Chapter 470 (2)
Hearing this, Han Lingshuang forcibly suppressed her emotions.
However, knowing that Lu Qing was likely in the Sacred City, she felt much more at ease.
Cold Water Palace had arrived in the Sacred City a few days ago.
And in these few days, she had sensed a deep crisis.
Many factions in the Sacred City no longer showed the same respect toward Cold Water Palace as they once did toward the Four Great Secret Realms.
Some, especially the more arrogant ones, even made veiled remarks of disdain.
Although Han Lingshuang had anticipated this, it would be a lie to say she felt no pressure.
She even had a premonition that during the upcoming Holy Assembly, some sects and factions might use this opportunity to make trouble for Cold Water Palace.
Initially, she had been quite worried, but now, she inexplicably felt relieved.
"But ultimately, it's because my strength is too weak. If I could step into the Golden Core Realm, all these problems would be easily resolved."With her mind relaxed, a firm resolve surfaced on Han Lingshuang’s face.
After dismissing her disciples, she closed her eyes and entered a meditative state.
She could feel it—just a little more, and she would touch that boundary.
...
"Tower Master Zhirui, where is Lu Xiaolangjun?"
At Tianji Tower, as soon as Wei Shanhai stepped down from the carriage, he inquired.
Beside him stood Mago, as well as Wei Zian and Wei Zihao, the two brothers.
As for the others, Wei Xinghe needed to remain at the Wei Manor to oversee family affairs, while Hu Zezhi happened to be on the verge of a breakthrough and had entered seclusion.
Thus, only the four of them had come to the Sacred City.
"Lu Xiaolangjun is currently in seclusion atop the Sacred Mountain," Lin Zhirui replied with a smile. "If you have urgent matters, I can pass along a message."
"No, no need." Wei Shanhai quickly waved his hand.
They wouldn't dare disturb Lu Qing’s cultivation. Knowing he was here was enough.
Just that knowledge alone brought them a great sense of reassurance.
"Alright then, Senior Wei, feel free to settle in here. But for the next few days, it would be best to avoid going out. The city is quite unsettled at the moment," Lin Zhirui warned.
"Understood," Wei Shanhai and the others nodded.
In fact, they had already sensed the unusual atmosphere on their way here.
The carriage, which had been reinforced with Lu Qing’s formations, not only blocked external spiritual sense probes but also allowed them to perceive disturbances in their surroundings.
From their journey alone, they could tell that the Sacred City was teeming with powerful individuals whose auras far surpassed theirs.
Under such circumstances, they naturally knew better than to wander about carelessly.
...
While Wei Shanhai and the others settled into Tianji Tower, atop the Sacred Mountain, within a cave residence overflowing with spiritual energy—
Lu Qing slowly opened his eyes.
A divine radiance flickered in his gaze, shaking the soul.
But soon, he concealed it once more.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I've finally broken through to the Second Rotation of the Golden Core Realm."
Feeling the boundless surge of magical power coursing through his body like a roaring river, Lu Qing couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
A whole month.
He had been in seclusion within this cave for an entire month.
Initially, he had thought that with the rich spiritual energy of the Sacred Mountain, breaking through would be swift.
Unexpectedly, it had still taken a full month to reach the next stage.
The power of the Perfect Golden Core was unquestionable—far stronger than even a Superior Golden Core.
But precisely because it was too perfect, advancing was exceedingly difficult.
Each step required immense resources.
Lu Qing had initially estimated that the Sacred Mountain's cave residence might allow him to cultivate beyond the Third Rotation of the Golden Core Realm.
Now, however, he wasn't so sure.
"Well, it is what it is. One step at a time. A person shouldn't be too greedy—wanting both a strong Golden Core and an easy cultivation path. There's no such good fortune in the world."
After a brief moment of contemplation, Lu Qing adjusted his mindset and stood up.
Based on his estimations, the Holy Assembly was only a few days away.
Now that he had broken through, further seclusion wouldn't yield much more progress. It would be better to go out and clear his mind.
After all, he had been on the Sacred Mountain for quite some time but hadn't had a chance to properly explore it.
Stepping out of the cave, Lu Qing wandered in a random direction, admiring the mountain scenery.
The Sacred Mountain was the greatest mountain in this world, vast and grand beyond measure.
Its sheer scale dwarfed even the Sacred City at its base.
Thus, the scenery atop the mountain was breathtaking.
Floating clouds and cascading waterfalls, thousand-year-old ancient trees—these sights were everywhere.
Along the way, Lu Qing even discovered various rare spiritual herbs and materials.
His curiosity piqued, he couldn't help but collect some, storing them in his Heaven and Earth One Qi Bag.
Not long ago, his master had lamented that as spiritual energy grew richer, the venomous creatures in the mountains—poisonous insects and snakes—were mutating at an alarming rate.
The toxins they carried were becoming ever more potent.
Even with his master’s medicinal skills, detoxifying these new poisons was becoming increasingly difficult.
Just recently, a villager had been bitten by a poisonous spider. Had they arrived any later, the person might not have survived.
Yet even then, the antidote his master had concocted lacked sufficient potency to fully neutralize the spider's venom.
In the end, Lu Qing had to use his magical power to save the villager.
But using magic to heal was merely a stopgap—it wasn't a widespread solution.
The true purpose of medicine was to empower ordinary people to heal and save lives.
Thus, to solve this crisis, they needed to develop a more effective antidote.
Unfortunately, despite extensive research, his master had yet to devise an optimal formula.
Now, seeing the abundance of unrecorded herbs growing on the Sacred Mountain, Lu Qing couldn't resist gathering them.
Once he returned, he would hand them over to his master for study. The old man would surely be delighted.
Thus, as Lu Qing walked, he collected herbs along the way.
Unknowingly, he wandered into a dense forest.
Suddenly, he sensed a sharp aura emanating from ahead—it carried a fierce sword intent.
It felt as if a true master of the Sword Dao was practicing atop the cliffside.
Intrigued, Lu Qing continued forward.
Emerging from the forest, he found himself at an open precipice, mist swirling around.
Before him was a vast cliff.
And on that cliff's edge, several figures were engaged in intense swordplay.
Strangely enough, all of these figures had identical appearances.
Each one bore the face of the Third Holy Lord.