Chapter 80: Peak Golden Core

Cultivate and break through with the treasures Ji Yue had given him. That was the plan. But just as Gu Yuan, sitting cross-legged on his mat, was about to begin, he paused.

Before he could even begin, someone else was breaking through. Heavenly tribulation was descending within the Inner Sect.

He didn’t need to leave his cave abode to confirm who it was.

Ji Yue. It seemed she had been waiting for her sister before beginning her own breakthrough.

Normally, Gu Yuan would have gone outside to observe. Watching a Heavenly Tribulation was always useful, and seeing Ji Yue break through was something he was naturally interested in.

But he was feeling pressed for time.

Glancing toward Ji Yan, he saw that she had also sensed the fluctuations coming from outside, yet she continued cultivating without paying them much attention.

Following her example, Gu Yuan turned his attention back to his own matters.

His gaze fell upon the treasures arranged before him.

He had already passed the initial disbelief at how generous Ji Yue had been. Now, he had to decide which treasure to use first.

The first thing he picked up was the Spirit Gathering Jade.

It was a piece of jade that continuously drew the surrounding Spirit Qi, allowing the cultivator wearing it to cultivate much faster than normal.

He hung it at his waist and felt the effect at once. By his estimate, it boosted his cultivation speed by no less than thirty percent.

Gu Yuan nodded in satisfaction and turned to the next item, probably the most precious of everything before him: the Heavenly Marrow Cleansing Pill.

It was a rare pill that spirit stones couldn’t buy. It purges the impurities accumulated within the body, cleanse and strengthen the meridians, and enhance the Spiritual Root. It could even improve cultivator’s foundation slightly, making future breakthroughs smoother.

Without hesitation, he swallowed it.

Gu Yuan shut his eyes tightly, bracing for pain, but none came. Instead, a warm current spread from his abdomen and flowed through his body. It moved along his meridians like spring water thawing frozen ground, washing away the dull blockages he had never noticed before. It sank into his bones and flesh and, at last, into his dantian, and his Spiritual Root sitting there.

Eventually, the medicinal power was completely absorbed, and Gu Yuan opened his eyes, eager to confirm the result...

"Go and take a bath before you come back."

...he was chased out of his own cave abode.

Gu Yuan tried to wipe off the impurities clinging to his body with spiritual power, but a lingering foul smell lingered.

Apparently, some things were better handled with actual water. So he went to the nearest lake in the Inner Sect.

He found a secluded spot along the shore, sat in the shallow water, and used a cloth to scrub his body clean. Once he was finished, he rinsed himself several times before finally feeling comfortable enough to examine his condition properly.

First and foremost, his Spiritual Root.

It had been enhanced.

Based on his previous estimates, the Orb of Creation should have needed another thirty years or so before it could transform his First-Grade Spiritual Root into a Top-Grade Spiritual Root.

Now, that estimate had been reduced drastically. He probably wouldn’t even need ten years.

The improved Spiritual Root would naturally speed up his cultivation, but that wasn’t all. His cleansed meridians would help too, and with his foundation further solidified, his future breakthroughs would be all the more certain.

Pleased with the effects of the Heavenly Marrow Cleansing Pill, Gu Yuan finally made his way back to his cave abode.

Next came the Heavenly Meridian Pill and Golden Marrow Pill.

The former strengthened and slightly expanded his meridians, allowing them to contain more spiritual power, while the latter tempered his bones and physical body while also providing a modest increase in cultivation.

Their effects were excellent, but compared to the Heavenly Marrow Cleansing Pill, they still fell a little short.

That was Gu Yuan’s opinion after consuming both pills.

Regardless, he moved on to the next treasures.

Moonfall Orchid, Soul-Nourishing Mushroom, and several other natural treasures that could only be obtained through luck rather than deliberately sought out were taken out one after another. Gu Yuan ate several of them together, completely ignoring how precious they were.

Some cultivators might have cried tears of blood if they saw him consuming such treasures so casually, but with Ji Yan being the only person around him, there was naturally no one to complain.

To her, even treasures that countless cultivators would risk their lives to obtain apparently weren’t worth commenting on.

Most of these treasures were not meant to directly increase cultivation. Their main effects were related to the soul, body, or other aspects of cultivation, with the increase in cultivation being merely secondary. Even so, after refining their medicinal power, Gu Yuan could feel that he was already close to the Eighth Stage of the Golden Core Realm.

Even without consuming anything else, he estimated that he would only need a month or so to break through.

So, he simply did that.

Twenty days later, Gu Yuan reached the Eighth Stage of the Golden Core Realm.

Now, it was time for the treasure that was as precious as the Heavenly Marrow Cleansing Pill.

The Heavenly Dew Fruit.

The fruit only ripened after absorbing spiritual dew for nine hundred years. Most cultivators had only heard of it and never had the chance to encounter one. It was immensely beneficial for cultivation. More importantly, unlike pills, it did not leave behind impurities or waste residue within the body.

At his first bite, Gu Yuan was surprised by its sweetness.

In fact, he had never eaten any fruit so delicious.

But more than the taste, it was the Spiritual Qi surging through his body that stunned him. It was immense.

Gu Yuan quickly finished the fruit, then closed his eyes and began circulating the Golden Mountain Scripture to refine its power.

The fruit’s essence spread through him like a tide of dew, gathering in his dantian and washing over his Golden Core, which spun faster and faster as it drank in the pure Spiritual Qi.

His cultivation began rising at a speed that would have been impossible under normal circumstances. Within the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, Gu Yuan broke through to the Ninth Stage of the Golden Core Realm.

Yet, even then, he had only refined about half of the Heavenly Dew Fruit’s medicinal essence.

By the time he had refined the rest, he found himself only a step away from the Peak of the Golden Core Realm.

He was overjoyed. What he had expected to take more than ten years, he had reached in a matter of days.

However, reaching the peak of the Golden Core Realm still required a period of normal cultivation. There was no need to waste more treasures simply to force that final step.

Gu Yuan took out the ordinary Golden Essence Pills commonly used by Golden Core cultivators and continued cultivating normally.

Six months later, he reached the Peak of the Golden Core Realm and was already preparing himself for the breakthrough to the Spiritual Core Realm when the ground beneath him suddenly began to vibrate.

What now? Interrupted from his cultivation, he wondered.