Chapter 30: Elevating the Golden Core?

"The path is already set?" Ji Ning refused to accept it, pressing on, "I am now a True Immortal, but my Golden Core is relatively weak. Is there really no way to improve it, to raise it to the highest grade?"

According to the cultivation methods of the Nine Directions Chaos Country.

A Pure Yang True Immortal is on the same level as a True God! And that is the level of a True God Dao Ancestor.

"It's useless. Your Golden Core is already formed; what use is struggling?" The wild dog's dark yellow eyes looked at Ji Ning. "This is the weakest Golden Core. Even if you become a True Immortal, the most powerful Celestial Immortal could still be stronger than you. Even if you become a Grand Immortal, a first-class True Immortal could match you. One step slow, every step slow."

Ji Ning gritted his teeth.

In the Three Realms, it was the same for everyone: Pure Yang True Immortals were on the level of Heavenly Gods, and Dao Ancestors were on the level of True Gods.

"Heaven always leaves a sliver of hope. There must be a way." Ji Ning spoke.

"There is a way," the wild dog said. "After the tribulation, the Golden Core has already condensed. To elevate the Golden Core at this point, to make it reach a higher grade... this is countless times harder than during the tribulation."

"What method?" Ji Ning pressed.

"Chaos treasures, Chaos treasures." The wild dog said, "The Chaos can breed great wonders. With the aid of certain treasures, the Golden Core itself can be elevated. But first, such methods of elevating the Golden Core are known by very, very few. The required Chaos treasures are even more precious and rare. It is too difficult for you to elevate your Golden Core."

"Even if you gather all those Chaos treasures and obtain the method of elevation, at most you can raise your Golden Core to the second grade. That is the limit." The wild dog said.

"Second grade?" Ji Ning's eyes lit up.

"With a first-grade Golden Core, a True Immortal is on par with a True God. With second grade, a True Immortal is only comparable to the weakest True God. As for third grade, which is what you have now, you would be completely slaughtered by True Gods." The wild dog said.

Ji Ning was pleasantly surprised: "Second grade is fine too."

Being able to match the weakest True God was enough; this was a fundamental match.

"Fine? First, the method to elevate the Golden Core is known by very few. Second, gathering the Chaos treasures is even harder." The wild dog looked at Ji Ning.

"Does senior..." Ji Ning looked expectantly.

"I do know one method to elevate the Golden Core." The wild dog shook his head. "But how can I casually let you know such a method? Of course, if you bring that 'World-level' existence behind you, I will immediately tell you this method of elevating the Golden Core."

Ji Ning quickly said, "Senior, if my strength improves, I can attain a higher status and have a better chance of meeting such an existence."

"I have said what needed to be said. Bring that World-level existence here. If that existence does not come, don't bother with any Ancestral Gods or Ancestral Immortals; they are useless." The wild dog finished speaking and closed his eyes.

"Senior, senior..."

Ji Ning spoke beside him for a long time.

But the wild dog just seemed to fall asleep, completely ignoring Ji Ning.

Ji Ning understood...

He wouldn't let go of the hawk until he saw the rabbit.

This ancient Ancestral God was willing to talk so much with him only because of the existence of Nuwa behind him. As for real benefits? This Ancestral God was unwilling to give any at all.

...

Half a day later.

"Senior." Ji Ning's incarnation, also carrying a wooden tray, walked toward the dirty old man wearing shackles.

Only now did Ji Ning know.

In the Nine Directions Chaos Country, Dao Ancestors and Ancestral Gods were on the same level. This dirty old man's strength was equal to that wild dog's, and most importantly, this old man was a Qi Refiner. Naturally, Ji Ning had greater hopes.

...

Having experience talking with the Ancestral God, Ji Ning was very careful.

That dirty old man also longed to get out. He could see that Ji Ning wasn't lying, so he chatted a lot with Ji Ning. He also knew methods to elevate the Golden Core, and although he didn't have a complete set of Chaos treasures needed, he did have two on him.

But he wouldn't give them to Ji Ning.

"Senior, would you like some fine wine and delicacies?"

"Senior, do you need some servants here? To run errands for you, to keep you company?"

Ji Ning knew he couldn't use force, so he had to use soft tactics.

"Kid, don't waste your efforts. I carry a cave treasure with me, which has plenty of servants and subordinates. All kinds of fine food and delicacies are prepared for me at any time." The dirty old man glanced at Ji Ning. "As an Ancestral Immortal, I can draw Chaos power from the Chaos to replenish my own magic power and maintain my treasures. Although this world prison has set up a formation to extract 'Chaos Liquid Essence', I can still absorb a little, enough to survive and maintain the life of my cave treasure."

Ji Ning was speechless.

Carrying servants and subordinates with him?

"Don't think of other tricks. None of your tricks can tempt an Ancestral God or Ancestral Immortal. Only by bringing that World-level existence here to set us free will we be willing to help you." The dirty old man said, then closed his eyes and ignored Ji Ning.

"Truly impenetrable, just like that wild dog, not letting go of the hawk until seeing the rabbit." Ji Ning sat on the Void Boat, grinding his teeth, unwilling to give up. "If I could see Nuwa, why would I need to struggle so hard? With Nuwa here, the Outcast Door wouldn't dare to stir, and even the Lord of All Demons wouldn't dare to return from the Chaos with the remnants of the Outcast Door army."

"Alas."

This world prison held several Dao Ancestors and Ancestral Gods.

Their strength was extremely astonishing, but none could do anything about the shackles. Only by making a qualitative leap in strength, reaching Pangu's level, could one forcibly break the shackles.

"What to do? These Dao Ancestors and Ancestral Gods, at their level, have begun to gain some insight into the Chaos Heavenly Dao and can draw power from the Chaos." Ji Ning pondered. Celestial Immortals in the world prison had to rely on the elixirs they carried to survive, but that Dao Ancestor could still maintain a cave treasure.

Probably every Ancestral God and Ancestral Immortal maintained peak combat power.

"The Nine Directions Country Lord placed guards here to be notified immediately if any Ancestral God or Ancestral Immortal breaks through to the 'World level' and destroys the shackles." Ji Ning understood this. Even the Nine Directions Country Lord couldn't stop these Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immortals from comprehending the Chaos Heavenly Dao.

After all, the Chaos Heavenly Dao is everywhere.

But becoming a World-level existence is too difficult.

Those who could succeed usually did so within one Chaos Cycle. Nuwa succeeded long ago. These Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immortals who had lived for many Chaos Cycles had very slim chances of breaking through. However, they had lived long and were very powerful. Even if Master Bodhi and the others came to help, they couldn't break the shackles first, and even if they killed the prisoners to seize treasures, they might suffer backlash.

"Take it slow."

"If the war between the two camps reaches its later stages and our chances of winning are slim, then I'll tell Master and the others about this world prison." Ji Ning also had selfish motives. He knew well that this world prison was a great treasure trove. It depended on whether he could find a way to obtain the treasures.

Just the techniques and treasures possessed by these Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immortals were absolutely extraordinary.

But for now, he couldn't get them. Even if he gathered Bodhi, the Three Purities, Tathagata, Suiren, and other powerful beings to join forces, there were still great risks. If these imprisoned old fellows fought desperately, Ji Ning couldn't predict how formidable they would be, but one thing was certain: the Nine Directions Chaos Country was definitely much stronger than their side.

...

Riding the Void Boat, he flew swiftly and landed after more than two hours.

Ji Ning walked slowly across the wilderness, and a thousand li away, a woman sat cross-legged.

"Whoosh."

The woman's eyelids moved, then slowly opened her eyes.

"Finally, finally... a living being has come." The woman's eyes lit up. It was too lonely. She could barely maintain her own life, let alone a cave treasure. In the world prison, generally only Dao Ancestors and Ancestral Gods could afford such luxury.

"It's been a long time since I've seen a guard." The woman looked at Ji Ning in the distance.

But as she looked, her expression changed.

"A True Immortal?"

"Clearly a True Immortal's aura, but... such a weak True Immortal. The guards sent by the Nine Directions Chaos Country are all core members. Even if they send a True Immortal, it should be a top-tier True Immortal." The woman immediately thought of a possibility, and her heart grew more shocked.

The white-robed youth walked over and said calmly, "You guessed right. The Nine Directions Chaos Country has fallen. Now you have only two choices: one, die; two, submit to me."