The Dark Shadow Tiger-Head Cat clan, though not powerful, possessed an innate and extraordinary sensitivity to dark energy, allowing them to harvest various dark forces from the heavens and earth to refine precious Black Obsidian Essence Crystals.
The primary purpose of the Dark Shadow Tiger-Head Cat clan in refining Black Obsidian Essence Crystals was to aid the cultivation of the Dark Shadow Tiger-Head Cat King.
Despite the clan's moderate strength, with adult Dark Shadow Tiger-Head Cats reaching the Core Condensation realm, their Cat Kings could achieve the Golden Core realm.
Furthermore, exceptionally gifted Dark Shadow Tiger-Head Cat Kings could even rival human cultivators in the Nascent Soul stage.
This was due to the Black Obsidian Essence Crystals' ability to greatly enhance the dark energy within the Dark Shadow Tiger-Head Cat King's body, allowing them to unleash extraordinary combat power.
"Ten kilograms of Black Obsidian Essence Crystals should be more than enough," Zhang Fan murmured softly, weighing the crystals in his hand.
"Rest for a while, adjust your state to its peak, and then absorb and refine this Black Obsidian Essence Crystal. Strive to condense a Yuan Dan in one go," Zhang Fan said, tossing the Black Obsidian Essence Crystal into Luo Xiaoxiao's embrace.
"En," Luo Xiaoxiao nodded heavily. Having cultivated to this point, her cultivation had reached the peak of the Heavenly Human realm. Next, she needed to condense a Yuan Dan and break through to the third major cultivation realm, the Golden Core stage.
With Zhang Fan's assistance, she had only spent a few days to break through from Qi Refining Completion to the Foundation Establishment stage.
She then cultivated for another three months, reaching the peak of the Heavenly Human realm. This rate of advancement could be considered miraculous for any cultivator.
Black Obsidian Essence Crystals were condensed essences of dark energy refined and purified by the Dark Shadow Tiger-Head Cats. They could be directly absorbed without Zhang Fan needing to re-refine them, which was the most effective method of use.
After a period of adjustment, Luo Xiaoxiao's state of mind and stored spiritual energy were at their optimal, and under Zhang Fan's protection, she sat down on the spot, placing the Black Obsidian Essence Crystal before her…
As her cultivation technique circulated, a dark, inky mist flowed out from Luo Xiaoxiao's body, enveloping the Black Obsidian Essence Crystal.
A sizzling sound arose as the Black Obsidian Essence Crystal, corroded by the black mist, transformed into drops of black liquid that then flowed into Luo Xiaoxiao's mouth.
As the black liquid entered her, Luo Xiaoxiao's fair skin gradually turned dark, making her appear like a young African girl.
Luo Xiaoxiao's absorption speed of the Dark Essence Crystal was extremely slow. In a full day, she had only managed to refine less than half a jin of it. Zhang Fan estimated that it would take her at least a month to fully refine this single Dark Essence Crystal.
With this thought, he waved his hand, tossing out several formation plates. Light flickered on the plates, forming a vast defensive formation.
After surviving the third tribulation of the Nascent Soul, Zhang Fan's Nascent Soul had been further strengthened. Having refined three Nascent Souls that had endured three tribulations and over seventy million spirit crystals, he had now reached the late stage of the Three Tribulations Nascent Soul.
Simultaneously, the number of Sword Dao rules and Thunder Dao rules within him had surpassed three thousand, making him comparable to an ordinary Five Tribulations Nascent Soul cultivator.
Even with such a significant increase in strength, Zhang Fan remained unyielding, as he had offended the most powerful forces on the Boundless Continent.
Time in cultivation always passed swiftly. A month had quietly slipped by. While cultivating, Zhang Fan suddenly felt a disturbance in the world's spiritual energy, which was converging towards a specific point.
He stopped cultivating and turned his gaze towards Luo Xiaoxiao, who was not far away. Above her head, a black vortex, like a black hole, was madly devouring the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
As the spiritual energy of heaven and earth poured in continuously, her aura also began to climb steadily…
This process did not last long. With a low rumble, the black vortex above Luo Xiaoxiao's head abruptly dissipated, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth returned to its peaceful state.
"Master, I succeeded!" Luo Xiaoxiao stood up, feeling the Yuan Dan within her, containing immense spiritual power, and exclaimed excitedly to Zhang Fan.
Zhang Fan nodded, a smile involuntarily appearing on his face.
In just over four months, Luo Xiaoxiao had grown from an ordinary person who had never cultivated to a Core Condensation realm cultivator. This speed made him, as her master, feel somewhat ashamed.
Of course, Luo Xiaoxiao's achievements were due to a confluence of factors.
Firstly, she possessed the innate Dark God Body. From the moment she stepped into the realm of cultivation, she could absorb dark energy and rapidly increase her cultivation.
Secondly, at the beginning of her cultivation, Zhang Fan had used a cleansing Qingsuo fruit to wash her marrow and purify her body, making her physique purer and free of impurities. Coupled with Zhang Fan's careful selection of cultivation techniques best suited for the Dark God Body, she had a significant head start over countless cultivators from the outset.
Finally, during her cultivation, Zhang Fan had expended a large amount of rare heavenly materials and earthly treasures to refine spiritual pills suitable for her various stages, ensuring she encountered no bottlenecks in the early stages of her cultivation.
Moreover, the spiritual energy density on this Boundless Continent was far beyond that of Earth. Considering all these factors, her progress was not entirely unexpected.
…
"Now that you have broken through to the Core Condensation realm, your next task is to fully comprehend the True Meaning of Darkness."
"Remember, you must comprehend nine strands of the True Meaning of Darkness. Only when you are confident of condensing a first-grade top-tier Golden Core can you break through to the Golden Core realm," Zhang Fan instructed Luo Xiaoxiao earnestly.
"En." Although Luo Xiaoxiao was born with the Dark God Body, she knew how difficult it was to condense a first-grade top-tier Golden Core. She was unsure if she could achieve it.
However, she never defied her master's requests, so she nodded her head without hesitation, demonstrating her resolve.
"I have some matters to attend to next, which may be very dangerous. I must handle them carefully myself and cannot take you with me."
"You are not weak now, but to become a true powerhouse, you must endure your own trials. Therefore, we, master and disciple, shall part ways here. You are free to venture forth on this Boundless Continent."
"But remember one thing: do not reveal that you are my disciple, Zhang Fan," Zhang Fan cautioned.
Though confused, Luo Xiaoxiao still nodded.
Even with her reluctance, Luo Xiaoxiao understood that following her master with her current strength would only be a burden and a hindrance to him.
"When I leave the Boundless Continent, I will come to find you," Zhang Fan added.
Even though the Boundless Continent was vast, with precise intelligence, it was not difficult to find someone, unless they intentionally hid.
Luo Xiaoxiao, with her small frame, knelt before Zhang Fan and bowed three times. She cast a lingering glance at Zhang Fan before transforming into a black silhouette and flying away into the distance.
"Master, next time we meet, I will definitely not disappoint you!" she vowed silently in her heart.
Watching Luo Xiaoxiao depart, Zhang Fan felt a pang of emptiness, but he knew that keeping her under his protection would only harm her and waste her extraordinary talent.
"I have taught her all I could. What level she reaches depends on her own fortune," Zhang Fan tidied his thoughts and began preparing to refine his own Blood Refinement Divine Weapon.
…