Jade Mining Mountain Base.
Zhou Mingde, Zhou Daoyi, and Zhou Chun, three Purple Mansion Phase Cultivators of the Zhou Family, gathered here, joining Zhou Daoquan, who was already stationed at the base. Lin Hongyu invited them into her dwelling.
Inside the dwelling, Lin Hongyu was dressed in a long red palace gown. Though she appeared a bit haggard and tired, the joy in her was obvious to all.
She knew fully well why the Zhou Family's Purple Mansion Phase Cultivators had come together and didn't mind showing off her newly-crafted Lifebound Dharma Treasure.
With a slight parting of her lips, a red blaze shot forth from her mouth, landing in her raised hand and revealing itself to be a fiery red ring-shaped Dharma Treasure with an unusual design.
This ring-shaped Dharma Treasure consisted of two concentric circles: the outer ring bore curled sharp edges, while the inner ring was plain, and both were engraved with dragon scale-like patterns.
"This is the Lifebound Dharma Treasure 'Flame Dragon Ring' I've crafted following the instructions from my Cultivation Technique. Its primary material is Flame Core Iron from the Earth Fire Magma, combined with materials like Iron Essence and Copper Essence to enhance its power; it can compete with bladed artifacts and also protect its wielder," she explained.
"Moreover, under my command, it can unleash the 'Flame Dragon True Fire,' which can scorch mountains and boil seas. Even average Golden Core Stage Cultivators would be seriously injured if touched by this fire."
Lin Hongyu proudly asserted, "With this treasure in hand, I have the confidence to combat even a Flood Dragon of my tier!"
She indeed was lucky to incorporate materials like Iron Essence and Copper Essence to enhance her Dharma Treasure's power during its crafting.
Typically, Golden Core Stage Cultivators lacking solid foundations can barely gather enough Spirit Materials to craft their Lifebound Dharma Treasure and then slowly accumulate wealth to find such Spiritual Objects to boost its power.
As a result, their newly-crafted Lifebound Dharma Treasures tend to be ordinary in terms of power.
Having heard her explanation, Zhou Mingde didn't beat around the bush and directly asked, "Taoist Friend Lin, may we witness the power of your treasure?"
"Of course, let's find a place outside to test it!" Lin Hongyu answered with a gentle smile, storing her Dharma Treasure and leading the Zhou Family's Purple Mansion Cultivators out of the Jade Mining Mountain Base.
The group flew out for hundreds of miles from the base and arrived at a mountain range.
Lin Hongyu casually pointed at a mountain below and suggested, "We can use that peak for target practice."
Zhou Chun followed her gaze and saw that the designated peak stood four to five hundred zhang tall from its base to its summit, with a circumference of twenty to thirty li.
If he were the one to act, even with all his might, he might only manage to level the mountaintop, carving deep crevices into the mountain's body.
Toppling such a majestic mountain seemed out of the question.
However, Lin Hongyu simply presented her 'Flame Dragon Ring,' which enlarged into a huge fire hoop tens of zhang in diameter, hovering above the summit.
"Change!" she shouted, manipulating her spell with her hands.
The massive fire hoop blazed fiercely, even taking on the life-like form of a flaming dragon.
At Lin Hongyu's gesture, the fire dragon plunged down, striking the mountain beneath it.
Boom! The sounds of the mountain collapsing and the earth splitting thundered through the wilderness, sending countless animals fleeing in panic, and birds scattering in the sky.
The center of the destruction spewed up clouds of dust and thick smoke, obscuring the sky for dozens of miles around.
The intense Flame Dragon True Fire turned rock and soil into magma, which flowed downward.
The spreading heat instantly charred the nearby vegetation to ash and caused even the rocks to crack under the intense heat.
To the naked eye, the mountain that had once stood hundreds of zhang tall was now less than a hundred zhang high. All living things on it, whether beasts, reptiles, plants, or trees, were reduced to ash by the Flame Dragon True Fire.
Such a sight left Zhou Chun and the others dumbfounded and incredibly shocked.
Not that they were without their own experiences; they had seen Golden Core Stage Cultivator battles during the southern campaigns.
But because the power exerted by the Golden Core Stage Cultivators often canceled each other out and the battlefields were mostly high in the sky, the visual impact was nothing compared to the shock of Lin Hongyu's mountain-shattering display.
Looking at their astounded reactions, Lin Hongyu smiled faintly, not at all surprised.
As one advances on the path of cultivation, the gap in strength between major realms becomes much greater.
This turning point is at the Golden Core Stage.
Because Golden Core Stage Cultivators can wield Dharma Treasures, whose power, when wielded by a Golden Core Stage Cultivator, is more than tenfold stronger than a third-tier Magic Artifact used by a Purple Mansion Phase Cultivator.
A Golden Core Stage Cultivator with a Dharma Treasure can easily slaughter a Purple Mansion Phase Cultivator—a qualitative gap!
Of course, Dharma Treasures also vary in power.
Lin Hongyu's 'Flame Dragon Ring' was made with extremely high-quality materials and techniques, making its power incomparable to ordinary Dharma Treasures.
It's because Dharma Treasures are so powerful that crafting a Lifebound Dharma Treasure is the top priority for every Cultivator upon forming their Golden Core.
The difference in strength between a Golden Core Stage Cultivator with and without a Lifebound Dharma Treasure is immensely vast.
Prior to obtaining her Lifebound Dharma Treasure, Lin Hongyu felt somewhat insecure despite having formed her Golden Core.