As the Sword Core emerged, sword cries within a ten-li radius rang out. A flicker of excitement stirred in Wang Sheng's heart. He walked forward, each step stirring two spiraling gusts under his feet. He lightly flicked Flying Haze and did the opening move of the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art, sending seven sword phantasms that looked like brilliant stars soaring into the bright sky. They gradually vanished hundreds of meters above. Wang Sheng smiled calmly. His strength had more than just doubled. The Golden Core Realm is truly extraordinary. His heart brimmed with a sense of fulfillment and joy. He felt as though he now stood upon an entirely new threshold—as though he had suddenly understood countless truths and ascended to a higher plane. This, too, was part of cultivation's allure. Wang Sheng wanted to keep brandishing his sword. He felt there was still much to comprehend: his new Sword Dao realm, the new limits of his sword techniques, and the remarkable changes in his Pure Yang Immortal Mantra and the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Intent. Right now, the best choice would have been to sit down immediately for seclusion and allow his entire being to digest everything he had just gained. However, Wang Sheng held himself back. Even if he would later need to spend several times longer to reclaim these insights, he still restrained himself. Sure, I've reached the Golden Core Realm, but now what? Will the elders finally let me enter the Nether Gate and join my master and senior sister? Aside from the moments when he became wholly immersed in cultivation, the worry in his heart never faded. Still, he had now broken through to the Golden Core Realm, and he even seemed to have formed something quite extraordinary. A Golden Core can really take the form of a sword?! Giving it a quick try, he discovered that his Golden Core had two forms. One was the standard circular shape. It contained multiple profound principles, a common trait of Daoist Golden Cores. The other emerged when he used his sword intent. In that form, His Golden Core would embed itself within the sword intent. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the Golden Core had donned a shell of "sword armor." If he did not help his senior sister and master now, then when? Wang Sheng quickly skimmed through the insights in his mind. He then made a rough mental note, choosing not to dwell on them deeply. He then inspected his body. His spiritual platform had become more solid and profound, and his meridians had fully merged with his Dao body. Though some of his true essence had yet to transform into enchanted power, the conversion process did not necessarily require seclusion. His qi sea now finally lived up to its name. It was vast and brimming with power, like a true ocean. Moreover, he had thirty times or more sheer energy than before. His overall strength had not increased quite so dramatically, though. He had not yet used his Sword-Controlling Arts either, but he estimated it to be at least twice as strong as before. Even though he had caught up with many Daoist elders in cultivation realm, and his strength now likely ranked among the top in the cultivation world, it didn't really make him feel anything. They were all righteous cultivators; they would not draw their swords against each other. When the rankings were first published, Wang Sheng had felt a bit excited, but now, even the Earthly Rankings' number one looked more like a burden than an honor. More than anything else, he was most delighted that he could now live for at least eight hundred years, which he could spend with his senior sister. It would allow for so many little—ahem, so many beautiful memories! Wang Sheng glanced at the qi barrier surrounding him. He then immediately cast a grateful look at the woman hovering behind him. "Thanks, Big Sister!" Xi Lian drifted down from the air. "You're not going into seclusion?" The breathtakingly beautiful half-immortal fox lady had already garnered the attention of the Daoist elders, Daoist masters, and Special Warfare Unit instructors around them. It helped ease the intensity of their reaction to Wang Sheng's sudden rise to the Golden Core Realm. Wang Sheng replied, "I'm not. I'm going to contact the mistress right now and ask if I can catch up to Master and Senior Sister. What time is it? Has there been any news about them yet?" "It's a little after nine in the morning, and they're almost at Fengdu now. They ran into some remaining malevolent ghosts on the way, but they didn't have that much trouble dealing with them," Xi Lian said while glancing at her phone. Wang Sheng nodded. "That's good. Let me just make a ca—huh?" He reached into his Daoist robe and was met with a cool, drafty sensation from several areas of his body. Looking down, he saw that the robe he had hastily changed into earlier was now in tatters. There were more than a dozen slashes across the front, as if someone had hacked him with a blade. He checked the inner pocket of his undergarment, where he usually kept his phone. He felt a tear on it before he pulled out a broken phone that had been cleanly sliced in half. It was the outdated model phone that his senior sister had gifted him! "You blasted it yourself with all that sword energy after your breakthrough. Everything on it is probably lost," Xi Lian said with a gleeful grin, her hands clasped behind her back. Then she glanced down at Wang Sheng's particular body part. "Tsk, not bad at all." Wang Sheng was utterly speechless. He tried to pull out his Flowing Celestial Robe to change into it, but his hand came up empty. My Crane-Spirit Treasure Pouch is with my senior sister! Seeing that the Daoist elders and Daoist masters nearby had already begun approaching, Wang Sheng felt a little embarrassed. Fortunately, Big Sister Xi Lian had a strong sense of loyalty. With a grand gesture, she patted her chest and pulled out a brand-new pleated skirt from her storage artifact. Her enchanting eyes sparkled as she handed it to him. Wang Sheng smirked embarrassingly and inverted his tattered robe to wear it inside-out. Though it was worn out, when paired with his undergarments, it at least covered him adequately. Being the same generation as Wang Sheng, Huai Jing was the first to offer congratulations. "Amitabha. Congratulations on breaking through to the Golden Core Realm, Fei Yu!" The Daoist elders walking over maintained their high-and-mighty composure, but they soon began to compliment him as well. "You're quite the promising young talent, Fei Yu. After your senior sister, you are the second member of the younger generation to reach the Golden Core Realm. Qing Yanzi's fortune is truly enviable." "Your boldness is quite unique. To think you would enter the Dao through the sword and even follow the Dao of the Extreme Sword. We old bones are used to playing it safe; we've never been as brave as you are. It's worthy of admiration!" "Bu Yu governs Yin and Yang, while you tread the Dao of the Extreme Sword. The two of you really fulfill that old saying, 'The ocean tide rises wave after wave, and the master gets slapped onto the shore.' Hahaha!" As the Daoist elders gathered, Xi Lian quietly stepped away, clearly not wanting to deal with them. Those offering congratulations now were all prominent Daoist sect experts from the Heavenly Rankings. At some point, the Celestial Master quietly disappeared. Wang Sheng stuck to the proper etiquette of a junior, which could never go wrong, as he greeted each person respectfully. Ten minutes later, he excused himself to find a place to change, finally escaping the circle of Daoist elders and Daoist masters. A familiar-looking Special Warfare Unit instructor nearby waved him over and invited him to a tent to change. Wang Sheng gratefully accepted. Turning to look for Xi Lian, he saw her standing on a large rock several hundred meters away, staring at the Nether Gate. He decided to talk to her once he was more presentable. She had been watching that direction all along. Perhaps she, too, wished to enter. Thinking it over, Wang Sheng concluded that it made sense for Xi Lian to be a little disappointed at being denied access. Though tied to an inner obsession, she had her own reasons; she wanted to visit the Palace of Rebirth and look for any record of Qinglin's reincarnation. If such a record existed, it would be incredible news for her, even if the odds were slim. If it didn't, then nothing would change. Qinglin's fate would remain unknown. In any case, the result would be no worse than the present. If Wang Sheng remembered correctly, the instructor who had helped him wielded a long spear. Xi Lian had beaten him with ease while she was under the influence of her devilized state. The instructor smiled. "Congratulations, Daoist Master Fei Yu, on reaching the Golden Core Realm. That was an alarmingly fast breakthrough." Wang Sheng smiled faintly. "It was pure luck," The fact that he had actually passed through the Golden Core Realm chasm made him feel… a bit wobbly on his feet. He had struck and shattered his Illusory Core with a sword out of sheer instinct. Looking back, the fear was almost unbearable. In his past life, he had lived in obscurity and died as cannon fodder. In this life, he had seized every opportunity and trained in the sword, becoming a model figure for his generation and a point of pride for his master and senior sister. He had almost destroyed all of that in one careless moment. Maybe this second chance at life truly was a turning point in his fate. "Patrolling soldiers rest in this area, but no one's here at the moment. Go ahead and change, Daoist Master Fei Yu." Wang Sheng smiled awkwardly. "Instructor Pang, do you happen to have a spare Daoist robe I could borrow?" Instructor Pang pulled out a robe from his storage artifact. "Make do with this. I wore it when I visited my sect. We're about the same size anyway." In less than a minute, Wang Sheng walked out in a pale-blue robe. He had already suppressed his Golden Core aura, though his newly stabilized realm still leaked out a bit from time to time. Instructor Pang smiled. "You're choosing not to enter seclusion because you're worried about your master and senior sister, right? Come, I'll take you to the command center. Whether you can convince them will depend on your eloquence." Wang Sheng paused for a second. He then chuckled and nodded, not the least bit embarrassed. He was no longer some inexperienced youth. A light tease would not be enough to fluster him anymore. That would be too immature. Wang Sheng transmitted a message to Xi Lian. She slowly and gracefully made her way to him, drawing many gazes as she walked. Before long, Wang Sheng found himself standing right in front of a screen connected to the command units of the Special Warfare Unit, Cultivation Research Institute, and Special Investigation Unit. He clearly stated his request to enter the Nether Gate and support the twelve people already inside. Since his breakthrough had drawn considerable attention, all the higher-ups already knew. Even so, his request was only partially approved. He was allowed to go in, but on the condition that the half-immortal Xi Lian would not be exposed to yin qi or baleful aura. Xi Lian's expression darkened. "What do you take me for? Your obedient little pet?"