With that matter having been handled, Bai Xiaochun returned his focus to cultivation. Whether it was the Frigid School Will-Evolving Incantation or the Undying Muscles, he made progress with all of them. He was in the Middle Reaches now, in one of the four great sects. The spiritual power of heaven and earth was strong here, much stronger than in the Lower Reaches. Therefore, his speed of progress improved.
Of course, he wasn’t the only one to benefit. Zhou Xinqi and the other Chosen like her were all in secluded meditation, gradually making their way toward the great circle of Foundation Establishment.
After that came Core Formation, although none of them would dare to do what Bai Xiaochun had done, and reach for Core Formation in the heat of the moment. Most of them would take at least half a sixty-year-cycle to prepare before attempting the critical breakthrough.
As was to be expected, many of them were competing to see who could reach Core Formation first. Furthermore, not all of them got along, and thus were waiting until Core Formation to try to settle their differences.
Only people like Song Junwan, who had long since reached the great circle, could attempt to step into Core Formation with only a few years of preparation.
As for people like Big Fatty Zhang, Xu Baocai, Hou Xiaomei, Third Fatty Hei, and others, the improved spiritual energy in the Middle Reaches also helped them in their cultivation. That was especially true of Big Fatty Zhang, who made the most startling progress of all. He was already in mid Foundation Establishment.
Everyone in the River-Defying Sect was making progress. In fact, the first wave of Qi Condensation cultivators had already been sent to locations set aside by the River-Defying Sect for the Earthstring Foundation Establishment trials by fire.
Middle Reaches sects had trials by fire that were beyond compare with those in the Lower Reaches.
As the sect seethed with activity, Bruiser finally returned. He appeared out of the blue, and as soon as he stopped in front of the immortal’s cave, Bai Xiaochun rushed out to meet him.
Bruiser was covered with wounds and scars, many of which seemed to run very deep.
However, he seemed to be in a very good mood, and his eyes were shining brightly. Unexpectedly, the aura of an imminent breakthrough was strong upon him!
Bruiser had gone missing almost as soon as the construction work on the new sect headquarters had begun. Bai Xiaochun had been able to sense that he was alive, and had assumed that he’d gone off to look for some female beasts to spend time with. It was only now that he realized his assumption had been incorrect.
As Bai Xiaochun’s eyes met Bruiser’s, he realized that the reason Bruiser had gone missing was that he’d left for deadly training.
Bruiser had come to view himself as a bit useless; on numerous occasions in which Bai Xiaochun had faced deadly crises, he had been completely unable to help!
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Chapter
355: Bruiser’s Tribulation!
Bai Xiaochun felt a lump forming in his throat.
“Don’t do this kind of thing again, okay!” he said loudly. “I’m your father! Are kids supposed to protect their dad? No! I’m supposed to protect you! Wait until I’m old and feeble, then you can protect me!
“Also, don’t just disappear next time. If you want to go do something, say something to me first!”
Eyes glittering, Bruiser nudged Bai Xiaochun with his head, then dropped down, rolled over onto his back, and stuck his tongue out. He looked very charming, causing the warm feelings inside of Bai Xiaochun to grow even stronger.
Reaching out, he sent some of his Heaven-Dao Gold Core aura into Bruiser, straightening out his qi passageways. Bruiser hummed contentedly, and even reached his head up and licked Bai Xiaochun’s face.
After healing Bruiser’s internal injuries, Bai Xiaochun looked at the wounds on his body, then produced a large quantity of medicinal pill for him to consume.
Each and every one of those pills could be sold for quite a few spirit stones, but when it came to Bruiser, Bai Xiaochun wasn’t stingy at all. The main thing he was worried about was making sure that Bruiser’s injuries didn’t worsen.
After consuming the medicinal pills, Bruiser bared his teeth in a fond smile. As of this moment, Bruiser and Bai Xiaochun looked very much like family.
Bai Xiaochun went on to scold Bruiser a bit more, and Bruiser wagged his tail and continued to rub up against Bai Xiaochun. Eventually, Bai Xiaochun didn’t have the heart to reprimand him anymore.
After they went back into the immortal’s cave, Bruiser’s wounds continued to fade away, and the breakthrough aura on him grew even stronger.
Bai Xiaochun could tell that Bruiser was definitely on the verge of breaking through to Core Formation. Core Formation was of great significance to battle beasts. Although battle beasts’ Tribulations weren’t like cultivators’, they were still dangerous. Furthermore, Bruiser was a beast king, so his Tribulation would be different from that of ordinary battle beasts.
Worried, Bai Xiaochun went to seek the counsel of Zheng Yuandong. After all, Bruiser was very important to the River-Defying Sect as a whole, and especially the Spirit Stream Division. Zheng Yuandong immediately issued a Dharmic decree, identifying the peak of Mount River Defiance as the location where Bruiser would attempt to step into Core Formation.
A large number of spell formations were set up, and work went underway to gather the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in that location. In addition, a large number of Core Formation cultivators were called upon to stand as Dharma protectors.
Even Patriarch Li Zimo, at Bai Xiaochun’s request, ended his session of secluded meditation to also stand as Dharma protector.
Bai Xiaochun paid visits to the other three divisions as well, and as a result, they all offered assistance. The Blood Stream Division provided several precious treasures designed for transcending tribulation, and the Pill Stream Division assigned over a thousand disciples to concoct pills.
As for the Profound Stream Division, they were the ones tasked with creating special spell formations on the mountain peak.
The power of all four divisions had been called on for this special occasion of Core Formation. It was enough to make any ordinary disciple envious. Of course, some of that had to do with Bruiser being a beast king, but more of it was because of Bai Xiaochun’s status.
Seven days later, when Bruiser was completely healed, and the aura of an imminent breakthrough was strong, rumbling sounds echoed out from the summit of Mount River Defiance.
Heaven and earth shook, and the clouds converged, along with intense, thunderous rumblings. Bruiser took his place on the altar at the mountain’s summit, throwing his head back and roaring into the heavens, a roar that seemed capable of piercing the clouds.
The cultivators of the River-Defying Sect were shaken, and quite a few people flew up to see what was happening.
“Bruiser’s reaching Core Formation!!”
“Beast king Core Formation is so impressive!”
“Beast kings are rare enough, and Bruiser is like a beast king among beast kings! Of course this is going to be extraordinary!”
As the discussions raged, the battle beasts in the Spirit Stream Division began to howl in support of Bruiser. The Heavenhorn ink dragon appeared, looking up into the sky, and then over at Bruiser, nervousness and anticipation gleaming in its eyes.
Bai Xiaochun stood next to Bruiser, eyes sparkling. Of course, he was standing as Bruiser’s primary Dharma protector.
Suddenly, the clouds converged together, and a black lightning bolt appeared, which immediately began to descend toward the altar on Mount River Defiance.
Roaring, Bruiser launched into the air, refusing to draw help from the spell formations or the surrounding Core Formation Dharma protectors.
As he closed in, he viciously head-butted the lightning bolt.
BOOM!
Heaven and earth trembled as the lightning bolt shattered into countless sparks which rained down in all directions. Bruiser howled in delight, turning to look proudly at Bai Xiaochun before looking back up into the sky.