Wuji began his assault on the Golden Core.

Shi Zhentian, with an injured back, never imagined that after finally returning to Fire Dragon County, he would be robbed by a gang of local thugs, losing all his gold, silver, treasures, and clothing—even his underwear was taken. In the end, he used tree bark to cover himself, hiding in a corner and weeping.

“Who did I offend? Why am I so unlucky? Is Xie Wuji cursed or what? My brother ran into him and ended up covered in filth, and I’ve been left with not even a stitch to wear thanks to him. Is there any justice left in this world… Boo hoo…”

Shi Zhentian cried like a little girl, utterly aggrieved.

Just then, Xie Wuji and his companions entered through the city gate. A large crowd was carrying the corpse of the fire python, drawing the attention of everyone in town. As they passed a side alley, Shi Zhentian, biting his lip and weeping, fixed his gaze on Xie Wuji. His sense of frustration had never been greater.

“Why does that person look familiar?” Fat Dragon asked.

“Just a beggar. I’ll give him a few coins,” Skinny Tiger said, tossing two copper coins to Shi Zhentian, whose face turned crimson with rage.

“Don’t get excited, don’t thank me. These coins are enough to buy you two big steamed buns. Go on, don’t thank me,” Skinny Tiger said.

Shi Zhentian was so angry he couldn’t catch his breath and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Skinny Tiger remarked, “Moved to the point of coughing up blood—hehe, I really am a good person…”

Chatting and laughing, the group arrived at the county office. The townspeople cheered as well; after all, this fire python had devoured countless lives over the years, leaving families shattered and ruined.

So when the fire python was brought to the county, it caused a huge stir. Old and young, men and women alike came out to witness the spectacle.

County Magistrate Master Lu immediately ordered the python to be butchered, its flesh divided and distributed for everyone to eat.

At that moment, the elders of Fire Dragon Sect were in tears. “That’s fire python meat, saturated with millennia-old spiritual energy, and now it’s being wasted! If it were used for alchemy, extracting its essence would greatly enhance one’s cultivation!”

“Did you kill the fire python?” Fire Chilian asked.

“No.”

“Then that settles it. Young Master Xie said to do as we please, and since the python carried so many human lives on its conscience, everyone loathes it. Even if Fire Dragon Sect claimed it, it would be a hot potato. This distribution is for the best,” Fire Chilian replied.

The elder sighed, “Indeed, both my disciples were swallowed by it. I’ll go claim a piece of meat myself!”

Thus, the python’s meat was all given out, its bones gifted to Fire Dragon Sect. Once Xie Wuji and his companions were fed and satisfied, they bade farewell to the town’s elders and folks.

When they returned to Danxia Sect, news swept the entire sect: Xie Wuji and his group, none of whom had reached the Golden Core stage, had managed to defeat the millennia-old fire python. No one could believe it.

“What?” Ding Desheng stood up in shock, glaring at the limping Shi Zhentian, his beard trembling with rage. “Are you saying not a single one of them was injured, and they managed to take down the millennia-old fire python?”

“Exactly. It wasn’t just them, the Fire Dragon Sect people helped, too. Xie Wuji dealt the final blow—the python is truly dead,” Shi Zhentian replied, shabby and miserable.

Ding Desheng gritted his teeth, “I underestimated that boy. How infuriating! Not only did the python fail to kill them, it gave them a chance to shine and earn merit! Did the python’s demon spirit appear?”

“The demon spirit was damaged,” Shi Zhentian said.

Ding Desheng sighed deeply, “That’s for the best. If Xie Wuji and his group had obtained the demon spirit, it would have been disastrous. Still, who could have guessed that Fire Dragon Sect would have so many talents? I never expected it.”

Meanwhile, Xie Wuji sensed he was ready to condense his Golden Core. He had gathered enough materials.

He had also brought back the bronze sword that had been thrust into the python’s head. He wasn’t sure of its powers yet, but kept it close, knowing there would be plenty of opportunities to inquire about it later.

Xie Wuji prepared everything and quietly entered the forest behind the small wooden hut. The forest wasn’t large, but was rich in spiritual energy, with a section of bamboo groves.

These weren’t ordinary bamboo—they were spirit bamboo, naturally able to gather and store spiritual energy in their hollow sections.

Spirit wine was brewed from these bamboo, by drilling a hole in the bamboo node and pouring liquor inside. After forty-nine days, the liquor becomes spirit wine. After eighty-one days, the quality improves even more.

Xie Wuji sat cross-legged in a clearing among the bamboo. Suddenly, a rustle erupted nearby.

He looked up to find the fire-tailed chickens had flown over.

“Don’t make trouble. I'm about to break through to the Golden Core. Don’t disturb me!” Xie Wuji warned.

“Cluck cluck cluck…” The fire-tailed chicken king, understanding, called out repeatedly.

An idea came to Xie Wuji. “Then guard me while I cultivate. If I succeed in forming my Golden Core, I’ll feed you the finest feed—yes, mealworms, I’ll give you mealworms!”

“Cluck cluck cluck!” Having tasted the benefits Xie Wuji provided, the fire-tailed chickens obediently agreed.

To the fire-tailed chickens, Xie Wuji was like a kindred spirit, their aura similar to his own. Xie Wuji began meditating, attuning himself to the Dao.

Gradually, the surrounding spiritual energy thickened. Xie Wuji quickly took out the Golden Essence Pill. He knew its rarity, but this was his critical moment—whether he could enter the inner sect, whether he could revive the Undying Longevity Sect, everything depended on this.

He steeled himself and swallowed the Golden Essence Pill.

The instant he swallowed it, Xie Wuji felt as if his chest had been struck hard, almost splitting open.

“Thump! Thump thump!”

His heart beat faster and faster. At the same time, a surge of spiritual energy flooded from his stomach outward. Xie Wuji shut his eyes, regulating his breath, striving to control the spiritual energy and compress it into his dantian.

Gradually, the energy stabilized. To his surprise, the ancient mirror he carried seemed to help, suppressing the wild surge and compressing it into his abdomen.

Xie Wuji took a deep breath, focusing intently, compressing the spiritual energy further and injecting his own essence.

Soon, the energy within his sea of qi became less turbulent.

Just as success seemed imminent, another change occurred. The undying bird within his sea of qi suddenly soared, screeching, apparently repelling the essence of the Golden Essence Pill.

Blood surged to Xie Wuji’s head; unguarded, he spat out a mouthful of reverse blood and his body weakened.

Forming a Golden Core carries a risk of sudden death. Xie Wuji now gambled his life.

Many cultivators, fearing death, linger below the Golden Core stage. But Xie Wuji knew he had no choice but to steady his breath and press on.

The fire-tailed chickens sensed the chaotic energy in Xie Wuji and approached with their innate spirituality.

Each chicken emitted a faint red glow, as if linked by blood to Xie Wuji, their spiritual energy converging on him. Surrounded by the flock, he was guarded by fire-tailed chickens.

Their spiritual energy began to merge into Xie Wuji’s body, easing his burden.

Sure enough, the undying bird in his sea of qi calmed, its eyes now filled with a benevolent, paternal warmth.

A breeze saturated with spiritual energy swept from the bamboo grove across Danxia Sect. Every disciple and elder sensed that near the small hut, a great concentration of spiritual energy was gathering.

“What’s happening? Is some ancient spiritual treasure about to emerge?”

“The spiritual energy is growing denser and denser!”

“It feels wonderful. Let’s go absorb it! Someone in Danxia Sect must be refining treasures or pills. Even the leaking energy can help us improve our cultivation.”

Everyone in Danxia Sect was drawn by the subtle, pervasive spiritual energy.