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

Once his Foundation Establishment realm was fully stabilized, Zhang Bufan devoted all his attention to refining the Core Formation Pill. This refinement was no ordinary attempt; he was crafting a top-tier pill specifically for his breakthrough to the Core Formation stage. Only a top-grade Xuan-rank Core Formation Pill could maximize his breakthrough probability. Coupled with his profound foundation and the Xuanqing inheritance, he could ensure a flawless breakthrough and escape the predicament of being suppressed by Liu Yan'er as soon as possible, truly gaining a firm foothold.

Half a year ago, he had already begun his attempts to refine Core Formation Pills, drawing upon the alchemy insights of Daoist Xuanqing. At that time, although he was only at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, he successfully refined over a dozen batches of Core Formation Pills thanks to his superior spiritual power and precise control over spiritual energy, coupled with the abundant spiritual materials in the Xuanqing Secret Realm. However, limited by his cultivation level, he still lacked the ability to sustain his dantian's spiritual energy and the fine control over the furnace's heat. Most of the pills he refined were of low or medium grade, with only one batch of high grade being his limit. He had never been able to reach the legendary Xuan-grade top-grade Core Formation Pill, which contained perfect Daoist essence.

Now that his cultivation has advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage, the situation is completely different. The semi-solid spiritual energy within his dantian has become increasingly abundant and enduring, sufficient to support prolonged high-intensity pill refining. His control over spiritual energy has also improved significantly with his advancement in cultivation level. Coupled with the practical experience gained from refining over a dozen Core Formation pills in the past six months, he knows every step of the process by heart. More importantly, the top-tier spiritual materials hidden within the Xuanqing Secret Realm provide the most solid foundation for refining top-grade pills. Zhang Bufan gazes at the spiritual materials sealed in his storage ring, his eyes filled with certainty—this time, he is absolutely confident in refining a top-grade Core Formation pill. Pills for himself cannot be compromised in the slightest; they must be of the highest quality.

That afternoon, Zhang Bufan stepped into the private alchemy room on Qinglan Peak and immediately slammed the door shut. To prevent the alchemy process from being disturbed, he set up three layers of soundproofing arrays and two layers of defensive arrays. The arrays intertwined to form an impenetrable barrier, which could not only isolate external sounds and smells but also resist unexpected impacts. Then, he took out his storage ring, and with a flick of his finger, spiritual herbs imbued with rich spiritual energy slowly flew out and were neatly arranged on the white jade table beside the alchemy furnace, instantly enveloping the entire alchemy room in spiritual mist.

The ingredients for this batch of Golden Core pills are the most luxurious in the Pangu World in nearly a thousand years, enough to drive any alchemist mad. The three core ingredients are all 1500-year-old spiritual herbs harvested from the depths of the Spirit Lake in the Xuanqing Secret Realm: the Marrow Cleansing Lotus has thick, translucent white petals, glistening with spiritual dew, capable of cleansing impurities from the meridians; the Spirit Condensing Grass has a robust stem, radiating a pale golden luster, capable of forcibly condensing a spiritual core; and the Purple River Flower has layers upon layers, its stamens containing abundant primordial energy, crucial for stabilizing the embryonic form of the Golden Core during the formation process. Each of these three spiritual herbs is of superior quality, their spiritual energy pure and without any impurities, far exceeding the usual thousand-year-old spiritual materials of the Pangu World.

The twelve auxiliary ingredients are equally exquisite, all selected from top-grade spiritual materials that are 800 years old: the rare Qingwen Grass, the crimson Fire Heart Flower, the gentle and smooth Earth Spirit Root… Each one has been meticulously selected by Zhang Bufan, without a single flaw, and its medicinal properties perfectly complement the main ingredient, both neutralizing its potency and enhancing the overall efficacy of the pill. It should be noted that ordinary sects, when refining Core Formation Pills, limit the main ingredient to a thousand years old, while auxiliary ingredients are usually around five hundred years old. If this configuration were to become known, it would undoubtedly attract the covetousness and fierce competition of various powerful forces.

Zhang Bufan stared at the spiritual materials on the jade table, took a deep breath, and slowly closed his eyes. The Core Formation Pill was one of the most complex types of Xuan-rank pills. The order of refining the spiritual materials, the rhythm of the heat, and the dosage of spiritual energy injected—every step required absolute precision. The slightest mistake could lead to a conflict between the medicinal properties of the materials, resulting in complete failure. He cleared his mind of all distractions, adjusting his spiritual sense to its optimal state. His experience from refining over a dozen batches flashed rapidly through his mind, and every detail of the Xuanqing Pill formula clearly appeared.

A moment later, he suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze devoid of any emotion, only utter focus remained. With a wave of his hand, the earth fire beneath the alchemy furnace slowly ignited, the orange-red flames gently licking the bottom of the furnace, the temperature steadily rising. Zhang Bufan's fingertips formed the Xuanqing Alchemy Hand Seal, his divine sense firmly locking onto the furnace and the spiritual materials on the jade table. Once the furnace temperature reached the optimal refining temperature, he first threw the most resilient earth spiritual root into the furnace.

As the spiritual materials entered the furnace, they were instantly enveloped by the high temperature, emitting a faint sizzling sound, and transformed into a turbid spiritual liquid. Zhang Bufan slowly poured his spiritual power into the furnace, his divine sense subtly perceiving the changes in the spiritual liquid. With a flick of his fingertips, a wisp of pure spiritual power removed all the impurities from the liquid, leaving only pure medicinal properties. Subsequently, following the order recorded in the Xuanqing Pill Formula, he added the auxiliary and main ingredients to the furnace one by one. The interval between each addition of spiritual material was precise to the breath, and the heat was flexibly adjusted accordingly—the heat was kept gentle when refining the Marrow Cleansing Lotus to ensure the gentle release of medicinal properties; the heat was increased sharply when refining the Qi Condensation Grass to force out the core spiritual power; and the heat fluctuated when fusing the Purple River Flower to guide the perfect fusion of medicinal properties with other spiritual liquids.

Inside the alchemy room, only the crackling of the burning earth fire and Zhang Bufan's steady breathing mingled. He was completely immersed in the ultimate state of alchemy, forgetting himself and the world around him. His spiritual energy and divine sense formed a closed loop, and he could clearly perceive the flow of every drop of spiritual liquid and the fusion of every medicinal property within the furnace. The semi-solid spiritual energy in his dantian circulated slowly, continuously providing power for the alchemy process. Even after a long period of consumption, his aura remained stable, a testament to the confidence afforded by his perfect Foundation Establishment realm.

Time slipped away silently in his intense focus—one day, two days, three days. Outside the alchemy room, Yue Ling'er, Ye Qingxue, and Liu Yan'er spontaneously came to protect him. The three women stood guard outside the array, silently isolating Zhang Bufan from all potential interference. Liu Yan'er gazed at the tightly closed alchemy room, a faint smile playing on her lips, secretly hoping—she knew the importance of this batch of pills to Zhang Bufan, and wished that he could successfully refine a top-grade Core Formation pill, break through to the Core Formation stage as soon as possible, and thus satisfy her inner desire for a "competition."

On the third day, as the sun set, golden rays streamed through the windows of the alchemy room, illuminating Zhang Bufan's resolute profile. At this moment, the spiritual liquid within the furnace had completely fused, transforming into round, plump nascent pills that slowly rotated within the furnace, greedily absorbing the last remaining traces of spiritual energy. Fine golden patterns gradually appeared on their surfaces—a sign that top-grade pills were about to take shape.

Suddenly, a clear and melodious "ding-a-ling" sound came from inside the alchemy furnace, clear and resonant, unlike the sound of ordinary objects colliding. The pill was completely formed and landed steadily on the white jade tray at the bottom of the furnace. Zhang Bufan slowly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them, and a relieved smile appeared on his face. The fatigue of the past few days was washed away by the joy at this moment.

He raised his hand, and the lid of the alchemy furnace slowly rose under the pull of spiritual energy. An extremely rich medicinal fragrance instantly gushed out, enveloping the entire alchemy room with pure spiritual energy, and then drifting through the subtle gaps in the array to all parts of Qinglan Peak. This medicinal fragrance was mellow and lingering, unlike the harshness of ordinary pill-forming pills. Instead, it carried a gentle and soothing Daoist charm. Just one whiff was enough to refresh the mind and body, and the spiritual energy in one's meridians would flow faster. Attracted by the fragrance, the spirit birds of Qinglan Peak circled above the alchemy room, chirping joyfully for a long time.

Zhang Bufan stared intently at the pills inside the alchemy furnace, his eyes filled with certainty. On the tray lay eight Core Formation Pills, their surfaces lustrous and translucent, radiating a faint golden light. The golden patterns on their surfaces crisscrossed, subtly forming a mysterious array, and a lingering fragrance filled the air. These were the top-grade Xuan-rank Core Formation Pills he had been dreaming of. This batch of pills had not only been a success on the first try, but it had also produced a full eight pills, far exceeding his usual output. He knew that with this top-grade Core Formation Pill in hand, coupled with his own profound foundation, he had the most solid foundation to break through to the Core Formation stage. The feeling of powerlessness in the face of the gap between realms was now within reach.