Edited by: VindiFan#1
Proofreader: Arya
Right at the most important moment for Gu Qing Shan, right as he was waiting for the Tianma to get close enough, the Earth Sword suddenly attacked by itself.
He couldn’t believe it.
Gu Qing Shan’s thoughts quickly cleared up.
Right, this must be the weapon protecting its master ——-so Earth Sword had a sword spirit from the very start!
Unlike the damaged sword now lodged inside the wall, the Earth Sword floated silently next to him and protected him.
Then a deep echoing voice came from the Earth Sword: 「 Focus your mind on breaking through 」
Gu Qing Shan quickly removed his surprise from his mind, once again returning to a state of breaking through.
Right, this is a very crucial moment.
Everything can be saved for after he broke through.
Gu Qing Shan silently circulated Hundred Saints Core Formation Script and started breaking through to Golden Core realm.
Everything went very smoothly, unbelievably smooth.
Ever since his battle with the Pope, Gu Qing Shan has felt himself reaching the perfected circle of Foundation Establishment.
The only reason he didn’t breakthrough before is purely due to being heavily wounded.
Right now that the situation is dire and his body already recovered to its peak, it’s the exact time to breakthrough and gain more power!
Gu Qing Shan’s spirit energy has already saturated; his mental state was also the best it could be.
Inside the slightly red glowing cave tunnel, a blinding, immense blue light started to gather, giving birth to a change in quality.
The blue light started to change into a bright white lightning spirit energy, manifested as snakes that flew around Gu Qing Shan.
As time passed, more and more lightning manifested as lightning snakes, circling all around the tunnel.
Suddenly, Gu Qing Shan opened his eyes and made a hand seal: “Merge!”
All the snakes returned, gathered into one and turned into a lightning wyvern.
The lightning wyvern circled in the air, then came roaring down, straight into the top of Gu Qing Shan’s head.
This is called a spirit manifestation, signaling a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator reaching his absolute peak.
The Golden Core isn’t actually a spherical pill.
At Golden Core realm, the cultivator’s spirit energy begins to stop being a vague gathering of energy, instead slowly awakening, becoming a personalized avatar.
These personalized avatars are called spirit manifestation.
A spirit manifestation is much stronger than normal spirit energy, not only can you release it to attack your enemies, it can also form a personal shield, used as a catalyst for Smithing, Pill crafting, Divination, formation arrangement.
Being able to form the spirit manifestation isn’t very hard, being able to do this much means you’ve already half-broken through.
After that, the main problem is to put the overwhelming spirit manifestation into your Dantian.
If you’re able to put the entire spirit manifestation into your Dantian and not die, instead being able to call it out and put it back in as will, you will have officially broken through to Golden Core realm.
But this is an exceptionally dangerous process, because it can easily damage the Dantian.
Many cultivators straight up die at this stage.
But even more of them heavily wound their Dantian, unable to attempt breaking through again for a few years while waiting for their Dantian to recover.
Gu Qing Shan very carefully took in the spirit manifestation bit by bit, refining it.
Even if he fully comprehends and knows the method to Hundred Saints Core Formation, he still needs to be extra careful during this process.
At this time, a demonic-faced monster poked its head out.
The monster emitted a grand presence, enough to dye the red glowing walls of the tunnel black.
It stared at Gu Qing Shan while drooling.
『 What alluring flesh… 』
Before it could finish, the Earth Sword flashed.
The monster let out a scream and got poked to death.
The presence in the air disappeared.
The Earth Sword flew back, protecting Gu Qing Shan in front of him.
Gu Qing Shan was still refining the manifestation.
A few moments later.
More and more eerie sounds began to appear, screeching, scratching, discussing, drooling, ripping, chewing, crying, cursing… too many to count, too varied to make out properly.
The Earth Sword flew up, circled around in the air while emitting an invisible presence.
A voice heavy as mountain echoed from the Earth Sword around.
「 Malicious demons and monsters, come any closer and you SHALL die! 」
Hoh!
The wind rose up.
The invisible presence began to form actual hurricane wind, screaming as it rushed through the tunnel.
In the next moment, the hurricane dissipated, everything became silent again, as no more sounds came from the air.
The Earth Sword finally flew back to where Gu Qing Shan was.
Time quickly passed.
A phantom dragon suddenly appeared on Gu Qing Shan’s back.
The phantom was emitting a blinding Lightning glow.
The refining has reached its final stage.
Gu Qing Shan was unfazed, already becoming so focused he lost track of everything else.
He enveloped the phantom dragon with his inner sight, felt it, then quickly and carefully refined it.
As the phantom dragon slowly disappeared bit by bit, Gu Qing Shan’s presence also became stronger bit by bit.
When the last of the phantom dragon disappeared, Gu Qing Shan’s spirit energy shot up by a large margin.
A crack suddenly opened in space.
Gu Qing Shan felt himself leaving his body, being pulled into the chaotic vortex.
A mysterious force was guiding him, pulling him in a certain direction.
On the way, he saw and noticed all sorts of strange things.
A giant tortoise of time that’s even bigger than a mountain, pulling a small island while slowly moving through the space-time vortex.
Dozens of beautifully wild Tianma were controlling a colorful flower, singing a charming song while moving through a shining gate.
A soul, just like how he was right now, with an expression of fear was being pulled into a giant vortex, then disappeared without a trace.
Gu Qing Shan could even see a giant black lighthouse, slowly moving across the space-time vortex.
As Gu Qing Shan flew, he felt the similar feeling again.
Instinctively, he knew he has entered the bronze pillar world again.
Inside the space-time vortex, there’s no concept of time, so Gu Qing Shan didn’t know just how long he drifted, but suddenly the force pulling him increased.
The force felt like a downstream water current, enveloping him, pushing him forward into an unknown world.
A flash in Gu Qing Shan’s eyes, then a giant pillar appeared in front of him.
The bronze pillar.
It really was the bronze pillar again!
A giant bronze pillar that connected heaven and earth, both ends unseen.
A 10-story tall corpse was pinned on the bronze pillar.
The corpse was hanging its head, wearing a jet black full plate armor, and seems to have died numerous years before.
Under the corpse was a world full of black skeletons.
The skeletons were trying everything they could to climb the bronze pillar.
It’s obvious that they were targeting the corpse.
“Long time no see” Gu Qing Shan said.
“It hasn’t been that long, it’s only been 1 minute where I am” the corpse inside the black armor responded.
“The question from last time, you didn’t finish answering, I need that answer” Gu Qing Shan said.
“Ah, that question. You saw how it was yourself, as soon as I tell you, the Apocalyptic Lightning will strike me”
The corpse changed the subject and asked: “Do you remember our deal?”
“If one day I become strong enough, I will definitely save you” Gu Qing Shan answered.
“That’s good” the corpse’s tone was a bit satisfied, “as a mutual deal, I will answer your question, but it has to be later”
“Why?”
“Because if I start talking about that, I will have to endure the punishment, my powers aren’t enough to keep you here for long”
The corpse stopped for a bit, then said something expected: “You have the scent of another world on you, are you currently at war?”
“Yeah, I’m currently on a different world” Gu Qing Shan answered.
“Sure enough, the struggle between worlds has and always will be mutual dispute” the corpse sighed.
Gu Qing Shan was thinking about something so he ignored it and quickly asked: “If a Sainted realm cultivator felt their own omen of death, would that omen definitely come true?”
The corpse answered: “The stronger an existence is, when they have a premonition, the more likely the premonition is to become true”
The corpse continued: “Sainted realm, they can already start to actively peer into the river of fate and see a glance of their own future”
“You mean; it will definitely become true?” Gu Qing Shan still didn’t give up and asked further.
“Not definitely, but there’s an 80-90% chance for it to be true”
“Are there any ways to escape it?”
The corpse stopped for a bit, then said: “Just look at me, I’m at least ten thousand times stronger than a Sainted realm, but even I couldn’t escape from the signs foretold”
Gu Qing Shan went into silent.
The corpse continued: “However, it’s not like there’s absolutely no way to do it”
Gu Qing Shan quickly asked: “Then what should I do?”
The corpse started to speak deprecatingly: “Let’s take me for example, the signs have told me of the future, but there’s no way for me to change it, because I didn’t have anyone to help me”
“As strong as I am, I don’t have even a single friend, and that’s why I fell to the place where I am today”
“All you need is a helper? It can’t be that simple” Gu Qing Shan was a bit unconvinced.
The corpse spoke: “This is similar to a powerful current in a flowing river, at the moment where you’re about to be pulled under, someone else has to give you a push for you to be able to escape the predetermined path”
“At the most crucial moment, the most crucial push might be able to change the omens of death”
“But you have to remember, the person that gave the push will definitely pay a heavy price”
“What heavy price? A life for a life?”
“No, not necessarily, there’s no way to determine just what the heavy price will be, but something unpredictable will definitely happen at an unexpected place”
The corpse then added: “I truly hope the one giving the push will not be you, because you’re still too weak, you won’t be able to survive a lot of serious matters”
“…I understand”
Gu Qing Shan carved the corpse’s words deeply into his mind.
