On the ice surface, as smooth as a mirror, Zhang Fan sat cross-legged, taking out the White Cloud Tiger's Nascent Soul with a flip of his hand.
A miniature version of the White Cloud Tiger, it had lost its regal demeanor of a forest king and appeared somewhat cute.
Now, the consciousness within the White Cloud Tiger's Nascent Soul had been completely erased by Zhang Fan. A Nascent Soul of three tribulations, containing immense energy, was enough to allow a Golden Core realm cultivator to break through the shackles of their Golden Core and form a Nascent Soul.
In fact, the White Cloud Tiger at the time had a complete opportunity to self-detonate its Nascent Soul. The power unleashed by the self-detonation of a three-tribulation Nascent Soul expert could rival the full might of a peak three-tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator.
However, the White Cloud Tiger believed that its survival would be of greater use to Zhang Fan. It still harbored a desire to live, and at the same time, the White Cloud Tiger knew that Zhang Fan's physical body was extremely powerful. Even if it self-detonated, it would likely only cause him minor injuries. Thus, it had never considered self-detonating its Nascent Soul.
As for Ouyang Jing, Gong Ziru, and others who died at Zhang Fan's hands, their strength was too far from Zhang Fan's. Before they even had a chance to self-detonate their Nascent Souls, Zhang Fan had already severed them with a single sword strike.
The vast energy contained within the White Cloud Tiger's Nascent Soul would likely take ordinary Golden Core realm cultivators half a year to refine.
But for Zhang Fan, who cultivated the 'Dark Devouring' divine ability, this time could be reduced by several times.
As his technique circulated, the Taotie illustration condensed within his body was illuminated by Zhang Fan. A colossal phantom of the Taotie appeared above Zhang Fan's head, exuding an ancient and primordial aura.
Zhang Fan's body became like a black hole, ceaselessly devouring the energy from the White Cloud Tiger's Nascent Soul. The White Cloud Tiger's Nascent Soul gradually blurred, while simultaneously, Zhang Fan's aura, which had already reached the peak of the Golden Core realm, climbed once more.
"What kind of divine ability is this, that can condense the phantom of the ancient fierce beast Taotie, and be so overbearing?"
Several kilometers away, Liu Mu, who was also cultivating and preparing to undergo the Nascent Soul tribulation, was alerted by the commotion Zhang Fan was causing.
In the Star Lake Forest, he had witnessed Zhang Fan unleash a divine ability that condensed the phantom of the ancient fierce beast Lie Tian Si. It was precisely with the help of that divine ability that Zhang Fan was able to slay the White Cloud Tiger.
Now, Zhang Fan was unleashing another divine ability that he had never heard of, causing Liu Mu to question his own understanding of the world.
He came from an extraordinary background and was quite knowledgeable. He had seen many high-grade divine abilities, and even heard of a few from the list of peerless divine abilities, but none of them matched the two that Zhang Fan was currently displaying.
"Truly a monstrous talent!"
Liu Mu shook his head and got up to fly further away. After Zhang Fan unleashed his divine ability, the world's energy within a radius of dozens of kilometers was stirred up, making it impossible for Liu Mu to cultivate in peace.
He couldn't afford to provoke Zhang Fan, so he could only hide further away.
"It's still not enough?"
After spending several days completely devouring the White Cloud Tiger's Nascent Soul, Zhang Fan circulated his technique and mobilized this energy, intending to shatter his Golden Core and form a Nascent Soul.
However, he had greatly underestimated the power of those two first-grade Golden Cores. Golden Cores were already indestructible, let alone first-grade high-grade Golden Cores!
For ordinary first-grade Golden Core cultivators, to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, they only needed to shatter that single Golden Core to form a Nascent Soul.
But Zhang Fan had cultivated two first-grade Golden Cores, and they were both first-grade high-grade Golden Cores. To break through to the Nascent Soul stage, he needed to mobilize a sufficiently powerful force to shatter both of those first-grade Golden Cores before he could form a Nascent Soul.
The energy contained within one White Cloud Tiger's Nascent Soul was clearly insufficient.
Zhang Fan took out a palm-sized jade bottle from the Star Image Space. With a gentle pull of his finger, a stream of emerald green liquid flowed out from the bottle's opening, hovering in front of Zhang Fan as if weightless.
This was the Earth Heart Saliva that Zhang Fan had obtained from the subterranean magma in the Star Lake Forest. The energy contained within the Earth Heart Saliva, tempered by the Earth Heart Fire, was incredibly pure and most suitable for cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage to break through their realm.
Zhang Fan had used about thirty percent of the Earth Heart Saliva to cultivate from the middle stage of the Golden Core realm to the peak of the Golden Core realm.
However, that thirty percent of Earth Heart Saliva would have been enough for an ordinary Golden Core realm cultivator to easily break through to the Nascent Soul stage.
He had originally planned to save the remaining seventy percent for Qin Luoshui and the others, but now, it seemed he had to use it himself.
Zhang Fan opened his mouth slightly, and the Earth Heart Saliva immediately turned into a subtle stream of emerald green liquid, which Zhang Fan swallowed into his abdomen.
If an ordinary Golden Core realm cultivator dared to greedily absorb such a vast amount of energy, their body would have long since exploded. But Zhang Fan, whose divine body had already achieved minor completion, possessed immense physical strength and could still easily withstand it.
As the energy within his body continued to increase, Zhang Fan repeatedly attempted to shatter his Golden Core, but it was still not enough.
Sixty percent...
Fifty percent...
Thirty percent...
The Earth Heart Saliva suspended in front of Zhang Fan decreased at a visible rate, yet Zhang Fan still felt that something was missing.
When only twenty percent of the Earth Heart Saliva remained, Zhang Fan felt a hint of unease. After absorbing such immense energy, even his physical body felt immense pressure, but those two Golden Cores remained as solid as ever, unshaken.
"Damn it! What the hell is this thing!"
Even though he had anticipated it somewhat, he had never expected these two Golden Cores to be such bottomless pits!
However, at this point, he had no choice but to press on; having come this far, he could only continue down this path.
*Crack!*
When less than ten percent of the Earth Heart Saliva remained, above his dantian, those two indestructible Golden Cores finally loosened. A minute crack appeared on the Golden Cores, and then it rapidly spread.
Zhang Fan took a deep breath, his expression extremely solemn. At this moment, the two first-grade Golden Cores were covered in cracks, like a spider's web.
"Break for me!"
With a surge of powerful energy, the two first-grade Golden Cores shattered with a boom, transforming into luminescence above his dantian. Within the luminescence, a purple lightning bolt and a translucent sword aura appeared.
These were the Thunder Intent and Sword Intent that Zhang Fan had condensed.
Next, Zhang Fan needed to use the Thunder Intent and Sword Intent as a foundation to form his Nascent Soul.
"Hmm?"
Just as Zhang Fan was about to mobilize the power of his Intents to form his Nascent Soul, the Thunder Intent and Sword Intent, beyond his control, were drawn towards each other and converged...
Zhang Fan looked inward at his dantian, stunned by this sight. At this moment, the purple lightning bolt and the translucent sword aura had disappeared, replaced by a purple sword aura that flickered with lightning. The fluctuations emanating from it made Zhang Fan, its owner, tremble.
"Did the Sword Intent devour the Thunder Intent?"
Even Zhang Fan himself did not understand his current state.
He had originally hoped to cultivate two golden Nascent Souls, but it seemed that was now a futile dream.
Despite this strange mutation that he couldn't comprehend, his Golden Cores had already shattered, and he still needed to form his Nascent Soul immediately.
...