94: The True Understanding of the Purple Mansion continues the path forward; the Azure Sky Immortal Sword resonates within its sheath.

During the three-day seclusion period after the initial Formation of the Golden Core, the interior and exterior of Qingfeng Temple appeared exceptionally quiet.

Zhao Desheng led the villagers to thoroughly clean and organize the courtyard, which was still slightly messy after the Lightning Tribulation, and repaired the damaged areas. The temple gates were tightly shut, refusing all outside visitors.

Although the pilgrims were persuaded to leave, various rumors of the "Qingfeng Temple Master Undergoing Tribulation to achieve Immortal Ascension" spread rapidly like they had wings, reaching neighboring counties and cities and even further. This sparked more speculation, discussion, and longing, adding an even more mysterious halo to this mountain temple that was already famous.

But the external clamor did not reach the quiet room deep within the temple.

Li Muchen did not go out during these three days, nor did he even perform much breath regulation to recover—once the Golden Core was formed, a cycle naturally generated within his body, with the Golden Core essence constantly nourishing him. The slight flesh wounds and exhaustion caused by the Lightning Tribulation had already been mostly repaired by the abundant vitality the moment the core was formed.

He spent more of his time sitting quietly in realization.

Realizing the various profound changes brought by the Golden Core Realm, the closer connection between the Divine Soul and heaven and earth, and the profound Dao state of "my fate is determined by me, not by heaven." At the same time, he was also waiting patiently.

Waiting for that "moment" he had long anticipated, which had never been absent after every Breakthrough in cultivation.

Signing in.

Since his Rebirth into this world and the activation of that mysterious "Mandate of Heaven Opportunity System," signing in daily at Qingfeng Temple had become a part of his cultivation life as natural as breathing.

Although he didn't have amazing gains every time, over the years, small amounts added up. Those Medicinal Pills, Talismans, Spiritual Plant seeds, and even fundamental techniques like the "Supreme Clarity Purple Mansion Returning to Origin True Scripture" and key items like the "earth vein suppression talisman" and "thunder-struck wood" all came from this.

Whenever there was a major Breakthrough in his cultivation, the rewards from signing in were often exceptionally generous, as if they were a "reward" and "supplement" for his unceasing diligent cultivation and Realm improvement.

Now, he had broken through the Foundation Establishment stage and newly formed his Golden Core, a milestone leap on the path of cultivation. According to past patterns, this sign-in would surely be extraordinary.

Finally, on the morning of the third day, as the first ray of dawn penetrated the window lattice of the quiet room and fell upon the prayer mat, the faint sensation in Li Muchen's heart reached its peak.

He slowly opened his eyes, a golden light contained within them, his divine brilliance restrained. Without any extra movement, just like more than a thousand previous mornings, he silently recited in his heart:

"Sign in."

[Ding! Detected that the host has completed the daily sign-in at Qingfeng Temple.]

[Given that the host's cultivation has broken through to the Golden Core Realm and achieved the 'Shedding Mortality and Condensing Core' milestone, a special reward mechanism has been triggered.]

[Generating sign-in rewards...]

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: "Supreme Clarity Purple Mansion Returning to Origin True Scripture" Complete Manual!]

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: One Immortal Sword 'azure heavens' (Damaged)!]

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: High-Grade Spirit Stone x10!]

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Pill Formula "Nine Transformations Jade Liquid Returning Pill Record"!]

[All rewards have been issued to the System space; please check them, host.]

A series of clear and cold prompts sounded in Li Muchen's Sea of Consciousness. Although there was no emotional fluctuation, the information contained within caused ripples even in his calm heart.

Truly generous!

Especially the first two rewards, which directly addressed the core needs of his current cultivation!

With a thought, his consciousness sank into that mysterious System space.

The first thing to enter his "sight" was an ancient scroll that was neither silk nor paper, neither metal nor jade, appearing entirely in a warm purple-gold color with the natural flow of clouds and mist on its surface. The scroll floated quietly, emitting a lofty, profound, and magnificent aura that pointed directly to the Great Dao; it was the "Supreme Clarity Purple Mansion Returning to Origin True Scripture" Complete Manual!

Li Muchen suppressed the urge to read it immediately and turned his gaze to the side.

There, a long sword in its scabbard lay quietly.

The sword was three feet three inches long, with a dark green scabbard made of a material that was neither wood nor leather, appearing like jade or stone. Its surface was naturally covered with fine cloud patterns like scales, simple and ancient without any decoration. Even lying there so quietly, an indescribable sense of sharpness, coldness, and aloofness faintly leaked out, as if it were not a mortal iron of the human world but a ray of azure cold light fallen from beyond the Nine Heavens.

The hilt was also dark green, wrapped with unknown silver-gray threads, surely feeling warm yet cold to the touch. The crossguard was simple in design, like two spreading cloud wings. The overall feeling the sword gave was captured in four words: "Pure, Cold, Sharp, and Elegant."

Immortal Sword "azure heavens"! Even with the eye-catching suffix "(Damaged)," it could not hide its extraordinary and refined essence.

Li Muchen's gaze lingered on the "azure heavens" sword for a long time. The sword is the lord of a hundred weapons and a commonly used protective tool in Daoism. Although he was not a Sword Cultivator in his past life, he had dabbled in some swordsmanship. Now that his Golden Core was newly formed, he happened to lack a handy Magical Artifact. Although the thunder-struck wood was good, it ultimately emphasized evil-breaking and lightning arts and was a blunt weapon. This "azure heavens" Immortal Sword came at just the right time. He just didn't know what the word "Damaged" meant. Was the sword body damaged? Or had its spirituality not recovered? He would need to take it out and examine it closely to find out.

He suppressed the urge to take the sword and looked at the other two rewards.

Ten High-Grade Spirit Stones, the size of pigeon eggs, were crystal clear throughout, with pure Spiritual Qi inside so dense it almost turned into liquid. Compared to Medium Grade or Low-Grade Spirit Stones, they were more than ten times higher in both Spiritual Qi storage and purity! In this current Dharma-Ending Age where Spiritual Qi is thin, they are considered peerless treasures. Whether used for cultivation, setting up Formations, or driving certain high-level Magical Artifacts, they are irreplaceable resources.

Finally, there was a Jade Slip, which recorded the Pill Formula "Nine Transformations Jade Liquid Returning Pill Record." Judging by the name, this was a profound auxiliary Medicinal Pill for the Golden Core Stage, and its effects would surely far exceed the "Crimson Jade Profound Heart Pill." In the future, if he had the right Materials and a Pill Furnace, he could try to refine it.

"The System has truly solved my urgent needs this time," Li Muchen thought with emotion. The Golden Core volume of the Cultivation Technique is the fundamental guide for subsequent cultivation, the Immortal Sword is a Sharp Weapon for protection, the High-Grade Spirit Stones are precious resources, and the high-level Pill Formula is a potential reserve. This single sign-in had almost preliminarily built the framework for his Golden Core Stage cultivation.

He no longer hesitated and, with a thought, first took out the purple-gold "Supreme Clarity Purple Mansion Returning to Origin True Scripture" from the System space.

The scroll was warm and slightly heavy in his hand, with purple-gold light flowing. He carefully untied the ribbon and slowly unfurled the scroll.

In an instant, it was as if ten thousand starlight points erupted from the scroll! Countless profound and ancient golden Talismans and meridian diagrams containing the true meaning of the Great Dao flooded into his Sea of Consciousness like living things! The information was so vast and profound that it far exceeded the previous Foundation Establishment volume!

Li Muchen quickly closed his eyes and concentrated, putting all his effort into accepting and understanding this massive amount of Legacy information.

This time, it wasn't just specific Qi Circulation methods and Divine Abilities; it also involved the fundamental cultivation philosophy of the Golden Core Stage, Great Dao realizations, and even the preliminary opening and cultivation methods for the "Purple Mansion"!

It turned out that the true core of the "Supreme Clarity Purple Mansion Returning to Origin True Scripture" only began to truly manifest from the Golden Core Stage! The meaning of "Returning to Origin" in the Golden Core Stage was to completely melt the condensed Golden Core with one's own three treasures of essence, Qi, and spirit, while simultaneously preliminarily opening the "Purple Mansion." Using the Golden Core as the base and the Divine Soul as the guide, one would condense the embryonic form of the "Primordial Spirit" in the Purple Mansion! This would lay a solid foundation for the subsequent "Refining Spirit to Return to Emptiness"!

The Cultivation Technique detailed the cultivation process of the nine transformations of the Golden Core, the key points of each transformation, the required accumulation, and the possible Bottlenecks and countermeasures. It included several powerful Divine Abilities that could be practiced during the Golden Core Stage, such as "Purple Mansion Divine Light," "Returning to Origin Sword Qi," and "Five Elements Evasion Technique." Furthermore, there were methods on how to use the power of the Golden Core to further temper, nourish, and refine Magical Artifacts.

Most importantly, the technique pointed out the subsequent path—after the nine transformations of the Golden Core reached Perfection, one would need to undergo the "Great Wind and Fire Tribulation" to temper the Golden Core and Divine Soul. Finally, the Golden Core would break its shell, and the Primordial Spirit would be newly formed, allowing one to step into the "Nascent Soul" Realm! That would be the true Major Achievement of "Refining Qi into Spirit," possessing various incredible Great Divine Abilities!

Li Muchen was immersed in the profundity of the technique, thirstily absorbing this vital knowledge. With this Complete Manual of the Golden Core volume, his subsequent cultivation path suddenly became clear and bright; he no longer needed to grope his way forward, avoiding countless possible detours and dangers.

He didn't know how much time had passed before he slowly withdrew from the deep realization, letting out a long breath, his eyes shining with divine light, filled with confidence for the road ahead.

He carefully stored the Golden Core volume in the deepest part of his Cosmos Bag. This was the foundation and needed to be contemplated constantly.

Next, his gaze turned once again to the dark green Immortal Sword "azure heavens" in the System space.

This time, he did not hesitate and took it out with a thought.

"Qiang—!"

A sword cry as clear as a Dragon's roar and yet like a Phoenix's song abruptly sounded in the quiet room! The sound was not high-pitched or piercing, but it carried a penetrating power and a sense of aloofness that went straight through the Divine Soul!

The Immortal Sword "azure heavens" landed in Li Muchen's palm, still in its scabbard.

The scabbard was indeed warm yet bone-chillingly cold to the touch, and the cloud patterns seemed to have life, flowing slightly with his contact. Although the sword was in its scabbard, that cold and aloof sharp Sword Intent already faintly emanated through the scabbard, and the temperature in the quiet room seemed to drop by several degrees.

Li Muchen gripped the hilt, which was also warm and cool, and the silver-gray silk threads seemed to merge with his palm, fitting perfectly. He applied a little force.

"Ceng—"

An even clearer sound of the sword leaving its scabbard rang out!

A stunning azure-green sword light, as if it had condensed the pure Qi of the Nine Heavens and the cold light of the moon, lit up in the quiet room as the sword was slowly drawn! The light was not dazzling, yet it was pure, cold, and sharp to the extreme, as if it could cut through light and cleanse dust.

The sword finally left its scabbard completely.

It was about three feet long and two fingers wide, with sword lines that were extremely smooth and elegant. It was not straight like a ruler but had an extremely subtle curve that conformed to the rhythm of heaven and earth. The whole body presented an introverted color like the purest azure stone in the deep night sky, yet in the flow of light, silver-white cold flashes appeared faintly. The spine was straight, and the blades on both sides were as thin as a cicada's wing, sending a chill to anyone who looked at it.

Near the base of the sword blade by the crossguard, two ancient seal characters that seemed naturally formed were clearly visible—azure heavens.

It was a good sword, a peerless sword! Its material, forging craftsmanship, and the spiritual rhythm and sharpness it contained far exceeded any weapon Li Muchen had ever seen. He even felt that it was not inferior to some famous Flying Swords in his past life's memories.

But... Li Muchen focused his gaze and sensed carefully with his Golden Core Divine Sense.

Soon, he discovered where the problem lay.

This "azure heavens" Immortal Sword had a perfectly intact body and sharpness, but its core "Sword Spirit," or rather, its most fundamental "spiritual Origin" as an "Immortal Sword," was in an extremely weak, almost dormant state. It was like a lamp; the body was intact and the oil was present, but the most important "wick" (spiritual Origin) was almost extinguished, with only a faint spark remaining.

This was the meaning of the System's label "(Damaged)." It wasn't that the sword body was broken, but that its spirituality was greatly damaged, with less than ten percent of its power remaining. At this moment, "azure heavens" was more like a Sharp Weapon of "mortal iron" with excellent material and extreme sharpness, rather than a true "Immortal Sword" with various divine properties that could communicate with its master's mind and exert world-destroying power.

"It seems that to restore the true glory of the 'azure heavens' Immortal Sword, I still need to find a way to nourish and repair the Sword Spirit, or slowly nourish it with my own Golden Core essence and Divine Soul over the years to revive its spirituality." Li Muchen understood. This might be a long process, but once successful, the reward would be staggering.

Even so, with "azure heavens" in its current state, its sharpness and sturdiness were by no means comparable to the Magical Artifacts of ordinary Golden Core Cultivators. As a handy weapon, it was already more than sufficient.

Li Muchen caressed the cold sword body, unable to put it down, feeling the weak yet still pure and lofty Sword Intent within. He tried to slowly inject a trace of Golden Core essence into the sword.

"Weng..."

The sword body vibrated slightly, emitting a pleasant low hum. The azure-green sword light seemed to brighten slightly, and inside the sword body, some extremely complex and profound Formation patterns that had already dimmed also flickered faintly.

There was a reaction! Although weak, it proved that this sword had not completely "died," and its spirituality still possessed a glimmer of life!

Li Muchen's heart settled. He withdrew his Golden Core essence and flicked his wrist, performing a sword flower. The sword light was like mercury spilling on the ground, drawing several cold trajectories in the quiet room without any obstruction, as if it were an extension of his arm.

"Good sword!" he praised sincerely and then returned the sword to its scabbard.

The clear sword cry sounded again and then faded. "azure heavens" lay quietly in his hand, as if its previous sharpness had been just a fleeting glimpse.

He also solemnly put it away. He knew that from this day on, this "azure heavens" would accompany him through a long period of his cultivation journey.

Finally, he took out the ten High-Grade Spirit Stones and the "Nine Transformations Jade Liquid Returning Pill Record" Jade Slip to examine them before putting them away properly.

Having done all this, he sat cross-legged again, but his state of mind was completely different from three days ago.

The road ahead was clear, a Sharp Weapon was in hand, and resources were initially prepared.

The Golden Core Realm is the true starting point of the path of Dao.

And his Dao, on this peak of Yuntai Mountain and within this Qingfeng Temple, was slowly unfolding toward an even more vast and mysterious future with every sunrise and sunset, every breath and inhalation.

Outside the window, the daylight was bright, and a new day had already begun.

Li Muchen pushed open the door and walked toward the courtyard with a calm pace.

There, the ancient cypress trees were green, and the morning dew had not yet dried.

Everything seemed to be the same.

But everything was already different.