Upon returning to his island, Lu Fan focused entirely on breaking through to the Golden Core realm. Previously, his mini-sun had prevented this step, exerting absolute dominance over his dantian. But now, with the three doors acting as a barrier, he could finally take the next step.
He cultivated diligently, refining his red liquid Qi until, one day, it began to gather into a pill. As the Qi condensed, it spiraled into a vortex, slowly forming a solid core. This was the most dangerous stage—if anything disturbed the process, the Qi could explode outward, crippling his cultivation or even leading to death.
Normally, a cultivator must temper the forming Golden Core with Dao insights, willpower, and essence refinement, stabilizing its structure. But Lu Fan's breakthrough was different. His three doors—the Thunder Gate, Sun Gate, and Blood Gate—encircled the forming core, leaving their marks upon it. These doors were the culmination of his entire cultivation journey, so once their marks were imprinted, his core was automatically perfected. He no longer needed additional refinement.
At that moment, thunder calamity gathered above him. As expected, the heavens would not allow such an extraordinary breakthrough to go untested. But just like before, Lu Fan stood unshaken, facing the tribulation head-on. His body, already accustomed to True Thunder, withstood the strikes effortlessly.
And just like that—Lu Fan successfully stepped into the Golden Core realm.
Lu Fan's breakthrough was vastly different from that of ordinary cultivators. The formation of the vortex during his core condensation sparked new insights into the Whirlpool Art, while the involvement of his three doors in stabilizing the core gave him further inspiration.
Driven by these revelations, he began experimenting once again, refining his understanding of core formation. Over time, he developed a unique method—a technique designed to assist cultivators in refining their Golden Core. He named this technique Pill Cauldron Art.
Just like refining medicinal pills, this method aimed to refine liquid Qi into a pill. The key to this technique was forging a cauldron within the body, using one's own Blood Qi as the foundation. This cauldron would then be engraved with all of the cultivator's skills and techniques, absorbing their Dao insights and essence.
The concept was simple: instead of forming a Golden Core directly, a cultivator would treat the cauldron as the pill itself, pouring everything into it. Then, at the moment of breakthrough, when the core began to form, the cauldron would act as a stabilizing vessel, preventing instability and ensuring a flawless formation.
Once the process was complete, the cauldron would melt into the newly formed core, fusing into one. This would create a Golden Core of unparalleled stability .
Lu Fan wasn't sure whether the Pill Cauldron Art was superior or inferior to traditional Golden Core formation methods. Unlike other techniques, it deviated from the conventional path, forging a unique approach to core refinement. However, without proper testing across multiple cultivators, it was impossible to determine its true effectiveness.
Instead of obsessing over the answer, he decided to engrave the Pill Cauldron Art onto the pillars. Future cultivators could study, practice, and compare it to existing methods. Over time, through trial and error, they would determine whether this technique was truly revolutionary or merely an alternative path.
With that settled, Lu Fan turned his focus to his next goal.
Lu Fan began refining a new set of pillars, this time specifically tailored for female martial artists. Unlike the previous ones, which focused on sun, thunder, and masculine energy, these pillars would contain techniques more suited to women.
He carefully engraved them with water-attribute martial arts, allowing practitioners to harness the fluid, adaptive strength of water. He also included the Holy Water Mantra, a cultivation method inspired by Lin Rou's Holy Whirlpool Art, ensuring a path for those with innate water affinity to advance.
Lastly, he inscribed the Lunar Pupils Technique, that complemented water cultivation. He modified it for better compatibility with martial arts and Qi cultivation.
With these additions, female martial artists would now have a solid foundation to embark on their own unique path, rather than being limited by the masculine-focused techniques of the past.
Lu Fan carefully placed the new 108 pillars across the region, ensuring their arrangement would enhance the natural flow of water Qi. Unlike the previous fire and thunder-based pillars, these were designed to nurture water-attribute cultivators.
He strategically positioned the pillars within rivers, lakes, and other water sources, aligning them in a formation that would naturally generate a water spiritual vein over time. The currents carried traces of spiritual energy, gradually strengthening the environment and making it an ideal place for water-attribute martial artists to cultivate.
This setup not only provided free access to cultivation techniques but also created training grounds where those attuned to water could improve their skills. With time, this would become the foundation of a new era for female cultivators and anyone drawn to the path of water cultivation.
Just like before, the appearance of the new pillars sparked a wave of excitement across the region. However, this time, it was female cultivators who were the most eager.
Many women who had previously struggled to find suitable cultivation techniques now had a clear path forward. With the Holy Water Mantra, Whirlpool Art, and Lunar Pupils Technique available, they finally had access to high-quality martial arts tailored for them.
As word spread, countless female cultivators began flocking to these water spiritual veins, eager to practice and improve. Some came alone, while others formed groups.
Just like his previous pillars had a tendency to attract lightning, these new water attribute pillars possessed the ability to absorb moonlight due to the Lunar Pupils Technique inscribed on them.
During the night, the pillars shimmered under the moonlight, absorbing and concentrating its essence. This created a serene yet mystical glow around the rivers and lakes where the pillars were placed. Female cultivators who practiced near them found that their cultivation speed increased significantly at night, especially when bathed in the gentle light of a full moon.
This unexpected effect made the pillars even more revered, and soon, the water cultivation sites became sacred training grounds for female martial artists.