Among these emotions, the most fatal is love. Once one falls into it, achieving the Earth Immortal Realm becomes difficult. Very few cultivators can see through love; it is the most deadly poison on a cultivator's path to longevity.
Cultivators affectionately refer to it as the love tribulation.
Just like the third Master Brother Cheng Xuanfeng and the fourth Master Brother Qin Ruofei among the Yun Zhong Seven, they clearly knew that love was the biggest obstacle preventing them from cultivating to Earth Immortal, yet they still chose to become cultivation partners.
This is the terror of love: knowing it will hinder the Great Dao, yet still embracing it willingly, going through fire and water.
The crucial point is that even if you forcefully intervene to separate two people, it's futile. As long as they have each other in their hearts, as long as they are moved, even unrequited love means they have fallen into the love tribulation.
And even if problems arise in the relationship later, the same applies.
For example, if two people who were originally cultivation partners develop hatred or resentment due to love, that hatred and resentment are also part of the love tribulation, unless both individuals completely let go of the relationship and are completely unburdened.
Otherwise, they will remain in the love tribulation, unable to break through to Earth Immortal and ascend to the Upper Realm, unable to achieve true longevity.
Therefore, the emotional barrier can only be overcome by oneself; no one can help. If sect elders discover a disciple has fallen into a love tribulation, besides sighing, they won't stop them. Stopping them is useless and would only make things worse.
Moreover, the matter of the love tribulation is only considered when one reaches the Earth Immortal Realm, and how many people can cultivate to the Earth Immortal Realm?
If one truly cannot escape the love tribulation, they can choose to undergo a military dissolution and reincarnate, but even then, due to memories, it's very easy to fall into the love tribulation again.
Cultivation is not easy, and achieving longevity is even harder. In this World, a cultivator who can ascend to the Upper Realm and become an Earth Immortal is truly someone who might appear only once every few thousand years.
There are countless people with extraordinary talent, but once one reaches the Earth Immortal Realm, talent no longer matters.
"A golden core swallowed into the belly, then I know my fate is not up to the heavens!"
Li Chuan, in meditation, circulated the Core Formation method recorded in the Shangqing Great Cave True Scripture, rapidly rotating the true essence that had completely filled his dantian, beginning to condense the golden core.
Under the Heavenly Dao rules of this World, apart from the Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation and the emotional barrier, there is no concept of being stuck at a stage for Foundation Establishment Stage, Core Formation Realm, and Nascent Soul Stage.
As long as you have accumulated enough true essence, you can naturally form a core and transform into a nascent soul.
There won't be a situation where a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator reaches the peak of Foundation Establishment Stage at one hundred years old, and then, due to poor aptitude or lack of enlightenment, gets stuck and cannot form a core, dying at one hundred and fifty years old when their lifespan is exhausted.
Cultivation aptitude in this World simply refers to the body's efficiency in absorbing spiritual energy. Under the same conditions, those with high spiritual energy absorption efficiency have good aptitude, and those with low absorption efficiency have poor aptitude.
Disciples with good aptitude form a core in a hundred years. Disciples with poor aptitude, even if they cultivate for one hundred and fifty years without rest, without learning spells or refining magic treasures, dedicating themselves entirely to absorbing spiritual energy, will have low efficiency. If their true essence accumulation does not meet the conditions for core formation, they still cannot form a core.
Most mortals in the World are like this; even with the best cultivation methods in Mount Emei, where spiritual energy is most abundant, poor aptitude prevents entry into the Core Formation Realm.
Unless one has a fortuitous encounter, obtains heavenly materials and earthly treasures to improve their physique, or regularly consumes precious elixirs like Spirit Enhancement Pill.
"Condense for me!"
With a loud shout, Li Chuan's body seemed like a spiritual energy vortex, frantically absorbing the dense spiritual energy of Mount Emei, then transforming it into true essence to replenish his dantian, slowly turning the liquid true essence within his dantian into a spinning golden core.
And at the moment the golden core formed, a power of the Heavenly Dao unique to this World silently poured into his body, causing an unknown leap in his life essence and a significant increase in his lifespan.
"This is the Core Formation Realm; it truly is different!"
After roughly sensing the energy contained within the golden core, Li Chuan slowly opened his eyes.
No wonder it is common in the cultivation World for cultivators to win battles across minor stages, but extremely rare for them to win battles across major stages.
The quality and quantity of true essence in this Core Formation Realm are completely incomparable to the Foundation Establishment Stage.
If the true essence quantity of a mid-Foundation Establishment Stage is five times that of an early Foundation Establishment Stage, and the true essence quantity of a peak Foundation Establishment Stage is ten times that of a mid-Foundation Establishment Stage, then the true essence quantity that can be output after condensing into a solid golden core is one hundred times that of a peak Foundation Establishment Stage.
If it were just a large quantity of true essence, that would be nothing, at most it would mean longer endurance. The key lies in the quality of the true essence in the solid golden core, which is also much stronger than the liquid true essence of the Foundation Establishment Stage.
For the same spell and the same use of a magic treasure, using the same amount of true essence, the spells and magic treasures of the Core Formation Realm completely overpower the Foundation Establishment Stage.
That's why his previous feat of a Foundation Establishment Stage defeating a Nascent Soul Stage, spanning two major stages, was so astonishing.
"It's time to return to the sect!"
After successfully forming the core, Li Chuan simply tidied up and prepared to temporarily leave Mount Emei and return to Xiao Zhu Mountain.
Although Xiao Zhu Mountain is a small sect, its heritage is ancient, and there are still many things he can learn, such as various spells and formations.
Mount Emei indeed has a high concentration of spiritual energy, but he is not an Emei Sect disciple. No matter how good their relationship, it's impossible for him to learn Emei Sect's spells and sword control techniques, at least for now.
Additionally, when Li Qingfeng went down the mountain to visit relatives and conclude his worldly affairs, the time agreed upon with his Master, Daoist Qingzhu, was two years, and now it has already exceeded two months.
"Congratulations, Master Brother Qingfeng, on forming your golden core!"
As Li Chuan pushed open the door and stepped out of the courtyard, he heard a chorus of congratulatory voices. Looking closely, it was none other than the Yun Zhong Seven, who had the best relationship with him in the entire Emei Sect.
It turned out that all seven of them were experienced cultivators. Seeing the spiritual energy fluctuations from Li Chuan's courtyard, they knew that Li Chuan had formed his core.
So they came out of their own courtyards in advance to congratulate Li Chuan.
Originally, they thought that Li Chuan, inheriting the secret techniques from his previous life, could display Nascent Soul Stage combat power while in the Foundation Establishment Stage, which was already incredibly defying. They hadn't expected Li Chuan's cultivation aptitude to be so terrifying as well.
Even with the Spirit Enhancement Pill gifted by Lotus Fairy, going from early Foundation Establishment Stage to Core Formation Realm in two years proved his extraordinary cultivation talent.
"I must also thank Lotus Fairy for the elixir she gifted and Zhenren (Immortal) Baimei for allowing this Master Brother to cultivate here."
Li Chuan humbly replied, then said:
"This Master Brother has been traveling for two years. Now that I have formed my golden core and achieved a small success, I must return to my sect to report to my Master. I ask Master Brother Chu to please inform Zhenren (Immortal) Baimei."
"What, Master Brother, are you leaving Mount Emei?"
Hearing Li Chuan's words, before Chu Yuxiang could speak, Shangguan Qian became anxious instead.
Li Chuan smiled upon hearing this:
"Master Sister, I'm only leaving for a few months. Mount Emei's spiritual energy is dense and beneficial for cultivation. After reporting to my Master, I will shamelessly come back to bother you all."
"Master Brother, feel free. Master has already instructed that you can enter and exit Mount Emei at any time without needing to report to him."
Chu Yuxiang looked at Shangguan Qian with a meaningful gaze, then explained to Li Chuan.
"Then this Master Brother will take his leave."
Li Chuan didn't waste any time. He released the Crimson Spirit Fire Pearl, which he had been nurturing in his dantian, and it transformed into a red light, disappearing from the courtyard.
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