Chapter 497: Chapter 497: Golden Core

Ah Er was nearly blinded by the golden light.

On the altar, a brilliant light burst forth from the Pill Furnace, bathing the surroundings in a golden hue.

This golden light was not illusory; it had substance.

Bai Mo controlled the flames, burning away the excess Pill Liquid in the furnace to form a perfectly round pill.

He circulated his Spiritual Power, mixed with his Divine Thought, to keep the golden light two inches away from his body.

After an hour, the golden light gradually weakened and dissipated.

The last of the blemishes on the surface of the Pill in the furnace vanished, leaving it perfectly round and flawless.

Bai Mo withdrew his hands and extinguished the furnace’s fire. His clothes remained spotless.

But the area beyond two inches from his body was a different story. The ground was covered in a golden sheen, and even the flags at the four corners had changed color.

Ah Er lacked Bai Mo’s skill. When Bai Mo’s gaze swept over, it scratched its head.

"Ah-er!"

Its body had also been dyed, making it look like a prized Golden Bear. Not a single strand of its original fur color remained.

Bai Mo was exasperated.

The golden light was, in essence, impurities released as the Pill contracted. Although harmless—and even quite valuable—removing it was no easy task.

A top-tier artifact-refining Cultivator might know a specialized cleaning method, but for Bai Mo, the only option was to wash it by hand.

’First things first.’

Bai Mo steadied his mind, walked to the Pill Furnace, and beckoned with his hand. A gleaming golden Pill floated out and landed in his palm.

The Pill was perfectly round, the size of a pigeon’s egg, and had some weight to it. On its surface were darker patterns that resembled both an Array and a Talisman.

Held under the moonlight, one could also see a green glow emanating from the Pill.

"A fine Pill!"

Bai Mo’s eyes glinted as he exclaimed in admiration.

It was true that he had deduced the recipe for this Pill, but he hadn’t known what the final result would be.

Now, seeing it, it had slightly exceeded his expectations.

In all his years of Alchemy, this was the most refined Pill he had ever created.

Not only had it taken a long time, but the process involved over a thousand herbs and countless minerals, making it almost impossibly difficult to control.

Ah Er shuffled over, also looking up at the Pill, its golden-furred face full of curiosity.

Bai Mo dangled the Pill in front of it, then suddenly burst out laughing, unable to contain himself.

"Haha! It is done!"

"Let’s go!"

He grabbed Ah Er by the scruff of its neck and tossed it. A Flying Ship materialized beneath it, catching it securely.

Bai Mo stepped aboard, and the Flying Ship started up, zipping back the way they came.

On the slopes of Mi Mountain, Li Wuji had been watching the changes in the golden light the entire time, waiting patiently.

As expected, his vigil for Bai Mo paid off.

"Junior Brother, is it done?"

Li Wuji shouted as he saw the Flying Ship approach.

Bai Mo landed in front of him and said with a smile:

"Two years of work, through wind and rain, sun and storms. It’s finally done without a single mistake."

"Senior Brother, I’ve successfully refined the Pill!"

Li Wuji was moved and offered his heartfelt congratulations:

"Hard work truly pays off. Congratulations, Junior Brother!"

Bai Mo accepted his congratulations but added, "It’s still too early."

"I must trouble you, Senior Brother, to stand guard for me for another half a year. I’m going into seclusion..."

Li Wuji’s expression turned serious. He stepped aside, clearing a path.

"Please!"

Bai Mo descended the mountain and returned to his stone house for the first time in a long while.

In his room, he activated an Array Plate, placed Spirit Stones on it, and consumed two Pills before sitting down cross-legged.

The memories of the past two years on the altar surfaced in his mind.

Every last detail replayed with perfect clarity.

From the shifts in the weather and the earth’s qi, to Ah Er’s assistance, and his own management of the entire process.

All the principles reflected in these events rose in his mind.

His consciousness sank inward. The three scripture platforms, manifestations of Bai Mo’s comprehension of the Dao, rumbled.

The pages of the three Daoist books above them flipped rapidly, making a RUSTLING sound.

Countless Xiaozhuan characters materialized and branded themselves onto the pages, forming new passages.

This was enriching Bai Mo’s understanding of the Dao.

He had already progressed far on the Alchemy Dao, but he was still a ways off from forming a Golden Core.

Now, the successful refinement of this great Outer Pill had brought him much enlightenment, filling in a significant portion of what he lacked in his Alchemy Dao attainment.

Bai Mo’s mind focused, taut as a bowstring.

At a certain moment, the three scripture platforms began to draw closer, merging into one.

Amidst the rumbling, Bai Mo’s consciousness faded, his mind nearly freezing. When he looked inward again, the platforms had collapsed.

The fragments coalesced, gradually forming a crude Pill Furnace.

The three scripture books merged above it.

Countless Xiaozhuan characters flew out, transforming into Bai Mo’s likeness, which then lit a fire before the furnace and began performing Alchemy.

The Xiaozhuan characters then transformed into herbs, minerals, and all manner of heavenly treasures, which fell into the furnace.

Before long, a brilliant Golden Core slowly rose from the furnace.

The crude Pill Furnace disintegrated inch by inch, and the illusory figure before it also vanished.

Bai Mo let out a muffled grunt. He could feel the immense power within that resplendent Golden Core, and a sense of reassurance, of having the Great Dao in his grasp, rose in his heart.

’This is the Core Formation Realm.’

The backbone of the Xuandao Sect, able to access more of the sect’s secrets.

However, the Xiaozhuan characters from the three Daoist books were not yet depleted.

They flew out from the books and landed on the surface of the Golden Core, forming intricate and orderly patterns.

Bai Mo watched this process quietly, his mind finally, truly relaxing.

...

Outside, Li Wuji was still guarding the Black Cell.

An Caiwei came to check on them and saw a soaking wet, golden Ah Er.

She was greatly surprised.

"What happened to you?"

Just as she asked, she saw the hoe discarded at the foot of the mountain and understood.

"Is it over?"

Ah Er nodded and made a few gestures.

"It was done half a month ago?"

An Caiwei said joyfully, "That’s wonderful!"

Ever since the commotion from Bai Mo’s Alchemy had grown, she had to take on a mission to gather Scale Crystals from the North River every two months.

Partly to meet the Silkworm Valley’s quota, and partly to check on her Junior Brother along the way.

Now that she saw he had succeeded, An Caiwei was naturally delighted.

"Where is Junior Brother?"

Ah Er gestured again.

"In seclusion..."

An Caiwei seemed lost in thought.

"That Junior Brother of ours is always so reliable and down-to-earth," she muttered to herself.

"He said before that he was going to seek the Dao and achieve Core Formation. It looks like he’s really going to succeed now."

Snapping out of it, her attention returned to Ah Er. She couldn’t help but crouch down and ask:

"You didn’t eat that Pill, did you? Is that why you look like this?"

Hearing her say this, Ah Er looked so aggrieved it was on the verge of tears.

If it had actually gotten to eat the Pill, that would be one thing. But to end up looking like this without gaining any benefits was a true tragedy.

It had tried for itself. It had washed with spring water, scrubbing with all its might, but it couldn’t get this golden coating off.

Neither cold water nor hot water worked.

Listening to its cries and watching its gestures, An Caiwei almost burst out laughing.

"Don’t worry, Junior Brother surely has a way. He’s just too busy with his seclusion to deal with you right now."

"How about this: when I get back, I’ll keep an eye out for a way to help you wash this stuff off."

She gave Ah Er a Jade Talisman.

"When Junior Brother comes out of seclusion, crush this Jade Talisman to call me."

Ah Er took it, its eyes full of hope, and nodded solemnly.

After An Caiwei left, it returned to the mountain.

After a long look at itself in a bronze mirror, Ah Er sighed, took out a pile of letters, and began reading through the replies one by one.

For the past two years, Bai Mo had no mind for other matters, and Ah Er, busy assisting him, had ignored many external affairs.

Most of the letters were from Immortal Arrival City, inquiring about herbs, but they were no longer needed.

Ah Er replied to the clerks with the good news, but put away the letters from people like the white-haired elder, waiting for Bai Mo to read them himself.

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