Chapter 357 : The Golden Core's Secret Path

Vast Righteousness True Lord began his instruction from the very foundations, progressing from the simple to the profound, clearly explaining the critical junctures and obstacles of cultivation within the Golden Core Realm [the third major stage of cultivation where one forms a solidified core of spiritual energy].

The others had heard these teachings before; it was evident the Vast Righteousness True Lord was speaking specifically for the benefit of Eldrin Chen and his two companions. After he finished explaining the key points from the Golden Core 1st Tier [the initial stage of the Golden Core Realm] through to the ninth tier, he spoke once more.

"Cultivation in the Golden Core Realm is, in essence, the process of nurturing the Golden Core [the solidified spiritual core]. The ultimate goal is for it to metamorphose into an Infant Soul [the nascent spiritual form of the next major realm]."

"Your Golden Core is akin to an embryo in gestation. To transform it into an Infant Soul, you must fuse three distinct forces into one: the Life Soul [the soul of sentient life, one of the three primary souls], the Creation [the vital, generative force of life and spirit], and the Golden Core itself."

The Vast Righteousness True Lord continued his eloquent discourse, unraveling the fundamental nature of cultivation within the Golden Core Realm.

Eldrin Chen listened with rapt attention, feeling his comprehension of Golden Core Realm cultivation grow ever more profound and lucid.

The so-called Life Soul represents the cultivator's spiritual strength, the essence of consciousness. It is one of the three primary souls within a person.

A person possesses three souls: the Heaven Soul [the celestial soul, connected to the heavens], the Earth Soul [the earthly soul, anchored to the world], and the Life Soul. Of these, the Heaven and Earth Souls do not reside within the cultivator's body. The Heaven Soul is hidden within the Nine Heavens Above [the highest celestial realms], while the Earth Soul sinks deep into the Netherworld [the underworld or realm of the dead].

As a cultivator's realm and power increase, these two external souls also draw strength from heaven and earth, growing in potency until they are no weaker than the cultivator's own primary form.

It is said that if one can locate these Heaven and Earth Souls and merge them into the Infant Soul, the spiritual soul can then give birth to a Primordial Solar [a Yang-infused, solar-primordial spirit]. Only then can one break through to the Primordial Spirit Realm [the realm beyond the Infant Soul, where one's spirit achieves a primordial, independent form]. Discover more cultivation stories at audio-novel .c om.

This demands an exceptionally high level of enlightenment or an immensely powerful spiritual soul. Only then can one perceive the elusive Heaven Soul and Earth Soul that exist beyond the veil, and only then can one guide them back to merge with the physical body. This is considered one of the greatest barriers on the Immortal Ascension Path [the arduous journey of cultivation towards immortality].

It is said that the Ji Clan Patriarch had already retrieved his Earth Soul [the soul aspect connected to the mortal world and one's earthly fate] many years prior, elevating his strength to the Half-Step Primordial Spirit Realm. Furthermore, he had located his Heaven Soul [the soul aspect connected to celestial destiny and the heavens]; all that remained was to successfully guide it back to achieve a breakthrough into the Primordial Solar Realm [a profound cultivation realm beyond the Primordial Spirit].

However, this final step is fraught with immense difficulty. Successfully retrieving the Heaven Soul requires perfect alignment of celestial timing, favorable geography, and personal readiness—all three are indispensable. Furthermore, the process is vulnerable to interference from others, which can lead to failure.

The Life Soul [the core soul representing a cultivator's original self and consciousness] is the cultivator's fundamental identity. To break through to the Infant Soul Realm, a cultivator must use their Life Soul to take residence within the Golden Core [the condensed core of spiritual power]. After the Life Soul and the Golden Core fuse and mutually transform, they give birth to the Infant Soul [the nascent spiritual form of a higher cultivation stage].

The Life Soul is the very essence of a cultivator's will and consciousness. If a cultivator loses their Life Soul, they are, in essence, no longer the same person.

The primary reason righteous cultivators throughout the world disdain the Demonic Path [cultivation methods that harness corrupting, demonic energies] is that when practitioners finally attempt their breakthrough into the Primordial Spirit [a high-level spiritual realm], they become contaminated by demonic energy.

If one seeks to preserve their original self, the likelihood of successfully breaking through to the Primordial Spirit Realm becomes exceedingly slim. Only by allowing the Life Soul to be eroded can one increase the certainty of attaining the Primordial Spirit.

Yet, once the Life Soul is corrupted, the cultivator's fundamental identity is effectively replaced. They may even fall under the control of the Demon God [a supreme entity of demonic power], becoming what can only be called a Heavenly Demon.

Conversely, those who can guard their original self and withstand the tribulation of demonic energy corruption become true, peerless Demon Monarch [supreme lords among demonic cultivators]. Such beings often possess the potential for both immortality and demonhood, ranking among the very pinnacle even within the ranks of Primordial Solar Path Lord [titles for masters who have comprehended profound cosmic principles].

The Vast Righteousness True Lord did not speak in obscure mysteries; his explanations were clear and easily understood.

He channeled his spiritual power to conjure a shimmering, illusory Golden Core [the solidified spiritual core formed by a cultivator]. Then, before the assembled crowd, he personally demonstrated the intricate process of its metamorphosis into an Infant Soul [the nascent spiritual form of a cultivator, the next major stage after the Golden Core].

The onlookers watched as the Life Soul [the core spiritual essence representing a cultivator's life force and destiny] merged into the Golden Core. It began to guide the core's transformation, but ultimately, a mutation occurred. The fusion withered, collapsing into a desiccated Primordial Embryo [a failed, malformed state of the nascent soul] before dissipating entirely.

"Observe," he declared. "Even with the fusion of the Life Soul and the Golden Core, it is still insufficient to achieve a breakthrough into the Infant Soul Realm."

"For the Infant Soul to be successfully birthed, a copious amount of Creation [the primordial creative force of the universe, essential for major advancements] energy is required as nourishment. Without it, the Infant Soul will perish in the womb, so to speak."

With those words, Vast Righteousness True Lord once again channeled his power, re-enacting the scene of breaking through to the Infant Soul.

This time, within the illusory Golden Core, he infused a vast quantity of Creation energy. Using a Nascent Soul Formation Pill [a legendary pill that aids in the formation of the Infant Soul] as a catalyst, he forced a massive influx of Creation substance into the core. True to his demonstration, it successfully metamorphosed into a vibrant Infant Soul.

After the demonstration concluded, Vast Righteousness True Lord withdrew his spiritual power and spoke with calm authority. "To elevate a Golden Core to the standard where it can give birth to an Infant Soul, one requires a tremendous reservoir of Creation energy."

"Treasures such as the Five Elements Spirit Fruit [a spiritual fruit imbued with the essence of the five fundamental elements] or Creation Jade [a rare jade that contains concentrated Creation energy] are the key items for replenishing this vital Creation force."

"Furthermore, the higher the grade of the Golden Core, the greater its capacity to contain Creation energy. This is precisely why cultivators with a Middle-Tier Golden Core or a Superior-Tier Golden Core possess a significantly higher chance of successfully breaking through to the Infant Soul realm."

"Have you all understood?"

Having spoken thus far, Vast Righteousness True Lord [a title for a powerful and virtuous cultivator] asked with a composed expression.

Eldrin Chen and the others promptly bowed in respect, replying reverently, "We understand."

Vast Righteousness True Lord gave a slight nod, then smiled gently. "Then we shall conclude here. If you have any questions, you may ask them now."

A Golden Core Cultivator [a cultivator who has formed a solidified core of spiritual energy] nearby immediately rose to his feet, his expression grave as he was the first to ask, "The demands of high-level cultivation upon one's Spiritual Root [the innate spiritual foundation that determines a cultivator's elemental affinity and potential] grow ever more stringent. I dare ask, Master, are the Heavenly Spiritual Root [a single, pure, and exceptionally powerful spiritual root] and the Variant Spiritual Root [a spiritual root of a rare, non-standard elemental type] truly dead-end paths that cannot lead to immortality?"

Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered slightly. The one asking was a cultivator with a Variant Spiritual Root.

A cultivator with a Variant Spiritual Root can only refine a single Lifebound Magical Treasure [a magical artifact bound to a cultivator's life force and soul]. Whether in the purity of their spiritual energy or their combat prowess, they cannot match cultivators with Multiple Spiritual Roots [cultivators who possess several spiritual roots of different elements]. Access the full story on audio_novel.com.

Although cultivation speed is faster for those with a Variant Spiritual Root, the higher realms often lack not for lifespan. On the contrary, after reaching the Infant Soul [the Primordial Spirit stage, where the cultivator's spiritual core takes an infant-like form], one may find themselves perpetually stuck before a bottleneck, unable to advance a single step further due to insufficiently refined spiritual energy.

The higher the realm, the more arduous the path becomes. This is the greatest challenge faced by single-Spiritual Root cultivators.

With this thought, his gaze turned to Vast Righteousness True Lord, clearly harboring the same doubt.

"Not so, not so at all."

Yet the Vast Righteousness True Lord shook his head and said with a gentle smile, "The heavens never seal all paths; every soul holds within it a sliver of hope to ascend to immortality [to become an immortal being]."

"Though the path of a Spiritual Root [the innate spiritual foundation that determines a cultivator's elemental affinity and cultivation speed] is fraught with hardship, it is not an absolute dead end."

The Golden Core Cultivator [a cultivator who has condensed their spiritual energy into a solid Golden Core, a major milestone] revealed a look of joyous surprise, unable to contain his excitement as he said, "Master, please instruct me."

The Vast Righteousness True Lord nodded and then spoke, "As the saying goes, there are three thousand Great Paths [the fundamental laws and principles of cultivation and the universe], and each can lead one to enlightenment. It is merely that some paths are more rugged than others."

"The path of Multiple Spiritual Roots [possessing more than one elemental spiritual root] is one of unifying myriad methods into one. The path of a single Spiritual Root, however, emphasizes utmost purity and singular focus."

"You are a cultivator with a Thunder Spiritual Root [a spiritual root attuned to the element of lightning and thunder]. Therefore, you have two potential paths. The first is to comprehend a higher-order Thunderclap Force [a profound power derived from the essence of thunder], allowing your spiritual energy to undergo a sublime transformation, becoming far more refined."

"The second is the Spiritual Root Division [a legendary technique to split a single spiritual root into multiple elemental ones]. It would allow you to divide your Thunder Spiritual Root once more, reforming it into Metal-Water Dual Spiritual Roots [spiritual roots attuned to the metal and water elements]."

After his words fell, he shook his head once more. "However, comprehending such higher-order forces demands exceptional enlightenment and spiritual perception. Even a Primordial Spirit Path Lord [a cultivator whose soul has ascended to the Primordial Spirit realm] might not achieve it."

"As for the Spiritual Root Division technique, whispers of it circulate within this realm. If you can one day break through to the Infant Soul [the Nascent Soul stage, where a cultivator's soul forms a miniature infant-like avatar], you may attempt to seek it from the Ji Clan."

"My deepest gratitude, Master."

Upon hearing this, the Golden Core Cultivator [a cultivator who has formed a solid golden core of spiritual energy within their dantian] wore a deeply troubled expression. Both conditions were exceedingly difficult to meet. The first demanded an exceptionally high level of cultivation and profound enlightenment, while the second, though somewhat more accessible, still required one to be at the Infant Soul [the realm where the cultivator's nascent soul is formed and nurtured] level to even be considered.

It was painfully clear that with his current level of cultivation, he remained unqualified to pursue such knowledge.

After this person finished his inquiry, the others began to pose their questions in turn. Vast Righteousness True Lord answered them all exhaustively, and even Eldrin Chen found himself gaining considerable insight from the discourse. Find thousands of chapters at audio‑novel.com.