Free Web NovelChapter 549: Chapter 42: Waiting with Bated Breath (Part 3)
And on this day, the frantic absorption at Cave Mansion No. 3 suddenly halted.
"It finally stopped!"
"Is it possible it hasn’t exploded yet?"
"What’s going on exactly?"
"It stopped abruptly, has the anomaly at the cave mansion ended? He actually endured it!"
...
By now, several hundred cultivators had gathered around the outskirts of the Dao Field, and outside the field, more than a thousand cultivators were eagerly waiting.
As soon as the sudden halt at Dao Field No. 3 occurred, the crowd burst into an intense discussion.
Witnessing such a rare marvel in a millennium, everyone present felt honored.
The people from the three commerce associations waiting outside the three Dao Fields showed different expressions.
Taian Commerce Association felt resentment, unwillingness, and despair as they signed the top-tier investment spirit contract with Tu Yifei, aiming for a Golden Core. Internally, they had already treated him as a Nascent Soul Seed.
The Upper True Pill was the baseline, while the odds for the Golden Core were fifty-fifty.
The basis was that the first Spirit Absorption should be able to absorb the spiritual qi of at least one Dao Field, but now, it was only at eighty percent, putting even the Upper True Pill in doubt.
For Tu Yifei, they presented him with the authentic Immortal Scripture and raised one of the top ten Core Formation Spirit Treasures, previously investing heavily in manpower, materials, and finances for his magical power refinement, and Dantian refinement.
Initially, in the first seven days, they almost saw hope for a Golden Core, but now, everything had turned to ashes.
They looked at Dao Field No. 3 with eyes that almost wished to devour the person inside alive!
Next in line were Master Yu Xiao and her entourage outside Dao Field No. 3.
Their initial purpose was very clear: to wait for the spiritual collapse inside, to collect the remains.
But day by day, they watched endless spiritual qi pour into the cave mansion in front, with no anticipated spiritual collapse occurring.
Until the whale-like absorption ceased, and the interior returned to calmness, they were all left speechless with wide eyes.
Master Yu Xiao was plunged into deep doubt, remaining speechless for a long time.
Relatively speaking, among the three commerce associations, the members of the Yaochi Commerce Association, where Bai Cailin was situated, were the most emotionally stable.
Bai Cailin absorbed forty percent in the first seven days and subsequently consolidated solidly for another twelve days, increasing by nearly ten percent, aligning with their initial expectations. The anomaly at Dao Field No. 3 did not significantly impact Bai Cailin.
However, they also struggled to comprehend the situation of Dao Field No. 3.
If there was an anomaly at Dao Field No. 3, and the spiritual spring inside experienced a reverse spiritual qi absorption, it wasn’t unacceptable. However, what was hard to accept was that Little Friend Huang absorbed the spiritual qi from one Dao Field plus seventy percent, and yet it did not crumble!
There were only two possibilities.
Firstly, Little Friend Huang not only had a unique Dantian but an unusual physical body as well.
A physical body, if there’s a peak Tier One Body Refining and a unique Dantian sharing the load, could be probable.
But for the Dantian, it relied entirely on the magical power nurtured and refined over years, intrinsically connected with magical power, and Little Friend Huang’s magical power was clearly lacking.
Secondly, Little Friend Huang was a Second Tier Body Refiner, solely using his physical body to withstand such immense spiritual pressure, but not the Dantian, hence preserving the Dantian from collapse.
Not only them, all the thousands of people paying attention to this event actually preferred to believe in the second theory, even firmly so.
However, under such circumstances, even though it was resisted temporarily, in the next stage, the Bursting Technique, when the mighty spiritual pressure compresses the Foundation Establishment Dharma Liquid in the Dantian, eventually, the Dantian needs to endure.
If he withstands partly with his physique, while gradually leading spiritual qi into the Dantian, it seems possible, but the risk is equally high, and will no doubt affect the Core Formation of the Xia Yun phenomenon.
Overall, at this point, everyone remained skeptical of the Core Formation person inside Dao Field No. 3.
Some even began to wager, with odds being one to one for Li Ji’an’s demise by body explosion in the second stage, ten to one for safe transition, and one hundred to one for successfully forming a True Pill with a Xia Yun length over eight miles.
"It started, Dao Field No. 1 has begun to condense the Core Formation Xia Yun!"
And just as the whale-like absorption of spiritual qi at Li Ji’an’s cave mansion abruptly ended, after days of silence, Dao Field No. 1 stirred again with spiritual qi activity. Although it could no longer absorb spiritual qi like a whale, it took advantage of the steadied spiritual qi, refraining from leakage, and began the most crucial stage of Core Formation, the Bursting Technique.
The Bursting Technique stage focuses on continuously absorbing the whale-like spiritual qi into the Dantian, where significant spiritual pressure builds up, directly affecting the liquid magical power of the Foundation Establishment Stage.
When the spiritual pressure is enough, it could compress the Dharma Liquid into solid-state Pill pellets. The more intense, the more solidified and tactile the Magic Pill.
Initial spiritual pressure is determined by the amount of spiritual qi absorbed in the first stage.
Taian Commerce Association initially estimated that if Tu Yifei could absorb the amount equivalent to one Dao Field, the initial Xia Yun length could exceed fifteen miles, with the aid of top ten ranked Core Formation Spirit Treasures, potentially achieving twenty-five miles.
If a twenty-five-mile Xia Yun forms the foundation, during the third stage, Purification Method Pill, with another Purification Spirit Treasure, the possibility of a Golden Core becomes significant.
At this moment, they no longer dared to dream of a Golden Core. However, they still hoped for a Xia Yun that could exceed twenty miles, ensuring the preservation of the Upper True Pill.
Thus, as soon as the spiritual pressure congealing into Xia Yun became visible above Dao Field No. 1, everyone from Taian Commerce Association concentrated keenly on it.
"Fairy Bai from Dao Field No. 2 is also beginning."
Before Tu Yifei could condense the Xia Yun officially, Dao Field No. 2 also began exhibiting spiritual qi fluctuations.
However, more people still focused their attention above Dao Field No. 3.
Besides its relation to wagers, they wished to witness this event destined to become a legend for millennia to come in the Core Formation miracle.
Until half a day later, when Xia Yun began forming over the first two Dao Fields, spiritual qi above Dao Field No. 3 also started stirring.
"It’s starting!"
"Is the finale finally here?"
"I’m even more nervous than during my own Core Formation."
Meanwhile, in the top floor of the Pill Cauldron Pavilion of the Nine Tripods Commerce Association.
The two highest-ranking Late-stage Core Formation Ascendants focused their undivided attention on Li Ji’an’s cave mansion, no longer concealing their absorption.
