Chapter 310: Five Elements Annihilation Sword

In the Universal Manor, Li Fan appeared to be in his usual secluded cultivation, sitting quietly. In reality, earth-shattering changes were occurring within his body.

The black-and-white Golden Core swallowed all the different kinds of energy within the Dantian vortex, strengthening itself. As time passed, the vortex gradually shrank, while the Golden Core became increasingly solid and agile. Its shape grew more rounded, and the black and white colors on its surface flowed more rapidly.

When the vortex was completely devoured, and black and white finally merged into one at this extreme speed, a wave of energy erupted from the Golden Core. It instantly swept through the Dantian, then spread throughout Li Fan's entire body. Wherever the wave passed, all the chaotic energies remaining in various parts of his body from the Core Formation process vanished. All turmoil subsided.

The wave swept around and rapidly returned, carrying with it the spiritual energy distributed throughout his body, as well as the Calamity Body in his Dantian used to store cultivation. The cluster of light formed by Huan Zhen also followed this wave, transforming into a wisp of clear light and embedding itself within the Golden Core.

With the final piece of the puzzle complete, Li Fan's Golden Core was finally fully formed. The Golden Core instantly became absolutely still, then emitted a dazzling light that illuminated his entire body, even interrupting Li Fan's internal vision.

The light gradually receded. When Li Fan looked again, he saw a seemingly ordinary, unadorned Golden Core quietly floating in his Dantian. Before Li Fan could even react with emotion, vast spiritual energy surged forth from this Golden Core, flowing from his Dantian throughout his limbs and bones. This was a completely new power, far surpassing that of the Foundation Establishment stage in both quality and quantity.

Every cell in his body, nourished by the spiritual energy of the Golden Core stage, seemed to let out a joyous cheer. A long-lost sense of vitality and youth emerged within Li Fan.

"Through countless hardships and close calls with death," he mused, "today I have finally achieved the Golden Core stage. It was hard-won, truly a stroke of luck."

Li Fan sighed inwardly, then opened the Huan Zhen panel to check the changes after his Core Formation.

Name: Li FanRealm: Early Golden CorePhysical Age: 48/599Mental Age: 1240/4200↑Void Transformation Charging Progress: 200%Anchoring Charging Progress: 2%Current Anchor Points: 3Current Available Anchors: 0Bound Items: "Thousand Machine Jade Sky Golden Tome", Taiyan Boat, Stopped Stele (Damaged), Ten Thousand Person Essence Blood, Dao Transformation StoneCultivation Methods: Xuanhuang Heart Refining Chant, Cloud Water Illusory Dream Art, Heaven-Stealing Earth-Changing Technique, Creation Smelting Furnace Art, Thousand Machine Jade Sky Golden Tome, Mountain Sitting Art, Spirit Thought Illusion ArtDivine Abilities: Cycle of Life and Death, Formless Killing Intent, Binding Insect, Clustered Cloud One Sword, Heaven-Overturning PalmSpecial: Eternal Reminiscence (Tian Yang) (Usages: 1)

"My lifespan has suddenly increased from 400 to 600 years, nearly a fifty percent increase. My mental age cap has also started to grow again," Li Fan noted. "The difference in cultivation accumulation between Golden Core and Foundation Establishment is indeed vast. I had originally thought that the cultivation from the several Calamity Bodies I accumulated would push me directly to the Mid-Golden Core stage after Core Formation. Now, the progress is just past one-third... Perhaps this is also due to my forcibly forming the core using the Nine Methods."

"A Nine-Method Golden Core is naturally incomparable to an ordinary one." Recalling the recent Core Formation process, Li Fan had to admit that his success this time involved a degree of luck. The Five Elements power was merely something he hastily cobbled together. The power of Water and Fire was far greater than that of Metal, Wood, and Earth. This led to the operation of the Five Elements power being less harmonious and smooth. Instead, it constantly showed signs of losing control, almost causing him to fail.

"Fortunately, the final result was good; I managed to form a Golden Core of decent power."

Now that the Golden Core was formed, it was one with Li Fan. Li Fan naturally had a clear understanding of its various wondrous uses. The Nine Core Formation Methods, and even all the functions of Huan Zhen as a Foundation Establishment wonder, were now entirely contained within this Golden Core. From now on, when Li Fan uses Five Elements spells, he will wield them as easily as an arm, and they will receive a certain degree of enhancement, with the effects of Water and Fire being particularly prominent.

The Five Elements would generate each other, endlessly. His sustained combat ability would be many times stronger than even Lian Henzhi's back then. Li Fan was confident that if he were to return to a spirit energy-depleted Immortal Desolation Land now, he could sustain himself for a considerable period purely on his internal spirit energy, even while constantly expending it in combat. Furthermore, the existence of the Secret Treasury method would allow Li Fan to recover from his injuries at an extremely rapid pace. With these two combined, Li Fan had almost become an unkillable, indestructible being.

The Azure Flame Illusion Spirit had vanished, no longer residing in his sea of consciousness. It had become part of the Golden Core's principles. Now, Li Fan could enter that state of absolute rationality at any time without relying on the Azure Flame Illusion Spirit.

As for the final Heavenly Fiend and Ink Kill... at the moment of achieving the Golden Core, Li Fan inexplicably gained an insight, conceiving a killing move that fused the characteristics of both. Using the power of the Five Elements as its core drive, and the destructive power of Heavenly Fiend and Ink Kill as its sharp edge, combined with the indomitable spirit and guaranteed hits of the Twenty-Eight Cloud Swords, Li Fan, in his conception, named it "Grand Five Elements Annihilation Sword."

"Unfortunately, this is my trump card and cannot be easily exposed. This Universal Manor is under heavy surveillance, so I cannot test its effects here." After visualizing the power of this new divine ability, Li Fan reluctantly suppressed his thoughts.

After summarizing his gains, Li Fan also reflected and planned for the future. "The disharmony of the Five Elements must be rectified sooner or later. Otherwise, even if the Golden Core stage is fine, I will surely suffer setbacks when trying to seize that flawless, self-contained Grand Five Elements Grotto-Heaven."

The Heavenly Venerable's new method indeed allows for rapid cultivation. However, upon breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, one will inevitably begin to face the backlash of heaven and earth. Previously, he compared the method of "peering into heaven and earth" to tracing on a canvas. Then, "seizing the essence of heaven and earth" can be seen as forcibly taking precious paintings from a museum full of treasures. Naturally, one must face the countermeasures of the security system.

Li Fan was currently still unclear about the specific details, having only read scattered fragments of information about it before. "Next, I'll cultivate while gathering relevant information."

"Whether it's information on the Grand Five Elements Grotto-Heaven or Five Elements power comparable to Vast Sea and Crimson Flame, neither is easy to obtain. Careful planning is required."

When Li Fan, now at the Golden Core stage, resumed his cultivation, he felt the long-unfamiliar slowness of his progress. He couldn't help but think of Xiao Heng, He Zhenghao, and Su Xiaomei.

"Xiao Heng should be in Shilin Province right now, and Su Xiaomei hasn't emerged from the Chaoyuan Sect ruins yet," he mused. "He Zhenghao has finished his closed training, but it seems he's busy with duties and hasn't had much chance to cultivate. Hmm, they have all already broken through to the Golden Core stage. Further progress won't happen overnight."

"It seems it's time to cultivate some new 'crops'."