Chapter 50

Chapter 50: Core Condensation

A few days later…

In the dead of night, Meng Chuan sat cross-legged on his bed . Moonlight shone onto his body through the window .

My Lightning Divine Body is completely perfected . I can now attempt to condense my core . Meng Chuan was filled with anticipation .

Mortal cultivation had five major realms .

The realm with the slowest progress and expended the most cultivation resources was the Mortal Shedding realm . This was when a person began shedding one’s mortal coils and gradually possessed Godfiend powers . During this process, one would need to consume a large number of supplements like lucidum or ginseng pills to support the expenditure . For instance, even with the Meng family providing him a limitless supply of supplements, it took him nearly three years before he completed the shedding process .

For those who were not wealthy enough—without sufficient supplements to allow their bodies to undergo a mortal shedding—their body’s transformation would be slow . It was normal for them to spend ten to twenty years . Furthermore, they would be “malnourished . ” Their physical bodies and Quintessential Energy would also be weaker than experts of the same level .

The Zhou family—the instigator of the Idle Stone Garden battle—had given a thousand-year-old ginseng that was worth ten thousand taels to Meng Chuan as an apology gift . It was meant for their young master when he underwent his Mortal Shedding cultivation . This was a testament to how expensive cultivation was in the Mortal Shedding realm . Many Mortal Shedding experts took up jobs as guards and subordinates to earn resources for their cultivation .

If they were talented, the family clan would view them in a different light .

For example, Meng Chuan and Yan Jin not only had sufficient resources, but they also had all kinds of natural treasures to establish their Godfiend foundation .

For Mei Yuanzhi, he was groomed by the Dao Academy and the Godfiend families, allowing him to complete his Mortal Shedding in three years . However, they couldn’t provide him rare treasures that could establish a strong Godfiend foundation . Mei Yuanzhi’s talent was still a little lacking in the end, and he failed to enter Archean Mountain . If he had the talent of King Calm Sea’s fifth son, he would have been recruited by Archean Mountain and groomed tremendously even if he were a commoner .

On the contrary, the Seamless realm expended the least .

As long as one broke through to the Seamless realm, they just needed a few months of preparation to reach the mortal body’s pinnacle . There was no point in cultivating any further once this happened . If one wished to improve their body further, they had to become a Godfiend!

Using Quintessential Energy to condense a core . That’s the final threshold before the Life-and-Death juncture . Meng Chuan’s eyes were filled with anticipation .

Eastcalm Prefecture only had three Core Condensation experts .

But in the past few decades, almost all of the geniuses who had appeared in Eastcalm Prefecture had fought in wars to accumulate contribution credits . A few of them had succeeded in condensing a core .

For example, Fairy Meng had become an outer sect disciple of Archean Mountain . She had been fighting outside all this while . Her teammates were all equally talented as her, and almost all of them had succeeded in condensing a core . They worked hard together to accumulate credits in exchange for a chance to attempt the Life-and-Death juncture . Fairy Meng had managed to obtain a chance to enter the Godfiend Blood Pool and attempt a breakthrough after she had enough credits . Failure meant death . She succeeded and absorbed the powers within the Godfiend Blood Pool to become a true Godfiend . But most of her companions—those who had already successfully condensed a core—died in battle while accumulating credit . They didn’t even have the chance to enter the Godfiend Blood Pool .

There were only two people who made an attempt . Only Fairy Meng succeeded .

Mei Yuanzhi would take a similar path . The path to becoming a Godfiend was that difficult . If he couldn’t enter Archean Mountain, he could only work hard and accumulate credit for a chance to enter the Godfiend Blood Pool .

The three Core Condensation experts in Eastcalm Prefecture, such as Yun Fucheng stayed in the prefecture to live peaceful lives because they no longer had any hope of becoming Godfiends . Those who still had hope remained on the battlefield .

With the body seamless, Quintessential Energy will condense into a core . That’s just one prerequisite for becoming a Godfiend . The sooner I succeed, the better . Meng Chuan closed his eyes . It’s time .

Inside his dantian, concentrated Quintessential Energy gathered . After a mortal body reached the peak, the Quintessential Energy in one’s dantian would reach maximum concentration .

Arise!

The thick, mist-like Quintessential Energy began to fuse with Meng Chuan’s Force . The wisps of Quintessential Energy fused with Saber Force . It allowed Quintessential Energy to undergo a qualitative change . The prerequisite for condensing a core required the comprehension of Force .

Wisps of Quintessential Energy condensed into saber lights that were much denser than before . They began to revolve and gather in the center like countless small fish .

Condense! Condense!

Meng Chuan put his all into controlling the Quintessential Energy, compressing it with full force . The more compressed it was, the better . Once the density reached a certain level, it would completely change .

As the revolutions and pressure continued, some of the saber light in the innermost region began to wear away and was squeezed into a ball .

Revolution, compression, condensation!

One’s Saber Force had to be strong enough before one had a chance of successfully condensing the core . Otherwise, it would disperse . Many experts who had comprehended Force were unable to condense a core for the rest of their lives .

Meng Chuan had comprehended Saber Force at the age of 16 . In the past two years, he had been cultivating arduously every day . He had also cultivated the remnant moves of the Lightning Devastator Saber and had improved tremendously . This was how he could suppress Yan Jin without using his Power of the Soul .

His Saber Force was quite strong .

Boom!

After his Quintessential Energy revolved for over an hour, Meng Chuan heard a rumbling sound from his dantian . Saber lights and Quintessential Energy swirled around for a long time before finally turning into a tiny sphere . This was also known as the Essence Core . The Essence Core was white in color, and his Quintessential Energy had been completely converted into Quintessential Essence . The power of Quintessential Essence was much greater .

The same move, but with Quintessential Essence complementing the body, could unleash greater strength and speed, making it far more powerful .

I succeeded! Meng Chuan opened his eyes and smiled . He extended his finger .

Chi! Chi! Chi!

Lightning danced across his finger tips .

“After condensing a core, I can finally release lightning,” Meng Chuan muttered softly . Previously, the lightning within his body could only increase the speed of circulation . Now, he could release it to affect the enemy .

If he were to become a Godfiend, he could blast out lightning with a wave of his hand! It would be normal for him to transform into lightning to travel .

There’s one final step left to becoming a Godfiend—the Life-and-Death Juncture .

Disciples of Archean Mountain didn’t need to risk their lives to accumulate credit, but they had to be absolutely confident before they entered the Godfiend Blood Pool .

As for Fairy Meng, Mei Yuanzhi, and others who were lacking in talent, they needed to accumulate credit to exchange for opportunities . However, even if they were not fully confident, they could still attempt to make a breakthrough . This was because it was an opportunity they had risked their lives for .

From the standpoint of the human race, it was better not to waste precious resources like the Godfiend Blood Pool on those with low hopes of success .

But sometimes, people needed to be given hope!

When breaking through in the Godfiend Blood Pool, I will be struck by lightning because I have a Lightning Divine Body . My Life-and-Death juncture will be extremely difficult . I need to make even more preparations .

Standing in front of the window and staring out at the bright moon, Meng Chuan was still in a good mood .

He had sworn an oath when he was six . Now, he was getting closer and closer to becoming a Godfiend .

…

The days in Eastcalm Prefecture were very peaceful . Many people within the city began to discuss the upcoming Demon-Slaying Meet that was held once every three years! The last time, Meng Chuan and Yan Jin had shone the brightest . Now that both elites had already gained insights into Force, what would happen this time?

“I heard that the Wind Center Dao Academy has a disciple named Zhang Fan . He figured out the secret technique at seventeen . The Zhang family has produced another powerful figure . ”

“That’s nothing . The Blazing Sun Dao Academy has a female archer named Liu Qiyue . She’s not from a Godfiend family clan either . She realized the secret technique at sixteen . Her talent is even greater . She should be the most impressive at this Demon-Slaying Meet . ”

“Have you forgotten? I heard that this year, both Young Masters Meng Chuan and Yan Jin will be last to go on stage . ”

“Young Master Yan Jin is truly formidable . He has defeated three Core Condensation experts . Young Master Meng Chuan also comprehended Force at the same time . He is also quite impressive . ”

“I did hear that Young Master Yan Jin has visited Mirror Lake Meng Manor many times, but he has never won . ”

In the tea house at night, the people were chatting very excitedly . Some people in Eastcalm Prefecture were drinking in restaurants or having fun at brothels, while ordinary people had gone to bed early .

And at this moment—

Fifty feet beneath Eastcalm Prefecture, land began to twist and distort . Some of the dirt and rocks were reduced to dust . On the other side of the distorted region, there was a mountain, and a giant bird hundreds of feet wide flying in the sky . Soon, a black beam rose up from a distant mountain, landing near this distorted area . It was a black ape carrying a staff .

The black ape looked towards the distorted space, a savage look in its eyes .