25. And there was also the Honest Golden Elixir.

After learning what kind of world this was, Xiao Qingpei had already steeled his heart. Love, friendship, kinship—all must be severed! Otherwise, in the end, he would only suffer the consequences himself.

As for the Path of Emotionlessness... Xiao Qingpei had not intended to follow it, for he sought to avoid emotions, not to be devoid of them. Yet now he suddenly realized that using the Path of Emotionlessness as an excuse was rather convenient.

Upon hearing Xiao Qingpei’s words, the elder cultivator surnamed Feng said nothing more. The Path of Emotionlessness was notoriously difficult to cultivate; many lost their way and instead attained a heart of utter indifference, or else succumbed to a tribulation of emotions, failing at the final hurdle. But that was of no concern to him. Whatever path Xiao Qingpei chose, so long as he fulfilled his promise in the future, that was enough. With the oath in place, he was certain Xiao Qingpei would honor it.

If only one of his children could reach the Golden Core realm, then the Feng family would once more secure its footing within the Cloud Palace.

By now, the cultivator surnamed Feng had departed.

Xiao Qingpei gazed ahead. The Place of Inverse Yang Spring, though called “spring,” was in fact a vast lake. Its waters defied the laws of nature: goose feathers could not float, nor could reeds rise above its surface.

Whether mortal or cultivator, without the proper method, none could cross it. Yet with knowledge of the crossing technique, even one without cultivation could walk across the lake as though it were solid ground.

Xiao Qingpei knew the method. The elder had given it to him in a scroll, along with a jade talisman that would unlock the restrictions placed here.

Those restrictions were set by a Nascent Soul ancestor of Cloud Palace; without the talisman, even knowing the secret method, stepping onto the lake was impossible. Conversely, this served to protect the local creatures—without the ancestor’s barrier, any accidental visitor would likely add their bones to the lakebed.

Jade talisman in hand, Xiao Qingpei stepped forward.

The moment his feet touched the lake’s surface, he sensed the omnipresent pure Yin energy. Along with it, the Lunar Immortal Power within him became instantly active.

“This world holds such a treasure ground for cultivating Lunar techniques?” Xiao Qingpei was astonished. But now was not the time for cultivation. He slowed his breath and imagined himself walking on flat land.

That was the method for crossing the Inverse Yang Spring.

It was mysterious beyond words.

Yet, this simple and questionable technique allowed one to tread the surface of the lake as if it were solid earth.

Xiao Qingpei soon found the stone at the lake’s center discovered by Cloud Palace’s predecessors.

It was a large, blue-brown rock protruding halfway from the water—one of the few footholds in the Inverse Yang Spring.

When Xiao Qingpei set foot upon the stone, the weight in his heart settled as well. Though the scroll’s description was meticulous, even detailing the exact distance to the stone, he could not help but be tense.

Were this not Cloud Palace’s famous secret treasure ground, Xiao Qingpei would never have dared to step onto the lake so directly, even knowing all its peculiarities. He would have tested first, ensuring reality matched his knowledge.

Xiao Qingpei did not begin cultivation immediately.

First, he opened the round, unassuming treasure pouch. As his “Uncle Feng” had said, it contained two things: the Feng family token and half a scroll of superior cultivation techniques.

“Retreat Sword Solution? What a peculiar name...” Xiao Qingpei flipped through it. After merely two glances, his interest surged. Unfortunately, the sword solution ended at the Core Formation stage.

“If it contained the Nascent Soul stage, it would never have reached me,” Xiao Qingpei thought, then put the scroll away. Although he was not a sword cultivator and could not practice it, the Retreat Sword Solution broadened his perspective; at least next time he met a sword cultivator, he could pretend to be one himself.

Then, Xiao Qingpei began refining the treasure pouch.

The Golden Core elder Feng must have refined this artifact previously, then erased his imprint for ease of entrusting it. Thus, Xiao Qingpei found the process easier, but it still took considerable time to fully refine.

The first step was straightforward. After one day and night—twelve hours—he established a connection, and the outline of the artifact appeared in his mind.

Now, Xiao Qingpei possessed six magical artifacts!

Three were granted by the system, one was bestowed upon entry to Cloud Palace, one was a gift from “Uncle Feng,” and one sword pellet had been gained from slaying multiple ghosts and earning a “+1” reward.

“Ding~”

“You think yourself unnoticed, but in Cloud Palace your name is already well-known. Senior brothers and sisters often speak of you. Uncles and elders mention you as well. And the Nascent Soul elder Jian Lin, the Supreme Sage, is also currently muttering your name…”

Listening to the sudden chime and the sleepy electronic voice that yanked him back from his thoughts, Xiao Qingpei’s eyebrow twitched.

The nonsense was tolerable, but could the cultivation ranks at least be accurate? Jian Lin, the Supreme Sage, was still at the sixth stage of the upper Golden Core realm! Though only one step from Nascent Soul, that step had not yet been taken! Was it too much to ask for some respect for the facts?

Unable to help his silent complaints, Xiao Qingpei confirmed one thing: the system was assigning tasks according to “plot,” not reality. As for the truth—it cared not at all.

“So, how does this system determine if I’ve completed a task?” Xiao Qingpei pondered, hoping to find a loophole.

“Task generated: For a cultivator, strength is paramount. Within the next year, successfully reach the Foundation Establishment stage. Complete the task to earn an Honest Golden Core. Finish earlier and the reward will be doubled!”

“Honest Golden Core?” Hearing the reward, Xiao Qingpei was intrigued, for he already possessed a Deceptive Golden Core.

While his curiosity grew, the sleepy electronic voice chimed again.

“Task completed. Successfully reached Foundation Establishment. Reward: Three Honest Golden Cores!”

Before the words finished, three jet-black beads appeared before Xiao Qingpei, each the size of a dragon’s eye and marked with subtle symbols.

At the same time, Xiao Qingpei understood the nature of the Honest Golden Core.

“You call this honest, but it’s more like a sinking stone!” Xiao Qingpei finally couldn’t help but complain.

Honest Golden Core: Grants the power of a mountain instantly. If more than one is held, the strength multiplies—one for each mountain. Unfortunately, while possessing such power, one becomes as immovable as a mountain.

As Xiao Qingpei grumbled, he suddenly sensed something odd beneath him.

The “lake center stone” was moving!