This golden rope, unlike the Crane Spirit Immortal Lamp, didn't possess the miraculous effect of enhancing one's comprehension. Its sole function was to trap people.
Once an opponent was bound by the Golden Word Rope, it was basically a dead end. Even if not bound, the rope could still interfere with opponents, buying its owner time to maneuver.
Before he could continue using the treasure-refining technique to refine the Golden Word Rope, half a day had passed, and he was ejected from the Void Cloud Palace, finding himself once again in the outer area of the Moyun Palace.
Following his previous route, Xu Xing first visited Nanchuan Valley to help maintain the clan-protecting formation for the Heavenly Fox Clan.
A month prior, when the various sects attacked, Nanchuan Valley's array technique had been on the verge of collapse.
Before entering Moyun Palace, his proficiency in array techniques had been insufficient to repair such an ancient formation.
However, after entering Moyun Palace and gaining insight into the Minor Celestial Star Battle Array with the aid of the Crane Spirit Immortal Lamp, one path understood, a myriad of techniques became clear. This gave him considerable confidence in repairing the Heavenly Fox Clan's array technique.
Although the Heavenly Fox King hadn't asked Xu Xing for this help, nor requested him to protect the Heavenly Fox Clan—after all, the Heavenly Fox King already owed Xu Xing a great deal, and asking for more... would have been incredibly difficult to voice...
But offering such assistance was a simple, cost-free favor, performed effortlessly, and a good way to foster goodwill.
After settling matters for the Heavenly Fox Clan, Xu Xing proceeded to the Spirit Land of the Blood Snake Clan. He took it over, making it his own, and began a period of secluded meditation.
His other self in the Bloodline World lacked a Top-grade fixed light talisman and thus couldn't perceive the Mysterious Symbols on the Xuanguang.
However, insights into cultivation realms were shared between them.
Even without a Top-grade fixed light talisman, he had already experienced carving Mysterious Symbols on the Xuanguang once, so doing it a second time wouldn't be difficult.
Furthermore, through this, he had gained meticulous control over every iota of his Magic Power.
Additionally, during this seclusion, Xu Xing planned to cultivate the "Cauldron Heart Technique" to the point of perfection.
After careful deliberation, he decided to enter the Emperor Jin World not with his Physical Body, but only as a Yin Soul.
His Physical Body bore traces of the "Cauldron Heart Technique"; the moment he entered the Emperor Jin World, Demon Emperor You Taigu might detect him...
Considering Demon Emperor You Taigu's power, Xu Xing wasn't certain he could escape or extricate himself if caught.
These might just be my own conjectures, but in all things, caution is paramount.
...
...
「Reality.」
「Wangchuan Sea, Whale Island.」
With the preferential allocation of Resources for first-class True disciples, supplemented by a small portion of Song Knife's inheritance, Xu Xing no longer lacked the pills needed to cultivate his Magic Power during the Late Immortal Foundation Stage.
Time flowed on. Fourteen years passed in the blink of an eye.
Without the assistance of an Instance World, Xu Xing found it much harder to break through to the Late Immortal Foundation Stage than when he had advanced from the Immortal Foundation Middle Stage. He could only progress through painstaking cultivation, bit by bit.
「On this day.」
The final Mysterious Symbol on the azure-red Xuanguang was at last successfully carved by the graving tool manifested from Xu Xing's divine sense.
Brilliant lights flared.
Upon the flawless jade platform of his White Jade Immortal Base, the Xuanguang manifested as four azure-red halos acting as a protective railing. Within this railing, wisps of crimson Qi gradually appeared.
This Qi was the Elixir Qi Xu Xing had cultivated.
Returning Core is within reach...
I should be able to break through to Returning Core within fifteen years.
A look of joy touched Xu Xing's face. The 'Xuanguang Talisman'—this stage of the Late Immortal Foundation Stage—is commonly understood as forging one's body into a Cauldron Furnace.
The more Mysterious Symbols one inscribed, the more robust this bodily Cauldron Furnace became, and the less likely it was to leak Elixir Qi.
Even without relying on a Light Sealing Talisman, Foundation Establishment Cultivators could still inscribe Mysterious Symbols on their Xuanguang.
However, with Xuanguang achieved in such a manner, the resulting cauldron embryo was comparatively weak, readily leaking the Elixir Qi stored within...
To put it simply, Foundation Establishment Cultivators who relied on a High-Grade Dingguang charm to break through could accumulate a strand of Elixir Qi every two days.
This strand of Elixir Qi would typically dissipate after about fifteen days.
Foundation Establishment Cultivators relying on middle or low-grade Light Sealing Talismans to break through would need at least five days to accumulate a wisp of Elixir Qi.
This wisp of Elixir Qi, by estimation, would dissipate after about ten days.
As for cultivators who relied on a Top-grade fixed light talisman to break through, they could accumulate at least one wisp of Elixir Qi per day, and their Xuanguang would be seamless, preventing any Elixir Qi from leaking...
Thus, over time, the strong tended to grow stronger, and the weak, weaker.
However, the heavens cherish life and hadn't entirely severed the final path for these Commoner Ascetic Monks. As long as they reached the Jade Liquid Reversion Pill realm, they could still compensate for their deficiencies; catching up later wasn't entirely impossible.
Of course, those who managed to catch up later were a minority. Falling behind by a single step meant that rectifying it later would demand a far greater price than what was initially required.
The Immortal Base realm was precisely for laying the foundation of one's Immortal Path.
This final step is a matter of patient effort. First, I'll let my other self in the Bloodline World break through to Returning Core with the help of the Crane Spirit Immortal Lamp...
Once I have the realm insight and experience, my main body in the Main World can then break through. Xu Xing thought to himself.
「In cultivation, time passes unmarked.」
Another seven long years drifted by.
During these seven years, he had accumulated over 30,000 strands of Elixir Qi, nearing the point of congealing a Void Elixir.
Different foundations required varying amounts of Elixir Qi to congeal a Void Elixir.
The Jade Liquid Reversion Pill process was divided into three steps: Void Elixir, Jade Liquid, and Condensing Pill.
The first step, 'Void Elixir,' focused on accumulating sufficient Elixir Qi—a task demanding patient effort. The second step, 'Jade Liquid,' occurred naturally once the Void Elixir was formed, spontaneously generating Elixir Liquid.
At this stage, one needed pills that enhanced Magic Power, which would then be converted into more Elixir Liquid.
The final step, 'Condensing Pill,' involved solidifying the Elixir Liquid and was the most challenging part.
Pills of the lower three ranks were easy to condense. Pills of the upper three ranks were difficult to forge.
Is there a fight outside?
Just then, as Xu Xing was about to retrieve a Pill Bottle from his Storage Bag, intending to consume a pill to augment his Magic Power, a sudden series of thunderous booms and explosions echoed from outside his Cave Mansion.