FreeBooksOnline Chapter 250 - 194: The 9 Grades of the Golden Core
Chapter 250 - 194: The 9 Grades of the Golden Core
The west wind soughed. Fang Qingyuan stood atop Yinbao’s back at the very front of the military formation. Behind him, three to four hundred Cultivators commanded their own Spirit Beasts, arranged in a loose array. The hisses of snakes, chirps of insects, screeches of eagles, and calls of cranes made for an incredibly lively scene.
To Fang Qingyuan’s left were fifty disciples from the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect. With stern expressions, they were gathered together in an orderly group. Under their masters’ control, the Spirit Beasts by their sides were all perfectly quiet.
In contrast were the experts sent from several other branch sects. Compared to the solemnity of the Southern Border Beast Taming disciples, these Cultivators seemed far more casual. They wore varied attire and gathered in small cliques. Surrounded by Flaming Toads from the Fire Cave, Long-haired Giant Monsters from the Snow Country, and great eagles from the grasslands, they and their beasts were a boisterous lot.
The remaining two hundred-plus people were vassals of the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect, who had also been rallied by Fang Qingyuan to join the expedition.
Although the disciples of the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect and those from the other branches all belonged to the Beast Taming Sect, their customs were different, and the two sides rarely interacted.
The Beast Taming Sect championed freedom and placed few restrictions on its disciples. As long as one didn’t commit a grievous error, they generally wouldn’t face overly harsh punishment.
This was true for Zongshan, and the other branches were much the same. Only the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect, due to the foundations the Elder Dean had laid over decades, could not escape his influence, even after Lechuan had been in charge for twenty years.
For Fang Qingyuan, however, this was a good thing. It made managing them much less of a headache.
Lechuan had summoned Fang Qingyuan the previous day mainly because a problem had cropped up in the newly opened Land Realm, and he needed Fang Qingyuan to lead a group to deal with it.
Ironically enough, the root of the problem was actually somewhat related to Fang Qingyuan himself.
Half a year ago, when Huo Cheng needed a guide to rescue Heiye, Fang Qingyuan had decisively recommended the unwitting Ling Ziqing. Who would have thought that with Ling Ziqing gone for six months, the affairs of Precepts Peak would fall into disarray.
The other Qi Cultivation Disciples could handle routine sect matters, but the situation in the new Land Realm, which the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect had opened up ten years ago, was far more complex. A mere Qi Cultivation Disciple couldn’t make the decisions. Moreover, there were many confidential issues that only Ling Ziqing was privy to. He had left so abruptly that he’d had no time to pass on his duties.
Over the past six months, Fang Qingyuan’s attention had been focused primarily on the sect’s various internal affairs. On one hand, he needed to raise funds, and on the other, he had to coordinate relations among dozens of vassal families. Add to that the time he had to carve out for his own cultivation, and he was simply stretched too thin.
That wasn’t all. He was also keeping a close watch on the Artifact Talisman Alliance and had to dispatch people to gather intelligence on the Spirit Wood Alliance’s movements. Over the past six months, he had managed to bribe several more Spirit Wood Alliance Cultivators. Though they were only at the Qi Refining level, they could still provide some valuable news.
He even had to personally review the account books of several of the sect’s merchant caravans. Consequently, everything from the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect’s taxes and internal affairs to its diplomacy and construction required a plan from Fang Qingyuan. Fortunately, his soul had strengthened considerably after he reached Foundation Establishment, allowing him to work for days and nights on end without ill effect. That was the only way he could manage to handle it all.
The Elder of the Miscellaneous Affairs Peak was essentially the grand steward of the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect. Ever since appointing Fang Qingyuan, Lechuan had been cultivating in peace in his rear courtyard, rarely inquiring about the sect’s business. It wasn’t until the previous day, when a secret message was delivered directly to him, that he finally learned a major incident had occurred at the Southern Border.
He had therefore hastily summoned Fang Qingyuan, telling him to take some men and save the situation. Upon hearing the news, Fang Qingyuan was speechless. ’The Southern Border spans thousands of miles,’ he thought. ’If I have to personally save the day every time one little thing goes wrong, I’ll work myself to death!’
However, when Lechuan promised to find him a Body Refining Technique as a reward, Fang Qingyuan cheerfully accepted the assignment. He immediately gathered his forces and prepared to set out.
The formation of several hundred people, made even more lively by the Spirit Beasts, was quite a grand spectacle. ’It’s a shame Jinbao is currently asleep in the Immortal Mansion,’ Fang Qingyuan thought. ’He would have loved this atmosphere.’
Thinking of Jinbao, Fang Qingyuan extended his Divine Sense into the Immortal Mansion to check on him. He saw Jinbao sprawled out on his back in a soft little nest, sleeping sweetly.
His ears twitched from time to time, a picture of pure contentment. Beside Jinbao lay a spread of honeyed delicacies, pastries, fruit, Demon Beast Meat, and Purple Bamboo Shoots.
Fang Qingyuan had prepared all these delicious foods, worried that Jinbao might be hungry when he woke up.
Seeing that Jinbao was fine, Fang Qingyuan directed his Divine Sense into the beehive within the Purple Bamboo Forest. After more than twenty years of continuous growth, what had once been ten stalks of bamboo had now transformed into a Purple Bamboo Sea spanning seven or eight acres. The Bee Queen resided in the very center of this forest.
The beehive had now grown to the size of a house, and inside, the jade-white Bee Queen continued her deep slumber.
Fang Qingyuan could do nothing about the Bee Queen’s comatose state, but since it was a positive transformation, there was no need for him to forcibly wake her and interrupt the process of evolution.
Recently, however, Fang Qingyuan had noticed a change taking place on the Bee Queen’s body. Eye-like patterns had begun to appear on her snow-white form, and he had no idea what they signified.
He had searched the sect’s ancient records and formed a few hypotheses, but none of them seemed to be a perfect match. He would have to wait for the Bee Queen to awaken to know for sure.
"Elder Fang, Uncle Shangguan has arrived."
Seeing Fang Qingyuan lost in thought, Zhan Zhi’Er, who was standing beside him, quietly prompted him.
Heeding Zhan Zhi’Er’s signal, Fang Qingyuan withdrew his Divine Sense from the Immortal Mansion. He opened his eyes and looked toward a Cultivator flying toward them from the distance.
This Cultivator had a dignified appearance and looked to be about thirty years old, yet his cultivation was already at the late-stage of Foundation Establishment.
What was more, his Companion Beast was a Golden Core Python. It was entirely gold, seventy to eighty feet long, and as thick as a barrel. Its tail twitched and rattled from time to time, making for a truly unnerving sight.
This man was Shangguan You, the leading Cultivator from the Flying Sand Basin sent to lend aid. Despite his youth, he carried himself with great composure and commanded the most prestige among the five branch sects that had come to help.
According to what Fang Qingyuan knew, Shangguan You possessed an Earth Attribute Celestial Spirit Root and was only in his seventies. Barring any mishaps, he could attempt Core Formation in another ten years or so.
A talent like him normally wouldn’t be sent out to lend aid; he should have been diligently cultivating back at his sect. But Shangguan You had come voluntarily, claiming he wanted to use the next decade to solidify the direction of his Pill Theory.
In this world, after reaching Foundation Establishment, a Cultivator had to consider the direction of their Pill Theory. Generally, they would begin exploring it during the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, solidify it in the late stage, and then put it into practice during Core Formation.
Forcibly attempting Core Formation without a solid Pill Theory not only meant a low chance of success, but even if one did succeed, they would be at the very bottom of the hierarchy among Golden Core Cultivators.
The Golden Core is divided into nine grades, with the first grade being the most revered. It seemed Shangguan You was aiming to form a Golden Core of the upper three grades, which was why he had come out to gain experience and deepen his Pill Theory Insights.
As for Fang Qingyuan himself, he had yet to consider a lofty matter like Pill Theory. He still needed another thirty years of cultivation just to reach the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. His most pressing concern at the moment was getting through this war of expansion.
Shangguan You and his Golden Core Spirit Python arrived before Fang Qingyuan’s formation. He offered a warm smile and said apologetically,
"My apologies for the wait, everyone. This fellow here is a glutton. He stopped to eat a few Spirit Beasts in the Black River, which held us up a bit."
Fang Qingyuan’s brow twitched upon hearing this excuse, but he replied with an understanding tone,
"No matter. Now that you’ve handled it, let’s depart."
With that, Fang Qingyuan glanced at the golden python beside Shangguan You. Using the experience from his own Soul Dao cultivation, he could sense that the Golden Core Demon Beast was shrouded in a great deal of soul energy.
When a Cultivator dies a violent death, a portion of the resentment formed from their soul latches onto their killer. If too much of this resentment accumulates, it becomes like a cancer that is incredibly difficult to dispel. Over time, it can even manifest as a Heart Demon, waiting to strike at a moment of weakness.
For a demon beast that ate indiscriminately, however, such things as Soul Power and lingering resentment were of no concern.
Feeling Fang Qingyuan’s gaze on it, the golden python’s eyes grew cold. It fixed its stare on the Crimson Young Bird perched on Fang Qingyuan’s shoulder, flicked its slender tongue, and said menacingly,
"What a cute little thing. Come let your uncle have a look."
Hearing this, the Crimson Young Bird was so frightened that it instantly ducked behind Fang Qingyuan’s head and buried its face in its wings.
Before Fang Qingyuan could say anything, Shangguan You spoke up from beside the golden python.
"Old Jin, stop scaring the little one. We need to get going."
Old Jin gave a raspy chuckle, then with a twist of his body, carried Shangguan You up toward the clouds. As Golden Core-level powers, the two of them would not travel with the main army. Instead, their role was to patrol the periphery and protect the formation.
Only after the two had flown far away did the Crimson Young Bird emerge from behind Fang Qingyuan. Its little head drooped as it let out a quiet sigh.
Only then did Fang Qingyuan call out.
"Men of the Beast Taming Sect, by my order, advance!"
As Fang Qingyuan’s voice faded, seven or eight large banners were raised. The war drums began to sound, and the formation of more than three hundred people began its slow advance toward Yuanling Mountain.