Chapter 139: Qingyin Stunned—What Is the Grade of Cao Xuan’s Cultivation Talent?

The pill that Fairy Qingyin had just tried to prevent Cao Xuan from consuming was a potent elixir designed to replenish the spiritual essence of a cultivator at the Golden Core stage. She had accidentally allowed it to slip into his hand without paying close attention. For a Foundation Establishment cultivator, consuming such a pill without the aid of a top-tier cultivation technique to refine it rapidly would cause the energy to erupt within the abdomen, leading to a reversal of spiritual flow that could severely damage the meridians.

Yet, she never imagined that Cao Xuan, while in an environment with only moderately concentrated spiritual energy, could instantly consume and refine a Golden Core-grade pill and proceed to condense a fifth-pattern Golden Core. At this moment, even Fairy Qingyin did not realize that she had been unconsciously drawn to him. The mustard-seed space was constantly gathering spiritual essence, slowly transforming into a miniature paradise.

Outside, Liu Ruyan, a powerhouse at the mid-stage of the Void Refinement realm, was the first to notice that something was amiss. Her voice was soft and enchanting. "Hmm?"

"If the spiritual energy in our great hall has reached this level, then the secret realm opened by Qingyin must contain even more. Could it be that she is helping Cao Xuan breakthrough to the Golden Core stage?"

Hearing Liu Ruyan's words, the other masters of the holy lands, including Ancestor Qingmu, were visibly shaken. However, Qing Xuzi frowned and said in a deep voice, "Nonsense!"

As everyone turned to look at him, he continued, "You have all spent too long in the Spirit Severing and Void Refinement realms and have forgotten the most important source of patterns for a Golden Core cultivator's breakthrough!"

Upon hearing this, Ancestor Qingmu, as a peak Spirit Severing expert and a Supreme Elder of his sect, immediately grasped the meaning. Most of the people present, or rather, the high-level officials of the sects, focused primarily on the number of patterns on a Golden Core. They often failed to realize that in the modern era, unlike in ancient times, the enhancement of these patterns no longer relied solely on the cultivator's innate aptitude and talent. In today's cultivation, secret realms, rare treasures, elixirs, artifacts, array disks, and talismans could all contribute to the patterns formed on a Golden Core.

Qing Xuzi of the Xuanhua Dao Sect continued, "Although the Azure Cloud Mist Cave is not a top-tier secret realm, it is sufficient for a cultivator forming a core. Coupled with the rewards from this Azure Cloud Dharma Assembly, such as the Dao Foundation Pill and other items, it should be effortless for this lad Cao to form a five or six-pattern Golden Core! If he is lucky enough to form a seven-pattern core, he will be a top-grade Golden Core practitioner, just like us. As a sword cultivator, with such a core, he would achieve great things in any holy land!"

The more Qing Xuzi spoke, the heavier Ancestor Qingmu’s heart became. To put it bluntly, Cao Xuan hailed from the Azure Cloud Sect, specifically the direct branch in Yun Prefecture. Unlike the six major holy lands, which remained indifferent, Ancestor Qingmu still viewed Cao Xuan as a future pillar of his sect. Regardless of which holy land he eventually joined or if he returned to the central Azure Cloud Sect, his success would be a blessing for their school.

Xue Dizi of the Blood Fiend Sect gave a sinister laugh. "They say sword cultivators are simple-minded, but I think this girl Qingyin is quite clever. She intends for Cao Xuan to form a four-pattern Golden Core—just enough to have a chance at the Nascent Soul realm without complicating his future cultivation, yet not so impressive that he attracts too much attention. In that case, wouldn't it be better for him to cultivate at their Ziyang Sword Sect rather than the Xuanhua Dao Sect?"

When Xue Dizi said this, no one thought he was trying to sow discord. If Cao Xuan succeeded in this breakthrough, he would meet the minimum standard for recruitment into the thirty Golden Core holy lands, and a four-pattern core would be considered a candidate with potential for the Nascent Soul. Such a disciple might be a small genius in a second or third-rate sect, destined to become an elder, but in a holy land, he would be merely one of the common crowd. A sect or a holy land cannot be composed entirely of geniuses; it naturally requires a large number of "ordinary people." It is just that the definition of "ordinary" in a holy land is set much higher.

By the logic of Xue Dizi, Qingyin was deliberately turning Cao Xuan into an "ordinary person" to secure a promising seed for her sect. When he emerged, Cao Xuan would likely thank Fairy Qingyin for helping him form his core, then join the Ziyang Holy Land—all while snubbing the Xuanhua Dao Sect. After all, would they really compete with the Ziyang Sword Sect over an "ordinary disciple" who happened to comprehend sword intent?

"It seems we have all underestimated Qingyin!" Chen Ru of the Qianyuan Academy reviewed the situation and truly felt this was the most likely scenario. "Within a secret realm temporarily opened by a Void Refinement cultivator, there is no infrastructure—not even inherent spiritual energy, as it must be drawn from the outside just as it is now. Breaking through to the Golden Core stage in such an environment is no different from doing so in the wild. Fairy Qingyin must have spent quite a lot on the elixirs and artifacts to help Cao Xuan, don't you think? They say sword cultivators carry the fewest items, preferring to break ten thousand spells with a single sword and shunning external objects. It seems that if we ever come into conflict with the Ziyang Sword Sect in the future, we cannot be so careless as to assume they only have flying swords and no other trump cards!"

Everyone felt a chill in their hearts upon hearing the old scholar Chen Ru's analysis. To see the big picture from a small detail—if Qingyin could carry enough elixirs and artifacts to help a cultivator reach a four-pattern core, it meant she must have even more trump cards hidden away.

Qing Xuzi remained silent for a moment before snorting coldly. He figured Cao Xuan was likely lost to his Xuanhua Dao Sect. "Hmph, let's hope this doesn't backfire. If the boy's own foundation is insufficient and he ends up with a core of fewer than three patterns, that would be a joke. When he comes out and realizes he has hit a dead end, he will likely hold a grudge against the Ziyang Sword Sect! Of course, that is all he could do."

Qing Xuzi added a final remark—a Golden Core cultivator on a dead-end path, beyond holding a grudge, could hardly threaten a holy land. Hearing this, no one noticed Ancestor Qingmu clench his fists slightly, though he still wore a placating smile. This was the reality of the six major holy lands; they did not take the talented disciples of second or third-rate sects seriously. He even began to secretly harbor resentment toward Fairy Qingyin. In Ancestor Qingmu’s view, she was no saint. If her plan succeeded, she would snatch Cao Xuan away. If it failed, and Cao Xuan proved mediocre with a sub-three-pattern core, it would only prove the saying: "If I cannot have him, no one else can." Qing Xuzi’s words implied that if Cao Xuan emerged with a three-pattern core, the Ziyang Sword Sect would not want him, and the Xuanhua Holy Land would be even less likely to take him in.

Regardless of the wild speculations outside, within the mustard-seed space, Cao Xuan had already condensed his eighth pattern. Though Fairy Qingyin stood there poised and serene, the shock in her eyes betrayed the inner turmoil of a woman who felt she was witnessing a miracle. In her eyes, Cao Xuan was now comparable to Xian Xiangqiu—no, he was even stronger. She suddenly recalled what her senior sister, Li Yao, had said at the Azure Cloud Dharma Assembly regarding Cao Xuan’s breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment stage in a single year.

Qingyin swallowed slightly, afraid to disturb him. "It is highly probable that his top-grade spiritual root is no lie, but what exactly is the level of his cultivation talent?"