Cultivation: From Servant to Revered Immortal

Chapter 817: Chapter 109: Nether Illusion Spirit Butterfly, All Disciples Achieve Core Formation! (Part 2)

”The third kind is the ’Heart Essence Blood of the Golden Feather Cloud-Stepping Eagle’. The Golden Feather Cloud-Stepping Eagle is an extremely rare Golden Wind dual-attribute Spirit Bird; once it reaches adulthood, it is Tier Four!”

”Born to be a Demon Emperor, no question about it. Leaving aside how extremely rare this beast is, even if you managed to find one, taking its Heart Essence Blood would be anything but easy!”

Seeing this, Zhou Xun couldn’t help but sigh.

Could he really gather all of these?

And this was only the Refining Materials for the imitation of ’Extreme Illusionary Spirit Liquid’—’Illusion Spirit Liquid’. Who knew how much harder it would be to refine the true ’Extreme Illusionary Spirit Liquid’.

But thinking about it from another angle, since ’Illusion Spirit Liquid’ was so hard to refine, its medicinal effect was bound to be extraordinary.

”Fortunately, I can now travel freely between the three great Cultivation Realms. My treasure-hunting range is vast!”

”I don’t believe it—combining the Eastern Wilderness, the Central Continent, and Great Jin, I still won’t be able to gather these three Spiritual Objects!”

Just then, a light, pleasant voice rang out; it was from Lin Xueying. Seeing Zhou Xun’s brows slightly furrowed,

she spoke up in concern:

”Husband, have you run into some difficulty?”

”It’s nothing. I was just looking over the Spiritual Objects required for the Phoenix Butterfly’s evolution and got a bit emotional, that’s all.” Zhou Xun then told her about the Refining process and materials of the Illusion Spirit Liquid.

Lin Xueying listened, dumbfounded.

”With... with Husband’s ability, it... shouldn’t be a problem, right?” As she spoke, even she started to lose confidence!

”Forget it. If fate allows, I’ll naturally be able to gather them all!”

”Today is the Phoenix Butterfly’s third metamorphosis—such a joyous occasion; how could we not celebrate it a bit!” Zhou Xun laughed heartily.

Hearing this, Lin Xueying’s face flushed slightly.

As the two of them advanced further in Cultivation, a single seclusion could last several years, even decades; it was common for them to only see each other once every few decades.

So if the couple wanted to enjoy some intimacy, it wasn’t that easy either.

Today happened to be a perfect opportunity.

So she whispered softly:

”I leave everything to Husband.”

Zhou Xun laughed and scooped Lin Xueying up in his arms, striding toward the bedroom.

...

Half a year later, above an island in Wangchuan Lake,

a Spiritual Energy Vortex tens of zhang across appeared in midair.

Zhou Xun and Lin Xueying, the couple; their disciples Zhou Jingsong, Xu Shaoqing, Wang Shun and the rest; as well as Xing Huai’an, Yuan Pan’er, and the third-generation disciples Zhou Ping and Zhou Jing,

were all hovering in the distance, observing the ceremony.

Today was the Core Formation day of Zhou Xun’s second disciple, Shi Wanying.

Ever since Lin Youshan formed his core three years ago, among Zhou Xun’s six disciples, only Shi Wanying had yet to form a core.

Fortunately, today she finally touched the opportunity for Core Formation, so she entered the Cultivation Room and took the Super-Grade Crystal Condensation Pill that Zhou Xun had rewarded her with.

A regular high-quality Crystal Condensation Pill could increase the success rate by thirty percent, and at the Super-Grade level,

Zhou Xun estimated that this Pill might even increase it by fifty percent!

A one-in-two chance—what a terrifying thing.

”Husband, I never thought that little Wanying back then would now be forming her core!” Lin Xueying couldn’t help but recall those days in Qingyue Square,

when Shi Wanying often came to Zhou Xun’s Cave Mansion; the Lin Xueying of those days had been very fond of her.

”Indeed. From the look of that Spiritual Energy Vortex, it’s very solid. I’d say forming a True Pill shouldn’t be a problem.”

Zhou Xun nodded slightly, very satisfied.

A Core Formation Cultivator’s lifespan could reach five hundred years; if they took some top-tier Life-Extending Pills, six hundred years was nothing unusual.

For these disciples he had supported up to this point, Zhou Xun could be said to have done his utmost.

Xing Huai’an’s expression was complicated; he truly hadn’t expected

that Shi Wanying, the one with the weakest Cultivation by Zhou Xun’s side, with merely barely Middle-Grade Spiritual Roots, would actually succeed in Core Formation.

Judging from this phenomenon, the quality of her core wouldn’t be inferior to his.

Yet he, once the most talented person in White Cloud Immortal City, a dignified Earth Spirit Root Cultivator, had only condensed a Low-Grade True Pill;

in this lifetime, even advancing to Middle-Stage Core Formation was likely just a dream!

This gap left his heart in a very complicated state. As Wangchuan Lake grew stronger, more and more Core Formation Cultivators would surely appear; as an initial-generation patriarch with no path forward, his voice in matters would only grow weaker.

Zhou Jingsong, as Shi Wanying’s husband, was standing together with their sons Zhou Ping and Zhou Jing. Watching the vortex in the distance, he couldn’t hide the tension on his face.

Although the success rate was extremely high, there was still a risk of failure, so he didn’t dare relax in the slightest.

He couldn’t imagine what he would do if Shi Wanying failed her Core Formation.

Xu Shaoqing and the other senior brothers and sisters were all showing happy expressions.

With years of deep fellow-disciple affection between them, Xu Shaoqing looked at the Spiritual Energy Vortex and said with a smile to Wang Shun beside him:

”Senior Sister is finally forming her core this time. This way, the few of us can stay together for the next several hundred years!”

Wang Shun nodded repeatedly, grinning from ear to ear.

To him, Shi Wanying carried an even more special meaning.

Back when he took Zhou Xun as his master, it was Zhou Jingsong and his wife who raised and taught him; in a sense, Shi Wanying was both elder sister and mother to him.

He had always worried about Shi Wanying’s lifespan; after all, she was now nearly two hundred years old, not far from her limit.

Now it seemed there was no need to worry!

Very soon, another day passed; the phenomenon continued into the fourth day.

At last, the phenomenon began to weaken, then slowly subsided into calm.

Zhou Xun’s Divine Sense instantly swept out, quickly passing over Shi Wanying’s body, and then he showed a relaxed expression.

”She finally succeeded!”

”A Low-Grade True Pill!”

Hearing Zhou Xun’s words, everyone started chatting in relief.

Not long after, a water-blue Spirit Light flew out and arrived before the crowd.

The light withdrew, revealing a heroic-looking woman of about thirty—it was Shi Wanying.

She bowed, came before Zhou Xun, knelt, and knocked her head three times, loud and clear.

”This unworthy disciple Shi Wanying greets Master, and thanks Master for all your efforts!”

”Your Core Formation brings great comfort to your master.” Zhou Xun smiled faintly, then flipped his palm; a water-blue pearl appeared in his hand.

”This is the White Mirage Pearl, refined with a Tier Three Snow Mirage Pearl as the main material. It’s a rare Magical Treasure that combines concealment and defense, and like you, it is of the Water Attribute.”

”Back then, your master used it very smoothly; today, I bestow it upon you for your protection!”

Although this pearl was only at the Tier Three Low-Grade level, in terms of value, it might surpass an ordinary Tier Three Middle-Grade Magical Treasure.

It was his spoils of war from the Celestial Feather Sect’s invasion back then and had earned him no small amount of merit. As his Cultivation rose, it had gradually become something of a chicken rib, no longer used, though it had always been kept in his Storage Bag.

Now, it was just right for Shi Wanrong!

”Many thanks, Master!” Shi Wanrong respectfully accepted it.

Zhou Xun smiled and helped Shi Wanying up. ”This is your own opportunity and effort. From now on, you are also a Core Formation Cultivator. You must continue to Cultivate diligently and not slack off.”

Shi Wanying nodded in agreement.

”Congratulations, Senior Sister!”

At this time, Xu Shaoqing and the others gathered around, saluting Shi Wanying, their eyes full of joy.

”Senior Sister, you finally formed your core—we were worried to death about you!” Wang Shun said excitedly, his tone overflowing with enthusiasm.

”You little rascal, you’re already a Core Formation Master; it’s about time you learned to be more steady!” Shi Wanying couldn’t help but say.

”Senior Sister is right, I’ll remember it!” Wang Shun chuckled, as if he’d returned to the days over ten years ago when Senior Sister used to look after him.

”Wanying, you finally succeeded. Your husband can finally set his mind at ease.” Zhou Jingsong looked at the wife who had accompanied him for two hundred years, his eyes slightly reddened.

”Brother Jingsong, during the breakthrough I kept telling myself I had to succeed. Otherwise, if I couldn’t see you in the future, what would I do? Luckily, my Core Formation succeeded; you and I can still be together for several hundred years!” Shi Wanying said, tears in her eyes.

”Enough, you’re all Core Formation Cultivators now, each of you an old ancestor in your own right. No need to get so sentimental.”

”With Wanying’s breakthrough, we should be properly celebrating!”

Zhou Xun shook his head as he looked at this ’bunch of brats’ and said.

Zhou Jingsong and Shi Wanying exchanged embarrassed smiles at his words, and then, surrounded by the others and the Zhou Xun couple,

they all went together to the Cave Mansion of the Wanying–Jingsong couple for a simple celebration.

After this, the whole of Wangchuan Lake fell back into peace, and in this way another year and a half passed.

This was already the ninth year since Zhou Xun had returned from Great Jin.

On this day, Zhou Xun awoke from seclusion and stepped out of the Cultivation Room.

Next, he was going to head to Great Jin once more,

because the time to register for the Spirit Seizing Conference had arrived!