Even with Tao Tai Bingyun’s inherent pride, she had to admit Lei Dong’s extraordinary nature. A man such as this, were they not on opposing sides, would indeed be someone worthy of her devotion. However, many issues that were trivial in Zhao Zhou, devoid of factional conflict, became glaringly obvious once they reached Kang Zhou due to the sectarian alignments.

According to factional ties, Tao Tai Bingyun ought to have aided the Jin Gang Temple when Lei Dong moved to intercept the Jin Ban Temple contingent. Yet, though they lacked the title of husband and wife, she and Lei Dong had already shared the intimacy of marriage. After years spent struggling together through adversity and advancing side-by-side, how could she possibly side with Jin Gang Temple against Lei Dong?

Although Lei Dong was considerate, allowing her to remain neutral within the flying vessel, hiding this time would not allow her to hide forever.

Tao Tai Bingyun struggled for a long time before deciding to return to her sect for closed-door cultivation, henceforth withdrawing from worldly affairs. As for retreating with Lei Dong, whether to a deserted island or a secluded valley to spend their remaining years together—she had certainly considered it. If Lei Dong were willing, she, Tao Tai, would naturally accompany him to the very end. Sadly, from her understanding of him, such a prospect was utterly impossible.

Often, the person who knows you best in this life is your enemy. Tao Tai Bingyun had not only long been Lei Dong’s antagonist but was now also his deeply connected confidante. Combined, these roles made her acutely aware that Lei Dong was an ambitious man. Especially now that he possessed the inheritance of the Divine Temple, the clan of the Earth Giants, and the treasure that allowed him to refine Ghost Puppets using the White Bone Demon. Each of these was a profound foundation that would allow Lei Dong to rise rapidly.

Tao Tai Bingyun was certain that as Lei Dong grew, Kang Zhou would become increasingly turbulent, its fortunes shifting unpredictably. After much deliberation, she felt she had no other path forward.

What manner of woman was Tian Mo? With only a moment’s thought, she discerned the multitude of Tao Tai Bingyun’s hidden concerns. Her hostility toward the woman slightly diminished, though she frowned slightly: “What if your sect forces you to battle my Yin Sha Sect? What if you must oppose Lei Dong?”

“Senior need not worry; this junior has her own plans,” Tao Tai Bingyun replied serenely, with the air of a detached traveler, bowing slightly to Tian Mo. “From this day forward, I ask that Senior watch over Lei Dong. This junior will now take her leave.”

Without waiting for Tian Mo’s reply, Tao Tai Bingyun gracefully vanished before her, her technique for concealing movement and reversing direction proving truly formidable. Before departing, Tao Tai Bingyun gazed toward Lei Dong’s stone chamber and sighed softly.

Meanwhile, Lei Dong had arrived at the most critical juncture of his advancement. The dual cultivation was complete, and they had each retreated to separate stone chambers to ensure their progress would not interfere with one another.

Qi Feifei’s Yin Elixir Cauldron was indeed miraculous, yielding immense benefits to Lei Dong. Relying on various auxiliary materials, the Ascension Pill, and the vast, pure power derived from his fusion with Qi Feifei, Lei Dong slowly circulated the incredibly refined True Qi within his body. Utilizing the Profound Yin Heart Sutra, he channeled every particle of that power to temper every aspect of his **—from the five internal organs to the skeletal structure and outer skin, from the blood to the meridians.

As the Profound Yin Heart Sutra circulated at high speed, Lei Dong’s body gradually grew stronger and more refined. Moreover, a vortex began to form in his previously tranquil Dantian, spinning slowly like the cosmos itself. With every rotation of the True Qi vortex, the Qi would flow throughout his entire body, subjecting it to a complete tempering process.

Following this, the True Qi would flow back into the Dantian, continuing its rotation within the vortex.

After each cycle, the concentration of True Qi within the Dantian would become significantly purer and more condensed. Concurrently, both Lei Dong’s body and his Soul would grow stronger.

Gradually, as time passed, the concentration of the True Qi grew ever higher, becoming somewhat thick and viscous. At the center of the vortex in the Dantian, the Qi density solidified further, and at the very core, a solid speck, the size of a sesame seed, began to appear. Upon close inspection, this tiny seed exhibited a golden, luminous, and perfectly translucent hue.

This sign indicated that the first, most agonizing step in condensing the Golden Core had been overcome. This hurdle was the nightmare and insurmountable chasm for countless cultivators at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage.

Lei Dong’s expression remained utterly placid, devoid of joy or sorrow, as he continued to press forward onto the path to the Golden Core. He ceaselessly tempered and forged his body and Soul, stirring up the inherent power of his life force to condense that Golden Core, so vital to a cultivator. The Golden Core was not merely condensed True Qi; it contained the essence of countless lives.

Several days later, the Golden Core within Lei Dong’s Dantian had grown to the size of a pigeon’s egg, spinning merrily, brilliant with golden light, yet warm and lustrous like jade. By this point, the vast majority of his True Qi and life energy had been refined into this Core.

At this moment, dark clouds gathered densely within the stone chamber.

This signaled the approach of the most critical phase of impacting the Golden Core: the Minor Heavenly Tribulation.

Heavenly Tribulation was a phenomenon unrelated to cultivators before achieving the Golden Core. However, the moment a cultivator formed their Core, they incurred the scrutiny of the universe's rules, which would unleash the Tribulation to eliminate such anomalies. Cultivation itself was an act against Heaven, a disruption of the cosmic order.

On this path against destiny, the Heavenly Tribulation had always been the greatest killer of cultivators seeking to defy fate.

In this world, all things possess strength and weakness, periods of flourishing and decline. The blooming and fading of flowers, birth, aging, sickness, and death—all are merely the laws of the universe. Any lifeform attempting to violate these universal rules invites heavenly punishment and annihilation.

It mattered not whether one hid in a stone chamber, at the bottom of the ocean, within magma, or even in a dimensional pocket. As long as one remained within the confines of this universe, escape from the Tribulation's destruction was impossible.

It was rumored that during humanity’s earliest days of cultivation, due to inexperience and improper countermeasures, only one or two out of every ten cultivators managed to survive this Minor Heavenly Tribulation. However, through the long evolution of immortal arts, countless experiences and protocols had been established. Now, the Minor Heavenly Tribulation for the Golden Core was not quite so terrifying, as human ingenuity was boundless, leading to an endless stream of auxiliary items for surviving the ordeal—such as Tribulation Dispelling Pills, Lightning Resistance Talismans, and various defensive spiritual artifacts.

Of course, these miscellaneous auxiliary items were all exorbitantly priced. But cultivators pushing for the Golden Core dared not forgo purchasing them.

Fortunately, Lei Dong was wealthy and paid little mind to the expenditure of spirit stones. He had prepared all necessary supplementary items with utmost thoroughness. At this moment, he calmly swallowed a Tribulation Dispelling Pill and affixed a Lightning Resistance Talisman onto himself. Simultaneously, a supreme defensive spiritual artifact continuously revolved around him. He had also consumed a top-grade elixir capable of rapidly restoring the True Essence of a Golden Core cultivator.

Immediately upon consuming the Tribulation Dispelling Pill, thirty percent of the violent energy contained within the oppressive Heavenly Tribulation clouds dissipated.

Boom—

A Minor Heavenly Lightning Bolt, having brewed for a long time, struck fiercely. However, the Indestructible Shield absorbed the bulk of its power. When the residual strike hit Lei Dong, the Lightning Resistance Talisman temporarily boosted his resistance to electrical energy, compounded by the inherent strength of his ** and the Profound Yin Shield. In total, about ninety percent of the power was neutralized. The remaining force was certainly insufficient to kill Lei Dong; a tingling sensation coursed around him before vanishing completely.

The Tribulation quickly brewed a second Minor Heavenly Lightning Bolt, yet it caused no substantial damage to Lei Dong, merely leaving him feeling numb all over. It was not until the third bolt, possessing the greatest destructive power, arrived.

By now, Lei Dong had focused his spirit. Once he survived this bolt, he would officially enter the ranks of those on the Golden Core Great Dao. Feeling the power within him rapidly recovering, Lei Dong accelerated the infusion of True Essence into the supreme Indestructible Shield. The Shield erupted with brilliant light, its power increasing severalfold, unleashing its full defensive potential.

Boom—

The Heavenly Tribulation blasted through layers of defense, greatly weakened. Yet, its immense power still forced a mouthful of blood from Lei Dong, leaving him utterly paralyzed with numbness. However, immediately afterward, the Tribulation clouds enveloped Lei Dong entirely, and the pure Heaven and Earth spiritual energy they contained surged into his body. It was as if his body was being nourished with the strongest sustenance, invigorating his ** and Soul, continuing their refinement.

This was the reward enjoyed after surviving the Heavenly Tribulation. As the saying goes: survival through great hardship brings abundant fortune. The universe was not entirely unreasonable; while its rules sought to destroy those who broke them, once a lifeform successfully passed the Tribulation, the cosmic laws would grant that lifeform boundless benefits.

This process lasted for another full span of several days.

During these days, Lei Dong gained considerable benefits while sheltered from the Heavenly Lightning clouds. The Golden Core within him, though it had not grown larger, had become denser and more compact. It was perfectly spherical, brimming with majestic power and life force, and supplied Lei Dong, now a Golden Core cultivator, with powerful Golden Core True Essence.

Furthermore, both Lei Dong’s Soul and ** had leaped forward significantly during this tempering process. Sensing the sheer fortitude of his body, so different from the Foundation Establishment stage, Lei Dong had a vague feeling that even a casual punch from him would exceed the full-strength strike of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Without using any True Essence at all, Lei Dong was confident he could withstand several heavy blows from a Foundation Establishment cultivator using only his physical body.

As for his most cherished Soul, upon a brief inspection, Lei Dong was overjoyed. The process of advancing to the Golden Core indeed proved highly beneficial for tempering and strengthening the Soul. This major breakthrough had directly elevated his Soul strength, which previously rivaled that of a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, to the level of a high-stage Golden Core cultivator. In other words, even though Lei Dong’s cultivation realm was only the early stage of the Golden Core, the intensity of his Divine Sense was now comparable to that of an ordinary late-stage Golden Core cultivator.

Feeling incomparably stronger than before, with his lifespan now soaring to four or five hundred years, Lei Dong had finally taken the most crucial step on his cultivation path. Recalling the countless hardships endured during this process, his heart surged with emotion, and he let out a triumphant roar toward the heavens.

... (To be continued)