Chapter 667: Cultivation Philosophy of the Golden Core Realm

Chapter 667: Chapter 667: Cultivation Philosophy of the Golden Core Realm

She teased him, but when she saw his expression remain unchanged, she dropped her playful tone. "I invited you here today," she said seriously, "first and foremost, to congratulate you on achieving the Golden Core Realm. It is truly gratifying to see the Divine Sky Dao Fruit reappear in the world."

She paused, her tone taking on a note of genuine delight and undisguised scorn. "Especially for killing that hypocrite, Qingyuan! You’ve truly vented a thousand years of pent-up anger for me!

The very thought of his sanctimonious face being blasted apart by your Divine Sky Thunderbolt, his Dao Fruit shattering, and his True Spirit pathetically fleeing into Reincarnation... I just can’t help but clap my hands in glee! This is a great favor I must thank you for."

He looked at the ecstatic expression on her face.

Xu Yunfan understood. ’So, it really is about Qingyuan.’

’It seems the enmity between them was quite deep.’

Although Xu Yunfan was dying for some gossip, he didn’t pry. He knew that learning certain things would only bring unnecessary trouble.

It was best to keep their relationship amicable and nothing more.

His expression was calm; he neither took credit nor shirked responsibility.

"True Monarch Qingyuan blocked my path and sought to seize the foundation of my Dao Fruit. Once his true intentions were revealed, I was simply doing what I must to protect myself.

I was partly lucky to be able to slay him. I had also heard of the old grudge between you and True Monarch Qingyuan, so it seems I have inadvertently helped you find some closure."

His words were impeccable.

"Protect yourself? Heh. A fine job of ’protecting yourself’ indeed."

True Monarch Dong Ming gave a half-smile and looked deeply at Xu Yunfan, choosing not to expose the true depth of his schemes.

"In any case, Qingyuan’s fall has made me extremely happy.

For someone so young to possess such methods and courage, Divine Sky True Monarch, your future is limitless.

I invited you here today, first, to congratulate you. And second..."

Her tone shifted, her gaze becoming serious and profound. "I wanted to get to know you. There are few True Monarchs in the Primordial Sect who have ever caught my eye, but you are one of them. In the future, we may well find ourselves needing to watch each other’s backs."

Reaching the Golden Core Realm with the accumulation of a single lifetime, at Xu Yunfan’s speed... the only other person to manage that was Ancestral Master Chunyang of the Wansheng Sword Sect, a thousand years ago.

Xu Yunfan thought to himself, ’This business of "getting to know" me certainly got a little... intimate.’

He maintained a polite smile, cupped his hands, and said, "I am honored by your high praise, True Monarch. I have only just entered the Golden Core Realm and am still unfamiliar with many of the Sect’s affairs. Should I encounter any difficulties in the future, I will certainly need to ask for guidance from a senior like yourself."

After a round of what appeared to be amicable but was in fact calculated flattery, Xu Yunfan finally steered the conversation toward his most pressing concern. "True Monarch, you just mentioned watching each other’s backs, and I am deeply grateful for the sentiment.

To be honest, although I was lucky enough to reach the Golden Core Realm, this stage is profound and mysterious. I’m completely at a loss as to how to continue my Cultivation—how to nourish my Golden Core, evolve a Grotto Heaven, and even glimpse higher Realms.

The Sect’s records are vague on these matters, and as for the Wansheng Sword Sect..."

He shook his head. "I’m sure you are aware of my awkward situation. I wonder if you could offer some guidance, True Monarch? After the Golden Core Realm, where does the path forward lie?"

His gaze was intense, filled with sincere earnestness.

Xu Yunfan was certain True Monarch Dong Ming hadn’t invited him over just to thank him and flirt. She definitely wanted something, so it was only natural for him to take this opportunity to make a request of his own.

A glint flashed deep in True Monarch Dong Ming’s eyes, as if she had expected this all along.

She lazily adjusted her posture, her long fingers tapping lightly on the black jade desk, producing a crisp sound. A meaningful smile spread across her face.

"An excellent question, Divine Sky True Monarch. After the Golden Core Realm comes the evolution of the Grotto Heaven, following the Daoist Natural Law. This involves the secrets of the Origin of Heaven and Earth; it is the very foundation of our existence as True Monarchs and the root of our Longevity. A single sentence of such a True Inheritance is worth more than a family library of ten thousand volumes..."

She drew out her words, her expression feigning difficulty.

"This is all precious experience I have obtained through countless years of personal exploration, spending immense effort, taking innumerable wrong turns, and even paying no small price to finally comprehend it.

So, Divine Sky True Monarch, what do you think I should ask for in return?"

’So her true intentions are revealed.’

Xu Yunfan sneered inwardly, but his expression remained impassive.

He had known all along that she would have conditions.

He leaned forward slightly in a posture of rapt attention and asked in return, "What guidance do you have, True Monarch Dong Ming? Please, speak freely. As long as it is within my capabilities and does not violate my fundamental principles, we can certainly negotiate."

He deliberately emphasized "within my capabilities" and "does not violate my fundamental principles," which served both to state his position and to draw his bottom line.

’In the Divine Martial Realm, things might have been different. But now, having been ’baptized’ by the Primordial Sect, my bottom line is quite flexible,’ Xu Yunfan thought to himself.

The smile on True Monarch Dong Ming’s face widened, as she seemed very pleased with Xu Yunfan’s shrewdness.

"You are a straightforward person, Divine Sky True Monarch. I don’t ask for much. I require only one thing: the detailed coordinates of the Aitira Realm, and all the information you have about it."

’The Aitira Great Realm. So that’s what this was all about.’

Xu Yunfan’s eyebrow twitched. Though he had anticipated this, he was still somewhat surprised.

’Back then, only Ye Xuan knew about it. Given True Monarch Qingyuan’s selfish nature, he would never have shared the coordinates.’

’So how did True Monarch Dong Ming find out?’

His mind raced, but he suppressed his doubts.

’Before his fall, True Monarch Qingyuan had been entangled with the Three Great Main Gods in that very realm, while I was there harvesting Divine Origin to forge my Immortal Golden Nature.’

’Sect Leader Zhang Ziyang did say that if we could draw another True Monarch-Level existence into the fray, it would stir up an even greater storm, making it easier to fish in troubled waters.’

’True Monarch Dong Ming coming to me of her own accord fits this plan perfectly.’

’Besides, to trade coordinate information that isn’t exclusively mine—and is bound to attract the covetous eyes of other True Monarchs anyway—for crucial guidance on my future path... this deal is more than worth it.’

He barely hesitated before nodding decisively. "Alright. It’s a deal."

A flash of triumphant delight, mixed with appreciation for his decisiveness, passed through True Monarch Dong Ming’s eyes.

"Excellent!"

She swept her slender hand over the desk, and a black Jade Scroll covered in profound, flowing Runes appeared before Xu Yunfan.

"This contains some of my insights into cultivating in the Early-Stage Golden Core Realm, specifically on how to stabilize a Grotto Heaven, nurture its Origin, and guide its initial evolution.

You may inspect it first, Divine Sky True Monarch. Consider it a down payment. Once you inscribe the coordinates and details of the Aitira Realm onto the other side of this Jade Scroll, I will naturally impart to you the more profound Dharma Gates that follow—including the insights for Grotto Heaven Lifting in the Middle Stage of Golden Core, how to nurture and grow the Dao Fruit, and even the crucial comprehensions needed to touch upon the secrets of the Nascent Soul Realm."

’Nascent Soul Dao Embryo?’

Xu Yunfan chose to ignore True Monarch Dong Ming’s final, grand promise. ’It would be a blessing if even half the contents of this Jade Scroll are real.’

As a Primordial Sect Disciple, he knew all too well that these True Monarchs were especially fond of setting traps for others.

He picked up the black Jade Scroll. It was cool to the touch and felt as if it could pull at his very Divine Soul. He extended his Divine Thought into it.

Just as he expected, while the information within wasn’t a complete inheritance, it went straight to the core of cultivating in the Early-Stage Golden Core Realm—precisely the knowledge he craved most.

Skipping over the specific Cultivation Techniques, Xu Yunfan went directly to the descriptions of how to use the Golden Core as a nucleus to nourish the Grotto Heaven Embryo, how to draw upon the Heaven and Earth Laws to temper the Grotto Heaven’s walls, and how to comprehend Origin to strengthen the Golden Core’s primordial qi.