The protective formation surrounding Dragon Yuan Mountain slowly dimmed as the final remnants of heavenly lightning dispersed into the horizon.
The oppressive pressure that had weighed upon every cultivator gradually vanished, replaced by an atmosphere of excitement that spread throughout the Lin Family estate. Elders hurried to restore damaged formations while younger disciples remained gathered below, unable to suppress their discussions after witnessing a Golden Core tribulation with their own eyes.
The Head Elder had only just landed within the forbidden grounds when a familiar figure hurried towards her.
"Master!"
Lin Yan's usually composed expression had completely disappeared. She stopped only after reaching her master's side, carefully examining the burn marks covering her robes before finally letting out a long sigh of relief.
"You truly frightened me."
The Head Elder smiled gently.
"So worried that you forgot your manners?"
Lin Yan lowered her head slightly before smiling awkwardly.
"I only..."
She hesitated for a moment before asking the question that had troubled her ever since the tribulation began.
"...what about the Heart Demon Tribulation?"
Among the nine heavenly tribulations, the lightning itself was only one obstacle.
The final Heart Demon Tribulation remained invisible to outsiders.
It was often the most dangerous.
Many cultivators successfully endured every bolt of heavenly lightning, only to perish beneath illusions created from their own regrets, desires and obsessions.
The Head Elder lightly shook her head.
"It was dangerous."
"Far more dangerous than the heavenly lightning."
A trace of reminiscence appeared within her eyes.
"For a moment..."
"...I nearly lost myself."
Her gaze unconsciously shifted towards the sword hanging quietly at her waist.
"Fortunately, when I executed that final strike against the eighth tribulation, my Sword Intent unexpectedly reached another level."
"I finally understood the path I had pursued for all these years."
"The enlightenment arrived at precisely the right moment."
As she spoke, a faint fluctuation emerged from between her brows before disappearing once more.
"It allowed me to condense..."
"...my first Sword Divine Ability Seed."
Lin Yan's eyes widened slightly.
"So soon?"
The Head Elder nodded.
"It has only just formed."
"I've merely crossed the threshold."
"Mastering a Divine Ability completely remains a very long road."
The Lin Ancestor, who had quietly observed the conversation, slowly stepped forward.
His calm voice naturally attracted everyone's attention.
"That is the advantage of entering the Golden Core Realm."
"Only after condensing one's Golden Core can Divine Ability Seeds truly reveal their value."
Lin Yan immediately bowed respectfully.
"Please enlighten this junior, Ancestor."
The Ancestor smiled faintly.
"You already know that cultivators condense Divine Ability Seeds within their Niwan Palace."
"However..."
"They merely remain there."
"They cannot yet display their true purpose."
He slowly raised a finger.
"After forming the Golden Core, every Divine Ability Seed may gradually be refined into the Golden Core itself."
"The process strengthens both the Divine Ability and the Golden Core simultaneously."
"That..."
"...is also how Golden Core cultivators advance."
Lin Yan listened attentively.
The Head Elder also remained silent.
Although she had already entered the Golden Core Realm, the Ancestor's understanding naturally surpassed hers by a considerable margin.
The Ancestor continued calmly.
"The Golden Core Realm is divided into four major stages."
"Early, Middle, Late and Peak."
"Every breakthrough requires sufficient accumulation."
He extended another finger.
"To enter the Middle Stage..."
"...three Divine Ability Seeds must already have been refined into the Golden Core."
A third finger followed.
"To reach the Late Stage..."
"...four Divine Ability Seeds."
Finally...
He opened his entire hand.
"And to stand at the Peak of the Golden Core Realm..."
"...five Divine Ability Seeds."
Lin Yan frowned slightly.
"Ancestor..."
"If three Seeds are required to advance..."
"...why doesn't refining two produce any change?"
The Ancestor smiled approvingly.
"A good question."
"The answer lies within Heaven and Earth themselves."
"The continent exists in an imbalanced state of Yin and Yang."
"A single Divine Ability Seed establishes the initial foundation."
"Three Seeds naturally complete the first stable cycle."
"Five Seeds complete the second."
He paused briefly.
"As for two..."
"They exist between those states."
"The balance remains incomplete."
"No qualitative transformation occurs."
"The same principle applies before reaching the Peak Stage."
"Four Seeds prepare the foundation."
"Five complete it."
The Head Elder slowly nodded.
"So that is why..."
"I could already feel my Golden Core strengthening after refining my first Divine Ability Seed."
"Yet..."
"It still feels no different from when I first broke through."
"Exactly."
The Ancestor looked towards the distant mountains.
"The greater the number of Divine Ability Seeds your Golden Core can support..."
"...the faster your cultivation."
"...the greater your future potential."
"...and the greater your hope of reaching the Nascent Soul Realm."
His tone remained calm.
"But remember."
"Possessing the qualifications..."
"...does not guarantee success."
"Even cultivators with perfect Golden Cores have fallen before reaching Nascent Soul."
The forbidden grounds gradually fell silent.
Everyone present understood those words.
The road of cultivation...
Never rewarded potential alone.
It demanded opportunity.
Perseverance.
And no small amount of fortune.
Far away, Dragon Yuan Mountain remained immersed in celebration.
Yet beneath the joy...
Those standing within the forbidden grounds already looked towards a much more distant destination.
Several weeks quietly passed.
Within that time, Lin Sheng never left the secluded cave he had temporarily occupied after killing the Rank Four serpent. Every day was spent circulating Gang Qi through his meridians while consuming medicinal pills obtained from the serpent's territory, allowing his battered physique to gradually recover.
The fractured bones in his left arm had long since reconnected.
The internal injuries caused by the Magnetic Thunder Orb's shockwave had likewise healed, while the lingering backlash from driving the Solar Flames beyond their limits had finally subsided.
Only after Crystal confirmed his body had returned to its optimal state did Lin Sheng decide to continue his original plan.
•[Host physical condition restored.
Overall combat efficiency: 99.3%]•
Lin Sheng slowly opened his eyes before standing.
His objective had never changed.
The clue carved amongst the protruding rocks still pointed towards those mysterious five islands, yet none of the maps stored within Crystal's database matched the reconstructed landscape.
Either...
The clue itself was false.
Or...
Time had altered the geography of the Southern Archipelagos.
If the latter proved true, then only ancient maps possessed any real value.
After organising everything within his spatial ring, Lin Sheng stepped outside before releasing his Rank Three flying boat.
The sleek vessel hovered quietly above the sea as numerous formation runes illuminated across its hull.
A moment later...
It transformed into a streak of light that disappeared across the horizon.
His destination...
The Thousand Isles Archipelago.
Among the twelve great archipelagos that composed the Southern Archipelagos, the Thousand Isles Archipelago possessed perhaps the greatest reputation for commerce.
Unlike the other archipelagos, whose influence rested upon powerful sects or ancient clans, the Thousand Isles Archipelago had flourished through trade.
Countless surrounding islands were leased to cultivators, merchant groups and smaller organisations, transforming the entire region into the largest commercial centre throughout the Southern Region.
If ancient maps existed anywhere...
That was undoubtedly the first place to search.
Several days later...
The flying boat gradually slowed.
A bustling port city appeared before Lin Sheng, stretching across several connected islands that had been linked together through enormous stone bridges. Hundreds of spiritual ships continuously arrived and departed, while cultivators of every realm filled the skies above the harbour.
Even before landing, the sounds of merchants advertising their goods reached his ears.
"The freshest Rank Two Sea Spirit Herbs!"
"Top-quality Spirit Iron freshly mined!"
"High-grade defensive talismans! Limited quantities!"
The atmosphere was incomparably lively.
Lin Sheng stored the flying boat after entering the harbour before quietly making his way towards the largest island.
That was Thousand Isle City.
Unlike ordinary cultivation cities where sect disciples occupied the majority of the population, Thousand Isle City welcomed cultivators from every background.
Independent cultivators, merchant caravans, treasure hunters, alchemists and weapon refiners.
The streets bustled with activity from dawn until dusk.
After walking through several commercial districts, Lin Sheng casually stopped beside an elderly stall owner.
"Senior."
"I'm looking for the largest merchant organisation dealing in historical records."
The old man smiled.
"If it's ancient maps you're after..."
"You should visit the Jiuding Merchant Alliance."
"They're the largest merchant alliance throughout the Thousand Isles Archipelago."
"They have almost everything."
Lin Sheng thanked him before following the directions provided.
The Jiuding Merchant Alliance occupied an enormous complex near the centre of the city.
The building itself resembled a magnificent palace constructed from white jade, with countless cultivators entering and leaving every moment.
Upon entering, a young attendant immediately approached him.
"What may this senior require?"
"I wish to consult your collection of historical maps."
The attendant wasn't surprised.
"Please follow me."
Before long, Lin Sheng arrived within a spacious archive hall.
Shelf after shelf extended into the distance, each containing countless jade slips, scrolls and beast-skin maps accumulated over generations.
Unfortunately...
After several hours of carefully searching through the publicly available collection, Lin Sheng found nothing useful.
Every map only recorded the current layout of the Southern Archipelagos or those from several decades earlier.
None extended far enough into the past.
The attendant returned after noticing his expression.
"Senior..."
"If you're searching for older records..."
"...those are kept separately."
Lin Sheng raised an eyebrow.
"Not publicly available?"
The attendant smiled apologetically.
"Historical records spanning several centuries possess considerable value."
"They require an additional viewing fee."
Lin Sheng naturally understood.
Nothing in the cultivation world came free.
Without hesitation, he paid the required Spirit Stones.
The attendant respectfully bowed before leading him towards another archive hidden behind several defensive formations.
"This section records maps dating back several hundred years."
"If senior wishes to consult anything older still..."
"...the price will naturally increase."
Lin Sheng merely nodded before entering.
Since he had already come this far, spending additional Spirit Stones wasn't worth worrying about.
Besides...
To avoid attracting unnecessary attention, he also purchased several batches of Rank Three refining materials along the way.
Most of them consisted of conductive ores, spiritual metals and lightning-attributed crystals.
The previous battle had fully demonstrated the destructive power of the Magnetic Thunder Orb.
Having only one...
Was far from enough.
If circumstances allowed...
Lin Sheng intended to refine several more.
After all...
No cultivator had ever complained about possessing too many trump cards.