CHAPTER 269: CORE FORMATION

Why are Core Formation cultivators so difficult to kill, unlike those in the Qi Condensation or Foundation Establishment realms?

The answer lies in the very essence of their being — their Core, or more precisely, the Life Core.

When a cultivator steps into the Core Formation Realm, they undergo a fundamental transformation.

Their Life Qi(Life force/ vital energy/ Yuan Qi) — the very energy that sustains their existence, is condensed, and refined with the natural Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth to form a radiant core within their body.

This core becomes the anchor of their vitality and the fountain of their power.

As long as the core remains intact, the cultivator’s life force continues to flow, even if their body suffers grievous wounds.

Destroying their body may not be enough, for the core still pulses with energy, nurturing regeneration and defiance against death.

Thus, a Core Formation cultivator can endure injuries that would instantly kill a Foundation Establishment expert.

But this transformation brings more than resilience, it brings longevity.

While an average mortal lives about a hundred years, the timeline shifts drastically as one walks the path of cultivation:

Qi Condensation Realm can live roughly 200 years of life.

Foundation Establishment Realm around 300 years.

And Core Formation Realm nearly 1,000 years and in rare cases, even more.

This is the turning point where a mortal steps into the threshold of the long-lived races.

However, the Dao is never truly merciful.

For every blessing, it imposes a boundary.

Not all Life Cores are equal. Just as mortals differ in talent and fate, so too do cores differ in strength and potential.

There exist nine grades of cores, each defined by color — from the lowest White Core, dull and fragile, to the supreme Golden Core, radiant.

The grade of one’s core determines not only their strength and cultivation speed but also the upper limits of their future potential.

For the Dao is fair in its cruelty. It grants the path to immortality... but allows only the truly exceptional to walk it.

***

[System Notification]

[Core Formation – Sub-Stage 1]

[Gates – 3rd Realm Pathway: 36/36 Gates Stabilized]

[Primary Meridians(organs) Awakened: Lung, Kidney, Large Intestine, Bladder, Heart, Small Intestine, Spleen, Stomach, Liver, Gallbladder, Pericardium, Triple Burner]

[Extraordinary Vessels: Ren Mai, Du Mai, Chong Mai, Dai Mai, Yin Qiao Mai, Yang Qiao Mai, Yin Wei Mai, Yang Wei Mai — FLOWING]

A series of glowing text appeared before Yu Xuan’s vision, but he didn’t even spare them a glance.

His entire focus was on one thing — maintaining the Great Heavenly Cycle.

Every meridian, every vessel, every single Qi current within his body pulsed in rhythm, forming a perfect loop.

Spiritual Energy flowed through him like an endless tide, drawn from the world itself and refined within.

The eight Extraordinary Vessels blazed with light, their connection flawless.

The twelve Primary Meridians hummed like a grand celestial symphony, energy cycling through them as though his body itself had become a living formation of Heaven’s design.

Inside his Lower Dantian, the streams of Spiritual Qi converged.

His organs resonated faintly, supporting the balance of his Yin and Yang.

And then.

He began the most crucial step.

The formation of his Life Core.

With a single deep breath, Yu Xuan drew in all his circulating energy — from his blood, bones, soul, and spirit — focusing every drop of existence into his Lower Dantian.

A blinding white radiance erupted within him. The surrounding world trembled as the gathered Qi condensed and compressed beyond limits.

Slowly, layer by layer, a white crystalline sphere began to take shape — pure, and faintly glowing.

The foundation of his Life Core.

It was like watching a star being born within his body.

The flow of Qi around him roared as his body adapted contain it, veins shimmering faintly under his skin.

Sweat formed on his brow, yet his focus did not waver.

Every breath, every pulse of Qi, was guided to nurture that fragile, forming core.

Around his Lower Dantian, a thin white layer solidified, slowly — the first embryonic shell of the Life Core, marking his step into the Core Formation Realm.

Above, thunderclouds began to gather faintly in the skies the Elemental Heaven Peak.

But Yu Xuan’s focus was unshakable.

This was not the end, merely the beginning.

Inside his Lower Dantian, the forming Life Core continued to refine.

The Qi within him condensed further, until it seemed to hum with the rhythm of Heaven and Earth itself.

The once translucent white sphere began to shift colors, first turning pale yellow, then deepening into orange, its light glowing with warmth.

Then came green, rich and vibrant like spring; blue, calm and pure as the boundless sky; red, fierce as molten flame; purple, noble and mysterious; and then finally — colorless.

At that stage, the core shone with clarity so perfect that it seemed to erase all hue, reflecting the purest essence of life.

Yet even then, it did not stop evolving.

Within that stillness, a new light stirred — faint at first, like dawn breaking the horizon.

Then it grew stronger, and stronger still, until every color within him converged into one unified brilliance.

A golden radiance enveloped the core.

The entire Elemental Heaven Peak trembled as a pulse rippled outward.

Even the Elemental Heaven Peak Master, standing far, widened her eyes with complicated emotions.

"Golden Core, at start..." she said in disbelief.

Yes — Yu Xuan had done it.

He had successfully formed a Golden Core, the mark of a once-in-a-generation prodigy, at the very start.

But before celebration could even begin, something within him changed.

Yu Xuan’s eyes widened as his body temperature spiked — his blood began to boil, quite literally, glowing from beneath his skin as though molten light flowed through his veins.

He could feel it.

The dormant bloodline that had always remained quite, for the first time it was acting.

[The Darkest Light] was Awakening.

His newly formed golden core — that perfect, divine sphere, began to shudder violently.

Dark light spilled from his veins, swallowing the golden radiance within his Dantian.

The glorious core that had just been born was now drowning in an abyss of nothingness.

In moments, the brilliant golden hue vanished completely. What remained was a void, an absence of all things.

Then, suddenly —

Bang!

His core imploded inward, collapsing into absolute stillness.

All light faded from Yu Xuan’s eyes.

His breath ceased.

His heartbeat stopped.

The world held its breath.

Because, in that instant — Yu Xuan died.

***

[Useless Author Info]

Core grade according to colors.

From highest to lowest.

Golden (Highest) Colourless Purple Red Blue Green Orange Yellow White (Lowest)

The Gates opened:

Jindan Gate (Golden Core Gate)

Huanyuan Gate (Origin Return Gate)

Lingmen Gate (Spirit Door)

Yinqiao Gate (Yin Heel Gate)

Yangqiao Gate (Yang Heel Gate)

Yinwei Gate (Yin Linking Gate)

Yangwei Gate (Yang Linking Gate)

Shenhai Gate (Sea of Spirit)

Tiangong Gate (Heavenly Palace Gate)

Fenghou Gate (Sealing Marquis Gate)

Xinyan Gate (Heart Flame Gate)

Zhenhun Gate (Soul Anchor Gate)

[A/N] How was this Chapter?