"For the next period, you will cultivate well here. I will use the spiritual flowers and fruits here to refine some spiritual pills suitable for your cultivation."
Zhang Fan, dressed in a blue casual outfit, stood in the garden of the immortal mansion and spoke to everyone, who couldn't hide their astonishment.
Upon hearing Zhang Fan's words, Lin Haotian and Wu Chen Jian Xian were all excited. Just being in this immortal mansion, they felt greatly benefited. If they could also cultivate with those spiritual pills, how terrifying would the speed of their strength improvement be?
After witnessing the battle in the snowy plains, everyone felt their strength was too weak. Any alien could be something they couldn't resist. At this critical moment, they could only hide in the cave dwelling, watching Zhang Fan fight.
Having gone through this experience, it filled them with an extreme craving for strength. Even Qin Luoshui, who had never cared much about strength before, now had a determined look in her eyes. She was unwilling to always stand behind Zhang Fan in the future.
"I must catch up to you. You also need to cultivate well, don't be surpassed by me."
Qin Luoshui's delicate and beautiful face revealed a gentle smile, and she playfully said to Zhang Fan.
"Don't worry, we will work hard together and venture into the starry sky. There are many sights to see there. I also hope to have you by my side."
Zhang Fan looked down at the girl leaning beside him and whispered softly.
Although Qin Luoshui only started cultivating after the age of eighteen, she had the Hundred Spirit Pill refined by Zhang Fan specifically for her to improve her physique. Her physique was ethereal and free of impurities. She also had the most suitable cultivation technique selected by Zhang Fan, and her temperament and comprehension were not weak. Zhang Fan believed that as long as Qin Luoshui was given a good cultivation environment, her strength could also improve rapidly.
Although the immortal mansion was rich in spiritual energy and had accumulated for thousands of years, the abundant spiritual energy was enough for everyone to cultivate for a hundred years. However, besides his parents and relatives, those brought into the immortal mansion by Zhang Fan were also those he deemed worthy of nurturing as followers.
Lin Yun performed well in the battle in the snowy plains. Although his aptitude was average, Zhang Fan still invited him into the immortal mansion, but Lin Yun refused.
"The threat has been removed, and my mission is considered complete. It's time to go back." Lin Yun looked around the garden of the immortal mansion with surprise and envy in his eyes, but he still refused Zhang Fan's kind offer.
Everyone has their own choices. Lin Yun was originally a cultivator from the Wu Shan Star Region, but now he willingly served as the guardian god of Hua Xia, silently protecting this ancient country, which Zhang Fan greatly admired.
Therefore, before parting, Zhang Fan gave Lin Yun a large number of spiritual pills and promised that if he ever needed anything, he could find him.
True Monarch Tian Hua's life had just undergone a great change, and his state of mind was difficult to calm down in a short period. Therefore, he requested Zhang Fan's permission to leave the island in the lake to properly experience this planet that was still somewhat unfamiliar to him.
Zhang Fan naturally agreed to True Monarch Tian Hua's request. However, before parting, he still admonished him: "Your achievements in formations are now no less than those of a first-grade Golden Core cultivator. There is no meaning in staying in the Golden Core realm. You must break through as soon as possible and reach the Nascent Soul stage. This will be very beneficial for comprehending the path of formations."
Although the spiritual energy on Earth was thin, making it extremely difficult to condense a Golden Core, with the existence of the Golden Light Immortal Mansion, it would not be difficult for True Monarch Tian Hua to break through to the Nascent Soul stage while staying within the Golden Light Immortal Mansion.
After True Monarch Tian Hua left, only Zhang Fan's parents, his disciple Lin Haotian, Xue Jing, Ailebell, and Wu Chen Jian Xian remained in the immortal mansion.
Zhang Fan spent three months selecting suitable spiritual flowers and fruits in the immortal mansion for refining spiritual pills, and he refined a large number of Earth-grade spiritual pills.
Although with his current strength he could refine some Heaven-grade spiritual pills, Lin Haotian and Wu Chen Jian Xian were too weak, and Earth-grade spiritual pills were enough for them.
As for Xue Jing, he planned to use the accompanying flower of the Zi Wu Yuan Guo to elevate his Golden Core to first-grade, which he would not need in the short term.
After the spiritual pills were distributed, everyone in the immortal mansion chose a place and began to cultivate in seclusion.
Zhang Fan sat cross-legged by the pool in the center of the garden. A mist of spiritual energy gathered above the pool and then dripped into the pool drop by drop, as the spiritual energy reached a certain density and formed water droplets.
The pool, with an area of nine zhang, was filled with spiritual liquid. A group of Rainbow-eyed Heavenly Parrots hopped around the garden, looking at the group of humans below with a hint of curiosity in their eyes.
In all these years, it was the first time they had seen so many humans in the immortal mansion.
Zhang Fan took out a fruit as white as jade from the Star Image Space. The crystal-clear fruit exuded an alluring fragrance, making one unable to resist the urge to swallow it in one bite.
Zhang Fan took a deep breath and, unable to resist the temptation of the fruit, ate it bite by bite.
The flesh of the fruit melted in his mouth, and its taste was extremely delicious. Zhang Fan had a look of enjoyment in his eyes. A Yuan meeting-level immortal fruit not only had miraculous effects but its taste was also unparalleled in the universe.
After Zhang Fan completely swallowed a Zi Wu Yuan Guo, he slowly closed his eyes and felt a cool liquid flowing through his limbs and bones. He quickly mobilized his internal magic power to force this clear stream to the Dantian.
There, a round and full Yuan Dan was suspended. On the Yuan Dan, nine dazzling Golden Core Dao patterns circulated, emitting a strange light of the Great Dao.
When the cool stream formed by the Zi Wu Yuan Guo came into contact with the Yuan Dan, it was as if it had found its归宿 (guī sù - destination/home). Without Zhang Fan even mobilizing it, the stream enveloped the Yuan Dan.
The clear stream wrapped around the Yuan Dan and continuously rotated, gradually solidifying. The Yuan Dan, originally the size of a dragon's eye, increased in diameter again, becoming a size larger.
"Next, let's see if I can break through the limit of nine Golden Core Dao patterns and condense a higher-grade Golden Core."
Countless sword intents flashed in Zhang Fan's mind. Having completely comprehended the Way of the Sword, he had comprehended far more than a hundred sword intents. It would be easy to inscribe two more.
However, throughout history, no one had ever been able to inscribe more than nine Golden Core Dao patterns in the Golden Core stage. This made Zhang Fan wonder if this bottleneck could be broken.
"Thunder Sword Intent!"
"Fire Element Sword Intent!"
Zhang Fan cultivated the Thunder Fire Divine Eyes, and wielding these two intents greatly helped in increasing his power. Furthermore, it would be beneficial for his future cultivation and comprehension of the paths of fire and thunder.
Zhang Fan first attempted to inscribe a 'Thunder Sword Intent.' Under Zhang Fan's mobilization, his vast divine sense power carved a figure in the divine sense space. That figure was a miniature version of Zhang Fan, holding a thunder sword and practicing the Thunder Sword Intent. With one sword strike, heavenly lightning descended, covering the entire sky like a spiderweb. As the Thunder Sword Intent was practiced, a subtle silver lightning Dao pattern also spread on the Yuan Dan.
Unlike the situation when he previously carved Golden Core Dao patterns, at this moment, the speed at which the lightning Dao pattern spread was extremely slow, almost imperceptible to the naked eye.
A month passed, and the length of the lightning Dao pattern was less than one-tenth of the other nine Golden Core Dao patterns. This gave Zhang Fan a vague understanding.
But he did not give up...
In this way, Zhang Fan mobilized his divine sense power and continuously practiced within the Golden Core Dao patterns. This process lasted for a full half a year. Zhang Fan's divine sense power was almost depleted, leaving less than thirty percent.
...