This Five Elements Heavenly Core can actually achieve this. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    This time, I''ve truly found a treasure!

    Hou Yuxiao''s heart was filled with excitement as he began to fully concentrate on refining the Five Elements Heavenly Core. Naturally, he was always careful to refine only his half, carefully avoiding the half belonging to the Rakshasa Holy Sect, which was Duanmu Hong''s share.

    Being able to seize such a great benefit from Sikong Yue was satisfying enough for him. Though he harbored other greedy thoughts, he didn''t have the guts to act on them; being content with his rightful share was sufficient for him.

    Hou Yuxiao was completely immersed in the process of refining the core, enjoying the continuous enhancement of his innate talent, completely unaware that across from him, Duanmu Hong had quietly opened his eyes and stared at him for a few moments, a cold smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

    After all, this was the remnant of an Immortal Grade demon, and the process of refining the Five Elements Heavenly Core was extremely slow. Hou Yuxiao had only managed to refine less than one percent in an hour. At this pace, it would take him at least four days to refine his portion.

    However, Hou Yuxiao didn''t mind the time at all; in fact, he felt it was too fast.

    Because during the refinement process, his innate talent continued to improve, and judging from the first hour, this enhancement seemed limitless. This meant that as long as the refinement process was lengthy enough, his innate talent would keep enhancing. His talent was already quite impressive, second only to Old Fifth in the family. If it continued at this pace for four days, then...

    The second day, the third day, the fourth day...

    Time passed slowly like this, with Hou Yuxiao, Duanmu Hong, Qingxuan, and Baitong sitting quietly around the core, meditating, continuously refining it. The core continued to shrink with their efforts...

    On the fourth day, the core had shrunk to the size of a thumb''s nail.

    Hou Yuxiao suddenly opened his eyes and saw that Duanmu Hong and the other two had opened theirs at the same time. He chuckled softly and said, "It seems you three have noticed it too."

    Duanmu Hong nodded and said, "That''s about right, Master of Hou Family."

    Qingxuan and Baitong didn''t speak, just nodded numbly, which made Hou Yuxiao frown slightly. He turned to look at the two and, seeing their truly numb expressions, immediately sensed something was off.

    What''s going on?

    "Protector Duanmu, I''ve finished refining my half, and I shall take my leave now!"

    "Master of Hou Family, do you think you can leave?"

    Hou Yuxiao sensed something was wrong and, with the intention of leaving quickly, bid farewell to Duanmu Hong. But before he could turn around after speaking, Duanmu Hong''s gloating voice came from behind, causing Hou Yuxiao''s heart to jolt.

    You can''t leave, what does that mean?

    Soon, Hou Yuxiao understood what Duanmu Hong meant.

    The Star Sea Holy Core at the abdomen of the Demon Ape Martial Spirit behind him had always been connected to that five-colored spirit stone. Now that the refinement was complete, he should be able to sever this connection, allowing him to take his share of the five-colored spirit stone and leave.

    But only now did he realize he could not sever the connection between the holy core and the five-colored spirit stone...

    Hou Yuxiao gathered all his cultivation in an attempt to sever the connection between the two, but the spirit line connecting them remained completely immobile. Even attacking it with the Canglong Staff proved futile...

    What''s happening, what''s going on here?

    Hou Yuxiao''s brow was suddenly damp with large beads of sweat, cold sweat continuously breaking out on his back, especially after seeing Duanmu Hong''s sinister smile. His mood grew even darker, recalling Sikong Yue''s calm tone when agreeing to his request earlier, causing his spirits to plummet.

    He had been deceived!

    Sikong Yue had actually used such an underhanded tactic.

    That scoundrel, scoundrel...

    "Duanmu Hong, what do you all intend to do?"

    Despite inwardly cursing Sikong Yue constantly, Hou Yuxiao had to face reality when he opened his eyes. Being deceived was a fact now, cursing Sikong Yue would change nothing. He could only look for solutions, first figuring out why the spirit line couldn''t be severed and what exactly Duanmu Hong, or perhaps Sikong Yue, intended to do.

    No sooner had he asked than he saw the spirit line between Duanmu Hong and the five-colored spirit stone snap with a crack, his expression growing even darker.

    Duanmu Hong had severed it, yet the spirit lines of Baitong and Qingxuan, like his own, remained connected to the five-colored spirit stone. Evidently, they, like him, couldn''t sever it.

    However, seeing their numb expressions, it was clear they were different from him, either voluntarily or forcibly connected to the five-colored spirit stone.

    "Did the Master of Hou Family really think this Five Elements Heavenly Core was merely Ni Han''s remnant?"

    Duanmu Hong''s rhetorical question made Hou Yuxiao''s mind buzz, his face turned ashen instantly. Finally, he realized an essential issue he had long avoided thinking about—the connection between the Nanjiang Five Miao Tribes and Ni Han.

    He had heard from Hong Kui that the Five Elements Heaven was Ni Han''s remnant once. Thus, when Duanmu Hong mentioned it as he entered, he harbored no doubts.

    Now, thinking it through, the origins of the Five Elements Heaven should have been more apparent to Qingxuan, the temple''s esteemed one, than Hong Kui. Considering Qingxuan was clearly Sikong Yue''s loyal follower, it showed that Duanmu Hong was far more knowledgeable than him about the relationship between the Five Elements Heaven and Ni Han.