Chapter 261: Chapter 53: Achieving a Grade 2 Golden Core Ahead of Schedule
“Why is your fragment here in the Mirror Lake Divine Palace?” Wei Dongliu asked indifferently.
“Of course, it’s to make use of its spatial capabilities. Otherwise, how would I be able to create such a vast independent realm?” the Kunlun Mirror replied, clicking its tongue a few times, “But you weren’t deceived by it. Not bad!”
“Who would fall for such low-rank rhetoric, instigating discord?” Wei Dongliu sneered.
“Oh?” The Kunlun Mirror seemed touched, “Guan Shui, even though you usually act without a bottom line like a complete scoundrel, at critical moments, you still haven’t let down my trust.”
“Trust? It’s nothing but a means for mediocre people to huddle together for warmth,” Wei Dongliu laughed arrogantly, “A real powerhouse never fears betrayal, for when he ascends the throne in the sky, he relies on his own strength, not the ‘help’ of anyone!”
“…I take back what I said before, sorry,” the Kunlun Mirror said speechlessly.
After dealing with the Kunlun Mirror, Wei Dongliu quietly began to circulate his cultivation technique, transforming all of the Demon Origin back into Daoist True Yuan.
Then, he turned his gaze toward the pool at the end of the hall.
In the pool was water about four fingers deep, with twelve ears of fine grain glowing golden within it; there were also four-foot-tall Vermilion Grass, with its blood-red, delicate, and lush beauty.
There were two stalks of the fine grain and four stalks of the Vermilion Grass. Excluding one for the Qilin, there was exactly one for each of the five people.
But how should they be divided?
With an expressionless face, Wei Dongliu used Luo Yan’s knowledge of spirit grass to take out a vessel made of Liuli material (as some spirit grasses melt upon touching soil, perish at the sight of metal, or dissolve on contact with jade, vessels made from stone, jade, or metals were not used). He picked the six stalks of spirit grass and packed them up.
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Turning around and going out, he returned to the outer chamber. Under the expectant and anxious gazes of everyone, Wei Dongliu took out the Liuli vessel, opened it, and placed it on the ground:
“How shall we divide them?”
Seeing six stalks of spirit grass inside, everyone first breathed a sigh of relief, then noticed there were only four stalks of Vermilion Grass and became tense.
“This…” Jiang Liyan tried to smooth things over with a smile, “Actually, it’s not like everyone must have Vermilion Grass, right? Since fine grain and Vermilion Grass are planted in the same pool, they seem to be of the same grade of rare spirit grass. Perhaps some sect elders would like to purchase them.”
“If Heavenly Demon Path elders are willing to buy the fine grain, that would be excellent,” Wen Yang said earnestly.
“Why not ask the Nether Ghost Path elders?” Jiang the Witch immediately retorted.
An awkward silence fell upon everyone. Indeed, since the Qilin favored the fine grain, it must be a treasure of the same rank as Vermilion Grass.
But what treasure can compare to seventy years of Refining Mansion Cultivation?
None could beat Wei Dongliu, meaning it was down to four people vying for three stalks of Vermilion Grass.
Normally, upon seeing the pool, everyone would have immediately broken away from the group and rushed for it, with success being a matter of individual ability.
However, Wei Dongliu’s overwhelming might, which suppressed all his peers, left everyone daring not to act, only glancing at each other and fuming in silence.
“I’ll take the fine grain,” Long Xiaoqi suddenly said.
Her taking the initiative came as a surprise, yet upon reflection, it seemed to make sense.
If the Qilin willingly chose the fine grain, it likely held some utility for the Demon Race, and everyone had some idea of what Long Xiaoqi’s true form might be, especially given her strong and unreasonable physical prowess seen in the mirrored monster.
In ancient times, discovering a teammate was a demon would have resulted in immediate combat.
But in present times, the conflict between the Human and Demon Races was unfashionable. With many in the Demon Race residing within the Eastern Emperor Demon Realm and not intervening in the Mortal Realm, the hatred between Humans and Demons had long subsided.
Moreover, with Wen Yang, Gu Lie, and others harboring guilty consciences, they pretended ignorance and forced a smile:
“It’s wonderful that Daoist Long is willing to give up her share of Vermilion Grass.”
“Long Daoist Friend’s integrity and lofty principles are deeply appreciated by us all,”
Long Xiaoqi waved his hand dismissively, his face revealing no particular expression.
Once the distribution was decided, everyone couldn’t wait to claim their share.
Apart from Long Xiaoqi carefully storing the precious grains, the rest of the people put theirs into bowls, mixed it with metals and gems, and it immediately turned into Golden Nectar and Jade Liquid which they then quickly drank in one gulp.
Soon, the medicinal power began to rise within their Purple Mansions.
Wen Yang, Gu Lie, and Jiang Liyan, all felt a burning heat in their lower abdomens like a fierce blaze, their Purple Mansions swiftly approaching perfection, and hurriedly sat down cross-legged on the spot to refine the medicine’s power.
Only Wei Dongliu felt nothing after drinking it, because he had already refined his Jade Mansion… If it weren’t for the Green Duckweed Sword telling him that the extremely fine imperfections on the inner walls of his Jade Mansion were still being repaired, he would have suspected he had drunk fake medicine.
Long Xiaoqi’s gaze turned his way, his eyes showing a bit of curiosity, as if asking, “Aren’t you in a hurry to refine the medicine’s power?”
Wei Dongliu acted as if he didn’t notice and just stood there with his arms folded, causing the synchronization value increase notification to echo in his mind again.
Time passed by minute by minute, the three others were still intently refining their medicine’s power; Long Xiaoqi looked around out of boredom, yawning; Wei Dongliu, on the other hand, silently calculated the remaining years of his life, as well as his expected Cultivation Level.
As a cultivator, managing one’s lifespan is fundamental, and given his unique situation of using the Kunlun Mirror for multiple timeline cultivation, this aspect was even more complex, requiring frequent reassessment and planning:
He joined Kunlun when this body was twenty years old, and then began multiple timeline cultivation.
Seven years later (adding up three timelines, in actuality twenty years had passed, making the body forty years old), he completed Marrow Cleansing in the Demon Locking Tower’s Blood Pool, officially beginning Refining Mansion cultivation.
Then he accelerated thirty years through the Cloud Sea Empty Cocoon, aging to seventy.
Three years later (adding up three timelines, actually ten years had passed, making the body eighty), he now had one hundred and twenty years of lifespan left.
Reserving ten years for unforeseen circumstances, that meant he could, through daily accumulated cultivation, amass a maximum of one hundred and twenty years of Cultivation Level (having already cultivated at the Refining Mansion stage for ten years, there were another one hundred and ten years left to cultivate).
However, in reality, it was impossible to use every day of the remaining lifespan for cultivation. After all, life is bound to encounter various unexpected events that would delay one’s cultivation progress.
Therefore, by the time he was one hundred and ninety years old, based purely on daily cultivation advancements, his cultivation years would be less than one hundred and twenty—though he could make up the difference from the reserved ten years of lifespan, so let’s tentatively count it as one hundred and twenty.
Next, he calculated the Cultivation Level gained from fortuitous encounters:
The Mercurial Elixir Liquid was equivalent to sixty years of cultivation, Cloud Sea Empty Cocoon added thirty years, sensing the Way at the Heaven’s Gate Hall of Kunlun added seventy years, Dynasty Yuan Spiritual Energy soaking for fifty years, and then there was this Golden Nectar and Jade Liquid which added another seventy years.
A total of two hundred and eighty years!
Adding the previously mentioned daily cultivation of one hundred and twenty years, that made exactly four hundred years of Refining Mansion Cultivation.
That is to say, if he from now on stopped seeking fortuitous encounters and focused solely on cultivating within the Sect, when he approached the end of his lifespan at one hundred and ninety years old and attempted Core Formation, he would just about reach the threshold for a Second Grade Golden Core.
As for a First Grade Golden Core, the threshold is said to be eight hundred years, requiring an additional four hundred years… The number was so ludicrous that he didn’t dare to entertain lofty ambitions. He would just continue to seek other fortuitous encounters slowly afterward.
If in the end he couldn’t gather eight hundred years, then a Second Grade Golden Core would suffice.
If this were overheard by anyone present, they would probably be so envious as to choke on lemons until they bled.
What is the concept of a Second Grade Golden Core?
Even in the Kunlun Taiqing Sect, which places the highest emphasis on cultivation realm, from the foundation of the sect ten thousand years ago to the present, only one Second Grade Golden Core has emerged, and that is the currently reigning Ziwei Master.
In the entire Cultivation World, they can almost be counted on one hand… Clearly, it isn’t something that can be achieved with resources alone. It requires exceptional talent, overwhelming strength, and the favor of destiny altogether.
Of course, in the eyes of Wei Dongliu or, to be precise, Qiu Changtian, since my master is a Second Grade Golden Core, naturally, I cannot fall behind. That’s a different matter altogether.