After playing around with Rina for some time, Wang Chen's relaxed expression slowly faded, replaced by a quiet seriousness.

It was time.

Today, he would break through.

Today, he would step into the Golden Core Realm.

For Wang Chen, this breakthrough was not merely about increasing cultivation. Reaching Golden Core was the absolute prerequisite to ignite True Fire—and True Fire was the cornerstone for constructing the Nether Realm within the Garden of Eternity. Without it, everything he envisioned would remain nothing more than empty theory.

As these thoughts settled, Wang Chen issued a silent command.

Rina moved faster than words.

The Ancient Phoenix of Fate spread the news across the Garden of Eternity, her authority rippling through every corner of the realm. Anyone with even a fragment of sense understood the gravity of the announcement. The compression of an immeasurable Qi Sea into a Golden Core was not a private event—it would trigger violent spatial and energetic upheaval throughout the entire inner world.

If the inhabitants were unprepared, the losses would be catastrophic.

Fortunately, the Seven Hand Divine Sect did not question the words of their Divine Beast.

The sect master—a middle-aged man with a calm gaze and gentle features—reacted instantly. Orders were issued without hesitation. Tens of thousands of cultivators mobilized, formations activating one after another like awakening giants. Within a single day, colossal defensive arrays rose across the land, layered barriers interlocking with mathematical precision.

These formations were not decorative.

Each one was capable of absorbing force on the scale of nuclear annihilation.

From afar, Wang Chen observed the preparations in silence, his eyes sharp and unblinking. The speed, coordination, and decisiveness of the Seven Hand Divine Sect left him quietly impressed.

No wonder they rose to dominance after the fall of the Heaven-Rending Dynasty.

Only after confirming that everything was in place did he turn inward.

Wang Chen spent several more hours adjusting his state of mind, breathing slowly, aligning body, soul, and will. He refused to rush this moment. If he was going to form a Golden Core, it would not be some mediocre product.

Just like the Foundation Building Realm, the Golden Core Realm was divided into clear tiers.

And the difference between them was nothing short of heaven and earth.

The classification depended entirely on how ruthlessly and perfectly one compressed their Qi Sea.

Earth-Level Golden Core

A crude but stable form.

Diameter: Ten meters.

Sky-Level Golden Core

Refined, powerful, and rare.

Diameter: Less than ten meters, greater than five.

Apex-Level Golden Core

The realm of monsters and legends.

Only the most terrifying geniuses ever reached it.

Diameter: Less than five meters.

Wang Chen opened his eyes slowly.

A faint, dangerous light flickered within them.

He had no intention of stopping at Earth Level.

And Sky Level?

That would be an insult to everything he had endured.

Once a Golden Core was formed—regardless of its tier—the effects were immediate and profound.

Golden light would seep outward from the core, nourishing the walls of the spiritual space itself. Fractures would mend, weak boundaries would be reinforced, and the entire domain would become sturdier, more resilient, as if reality itself had gained a backbone. At the same time, the concentration and purity of qi would rise sharply, thickening the atmosphere until every breath carried power.

From that moment on, Enlightenment Chains would no longer be necessary to stabilize the space.

Just this single benefit was enough to make Wang Chen's heart race.

Compared to ordinary cultivators, his spiritual space had expanded at a completely unreasonable rate. Every step forward brought the risk of collapse, a sword perpetually hanging over his head. But now—finally—that worry would vanish.

For the first time since creating the Garden of Eternity, stability was within reach.

If the reincarnation knowledge is accurate… Wang Chen thought calmly, reviewing the conclusions he had spent tens of thousands of years arriving at. Then my Golden Core must be compressed to at least one meter in diameter.

Only such an extreme compression held even the slightest possibility of igniting True Fire.

Anything larger, and the Nether Realm would remain a fantasy.

The moment that thought settled, the space around him reacted.

The air brightened, as if ignited from within. One by one, Chains of Enlightenment emerged from the void—chains that had long been silently stabilizing the Garden of Eternity. They vibrated softly, responding to his will, prepared to lend their strength for the final ascent.

Wang Chen knew this breakthrough was not his alone.

When he stepped into the Golden Core Realm, everything within the Garden of Eternity would change.

The viscosity of qi would increase dramatically, allowing cultivators to advance faster, reach higher, and explore paths previously impossible. Exotic physiques would emerge. Rare mutations would be born. Entire cultivation schools might arise naturally from the environment itself.

Just as ancient eras of dense oxygen had once given rise to colossal beasts and titanic lifeforms, so too would this surge in qi reshape existence within the Garden.

His spiritual space now spanned twenty kilometers, vast beyond reason.

Hundreds of Enlightenment Chains shimmered throughout it—each one a symbol of accumulated understanding, restraint, and survival. Slowly, deliberately, they began to move.

The countless chains converged.

Hundreds merged into dozens.

Dozens fused into twenty massive chains, each one thick enough to resemble a celestial pillar. Together, they descended toward the heart of the domain, coiling around the endlessly churning Qi Sea.

Each chain under Wang Chen's control moved with eerie autonomy, no longer resembling inanimate constructs but living extensions of his will. They slithered across the surface of the Qi Sea, spreading methodically, inexorably. One chain became ten. Ten became a hundred. Until, at last, the entire surface of the Qi Sea was sealed beneath layers of glowing Enlightenment Chains, pulsing faintly like a restrained heartbeat.

Wang Chen inhaled deeply.

His breathing slowed.

His thoughts stilled.

His spirit entered a state of absolute clarity.

This was the moment that mattered most.

A single misstep here would mean total collapse.

Far away, inside the great colosseum of the Garden of Eternity, Rina hovered mid-air, her small phoenix form glowing faintly. Her feathers stood on end, trembling with excitement as if she instinctively understood what was about to happen. Though she made no sound, her entire being radiated encouragement.

Seated in a wide circle beneath her were seven figures, men and women of vastly different ages and appearances. Each was a peak existence of this era, their expressions grave, their breaths unconsciously held. They were waiting—not for spectacle, but for confirmation.

For prophecy.

Then—

Their eyes widened simultaneously.

One of them staggered to his feet, pointing toward the horizon with a trembling hand, his voice cracking into a shrill cry.

"W-What in the name of the world is that—?!"

"The Holy Sea…!" another screamed. "The Holy Sea is rising!"

Panic erupted.

Some shouted in disbelief, others howled like madmen, their reason shattered by the impossible sight unfolding before them. A few dropped to their knees on the spot, pressing their foreheads to the ground in Rina's direction, tears streaming freely.

"If not for Her Majesty's warning…" "We would have died without even understanding why…!"

Their reactions were not exaggerated.

Not in the slightest.

Across the entire Garden of Eternity, every ocean began to lift.

Not waves.

Not tides.

The oceans themselves.

Endless sheets of water tore free from gravity's grasp, rising slowly into the sky like inverted heavens. Miles of seabed were laid bare—cold, dark, barren expanses that had not seen light since time immemorial. Ancient wrecks, colossal skeletons, forgotten ruins—everything was exposed in a single, apocalyptic unveiling.

The sky groaned.

The land trembled.

Reality strained under the pressure.

This was not a natural phenomenon.

This was the world responding.

And at the center of it all, unseen by most, Wang Chen remained perfectly still—eyes closed, mind sharp as a blade—compressing an ocean into something no larger than a heartbeat.

The Golden Core was being born.

....

Meanwhile, outside the Garden of Eternity, the sky above Phoenix and Dragon City darkened without warning—as if an unseen storm were silently rolling in.

Clouds that had once drifted lazily now churned and folded inward, their edges bruised with deep violet hues. The air grew heavy, oppressive, carrying the faint pressure of something vast stirring beneath heaven itself.

Fang Biyu, who had been practicing her forms in the courtyard, suddenly froze mid-motion. Sweat slid down her temples as she straightened, instinctively lifting her gaze toward the heavens.

Her heart skipped a beat.

"…Teacher," she asked slowly, her voice cautious, "what is happening?"

Her eyes turned toward Ming Yao.

Ming Yao did not answer.

She stood still, crimson robes fluttering faintly, her expression unreadable. Yet beneath that calm exterior, her thoughts were anything but tranquil.

Such a vast movement of Qi Sea…

Just what in the heavens is going on?

High above the clouds, multiple rivers of qi burst into motion.

They twisted and coiled like living dragons, vast torrents of condensed energy spiraling downward from every direction. Their descent was violent, domineering—ignoring terrain, ignoring balance—as if responding to a single irresistible summons.

In mere moments, every one of those qi rivers converged above Phoenix and Dragon Dojo.

And more precisely—

Above Wang Chen's residence.

Fang Biyu's eyes widened.

"…Above Master's courtyard?" she murmured. "What… what is he doing now?"

Before anyone could answer, another figure emerged.

Li Mei stepped out from her closed-door cultivation chamber, her aura still faintly fluctuating. The instant she saw the heavens twisting and the qi rivers descending, her pupils constricted sharply.

Her gaze followed their convergence.

Then—

Her expression changed completely.

"Don't tell me…" she whispered, disbelief flooding her voice.

"Master is breaking through again…?!"

Her heart pounded.

Just how high is Master's talent…?

At that very moment, Li Mei felt a subtle gaze brush against her senses.

She frowned and turned—only to meet the calm, unfathomable eyes of Demon Queen Zi Han.

Li Mei stiffened.

She hadn't expected to encounter her like this. Especially not now. Especially not when she still remembered the day she had once—foolishly—considered accepting this terrifying being as her master.

The air between them felt tense, laden with unspoken meaning.

…

Meanwhile—

Inside the Garden of Eternity, the true upheaval had already begun.

Under the relentless guidance of the Chains of Enlightenment, the entire Qi Sea was being dragged upward—ripped from its natural equilibrium and forced toward compression.

The vast ocean of energy trembled violently.

Wang Chen stood at its center, unmoving.

His heartbeat was steady.

His breathing was calm.

But within his eyes burned a fierce, unwavering light.

This was it.

The true process.

"The point of no return."

His lips parted.

"Compress."

The command echoed not as sound, but as law.

In response, all twenty massive Chains of Enlightenment wrapped around the Qi Sea tightened simultaneously—contracting like colossal muscles flexing under divine will.

Badum!

The Qi Sea convulsed.

In an instant, the ocean of energy—once spanning over a kilometer—collapsed inward, shrinking by half in a violent surge that sent shockwaves rippling across the entire spiritual space.

The pressure was suffocating.

The strain was absolute.

Yet Wang Chen's expression did not change.

Not even slightly.

Because he knew—

This was only the beginning.

And the real challenge had not even arrived yet.

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