Chapter 069: Sixth Stage of the Dao Foundation

Cultivators are ranked according to their mastery of spiritual power and cultivation. Magical artifacts are graded by the strength and number of restrictive seals they possess. Artifacts from the first to third tier can only be forged by cultivators who have attained the Golden Core stage or higher. Artifacts from the fourth to sixth tier demand the skills of those at the Nascent Soul stage or above. There are, of course, exceptions. For example, ancient sects with deep foundations, such as those established for ten thousand years, may pool their resources, spend centuries, and rely on several generations of elders and disciples to refine an artifact—such treasures do not fit within the usual ranks.

The Yang Origin Axe is a genuine fourth-tier artifact, forged by a master of the Yang Origin Sect! This is precisely why, when Pang Yue approached the Golden Core Frost Demon, he was able to slay it with this axe. Naturally, if the combat strength of a Golden Core elder from the Demon Talisman Sect is ranked at one hundred, then the Frost Demon Pang Yue slew would barely count as one. The difference in the quality of their spiritual power, understanding of the Dao, and battle experience was simply too vast.

“Daoist Brother, would you allow me to finish speaking?” Luo Qingyuan laughed softly, her beauty radiant, her presence increasingly captivating. Her allure surpassed that of Qin Shuyi, and could rival Jin Yuesong, the third princess of the Scarlet Blood Golden Flood Dragon clan. Each possessed their own charm, like spring orchids and autumn chrysanthemums, excelling in different ways.

“Please, Senior Sister,” Pang Yue replied coolly.

Luo Qingyuan smiled warmly. “Word of your possession of a fourth-tier artifact will not remain hidden for long. When that day comes, both within and outside the sect, countless Golden Core masters will covet it—how do you plan to resolve this?”

“Even if you pass the true disciple assessment, given your talent and the background of the Xu family, it would be difficult to secure a reliable patron, wouldn’t it?”

Pang Yue responded with a noncommittal grunt. With his level of talent, no Golden Core elder would be willing to wholeheartedly nurture him…

“Perhaps one day, when you break through to the Golden Core stage, everything will be resolved. But that day still seems rather distant.” Luo Qingyuan spoke gently, each word striking home.

After pondering for a moment, Pang Yue asked, “Do you have a solution, Senior Sister?”

Luo Qingyuan gazed at him intently, her expression earnest. “Daoist Brother, your fortune is extraordinary, your offensive techniques profound, and you managed to pass the Nine Nether Demon Sect’s trial. Clearly, you are far more than merely fifth rank in the Dao foundation.”

“You are like an iceberg—only a fraction is visible above the surface.”

“To be frank, I am very curious about you, and I admire you greatly. If you are willing to join the Luo family, I can guarantee your promotion to true disciple of the Demon Talisman Sect and recommend you to study under Elder Luo Zhiyin of the Hall of Law Enforcement.”

“With Elder Luo’s endorsement, no one in the Demon Talisman Sect would dare provoke you. As long as you avoid leaving the sect, your safety would be assured.”

“Moreover, with Elder Luo as your teacher to guide your cultivation, there may well be hope for you to reach the Golden Core stage in the future.”

Pang Yue knew that the Luo Zhiyin Luo Qingyuan spoke of was the head of the Hall of Law Enforcement in the Demon Talisman Sect, a late-stage Golden Core cultivator. If one were to rank all the powerful Golden Core cultivators of the Demon Talisman Sect, Elder Luo would undoubtedly be among the top five.

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The Luo family’s lineage stretches back tens of thousands of years, nearly as long as the rise and fall of the Demon Talisman Sect itself. Each generation boasts Golden Core cultivators—more than one at that. With the Luo family’s influence, Pang Yue could indeed avoid many troubles. Such cultivation families, with millennia of prosperity, owe their longevity in part to recruiting cultivators of promise and value as sons-in-law.

Pang Yue likely already met the Luo family’s criteria for recruitment.

Seeing Pang Yue hesitate, Luo Qingyuan laughed breezily, “If you do not fancy me, Daoist Brother, that is no matter. I can arrange for you to choose from a selection of young and beautiful clanswomen.”

Pang Yue chuckled, a decisive glint in his eyes. “Senior Sister, you are a rare beauty, unmatched in this world, and I am not blind—how could I not be taken by you?”

Luo Qingyuan’s eyes sparkled. “Then you agree?”

Pang Yue spoke slowly, “I have no objection to becoming a son-in-law of the Luo family, but I refuse to do so as a cultivator of the Xu clan. I wish to change my name.”

Luo Qingyuan nodded in understanding. “You wish to honor the dignity of your ancestors—this is only fitting. My family has no objections. What name would you take?”

Pang Yue’s expression grew wistful. “When I was outside the Demon Devouring Hall, drawn into reincarnation by the Heavenly Demon, I was given a name that I used for hundreds of years. Today, I will return to that name—Pang Yue.”

“Pang Yue?” Luo Qingyuan repeated it a few times, finding nothing unusual. “Then I shall call you Daoist Pang from now on.”

Pang Yue laughed heartily, his joy evident.

Then, the two of them made vows before the Dao and became cultivation partners.

…

The bridal chamber was aglow with dragon and phoenix candles. On the grand golden bed, covered with brocade featuring mandarin ducks, a noble woman of stunning beauty sat at the head. Pang Yue approached and personally removed Luo Qingyuan’s gilded embroidered shoes and silk stockings, taking into his hands her delicate, fair feet. Unable to resist, he tickled her soles.

Her snowy toes curled, and she laughed aloud.

Pang Yue looked at her dignified, graceful face and smiled. “Senior Sister Luo, aren’t we moving a bit too quickly?”

Luo Qingyuan withdrew her snowy feet from his hands, revealed a slender, rounded calf beneath her skirt, turned and perched on the soft brocade, her shapely figure inviting. She lay lazily on the pillow, casting Pang Yue a sidelong glance, her cheeks flushed. “We have eighteen whole years to nurture our feelings—is that not enough?”

In the flickering candlelight, Luo Qingyuan exuded an enchanting allure.

“Yes, eighteen years…” Pang Yue murmured, moved.

…

Time passed swiftly.

Harvests of Yang Origin rice came and went.

In the fields, spiritual streams flowed gently.

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Pang Yue sat by the flowing water, a three-zhang-tall golden Buddha before him, surrounded by piles of radiant spiritual materials.

The Buddha of Infinite Light!

This was the Nine God Golem, infused with the Salvation Technique, which Pang Yue had once again refined.

He had much to thank Shen Tuhao for. In the second year after marrying Luo Qingyuan, Pang Yue finally managed to break all the restrictive seals on the storage bags. Shen Tuhao’s storage bag surprised him most of all. Besides a vast number of spirit stones, it contained a piece of Jade Gold Glass—a crucial material for refining the Buddha of Infinite Light.

Although he did not find Shen Tuhao’s top-tier body refining technique that could cheat death, which was a slight disappointment, the Jade Gold Glass still far exceeded Pang Yue’s expectations.

There were also numerous magical implements, pills, talismans, spiritual herbs, precious materials, secret manuals, and more.

The storage bags of Zhou Wuchou and the female cultivator surnamed Chu also contained many surprises, but none so precious as the Jade Gold Glass.

Over the years, Pang Yue used the materials he obtained to finally refine the Buddha of Infinite Light.

His cultivation did not lag behind either!

The Ice Soul Snow Lotus, combined with dual cultivation, proved to be wondrous beyond words.

In the fifth year after marrying Luo Qingyuan, Pang Yue broke through the fifth stage of Dao foundation and ascended to the sixth. For thirteen years after, the two cultivated diligently, aided by the Ice Soul Snow Lotus, reaching the pinnacle of the sixth stage.

Only Ye Xue was left behind.

Within this small cave heaven, Ye Xue’s divine sense could detect any disturbance. Pang Yue and Luo Qingyuan, newlyweds deep in affection, inevitably made some noise. Ye Xue sought out Luo Qingyuan several times, all to no avail. Among the three, her cultivation progressed the slowest.

Pang Yue finished his refining.

Now, this Buddha of Infinite Light possessed the strength of an early Dao foundation cultivator. Once they left, it would convert countless heavenly demons and monsters, its power growing without limit.

One day, a streak of light flew into the cave heaven.

Ye Xue’s voice, icy and clear, called out, “Senior Sister Luo, Daoist Brother Pang, the river of void has calmed.”