BOOOM!
The moment Qin Chen stabilized his Full Core, his body trembled.
A normal cultivator would take years to refine their Full Core before attempting to reach Golden Core.
But Qin Chen?
His golden-purple flames raged, coiling around his body like divine serpents, devouring the heavens.
Inside his dantian—
The Full Core he had just forged was already pulsating violently, demanding evolution.
He clenched his fists.
"Golden Core… I'll reach the peak in one go."
His golden eyes flickered, filled with mad determination.
Most cultivators slowly nourish their Core, feeding it Qi drop by drop, tempering it over decades to refine it into Golden Core stage.
Qin Chen had no time for that.
He had to shatter through it instantly.
And so—
He burned everything.
Core Refinement – From Mortal to Divine
Inside his dantian—
The Full Core was surrounded by heavenly flames, tempered by unstoppable sword intent.
It had already become as refined as possible for a normal Core Formation cultivator.
But normal had never been his path.
Qin Chen ignited the Sovereign Flames, compressing every last ounce of power he had.
Most cultivators needed heavenly treasures to refine their core further.
Qin Chen was his own heavenly treasure.
BOOOOOOM!
His entire body exploded with golden radiance.
The Full Core cracked—not in weakness, but in transformation.
The cracks spread rapidly, until—
CRACK!
A thin layer of his core peeled away—like a mortal shell breaking apart.
What emerged beneath…
Was something divine.
A Core that no longer simply radiated energy, but commanded it.
Ding!
[Congratulations! You have reached the Golden Core Stage!]
BOOOOOOOM!
A shockwave erupted from his body, shaking the entire cultivation chamber, sending out a burst of golden fire so strong that it split the clouds outside his residence.
But he wasn't done yet.
Reaching Golden Core was already a monstrous feat in such a short time.
But Qin Chen's golden-purple flames still burned.
He hadn't spent all of his energy yet.
His breakthrough wasn't over.
He wanted it all.
And so—
He continued.
BOOM!
He unleashed the remaining power from his Scarlet Core Pills, the Heavenly Fire Essence Pill, the Draconic Blood Vine essence—all of it.
Most Core Formation cultivators had one, maybe two of these resources.
Qin Chen had them all.
And his flames devoured them without hesitation.
His Golden Core, still forming, immediately absorbed the insane torrent of power, thickening, hardening, becoming stronger than before.
Most cultivators would have to pause here.
Their bodies wouldn't be able to handle the transformation.
But Qin Chen?
His Fire Sovereign Dao Body wasn't done yet.
His Zenith Sword Soul wasn't done yet.
The energy was still flooding in.
His Golden Core, instead of slowing, was rapidly spinning, absorbing every last drop of power like a black hole.
Faster.
Stronger.
Until—
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Ding!
[Congratulations! You have reached the Peak of the Core Formation Stage!]
CRACK!
Inside his dantian—
The Golden Core had reached the peak.
It was no longer just a core of Qi.
It was a condensed celestial sphere, radiating both sovereign flames and unstoppable sword intent.
If a normal Golden Core was like a candle, his was a divine sun.
A Golden Core that should not exist.
And yet—
Here it was.
Burning within him.
Outside his residence—
The entire Azure Sky Sect was silent.
Everyone had felt the heaven-shaking breakthrough.
Even the strongest Core Disciples, those at Core Formation themselves, had gone pale.
"What… kind of monster is breaking through like that?"
"I thought it was an elder… but it's coming from Qin Chen's residence!"
The Core Elders had already gathered, faces filled with shock.
"This is absurd… This isn't just a breakthrough—this is ascension!"
Even the Sect Master, watching from the grand peak, narrowed his eyes.
"This boy…"
The golden radiance still flickered across the sky, a reminder of the sheer madness that had just taken place.
One of the elder's entire body was trembling as he muttered with almost a hint of insanity in his voice, "foundation establishment…to the peak of Core Formation in one go…monster."
As the final golden flames dimmed—
The doors to Qin Chen's residence slowly opened.
A figure stepped out.
Not the Qin Chen from before.
No.
This was a reborn existence.
His golden-purple robes shimmered, his eyes burning with unstoppable dominance.
His presence alone made even Core Formation disciples lower their heads instinctively.
The disciples who had gathered stared in absolute disbelief.
The monstrous fluctuations…
The earth-shattering energy…
All of it… came from this one person?
One Core Disciple whispered, voice trembling.
"How… How many levels did he just break through?"
Another muttered, "This isn't a breakthrough… this is a catastrophe."
And then—
Qin Chen's golden gaze casually scanned the crowd.
His expression was relaxed, but his presence made them feel as if a divine being had just descended.
And then—
His gaze locked onto a single person.
Liu Feng.
The 9th Ranked Core Disciple.
The one who had challenged him to a spar a few days ago.
Liu Feng, who had been watching this entire time, suddenly felt his back go cold.
Qin Chen's lips curled into a smirk.
"Still up for that spar?"
Silence.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
They all knew one thing.
This wasn't just a fight anymore.
This was the moment a new king had arrived.