Chapter 117: The Secret of the Golden Core

This voice brimmed with authority, resonating in all directions, causing countless minds to thunder with shock—especially the shopkeepers in the markets selling pills, spirit artifacts, and other cultivation supplies. They were all stunned, their breaths quickening, eyes reddening in disbelief.

Double the price!

This phrase seemed to possess an almost magical power, firmly capturing everyone's attention.

Those closest to Wang Ran, the cultivators who had mocked him, were all frozen, staring at the pile of spirit jade. They couldn’t comprehend what they saw until several breaths later, when they finally gasped sharply.

Their gaze toward Wang Ran shifted from initial disdain to sheer horror and disbelief.

After all, it wasn’t five pieces or fifty, but fifty thousand pieces of spirit jade!

Yet this young man casually took it without a blink, his tone as indifferent as if he were speaking of grains of sand. What kind of background and identity did he have to squander so freely?

What came next shocked them even more, making their eyes nearly pop out. The prodigy of the Only Me Sect, Wu Gang, who had just been slapped away by this young man, fell silent—without even a harsh word. His eyes flickered with caution and fear before he turned and summoned his flying sword, fleeing the scene as if pursued by death.

To casually throw down fifty thousand pieces of spirit jade, to intimidate the prodigy of the Only Me Sect into flight with a single word—such things left everyone dumbfounded. Their eyes grew wary, increasingly convinced they had misjudged the youth before them. This boy was undoubtedly unfathomable, with a background as vast as the heavens.

So much so that no one dared to reveal greed or step forward to snatch the raw pile of spirit jade lying on the ground.

Ma Rulong’s expression was filled with emotion. At this moment, Wang Ran’s once ordinary silhouette seemed to tower like a mountain, shielding them from the storm.

“Senior Brother Wang!” he stepped forward, tears brimming, his voice choked with excitement.

Wang Ran smiled faintly and said, “Don’t worry, I’m back. No one will bully the Haoran Alliance anymore.”

“Good!” Ma Rulong wiped his tears and continued, “Senior Brother Wang, you don’t know how miserable we’ve been lately. That Bei Ming Lie, along with Chu Yingxuan, Ye Cang, and others, have been suppressing us. Especially Ye Cang—after successfully sealing his cultivation and reaching the Golden Core stage, he’s been arrogant and reckless, treating the sect like his own backyard. He looks down on everything. Even Big Brother Xu Ke was gravely injured by him over a mere disagreement!”

“Ye Cang? He’s reached Golden Core?” Wang Ran’s eyes narrowed, surprised.

Ma Rulong sighed heavily and recounted all the events that had transpired in the sect over the past few months. By the end, Wang Ran’s face had darkened considerably.

“Good, good! They’ve truly grown arrogant. I was gone for just a short while, and they dare act so brazenly!” Wang Ran’s gaze turned cold, anger surging beneath his calm exterior. He patted Ma Rulong’s shoulder. “Those who have persevered are brothers of the Haoran Alliance. I will help you seek justice!”

For the fifty-six disciples still loyal to the Haoran Alliance, Wang Ran felt a genuine warmth and deep emotion, regarding them as family. After hearing Ma Rulong’s account, a fierce determination flared within him—justice must be served.

Even if the Enforcement Hall became a battlefield and enemies surrounded him on all sides, he would not retreat an inch.

Hearing Wang Ran’s resolute words, Ma Rulong’s spirit was lifted, his weariness swept away, and his fighting spirit soared.

...

An hour later.

Outside Luoyun City, two arcs of radiant light streaked across the sky—it was Wang Ran and his companions.

Having plundered all the cultivation resources in Luoyun City’s market, they did not linger but rose on their swords, heading straight toward the Only Me Sect.

Because Yao Jianjia’s cultivation had been sealed, she continued sharing a flying sword with Wang Ran, while Ma Rulong rode his own, flying one after another through the clouds.

Standing at the tip of the sword, arms folded behind his back, Wang Ran gazed at the distant rolling mountains, deep in thought.

Ye Cang had already succeeded in forming his Golden Core—a giant leap. To rush into conflict recklessly upon returning would be unwise, for Ye Cang was no ordinary Golden Core cultivator like Lu Hengyuan, a waste. As the sect’s foremost prodigy, his strength was undeniable.

After some contemplation, Wang Ran opened the system panel, first glancing at his enlightenment value, then shaking his head. He was still far from advancing the Eternal Immortality Technique to the minor achievement stage. Despite months of relentless effort, the vast and demanding upgrade requirements made his progress feel like a drop in the ocean.

Otherwise, if he could cultivate the Eternal Immortality Technique directly to minor achievement, even facing Ye Cang at Golden Core stage, he would stand a chance.

It seemed shortcuts were out of the question. He had to focus on cultivation and elevate his own strength to Golden Core.

It was said the Golden Core stage marked a transcendence for cultivators—a wondrous realm on the path of cultivation. They said reaching Golden Core was akin to becoming an earthly immortal, but Wang Ran was still unclear about its true nature.

Glancing at Yao Jianjia sitting cross-legged behind him, he hesitated briefly before asking, “Senior Sister, could you explain what the Golden Core stage really means?”

Hearing this, Yao Jianjia opened her eyes, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, and nodded lightly.

“I’m not entirely certain myself, but since Master isn’t here, I’ll try to explain it roughly.”

“The Golden Core stage is a realm where a cultivator transcends the mundane. If Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment are like laying the foundations of a house, then Golden Core is when you start placing bricks and tiles, building the upper floors.”

Wang Ran nodded in deep agreement—these principles were well understood.

Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment were crucial. One determined how far a cultivator could go, the other dictated the level of the cultivation method they would follow. Both had profound impacts.

The third stage must have its unique essence as well. Indeed, Yao Jianjia continued slowly:

“Golden Core, as the name suggests, refers to transforming the body’s meridians into spiritual veins through the condensation of spiritual power, forming a core!”

“Because the capacity of the human meridians is limited—like a small stream that can only absorb so much spiritual energy—once the spiritual veins are opened and the Golden Core formed, it becomes like an ocean, able to contain limitless spiritual energy.”

“This process is extremely complex. One thing to note is that during the condensation of the Golden Core, the cultivator achieves unity of heaven and man, entering a mysterious realm where they perceive the Dao of Heaven and Earth.”

“The longer one remains in this mysterious realm, the more Dao they comprehend, and the stronger their power after forming the Golden Core.”

“The passage of time in this realm is unrelated to the outside world. One year inside equals one layer of Dao comprehension. Most cultivators can only stay a few years there, gaining less than ten layers of Dao.”

“As for prodigies with excellent aptitude, they might be lucky to attain around ten layers. Those with twenty or thirty layers are truly dragons among men.”

“Fifty or sixty layers are rare beyond measure, and those with over ninety layers are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. A hundred layers is the perfect number, only recorded in ancient texts!”

“From what Ma Rulong told me, Ye Cang’s Golden Core formation caused a celestial phenomenon, emitting ninety-nine beams of spiritual light. It’s likely he has a ninety-layer Dao comprehension!”

Yao Jianjia finished with a solemn expression.

Wang Ran was momentarily stunned. He had never heard about the Dao comprehension in the Golden Core stage before, and his interest was piqued. Learning that Ye Cang possessed ninety layers further ignited his fighting spirit.

“Senior Sister, how many layers does your Golden Core have?” Wang Ran asked curiously.

Yao Jianjia smiled faintly, somewhat regretful. “Eighty-seven—just a bit less than Ye Cang.”

Hearing this, Wang Ran was at a loss for words. No wonder she was a true disciple; eighty-seven layers was already formidable, yet she seemed unsatisfied.

However, knowing that prodigies like Yao Jianjia and Ye Cang had over eighty layers filled Wang Ran with anticipation and challenge. His eyes gleamed with eager fighting spirit.

“I spent ten years immersed in Qi Condensation, laying an unparalleled foundation. During Foundation Establishment, purple energy flowed eastward, achieving the highest ten-star level. Now, as I approach Golden Core, I must achieve a perfect Golden Core with a hundred layers of Dao comprehension!”