Chapter 244 Dual Methods for Alchemy

An aura of tyranny and madness emanated from the pitch-black giant hand.

It was exactly like the Heavenly Fiend Sword that had been suppressed earlier.

However, before this giant hand, filled with Evil Qi, could make any move.

Behind Taiyi Hall, deep within Yunshui Heavenly Palace, an immeasurable blue light suddenly shone forth.

It was as if an endless ocean was suspended upside down in the sky.

Enveloped and illuminated by the blue light, the blackness on the giant hand slowly faded, as if constantly being washed away by endless seawater.

It returned to its original color.

The blue light abruptly receded, and Yunshui Heavenly Palace became silent once more.

Many Cultivators who witnessed this anomaly thought some rare treasure had appeared there.

They bravely approached to investigate.

However, the first thing they saw were over a dozen headless corpses sprawled on the ground.

Their expressions changed drastically.

Recalling the giant sword emitting a black, ominous aura they had seen earlier, everyone dared not make any unnecessary moves and hastily retreated.

The news that an anomaly had occurred deep within Yunshui Heavenly Palace and that it was very dangerous quickly spread throughout Congyun Sea through the continuous communication among Cultivators.

"It seems it won't be so easy to trick someone into stirring the Heavenly Fiend Sword again next time."

"However, with the Soul Transformation Tao One secret art, observing it once or multiple times makes no practical difference to me."

Having achieved his objective for this trip, Li Fan quietly returned to Wanxian Island.

In the tianxuan mirror, he continuously replayed the scene in his mind: the Heavenly Fiend Sword unsheathing, and with just a slight tremor and hum, reaping the lives of over a dozen Cultivators.

From a Heaven and Earth perspective, Li Fan saw that around the Cultivators, the originally peaceful Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi instantly became chaotic when the sound arrived.

It seemed to transform into sharp yet soft strings, which, in their continuous vibration, caused the Cultivators' heads to explode.

"Evil Qi…"

After repeatedly comprehending it hundreds of times, Li Fan slowly gained some understanding.

The scene shifted, and Li Fan focused his attention on the events that followed.

An immeasurable blue light surged into the sky, like an inverted ocean.

It was vast and magnificent.

Li Fan carefully sensed it.

"This blue energy feels very familiar to me."

"It seems very similar to Congyun Sea."

"But for some reason, the ocean imagery represented by this blue light seems to be much vaster than Congyun Sea…"

"Vast Sea…"

Originally, Li Fan had planned to condense his Golden Core using the Celestial Killing and Mo Sha methods first.

However, after unexpectedly seeing the Vast Sea blue light, Li Fan hesitated.

This Vast Sea blue light seemed to share the same origin as Congyun Sea.

And Li Fan was extremely familiar with Congyun Sea, having personally used the cang hai pearl to establish his Foundation.

Condensing the Golden Core with the Vast Sea method clearly offered a greater advantage.

"From the scene where the Celestial Killing could infect and transform the blue light, it can be seen that perhaps a pure Celestial Killing method might have some impact on one's will, making it difficult to suppress the tyrannical killing intent."

"And the Vast Sea blue light can serve as a buffer."

"Coupled with the Mo Sha method, if the Vast Sea method is insufficient, I can then supplement it with the Blue Flame method…"

"Condensing a Four-Symbol Golden Core in one go."

Having tentatively set the general direction, Li Fan temporarily cast other matters aside and immersed himself in secluded cultivation.

The duration of the Golden Core condensation process varies according to individual Aptitude and the cultivation method used.

Previously, under the blessing of the Congyun Sea's will, Zhang Haobo had condensed a False Core using the Water-Wind method in just over a month.

However, for Li Fan, it would likely not be so easy.

The Foundation Establishment artifact quietly transformed into the cang hai pearl.

Strands of blue light, representing the Law of Water, surged from the cang hai pearl.

Like silkworm threads, they wove and wrapped around the Foundation Establishment artifact as its core.

Li Fan visualized the scene of the Vast Sea making its move.

He infused his own understanding of the Law into it.

The blue light surging from the cang hai pearl seemed to change instantly.

It became deeper and more ancient.

Due to the many commonalities between the current Foundation, the cang hai pearl, and the Vast Sea method, this process was much faster than Li Fan had anticipated.

Gradually, a deep blue halo enveloped the cang hai pearl.

A very rudimentary "Golden Core" began to take shape.

"If I continue like this, a Golden Core purely formed by the Vast Sea method might be condensed immediately."

"However, this is not my goal."

"Next, I will add the Celestial Killing method."

In his Sea of Consciousness, the moment the Heavenly Fiend Sword unsheathed continuously flashed.

Strands of pitch-black Qi suddenly surged from the core of the artifact.

Like ink, they spread out in the blue light.

But what made Li Fan frown slightly was that this pitch-black color, representing the Celestial Killing method, could not last long.

It only persisted for a moment within the blue light's embrace before dissipating without a trace.

Having already read many Cultivators' Core Formation experiences, Li Fan immediately understood the reason.

This was because the Celestial Killing method had no Foundation within Li Fan's body.

Like water without a source or a tree without roots, it could only appear briefly, not endure.

The Vast Sea method, with the Foundation cang hai pearl, could naturally flow endlessly.

This was also why Cultivators often could not balance multiple methods when forming their Core.

Without their own Dao Foundation as a basis, how could it be easy to gather various methods into a Core?

Li Fan tried for a long time, but the speed at which he condensed the Celestial Killing method could never catch up to its dissipation rate.

After pondering for a moment, Li Fan temporarily gave up on the attempt.

Instead, he began to recall the scene when Zhang Haobo formed his Core.

The black Sword Intent phantom was magnified countless times, standing between Heaven and Earth.

Green wind blew from the sword tip above into the sword body.

Blue water flowed from the sword hilt below into the sword body.

With the mixture of green, blue, and black, the sword body slowly solidified.

…

Li Fan's eyes lit up slightly, lost in thought.

"Zhang Haobo formed his Core by combining the Water-Wind Laws already present between Heaven and Earth with his own Heavenly Fiend Sword Intent."

"The Laws of Heaven and Earth are endless. Naturally, there's no need to worry about dissipation."

"This might also be why many Cultivators, when forming their Core, travel extensively to personally comprehend and absorb the Laws of Heaven and Earth."

"But I cannot do the same."

"The Celestial Killing method, the Vast Sea method, and the Mo Sha method are all more dangerous than the last."

"Going to the actual locations to observe would likely result in losing my life instead of successfully forming the Core."

"However, fortunately, I have Huan Zhen."

With a thought, the Foundation Establishment artifact instantly transformed into the Heavenly Fiend Sword Intent.

The blue Vast Sea method, which had gathered into a ball, instantly lost its Foundation and began to dissipate.

However, it had already formed its own momentum, so the speed of its dissipation was much slower.

This time was enough for Li Fan to condense the Celestial Killing method.

The blackness deepened.

It was as if layer after layer of pitch-black shackles were placed upon the blue water sphere.

Time slowly passed.

After the Celestial Killing method's雏形 was established, Li Fan immediately switched the Foundation Establishment artifact back to the cang hai pearl.

He resumed maintaining the blue Vast Sea method.

Repeating this continuously, slowly, within Li Fan's Dantian.

The Golden Core phantom, with Huan Zhen as its core, slowly appeared.