“Golden Core!”
“He’s forming his core—”
Shouts of alarm rose from the distant crowd of onlookers!
Mu Cheng’s gray-black pupils contracted sharply!
He dodged the Golden Core Puppet’s reaching hand, stumbling almost desperately into Lian Yunzhi’s “light orb.” With the fastest speed, he pulled out talismans and spirit stones, setting up a Lightning Avoidance Array around Lian Yunzhi.
Mu Cheng had thought he wouldn’t make it in time. He had thought he and Lian Yunzhi would both be reduced to charred remains by the Golden Core thunder tribulation. But even after he placed the final spirit stone to complete the Lightning Avoidance Array, the first bolt of thunder tribulation still hadn’t struck.
And Lian Yunzhi’s Golden Core was nearly formed.
.
After successfully forming his core, Lian Yunzhi’s first sensation was one of pure bliss.
He could feel every bone in his body scoured and cleansed by spiritual power. He could feel every meridian widened and reinforced. He could clearly see the Golden Core in his dantian—round, plump, representing Xiaoze State’s most surging, most supreme power.
Lian Yunzhi opened his eyes.
Was this the feeling of possessing power?
With the invisible barrier of the Golden Core tribulation gone, the puppet charged straight at Lian Yunzhi!
Lian Yunzhi gripped the Moon Gazing Sword.
One swing dispersed it—
A line of blood abruptly appeared across the Golden Core Puppet’s chest.
The Golden Core Puppet stiffly lowered its head to look, then madly charged at Lian Yunzhi again!
Mu Cheng hadn’t been wrong—this Golden Core Puppet was indeed badly damaged. Lian Yunzhi exchanged fewer than ten moves with it before slaying it with his sword.
Lian Yunzhi leisurely wiped the scant blood from his sword and turned to the four black guards on the ground, injured by the sword qi. His tone was mild as he smiled, just like how the four black guards had started with mild tones while trying to rob him of his person:
“I have no desire to oppose the Mu Family. As you saw, that puppet went berserk first and tried to kill me. I had no choice but to act. I hope you can relay to the Mu Family Head that I saved Mu Cheng with an Immortal Pill. If you want to take him, it’s simple—exchange with an Immortal Pill… You may leave.”
With that, Lian Yunzhi Imperial Sword Flew to Mu Cheng.
Mu Cheng had already picked up the last spirit stone from the ground and stood motionless in place, “gazing” at Lian Yunzhi, looking very obedient.
Lian Yunzhi’s lips curved involuntarily. He extended his hand to him, and when Mu Cheng took it, he brought him along on Imperial Sword Flight to depart.
.
Lian Yunzhi arrived at Ten Perils Mountain as originally planned.
Ten Perils Mountain was vast. Lian Yunzhi found an uninhabited spot and landed, unable to resist turning to Mu Cheng to boast:
“Mu Cheng! I formed my Golden Core!”
A rare smile appeared on Mu Cheng’s face: “Congratulations, Master.”
Lian Yunzhi exhaled softly, but his heart still raced. Joy overflowed uncontrollably on his face: “How was forming the core so simple? It must be because of the Lightning Avoidance Array you set up! I never imagined your formations were so effective!”
Mu Cheng waited until Lian Yunzhi finished speaking before replying: “No, my Lightning Avoidance Array didn’t take effect. There was no thunder tribulation when you formed your core.”
Lian Yunzhi froze.
“…No thunder tribulation? Why?” He frowned in thought for a moment, then suddenly widened his eyes in disbelief. “Because of you? You had no thunder tribulation when you advanced. Could it be because I dual cultivated with you, so I don’t need to face thunder tribulation for my core formation either? There’s such a good thing?!”
Mu Cheng didn’t refute, as that was the only reason he could think of too.
Lian Yunzhi’s heart pounded even faster.
In that instant, he felt like a miner who’d struck gold, a treasure hunter who’d found a hoard.
His whole body felt like it was treading on soft, fluffy clouds.
He stepped one by one up to Mu Cheng, gently cupping his face, and said in a tone more joyful, sincere, and uncontrollably affectionate than ever before:
“Mu Cheng, you’re truly a treasure!”
Even without seeing Lian Yunzhi’s current expression or eyes, Mu Cheng couldn’t help lowering his gaze, avoiding his line of sight.
It was blatant exploitation, praise driven purely by self-interest, yet Mu Cheng’s heart still softened and heated up, even thrilling with slight tremors at his own usefulness.
Lian Yunzhi had no way to vent his joy. He leaped onto his flying sword, soaring high and low, flipping and tumbling wildly. Then he fluttered around Mu Cheng like a butterfly for a circle or two. After that, he jumped down from the flying sword and asked Mu Cheng delightedly: “Mu Cheng, am I now the Number One of Xiaoze State?”
Mu Cheng: “Yes, the remaining two Golden Cores are both sickly and crippled—not opponents for Master.”
Lian Yunzhi laughed heartily twice, but quickly reined it in with restraint.
He spread his arms and hugged Mu Cheng contentedly, like a miner clutching a gold nugget, then patted his back:
“Alright, you don’t need to worry anymore. Your master is now the Number One of Xiaoze State—no one can snatch you from my hands again!”
The soft, scorching tremors spread from Mu Cheng’s heart throughout his body. Every patch of skin touching Lian Yunzhi burned as if melting. Mu Cheng could no longer hold back and reached out, tightly embracing Lian Yunzhi in his arms.
“Hey.”
Lian Yunzhi pushed him once but couldn’t budge him. He rolled his eyes playfully and grinned: “Do you want to dual cultivate?”
Mu Cheng took a deep breath, his voice barely maintaining composure: “Isn’t it Master who wants to?”
Lian Yunzhi’s fingers trailed up to undo Mu Cheng’s belt, his tone growing ever more straightforward: “Yeah, Master wants to dual cultivate. After all, I just formed my Golden Core. I hear dual cultivation can also stabilize the realm… Mm…”
Mu Cheng only regretted not kissing him sooner, so he wouldn’t have to hear the latter half of that sentence.
