Chapter 754 402: So Smart

For Yang An, breaking through to the Golden Core Stage was as simple as eating a meal or drinking water. The Qi Eating Technique only went this far; to advance further, he would need to acquire other Cultivation Techniques.

To Yang An's surprise, now that he was no longer in the Origin Realm, he could cultivate this world's techniques without them conflicting with the Mystic Path Decoded he already practiced.

He suspected it was because the Rules of the two worlds were different, which allowed him to embark on Earth's path of cultivation. He might very well become the first person to simultaneously practice different Cultivation Techniques from two separate worlds.

Relying on his accumulation of Spirit Charm, Yang An's Cultivation Level seemed to face no obstacles, skyrocketing upwards.

It had taken him a mere two hours to advance from Early Stage Foundation Establishment to Foundation Establishment Perfection. Afterward, he made thorough preparations before attempting to break through to the Golden Core Stage.

When breaking through to the Golden Core Stage, a Cultivator's physical body is reconstructed, but for the Cultivator, this is also a form of Celestial Tribulation.

If the Tribulation Crossing failed, their physical body would not be successfully reconstructed, and they would be unable to break through to the Golden Core Stage, forever trapped at the Foundation Establishment level.

This was an insurmountable barrier that stopped the vast majority of people.

Yang An controlled the Spirit Charm and began to sculpt a network of channels for his soul. The first step to entering the Golden Core Stage was to reconstruct the physical body, starting with these channels and blood vessels. After the body was successfully remade, the final step was Core Formation.

One by one, slender spiritual channels emerged within Yang An's body, which began to grow illusory. This was the true form of his soul.

However, as the spiritual channels formed and Spiritual Qi surged through them, flames ignited on every channel. In an instant, Yang An's entire body was enveloped and consumed by the fire.

This was the Celestial Tribulation for breaking through to the Golden Core Stage, known as the Spiritual Fire of Wisdom. It was meant to cleanse the meridians and refine the marrow, forging the reconstructed body to perfection so that it could finally become one with the soul.

If one was unable to endure the fire of the Celestial Tribulation, the reconstruction of their physical body would fail.

This trial was not difficult for Yang An. It was merely a mass of fire, and the pain it brought was not even as intense as the agony Yang An had inflicted upon himself during his Corpse Transformation phase.

The process went very smoothly. After several hours, Yang An successfully broke through to the Golden Core Stage.

All the spiritual channels that had formed inside his body eventually converged at his Dantian, enveloping his Qi Sea and forming a single Golden Core.

Now, with a single thought, the Spiritual Qi in his body could instantly travel to every spiritual channel. Not only was his casting speed far beyond what it was before, but the power of his techniques had also increased dramatically.

If controlling Spiritual Qi before was like managing a trickling stream, it had now evolved into a high-pressure water jet. And as his new physical body took form, Yang An's aura grew considerably stronger.

Yang An directed his Spiritual Qi to form a mirror in front of him, which reflected the image of his newly reconstructed physical body.

Staring at the refined face reflected in the mirror, with its sharp, distinct features—while perhaps not the "sword-like brows and star-like eyes" of legend, it was still exceedingly handsome—Yang An couldn't help but freeze for a moment.

Although a long time had passed, he still remembered it. This face, which he had worn for over a decade, almost two, looked mostly unchanged, but it lacked the unrefined air from his time of mediocrity.

"You little brat, how did you change your appearance just by forming a Golden Core?"

"This is probably what they mean by 'the face is the reflection of the heart.' Don't be fooled by my tough exterior; I'm actually very sensitive on the inside."

"...Piss off!"

Yang An's casual joke successfully diverted Bow Lady's attention. Of course, he couldn't possibly let her know that this was his true appearance.

However, after reconstructing his physical body, Yang An discovered that he was now indeed a better fit for this world. That feeling of being blocked was completely gone, and everything he did felt effortless.

This was just as he had suspected: by possessing a physical body, he would no longer be rejected by Earth. Even when he wasn't within the area Pan Yu controlled, he would no longer face any restrictions.

But Yang An had no intention of stopping here. Although his Cultivation Level in the Origin Realm had already reached the Insect Dao, now that he had started on Earth's path of cultivation, he was determined to reach even greater heights.

If he did, with the different Cultivation Techniques of two worlds converging within him, his increase in strength would be far from minuscule.

Of course, the next step was to continue his "speedrun" plan. But before that, he needed to use the Red Wheel Infinite Body he had mastered to temper his new physical body, and he also had to go claim a new Cultivation Technique.

His reconstructed body was a good match for his current realm and soul, but compared to his Red Wheel Infinite Body, it was far too lacking. Tempering it was a necessity.

The basic Qi Eating Technique only went up to the Golden Core Stage. To advance further, he would need a suitable Cultivation Technique.

The person in charge of distributing resources in the Entry-Level Disciple Area was called the Little Land God, while the person for the Formal Disciple Area was the Great Earth God. But now that Yang An's Cultivation Level had reached the Golden Core Stage, he was at the level of a City God or a Steward. He would need to find someone of an even higher rank: a Guardian of Emei Mansion.

Therefore, he decided that after tempering his physical body, he would seek out the Guardian within Emei Mansion who was responsible for this matter—a man named Yang Jiang. Coincidentally, they shared the same surname.

Below Emei Mansion, at the place of the three entrance trials, a black-robed Cultivator was in the middle of conducting background checks on new Entry-Level Disciples when a guest arrived.

"Steward Liao."

The black-robed Cultivator hurriedly put down the token in his hand and bowed to the newcomer, uncertain of the reason for their visit.

"Some days ago, a new disciple named Yang An joined the mansion. Has his background been thoroughly investigated?"