Steady Mortal Path: Starting from Obtaining the Golden Core Inheritance

Chapter 331 The Han Family of Immortal City

Inside the 'Willow Oriole Immortal City', at the Han family residence.

Within the clan, the only elderly pseudo-core cultivator in his twilight years summoned all the clan's high-ranking members to observe from outside a third-tier spiritual vein.

Looking from afar, above the third-tier training ground, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged, auspicious clouds filled the sky, and powerful spiritual pressure leaked out, making the low-level cultivators feel awe.

"The most difficult process of condensing the Golden Core has been safely passed. Thanks to our ancestors, it seems that my Han family will finally produce another 'Golden Core True Person'!"

The elderly current patriarch of the Han family let out a long sigh, his cloudy eyes red and glistening with tears.

Beside him, five or six high-ranking members of the clan, all at the Foundation Establishment stage, were also excited, but dared not make a sound or even breathe loudly, for fear of disturbing the people in the training grounds from advancing.

However, standing beside the Han family members was a sallow-faced, gaunt man with a strange glint in his eyes.

He also exuded a subtle aura of internal energy, clearly indicating that he was a genuine 'Golden Core True Person'.

"Clan Chief Han, congratulations on your Han family producing a Golden Core cultivator. It seems that my burden will be much lighter from now on."

A subtle glint appeared in the eyes of the gaunt man as he grinned and congratulated the old man beside him.

"Master Zhuo, you are too kind. The Core Formation stage is not yet the final step, the outcome is uncertain, and everything is unknown."

Suppressing his inner joy, Chief Han looked at the gaunt man before him. A fleeting look of apprehension crossed his face, but he quickly regained his respectful demeanor and continued to promise:

"The protection that Master Zhuo has provided to the Han family over the years is something that the entire Han family will never forget. If our Han family is fortunate enough to produce a Golden Core cultivator, we will still give priority to Master Zhuo in the future allocation of resources."

"Haha, Clan Chief Han, there's no need to worry. How could the clan possibly support a second Golden Core cultivator? Even this third-tier training ground can barely accommodate one person's cultivation. In a few days, once I find a place to stay, I will return this training ground to the Han family."

The gaunt Master Zhuo chuckled lightly, though his tone was slightly cold.

Upon hearing this, the Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Han family beside him revealed hope in their eyes. After exchanging glances, they looked with even greater anticipation towards the place where the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathered in the mountain's training ground.

These behaviors naturally did not escape the perception of Master Zhuo.

Before long, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within the temple suddenly condensed, showing signs of dissipating.

"What's going on? The process of condensing the golden core was clearly very stable, so why did the spiritual energy of heaven and earth suddenly become disordered?"

Upon seeing this, Chief Han's expression changed drastically, and he spoke in astonishment.

In the distance, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, which was originally so thick that it was visible to the naked eye, rapidly dissipated, and within a dozen breaths, two or three tenths of it had vanished.

Such unstable changes in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth will greatly affect the mentality of those attempting to break through to the Golden Core stage, as well as the success rate of ultimately condensing the core.

"Master Zhuo, what's going on? Why has the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within the temple suddenly changed so drastically?"

Clan Chief Han looked at Master Zhuo with great anxiety. His tone was no longer as respectful as before, but instead carried a hint of anger and questioning.

"This... Oh no, the spirit-gathering array in my dojo is old, and your Han family has never sent anyone to repair it. I didn't expect it to fail at such a critical moment. What should we do?"

A cold smile appeared in Master Zhuo's eyes, but he then slapped his forehead, feigning sudden realization.

Before long, everyone present could clearly feel that the nascent Dan Qi aura within the dojo was rapidly diminishing.

Although the person in the cave who was trying to break through to the Golden Core stage was still doing his best to maintain it, the sudden change in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth ultimately affected the quality of the condensed core.

Half a day later.

A faint aura of internal energy emanated from the Daoist temple.

This aura of Dan power far surpasses that of ordinary pseudo-Dan cultivators, but it is slightly inferior to that of true Golden Core cultivators, still falling into the category of pseudo-Dan.

However, in terms of the quality of his magical power, he is already extremely close to that of a true Golden Core cultivator.

After a moment's thought, Chief Han's eyes filled with sorrow, and his body suddenly hunched over like that of an old man in his twilight years, muttering to himself:

"Is this fate? With this defeat, my Han family will have no foundation to cultivate a Golden Core cultivator for the next hundred years..."

At the same time, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within the temple was gradually absorbed.

Shortly after, a loud 'boom' was heard.

Enveloped in a powerful aura, a young man with an angry expression flew out of the dojo, and a faint aura of alchemical energy swept over.

Under the influence of this aura, the Han clan chief, who was at the Pseudo-Core Formation level, and the Foundation Establishment cultivators who were observing all felt a faint sense of threat.

Master Zhuo, however, remained calm and composed, even a slight smile appearing on his lips as he offered his congratulations:

"Congratulations to Fellow Daoist Han Feng on advancing to the Pseudo-Core stage, adding another Pseudo-Core expert to the Han family."

"Elder Han, although Fellow Daoist Han Feng is a fake Core cultivator, his body faintly contains the aura of Core power, which is no less than that of a true Golden Core cultivator. This is truly something to celebrate."

As he spoke, he seemed to ignore the anger on the young man's face.

As they spoke, everyone in the Han family around them was in a very low mood.

"Master Zhuo, why did you secretly tamper with the formation in the Daoist temple at the crucial moment when I was breaking through to the Golden Core stage?!"

Han Feng's tone was filled with boundless rage, and the resentment in his eyes was so intense that he seemed ready to devour Master Zhuo.

The atmosphere was extremely tense, as if the two were about to start fighting at any moment.

"Hehe, if Fellow Daoist Han Feng says so, then you have truly misunderstood me."

After sizing up Han Feng, whose face was full of anger, Master Zhuo suddenly chuckled. Far from showing any displeasure at the questioning, he instead began to defend himself:

"I, Zhuo, am staying at your Han family's dojo. All the formations and restrictions there were made by the Han family, and I have never altered them without authorization."

"Of course, if Fellow Daoist Han Feng insists that it was I, Zhuo, who secretly orchestrated this, then I have no way to defend myself against such an unfounded accusation."

As he spoke, Master Zhuo's smile faded, and his words subtly contained a hint of genuine internal energy.

The intimidation emanating from a true Golden Core cultivator instantly calmed the Han family members present.

……

"Han Feng, a member of the Han family, failed to advance to the Golden Core Realm?"

Lin Changsheng learned of this news while inside the rented temporary training ground.

It wasn't that he deliberately inquired; it's just that this news has been attracting a lot of attention in 'Willow Oriole Immortal City' recently.

Although 'Willow Oriole Immortal City' is large in scale and has a large number of cultivators, the number of forces with Golden Core True Persons is still extremely small.

The appearance of each Golden Core cultivator will, to some extent, change the existing landscape of the Immortal City.

Therefore, cultivators who attempt to break through to the Golden Core realm always receive extra attention.

"It seems that the descendants of 'Heavenly Poison Master' are not doing well in terms of clan development."

Lin Changsheng thought to himself.

However, he did not rush to come forward.

According to the rules of 'Willow Oriole Immortal City', there are still several years before the next resource industry rotation, so it won't be too late to resolve this matter then.

Therefore, Lin Changsheng continued to devote his energy to modifying the three-headed refining corpse in his hands.

The process of creating a third-tier puppet is extremely complicated.

Lin Changsheng used the original corpse refinement as a basis and made modifications on it. In just over half a year, he completed the initial modification plan for a corpse refinement puppet.

Looking at the burly male corpse puppet before him, which faintly exuded a threatening aura exceeding the mid-stage of the third rank, Lin Changsheng was extremely satisfied.

Therefore, he specially took the corpse-refining puppet to a remote mountain range outside 'Willow Oriole Immortal City'.

Lin Changsheng casually pointed to a low hill and gave instructions to the corpse-refining puppet.

"boom"

Immediately afterwards, the figure of the corpse puppet in front of them blurred and turned into a dark light, instantly appearing dozens of feet away.

With a deafening roar, the corpse-refining puppet casually struck, shattering half of the entire mountain into pieces.

In an instant, birds and beasts scattered in the mountains and forests, and the earth shook.

The commotion was so great that a slight tremor could be clearly felt within a radius of several miles.

The puppet corpse's casual strike was terrifyingly powerful!

After a moment of surprise, Lin Changsheng smiled, feeling extremely satisfied.

Only with such power could he have justified the enormous price he had paid.

Back then, the Three Corpse Immortal rose to fame in the cultivation world of the Great Zhou Kingdom precisely because of his three-headed corpse refining technique.

The puppet corpses modified by Lin Changsheng have become more powerful than before, and are even approaching the late stage of the third tier.

After Lin Changsheng finishes modifying the other two corpse-refining puppets, these three corpse-refining puppets alone will be enough to fight against ordinary Golden Core stage cultivators.

……

Two years later.

That year, Lin Changsheng turned 170 years old.

On this day, a man shrouded in black robes and with an obese physique arrived at his dojo.

"My surname is Cui. I am also skilled in puppetry and have been cultivating near 'Willow Oriole Immortal City' for over twenty years. I have come uninvited this time, please forgive me, Master Lin."

The man surnamed Cui introduced himself as soon as he came up, but he seemed to be bad at socializing and spoke very stiffly.

"So it's 'Master Cui,' a pleasure to meet you."

"It's quite a coincidence that I also have some basic knowledge of puppetry."

Lin Changsheng smiled faintly, his tone amiable.

The moment the other party arrived, he realized that this Cui Kuishi was also a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator.

However, his aura was somewhat strange. Although he was also at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, he gave off a faint sense of threat.

Clearly, this person's true strength should exceed that of a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator.

"It's no coincidence. I heard that a 'Willow Puppet Master' who is proficient in puppetry has come to 'Willow Oriole Immortal City' in recent years, so I came here specifically to learn from him."

Cui Kuishi's bloated body remained motionless, his tone seemingly carrying a hint of hostility.

"Does Master Cui mean he wishes to spar with me, Lin, on puppetry?"

Lin Changsheng remained calm, his gaze sweeping over Cui Kuishi with a composed expression, and said indifferently:

"I apologize, but my study of puppetry is merely out of interest. I have no habit of sparring with others without a reason."

Cui Kuishi fell silent in response to Lin Changsheng's refusal.

"Many years ago, I was determined to join the Willow Smoke Sect. Originally, this matter was a sure thing, but with the arrival of Master Lin Kui a few years ago, this matter has been put on hold for several years."

"Master Lin, despite being a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, keeps a low profile and never reveals his puppetry skills. Therefore, I had no choice but to take the initiative to come and ask him for guidance."

As he spoke, a powerful and intimidating aura suddenly erupted from Cui Kuishi's body.

With a slight lift of his arm, his wrist detached from his arm and flew out with a 'whoosh,' like a sharp iron claw, instantly piercing through a second-tier puppet serving tea and water inside Lin Changsheng's dojo!

Clearly, this puppeteer Cui was very knowledgeable about puppets. With a single move, he destroyed the central control part of the second-tier puppet, rendering the entire puppet useless and causing it to collapse to the ground.

"Now that Master Lin has made his move, it's not without reason..."

Cui Kuishi withdrew his iron claws, retracted his arms into his black robe, and said calmly.

"It turns out that Master Cui actually transformed himself into a puppet. Such courage is admirable."

Lin Changsheng narrowed his eyes, a cold glint in them, a slight surprise in his heart.

An expert can tell the general approach as soon as they make a move.

The moment Cui Kuishi made his move, Lin Changsheng naturally noticed the situation. This person had transformed most of himself into a puppet, thus achieving a unity of body and puppet.

Cui Kuishi's practice of using himself as a puppet is similar to that of the insect cultivator Lin Changsheng encountered in Yue Kingdom who used his body as a nest.

Those who have reached this point are almost all eccentric and stubborn individuals.

This method might grant one powerful combat strength beyond their current level, but it also limits future development.

By transforming himself into a puppet, Cui Kuishi was destined to follow a dark path from now on.

He knew that Cui Kuishi's sudden attack, damaging the puppets in his dojo, was a provocative act intended to force him to take action.

Lin Changsheng was speechless at the sight of such an extreme cultivator, but he would not let this person off easily for coming to provoke him.

"Since Master Cui insists on this, then I, Lin, will respectfully comply."

Lin Changsheng's expression turned serious.

In the blink of an eye, two figures flew one after the other to a low hill a dozen miles north of 'Willow Oriole Immortal City'.

The two real puppeteers locked eyes, each emanating an aura of internal energy.

Such a confrontational atmosphere attracted the attention of many cultivators in the surrounding area.

Especially after recognizing that the person among them was Cui Kui Shi from 'Willow Oriole Immortal City', he was immediately astonished.

Before Lin Changsheng arrived, Cui Kuishi was the only third-tier puppeteer in the Immortal City.

Even now, Lin Changsheng has been in 'Willow Oriole Immortal City' for several years, but he has always kept a low profile. Apart from some high-level cultivators from major forces who know about this newcomer 'Lin San Gou', most people do not know of Lin Changsheng's existence.

As their respective auras continued to rise, Cui Kuishi directly removed his large black robes, revealing his modified puppet body.

Looking up, one could see that Cui Kuishi's body was covered with dense stitches, and at least 70% of his original body had been replaced by various precious third-tier materials, making him look like a humanoid monster, which sent chills down one's spine.

Cui Kui Shi, however, seemed to be admiring some kind of elegant work of art, gazing at himself with rapt attention.

"Master Cui is willing to become a puppet and even sacrifice himself for this cause. I admire such courage."

Lin Changsheng used his divine sense to scan and basically grasped Cui Kuishi's situation. He then clasped his hands in greeting.

“Every puppeteer has their own area of ​​expertise. I wonder what kind of puppets Master Lin is good at? Are they agile and delicate, skilled in magic, or perhaps specialize in close combat?”

Cui Kuishi spoke with a hint of arrogance and a contemptuous tone.