Chapter 125: A Black Golden Core? Black Gold?

Due to the Spirit Gathering Array, Yang Wenhao’s reputation spread throughout the entire Qingyun Sect in an instant. Everyone said that Dao Xuan had taken in a brilliant disciple, one with such extraordinary talent that he had developed an entirely new array, and one that benefited the entire sect at that. This allowed many to become familiar with the name Yang Wenhao.

Dao Xuan had been beaming with pride these days; after all, everywhere he went, people were flattering him. Although he knew that flattery was not necessarily a good thing, he enjoyed hearing it—everyone loves to hear praise. Yang Wenhao, however, did not feel much about it; this sort of thing was not of vital importance to him, and Dao Xuan had already rewarded him with many items to assist his cultivation.

In the blink of an eye, Yang Wenhao had been cultivating at Tongtian Peak for three years. In those three years, he had reached the ninth level of Foundation Establishment, meaning he was only a single step away from the Golden Core stage. The reason he had spent three years stuck at the ninth level was that he was restraining himself. He knew well that his cultivation speed was too fast; on one hand, it was due to the Heavenly Dao technique, and on the other, it was because he had been too impatient. Whenever he hadn't quite reached the critical point, he would still be eager to force a breakthrough.

But things were different now. Yang Wenhao had plenty of time, and with his ten-thousand-year lifespan, he was in no hurry. The path of immortality is long and cannot be rushed. Yang Wenhao thought of the protagonists in novels who could fight across tiers; they were all those who had truly grounded themselves.

During these three years, Yang Wenhao had gained much. His swordsmanship had reached the pinnacle. As long as he practiced sword techniques, his proficiency would grow rapidly; even a newly learned technique would surpass what others spent over a decade mastering.

The Golden Core stage, also known as the Core Formation stage, is, as the name suggests, a realm where one condenses a pill-like object within the Dantian upon breaking through. At the Golden Core stage, this "pill" acts like a second heart, though it is not as fragile as a heart. If a heart stops, one truly dies; unless one possesses secret techniques, the Golden Core stage cannot alter the fundamental lifeblood of the human body—that requires the Nascent Soul stage. However, this "pill" serves as the core of one's cultivation; if the Golden Core is shattered, all cultivation will be lost.

Yang Wenhao had adjusted his mindset during this period and had made full preparations. As he stopped suppressing his cultivation, his aura surged forth like a torrential flood.

"Boom."

The previously clear sky suddenly rang with thunder. Above Tongtian Peak, dark clouds swallowed the entire sky in an instant. As the thunder rolled, lightning dragons began to roam within the dark clouds.

"A heavenly tribulation," Yang Wenhao murmured as he looked up at the sky. This was his first time facing a tribulation, and he had no idea what to expect. However, he figured it couldn't be too overwhelming—after all, it was only a Golden Core tribulation; there were much more terrifying ones like the Ascension tribulation, which was the most fearsome in the world.

"Come then, I am ready!" Yang Wenhao remained fully alert, watching the lightning in the sky.

"Boom!"

A bolt of heavenly tribulation descended, striking straight toward Yang Wenhao’s crown like a divine punishment. In truth, Yang Wenhao had put a lot of thought into this. "I am a modern man, and a modern man should have a modern way of surviving a tribulation."

Several antenna-like objects stood around Yang Wenhao. These were the lightning-attracting needles and wires he had spent months crafting. A heavenly tribulation was, at its core, just heavenly lightning—a phenomenon a modern person need not fear, thanks to his lightning rods.

The lightning, falling at high speed from the sky, aimed directly for his head, but the moment it touched the needles, the entire bolt uncontrollably veered toward them. Initially, Yang Wenhao had considered wearing insulating gear, but he decided against it, fearing it might be too dangerous if the insulation failed. As he had anticipated, the lightning was successfully diverted.

However, just as Yang Wenhao was rejoicing at having survived the first bolt, the dark clouds above let out another thunderous roar. "Surely not," he muttered, looking up with a bad premonition.

"Boom!"

In an instant, a bolt of lightning as fierce as a tiger descending from a mountain swept down. The lightning rods and wires he had pinned his hopes on were reduced to dust, and the bolt struck him directly.

"Damn it." Yang Wenhao shuddered; he could clearly feel that this bolt was even more powerful than the last. Could it be that the Heavens knew he was cheating and were angry enough to punish him? That remained unknown. But just as he was about to try and dodge the terrifying lightning, a deep voice suddenly echoed in his heart: "Hold your center, stay true to your heart, and do not let your mind be swayed."

Hearing this voice, Yang Wenhao acted instinctively. He sat cross-legged and exerted his Heavenly Dao technique to its limit, the wisps of spiritual energy rampaging through his body, filling his entire being.

"Boom!"

The lightning followed him like a shadow. This time, Yang Wenhao did not dodge; he chose to endure it head-on. The path of immortality has its rules; those who try to use external objects to bypass a tribulation must accept the punishment they deserve.

"Ah!"

Struck by the lightning, Yang Wenhao endured immense pain, a sensation akin to knives constantly carving into his flesh. He gritted his teeth, doing his utmost to remain conscious. Amidst the tempering of the heavenly lightning, the Heavenly Dao technique continued to circulate, protecting his vital lifeblood. Gradually, Yang Wenhao noticed a change in his body. In his lower Dantian, something seemed to be taking form.

"A stone?" Yang Wenhao wondered. But as time passed, he realized the abnormality of his body. He discovered he could perform inner vision, the ability to observe the state of one’s own body. When he looked into his lower Dantian, he found that a "pill" had indeed condensed there.

However, the color of this "pill" left Yang Wenhao speechless. It was not the golden color he had imagined, but a strange, eerie black. "Whatever," he comforted himself, "there is black gold, which is even more precious than gold." Despite this self-consolation, he still found the black Golden Core very strange.

There are three types of core formation: Human Core, Earth Core, and Heaven Core. The Heaven Core is a divine pill, also known as the Golden Core or Spirit Pill. The "Heaven" signifies the pinnacle of pills; "Divine" denotes its boundless utility; "Gold" represents its eternal durability; and "Spirit" denotes its infinite potential for change. Thus, the Heaven Core is golden, glowing with divine light. The Earth Core is purple, filled with purple mist. Finally, the Human Core is colorless, possessing myriad possibilities.