At this moment, he was already cutting off all retreats, forcing himself to the edge of a cliff—success or failure, it all rested on this moment!
He seated himself steadily on the stone, turned his gaze inward to the Qi Sea, and first drew out the creamy Hidden Marrow from within the Central Mansion. Dropping it onto the Elixir Seed, after slight circulation, it was entirely absorbed into the seed.
Then, the Elixir Seed spun once and immediately drew in that mass of True Fire. Moments later, the gate to the Upper Mansion opened slightly, triggering the Thunder Radiance into a frolic. A bolt of electric snake descended eagerly, striking fiercely at the Elixir Seed, as if it intended to shatter it in one blow.
This Thunder Radiance was meant for refining the elixir. In external thunder baths, it revealed no imposing power, but within his body, it was overwhelmingly ferocious and tyrannical.
Under this strike of Thunder Radiance, the Elixir Seed trembled slightly. The previously bright surface cracked in several places, spilling out its True Fire. Even its shine dimmed somewhat.
Zhang Yan, however, remained unflustered. He drew the Sixty-Year Four-Season Water up from the Lower Mansion and poured it into the Elixir Seed. With the nourishing clarity of this spirit water, the True Fire cooled, and the seed regained a touch of luster. The cracks gradually showed signs of healing.
At this point, he activated the Golden Core again, continuously absorbing the surrounding Essence Qi and Spiritual Truth. Not long after, he opened the mansion gates once more, guiding another Thunder Radiance to descend. Through repeated tempering , after an unknown amount of time, his body suddenly shuddered lightly as a glimmer was born from the Lower Mansion and slowly floated upward.
Zhang Yan understood at once—this was the Celestial Essence. Without hesitation, he carefully manipulated the Elixir Seed and absorbed it into the core.
With the integration of this material, the previously visible cracks on the Elixir’s surface now became as fine as spider silk, almost imperceptible at first glance.
After a short while, he suddenly felt a tremor in the Upper Mansion. A gust of Clear Qi burst forth like the wind.
This wind was ferocious beyond compare, surging wildly in all directions, as if desperately wanting to break out from his body. It seemed poised to splinter his form, and no matter how he tried to seal and blockade it, it stubbornly sought to escape through his acupoints to the outside world.
Zhang Yan’s expression remained unchanged. He had encountered such situations not fewer than hundreds of times within the Broken Jade and knew how to handle them. Hence, he was utterly calm, activating the God Contract Mysterious Skill. Instantly, his body became as firm as gold and iron, wholly integrated as one.
The No-leak Wind, finding no outlet, wandered aimlessly for a while before seeming to locate its destined resting place. It began to attach itself to the Elixir Seed.
Zhang Yan had been waiting for this moment. Manipulating the Elixir Seed with a single tremor, this wind was absorbed into the core just like the Celestial Essence from before.
With the acquisition of these two components, the Golden Core instantly turned dazzlingly brilliant. Its radiance burned bright and round, and the fine cracks began to close gradually.
But at this critical juncture, if the final medicine still failed to appear, once the cracks fully sealed, the core would form an utterly flawless Second Grade Golden Core. Yet, the Heart Fire was still nowhere to be found.
At this climactic moment, Zhang Yan felt his Spirit Platform clear and pristine. Memories of his cultivation journey played out before his eyes, then faded to nothingness, leaving only a vast expanse of emptiness. Gradually, he seemed to sense that there was a vast net within the heavens and earth enshrouding him, preventing him from taking that next step. At this vital moment, a surge of determination erupted in his heart: "Even if you are the Heavenly Prison or Earth Cage, you will not stop me from achieving my Dao!"
His indomitable will transformed into an indestructible resolve that vowed to cleave the heavens. In a flash, it shattered the bonds restraining him. Suddenly, a cluster of Bright Fire ignited in his heart, emitting boundless light that surged toward the Elixir Seed. The fire scorched it intensely, sealing the cracks on the core fully. In that instant, Zhang Yan felt his mind quake as a misty vapor boiled and surged through his body’s meridians and acupoints before finally calming down.
When he withdrew his Qi and opened his eyes, he saw before him a perfectly pure, utterly translucent Elixir Fruit within his abdomen, as radiant as glazed tile.
Zhang Yan let out a hearty laugh and chanted aloud:
"Beyond the mountains, seeking medicine tempers the Dao Heart,
At the Two Continent Border, True Nature comprehends."
"Elixir formed—a fruit of golden-red brilliance, like glazed perfection,
Aspiring to ascend far peaks and explore wondrous paths."
"To the west, golden drums summon tiger’s form,
From the east, purple clouds leap with dragon’s roar."
"Someday I’ll overturn the Golden Furnace Tripod,
And rise through ten thousand, eighty thousand clouds!"
Finishing his chant, he flicked his sleeves and stirred his Golden Core, transforming into a stream of mist-like smoke that traversed across countless mountains and rivers, piercing straight into the Nine Heavens Cloud.
...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)