CHAPTER 424

"Breaking through in willpower at a critical moment? Indeed, one cannot underestimate any cultivator in the Golden Core Realm."

In the sky, Lu Qing approached the gray-robed man, gazing at his vacant eyes with a hint of sentiment.

He hadn’t anticipated that this gray-robed man would awaken his potential at the brink of life and death, achieving a breakthrough in willpower and mental state.

He was just one step away from boarding that silver flying boat.

With a casual wave, Lu Qing swept the gray-robed man, who was still trapped in the [Phantasm] divine ability, into the Li Huo Cauldron for suppression.

Upon stepping into the Golden Core Realm and achieving a Perfect Golden Core, the power of Lu Qing’s two divine abilities underwent a metamorphic transformation.

Not long ago, the [Phantasm] divine ability could only trap the white-robed youth for a single breath.

But now, Lu Qing’s enhanced [Phantasm] divine ability could completely immerse the gray-robed man—a fourth-turn Golden Core expert—into an illusion he couldn’t escape from.

The unmatched power of a Perfect Golden Core, unique in its perfection, was undeniable.

Upon entering the Golden Core Realm, Lu Qing experienced a qualitative transformation across martial arts, spells, and divine abilities, amplifying their might to a monumental degree.

Among Golden Core Realm cultivators, only those with immensely deep foundations could potentially resist the corrosion of [Phantasm].

The gray-robed man, merely at the early fourth-turn stage with a freshly refined mid-grade Golden Core, stood no chance against Lu Qing’s divine abilities. His defeat was inevitable.

After sealing the gray-robed man into the Li Huo Cauldron, Lu Qing turned his attention to the slightly tattered yet ancient and unassuming silver flying boat nearby.

He had witnessed its earlier performance—despite the suppressive power of the Li Huo Cauldron, the silver flying boat’s speed hardly diminished, still capable of rapid traversal.

Moreover, the gray-robed man had fought desperately to enter the boat, indicating it concealed some great secret.

However, as its master, the white-robed man seemed unable to wield it with ease. This peculiar detail puzzled Lu Qing.

Now, with the gray-robed man subdued and no one piloting it, the silver flying boat floated quietly in midair.

Inspecting the boat, which bore no visible blade marks despite receiving a strike from him, Lu Qing activated his spiritual abilities to probe deeper.

Unexpectedly, this investigation took longer than anticipated.

Over ten breaths passed, yet no informational text surfaced.

It was worth noting that, since stepping into the Golden Core Realm, Lu Qing’s investigative abilities had also strengthened significantly.

Even when examining spiritual artifacts, the process rarely required much time.

But this silver flying boat, whose revealed power wasn’t particularly formidable, still hadn’t yielded any results.

Lu Qing persisted patiently, and only after over twenty breaths did a layer of purple light emerge from the flying boat.

Several lines of text floated into view.

"Purple light?"

Lu Qing was taken aback.

A mere purple-grade artifact shouldn’t require such an extended examination.

He focused on the text that had appeared:

[Void Flying Boat: Spiritual Artifact, Fragment of a Dao Artifact.]

[This flying boat was once a primary component of a powerful Dao Artifact. Due to severe damage, its power has diminished to that of a mid-grade spiritual artifact.]

[Dao Artifact: A treasure containing a complete Dao Law within, making it worthy of the title of Dao Artifact.]

[This flying boat possesses the ability to traverse the void and escape at incredible speeds.]

[A soul imprint resides within, indicating it has been refined and claimed by its owner.]

...

"Fragment of a Dao Artifact?"

Lu Qing’s heart trembled as he processed the information.

The mention of a treasure containing an entire Dao Law left him astounded.

Even spiritual artifacts, which only carried a trace of Dao Law, could unleash immense power when activated.

Strong spiritual artifacts, at their peak, could incinerate mountains and boil seas.

If even spiritual artifacts could achieve such feats, then what kind of terrifying existence would a Dao Artifact be, embodying a complete Dao Law?

Lu Qing struggled to imagine such a scene.

"It seems that above spiritual artifacts, the next level is indeed Dao Artifacts," Lu Qing speculated from the details.

"Young Master!"

At that moment, Yan appeared beside Lu Qing, her expression filled with shock as she stared at the Void Flying Boat.

This boat gave her an inexplicable sense of unease, a deep-seated instinctual dread.

"Young Master, this flying boat..."

"Whatever it is, we’ll discuss it later," Lu Qing interrupted, storing the Void Flying Boat into the Heaven and Earth One Qi Bag.

"Understood!"

Yan obediently retreated into the Li Huo Cauldron, her attitude much more deferential than before.

The recent battle had deeply impressed upon Yan the overwhelming strength of Lu Qing.

The gray-robed man, clearly in the mid-stage Golden Core Realm, had been utterly dominated, unable to mount a meaningful counterattack before being subdued.

Had Lu Qing not shown restraint, the gray-robed man would’ve been dead with a single blade strike.

And Lu Qing had only just entered the Golden Core Realm.

If his abilities advanced further, who could fathom the extent of his power?

Not to mention, Yan knew Lu Qing had yet to deploy many of his trump cards, such as the flesh-body divine ability he had used against the white-robed youth.

Recognizing this, Yan resolved to adjust her position and attitude accordingly.

Lu Qing paid no attention to Yan’s change in demeanor.

Transforming into a stream of light, he returned to Jiuli Village, landing in front of the Half-Mountain Courtyard within mere breaths.

"Young Master Lu!"

Lin Zhirui and the others had already gathered at the courtyard. Upon seeing Lu Qing, they stepped forward, their expressions carrying a mix of respect and awe.

It couldn’t be helped—Lu Qing’s earlier display of power had been too overwhelming.

Particularly the scene where his blade shattered multiple mountain peaks—it was impossible not to revere him.

"Master, is everyone in the village safe?" Lu Qing asked immediately.

"No worries. You deliberately controlled your power, ensuring it didn’t spread here. With the protective formation in place, everyone in the village is unharmed," the old doctor replied with a smile.

"That’s good to hear," Lu Qing said, visibly relieved.

"Young Master Lu, did you just break through your realm?"

Wei Shanhai hesitated before carefully asking the question on everyone’s mind.

Apart from the old doctor, the others also watched Lu Qing intently.

"Yes, I broke through a few days ago. Since I needed time to stabilize my cultivation, I didn’t inform everyone earlier. I apologize for the disturbance," Lu Qing admitted with a nod.

A breakthrough indeed!

Although Lu Qing’s earlier performance had left little doubt, hearing his confirmation still shocked everyone.

Not long ago, he had mentioned needing seclusion to comprehend something.

Who would have thought he’d not only finish so quickly but also emerge as a Golden Core cultivator without saying a word?

Lin Zhirui suddenly recalled, "That explains why I vaguely sensed tribulation clouds in the depths of the Hundred Thousand Mountains a few days ago. That must have been your heavenly tribulation, wasn’t it, Young Master Lu?"

He had initially thought it was some treasure being born within a secret realm and didn’t dare venture closer to investigate.

"Indeed. Thunder tribulations are immensely destructive and could endanger others, so I sought a secluded spot deep in the mountains to undergo it," Lu Qing confirmed.