Refining Ruins Cauldron

Of course, this is not the true formation of the Golden Core.

The five elements of spiritual objects are not yet fully perfected. Metal and water still need to be supplemented, and fire-attribute spiritual objects also need to be further developed by the Refining Cauldron.

Gu Qingyun knew very well that he absolutely could not rashly form his core at this time.

Otherwise, if a mixed spiritual root is formed into a pill at will, it will be extremely difficult to make up for the foundation later.

Therefore, he did not act rashly, but instead chose to suppress his cultivation and continue to cultivate.

He forcefully suppressed the restlessness that threatened to break through his current level.

Within his dantian, spiritual energy became increasingly condensed, and the five elements' aura became more stable.

"now you……"

A crystal the size of a human head appeared out of thin air, bathing the entire cave in a dazzling golden light...

The ancient amethyst was exceptionally dazzling, containing incredibly pure metallic spiritual energy, and even accompanied by the power of thunder.

Even Gu Qingyun couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement when he saw it.

How could two such domineering spiritual energies combine so perfectly?

Metallic spiritual energy is sharp and domineering, while the power of thunder is violent and untamed.

Ordinary cultivators, let alone absorb it, may have their meridians injured by its sharpness if they stay too close for too long.

No wonder the spirit beasts of Falling Wind Ridge fought tooth and nail over this.

If this item can be refined, it would indeed be a great opportunity.

After adjusting his state, Gu Qingyun stopped wasting time and began to circulate his cultivation technique.

After completing one cycle of the "Circulation and Refining Qi Technique," he finally placed his hands on the ancient amethyst crystal.

A wisp of golden spiritual energy was stripped away and quickly absorbed by Gu Qingyun.

The moment it entered the body, the metallic spiritual energy surged through the meridians like tiny blades.

Gu Qingyun frowned slightly, not daring to be careless, and quickly enveloped it with the five elements spiritual power, guiding it little by little into his dantian.

Inside the body, the Qi vortex in the Dantian rotated rapidly.

That wisp of metallic spiritual energy circulated, refined, and absorbed within the body, eventually merging into the limbs and bones, and gathering in the dantian.

The whole process was incredibly long, but Gu Qingyun was very patient.

He knew that cultivation could not be rushed; one had to be down-to-earth and take it one step at a time.

Moreover, the metal elemental energy is extremely domineering, and one must always be wary of lightning power entering the body, which naturally further affects the speed of cultivation.

With Gu Qingyun's current cultivation level, he dared not recklessly use the power of lightning to temper his physical body.

Otherwise, before you can successfully absorb it, your meridians might give way first.

Fortunately, the Refining Ruins Cauldron trembled slightly, and the Dao Foundation Spirit Wood also emitted a blue light.

The azure light acted like a soft barrier, shielding Gu Qingyun from the most violent thunderous power.

He carefully channeled the remaining small amount of lightning into his body to temper his muscles and bones.

Having gained experience from that first wisp of spiritual energy, Gu Qingyun's subsequent actions became much faster.

As the amount of metal-type spiritual energy within his body increased, Gu Qingyun's own spiritual energy also became more domineering and sharp.

Even the limbs and bones have been strengthened, and are changing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Within the bones, faint lightning crackled and danced.

Within the meridians, the metallic spiritual energy was gradually tamed and merged with the original five elements of spiritual power.

This process is extremely painful.

Each time spiritual energy enters the body, it feels like countless fine needles scraping through the meridians.

But Gu Qingyun did not stop.

Compared to being chased by the Black Tiger, or being cornered by the Hidden Dragon, this pain is nothing.

After an unknown amount of time, the ancient amethyst crystal completely dimmed.

Not only the spiritual energy, but also the lightning power that clung to it was refined and cleaned by Gu Qingyun at an extremely slow pace.

He slowly opened his eyes, and two beams of light burst forth, piercing through the darkness!

"call!"

Let out a long breath. Although Gu Qingyun is still at the half-step Golden Core stage, he can already feel that Core Formation is within reach, just one last step away!

Of course, this step must not be rushed.

The metallic Ancient Thunder Amethyst has been obtained, the wood has the Dao Foundation Spirit Wood, the earth has the Earth Dragon Spirit Ore, and the gold has finally been added.

However, water-attribute spiritual objects are still missing, and fire-attribute spiritual objects still need to be further developed and perfected using the Refining Ruins Cauldron.

Only when the five elements are truly balanced can one naturally achieve the breakthrough to the Golden Core stage!

At that time, one will be able to cultivate the Five Elements Golden Elixir that best suits oneself.

Their future achievements will far surpass those of ordinary cultivators!

The more this was the case, the less Gu Qingyun dared to act rashly.

If one is greedy for a breakthrough and forcibly forms a core, it will destroy the foundation that one has worked so hard to build.

……

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

Gu Qingyun exited his cultivation state. At this moment, his aura was completely concealed, and he appeared like an ordinary person without any fluctuation of spiritual power.

Compared to a month ago, when Gu Qingyun couldn't control his spiritual energy and his domineering aura was about to break through the shackles, he was much more composed now.

With immense power, he could do whatever he pleased.

Gu Qingyun clenched his fists, a rare hint of joy appearing between his brows.

This surging sense of power is truly captivating.

He could clearly sense that he was only a thin veil away from achieving the Golden Core stage.

However, this thin veil can only be truly broken through when the five elements of spiritual objects are completely perfected.

Gu Qingyun was confident that even if he encountered a cultivator at the early stage of the Golden Core realm, he could still handle the situation with ease.

This alone is something that ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators cannot do.

Within his body, a vast amount of spiritual energy flowed continuously. Although the total amount did not increase significantly, Gu Qingyun could clearly feel that the quality of the spiritual energy was much purer than before.

If the spiritual energy before was a pile of loose sand, then now it has gathered into a beach, condensed and enduring.

Especially after that metallic edge was incorporated into it, every time he mobilized his spiritual power, it gained an invincible sharpness.

Summoning the superior-grade spiritual sword, Gu Qingyun casually swung it without any preparation.

The Seven Star Sword Technique, a spark that ignites a prairie fire!

Swish!

As the sword energy swept across, a ten-meter-long crack appeared in the stone wall!

The first move of the sword technique, which used to require exhausting spiritual energy and risking one's life to unleash, was now as simple as eating and drinking for Gu Qingyun.

This doesn't mean the sword technique has become weaker.

Instead, he became stronger on his own!

Roughly estimated, with his current cultivation level, Gu Qingyun could unleash several Seven Wounds Swords in one go.

If it were the Heaven-Burning Blade, it could be unleashed even more times.

The Heavenly Rank Sword Technique was no longer as lofty and unattainable as it had been in the past for Gu Qingyun.

Gu Qingyun came to her senses, calmed herself down, and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

He didn't intend to linger in the cave any longer; it was time to leave the Beast Mountain Range.

Rediscovering the light of day, a gentle breeze caressed his face in the woods, and the long-lost atmosphere made Gu Qingyun feel much more relaxed.

His gaze turned toward Falling Wind Ridge, toward its deepest point, as if he could see where the Hidden Dragon Flood Dragon resided.

"Just wait, one day you'll pay for this tenfold!"

Qianlongjiao's attack almost killed him and Nalan Feixue in the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range.

Gu Qingyun made a mental note of this debt.

Without lingering, Gu Qingyun's figure flickered, passing through the dense forest on the outskirts of the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range. After quickly determining the direction, he successfully arrived at the desolate ancient town.

The area surrounding the ancient town, extending all the way to the edge of the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range, is desolate and lifeless. Occasionally, birds and beasts may be seen, but they quickly disappear.

In contrast, the ancient town was bustling with activity, with a constant stream of people coming and going.

Not only cultivators, but also many ordinary people are here.

People from all sorts of sects appeared and disappeared in a hurry.

There are also many independent cultivators who live alone.

Most of these people exude a fierce and ruthless aura.

Clearly, one cannot survive in the vicinity of the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range without some skill.

My purpose in coming to this ancient town is twofold: firstly, to find a temporary place to stay, and secondly, naturally, to inquire about Nalan Feixue.

After leaving Luofeng Ridge, he and Nalan Feixue went their separate ways.

In the end, Qianlongjiao ran towards Nalan Feixue, whose fate remains unknown to this day!

The Beast Mountain Range is vast, large enough to accommodate tens of millions of living beings.

If we rely on ourselves to search inch by inch, by the time someone finds it, it will probably be too late.

The ancient town is densely populated and full of talented people, making it much easier to get information.

Walking into the town, the streets on both sides are bustling with activity, with all kinds of vendors hawking their wares.

As long as you can afford spirit stones, there's nothing you can't buy, only things you haven't thought of.

"Here you go! Top-grade pills, spirit beast pelts, magical artifacts and talismans—you name it, we have it! Take a look, have a look..."

"A mid-grade third-level pill, and I'll sell it to you for ten thousand spirit stones! You think it's too expensive? I think it's too expensive too..."

"Map of the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range, leading directly to Falling Wind Ridge, 100 spirit stones, a steal..."

The shouts and calls of vendors rose and fell, never ceasing.

Gu Qingyun couldn't help but sigh inwardly, the prosperity of this place far exceeded his imagination.

The saying goes, "Those who live near the mountains live off the mountains," and most of the vendors sell items related to mythical beasts.

They have everything from the fur of powerful demons at the Golden Core stage to the bones of ordinary wild animals.

Some people even displayed broken beast claws, shattered scales, and maps of the beast king's lair of dubious authenticity.

However, Gu Qingyun was not interested in any of these things.

If you want to gather information, the best place is an inn or restaurant.

Even monks are human beings, and humans need to eat.

With more people around, there's more information to be gathered.

Huanggu Restaurant is the largest restaurant in the entire ancient town.

Moreover, the fact that it shares the same name as the town suggests that it has an extraordinary background.

"Sir, are you looking for a meal or a place to stay?"

As soon as I entered, the waiter immediately came to greet me with exceptional enthusiasm.

"To settle down."

"Alright, please come this way, sir."

"Our restaurant offers fair prices and honest service to all, young and old. First-class private rooms cost ten spirit stones per day, second-class rooms cost five spirit stones, and third-class rooms cost two spirit stones. We also offer shared rooms for five spirit stones per month."

"Which one would you like, sir?"

"Second class, I guess."

After making his selection, Gu Qingyun paid for two weeks' worth of spirit stones in one go.

Seeing the customer's wealth and arrogance, the waiter's eyes widened, and his attitude became even more obsequious than before.

"Sir, this way please!"

Although the second-class rooms are not as good as the first-class rooms, they are simple and clear.

The room isn't small, so even if two people share it, they won't feel much pressure.

Gu Qingyun's room was located by the street, and with the windows closed, the soundproofing was quite good.

Open the window and you can see the street scene of the ancient town.

He was quite satisfied with this.

After dismissing the waiter, Gu Qingyun closed the door, lay down on the long-unused bed, and relaxed for a while.

From the moment he entered the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range until now, he has been in a constant state of life and death tension.

Now that he finally had a decent bed, even if it was just for a short while, he felt as if he had been transported to another world.

Even though he was relaxed, he still wasn't completely at ease.

Having secluded himself for so long, trying to find Nalan Feixue was like searching for a needle in a haystack!