Chapter 141: The Three Tribulations of the Golden Core (Part One)

Zhuoguang Mountain.

Inside Luo Qingyuan’s immortal cave.

The spacious bedchamber was divided into an inner and an outer half.

A curtain separated the two spaces, made of five-colored shark-silk, suspended like double brocade with tassels hanging down, looking supremely luxurious.

Luo Qingyuan’s sleeping couch was set up in the inner half.

Both halves combined spanned about thirty yards in circumference. The four walls were elegantly decorated, embedded with glowing pearls that cast a soft, bright, snow-like light.

The outer half was furnished with seating, already exquisitely refined and luxurious with craftsmanship that rivaled nature. The aura of precious stones and pearls illuminated the entire room.

The dazzling novelty of the furnishings in the inner half defied description. Aside from a massive circular jade couch placed in the center, it was equipped with everything found in the embroidered boudoirs of ordinary wealthy families—dressing tables, vanity cases, garments, shoes, and quilts, completely stocked with whatever one could possibly desire.

Yet every single item was extraordinarily rare; even an ordinary cultivation clan would struggle to lay eyes on just one such piece.

Upon the jade couch lay extremely thick and soft brocade mattresses. Their luxury went without saying, causing anyone lying upon them to sink in by nearly half.

Pang Yue leaned lazily against the jade folding screen at the head of the bed, flanked on either side by Luo Qingyuan and Ye Xue.

Luo Qingyuan was half-covered by a lightweight, soft coverlet that surpassed sheer silk in texture and was pale cyan in color. Her upper body exposed only her shoulders, upper chest, and arms.

One of her hands rested lightly across her chest, while her other arm lazily leaned against the hollow-carved jade railing at the edge of the bed. She wore a gauze robe as thin as a cicada’s wing and as white as snow, its front slightly parted to reveal a snowy pink neck and half of her full bosom.

Below, her plump breasts rose faintly amidst the ice-silk brocade quilt. The uncovered areas of her skin reflected the light like jade, which even the translucent gauze failed to conceal, allowing for a hazy glimpse.

Her ten fingers, like tender spring scallions, were beyond description—powder-molded and ointment-blended, smooth and lustrous.

Though the lower half of her body was covered, the corner of the quilt inadvertently revealed a stretch of voluptuous, well-proportioned, slender jade legs, along with her powdery, exquisitely delicate, and bonelessly soft snow-white feet.

At this moment.

The expression in her eyes was sparkling like starlight, pregnant with subtle thoughts, complemented by rosy cheeks blooming with vitality, harboring ten thousand charms and boundless tender affection.

The understated, elegant garments and bedding, contrasted with the embroidered brocade mattress beneath, made her look even more alluring than flowers, carved from jade, radiant with a splendor that defied description.

A wisp of warm fragrance drifted about, adding to the enchanting allure.

Ye Xue leaned gently against Pang Yue’s embrace, wrapped entirely in the ice-silk brocade quilt. Her devastatingly beautiful and peerless face still retained lingering blushes, her demeanor lazy yet graceful.

Usually dignified, poised, cold, and breathtakingly striking, she now appeared rather bewitchingly charming.

The three of them had just... finished being intimate.

Luo Qingyuan chuckled softly, "There is a supreme genre in romance books called 'The Heart-Spitting Charm,' which speaks of moans like thin threads, piercing straight to the bone, sighs like cream sinking into the nine bones, hastening a man’s essence like winding pathways trapping one in a maze with no exit. Sister Xue, the sounds you made just now were quite similar to that..."

Having never witnessed this alluring and charming boudoir side of Ye Xue before, and recalling the recent experience, she could not resist teasing her.

Ye Xue blushed and retorted, "Sister Luo, what kind of nonsensical books are you reading all day long..."

Her voice was sweet, tender, and languid.

Pang Yue listened to the casual banter between the two women while his own thoughts drifted far away, pondering other matters.

The Yin-Yang Cave Profound True Art, acquired from the Joyful Sect, became somewhat less effective after reaching the Golden Core stage.

Although this dual-cultivation technique recorded the methods of harvesting Yin to nourish Yang, harvesting Yang to nourish Yin, and the harmonization of Yin and Yang,

in truth, it leaned much more heavily toward the former two.

The harmonization of Yin and Yang was quite effective during the Dao Foundation realm.

However, after entering the realm of the Golden Core, its effects were no longer so pronounced.

Consequently, among the three of them just now, Luo Qingyuan benefited the most.

Presently, she had reached a point separated from the Golden Core by only a hair's breadth, yet her destined opportunity had ultimately not arrived, leaving her unable to break through.

The Demon Talisman Sect had many true successor disciples like her.

Such as Hong Yan of the Wind Demon Palace, Huang Luxi of the Flame Demon Palace... fewer than one in ten of them would ultimately be able to cross the barrier of the Golden Core.

Fortunately, Luo Qingyuan possessed a deep family background and was valued by several elders within her clan. With Pang Yue and Ye Xue by her side, successfully breaking through to the Golden Core in the future would not be a difficult task for her.

The three of them stayed within Luo Qingyuan’s immortal cave, celebrating thoroughly the joy of Pang Yue and Ye Xue's breakthrough to the Golden Core. Only then did they return to their respective quarters and begin their cultivation.

---

Inside the quiet chamber.

Pang Yue circulated the Chaos Profound Dark Demon Talisman Secret Scripture mental method. The vast, abyss-like magical power within him surged violently, continuously devouring the dense heaven and earth primal energy around him, refining it into pure magical power.

The realm of the Golden Core was also divided into nine tiers, known in the world as the Nine Revolutions of the Golden Core.

After the nine revolutions, the pill shatters and the spirit emerges.

In the Nine Revolutions of the Golden Core, with every single revolution, one's strength would leap forward by bounds.

The Golden Core cultivators previously slain by Pang Yue, such as Elder Zha of Devouring Spirit Island and several demon kings of Myriad Demons Island, were all in the early stage of the Golden Core, and their divine abilities, cultivation foundations, and backgrounds fell far short of the Golden Core masters from major sects.

Within the Demon Talisman Sect, ordinary elders were all in the early stage, below the third revolution of the Golden Core.

The deputy palace masters and their ilk of various halls had entered the middle stage, below the sixth revolution of the Golden Core.

The palace masters of each hall, as well as the three deputy sect masters, were figures in the late stage of the Golden Core, or even the peak of the Golden Core.

Throughout the East Sea cultivation world, those at the peak of the Golden Core existed only beneath those few countable Primordial Spirit grand masters.

As for the Sect Master of the Demon Talisman Sect, although he had not yet reached the Primordial Spirit, he had stepped one step further than the peak of the Golden Core, entering the half-step Primordial Spirit realm.

Pang Yue had learned of this in casual conversation while drinking with Ice Demon Palace Master Ye Bing.

Ye Bing was already at the peak of the Golden Core, and her strength ranked among the top five of all the Golden Core elders in the Demon Talisman Sect.

Yet according to her, when she fought against the Demon Talisman Sect Master, she was defeated almost instantaneously!

Furthermore, past sect masters of the Demon Talisman Sect all wielded the sect-suppressing treasure, the Chaos Demon Talisman, making them figures who dared to trade blows head-on with Primordial Spirit grand masters.

The Chaos Demon Talisman, much like the Archaic Immortal Vine of Hundred Flowers Island, was an eighth-tier magic treasure—supreme treasures used to suppress the sect's fortune.

Pang Yue simultaneously consolidated his own cultivation and sorted through his divine abilities and secret techniques.

His learning was vast and complex, but the core remained the Chaos Demon Talisman Secret Scripture!

In terms of divine abilities, naturally, the Chaos Heavenly Demon, his demon talisman avatar, was the most formidable.

Following that were the Heavenly Demon Myriad Transformations Profound Changing Scripture, the Glacial Demon Intent Sword Canon and Glacial Divine Light and Glacial Thunder Qi cultivated from the Ten Directions Freezing Demon Dao, as well as the Nine Gods Puppets acquired from Old Ancestor Wuhua.

Next were the seven divine abilities of the Flame Demon Palace accumulated during his Dao Foundation realm, the Leaving Hatred Divine Light, the Seven Killings Sword Canon, and so forth...

In terms of magical tools and treasures, he possessed the Innate Wuji Stele, Formless Sword, Fixing Profound Mirror, Demon Refining Pot, White Bone Sarira, Primordial Yang Axe, Mountains and Rivers Gui, and Purple Radiance Sword, among others.

Among them, the Innate Wuji Stele, Formless Sword, Fixing Profound Mirror, Demon Refining Pot, and White Bone Sarira had long since perfected their nine dao restrictions, lacking only a single restriction to break through the limits of magical tools and become first-tier magic treasures.

Previously, he was constrained by his realm and cultivation, leaving him unable to advance any further.

But now, he only needed to refine these five magical tools once through, and he could elevate them to the rank of magic treasures.

Once they became magic treasures, the power and wondrous utilities of these five treasures would be vastly enhanced.

Additionally, he had two Nine Gods Puppets in his possession.

One was the Immeasurable Light Buddha.

The other was the Sword God Puppet.

The Immeasurable Light Buddha had converted countless heavenly demons as well as a Golden Core expert; its terrifyingly vast and mighty Buddhist power was by no means inferior to that of a mid-stage Golden Core master.

The only regret was that it was ultimately a puppet body, and Pang Yue had not taken the Nine Gods Puppets as his primary cultivation method, failing to refine the Immeasurable Light Buddha into his natal puppet. Consequently, its operations and divine abilities could not be utilized to their absolute maximum.

If it were to face an ordinary early-stage Golden Core master, it could still fight and win.

However, if it were to face Golden Core elders from major factions like the Demon Talisman Sect, Hundred Flowers Island, True Yang Sect, or Heavenly Sea Sect, it would fall far short.

Finally, there were his two avatars.

The Heavenly Sword Avatar went without saying; cultivating the Emperor's Nine Swords and forming a first-grade pill, he was a figure worthy of being called a prodigy even within the Heavenly Sword Sect.

It was just that Pang Yue deliberately chose to maintain a low profile and lie low; even when breaking through to the Golden Core, he had his avatar go to an overseas desolate island, without alerting anyone.

His other avatar, Le Feihuang, lurked within the Mysterious Profound Sect, responsible for collecting and refining magical tools.

He also did not lack cultivation resources, and coupled with the unique cultivation methods of the Mysterious Profound Sect, under conditions of abundant resources, his progress was far faster than that of other sects.

Presently, this avatar of Le Feihuang had also broken through to the eighth layer of the Dao Foundation realm, with future prospects of reaching the Golden Core.

---

After cultivating in his immortal cave for over a month, Pang Yue received a message from his master delivered by a boy from the True Demon Palace.

Yuwen Bi intended to hold a Golden Core Ceremony for him.

A demonic sect's Golden Core Ceremony was unlike that of orthodox Taoist sects.

The Demon Talisman Sect was even more casual, with no fixed traditions.

Hosting the ceremony in person this time, Yuwen Bi invited only the palace masters and deputy palace masters of the five halls: Flame Demon Palace, Thunder Demon Palace, Wind Demon Palace, Ice Demon Palace, and Primordial Demon Palace.

Along with the figures in power from the six major Golden Core clans of the Demon Talisman Sect: the Gu, Meng, Ping, Huang, Luo, and Huo clans.

Among them, quite a few people were not within the sect and could not rush back in time, so they did not need to attend the ceremony.

Pang Yue had just finished refining the Formless Sword into a first-tier magic treasure when he had to come out of seclusion, traveling with the boy all the way to the True Demon Palace to pay respects to his master.

In the side hall of the True Demon Palace.

Yuwen Bi finally faced Pang Yue "directly."

He sat on a black jade dragon-patterned chair in the center of the hall, his aura profound and abstruse, his face obscured by a slowly swirling gray mist.

Through the gray mist, one could faintly discern a blurred face and a pair of deep, abyssal eyes.

Looking closely at that patch of gray mist, it actually turned out to be composed of countless talismans as fine as needlepoints and rice grains, densely packed and virtually endless.

Pang Yue’s gaze was drawn by these talismans, and a sudden wave of dizziness washed over his divine soul. The magical power within him began to circulate on its own uncontrollably, and moreover, it was a completely unfamiliar and bizarre method of circulation!

If this continued, it was likely that within the space of half an incense stick, he would transform into an unspeakable monster!

Startled in his heart, he hurriedly guarded his mind fiercely, a chilling, peerless sword intent rising from his body to disperse the anomaly.

Only then did he understand why Yuwen Bi had always shown him only his back.

Had he still been at the Dao Foundation realm, he probably would have met with an unexplained misfortune at this very moment.

"The Ten Directions Freezing Demon Dao truly has its unique merits," Yuwen Bi said indifferently, instantly recognizing the sword intent Pang Yue had just used.

Pang Yue did not dare to stare directly at his master any longer. Withdrawing his gaze, he stood with bowed hands in obeisance.

Yuwen Bi chuckled hoarsely, "Tribulation fortune is unfathomable, yet in the dark, there is its own natural mandate."

"Ping Taiyan chose you as his human tribulation; to a certain extent, that also accomplished you... It didn't matter before, but from this day forward, the matter of you refining the Chaos Heavenly Demon must be concealed."

"If you have no choice but to unleash the Chaos Heavenly Demon divine ability, you must annihilate the life force and divine souls of all witnesses down to the last one!"