Gu Qingfeng breathed in and out amidst the clouds, the pores all over his body opening and closing as all manner of Spiritual Power formed a massive vortex centered on him.
Exhaling was Yang, inhaling was Yin.
When Yang, the Spiritual Power was like fire; when Yin, it was like water.
Fire and water intermingled, Yin and Yang intertwined—profound beyond the profound, wondrous beyond the wondrous, cycling endlessly, flowing continuously, infinite and without end.
"M-miss, what... what is he doing?"
At this moment, Qian Shan's complexion was terrible, or rather, ghastly—frightened by the vast, majestic Spiritual Power of Gu Qingfeng, and also terrified by his pores, each one comparable to a Purple Mansion.
She was like this, and Su Hua was no better. On her peerlessly beautiful face, colors shifted between green and white. Her brows were deeply furrowed, her beautiful eyes wide open, her small mouth agape. Her expression was as shocked as could be, as bewildered as could be, as curious as could be, and at the same time, as complex as could be.
What was he doing?
This was a question Su Hua also wanted to know.
She gazed at the Spiritual Power vortex evolving around Gu Qingfeng in the clouds.
Yang contained Yin, Yin contained Yang. The Spiritual Power grew increasingly turbid, yet this turbidity seemed to become purer and purer. Whether it was pure or turbid, no one could tell. They only knew it was evolving, and the vortex grew smaller and smaller, as if gestating something.
Wait.
Gestating?
Could it be he was forming his Golden Core?
Yes!
It must be.
Although Su Hua had never seen anyone capable of forming a Golden Core outside the Purple Mansion, she dared to affirm that Gu Qingfeng was definitely forming his Golden Core.
It was just that such vast Spiritual Power made it impossible for her to imagine what kind of terrifying Golden Core it would gestate.
Time passed bit by bit.
Amidst the clouds, the Spiritual Power vortex around Gu Qingfeng spun faster and faster, and the Spiritual Power grew increasingly turbid. Reaching an extreme of turbidity, it then seemed exceptionally pure. Then, the turbid Spiritual Power transformed into one black and one white, resembling Ultimate Yang, yet also resembling Ultimate Yin. Yin and Yang evolved, transforming into the Four Symbols. The Four Symbols were like east, south, west, and north, and also like spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Following that, the Four Symbols evolved again, transforming into Qian, Kun, Xun, Zhen, Kan, Li, Gen, and Dui—like heaven, like earth, like wind, like thunder, like water, like fire, like mountain, like marsh.
Watching this scene,
Su Hua's expression became especially agitated, so agitated that her delicate frame trembled uncontrollably. She murmured, "The Taiji gives birth to the Two Forms, the Two Forms give birth to the Four Symbols, the Four Symbols give birth to the Eight Trigrams...
How can his Spiritual Power contain such foundational Profound Mysteries..." Foundational Profound Mysteries, also called the Progenitor of Mysteries. All mysteries between heaven and earth evolved from this.
Every cultivator knew the meaning of this phrase.
The principle was understood by all.
It was just that those who could comprehend this phrase thoroughly throughout history were exceedingly few, even Su Hua was among them.
What made it even more incomprehensible to her was that she had never seen nor heard of a person gestating a Golden Core who would actually gestate such foundational Profound Mysteries.
Foundational Profound Mysteries?
Gestating a Golden Core?
Just as she was shocked and suspicious, Su Hua suddenly remembered a record she had once seen in an ancient text.
Spirit is the foundation, Mystery is the source. If Spirit is like Taiji, it must give birth to the Two Forms; the Two Forms and Four Symbols must give birth to the Eight Trigrams...
Cycling endlessly, the Great Dao returns to One, only then forming the Taiji Golden Core.
Taiji Golden Core?
Thinking of this, Su Hua's mind exploded with a deafening roar. All her thoughts fell into chaos. The four words 'Taiji Golden Core' echoed madly in her mind.
Taiji Golden Core—this was a legend among legends, hailed as the Progenitor of Golden Cores, also called the King among Golden Cores. It was the most powerful, most mystical Golden Core in history, bar none. Achieving this Golden Core granted Spiritual Power that flowed continuously, regenerated endlessly, infinite and without end.
However, a legend was, after all, just a legend.
Never mind the current era, never mind the ancient era—even the archaic era, or even the primordial era, had never seen anyone achieve the Taiji Golden Core. At least, ancient texts had no such record.
Su Hua took several deep breaths, trying to calm the turmoil in her heart. But no matter how she tried to calm herself, her heart trembled uncontrollably, and so did her soul.
She didn't know whether Gu Qingfeng was truly gestating a Taiji Golden Core.
She didn't know.
Nor dared she believe it.
Because the Taiji Golden Core was simply too insane, so insane that even someone like her, blessed with so many fortunes, dared not dwell on it deeply.
Amidst the clouds,
Gu Qingfeng slightly raised his head, limbs spread open. The Spiritual Power vortex kept spinning and evolving, growing more turbid, yet also more pure, more profound, more miraculous.
At the same time, at the other end of the clouds, two other women had also been observing Gu Qingfeng all along.
The two women were enveloped in radiant light, illusory and real, their features unclear.
One woman seemed like an existence of darkness, while the other was like light itself.
The two women watched Gu Qingfeng like this, their expressions growing stranger the more they looked, their complexions growing uglier the more they looked.
"Taiji Golden Core, by the heavens! It's actually the Taiji Golden Core! This... is simply... simply..." Perhaps too shocked, the woman of light was at a loss for words, speaking haltingly. After a long while, she said with disbelief, "How can he achieve the Taiji Golden Core? What do we do now? Heavens! Something major is about to happen!"
"The Taiji Golden Core has always only been achievable by those destined to face the tribulation. Achieving the Taiji Golden Core means receiving the True Mandate from above, becoming a True Dragon among men, the leader of kings, a candidate for the Human Sovereign..." The woman of darkness also spoke with complex emotions: "For a guy like him, laden with sin, a bastard wanted by the Three Thousand Great Daos, to actually achieve the Taiji Golden Core, receive the True Mandate, and possibly contend for the position of Human Sovereign in the future... this is truly a heaven-defying irony!"
Seeing the frightened woman of light beside her, the woman of darkness couldn't help but laugh. "I wonder how your master will feel when she wakes up and finds someone has achieved the Taiji Golden Core. And if she further discovers that the one who achieved it is him, will your master vomit blood on the spot from anger?"
"Little Demonic Daoist, you're still making sarcastic remarks at a time like this!" The woman of light snorted coldly and shouted, "Once he achieves the Taiji Golden Core and receives the True Mandate, he becomes a candidate for Human Sovereign. At that time, our Heavenly Dao won't be able to control him, and your Demonic Dao will have even less control over him."
"Our Demonic Dao can't wait to hide from him. Why would we try to control him?"
"Hide? Can your Demonic Dao hide? His chain of Karma has already sunk into the Karma Black Hole, and your Demonic Dao is within it too. How can you hide?"
The Demonic Dao woman did not respond, only sighing. "We've always been extremely careful, fearing precisely that this guy's Karma would become entangled with our Demonic Dao. Now it's fine—the Karma isn't even cleared yet, and he's gestated a Taiji Golden Core. If he truly receives the True Mandate, then when the time comes, we won't be able to hide even if we want to."
As if remembering something, the Demonic Dao woman laughed bitterly. "What's even more terrifying is that his chain of Karma has already sunk into the Karma Black Hole. That Karma Black Hole has already drawn in so many terrifying existences. His own existence is terrifying enough, and now he's gestated a Taiji Golden Core. I truly cannot imagine what terrifying events will happen then!"