Chapter 334: Li Haoran Forms His Core

Lu Yang felt that the Great Xia Dynasty truly had it far too difficult; in his eyes, the legal system was already remarkably comprehensive, with nothing left to add or subtract, quite sufficient to handle any situation.

But it could not withstand the endless ideas of the cultivators.

It would have been one thing if the cultivators merely had many ideas, as a surfeit of ideas did not guarantee fulfillment, yet there was no shortage of individuals among them possessed of terrifying, heaven-shaking abilities who were entirely capable of bringing their notions to fruition.

This resulted in a legal system that was forever racing to catch up with the imaginations of these people.

Take, for instance, the Governor of Qingzhou whom the Fifth Elder had just mentioned.

It was perfectly normal for cultivators in the Tribulation Transmutation Stage to engage in magical combat, and it was equally normal for mountains to be moved and seas to be filled during such battles, so it should follow that accidentally shifting a city from a neighboring province into Qingzhou during a fight was also perfectly normal, right?

What Lu Yang did not know was that the Nine Disciples of the Dao Sect had once made outstanding contributions to Great Xia law—chiefly by making Great Xia realize that their laws were still incomplete and riddled with numerous loopholes waiting to be exploited.

"Fortunately, I am an honest and law-abiding man who never causes trouble for the Great Xia Dynasty." Lu Yang cast a sidelong glance at Meng Jingzhou and Li Haoran, feeling that the burden on his shoulders was heavy and the road ahead long.

Why did he cultivate so diligently to remain the top disciple, if not to set an excellent example for them, so that they might obey the law just as he did?

"Former Dad, why does your face look so terrible?" Qin Yanyan noticed Li Haoran, whose forehead was drenched in sweat.

Li Haoran’s body was trembling uncontrollably, his aura fluctuating wildly, at one moment plunging as low as the early stage of Foundation Establishment, and at the next soaring to the early stage of Golden Core.

With great difficulty, he squeezed a few words from between his clenched teeth: "I have had an epiphany; I am about to form my Core."

The Fifth Elder manifested instantly before Li Haoran, sweeping his divine sense across the youth's dantian, only to find it enshrouded in a dense mist—the unmistakable harbinger of a condensing Golden Core.

He spoke with utmost gravity: "Haoran, your situation is exceptional; you are the reincarnation of Qin Haoran. There is no telling what unpredictable events might occur when you form your Core. The best choice is to return to the sect to do so; that is where it is safest!"

Li Haoran spoke again with labored breath: "I will try my best, but my instincts have caused my body to lose control; it wants to form the Core now."

Lu Yang had read of such a phenomenon in books; this was the most ideal scenario for a cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment, where the body automatically formed the Core as a natural consequence of accumulation, carrying zero risk of failure and guaranteeing a Core of the upper three grades.

The more times one underwent reincarnation, the better one's latent talent would be revealed at this very moment!

Regrettably, there were far too many uncertainties surrounding Li Haoran, and everyone possessed only a superficial understanding of reincarnation, making an immediate breakthrough on the spot less than ideal.

"Haoran, hold on, I will go pilot the flying shuttle!"

The Fifth Elder threw open the cabin door, drawing the four of them into the shuttle by force, and propelled the vessel forward at maximum speed.

"Deep breaths, relax your body, deep breaths, yes, inhale, exhale..."

"Junior Brother Li, you must hold on! You and your Golden Core will surely be safe and sound!"

"Elder, slow the shuttle down a bit, Junior Brother Li cannot take it!"

"Junior Brother Li, relax, this is no grand ordeal. As cultivators, every single one of us must pass through this threshold; just give it a push and it will be over."

Aboard the flying shuttle, the two Golden Core guardians—Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou—attended to Li Haoran, shouting words of encouragement, soothing him, and wiping away his sweat, showing a level of care that was exceedingly meticulous.

Qin Yanyan: "..."

Anyone who did not know the truth would think the two of them were tending to a woman in labor.

"The mist in the dantian is condensing; the Core is about to form!"

"The embryonic form of the Golden Core has appeared!"

"Keep going, Junior Brother Li, you will definitely succeed!"

Qin Yanyan felt the resemblance was even stronger now.

Sitting with his five centers facing heaven, Li Haoran absorbed the ambient spiritual energy, drawing every single drop of it into his body; the reaction within his dantian grew even more violent, and ripples of magical power swept through his entire being—his skin, his marrow, his meridians...

The mist in his dantian was continuously purified until it transformed entirely into a liquid golden spiritual energy.

The golden energy compressed yet again, emitting a pinpoint of brilliant luster; the bright light flashed, relentlessly devouring the surrounding golden energy.

In the end, it formed a plump, flawless Golden Core.

Li Haoran had successfully formed his Core!

"Did it succeed?" Li Haoran asked, somewhat uncertain.

His core-formation process seemed remarkably smooth, save for the annoying voices of his two guardians ringing in his ears.

"It succeeded." The Fifth Elder nodded in confirmation after a thorough and careful examination.

"Nonetheless, it is still safest to return to the sect for another inspection."

Seeing that no strange abnormalities had occurred before or after Li Haoran formed his Core, the Fifth Elder breathed a sigh of relief.

"Finally formed." Li Haoran also let out a long breath; now Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou would have no reason to flaunt themselves before him.

"What kind of Golden Core did you form?"

Li Haoran chuckled softly: "It is a Golden Core that has never been recorded—the Rebirth Golden Core!"

"The Rebirth Golden Core?!"

Lu Yang felt that the name of this Golden Core sounded incredibly grand; a Rebirth Golden Core would imply that Li Haoran had comprehended the true meaning of Samsara, allowing him to retain his memories and live another life to make up for all past regrets.

If that were truly the case, the name of this Golden Core was indeed fitting.

"Let me demonstrate it for you."

Without another word, Li Haoran raised his hand and brought a blade down, severing one of his own arms; the act startled everyone, making them think something had gone wrong with his mind.

Then, a wondrous sight unfolded: the flesh at the wound began to squirm, and in the blink of an eye, the severed arm grew back anew.

"Regeneration of severed limbs!" Meng Jingzhou gave voice to the name of this phenomenon; this was a divine ability and magical spell that eunuchs dreamed of achieving.

Lu Yang: "..."

So it turned out to be this kind of 'rebirth'?

But coming to think of it, regenerating severed limbs was immensely useful in battle, and looking at Li Haoran, growing back an arm did not seem to require much effort at all.

Compared to Meng Jingzhou’s Double Bachelor Core and Man Gu’s Ancestral Lineage Core, Li Haoran's Rebirth Golden Core was actually the most normal breakthrough in this year's batch.

"It is not just limited to limbs; I can grow a new heart, new blood, and even a new head." Li Haoran introduced his feat with considerable pride, while the arm he had tossed onto the ground was still twitching.

"Why did you suddenly have to form your Core just now? Did you gain some sort of insight?"

Meng Jingzhou recalled the events prior to the breakthrough, and it seemed only the battlefield cleaners summoned by the imperial court had been particularly noteworthy.

"Do you want to work in aftermath cleanup in the future too?"

Li Haoran rolled his eyes, momentarily at a loss for how to even comment on that: "Of course not, I do not even know Earth or Wood element spells. It is just that I recovered another portion of Qin Haoran's memories just now; after reviewing them, I felt they could be applied to core-formation, which sparked my realization and led to this breakthrough."

This made Meng Jingzhou all the more curious: "What did you see in those memories?"

Li Haoran remained silent for a long time before he spoke slowly: "Relying on his ability to regenerate limbs, he sold his blood."

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou both sucked in a breath of cold air; the man was truly a ruthless character.

Though not as valuable as phoenix blood, the blood of a cultivator in the Body Integration Stage was still worth an astronomical sum.

"Qin Haoran sold his blood so many times that he became exceptionally proficient in regenerating his limbs. When I obtained this memory, I felt that regeneration was highly useful, so I applied it to my core-formation."

"To think that Qin Haoran exhausted his mind and body for the sake of the Nine Netherworld Sect, even resorting to a desperate tactic like selling blood." The Fifth Elder stroked his beard, filled with genuine admiration.

Lu Yang cast a glance at the Fifth Elder, thinking to himself: *Was it not your sect that scammed the Nine Netherworld Sect into such poverty in the first place?*

Li Haoran’s expression grew even stranger: "The selling of blood happened before he became the Sect Master."

"Then why on earth was he selling his blood?"

"To earn money for visits to brothels."

"An ascendant cultivator in the Body Integration stage, and yet he still can't afford a harlot?"

"He frequents them too often."

(End of Chapter)