Family Rise: Beginning with Grandfather.

Chapter 995 Another Golden Core
The Land of Spiritual Origin, the Pavilion of Immortal Artifacts.

A streak of light landed in front of the Immortal Artifact Pavilion.

"Senior brother, senior brother!"

Ning Yun rushed into the room while shouting urgently.

"what happened?"

Yang Jizhen came out and asked.

“Thunderclouds are gathering deep within the Yunxiao Mountains, resembling a Golden Core tribulation!” Ning Yun said.

Yang Jizhen's expression changed drastically. "Golden Core Tribulation? The Lord of Hidden Sword Mountain!"

"Maybe!" Ning Yun nodded.

Yang Jizhen's expression immediately turned serious.

"Come on, let's go take a look!"

After saying that, the two hurriedly flew towards the direction of the Reception Hall.

It was no secret that Jian Changhe had gone into seclusion to form his core in the Spirit Source Land. Yang Zhengshan had known about it for a long time and had also told the people in the Spirit Source Land about it.

This matter concerns the entire Yunxiao Mountain Range, and even the Spirit Source Land must take it seriously.

Once Jian Changhe successfully forms his Golden Core and becomes a Golden Core cultivator, Hidden Sword Mountain will surely become the overlord of the western part of the Cloud Soaring Mountains. At that time, Hidden Sword Mountain will be a place where all nations pay tribute.

However, before the two arrived at the main hall, a muffled rumbling sound suddenly resounded throughout the world.

Rumble~~~
In an instant, heaven and earth trembled.

"What's going on?" The two stopped in mid-air, looking around blankly.

woohoo~~
As the winds rose and clouds surged, spiritual energy, like a tidal wave, rushed wildly towards the north.

"Energy formation!"

Yang Jizhen's mouth gaped open, and his eyes almost popped out.

"Master, how long has Master been in seclusion?" Ning Yun asked, somewhat stammering.

Yang Jizhen said blankly, "It seems like it's only been less than two years!"

"To form the core in less than two years? Isn't it said that it takes more than ten years of seclusion to form the core?" Ning Yun asked.

"How would I know!" Yang Jizhen's face showed worry.

Based on his understanding of Core Formation, Core Formation should begin by compressing and purifying one's magical power before starting the process. One should first strengthen one's physique, then absorb spiritual energy to enhance the strength of one's soul, and only then can the process of Core Formation begin.

This process should take at least a decade or more.

"Let's go take a look!" Ning Yun said.

Yang Jizhen suddenly grabbed him and said, "Wait, let me go get the Golden Crow Eight Trigrams Furnace first!"

After saying that, he hurriedly flew back to the Immortal Artifact Pavilion, retrieved the Eight Trigrams Furnace, and then flew north.

At the same time, streaks of light flew northwards.

A moment later, dozens of figures gathered on an unnamed mountain peak in the northern part of the Spirit Source Land.

Xuanzhen, Yang Jizhen, and a group of other immortal cultivators were present.

Yang Mingcheng, Yang Mingwu, and a group of other martial artists were also present.

Also present were the Azure Wolf King, Da Qing, Jin Yun, and other demon cultivators.

A dozen miles north of the mountain peak, above the forest, a huge, funnel-shaped vortex of spiritual energy was gathering.

"Senior Xuanzhen, what's wrong?" Yang Mingcheng asked anxiously.

Xuanzhen said with a solemn expression, "It should be forming its core, but I don't know what stage it's at!"

"It must have just begun!"

Yunxiao drifted in, his gaze fixed intently on the unnamed snow-capped mountain.

"Greetings, True Lord!"

"Meet the true king!"

Upon seeing Yunxiao, everyone immediately bowed in greeting.

"Well, no need for formalities. Just wait and see. Fellow Daoist Yang should be fine!" Yunxiao said casually.

He had great confidence in Yang Zhengshan. If Yang Zhengshan had even protected him, there was no reason why he would fail to form his core.

He was unaware of the dangers he faced when he reached the Core Formation stage, but after talking with Xuanzhen recently, he learned how much Yang Zhengshan had sacrificed to help him.

That's why he had a lot of confidence in Yang Zhengshan.

The group watched and waited from a distance on the mountaintop.

……

Inside the stone house atop the mountain.

After restoring his energy and spirit to their peak, Yang Zhengshan began to circulate the Green Wood Longevity Scripture.

The magical power within his body flowed slowly through his meridians like a clear spring. He had already studied the Green Wood Longevity Scripture countless times and was intimately familiar with every detail of its operation, to the point that it had become almost instinctive.

The moment a thought arises, the technique begins to operate.

While observing the changes in the magical power within his body, Yang Zhengshan recalled his insights into the Green Wood Longevity Scripture, as well as his understanding of the Dao of Withering and Flourishing.

"The cycle of flourishing and decay, the cycle of life and death, the union of yin and yang!"

As insights began to emerge, Yang Zhengshan gradually became engrossed in them.

The aura emanating from his body also began to shift and change, half of it lush and green like jade, the other half withered and yellow, and a yin-yang symbol the size of a millstone condensed behind him.

"The way of heaven and earth is inseparable from yin and yang; the art of longevity lies in withering and flourishing. Green trees flourish in spring and wither in winter, but their roots never die and their energy endures."

"Observe the rise and fall of plants and understand the transformation of life and death: in the midst of prosperity, there is hidden withering, like a cicada shedding its skin in the height of summer; in the midst of withering, life is born, like a dragon hiding in a cold pool."

"The Taiji gives rise to Yin and Yang, and Yin and Yang give rise to the Four Symbols. Spring flourishes in the green Yang, and autumn withers in the Taiyin. The virtue of wood pervades the four seasons and undergoes metabolism, and the soul and energy ride on Yin and Yang to see the cycle of reincarnation. Thus, the autumn of plants and trees reveals the mechanism of life and death; the morning mushroom hides the secrets of flourishing and withering."

"Life is the beginning of glory, but not eternal prosperity; death is the extreme of decay, but not eternal silence."

As insights began to surface, a sudden flash of inspiration struck Yang Zhengshan. He then activated his magic to open a porcelain bottle in front of him, took out a nine-patterned Bodhi seed, and put it into his mouth.

"The Way of Heaven has its balance, and the cycle of reincarnation is without error. If one sees two trees withered and flourishing, yet neither withered nor flourishing, neither born nor dying, this is called the supreme Way of Withering and Flourishing."

"Neither rejoice in glory nor grieve in decline. Forget both glory and decline, and let life and death flow together."

As the nine-patterned Bodhi seed entered his stomach, Yang Zhengshan instantly felt a surge of clarity in his mind, with various insights constantly emerging.

If you hear the truth in the morning, you will die in the evening!

This feeling was like directly perceiving the great Dao of Heaven and Earth, captivating him so much that he completely forgot the passage of time.

As time went by, Yang Zhengshan became completely immersed in it.

As he immersed himself in the moment, the flow of magical power within his dantian accelerated continuously.

At first, it rotated slowly, but gradually it became faster and faster until it reached its maximum speed.

At the same time, his magical power was also changing, half of it was as green as jade, and the other half was withered and desolate. The two intertwined and swirled, yet they were clearly distinct.

Gradually, a yin-yang symbol of withering and flourishing appeared in his dantian.

After the yin-yang fish appeared, the vortex in his dantian did not disappear; it was simply concealed within it.

The vortex grew faster and faster, and dense spiritual energy began to converge towards Yang Zhengshan.

It started as a gentle breeze, but quickly turned into a gust of wind, then a gale.

Immediately afterwards, a vortex appeared between heaven and earth, frantically swallowing the seawater as if a bottomless chasm had suddenly appeared on the seabed.

The spiritual energy vortex was only a few dozen feet in size at first, but it gradually grew to hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands of feet.

"This~~"

Xuanzhen was horrified when he saw this.

"Was this the same situation when I formed my core?" Yunxiao asked.

Xuanzhen shook his head, "No, you were only about a thousand feet tall when you formed your core!" "..."

Yunxiao fell silent; the difference in skill was truly astounding!
He looked at the vortex of spiritual energy that covered dozens of miles and felt incredulous.

……

In the stone house.

Yang Zhengshan was naturally unaware of Yunxiao's thoughts. He was still immersed in his understanding of the Dao of Withering and Flourishing and did not notice the changes in himself.

The vortex in his dantian was still spinning rapidly, causing his body to absorb spiritual energy from the outside world at an extremely exaggerated speed.

A massive amount of spiritual energy surged into his body, carrying a terrifying impact.

Soon, his magic power lit up a hazy magical shield, attempting to stop the infusion of spiritual energy, but the magical shield only lasted for a quarter of an hour before it collapsed with a crash.

Immediately afterwards, spiritual energy poured into his body at an even more terrifying speed.

The skin began to crack, the flesh began to rot, and the bones made cracking and grinding sounds.

His meridians, unable to withstand the powerful infusion of spiritual energy, gradually became overwhelmed and began to break.

Yang Zhengshan remained oblivious, still immersed in his reflections.

However, his body was instinctively trying to save itself.

The Wood Transformation Body Cultivation Technique was activated, and the Spirit Devouring Body was launched. A portion of the spiritual energy that had been flowing into his dantian was instantly diverted to heal his body.

At the same time, a powerful life force erupted within him, and a layer of hazy green light enveloped his body.

Severed meridians are repaired, broken bones are reconnected, flesh and blood regenerate, and skin heals.

The recovery brought by the power of life force was very powerful, but the impact of spiritual energy was also very powerful, so Yang Zhengshan entered a state of constant collapse and repair.

It is unknown how long this lasted, until the Yin-Yang fish in Yang Zhengshan's dantian suddenly stopped, then shrank sharply, and a yellow sprout transformed into a golden crystal.

The golden crystal was stable, emitting blue and yellow spiritual light, and no longer absorbing spiritual energy from the outside world.

The vortex of spiritual energy in the outside world seemed to have been paused, suddenly freezing in place.

Withering and flourishing, the golden elixir is formed; green trees and canopies appear; grasses and trees for miles around pay homage; green petals fall to the ground and turn into gold.

A blue light shot into the sky and condensed into an ancient tree hanging upside down. Its branches stretched out like dragons for thousands of feet, and its canopy was layered to form a ten-foot-long canopy. Its aerial roots hung down like crystal curtains, and when touched by the wind, they turned into blue fireflies that flew around.

For miles around, the vegetation leans in unison: ancient pine branches bend at right angles, their needles pointing to the ground; wild vines on the cliffs break off from the rocks, like green snakes peeking out; moss in the crevices of the rocks ripples with waves, its verdant green tinged with gold. On the paddy field ridges, the rice stalks droop out of season, their grains clashing together like subjects paying homage.

Such a strange sight presented itself to everyone, leaving them completely dumbfounded.

Unfortunately, this strange sight did not last long.

The sky suddenly darkened, and thick, dark clouds replaced the vortex of spiritual energy, covering the surrounding area for dozens of miles.

"retreat!"

Yunxiao reminded him.

The group retreated another hundred miles.

Not long after they retreated, a dazzling burst of lightning erupted above the dark clouds.

Lightning flashed and dark clouds gathered, brewing for more than three hours before finally striking in the dead of night.

Boom~~
Dozens of silvery lightning bolts shot out from the gaps in the clouds, intertwining in the air to form a net that blanketed the sky. The strange spectacle shattered instantly, leaving only a dazzling expanse of lightning.

Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed.

A look of worry appeared in everyone's eyes.

Can we really withstand such a tribulation lightning?
Xuanzhen looked at Yunxiao, who shook his head. "Don't look at me. I only formed a fake core. I didn't undergo the tribulation of lightning!"

None of them had formed their core, nor had they witnessed others undergoing tribulation during the process, so they naturally had no idea whether there were any dangers involved.

There is definitely danger involved.

At this moment, Yang Zhengshan was still sitting in the stone house. No, the stone house had collapsed, and he was just sitting on the ground.

The moment the first bolt of lightning struck, the array on the ground suddenly activated, and the array flags released faint waves of light.

This formation is the Four Symbols Locking Heaven Formation. The Azure Phoenix Feather Banner is placed in the east, the Vermilion Bird Fire Banner hangs in the south, the White Tiger Bone Shield stands in the west, and the Black Tortoise Ice Mirror is placed in the north. The four magical artifacts work together to generate the power of the four symbols: Azure Flame, Crimson Wind, White Frost, and Black Water, which condense into a barrier in mid-air.

When the tribulation lightning strikes the earth, the power of the four elements will neutralize a portion of the tribulation lightning.

It's not about resisting the tribulation lightning, but about neutralizing it, transforming the tribulation lightning into a shower of seven-colored spiritual rain.

Bolts of lightning struck Yang Zhengshan, but he remained immersed in his enlightenment.

His body broke down again, but it was quickly healed by the gentle blue light.

Suddenly, Yang Zhengshan opened his eyes and stared blankly at the sky.

"Oh, shit!"

"Lightning tribulation!"

"How did this thing suddenly appear?!"

Before Yang Zhengshan could figure out what was going on, another bolt of lightning struck him.

"Sigh~~"

The intense pain made him gasp.

He immediately took out the Fountain of Life and poured it into his mouth.

Lightning flashed incessantly, and bolts of lightning continued to fall.

It grew denser and more rapid, and slowly it actually coalesced into a single bolt of lightning.

Yang Zhengshan did not choose to block the tribulation lightning, but instead stubbornly withstood the bombardment of the tribulation lightning.

The tribulation lightning is both a test and a gift.

The more you endure, the more you receive in return.

Yang Zhengshan felt that he could withstand the first three tribulations of lightning.

Of course, it really hurts.

Yang Zhengshan grimaced as he endured the lightning strike, while simultaneously checking his own condition.

Feeling the golden pill in his dantian, Yang Zhengshan almost burst out laughing.

However, he soon discovered the anomaly: he hadn't actually used the top-grade demon essence pill.

All that preparation for nothing!

Now is not the time to think about these things; Yang Zhengshan continued to endure the bombardment of lightning.

The first three tribulations of lightning did not cause him much harm, but they did cause him immense pain.

After the three tribulations of lightning descended, he immediately began to nurture the Azure Thunder Pearl, the Azure Wood Purple Lightning Sword, and the Divine Wood Cauldron.

Thunder roared as the two objects within his dantian underwent the baptism of tribulation lightning.

For Foundation Establishment cultivators undergoing tribulation, the key to upgrading their magic weapons into spiritual artifacts lies in being baptized by tribulation lightning.

The process was still very painful, but Yang Zhengshan persevered.

As the tribulation lightning cleansed them, the Azure Wood Purple Lightning Sword and the Divine Wood Cauldron entered a transformation phase, while the magical power within Yang Zhengshan's body began to circulate wildly. The golden core in his dantian absorbed the magical power like a sponge absorbing water.

Replenished by magical power and baptized by tribulation lightning, the golden core became smoother and brighter, and a faint Daoist aura appeared on its surface.

Yang Zhengshan was unable to observe the changes in the golden elixir closely because the seventh tribulation of lightning had arrived.

A sudden inner demon arose, and Yang Zhengshan immediately downed a bottle of Spirit Truffle and then swallowed a Heart-Burning Fruit.

With his mind wavering, strange yet familiar scenes slowly unfolded in Yang Zhengshan's mind.

There are skyscrapers from a past life, former classmates and friends, and that peaceful life.

"go back?"

"Heh, what would I do back there? I'm doing just fine here. Why would I go back to be a beast of burden?"

(End of this chapter)