Chapter Forty: Soul Golden Core

“At last, I’ve made it through,” Qin Shuang murmured as he stepped out of the Mountain of Ten Thousand Sovereigns, a surge of emotion welling up inside him. The final trial’s ‘Hou Fei’ had been conjured straight from the shadows of his own heart; the greater his inner fears, the stronger the adversary became. On the other hand, once he saw through it all, that ‘Hou Fei’ was as fragile as paper, defeated in an instant.

“Whew—” The space of Shanhaitian trembled, and Qin Shuang found himself inside a grand hall. At the far end stood a table, upon which rested a delicate little box.

“So this must be the reward for the first trial.” A trace of anticipation flickered in Qin Shuang’s heart as he gazed at the box and wondered about its contents. In the Purple Profound Palace, even top-grade celestial artifacts were rare sights to him, yet this humble box captivated him utterly.

To acquire something through one’s own effort, rather than having it fall from the sky, made all the difference in the world.

Suppressing his excitement, he walked slowly to the box. “The stone tablet said that this prize is something I’ve dreamed of. Now let’s see what kind of treasure it truly is.”

With a snap, the box sprang open, revealing a single, quietly resting pill.

“This… isn’t this just an ordinary pill?” Qin Shuang was stunned. “Is this really the treasure I’ve longed for? Ten years, a thousand labyrinths, a thousand gatekeepers, all for a single, humble pill?”

Just by judging its color and scent, Qin Shuang could tell that even a common cultivator could easily concoct such a thing; there was nothing special about it at all.

“Heh, never mind. After all, I did go through hell to get it.” He quickly recovered from his disappointment, chuckled softly, picked up the pill, and swallowed it without hesitation.

The moment the pill slid down his throat, the space around him violently shuddered.

“Ah—” Qin Shuang suddenly collapsed, writhing on the ground in agony, his skin splitting again and again, blood gushing from the wounds. Even his soul trembled uncontrollably.

He was a terrifying sight—his body shuddering, flesh peeling away, even his very essence beginning to fracture.

Within his sea of soul, the tiny figure identical to Qin Shuang desperately attempted the signs of the Three Souls Nine Refinements. But the pain was too much to bear; clutching its head, the figure fell to the ground, trembling violently, and after only a short while, lost consciousness.

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With a thunderous boom, a section of the Purple Profound Palace’s courtyard wall exploded. A hunched figure was flung out, crashing to the ground. Another figure charged out in pursuit, a golden spear clutched in hand.

“So you’re supposed to be the strongest Qin Shuang?” Qin Si sneered coldly at the prone ‘Qin Shuang’. “I thought you had some skill, but it turns out that apart from gaining a bit of power in illusions, you’re utterly useless.”

“Big… brother…” The fallen ‘Qin Shuang’ cried out in terror. “You… you can’t kill me. I’m your brother! Besides, you’ve stolen my happiness since we were children—now do you really want to kill me yourself?”

“You still call me brother?” Qin Si was momentarily taken aback. “This illusion’s pretty convincing. Are the artifacts of the Purple Profound Palace really so easy to replicate?”

“Illusion?” ‘Qin Shuang’ asked, confused. “Brother, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Regardless, you can’t kill me. If you do, father will never forgive you.”

“Hmph, if my brother were so weak, he’d never have left home in the first place. Enough talk—how do you want to die?” Qin Si pressed the spear to ‘Qin Shuang’s’ head, unmoved.

“I…”

Before he could finish, Qin Si thrust the spear through his skull.

“This time the injuries are serious…” Qin Si gave a bitter laugh. The illusion had even damaged his soul; it would take decades of rest to fully recover.

“Damn it, the first trial alone is this savage—I can’t imagine how twisted the next two will be.” He spat on the ground. “The final test is complete—now, where’s my reward?”

“Qin Si!” Suddenly, a voice called out, addressing him by name.

“Who’s there? Show yourself!” Qin Si glanced around, unable to pinpoint the source.

“No need to look. I have no form,” the voice continued. “Your soul is wounded. For the first trial’s reward, you may choose: shall it be the healing of your soul, or the original prize from the Mountain of Ten Thousand Sovereigns?”

“If I can, I want both,” Qin Si replied rudely.

“No, you may only choose one,” the voice denied him flatly.

“Fine, I’ll take the original reward,” Qin Si answered without hesitation.

“It won’t do you much good. Think carefully about my offer,” the voice coaxed, unwilling to give up.

“Enough nonsense. Take me to the prize.”

“Very well.” The voice faded. At the same time, a golden box tore through space, descending gently before Qin Si.

“Ha, let’s see what nearly dying gets me.” He grinned, bent down, and opened the box.

“A mid-grade celestial artifact battle armor—not much use to me.” Qin Si smiled faintly. “But it will do nicely for Shuang; he still doesn’t have proper armor.”

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No one knows how much time had passed before Qin Shuang slowly regained consciousness. The ordeal felt like a nightmare—such soul-rending agony was something even a Divine King would not dare attempt lightly.

“Hm? I’ve actually formed a Soul Golden Core!” Qin Shuang realized with a start. Within his mind, where his soul sea used to be, now floated a golden orb, dazzling with radiant light.

“So this is the Soul Golden Core?” Excitement surged through him. To form the Soul Golden Core was to reach the Divine Realm in soul cultivation. He could distinctly sense that his soul’s strength had reached the upper Divine rank.

“My body’s changed too?” Qin Shuang was stunned by the transformation. “This… this is incredible. My body has attained the hardness of a top-grade divine artifact!”

Advancement in soul cultivation, the strength of his body—for a moment, Qin Shuang was overwhelmed.

“Divine! Ha!” Qin Shuang suddenly burst out laughing. “I’ve finally reached the Divine Realm! Father, do you see? I’ve finally achieved it…” Tears glimmered in his eyes. For him, proving to his father that he was not useless was the greatest wish in his heart.

“Though my inner strength is still at the eighth-tier Immortal Emperor, with my soul at this level, surpassing that won’t take long.” Qin Shuang felt utterly at ease. Indeed, once the soul breaks through, reaching from eighth-tier Immortal Emperor to the Divine Realm in body would take, at most, a hundred years.

“This truly is the reward of my dreams. What trial comes next?” Anticipation rose within him. The first trial had brought such a surprise—what wonders would the next hold?

“To think that such an unremarkable pill could have such an effect.” He sighed as he walked. “But the pain… that was truly monstrous.”

A blood-red sea stretched before him, its waves whipped up by the wind, crashing down in scarlet spray.

As with the Mountain of Ten Thousand Sovereigns, before this crimson sea stood a massive stone tablet.

“Congratulations on overcoming the Mountain of Ten Thousand Sovereigns—a thousand labyrinths, a thousand gatekeepers, no easy feat. But that’s all in the past. What lies ahead is the second trial of Shanhaitian: the Sea of a Thousand Tribulations!

The Sea of a Thousand Tribulations is unlike its name—it does not hold a thousand hardships. In truth, there are only three. Survive these three, and you’ll pass the trial and claim the reward of the second stage.”

“Only three tribulations?” Qin Shuang gave a wry smile. “If there really were a thousand, I’d be relieved. With just three, each one will surely be formidable. Since it’s the second trial, it can’t be any easier than the first.”

ps: Highly recommended—“The Confucian General of the Great Tang” by Li Shaoyi

Synopsis: A frustrated transmigrator becomes a successful scholar, then abandons the pen for the sword and rises to become a legendary Confucian general. He’s just a small man seeking peace; what compels him to change his fate? He fights for survival, love, even money—but never for empty honors. He possesses both strategy and scholarship, and his achievements…