Before, Zhang Fan had told her that once the Blood Moon Demonic King Body reached great completion, it could cultivate into an Earth Immortal body, with strength comparable to a Golden Core Earth Immortal, capable of crushing the Pope of the Holy See with a single finger.
At the time, the Pope was considered the peak expert in Eleanor's heart, with even her father being slightly inferior. Therefore, she could not even imagine it.
However, after experiencing these events, she realized that she was only one step away from the strength the Pope possessed before his breakthrough.
"Once it reaches great completion?"
Zhang Fan smiled and said, "When that time comes, you will be qualified to spar with your Blood Clan's ancestor."
Upon hearing this, Eleanor's heart was filled with excitement. Once the Blood Moon Demonic King Body reached great completion, it could indeed fight against Golden Core realm experts. Although she knew this step was still immensely distant, she had seen her future path.
She believed that as long as she followed this path, she would eventually reach such a level.
"Go find your ancestor later and have him take you to the underground Blood Sea space. You will cultivate in there. Do not emerge until the Blood Moon Demonic King Body has broken through!" Zhang Fan instructed Eleanor.
"Blood Sea space?"
Eleanor was taken aback. She had learned from a Blood Clan Prince that the Blood Sea space was their Blood Clan's first forbidden zone, where their progenitor slept. Even Blood Clan Princes dared not enter lightly without the progenitor's command.
"Go. In the future, Xue Jing will likely not need that place anymore. It's not a big deal to let you cultivate there," Zhang Fan said casually.
With the aid of a large number of Blood Essence Pills, Xue Jing's injuries could recover seventy to eighty percent even if not fully healed. At that point, he would not need to slumber for recovery, and the Blood Sea space would naturally not be used.
After Eleanor left, Zhang Fan turned his gaze to Wuchen Sword Immortal, who had been standing by his side, and asked, "How is your comprehension of the Way of the Sword? Do you have the confidence to condense the first Golden Core Dao Mark?"
"I have disappointed Master. I believed I had profound attainments in the art of illusory swords, and intended to make the first Golden Core Dao Mark focus on illusory swords. However, when I attempted to inscribe the Dao Mark onto my Nascent Core, I was unable to inscribe even a single complete Golden Core Dao Mark," Wuchen Sword Immortal said with some shame.
Wuchen Sword Immortal's swordsmanship was ethereal, and his most proficient sword technique, 'Myriad Laws Unstained,' could even manifest two sword intent clones, making it difficult to distinguish the genuine from the false and rendering him unpredictable.
"I will teach you a movement technique. If you can comprehend the first level of its profound meaning, I believe you will be able to inscribe your first Golden Core Dao Mark."
"Observe carefully. I will only demonstrate it once!"
As Zhang Fan spoke, he slowly moved his steps. Each step was taken very slowly. Wuchen Sword Immortal stared intently, observing with utmost care. However, gradually, Wuchen Sword Immortal found his vision becoming blurry.
With every step Zhang Fan took, space seemed to freeze, leaving behind an afterimage. In an instant, Zhang Fan's figure appeared in every corner of the pavilion, with his presence in each location.
When Zhang Fan stopped, his true form was still standing in its original position, while the other afterimages instantly vanished, as if he had never moved at all.
"What is the name of this movement technique?"
Wuchen Sword Immortal's eyes were filled with shock. He had previously believed that his 'Myriad Laws Unstained' sword technique had utilized the true meaning of 'illusory sword' to its extreme. However, compared to the movement technique Zhang Fan had just displayed, the gap was enormous. He did not know if he could ever reach such a level in his lifetime.
"There is no need to be astonished. It is merely an ordinary Nascent Soul level movement technique called 'Thousand Shadows Movement.' Of course, for you, if you can comprehend the first level of its profound meaning, reaching 'Ten Shadows Movement,' you will have the confidence to escape even when facing Golden Core realm cultivators!"
After speaking, Zhang Fan lightly tapped Wuchen Sword Immortal's forehead. A torrent of text surged into Wuchen Sword Immortal's spiritual consciousness, each character imbued with illusion, making Wuchen Sword Immortal feel as though he was on the verge of getting lost.
For Zhang Fan, Nascent Soul or Heavenly Immortal level techniques were very common. After all, in his previous life, as a Great Ascension Immortal Emperor, and even among the most elite Great Ascension Immortal Emperors, he possessed countless cultivation techniques of Immortal King and Immortal Venerable levels, and even a pile of Immortal Emperor level cultivation methods.
However, for Wuchen Sword Immortal, techniques at the Nascent Soul or Heavenly Immortal level far exceeded his imagination, worthy of his lifelong study.
Therefore, when Zhang Fan imparted the 'Thousand Shadows Movement' to him, Wuchen Sword Immortal was almost moved to tears with excitement.
"Go and comprehend it well. If you can condense a Golden Core Dao Mark before I go into seclusion, I will take you to the Holy See to witness a good show," Zhang Fan said.
After bowing in gratitude once more, Wuchen Sword Immortal left the Blood Clan's secret realm space, preparing to thoroughly comprehend this movement technique.
At this moment, only Zhang Fan remained alone in the Blood Clan's secret realm space. He casually sat cross-legged in the pavilion and took out a jade bottle, entirely made of glazed glass, from the Star Compass space. The bottle contained twelve Yuan-Returning Pills.
These were refined from Daoist Niu's Nascent Core.
Daoist Niu's strength had reached the peak of the Condensing Core realm, and the energy contained within his Nascent Core far surpassed the combined total of the Warlord of Changbai Mountain, Bai Tu, and Daoist Changsheng. Thus, the Yuan-Returning Pills refined from it had the best effects.
Although Zhang Fan had now reached near-perfection in body cultivation, his Qi refinement had lagged significantly. He was currently only at the peak of the Heavenly Human realm and had not yet condensed a Nascent Core.
Therefore, Zhang Fan planned to at least elevate his Qi refinement strength to the early or even middle stage of the Condensing Core realm before heading to the Holy See. Only then would his Qi refinement not be a hindrance.
Pills of condensed and solidified Yuan-Returning Pills floated before Zhang Fan. Zhang Fan picked up one and placed it in his mouth. The Yuan-Returning Pill immediately dissolved into a stream of pure energy, flowing down Zhang Fan's throat.
The immense energy contained within a single Yuan-Returning Pill was enough to burst a Saint Domain expert, but for Zhang Fan, it did not have a significant effect.
After consuming seven Yuan-Returning Pills consecutively, one after another, Zhang Fan finally felt the energy accumulated within his body reach its peak.
"It is time!"
Zhang Fan inwardly circulated the 'Ten Absolute Heavenly God Record' Qi refinement technique. The surging energy churned within Zhang Fan's body, continuously surging towards his Dantian.
The breakthrough from the Heavenly Human realm to the Nascent Core realm was not absolutely safe. If one was too confident and circulated an excessively large amount of spiritual power into the Dantian, it was highly possible to rupture the Dantian, rendering the condensation of a Nascent Core impossible for life.
However, Zhang Fan's current physical cultivation far surpassed his Qi refinement. His divine body was incredibly powerful, and his Dantian was exceptionally stable. Even though the energy within his Dantian was now comparable to that of a mid-stage Condensing Core realm cultivator, he still felt no pressure.
At this moment, Zhang Fan seemed to have transformed into a black hole, with all the spiritual power within his body surging towards his Dantian. Simultaneously, he was continuously absorbing the spiritual energy of the secret realm space.
Finally, when the spiritual power within his Dantian was comparable to that of a late-stage Condensing Core realm cultivator, Zhang Fan ceased absorbing the spiritual energy of the heavens and earth. At this point, his Dantian began to feel pressure.
"Still not enough!"
Zhang Fan once again reached for the Yuan-Returning Pills floating before him and consumed two more. The energy within his Dantian surged again, directly reaching the peak of the Condensing Core realm.
"Condense!"
As Zhang Fan circulated his cultivation technique, the spiritual power within his Dantian spun wildly, forming a vortex of spiritual power. And at the center of that spiritual power vortex, a thumb-sized Nascent Core gradually took shape.
Furthermore, as time passed, the Nascent Core continued to absorb the spiritual power from its surroundings, gradually growing.
...