Chapter 149: Mission Accomplished

The instant his soul fused with his golden core, the aura radiating from Yin Tianfang surged once more. A terrifying might erupted from within him, propelling him into the late stage of the Core Formation realm in the blink of an eye.

Mo Feng stood quietly, sensing the undulations of the worldly energy around the place where Yin Tianfang resided, a trace of shock flickering deep within his calm eyes. Even as a powerhouse of the Nascent Soul realm who had cultivated for hundreds of years, he had never witnessed such a breakthrough.

Having just advanced to the mid Core Formation realm a mere month ago, he had now leaped straight into the late stage. This was simply unprecedented. Moreover, even if someone wished to replicate such a feat, it would be an absolute impossibility. The path of immortal cultivation was fraught with trials and hardships; every single realm demanded vast amounts of time and dedication to cultivate.

Furthermore, the higher the realm, the longer the breakthrough process took. Sometimes, it required years, decades, or even centuries of time just to cross a single bottleneck.

Ten years to build the Foundation, a hundred years for the Golden Core—this was the consensus of the cultivation world, and very few could ever shatter this rule. Yet now, he was witnessing with his own eyes someone who had crossed an entire stage within the Core Formation realm in the span of a single month. It was utterly shocking to the point of defying belief.

"Could he be some immortal reincarnated and starting his cultivation anew?" Mo Feng wondered inwardly. Only such a premise could barely explain the bizarre scene unfolding before him.

Terrifying worldly energy converged, pouring down in a torrent. Were it not for Mo Feng's presence here, such astonishing fluctuations would undoubtedly have alerted the rest of the Snake-man race. This phenomenon persisted for a full half-hour before gradually dissipating.

Inside the cave, Yin Tianfang slowly opened his eyes. Vast energy flooded his physique, and a satisfied smile crept onto his face.

"Kid, someone outside has been waiting for you for a long time," a voice echoed in his mind just as Yin Tianfang was reveling in his joy. Yin Tianfang was slightly startled, and then he perceived a golden dragon coiling within his sea of consciousness.

"Why are you inside my sea of consciousness?" Yin Tianfang asked, bewildered.

"Is that so strange? How powerful this deity is—entering your sea of consciousness is a trivial matter. Rest assured, if this deity harbored any ill intentions toward you, you would already be dead. Do you really think you'd be alive here to ask me such a foolish question?"

"This is not the time to dwell on that. The person outside is exceedingly formidable. You should go out and meet him first," the golden dragon stated.

Hearing this, Yin Tianfang gradually restrained his aura, stood up, and waved his hand. The cave entrance parted, and with a flash of his figure, Yin Tianfang emerged outside.

Mo Feng stood suspended in mid-air, gazing at Yin Tianfang who had appeared before him, a hint of surprise dancing in his majestic eyes. Although Yin Tianfang's hair was as white as snow, his facial features were delicate and refined, and Mo Feng could sense a surging, vibrant vitality radiating from him. This meant that Yin Tianfang's actual age was not very great.

For someone so young to have already reached the late stage of the Core Formation realm—such innate talent was exceedingly rare since ancient times.

"I am Mo Feng, holding the position of the patriarch of the Snake-man race. May I ask little friend for your name and your sect?" Although Mo Feng was a senior compared to Yin Tianfang, he knew that with the heaven-defying talent Yin Tianfang had displayed, surpassing him in the future was an absolute certainty.

Therefore, his tone at this moment was exceptionally courteous.

Upon hearing Mo Feng's words, Yin Tianfang was slightly taken aback, never expecting that the person the golden dragon spoke of was actually the patriarch of the Snake-man race. He sized Mo Feng up, yet he could not sense the slightest ripple of energy from him.

He could not pierce through Mo Feng's realm; Mo Feng stood before him as unremarkable as an ordinary mortal. This signified that Mo Feng's cultivation was unfathomably profound, far exceeding his own by an immense margin.

"This junior is Yin Tianfang, and my master is Xuan Yin. I wonder if senior has ever heard of him," Yin Tianfang said, cupping his fists respectfully.

Mo Feng pondered for a moment before slowly shaking his head. "This old man has never heard of him."

"Little friend is blessed with extraordinary talent and boundless prospects," Mo Feng said with a smile as he observed Yin Tianfang. Despite being the patriarch of the Snake-man race, he possessed no arrogant airs whatsoever. Yin Tianfang couldn't help but feel a favorable impression of him.

"This place will not remain tranquil much longer. If little friend's purpose in coming here is the same as the others, I advise you to leave as soon as possible. Of those who enter this place, very few are likely to survive in the end." With those words, Mo Feng let out a soft sigh, clasped his hands behind his back, and drifted away into the distance.

Yin Tianfang stood in place, watching Mo Feng's departing figure with a furrowed brow, turning the patriarch's words over in his mind.

"Senior, what are your thoughts on this?" Yin Tianfang asked the golden dragon in the depths of his mind.

"What he said is correct," the golden dragon replied after a long silence in the sea of consciousness. "The great war of that era involved an immense expanse; countless immortals and deities perished, their blood flowing like rivers."

"This Snake-man race was tasked with guarding the location where that immortal medicine resides. Back then, the True Dragon left behind its blood to nourish that immortal medicine, awaiting the day its close friend would return to the mortal world, and entrusted the Snake-man race with the protection of that sanctuary."

"You must understand that back then, that immortal medicine cultivated into an immortal, attaining the fruit of an Immortal King, yet it was ultimately beaten to near destruction. One can easily imagine how formidable its old enemies were. How could it be easy for it to undergo Nirvana and be reborn? Therefore, the moment it reappears in the world, formidable enemies will inevitably strike. When that time comes, another great war will erupt. Those capable of participating in such a conflict are exceedingly ferocious entities."

"For instance, the slumbering old monsters hidden within the Snake-man race—yet even if they emerge, I fear they will be unable to successfully protect the immortal medicine during its Nirvana. Moreover, the Snake-man race will suffer a catastrophic disaster because of this. Just how many of their clansmen will survive remains an unknown."

"This Divine Medicine Mountain Range exists solely because of that immortal medicine. Once the medicine undergoes Nirvana and the battle commences, this entire mountain range will likely be reduced to the dust of history," the golden dragon sighed.

Hearing the golden dragon's words, violent waves surged in Yin Tianfang's heart. If what the dragon said was true, wouldn't this endeavor be extremely perilous? The Nirvana of an immortal medicine was indeed fraught with unimaginable danger. Just how powerful would those beings who reveal themselves turn out to be?

Alongside his shock, a trace of inexplicable anticipation stirred within Yin Tianfang's heart.

"Then should we continue to stay here?" Yin Tianfang inquired. If he were entirely alone, he would undoubtedly turn around and leave without a moment's hesitation.

However, with the golden dragon by his side now, and given their allied relationship—the might of which he had already witnessed—he believed it might be worth a try to stay and contend for some fortuitous encounters.

"Stay? Naturally, we stay. Even if we cannot defeat them when the time comes, can we not at least outrun them?" the golden dragon retorted. "Besides, even if that place opens, the war will not erupt instantly. Only when that sanctuary is completely breached and the immortal medicine undergoes Nirvana to reappear in the world will the true war begin."