Chapter 117: The Art of Golden Core Fusion

Zhou Qi waited for a long time in the cave dwelling he had cleared out until Huang Qianqian finally arrived, nonchalantly reporting that she had found no ambushes or surveillance of any kind.

Zhou Qi pondered the situation. It was true that Huangfu Xiu had been abandoned by his family, but he must have had friends or relatives. It was impossible for everyone to be so cold-blooded; there had to be a hidden story. Still, he decided to let it go. Since it wasn’t directed at him, there was no need to worry too much; he couldn't possibly fathom the complex schemes of noble families and major sects.

As soon as the duration of his Shapeshifting Technique expired, Zhou Qi didn’t linger. He brought Huang Qianqian along and headed toward the City Lord's Mansion. This time, Huang Qianqian had transformed into an ordinary middle-aged woman. Having brought Jiu'er last time and now Huang Qianqian, Zhou Qi couldn't help but feel a tinge of sorrow.

In the dilapidated palace behind the City Lord's Mansion, Huangfu Xiu stared blankly at Zhou Qi, his eyes shimmering with tears.

"What’s wrong, Xiu? You’re going to be saved, so why are you crying?" Zhou Qi asked, puzzled. Huangfu Xiu had always been cheerful; this made no sense.

"Qiqi, I heard that to save me, you actually became a pet to a bird. I hate that I wasn't born a woman; otherwise, I would have spent the rest of my life by your side through life and death," Huangfu Xiu sighed with deep emotion.

This was a dangerous line of thought. Zhou Qi glared at Huang Qianqian. There was no need to guess—she had definitely been adding her own dramatic flair to the story.

"Help him sit up and cross his legs on the bed. I need to prepare the treatment," Zhou Qi said, shooting a glare at Huang Qianqian.

"Me?" Huang Qianqian looked at him in disbelief. Was that any way to speak to a senior?

"Hmm?" Zhou Qi hummed, the Divine Sun Fire already flickering between his fingers.

"Fine." Huang Qianqian’s eyes lit up; she could tell at a glance that this flame was of an exceptionally high rank. She obediently helped Huangfu Xiu sit up, then watched Zhou Qi with eager anticipation.

Ignoring her, Zhou Qi sent his spiritual sense into Huangfu Xiu’s dantian. The Golden Core was shattered even more severely than he had thought; the cracks were widening, leaking endless spiritual energy. If Huangfu Xiu hadn't been constantly absorbing energy to replenish it, he wouldn't have lasted this long.

Zhou Qi set up a simple isolation array outside the palace to prevent any disturbances during the procedure, warned Huang Qianqian to remain silent, and then retrieved the Dragon Pearl from the Medicine Immortal’s Sacred Mansion.

This Dragon Pearl had belonged to the younger brother of Long Xuan. It had already been treated by the True Lord of Heaven’s Mystery, with part of its power temporarily sealed to prevent failure caused by a disparity in cultivation levels.

The fist-sized Dragon Pearl emitted a faint golden light, radiating an intense surge of vitality and power. Seeing that Zhou Qi had actually managed to find a Dragon Pearl, Huangfu Xiu felt a wave of heartache. His friend had lost his freedom just to save him. Once he recovered, he vowed to defeat Zhou Qi's master and rescue him from his miserable fate as a pet.

"I’m beginning now. This method is merely a theory proposed by a senior; success isn’t guaranteed. Furthermore, the Golden Core must be scorched by intense fire, and the process will be excruciatingly painful. You must prepare yourself," Zhou Qi said sternly.

"Just do what you must. At worst, the Golden Core will shatter completely—it would have ended that way anyway if left untreated. As for the pain, what pain in this world could compare to the pain of being abandoned by one's own family?" Huangfu Xiu replied dismissively.

Zhou Qi nodded and began to channel the Primordial Protection Technique. A transparent film the size of an apple formed, completely encasing Huangfu Xiu’s shattered Golden Core.

"Go!" Zhou Qi commanded. In an instant, the Dragon Pearl sank into Huangfu Xiu’s dantian.

Inside the dantian, the fist-sized Dragon Pearl formed a stark contrast to the egg-sized Golden Core. Since their volumes differed, they had to be fused using intense heat. Zhou Qi willed it, and the Flame of Zhou Qi appeared at his fingertips, then entered the dantian to envelope and scorch the Dragon Pearl.

As the Dragon Pearl was subjected to the intense heat, it began to shrink. Once it matched the size of the Golden Core, Zhou Qi split his flame into two parts: one continued to burn the Dragon Pearl, while the other wrapped around the shattered Golden Core. Huangfu Xiu let out a muffled groan, biting his teeth together so hard he wouldn't cry out. Large beads of sweat rolled down his gaunt cheeks and dripped onto the crude bed.

"Condense!" Zhou Qi formed hand seals, channeling the technique for Golden Core fusion left behind by the Medicine Immortal. The film expanded, pulling the Dragon Pearl into the Primordial Protection Technique. The Dragon Pearl moved closer and closer to the Golden Core, until the two masses of fire collided in an instant.

"Ah!" Huangfu Xiu finally couldn't help but cry out, biting through his own lip.

As the Dragon Pearl and the Golden Core collided, the Golden Core shattered instantly. The film contracted rapidly, forcing the fragments of the Golden Core to merge into the Dragon Pearl. Zhou Qi continued to apply the flame until the two became indistinguishable, at which point he stopped and withdrew the Flame of Zhou Qi back into his soul sea.

The first step was a success. Zhou Qi let out a sigh of relief, though he kept the Primordial Protection Technique active, the egg-sized film tightly binding the new Golden Core.

The second step was the most crucial. The Dragon Pearl and a human Golden Core had different attributes; it was unclear whether a rejection reaction would occur. Zhou Qi could feel the new Golden Core within the technique trembling—the Dragon Pearl was trying to expel the fragments of the fused core. Dragons were an incredibly arrogant race, and the Dragon Pearl shared this nature.

The new Golden Core began to struggle more violently. Zhou Qi felt his Primordial Protection Technique about to break. Huangfu Xiu’s face was deathly pale, and his dantian felt as if it were being torn apart by a raging sea; the pain was beyond anything he had ever suffered.

What should he do? Zhou Qi grew frantic, desperately channeling the fusion technique. He had underestimated the difficulty. He was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, and Huangfu Xiu was only at the early stage of the Golden Core realm; the Dragon Pearl was looking down on them. If the Medicine Immortal were performing this, it would have been effortless.

Beads of sweat the size of soybeans appeared on Zhou Qi’s forehead. If the Dragon Pearl broke through the protection and expelled the fragments, even a god couldn't save Huangfu Xiu.

"Little Zhou, do you need help?" Huang Qianqian, watching from the side, noticed the change in Zhou Qi’s expression.

Zhou Qi glanced at her doubtfully. "Does the Senior have a solution?"

"Let me try."

Huang Qianqian’s expression became incredibly grave. A streak of white light appeared at her fingertip. "Go!" The white light instantly manifested within Huangfu Xiu’s dantian.

"Open your protective film just a crack."

What protective film? Zhou Qi was startled for a moment before realizing what she meant. He opened a tiny gap in the barrier, and the white light immediately descended upon the Dragon Pearl, covering it.

"A mere grain of rice dares to compete with the brilliance of the moon," Huang Qianqian said with disdain.

Once covered by this light, the Dragon Pearl ceased its agitation and fell silent. Phoenixes were also divine beasts of immense nobility; if a true dragon were present, it might have been able to contend with her, but a mere Dragon Pearl had no choice but to submit to this aura.

Seeing the Dragon Pearl stop its rebellion, Zhou Qi gave Huang Qianqian a look of gratitude, finally understanding the reason behind it. He pulled out a large pile of spirit stones and shouted to the dying Huangfu Xiu, "Gather your strength and refine it!"

Huangfu Xiu struggled to sit up, channeling his internal arts to absorb the spiritual energy and refine the new Golden Core.