C23 You will Advance to the Golden Core Stage

Yeh Hongchen's eyes fluttered open, a flash of crimson streaking through his azure irises.

"The blood in this pool seems plentiful; it might just propel me into the Golden Core Stage in one fell swoop," he mused, casting a casual glance at the pool below before closing his eyes once more to resume his deep cultivation.

Time passed indeterminately.

Blood-red patterns emerged on Yeh Hongchen's body, slowly circulating. To those attuned to his aura, it was evident that his cultivation had soared to:

The pinnacle of the Innate late stage!

And it continued to climb.

Within his dantian.

The once-destroyed dantian had now regenerated, with blood-colored spiritual energy coursing through his body like a river.

Abruptly, a whirlwind erupted at the heart of the spiritual energy!

The orderly flow of energy now surged towards the vortex's center.

Soon after, a blood-colored bead, roughly the size of a pinky finger, materialized at the core!

As the remaining spiritual energy encountered the bead, it rushed towards it as if finding an outlet, and the bead swelled in size as it absorbed the energy.

Once the blood energy was fully consumed by the bead, the tumult within Yeh Hongchen subsided.

His eyes, once sealed, opened anew, and his body, previously suspended in midair, gently descended to the ground.

The early phase of the Golden Core Stage, the Core Forming Stage!

Yeh Hongchen was puzzled by the fact that his so-called Golden Core was a Blood Pill, but he wasn't overly concerned. Reaching the Golden Core Stage was all that mattered.

The Blood Pill, the size of an adult's fist, radiated power that made even Yeh Hongchen's heart skip a beat.

"I'm curious about the extent of my newfound strength," Yeh Hongchen whispered, gazing at his hands that had not consumed him.

By chance, a circular blood-colored pattern adorned the stone wall behind him.

Grasping the hilt of his sword, a tremendous sword intent brimming with the desire for slaughter enveloped him.

Sword Drawing Arts!

In an instant, Yeh Hongchen unsheathed his long sword and positioned himself before the stone wall!

Hum!

The resonant sound of a sword cry filled the air!

Yeh Hongchen found himself back in his original spot, still facing away from the stone wall.

At that moment, a crimson sword glow burst forth upon the wall!

Boom!

Seconds later, the wall, along with the rocks behind it, crumbled into a heap of rubble on the ground!

A blinding ray of sunlight pierced through the newly formed gap, leaving Yeh Hongchen momentarily disoriented.

He recalled the moonlight upon waking, but now, the sun? How much time had passed?

Effortlessly, he shattered the remaining rocks blocking the gap with a palm strike and, with a light push off his toes, soared through the opening.

Yeh Hongchen emerged from the cave to find himself in a forest, and, quite inconveniently, face-to-face with a long, horned snake.

The creature's green body was massive, rivaling the size of three large men, coiled around a towering tree.

It fixed its triangular eyes on Yeh Hongchen, flicking its black tongue in and out.

Whoosh!

Without warning, the giant snake Demon Beast lunged at Yeh Hongchen, fiercely protective of its domain.

"Excellent, you'll be my warm-up. Golden Core Stage, let's see your strength."