Chapter 585: Middle Stage of Golden Core and Domineering Plunder

‘Twenty years…’

A soft sigh echoed through the Secluded Meditation Chamber, which had long been silent.

Chu Mu’s eyes were filled with the weariness of time, a faint Spiritual Radiance still swirling within them. But soon, as his sealed Heart Spirit slowly reconnected with the outside world, all fluctuations subsided, returning to a profound, placid stillness.

He glanced around the Secluded Meditation Chamber. The small space was a complete mess, the floor littered with empty Jade Bottles. There were even some flawless white Elixirs spilled on the ground.

Over the decades, countless Spirit Stones had been shattered. Although he had also been Breathing Spiritual Qi, the Spiritual Qi in the small Secluded Meditation Chamber had grown so dense it was nearly tangible. Between the scattered bottles and jars, one could even see irregular Spiritual Energy Crystals beginning to form.

In other words… Spirit Stones!

Before him, the Cyan Lotus Earth Core Flame still burned brightly. In such a dense Spiritual Qi environment, the flame seemed to have been nourished as well, its color becoming visibly more vivid.

His gaze shifted to the window. The seabed was as dark and gloomy as ever. Even the three Cave Mansions outside remained completely unchanged.

Outside the door, Wangcai was feasting on the carcass of a Demon Beast. Its Tier Three Middle Stage cultivation aura was dense and stable. Clearly, just as Chu Mu had expected, Wangcai had broken through to the Tier Three Middle Stage long ago.

His gaze swept around before finally returning to himself. It was just as he had predicted: with a sufficient foundation and enough resources, it was only a matter of time before his Cultivation Advancement came naturally.

Twenty years. No obstacles, just a natural progression… to the Middle Stage of Golden Core!

In fact, this was much sooner than he had originally anticipated.

He had originally expected it to take around thirty years, perhaps even longer.

After all, given his Spirit Root Talent, the need to consolidate his cultivation foundation would have inevitably drawn out the process, even with abundant resources.

But this period of secluded cultivation had been remarkably smooth, with no obstacles or interruptions whatsoever.

It was smooth sailing all the way to his Cultivation Advancement, right up to this very moment.

Chu Mu closed his eyes, once again carefully sensing every minute change that came with his Cultivation Advancement.

Even though it was only a breakthrough of a single Small Realm, it was undoubtedly a transformative leap for his Essence, Qi, and Spirit. His Immortal Golden Core had clearly reached a new level.

He could vaguely sense that the Essence, Qi, and Spirit gestating within his Golden Core had begun to undergo a subtle, natural transformation.

Even though he had felt this countless times while stabilizing his cultivation over the past few months, each time seemed to bring a new insight.

‘The Golden Core nurtures an Immortal Embryo.’ The name Immortal Golden Core was truly fitting.

After a long while, Chu Mu returned to the present. With a flick of his sleeve, a gust of wind swept through the room, and the mess vanished in an instant.

Only then did he turn his attention back to the wisp of Cyan Lotus Earth Core Flame hovering before him.

He pondered for a moment. With a wave of his hand, dozens of Jade Boxes appeared before him. A thread of his Divine Sense swept over them, undoing the seals one by one and revealing the Spiritual Materials and Objects within.

There were numerous Spiritual Materials, most of them rare and Tier Three. There were Spirit Medicines several centuries old, Tier Three Demon Pills, and other Spiritual Materials, but without exception, they were all of the Wood and Water Attributes.

For him, the Refinement of a Spiritual Fire was both simple and difficult.

Thanks to his experience refining the Earth Spirit Flame in the Demon Realm, he was already familiar with how to refine and devour a Spiritual Fire.

It was precisely this experience that had led him to make these preparations.

His Refinement of the Earth Spirit Flame in the Demon Realm had been a desperate, improvised affair. He’d had no preparation and no clear plan, forced into it by circumstance.

Although that experience had allowed him to understand the unique nature of his Great Sun Scripture Cultivation Technique, it was clear that the forced, unplanned Refinement had wasted much of the Earth Spirit Flame’s power.

The only real benefit had been the transformation of his Great True Flame. The boons to his cultivation and the nourishment for his Essence, Qi, and Spirit had been pitifully small.

Because of this, after leaving the Secret Realm, he had specifically taken the time to recall and analyze the process of that Spiritual Fire Refinement, developing a method for devouring Spiritual Flames that was tailored to his Great Sun Scripture.

The Spiritual Materials now before him had all been prepared for this very method.

After all, every Heaven and Earth Spiritual Flame is a creation of the world itself. If one had to describe them in a word, it would be “untamable.”

They do not allow themselves to be refined without a fight.

In other words, while refining and devouring it, the Refiner must inevitably endure a backlash from the Spiritual Fire.

This backlash can manifest in many different ways.

The specific effects depend on the nature of the Spiritual Fire being refined.

Take the Cyan Lotus Earth Core Flame, for example. Its backlash would inevitably stem from its own wondrous properties.

It refines Magical Power and calms the mind!

The reverse, however, would be chaotic Magical Power, damaged Spirit Veins, a disturbed Heart Spirit, and a proliferation of Heart Demons.

Such is the law of the world: for every gain, there is a cost. Everything is preordained.

It is the very definition of fortune and misfortune being two sides of the same coin.

‘Protect the Spirit Veins, suppress the Magical Power, and concentrate the Heart Spirit…’

Chu Mu murmured, his gaze fixed on the dozens of Spiritual Objects before him. The Wood and Water Attributes were both gentle in nature, making them perfect for countering the backlash of the Cyan Lotus Earth Core Flame.

As a flicker of “Spiritual Radiance” descended upon him, his thoughts began to flow, and one plan after another formed, all centered on the Cyan Lotus Earth Core Flame before him.