The Buddhist power surging from the void continued to compress. After an unknown amount of time, a single golden droplet appeared in the space within his brow. More and more droplets gathered, until they formed a mass the size of a fist, and only then did it stop.
His Buddhist cultivation had now reached the Great Buddhist Sect realm.
"Excellent!"
Ian Song was very satisfied.
Previously, that shabby old monk Ten Precepts's Buddhist cultivation was only equivalent to the Innate realm in martial arts—a Great Buddhist Master.
Immediately, Ian Song spent Qi Luck to fuse the Vajra Seal and Buddha Eye Insight.
Opening his eyes, Ian looked at Chloe Cao, who wore a concerned expression, and asked, "Senior Sister, how long have I been cultivating?"
"Almost five hours!"
Chloe replied.
"Gurgle!"
Just then, Chloe's stomach rumbled loudly, and she immediately blushed with embarrassment.
Ian Song pretended not to notice and said, "Senior Sister, after cultivating for so long, I'm starving. Let's go eat first!"
In truth, he was quite moved—Chloe had stayed by his side the entire time to protect him, not even leaving for a meal, which was why her stomach was growling.
They went downstairs, ordered food from the waiter, and had a meal together. Afterwards, Ian returned to his room while Chloe continued to stand guard for him.
He was still planning to fuse the Celestial Venerable Heart Scripture.
Right now, both his martial and Buddhist cultivation had reached the sect master level.
But the people who had gathered nearby still managed to get a clear look at his face.
"It's actually him!"
Ten Precepts's face showed utter astonishment. He had assumed the Golden Core cultivator would be some hidden Daoist master, not the young man who helped him exorcise ghosts at the Wade Residence just days ago.
True qi from martial cultivation is stored in the dantian; Buddhist power is stored in the brow; Daoist power, meanwhile, is stored in the Tan Zhong Acupoint at the center of the chest.
As the fusion progressed, Ian Song felt the Tan Zhong Acupoint in his chest open up. Then a cool power began to gather, merge, and compress within the Tan Zhong, fusing together.
After several hours, his Daoist power turned liquid, then grew thicker, and finally began to solidify, forming an oval-shaped sphere.
"This is a Golden Core!"
Ian Song instantly understood—beyond the Grand Dao Sect realm lies the Golden Core stage.
The golden core inside his Tan Zhong Acupoint kept changing and spinning, growing rounder and smoother, and radiating an increasingly powerful aura.
A bit more than a quarter-hour later, a thunderbolt as thick as a barrel crashed down from the clouds, filled with heavenly might. Ten Precepts and the others arrived nearby, and when they saw the lightning, they felt a deep dread—they knew that even a touch would mean total annihilation.
In a certain temple inside the Provincial Capital, the shabby old monk Ten Precepts suddenly opened his eyes, his face flashing with shock. "That's the aura of a Daoist Golden Core! Is someone about to become a Daoist Golden Core cultivator?"
Thinking this, he hurriedly rushed out of the temple and sped toward Ian Song's inn.
At the same time, seven or eight other figures—men and women, young and old—also sped toward the same place from different directions.
Soon, they all arrived around the inn and stopped outside, not daring to go further.
Forming a Golden Core triggers a lightning tribulation. Anyone who gets too close risks being caught in it.
At that moment, dark clouds gathered overhead, thunder flashed and rumbled, and the atmosphere grew heavy and oppressive.
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Ian Song sensed the approaching tribulation. He got up and told Chloe, "Senior Sister, wait for me inside the inn and don't run around!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ian shot out through the window, racing toward the city outskirts.
But his golden core had grown much stronger, so the remaining lightning couldn't harm him; he easily absorbed the second bolt. Then the third tribulation thunder descended.
Ian's figure moved incredibly fast, almost like a streak of light.
But the people who had gathered nearby still managed to get a clear look at his face.
"It's actually him!"
Ten Precepts's face showed utter astonishment. He had assumed the Golden Core cultivator would be some hidden Daoist master, not the young man who helped him exorcise ghosts at the Wade Residence just days ago.
The others were also shocked, mainly because Ian Song was so young. Some couldn't help but secretly wonder, "Could this youth be the reincarnation of a Daoist powerhouse? Otherwise, how could someone so young become a Daoist Golden Core cultivator?"
"Faming greets the Daoist Golden Core!"
Then, his speed increased even further.
"Master, we're already acquainted—no need to be so formal!"
At the same time, the sky overhead changed color, covered in dark clouds. He knew his lightning tribulation was about to begin.
Sure enough—
Of the seven, five were martial artists, and two were Daoists—one a Grand Daoist, the other a Dao Sect cultivator.
"Boom!"
The lightning struck Ian Song hard, causing sharp pain. With a thought, he ordered the System to absorb half of the thunder's power.
The remaining half of the lightning couldn't hurt him. His golden core spun rapidly, absorbing the rest and transforming it into his own power. Only a golden core tempered by tribulation is recognized by the world.
After most of a quarter-hour, Ian finished absorbing the thunder's power. Mysterious patterns appeared on his golden core—he knew this was the world's recognition, a mark of this realm.
With a thought, Ian commanded the System to gradually release the stored lightning power for his golden core to absorb.
Soon after Ian finished absorbing the lightning from the System, a second bolt of tribulation thunder descended.
To be safe, Ian had the System absorb eighty percent of the thunder, leaving him to bear twenty percent.
Even though it was only twenty percent, it was as powerful as the previous fifty percent.
But his golden core had grown much stronger, so the remaining lightning couldn't harm him; he easily absorbed the second bolt. Then the third tribulation thunder descended.
This time, Ian ordered the System to absorb ninety percent of the thunder.
He easily absorbed the third bolt as well. After taking in all three bolts, his golden core became perfectly round and translucent, each rotation containing the laws of heaven and earth.
At the same time, the earth no longer restricted him; with a single thought, he could float freely in the air.
The dark clouds in the sky quickly dispersed, and Ian's gaze swept over the area.
Even a casual glance from him put tremendous pressure on the crowd.
"Faming greets the Daoist Golden Core!"
At that moment, the shabby old monk strode forward and bowed deeply to Ian Song.
"Master, we're already acquainted—no need to be so formal!"
Ian Song smiled as he spoke.
Then, seven others stepped forward, bowing and introducing themselves, their eyes filled with awe and respect.
Of the seven, five were martial artists, and two were Daoists—one a Grand Daoist, the other a Dao Sect cultivator.