Transmigrating to the Qi Cultivation Path, I became an outdated Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Chapter 99 Fake Elixir

He Sheng turned his gaze to the clock face, where rows of information came into view.

[Qinglan Water Elemental Skill, Sixth Level (Perfect): 500/500]

(Total cultivation time: 12 years, 8 month and 7 days)

[Divine Artifact Bottle Forging Technique - Level 3 (Perfect): 500/500]

(Total cultivation time: 6 years, 2 month and 13 days)

【Qinglan Water Control Technique (Transcendental): 1500/2000】

(Total cultivation time: 25 years, 5 month and 21 days)

【Thousand Illusions Water Shadow Technique (Transcendental): 1800/2000】

(Total cultivation time: 10 years, 3 month and 10 days)

【True Tranquility of Mind (Perfect): 500/500】

(Total cultivation time: 4 years, 8 month and 29 days)

Over the past six months, He Sheng has repeatedly regressed and rebuilt his cultivation, using up all the remaining eight Foundation Establishment Pills, thus gaining forty-eight years of general cultivation time.

Including the time it took for the "Blood and Flesh Rebirth Technique" to be displayed, a total of more than forty-nine years of general cultivation time has been accumulated.

Before setting off for Yuanxia Immortal City, he had raised his magic power, divine sense, and spells related to mental state, as well as the "True Tranquility of Mind Technique" which he had specially cultivated to overcome the Dao Heart Barrier, to the limit that he could reach in his current state.

It can be said that all the preparations that could be made have been made.

Then, He Sheng glanced at the remaining general cultivation time.

[Current available total practice time: 29 years, 6 months, and 22 days]

As long as you don't use the general cultivation time to improve advanced immortal skills, this time is still quite useful.

After a brief sigh, He Sheng took out a talisman, which was the Five Thoughts Communication Talisman he had bought from the Old Man of Heavenly Talisman.

Although he was confident that his attempt to obtain the fake elixir was foolproof, he still decided to use the talisman to predict the outcome.

A moment later, the talisman burned out completely, and He Sheng, regaining his senses, nodded in satisfaction.

He foresaw through the Five Thoughts Communication Talisman that the future period would be auspicious, without even the slightest sign of misfortune, which naturally indicates that his breakthrough to the False Elixir stage would be smooth.

"Then let's begin."

Without further delay, He Sheng slowly closed his eyes and repeatedly rehearsed the entire process of breaking through the false core in his mind, checking for any omissions or deficiencies.

After that, he began to adjust his mind and body, striving to achieve the most perfect state of energy and spirit.

And so it went, until more than half a month later, when He Sheng felt that everything was ready, he slowly opened his eyes, turned his palm over and took out a small, white box.

The lid popped open, and the thumb-sized, pale golden pill lay quietly on the velvet cloth.

Without further hesitation, he put the Golden Elixir into his mouth.

The pill melted instantly upon entering the mouth, and a powerful, warm torrent rushed down from the throat.

Immediately afterwards, he began to circulate the Golden Core Formation Secret Technique. The pure spiritual energy of the third-order spiritual veins surged into his body like water bursting its banks, merging and fusing with the medicinal power of the Golden Core.

Within his dantian, nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine drops of magical power began to spin wildly.

At first, it was just a gentle ripple, but after a few dozen breaths, it turned into a towering wave.

He Sheng activated the "Qinglan Water Element Technique," using his divine sense as a guide to continuously compress the rotating force inward, and then compress it again.

At the center of the magical vortex, a dazzling cinnabar light quietly shone.

That was the beginning of everything, and the first gate to the realm of the False Core.

That tiny glimmer of light was initially no bigger than a pinhead, so faint that it seemed it could be extinguished at any moment.

However, as the immense medicinal power of the Golden Core continued to surge in, the pure spiritual energy of the third-order spiritual vein poured down like a celestial river flowing backward, and the light of the core began to expand at a speed visible to the naked eye.

He Sheng's consciousness had already sunk into his dantian spiritual sea.

He saw 9,999 drops of magical power, like countless stars in the sky, being enveloped by an invisible force, swirling and dancing around that single point of cinnabar light.

At first, they were somewhat scattered, each going its own way, colliding and bouncing apart, producing a dense, fine vibration like a sudden rain.

He Sheng's heart stirred, and he unfolded the artistic conception of the gentle ripples.

The originally unruly magical water droplets gradually became docile under the influence of the artistic conception, as if they were gently gathered by an invisible hand, and their rotation speed became faster and faster, yet more and more orderly.

Time passed quietly as the magic harmonized.

Above Tianxia Archway.

A visible vortex of spiritual energy suddenly formed.

The vortex was initially only a few dozen feet in size, but then it expanded outwards at an astonishing speed, covering an area of ​​several miles in just a dozen breaths.

The center of the city was shrouded in this strange phenomenon. The vortex slowly rotated, absorbing all the pure spiritual energy rising from the third-tier spiritual veins and then slowly pouring it into the Heavenly Glow Quiet Chamber.

The cultivators in the city stopped and looked up at the magnificent vortex of spiritual energy.

Inside the city lord's mansion, Zhu Hong was discussing matters concerning the city with his senior brother Zhou Yuanqing and second senior sister Zheng Shuzhen when he suddenly sensed a violent fluctuation in the spiritual energy outside the window and couldn't help but look up.

When the vortex of spiritual energy covering several miles came into view, he raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a hint of expected understanding: "This Master Xiang has begun his attempt to break through the barrier of magical power."

Judging from the extraordinary phenomena he has caused, his magical power is quite profound; even a magical barrier cannot stop him.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Shuzhen put down the jade slip in her hand, her gaze falling through the window onto the swirling spiritual cloud. She said calmly, "Third brother, you've interacted with this rogue cultivator a few times. Do you think he's truly capable?"

Zhu Hong smiled, but his tone revealed a certainty: "It's hard to say about other things, but his ability to forge weapons should be quite good, especially his water-based forging method, which is very compatible with the Shuiyue lineage."

"Just how capable are you? Are you even capable of refining Dao artifacts?"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Shuzhen became somewhat interested and asked several more questions.

"This Master Xiang has been trading with the Shuiyue lineage for several years. I'm afraid he really can refine Dao artifacts. Otherwise, those arrogant disciples of the Yuexia Sect wouldn't have gone out of their way to find me to help him rent a third-tier meditation room."

When he mentioned the "Moon Glow Sect," his tone betrayed a hint of displeasure, clearly indicating his displeasure with Lin Yuejing's imitation of her master Ying Ruyue's aloof and distant demeanor.

"Moreover, Lin Yuejing spoke quite rudely, as if our Yuanxia Immortal City would harm this Master Xiang. Her words contained a warning, telling me not to tamper with the spiritual energy supply of the spiritual vein."

Zhu Hong is truly two-faced; it's impossible to tell which side is his true nature.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuanqing snorted coldly, glanced at the vortex of spiritual energy outside the window, and said in a cold voice, "Given Ying Ruyue's behavior, if this person wasn't useful to her, how could she have personally met with this rogue cultivator twice?"

However, this rogue cultivator was self-aware and only sought the path of the False Core.

Since the Moon Glow Sect values ​​him so much, even going so far as to warn us, let him focus on breaking through to the False Core stage.

He's nothing more than a rogue cultivator who's only at the pseudo-core level.

Hearing Zhou Yuanqing's words, Zheng Shuzhen's mind started working, and she couldn't help but say, "This rogue cultivator has the ability to refine Dao artifacts, and he may well be able to make further progress in the future. He also knows when to advance and when to retreat, and all he wants is a fake pill. I think it is worthwhile to win him over."

As she spoke, the woman turned to look at Zhou Yuanqing. Seeing him nod slightly in agreement, she quickly said to Zhu Hong, "Third brother, take some time to inquire further about whether Xiang Yue has any other destiny besides the [True Water] destiny."

"Your second senior sister hasn't found a suitable Dao artifact yet. If this person's other destinies happen to align with mine, it could be a great opportunity for me. You must keep this in mind."

Zhu Hong readily agreed.

The three then discussed for a few more minutes how to win over He Sheng and what benefits they should offer. After reaching a consensus, they changed the subject and started talking about other matters in the city.

Tongyuanfang, at Feng Lingzi's residence.

Today, the mansion is decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, creating a joyous atmosphere.

Feng Lingzi had just been born with a child who showed faint signs of spirituality. Although he did not yet know whether the child had spiritual roots, he was still overjoyed.

Upon hearing this, Liu Xuan naturally came to offer his congratulations. After all, he had made quite a bit of money over the years by selling the "Many Children, Many Blessings Pill" to Feng Lingzi.

"Brother Feng, I see that the child you have acquired this time has an excellent appearance. He will at least have above-average talent in the future."

Inside the main hall, Liu Xuanyi and Feng Lingzi were exchanging toasts when they suddenly sensed something and simultaneously put down their wine cups, looking towards the direction of Tianxia Fang.

When the vortex of spiritual energy covering several miles came into view, Feng Lingzi's hand holding the wine cup trembled slightly, and a few drops of spiritual wine spilled onto the table, but he was completely unaware.

"Could this mean that Fellow Daoist Xiang has begun his attempt to break through to the next stage using a fake pill?"

His voice carried a complex mix of emotions, a mixture of joy and a vague sense of melancholy.

He Sheng had only hinted at wanting to break through to the False Core stage, but had not given a specific timeframe.

Seeing this extraordinary phenomenon, Feng Lingzi realized that his friend Xiang, with whom he had known for many years, had reached this point.

Upon hearing this, Liu Xuan's shrewd little eyes widened in surprise. It was the first time he had ever heard that He Sheng wanted to attempt to break through to the False Core stage.

Surprised, he quickly calculated in his mind, then leaned closer and lowered his voice, saying, "If Fellow Daoist Xiang really achieves the false core, then he will be the person with the highest cultivation in our Nanshan Association."

How does the head of the association plan to deal with this?

Feng Lingzi came to his senses and shook his head: "The head of the association also knows that Fellow Daoist Xiang is preparing a fake pill to break through the barrier, but the head of the association will decide how to deal with it." He paused, took a sip of wine, and then said: "I heard the head of the association mention before that the next auction will be in two years."

Perhaps soon, the head of the association will convene a meeting of high-ranking cultivators, and then the outcome will be clear.

The truth will come out eventually.

Upon hearing this, Liu Xuanyi's small eyes darted around, clearly disagreeing with the statement.

In the cultivation world, strength has always been paramount. If Xiang Yue truly achieves a false core, would Old Ghost Tianfu still dare to suppress him?

I think the Nanshan Society is bound to change hands. If we wait until things become clear, it will be too late!

Having figured this out, Liu Xuan began to ponder what kind of generous gift he should send to show his intention to pledge allegiance to the government ahead of time.

The extraordinary phenomena caused by He Sheng's attempt to break through to the false core naturally alarmed countless cultivators in the city.

Some people stopped and looked up at them, their eyes filled with envy;

Some people judged from the scale of the phenomenon and the level of spiritual energy fluctuations that this was just a breakthrough to a false core, rather than a true core formation, and thus revealed a hint of disdain.

Even worse, some people muttered things like, "Why is there such a big fuss over mere fake pills?" This is clearly just sour grapes.

There are many different situations and circumstances.

However, as time went by, the vortex of spiritual energy that always hung above Tianxia Fang became a common sight in the city.

The initial novelty and discussion gradually subsided, replaced by a tacit understanding of waiting.

Everyone was waiting to see whether the cultivator attempting to break through to the False Core stage would succeed or fail.

And so, the strange phenomenon continued for three months.

On this day, the slowly rotating vortex of spiritual energy suddenly accelerated, and a huge funnel-shaped cloud pillar extended from the center of the vortex, carrying a vast amount of spiritual energy that was almost tangible, and poured down like a celestial river towards the direction of the Heavenly Cloud Quiet Room.

The entire Tianxia Archway trembled slightly for a moment, then everything fell silent.

The vortex of spiritual energy that had been pressing down for months quietly dissipated.

Inside the quiet room, He Sheng slowly opened his eyes.

Over the course of more than three months, his originally scattered 9,999 drops of magical power had condensed into a powerful vortex.

Within the vortex, the point of cinnabar light had grown to the size of a fist, absorbing and releasing abundant spiritual power. Each flicker of light caused He Sheng's entire body's meridians to resonate with it.

We've now passed most of the magic barrier.

The next step is the even more difficult one: "condensing divine consciousness into form."

With a thought, He Sheng caused the exquisite vase deep within his sea of ​​consciousness to tilt abruptly.

The dazzling starlight poured out from the bottle's mouth, transforming into thousands of fine silver threads that flowed down the meridians and into the dantian's spiritual sea.

Each silver thread was a highly condensed strand of divine consciousness, precisely wrapping around the magical water droplets in the vortex, and then beginning to squeeze inward.

The process of compressing magical power into a pill places extremely high demands on one's spiritual sense.

If the force is too light, the magic will escape through the gap;

If the force is too strong, the still unstable cinnabar light may be crushed and disintegrated.

He Sheng's face remained calm and composed, yet thousands of silver threads, like the most exquisite loom, exerted their strength simultaneously, layer by layer, steadily and resolutely compressing the vortex inward.

Two more months passed, and the once mighty vortex that occupied the entire dantian spiritual sea had been compressed to the size of a bowl.

The ball of light at the center of the vortex was so thick it was almost tangible, faintly revealing the outline of a pill.

But at that moment, a sudden change occurred!

A faint, tingling dizziness suddenly struck without warning.

He Sheng felt a blur before his eyes, and the surrounding quiet room, the spirit-gathering array patterns, and the spirit-gathering pearl emitting a milky white halo above his head suddenly became blurry.

When he looked again, the scene before him had completely changed.

He found himself standing in a gloomy, gray fog.

Beneath my feet was cold, hard stone ground, and all around me was nothing but endless black and gray mist slowly swirling.

The mist was not inanimate; it was writhing, churning, and intertwining, as if countless tiny snakes were slithering through it.

A faint, musty smell permeated the air, like an old tomb or dried blood.

Is this... an invasion of external evil?

While feeling wary and fearful, He Sheng began to fully circulate the "True Stillness Mind Technique".

According to the secrets of alchemy, when the foundation is solidified to the most critical moment, under the guidance of the Qi, external evils and inner demons will take advantage of the weakness and enter.

Despite being prepared, He Sheng's pupils still involuntarily contracted slightly when he saw the figure emerging from the gray fog.

It was a man who looked exactly like him.

The man was dressed in a light blue robe, standing with his hands behind his back, his brows furrowed with arrogance and swagger.

His lips curled slightly upward, carrying a condescending, scrutinizing air, as if he were looking at something that didn't belong to him.

Piao Ge.

The moment He Sheng uttered the name, a voice suddenly rang out from the gray fog.

"What right do you have to use my body?"

Piao Ge spoke up.

His voice wasn't loud, but it pierced through all the noise and murmurs. Every word was like a nail hardened with ice, piercing deep into He Sheng's mind.

"You've usurped my place, seized my spiritual root, and stolen my cultivation, yet you completely disregard the He family!"

His face began to contort, his arrogance and haughtiness melting away like wax, revealing the deep-seated resentment and unwillingness beneath.

"Where were you when the He family was bullied? Where were you when my mother was driven down the mountain? You just kept refining your artifacts and cultivating your immortality in the Longevity Pool. Did you ever stand up for the He family even once?"

Do you deserve the surname He? Do you deserve this body?

""

Piao Ge's questioning directly points to He Sheng's true self: "He is not the real He Sheng; he is merely a transmigrator who has been reborn in another world."

He had no feelings for the He family and did not want to bear the consequences of Piao Ge's actions.

The inner demon, manifested as Piao Ge, used selfishness, indifference, and unworthiness as its sharpest edge to pierce He Sheng.

However, under the influence of the "True Stillness Technique," He Sheng's face remained calm as still water, without even a furrow of his brow.

Piao Ge's questioning was like scratching an itch through a boot for him; the "True Stillness Technique" seemed to have created an invisible barrier, protecting his state of mind perfectly.

Not to mention that he didn't think Piao Ge's statement was valid in the first place.

He Sheng spoke calmly, his voice not loud, but it instantly drowned out Piao Ge's voice, saying, "If I hadn't come, the He family would have been wiped out."

"Go in peace, the He family will then become a Core Formation family."

The gray fog suddenly stopped.

Piao Ge's arrogant expression cracked, revealing the astonishment he had been hiding.

He Sheng looked at him with a calm, almost indifferent gaze, but his tone carried an undeniable certainty.

Piao Ge stared blankly at He Sheng, his lips moving several times, but in the end he only let out a barely audible sigh.

The sigh contained no resentment, no bitterness, only a sense of relief that everything had settled.

His figure began to fade, and the surrounding environment, like sand art scattered by the wind, silently dissolved.

As the gray fog dissipated and sunlight streamed down from above, He Sheng found himself still sitting cross-legged in the quiet room. The spirit-gathering array patterns around him still emitted a soft, pale golden light, as if the long mental demon attack he had just experienced was merely a fleeting illusion.

But he knew it wasn't an illusion; it was a real attack from his inner demons.

Within his dantian, the vortex of magical power, compressed to the size of a bowl, suddenly began to spin on its own the instant the inner demons dissipated.

Its speed was so incredible that He Sheng's divine sense could only barely catch a blurry afterimage.

The cinnabar light at the center of the vortex grew brighter and more solid, shrinking from the size of a fist to the size of a goose egg, and then from the size of a goose egg to the size of a pigeon egg.

Without the slightest hesitation, He Sheng immediately activated the method for forming a false elixir as recorded in the Secret Essentials of Elixir Formation.

Unlike true core formation, fake core formation does not require the condensation of a core embryo, nor does it require triggering a heavenly tribulation.

It bypasses the most dangerous stage of the elixir-forming process, where the dragon and tiger embrace each other, and directly uses the three treasures of essence, energy, and spirit to condense the elixir.

But this does not mean things will be easy.

The so-called three treasures of essence, energy, and spirit: essence is the vital energy of the physical body;

Qi is the root of magical power;

God, the foundation of divine consciousness.

Ordinary elixir formation requires the power of heavenly tribulation to temper the three treasures, removing impurities before a true golden elixir can be formed.

Without the aid of a heavenly tribulation, a fake elixir can only rely on the cultivator's own will and secret techniques to forcibly combine the three treasures together.

He Sheng activated the secret technique with all his might, and the rapidly spinning pill in his dantian began to frantically draw the essence from every inch of his flesh and blood.

He felt as if all the moisture in his limbs and bones had been drained away, and his meridians were burning with a tearing pain.

At the same time, the exquisite bottle in the sea of ​​consciousness was also trembling violently, and the angle of the bottle tilted greater and greater, almost pouring all the star sand into the dantian.

This is a price that ordinary cultivators cannot afford.

The triple loss of essence, energy, and spirit is enough to cause a Foundation Establishment cultivator to be completely exhausted within a few dozen breaths.

But for He Sheng, his profound magical power and divine sense far surpassing those of others of the same level allowed him to focus solely on the loss of his physical essence.

From this perspective, although He Sheng has never practiced body refinement, his current physical body is only in his forties, which is the age when he is full of vigor and vitality.

Therefore, he eventually pulled through.

A month later, when He Sheng finally stopped using the secret technique, the rapidly spinning pill in his dantian suddenly trembled, abruptly stopping its rotation, and replaced by an indescribable feeling of perfection.

The pill floated in the very center of the dantian. It was the size of a pigeon egg, and its entire body was a light blue color. A layer of restrained and warm dan light flowed across its surface.

It doesn't resemble a real golden elixir in its dazzling brilliance and solemn appearance; instead, it possesses a subtle and profound beauty.

This is a fake elixir!