm, his fingertips subtly gathering spiritual energy for defense, but he already had a plan in mind—his late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation was his greatest strength. He turned to Zhang Bufan, Yue Ling'er, and the other two, solemnly instructing them, "Before returning to Mount Hua, you are not allowed to leave my side even for a moment. Do not give others an opportunity to take advantage." The three responded in unison, all understanding that possessing such a treasure was a danger, and only caution could ensure their safety.

After the group returned to the main hall of the Immortal Sword Sect's headquarters, the jubilation inside had not yet subsided when Yue Buwei suppressed his smile and solemnly instructed Yue Ling'er, Liu Yan'er, and Xie Ding: "The three of you must return to your rooms immediately and take the Core Formation Pill to break through to the Core Formation Realm. Your cultivation levels have already reached a bottleneck; the sooner you break through, the sooner you will have more assurance, lest unforeseen complications arise. Furthermore, the spiritual energy density of the Kunlun Secret Realm surpasses that of Mount Hua. This uniquely advantageous cultivation environment is a rare opportunity to 'harvest' resources, and we must not waste it."

These words were exactly what the three wanted to hear. They had long been eagerly anticipating the Core Formation Pill, and without further hesitation, they each took their leave and returned to their rooms to prepare for their breakthroughs. Zhang Bufan quickly caught up with Xie Ding and Liu Yan'er, who were about to leave. He took out two translucent white jade bottles from his storage ring and handed them to the two women, his tone gentle yet filled with concern: "Senior Brother Xie Ding, Senior Sister Liu, here are ten catties of spiritual spring water for each of you. Drinking this during your breakthroughs will help stabilize your aura and quickly replenish your spiritual power, perhaps making your breakthroughs smoother."

Xie Ding accepted the jade bottle with both hands. The moment his fingertips touched the bottle, he felt the pure spiritual energy emanating from within. Overjoyed, he immediately clasped his hands deeply to Zhang Bufan, his tone incredibly solemn: "I cannot thank you enough! Junior Brother Zhang, I will remember your kindness. In the future, if there is anything I can do to help you, I will go through fire and water for you!" As a core disciple of the Immortal Sword Sect, he only received about two catties of spiritual spring water each year, which he mostly used during cultivation bottlenecks. To receive ten catties again at once was an incredible stroke of luck. He knew that the spiritual spring water's characteristic of not needing to be refined would make breakthroughs twice as effective. He would never forget this kindness.

"Senior Brother, you flatter me." Zhang Bufan quickly helped him up, smiling as he said, "Fellow disciples should support each other. It's just a little spiritual spring water. Senior Brother, focus on your breakthrough." Liu Yan'er, standing to the side, accepted the jade bottle, her beautiful eyes filled with emotion and admiration, almost overflowing. Zhang Bufan had first given her the precious Core Formation Pill, and now he had generously gifted her spiritual spring water. His thoughtfulness and generosity, coupled with his extraordinary talent and handsome appearance, had completely captivated Liu Yan'er's once-frozen heart. Her gaze towards him was tender and affectionate, secretly harboring feelings of love—what woman wouldn't be moved by such a wonderful man?

After seeing the two off, Zhang Bufan turned and headed to Yue Ling'er's room. As his Daoist partner, Yue Ling'er naturally received his meticulous care. Upon entering the room, he immediately set up a triple soundproofing array, completely isolating the room from the outside world. Then, he took out two plump, bright red peaches and a large jade pot filled with spiritual spring water from his storage ring, smiling as he handed them to Yue Ling'er: "Ling'er, take these two peaches. With fifty catties of spiritual spring water, you'll have a better chance of breaking through to the Core Formation Realm. I'll be here to protect you the whole time, so just focus on your breakthrough and don't worry about anything."

Yue Ling'er felt a warm glow in her heart as she accepted the immortal peach and the spiritual spring water, nodding obediently. She was originally a wood-attribute celestial spiritual root, possessing extraordinary talent. After more than a year of nourishment from the immortal peach and the silver fish, her physical constitution and meridians had already far surpassed those of her peers. The bottleneck of the Core Formation stage was not a significant obstacle for her. Now, with the triple blessing of the Core Formation Pill, the immortal peach, and the spiritual spring water, she was even more powerful, and breaking through was a certainty.

Yue Ling'er no longer hesitated. She sat cross-legged on the futon, took out the round, white Core Formation Pill, and swallowed it. The pill melted instantly upon entering her mouth, transforming into a powerful yet gentle surge of spiritual energy that flowed down her throat into her dantian, instantly sweeping through her meridians with both nourishing and impactful force. She then picked up the jade pot, sipped several cups of spiritual spring water, and circulated the Immortal Sword Sect's innate cultivation technique, perfectly fusing the energy of the pill and the spiritual spring water. She guided this vast power to break through the bottleneck of the Core Formation stage.

The advantages of her Wood-attribute Heavenly Spiritual Root were on full display at this moment. Her spiritual energy circulation speed far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators. The energy of pills and spiritual objects was absorbed efficiently, rapidly nourishing her dantian and meridians, and eroding her cultivation barrier. After only one hour, Yue Ling'er's aura suddenly surged, and a pressure far exceeding that of the Foundation Establishment stage spread out. A dazzling golden light shone from her abdomen, penetrating her robes and illuminating her entire body, making her bones, flesh, and skin clearly visible. Her flesh and blood were undergoing a transformative metamorphosis, and the turbid energy of the Foundation Establishment stage was continuously expelled. Her body was gradually enveloped by rich spiritual energy, as if she had been reborn.

At the same time, the spiritual energy within a hundred-kilometer radius of the Kunlun Secret Realm seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, frantically converging towards the main hall of the Immortal Sword Sect's headquarters. The spiritual energy transformed into a visible azure stream, swirling above the hall and forming a vortex several meters in diameter. The spiritual energy at the center of the vortex was so dense that it was almost liquid, continuously pouring into Yue Ling'er's room through window and door cracks, flowing entirely into her body to provide ample energy for her breakthrough.

The cultivators from various sects who hadn't yet left Wanfa Square all clearly sensed this astonishing fluctuation of spiritual energy. They all looked up towards the direction of the Immortal Sword Sect's headquarters, their faces filled with shock and astonishment. "This is... the aura of breaking through to the Core Formation stage!" a white-haired elder exclaimed, his eyes filled with disbelief. "To be able to draw upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within a radius of a hundred kilometers, this is definitely not an ordinary Core Formation breakthrough; it must be someone with extraordinary talent!"

"It must be Yue Ling'er, the female disciple of the Immortal Sword Sect with the wood-attribute Heavenly Spiritual Root, right?" someone immediately guessed. "It seems she took a Core Formation Pill, but I wonder how many." According to the common sense of the cultivation world, a Core Formation Pill can only increase the probability of breakthrough by 30%. Even with outstanding talent, success is not guaranteed, let alone causing such a shocking spiritual phenomenon. Many sect elders secretly pondered that the Immortal Sword Sect probably gave Yue Ling'er all three Core Formation Pills to dare to take such a risk—after all, such a heaven-defying breakthrough could not be achieved by a single pill.

The Qingyun Sect elder stroked his beard, his eyes gleaming, and whispered to the disciple beside him, "The Immortal Sword Sect is truly well-hidden. Not only does it possess a prodigy like Zhang Bufan, but it also has a disciple with a Heavenly Spiritual Root like Yue Ling'er. Coupled with the enhancement of the Core Formation Pill, its rise in the future will be unstoppable. Upon returning, immediately issue orders to closely monitor the Immortal Sword Sect's movements and not to provoke them lightly." The Danxia Valley elder nodded in agreement, having already abandoned his previous calculations—with Yue Buwei in charge and the Immortal Sword Sect disciples possessing extraordinary potential, provoking them now would undoubtedly be courting death.

Inside the main hall of the Wanfa Sect, Ren Xiaoyao was discussing strategies to recoup his losses with the elders when he sensed the fluctuation of spiritual energy. His expression grew increasingly grim, and the oppressive aura surrounding him seemed to engulf him. "It's the Immortal Sword Sect again!" He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, his eyes filled with resentment and jealousy. "Yue Ling'er was already exceptionally talented, and after consuming the Core Formation Pill, she will undoubtedly become a formidable enemy in the future. This time, we not only lost the Core Formation Pill, but also allowed the Immortal Sword Sect to rise to power. It's truly a case of trying to steal a chicken and losing the rice instead!" An elder beside him sighed softly, "Sect Master, things have come to this, and we can only accept it. The Immortal Sword Sect's rise is already established; we must be more vigilant in the future and never underestimate them again."

Inside the Immortal Sword Sect's headquarters, Yue Buwei stood outside the main hall, gazing at the vortex of spiritual energy in the sky, a smile of satisfaction on his face. He could clearly sense that Yue Ling'er's aura was becoming increasingly refined and mellow, her breakthrough practically assured. Zhang Bufan, meanwhile, guarded Yue Ling'er's room, his eyes fixed on her condition, his silver flying sword in hand, his spiritual energy constantly alert to his surroundings, ready to prevent any unforeseen events. Inside the room, the golden light surrounding Yue Ling'er grew increasingly intense, the vortex of spiritual energy gradually reaching its peak speed, her aura continuously rising, steadily advancing towards the early stage of Core Formation, the spiritual energy around her even beginning to condense into tiny wood-attribute spiritual patterns, swirling around her.

In the next room, Xie Ding and Liu Yan'er were also making every effort to break through. With the nourishment of the spiritual spring water, Xie Ding fully absorbed the energy of his Core Formation pill, his aura steadily rising, and the spiritual power in his dantian becoming increasingly condensed. He was steadily breaking through the bottleneck of Core Formation, and a faint aura of spiritual power was already faintly emanating from his body. Liu Yan'er, on the other hand, had a calm mind, transforming her feelings for Zhang Bufan into motivation for cultivation. The energy of the spiritual spring water and the pill intertwined and constantly washed over her meridians, and the barrier to her realm gradually loosened, bringing her closer and closer to the Core Formation stage.

The night sky over the Kunlun Secret Realm was no longer calm due to this astonishing fluctuation of spiritual energy. All eyes were focused on the Immortal Sword Sect's headquarters, filled with envy, apprehension, and even a secret desire to retreat. Within the Immortal Sword Sect, three breakthrough auras were quietly brewing; a transformation concerning the sect's rise was unfolding under the cover of night, destined to deliver another shock to the entire Pangu cultivation world by dawn.