[Disciple, you need not fear this tribulation. During my possession of your body, I forcibly broke through many major realms. Because of that, your meridians and physical strength far surpass those of an ordinary Golden Core Realm cultivator.]

"Yes, Master." Long Chen sat cross-legged in the air, his body suspended just beneath the eye of the storm. Thunderclouds loomed above him, rotating counterclockwise with an ominous momentum. The diameter of these clouds now spanned half the Secret Realm.

[What you must focus on now is forming a Ninth Grade Core. Only with that will you even qualify to contend for the title of Monarch.]

Long Chen's master, the Sun-Severing Monarch, had long told him that to even be considered for the position of Monarch, a cultivator must first forge a Ninth Grade Core. It was not a suggestion—it was a foundational requirement.

"But Master, do you truly believe I can achieve something as lofty as a Ninth Grade Core?" Long Chen asked, doubt seeping into his voice.

[Even if you lack confidence in yourself, at the very least, trust your Master—this Great Sun-Severing Monarch!] his master scoffed from within the ring.

Yet Long Chen's next words struck like a blade, making even the arrogant voice within the ring falter. "But, Master... is a Monarch truly that powerful? That Moon Burial Warden had only just awakened, and yet he swatted you aside like a fly."

[First of all, he is no Dragon Lord. Secondly, he still possesses his physical body. Had I retained my true form, he would have tucked his tail and fled!] the Monarch snapped, his pride clearly wounded.

"But..." Long Chen hesitated. He wanted to say it—that Moon Burial Warden hadn't even regarded his master as a threat. There wasn't the slightest trace of wariness in his actions, no sign of hesitation. His confidence had been absolute, and that forced Long Chen to accept a bitter truth: perhaps his master, despite the title and ego, wasn't as formidable as he once claimed.

BOOM!

A bolt of lightning suddenly tore down from the heavens, thick and bright enough to reveal Long Chen's skeleton for an instant. It was a light blue thunderbolt, its intensity causing even seasoned cultivators watching from afar to flinch.

Long Chen's Qi stirred violently. What had once been in a fluid state began to solidify.

BOOM!

Another bolt followed, darker blue and fiercer. His liquid Qi continued to compress and congeal into a solid state, undergoing a fundamental transformation.

One day later...

The tribulation had not yet ended. Long Chen was still enduring, still sitting motionless amidst the roaring sky, surrounded by lightning and wind. But now, he stood at a critical juncture in his life—the formation of his Core.

Throughout the past day, thunderbolts of increasingly deeper blue had struck him relentlessly. The spiritual energy across his body had fully transitioned into a solid state. At this moment, Long Chen could be considered a half-step Golden Core cultivator.

Most cultivators within their domain reached this stage. They survived the blue thunder strikes, but failed to endure the next test—the true trial of Core Formation.

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Far in the distance, Xu Mo and the others had not remained idle. Some disciples had been traumatized by the earlier thunderous onslaught and had been sent by Xu Mo to regroup with other scattered sect members. Only two had returned—and both were weak in cultivation.

"Everyone, attention. Long Chen is about to form his core," the Saintess announced solemnly. Her presence held authority, but Xu Mo noted with some amusement that she had begun to ignore him entirely—a sign that she now viewed him as a rival, not an underling.

Su Wenqing stood alone at the far end, her gaze fixed on Long Chen. She had insisted on staying to witness the breakthrough, though Xu Mo could sense the discomfort she felt around him, Xue Lingxi, and Jin Meiyu. Perhaps it was guilt. Perhaps not.

The inner disciples, despite their status, carried an air of arrogance that Xu Mo found laughable. Compared to the true disciples, they were nothing special. Xu Mo made a silent decision: once they returned to the sect, this matter would be addressed properly.

The wind that had raged for days suddenly ceased. Thunder no longer roared, but the sky remained covered in thick, oppressive clouds that now hovered directly overhead. It was the silence before the storm.

Xu Mo's spiritual senses twitched. Energy in the atmosphere was converging—gathering at a single focal point: Long Chen.

Xu Mo, no stranger to Core Formation, recalled his own process. His core had been formed when he stepped into the "Quiet Heart" realm within the Dao of Silence. Unlike others, he refrained from using flashy techniques. Such displays often resulted in Qi leakage—something his current cultivation level couldn't afford.

Though he was still within the Qi Condensation Realm, his foundation was different. His control over Qi wasn't yet as refined as a Foundation Building cultivator's, but he possessed something most didn't: a complete Dao.

His Qi had turned black—a shade that often invited suspicion. Some might accuse him of cultivating the Demonic Dao, whose practitioners wielded dark purple or black Qi. While he had no such affiliations, Xu Mo knew that slander was a weapon others could—and would—use against him.

Meanwhile, Long Chen remained seated midair. His hands were now placed near his abdomen, fingers forming a circular shape with palms slightly tilted inward. Qi began spiraling into the space between his hands with terrifying speed.

Though the thunder had quieted, flashes of lightning still flickered above. They were thin, sharp, and a pale purple hue—so dazzling and refined they seemed almost holy. Just looking at the flickers made souls tremble. Some disciples fainted on the spot, unable to handle the invisible pressure. Those who remained upright fought to lift their heads, but the sheer spiritual weight pressing down was suffocating.

Even the strong-willed felt unworthy to witness this breakthrough.

Xu Mo observed carefully. Aside from Xue Lingxi and Jin Meiyu, everyone else appeared affected by the overwhelming aura. Though he was unaffected, Xu Mo chose to play along, mimicking their reactions subtly. He even added a frown, a look of offended dignity, as if insulted that he wasn't deemed worthy—perfecting the illusion.

[Use the Solar Tyrant Scripture.]

The Sun-Severing Monarch's voice echoed once more.

Long Chen didn't hesitate. He immediately began circulating the Solar Tyrant Scripture. In moments, his Qi ignited like a blaze, radiating outward until he resembled a miniature sun suspended in the air.

This scripture was the very reason his master had once ascended to Monarch status. Though he had ultimately failed to master the final step, he believed Long Chen would succeed—and even surpass every other Monarch, including that loathsome Moon Burial Warden.

A tiny sun appeared behind Long Chen—diminutive in comparison to the blazing star summoned when his master had once possessed his body. That power had come at a cost: his master had sacrificed valuable soul energy to make it happen.

Now, after breaking through to the Golden Core Realm, Long Chen would be able to form one genuine sun of his own. This was the mark of progress—each sun a symbol of increased strength.

[You have twelve hours. Within that time, absorb all the Qi within this secret realm. Sadly, the Qi here is thin and tainted with elemental impurities. A Ninth Grade Core may be beyond reach, but if you manage to absorb everything, you can at least form an Eighth Grade Core. I'll find a way to refine or upgrade it later, perhaps with the help of some heavenly treasure.]

Though disappointed by the reality, Long Chen couldn't argue. His master had the knowledge—and the experience—to know what was possible and what was not.

"Let the Qi burn."

"Let the body burn."

"Let the world around me burn."

"I am the only Sun. The one that shines the brightest and does not need the light of others."

Long Chen whispered these words as the spiritual energy between his palms blazed to life. It had begun. The final phase of his Core Formation.

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