Zhang Kui's Journey to the West in the Investiture of the Gods

Chapter 7 Reform and Innovation, Mysterious Skill 3rd Transformation

Back in his tent, Zhang Kui removed his armor and instructed the guards not to disturb him before beginning to comprehend the "Golden Elixir Path" taught by Wen Zhong.

This incantation resonated like a great bell in his mind, each golden character containing profound truths.

He sat down cross-legged, his mind completely focused on his dantian.

Through introspection, Zhang Kui "saw" the scene within his body. Thanks to that trace of the bloodline of the Kuafu clan of the Wu tribe, his blood and qi surged like the Yangtze River, surging with immense power. The various miscellaneous cultivation techniques he had practiced in his early years each occupied their own corner. These magical powers were diverse and numerous, but like a mob, they were not unified and even conflicted with each other, leaving many subtle hidden injuries and blockages in his meridians and acupoints, like silt and stubborn rocks in a riverbed, hindering the complete flow of blood and qi and energy.

This is one of the reasons why Wen Zhong said that "extreme rigidity is easily broken" and "being trapped in a bottleneck".

"The ancient witchcraft emphasized qi and blood, and the cultivation of the body... In this world, the Xuanmen sect is the orthodox way, cultivating qi and body, and comprehending the Dao of Heaven..." Wen Zhong's words resurfaced.

Dispelling distracting thoughts, Zhang Kui no longer hesitated, focused his mind, and began to practice the cultivation method according to the introductory chapter of "The Great Dao of Golden Elixir".

This technique truly lives up to its reputation as a transmission from the Supreme Sage, specifically designed for the human race. It is balanced, harmonious, and profound. It does not directly discard Zhang Kui's original blood and qi power and mottled magical power, but rather extracts and refines them using the supreme and orthodox methods of the Xuanmen, laying an incredibly solid foundation for the cultivator's practice. It can absolutely be described as all-encompassing and all-encompassing.

Guiding Qi back to its origin, reshaping the foundation.

Zhang Kui released the constraints on his vast magical power, using the Golden Elixir Dao technique as a guide to direct the pure innate spiritual energy of heaven and earth into his body. This spiritual energy was different from any kind of malevolent energy or primordial energy he had absorbed before; it was purer and closer to the origin of the Dao. The spiritual energy entering his body did not directly enhance his strength, but rather, like a gentle stream, began to cleanse his meridians, nourish his internal organs, and wash away the deep-seated ailments and hidden injuries left from his past cultivation.

The entire process was far from comfortable. The pure spiritual energy impacted the congested areas, causing waves of aching, numb, and excruciating pain, like a dull knife scraping bone. In particular, some deep-seated injuries, which were tiny distortions and accumulations caused by his previous improper cultivation methods, were now being washed away by the spiritual energy, causing excruciating pain.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Zhang Kui's forehead, and his muscles trembled slightly, but he kept his mind clear and his will as firm as iron, letting the spiritual energy wash over his body again and again.

Gradually, the "silt" in his meridians was washed away, and the subtle, hidden injuries began to heal under the nourishment of spiritual energy. The originally incompatible and heterogeneous magical powers, under the rule of the Golden Elixir Path, began to be gradually refined and purified, slowly transforming into a mellow and profound natal true essence with a faint golden glow. This true essence possessed both the purity of the Xuanmen Daoist methods and subtly contained the powerful characteristics of his Wu Clan's bloodline energy.

After an unknown amount of time, as the last trace of alien magic was transformed and the last major internal injury was healed, Zhang Kui felt an unprecedented sense of ease within his body. All the energy returned to his dantian, forming a slowly rotating vortex, incomparably pure and perfectly integrated.

He had a sudden inspiration and knew the time was right. He immediately used his spirit as fire and his blood and qi as fuel to ignite the qi vortex in his dantian.

"Condensing Pill!"

He silently recited the incantation, and the vortex of energy in his dantian suddenly contracted. A point of brilliant golden light shone in the center and began to frantically absorb the complex magical power left behind from his past devouring of demon cores and cultivation of unorthodox methods. His original cultivation was forcibly stripped away and tempered by an invisible force.

Zhang Kui's face was pale, and the veins on his forehead were bulging, clearly indicating that he was enduring great pain. Accompanying the pain was a strange sense of comfort; Zhang Kui felt as if his life had undergone a leap.

"Rebuilding the foundation, indeed dangerous..." He gritted his teeth.

A cracking sound suddenly came from within his dantian, as countless streams of mixed-color energy surged wildly. This was the most dangerous moment; if he couldn't completely convert his old magical power, his cultivation would be utterly destroyed, and he would suffer severe injuries. Zhang Kui formed a hand seal, and the primordial runes of the Golden Core Dao lit up between his brows. He whispered, "Heaven and Earth are boundless, all laws return to their origin."

After a long time, a thunderous roar, as if the heavens and earth were created, resounded in Zhang Kui's mind. All the mixed magical power began to collapse and was refined into a "virtual pill" in his dantian. It was shaped like a millet grain, with its radiance restrained and exuding pure Daoist charm.

Refine acquired essence and energy, condense it in the dantian, and ignite the true fire of the Dao foundation.

Once the Golden Elixir is formed, the Foundation Establishment is achieved.

Thus, Zhang Kui successfully embarked on the path to the Golden Core, reshaping his foundation with orthodox Xuanmen methods. He integrated all the previously chaotic power, eliminating the dross and retaining the essence, thus making up for the deficiencies in the cultivation of the Wu Clan bloodline and laying an indestructible foundation for his future path. His aura became more restrained, and the fierce and malevolent energy that had occasionally emanated from him was much calmer, but his eyes became more profound, and his power more concentrated.

As a faint, mysterious pattern quietly appeared on the surface of the Golden Core, Zhang Kui unhesitatingly circulated the Golden Core according to the incantation. Instantly, the Golden Core began to rotate violently, growing stronger with each rotation. The surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged in wildly, forming a visible vortex of spiritual mist.

For an ordinary cultivator, it would take at least several decades of arduous cultivation to meet the mana requirements for the first stage of the Golden Core realm. But Zhang Kui was different. During this time, he frantically refined more than ten strange beast corpses and absorbed several thousand-year-old demon cores, making his mana extremely abundant. It was precisely because the bloodline of the Witch Clan was incomparably powerful and domineering that anyone else would have already exploded and died due to the surging of blood and qi and the chaos of mana.

But now, the abundant blood and energy accumulated over the years, along with the miscellaneous magical power he had previously accumulated, have transformed into a powerful driving force. Coupled with the balanced and harmonious nature of the Golden Elixir Path itself, Zhang Kui decided to press on and continue his breakthrough.

"So that's how it is. The Golden Core Path is all about the foundation. Although the magic power I dispersed was complex, the energy it contained was genuine. Now that I've removed the dross and kept the essence, I'll naturally achieve twice the result with half the effort." Zhang Kui's mind was refreshed, and he intensified his cultivation.

As he immersed himself in cultivation, the golden core within his dantian, like the center of the universe, slowly rotated, continuously absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and transforming the essence of the Wu clan's blood energy that he had not yet fully absorbed. The golden core grew at a visible speed, its color becoming increasingly brilliant, and its Daoist charm becoming increasingly vibrant.

In the military camp, the evil energy and spiritual energy were mixed together, which was not originally suitable for cultivation. However, Zhang Kui's bloodline was special, and the Golden Core Dao was all-encompassing, so he was able to make effective use of the environment.

During this time, patrolling soldiers occasionally sensed the unsettling energy fluctuations leaking from Zhang Kui's tent, but these were blocked by the invisible restrictions he had set up in advance, so they did not cause any disturbance.

After stabilizing his Golden Core, Zhang Kui completed his Foundation Establishment, and his breakthrough came naturally.

When the Golden Core absorbs enough energy, the illusory core solidifies and becomes solid, doubling in size. The golden light becomes even more concentrated, and a new mysterious pattern appears on its surface.

Zhang Kui felt his mind and soul clear, his body light and agile, and his true energy surging within him, resulting in a comprehensive enhancement of his strength, speed, and spiritual awareness.

After the second transformation of the Golden Elixir, one enters the realm of Human Immortal.

The realm of immortals is where one abstains from grains, is immune to heat and cold, enjoys a greatly increased lifespan, transcends the mortal realm, and possesses the strength of a thousand jin (approximately 500 kg). This is known as the "True Immortal of the Land."

After entering the Human Immortal realm, Zhang Kui's cultivation speed slowed down slightly, but it still far surpassed that of ordinary people. He continuously nurtured his golden core, refining it with Daoist principles, making the connection between the golden core and his soul and physical body even stronger.

Three nights later, as the golden elixir within Zhang Kui's abdomen absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth at its peak, a tiny void seemed to open up within it, allowing it to resonate more deeply with the outside world. The golden elixir suddenly contracted, then burst forth with even stronger light, its volume expanding again, and three lines on its surface forming a stable triangle.

"boom!"

Zhang Kui's body trembled slightly, and the sound of the earth's veins surging within him could be heard. His divine senses instantly expanded, allowing him to vaguely perceive the flow of the earth's veins beneath his feet. His true essence surged and became vast and powerful, establishing a deeper connection with the earth beneath his feet.

After three cycles of the Golden Elixir, one advances to the level of an Earth Immortal.

Cultivators at this level possess abundant magical power and have initially developed supernatural abilities. They can rotate their golden core, connect with the earth's veins, and deeply comprehend the laws of heaven and earth.

Breaking through two major realms in succession is no easy feat, even with profound accumulation and supreme methods. Zhang Kui encountered dangers along the way. Especially when attempting to break through to the Earth Immortal realm, the Wu Clan's blood and energy within his body surged with power, causing it to become restless and attempt to overtake him, attacking his newly formed Golden Core. Fortunately, the "Golden Core Path" remained righteous and peaceful, firmly protecting the Golden Core's origin while guiding the blood and energy to transform into nourishment for the Golden Core. He overcame the difficulty without serious harm, and instead, the Golden Core became more refined, and its foundation more stable.

When his cultivation stabilized completely at the Earth Immortal realm, Zhang Kui opened his eyes and felt the pure and solidified Golden Core power within his body. Although the total amount was less than 30% of what it used to be, the quality had improved by more than tenfold. More importantly, his cultivation at the third stage of the Golden Core realm was incredibly stable, without the superficial feeling that ordinary people experience after rapid advancement.

"The next step is to transcend the Heavenly Tribulation and become a Celestial Immortal." Zhang Kuiwang's eyes were brimming with ambition: "Now that my Golden Core is complete, I can properly test how the Thirty-Six Heavenly Dipper Techniques will differ under the blessing of this Golden Core Dao."

Are the orthodox paths of Taoism really that powerful?