Chapter 137: An Epiphany? A Hasty Breakthrough?

Fairy Qingyin realized the situation and became as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

"I only said that after breaking through to the Golden Core stage, entering the Sword-Washing Pool would maximize the quality of the sword spirit root refined at the end," she insisted. "I did not tell you to attempt the breakthrough right now!"

With a wave of her hand, a pile of medicinal pills, magical artifacts, and talismans appeared before her. Even from his detached, spectator-like perspective, Cao Xuan could identify one of the Foundation-Establishing Pills he had previously gifted her among the collection.

Fairy Qingyin urged, "Cao Xuan, guard your heart and mind, focus on the breakthrough, and listen to me with the periphery of your consciousness!"

Much like how one can perceive things in their peripheral vision, Qingyin knew that since Cao Xuan had already begun his breakthrough, it could not be interrupted. Her goal now was to ensure that if he failed, it would not be so catastrophic as to jeopardize his future spot at the Azure Cloud Mist Grotto.

"For a Foundation Establishment cultivator, forming the Golden Core is truly reaching the halfway point of the cultivation path!" she explained. "The saying goes, 'Once the Golden Core is swallowed into the belly, only then do I know my fate is not determined by the heavens.' That is precisely what this realm refers to."

"Generally, the formation of the core is tied to one's own foundation—the unification of essence, energy, and spirit."

As she spoke, she set up a protective array around him, placed magical artifacts, applied talismans, and pushed several pills toward Cao Xuan.

"The grade of a cultivator's Golden Core ranges from one to nine patterns, from lowest to highest. They are categorized in tiers of three. One to three patterns is an inferior Golden Core, which means no chance of reaching the Nascent Soul realm in this lifetime. Four to six patterns is a middle-tier Golden Core, which holds the promise of the Nascent Soul, with advancement beyond the Spirit Severing realm depending on one's destiny. Seven patterns or higher is a top-tier Golden Core, which increases the success rate of the Nascent Soul breakthrough by thirty percent and the Spirit Severing breakthrough by ten percent."

Because Cao Xuan’s breakthrough was so hasty, Fairy Qingyin could only focus on the essentials. "You are a sword cultivator with a domain-level sword intent, so you need not worry about the Spirit Severing bottleneck. With the Sword-Washing Pool to refine your spirit root, you can form a core with four patterns or more. It may just be a bit more arduous later on."

"However," she said, her expression turning grave, "if you find that the core's patterns are fewer than four, even if it means suffering grievous injury, you must stop the process, or you will be permanently stuck at the Golden Core stage! All the promises I made will be void, as would be the case at any other sacred site. You must keep this in mind!"

Fairy Qingyin’s expression was grim. The makeshift array she had scrambled to set up was barely passable—a desperate measure. Compared to a sacred site, let alone the Azure Cloud Mist Grotto, its effect was negligible.

The talismans and artifacts served only to slightly increase the intake of spiritual energy, primordial spirit power, and vitality, hoping to help Cao Xuan manifest a few more patterns. As for the pills, she had simply selected them and described their functions, pushing them toward him so he could consume them as needed. If he felt a lack of essence, energy, or spirit during the breakthrough, there were corresponding pills for each.

Her heart was conflicted; she both hoped for his success—a core of four patterns or higher—and simultaneously wished for him to fail so that, with proper preparation, he could eventually aim for a top-tier core of seven patterns or more.

On the other side, Cao Xuan heard every word of her advice but felt helpless. *There is nothing I can do. I am currently in a state of 'AFK cultivation,' and I have no control over it! And what about the 'ten-pattern Golden Core' reward? Where are the pills? I don't see them! Fortunately, I have my storage bag. I just hope that when 'I' pull a ten-pattern pill out of thin air, it won't arouse Fairy Qingyin's suspicions.*

Deep down, Cao Xuan felt a glimmer of anticipation. In his view, a "ten-pattern Golden Core" was like the old saying from his previous life: "They say nine is the limit, but I insist on defying the heavens to go one step further."

*With the 2,400-fold amplification of the Foundation-Establishing Pill, surely the ten-pattern pill should be enough to help me form a nine-pattern core!* he hoped. Without being able to actually see the pill, he had to rely on his [Affinity with Flora] talent, which usually allowed him to sense the properties of medicinal herbs, but now he had no way to judge.

He watched as his physical vessel, "Cao Xuan," suddenly became surrounded by countless scriptures floating in the void.

*"The Way of Heaven reduces what is excessive and supplements what is deficient."*
*"The Great Path of the Golden Core strips the heavens and plunders the earth to fill oneself, achieving perfection..."*
*"All things return to the origin, and the Golden Core is the core..."*

Cao Xuan’s eyes grew dazed as he fell into a state of sudden enlightenment. This was not the technique he had learned, but a higher, more profound method. From his god-like perspective, he suddenly felt a suction force from his own dantian, drawing him directly into it. He saw his true energy gathered into a vast sea, with blue and azure energy—representing essence and spirit—swirling in the "sky" above.

*"All things return to the origin!"*

The words rang in Cao Xuan’s mind like a great bell, and all the energy converged within his dantian.

Fairy Qingyin’s eyes narrowed. "He is forming the core!"

She looked at Cao Xuan, who had not touched a single pill, and clenched her fists. "Could this be the 'losing oneself in the moment' during an epiphany?" she murmured in disappointment.

She took the phrase literally; she believed Cao Xuan had stumbled into an epiphany and, having forgotten everything, was undergoing a passive breakthrough. Such a situation was rare and could be a great boon, allowing someone to save decades of hard work and jump a minor realm. But in this specific moment, it was quite strange.

The Golden Core stage was the most critical foundation for any cultivator. Even disciples of second-rate sects like the Azure Cloud Sect would make perfect preparations, often using secret realms like the Azure Cloud Mist Grotto. Given Cao Xuan’s reckless breakthrough, Fairy Qingyin could only pray that the foundation he had built during the Foundation Establishment stage was solid enough.

If he formed a four-pattern core, the path ahead might be difficult, but perhaps the improved quality of his sword spirit root from the Sword-Washing Pool could bridge the gap. Her real fear was that he would form a core of fewer than three patterns. If he woke up to that, he might wish he were dead.

In cultivation, the most terrifying thing is losing hope, but even worse is knowing that one could have achieved a higher grade of Golden Core, only to end up on a dead-end path because of a single moment of "epiphany."

It seemed Cao Xuan might truly be headed down that road. Fairy Qingyin could only look on with an expression of resignation and frustration. It was not that she looked down on him, but he was completely unprepared, and his aptitude was merely that of a top-tier spirit root. Honestly, she was already praying for a four-pattern core.

"Such a rare talent," she lamented, her face twisted with indecision. "Is it really going to be wasted like this?"

She knew that if she sensed something going wrong, even if it meant causing him grievous injury, she would have to shatter his forming core rather than let him walk this dead-end path.

"What a pity. If it truly comes to that, his future achievements will be severely limited."

To shatter a Golden Core, heal the injuries, and attempt the breakthrough again—there was no telling how many years that would take.