"Hmph!"
When the vortex in his dantian vanished, a Yuan Dan the size of a baby's fist, perfectly round, quietly hovered in Zhang Fan's dantian. Zhang Fan's eyes, as if able to see through his own flesh, stared at his dantian, a satisfied smile gracing his lips.
The quality of a Yuan Dan condensed by a cultivator was related to the cultivation method they practiced. The stronger the method, the more heavenly energy it could absorb and withstand, naturally leading to a higher quality Yuan Dan.
Moreover, what mattered most to Zhang Fan was that the strength of the Yuan Dan determined the heights one could reach in the Golden Core realm.
To condense a Golden Core, one had to engrave Golden Core Dao Runes onto the Yuan Dan. Each Dao Rune contained a cultivator's profound understanding of a certain path, imbued with intense Dao power.
Different quality Yuan Dans could only withstand a limited amount of Dao power. Take the Qi Condensation realm cultivators on Earth, for instance. Due to limitations in their cultivation methods, the Yuan Dans they cultivated were of ordinary quality, with very few able to withstand more than four Golden Core Dao Runes.
Therefore, even if they possessed exceptional talent and could comprehend seven Golden Core Dao Runes, they could not fully engrave them onto their Yuan Dan, failing to form a first-grade Golden Core.
"Although I'm only in the early stage of Qi Condensation, the immense spiritual energy contained within my Yuan Dan rivals that of peak Qi Condensation realm experts!"
Feeling the spiritual energy within his condensed Yuan Dan, Zhang Fan was extremely satisfied. Achieving this level was likely something only the most core disciples of major Immortal Sects and Holy Lands in the Myriad Domain Starry Sky could accomplish.
However, disciples born in major Immortal Sects possessed resources far beyond what Zhang Fan could compare to now. To achieve this on resource-scarce Earth, Zhang Fan was already very content.
"Now that I've reached the Qi Condensation realm, I can finally cultivate the second schematic in the 'Ten Absolutes Heavenly God Record'."
Zhang Fan silently circulated the 'Ten Absolutes Heavenly God Record' cultivation technique. Gradually, a monstrous beast with a human face and an ox's body appeared in his mind, roaring with its head held high…
Its roar sounded as if it came from the endless ancient past. With every breath, the beast possessed a powerful devouring force, as if it swallowed all the chaotic energy of the universe. Around the Gluttonous Beast, an area of absolute darkness manifested.
Zhang Fan probed with his divine sense within his mind and discovered that his divine sense was being devoured by the phantom, causing him to gradually lose himself.
When Zhang Fan jolted awake, he realized he had fallen into the illusion presented by the second schematic. He broke out in a cold sweat, and at the same time, he was overjoyed.
"The second schematic is actually the legendary Devouring Beast, the Gluttonous Beast!"
The Gluttonous Beast, alongside the Sky-Splitting Ox, was a legendary chaotic fierce beast renowned for its devouring prowess.
Legend had it that during the primordial chaos of the universe, the Gluttonous Beast had swallowed more than half of it, turning everything in its path into nothingness.
Zhang Fan suppressed his excitement. The divine ability bestowed by the first schematic of the Ten Absolutes Heavenly God Record, the 'Sky-Splitting Horn Schematic,' was 'Sky-Splitting Horn,' which was indestructible and could shatter anything.
Even now, the 'Sky-Splitting Horn' ability was considered one of Zhang Fan's trump cards, its might immeasurable.
The 'Gluttonous Beast Schematic' bestowed the divine ability of 'Chaotic Devouring.' Once cultivated to the Transcendence realm, one could transform into a chaotic fierce beast capable of devouring all things in the universe.
The reason for Zhang Fan's excitement was not merely the power of the ability itself; after all, he possessed quite a few divine-grade abilities in his previous life.
The heaven-defying aspect of the 'Chaotic Devouring' ability was its capacity to devour space, creating its own world within the body and transforming the devoured power into one's own.
This was highly compatible with the Myriad Domain Suppressing God Body he cultivated. The Myriad Domain Suppressing God Body could absorb the power of myriad domains, complementing 'Chaotic Devouring' perfectly. This would greatly aid his future path of body refinement.
Zhang Fan sat cross-legged, the image of the Gluttonous Beast reappearing in his mind. This time, however, he was prepared. His divine sense cautiously resisted the Gluttonous Beast's devouring force, diligently comprehending the beast's intent of devouring according to the schematic's method.
...
Time flowed by. In the third month of Zhang Fan's seclusion, Wu Chen Jian Xian successfully engraved his first Golden Core Dao Rune, ready to transform his Yuan Dan into a Golden Core at any moment.
However, his goal was to condense a second-grade Golden Core, so he naturally dared not break through yet.
Two months after Wu Chen Jian Xian emerged from seclusion, Aileron also broke through and emerged. Her Blood Moon Demonic King Body had reached minor completion, and she had successfully cultivated a Celestial Body. Simultaneously, she had reached the Divine realm in bloodline cultivation.
Exuding confidence after her breakthrough, Aileron immediately sought a spar with her father. In just a dozen exchanges, the peak Divine realm Blood Clan Patriarch, Lightes, was defeated by Aileron.
In a forest outside the Ancestral Castle, Lightes rubbed his slightly aching chest, gazing at the smiling Aileron in the distance with a helpless expression. He chided, "You little thing, to be so ruthless even with your father."
"I only used seventy percent of my strength. Who told you to be so weak?" Aileron said triumphantly.
Having defeated her father, Aileron regained her former confidence. However, she did not become complacent, for she knew there were far too many people stronger than her.
With her current strength, even facing an ordinary early-stage Qi Condensation realm expert, she could probably only withstand a few blows before fleeing in disarray.
Half a year after Aileron's emergence, the Blood Ancestor Xue Jing, who had been in seclusion for a long time, finally emerged. After consuming a large quantity of Blood Pills, his strength had fully recovered. The powerful pressure emanating from his second-grade Golden Core made all the Blood Clan members feel immense pressure.
Even Wu Chen Jian Xian, who had engraved a Golden Core Dao Rune, felt a sense of powerlessness when facing Xue Jing. He speculated that Xue Jing was likely a second-grade Golden Core realm expert.
After emerging from seclusion, Xue Jing intended to find Zhang Fan and head to the Holy See. However, upon discovering that Zhang Fan was still in seclusion, he felt a sense of helplessness and could only wait patiently.
...
Two months had passed since Xue Jing's emergence, and Zhang Fan had been in seclusion for a full year. During this period, Xue Jing had arranged for people to constantly monitor the movements of the secret realm space.
The secret realm space, which had always been quiet, appeared somewhat abnormal today.
Xue Jing, Wu Chen Jian Xian, and Aileron stood outside the secret realm space. They speculated that Zhang Fan was not far from emerging from seclusion, and thus, they had all gathered to wait.
This secret realm space was discovered by Xue Jing when he first descended to Earth. It was like a fragment of space that had fallen onto Earth, existing in a dimension separate from it.
This was why Xue Jing had built the Ancestral Castle here, serving as the Blood Clan's base.
Although the secret realm space was merely a small fragment, its internal space was extremely stable.
However, standing outside the secret realm space today, Xue Jing clearly felt the spatial fluctuations emanating from it, indicating that this space was gradually becoming unstable.
"Could it be that Master is practicing some divine ability within the secret realm space, causing the space to become unstable?"
Xue Jing speculated with uncertainty. Even with his fully recovered strength, he could not shake the secret realm space in the slightest; this was not something a Golden Core realm cultivator could achieve.
"The light screen is retreating!"
Aileron suddenly exclaimed. The light screen before them was the entrance to the secret realm space, also representing its boundary.
The light screen, which had not moved at all for hundreds of years, was now seen retreating, moving further and further away from them.
Xue Jing and the few Blood Clan princes watched this scene with disbelief. The retreating light screen signified that this secret realm space was moving? Or shrinking?
"What is that?"
Wu Chen Jian Xian looked up and saw a colossal phantom of a human-faced ox floating high in the sky. The phantom spanned across the light screen, revealing its massive head.
And the face on that head bore a striking resemblance to Zhang Fan!