Translator: AnubisTL
Li Qing returned to Nanyang Spirit Peak and his cave abode.
Though his time away had been brief, it felt like an eternity had passed.
"Heh, probably because I've lost so much lifespan and my cultivation has advanced so rapidly," Li Qing chuckled self-deprecatingly.
Gazing at the familiar furnishings of his cave abode, an inexplicable sense of peace settled within him.
His cultivation had now reached the pseudo core formation stage—the pinnacle of the foundation establishment realm!
While his true essence was somewhat impure, its sheer density far surpassed what it had been when he first entered the late foundation establishment realm.
"Next comes core formation," he mused. "But before that, I need to prepare thoroughly."
He never fought unprepared battles, especially when his life was at stake.
Failure to form a core due to inadequate preparation would haunt him for the rest of his days!
Thus, he resolved to make every possible preparation, striving to perfect every prerequisite.
Li Qing sighed to himself, "First, my true essence. Attempting core formation with such impure true essence would likely fail, no matter how many core formation spiritual materials I had."
It needed to be purified!
Fortunately, he possessed a heavenly spirit fire. Combined with the Crimson Blaze Heaven-Burning Art, this would allow him to refine his true essence with remarkable efficiency.
Additionally, he had acquired ten drops of Golden Wind Jade Dew from the black market, a substance capable of refining the true essence within foundation establishment cultivators.
"Zhang Da manages the black market, and junior sister Shen often checks in on it. There's no need to worry too much," Li Qing mused.
"Now that I've given all the necessary instructions, it's time to focus on secluded cultivation."
With that, Li Qing activated several layers of strict restrictions at the entrance of his cave abode. He then released Fan Tong to guard the entrance.
Having completed these preparations, he sat down on a Clear Heart Meditation Cushion and began refining his true essence.
Boom!
The Netherworld Cold Fire ignited within Li Qing's body, quickly transforming into a gate-like barrier.
With this barrier forged from heavenly spirit fire in place, he activated the Crimson Blaze Heaven-Burning Art, drawing upon the abundant true essence stored in his dantian.
He wasn't in a hurry; with ample time, he could proceed methodically.
Thus, Li Qing extracted only a thin stream of true essence each time, guiding it through the spirit fire barrier he had constructed within his body.
As the impure true essence flowed through the heavenly spirit fire barrier, a portion of its impurities was refined away. The purified essence then circulated through his meridians before returning to his dantian.
Repeatedly performing this monotonous process was how Li Qing refined his true essence.
From that moment onward, time seemed to lose all concrete meaning for him.
His entire mind was immersed in the endless cycle of refining his true essence, over and over again, like a tireless machine.
"The power of the Netherworld Cold Fire seems stronger than before. Is this because my cultivation has improved, or did it also gain some benefits from the yin-yang cave?"
Li Qing couldn't quite figure it out, nor did he care to delve deeper.
In any case, the Netherworld Cold Fire's increased strength was a good thing for him.
As Li Qing grew more skilled at refining his true essence, he constructed spirit fire gates within his meridians, causing his efficiency to skyrocket.
Time ticked by, one cycle after another, and the true essence within his body gradually became purer and purer.
Before he knew it, another half-year had passed in a flash.
After sitting motionless for half a year, Li Qing slowly opened his eyes.
The blazing white flames in his pitch-black pupils gradually receded, returning to their normal state.
"As expected of the Netherworld Cold Fire. After refining for so long, the true essence within my body is even purer than before."
A satisfied smile crept across Li Qing's lips. He was growing increasingly fond of the convenience the heavenly spirit fire offered.
It was no exaggeration that the heavenly spirit fire held such a revered status in the cultivation world. Whether used for combat, daily cultivation, or Pill and Artifact Refinement, possessing it doubled one's efficiency.
Li Qing had already refined his true essence to its utmost purity using the heavenly spirit fire. Any further refinement would be futile.
But he wasn't finished yet. He still had ten drops of Golden Wind Jade Dew!
This spiritual object could further refine his true essence. Given the opportunity, he naturally aimed for perfection.
Li Qing retrieved a jade bottle from his storage pouch. The golden jade dew within shimmered with an dazzling radiance, like molten gold glowing brightly.
As he opened the bottle, an exceptionally rich fragrance wafted out.
When Golden Wind Jade Dew meet, they surpass countless earthly treasures.
Without hesitation, Li Qing drained the entire bottle in one gulp.
Cool and sweet!
It was like a person parched for days suddenly drinking from a sweet spring, as if his entire being was about to ascend.
Barely savoring the taste, Li Qing hastily closed his eyes and began refining the dew.
Ten drops of Golden Wind Jade Dew might not seem like much, but their effects were immediately apparent.
A dense golden light surged through Li Qing's dantian as he used his divine sense to examine his inner self, finding the radiance almost blinding.
The Golden Wind Jade Dew merged with his true essence, slowly refining away the nearly nonexistent impurities.
As the saying goes, "No man is perfect, no gold is without flaws." But for a spiritual object like the Golden Wind Jade Dew, this proverb seemed to hold no truth. Its very existence was dedicated to purity.
Within Li Qing's dantian, the already exceptionally pure true essence expelled minute, almost negligible impurities.
When the process concluded, he finally exhaled a long breath.
"Finally, it's complete."
The first step in preparing for core formation was now finished.
Over the past six months, he had not only thoroughly refined his true essence but also strengthened his control over his cultivation.
Any lingering side effects from his rapid advancement in cultivation had been completely eliminated during this period.
Li Qing could now truly be considered a genuine Pseudo-Core cultivator, standing at the threshold of core formation with no remaining concerns.
"Although I no longer have any worries, I still need to make thorough preparations."
"It's time to prioritize senior Wu Yuan's soul core method."
Indeed, the second step was to cultivate the soul core method.
Li Qing planned to first condense a soul core using his divine sense, using it as a vessel for his divine soul to simulate the core formation process in advance.
Additionally, half a year prior, he had specifically instructed Shen Ningbing and Zhang Da to remain vigilant for news of the Heavenly Fire Treasure Nectar.
If any information surfaced, Shen Ningbing was to secure it at any cost.
Since it wasn't a top-tier core formation spiritual material, Shen Ningbing's involvement would guarantee its acquisition.
With that, Li Qing closed his eyes again, preparing to begin cultivating the soul core secret technique.
But in the next moment, a soft voice called out from outside the cave abode.
"Senior brother, there's news of a core formation spiritual object. May I have a word?"
Hearing this, Li Qing's eyes, which had just closed, snapped open, a flicker of joy surfacing deep within his pupils.
"Come in, junior sister. I've already deactivated the restriction at the cave entrance."
(End of the Chapter)
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