A funny incident involved the green-eyed wolf king.

After completing its task as a guide, it expected to be released.

However, the Fifth Elder was strict and said, “You came through the crack, so now that your task is done, return where you came from.”

The wolf king was stunned and started to wail, “Please, Immortal Master, I don’t want to go back. If I return, the little fox… Immortal Master, please have mercy for guiding you to the crack. I haven’t harmed the local people!”

The Fifth Elder coldly replied, “If I hadn’t stopped you, you and the Cold Flame Beast would have already escaped the forest.”

Meaning, you don’t have the moral high ground here.

The wolf king was at a loss, cursing itself for teaming up with the dim-witted tiger to steal the herb.

It didn’t even need the herb, and now the tiger got caught, dragging it along to be sent back to the beast realm.

Struggling was futile.

The young officer pushed the wolf king back into the crack, but not before it tearfully bid farewell to the little vixen, giving her many instructions.

It told her where it had hidden cultivation resources, enough to reach the Golden Core stage.

It warned her not to flirt with other male foxes, admitting it knew about her sneaking out before.

Its final words, “Little fox, wait for me. I’ll return during the next beast tide. Really, it will be soon. Don’t…” Before the words “change your heart” were spoken, the record officer shoved its head back into the crack.

The Spirit Fox waved her paw, feeling somewhat unhappy, but not overly so.

Qin Ruqing, hiding in the grass, watched the tearful farewell with great interest. Satisfied, she returned to the Qin family.

Sitting across from the Ancestor, Qin Ruqing eagerly asked, “Ancestor, is the Ice-Fire Dual Herb okay? Can you use it?”

After all their efforts, if it couldn’t be used, she would be devastated.

The Ancestor smiled at her, wiped her sleeve over the table, and a plant in a jade pot appeared.

Although the herb was hastily taken, the old ancestor, a high-level alchemist, had been careful not to damage its roots.

After extracting the herb and escaping danger, she had transplanted it into a spirit-sealing jade pot and watered it with medicinal liquid.

Now, the herb was growing well.

Seeing the jade pot, Qin Ruqing was initially stunned, then she examined the plant and, without needing the ancestor’s explanation, determined its condition.

She said, “Great, Ancestor, it’s alive.”

The Ancestor retorted, “…If it wasn’t alive, it would be dead.” She gave her a mock glare.

Qin Ruqing laughed and naturally took something out from her storage pouch, placing it before the ancestor like a treasure.

The Ancestor saw two thumb-sized round fruits, one white and one red.

She was surprised, “Ice-Fire Dual Fruits, where did you get these?”

Qin Ruqing replied, “I found them in the big tiger’s lair.”

The Ancestor fell silent, amazed that she had the courage to search the tiger’s den under such tight circumstances.

Qin Ruqing’s cheerful voice broke the silence, “Ancestor, are these fruits useful to you? The Cold Flame tiger treated them like treasures, so I thought they might be valuable to you too.”

The Ancestor sighed, “They are useful. Not all Ice-Fire Dual Herbs bear fruit, and even if they do, the timeline isn’t fixed.

There’s no pattern like ten years or twenty years for fruiting.

It might never bear fruit, it might fruit every few years, or it might remain dormant for centuries. Therefore, the fruits are much rarer and more potent than the herb itself.”

Qin Ruqing marveled at the capricious nature of the herb.

The Ancestor continued with a hint of regret, “No wonder the Cold Flame Beast guarded this herb without consuming it. It’s a fruit-bearing Ice-Fire Dual Grads, and it already has two fruits. If it could gather three of each attribute, it would reach the Golden Core stage.”

Qin Ruqing was deeply impressed by the herb’s unique properties and the significance of the fruits.

“No need to worry about our cultivation resources anymore.”

Reaching the Golden Core stage.

Qin Ruqing blinked.

She had picked up on something mysterious when her father talked about it before.

It seemed like there were different levels within the Golden Core stage?

“Ancestor, what does it mean to reach the Golden Core stage? Isn’t the Cold Flame tiger already at the Golden Core stage?

And I’ve noticed, among those with Golden Core power, the Fifth Elder of Celestial Bureau seems to catch Cold Flame tiger and others very easily.

Almost like he’s crushing them without effort.”

The Ancestor looked at her. “I thought it might be too early to explain this, but with your talent, you’ll reach that level sooner or later. So, I’ll tell you now.”

“The Cold Flame Beast and the Wolf King have only just reached the Core Formation stage.

After forming a core, you then refine it, condense it, and finally, truly achieve the Golden Core.

Although these four stages are collectively called the Golden Core stage, there’s a vast difference between them.”

“The Fifth Elder of Celestial Bureau has formed his core once and achieved the true Golden Core.

He is now comprehending the laws and preparing to form the Nascent Soul. He’s on a completely different level from the likes of the Cold Flame Beast.”

Qin Ruqing understood.

The Great tiger is at the early stage of the Golden Core, while the Director is at the peak, almost reaching the Nascent Soul stage.

They’re not in the same league at all.

After taking this in, Qin Ruqing suddenly had an idea and, rubbing her hands together, whispered, “Ancestor, now that you have the spiritual herbs and two spiritual fruits to help, your injuries should heal completely, right? And if you go into seclusion, what’s the chance you can form your core in one go?”

She already knew that it’s best to form the core in one go; the strength would be weaker otherwise.

So, for their ancestor to be the head of the top family, she must form his core in one go!

The ancestor gave her a sidelong glance, knowing she couldn’t resist asking this question.

The ancestor didn’t hide anything. “With just the Ice and Fire Grass, my injuries will heal completely, but the chance of forming the core would be only 10%. Adding these two spiritual fruits increases the chance by another 20%. With a 30% chance, do you dare let me try?”

Only 30%? Qin Ruqing immediately shook her head like a rattle drum.

It sounded like a lot, but for a one-time core formation, it was still not enough.

Qin Ruqing thought at least 50% would be needed before the ancestor could attempt core formation.

Thinking it over, Qin Ruqing shared some information she had gotten from Tang Zifeng with the ancestor.

“Ancestor, Hao Gou might not have lied to me. The small floating island probably really has Mysterious Heart(Xuanxin) Liquid.

This liquid is crucial for your core formation.

Besides, we’ve already promised to help Tang Zifeng return to his family. So, no matter what, I’m planning to go to Xiling.”

The ancestor frowned, lost in thought.

Honestly, the ancestor hesitated to let Qin Ruqing go out.

On one hand, she knew that an eagle needs to be tested.

This child had been acting like a king at home and needed to go out and face some hardships.

But on the other hand, the ancestor worried about Qin Ruqing’s safety.

After all, Xiling was far away, separated by a mountain range, and the safety within the small floating island was not guaranteed.

Qin Ruqing seemed to know what the ancestor was thinking and spoke seriously, “Ancestor, you know that staying at home ensures my safety, but my cultivation would likely stop here. With my talent, reaching the Foundation Establishment stage is no problem, but for further cultivation, relying only on talent won’t be enough.”

To lighten the heavy atmosphere, Qin Ruqing added excitedly, “And Tang Zifeng said the small floating island is full of treasures. You know I have a knack for sensing spiritual items. If I get in there…wow, I could gather all those good things and bring them home! Then we wouldn’t have to worry about high-level cultivation resources!”

Ancestor: “…”

For a moment, the ancestor didn’t know whether to be comforted by Qin Ruqing’s ambition or moved by her dedication to the family, like a little treasure-seeking creature, always thinking about bringing things home.

After a long silence, the ancestor sighed deeply, “Fine, you’ve always had your own plans. This time, I’ll give in…”

Then, perhaps softened by Qin Ruqing’s words, the ancestor gave her a gentle but stern look, “It’s true, you’ve been acting like a king at home, and no one can control you. You should go out, experience hardships, and learn some lessons!”

Acting like a king? No one can control me?

Qin Ruqing touched her nose, lowered her head, and pretended to be obedient.

I’m not, I haven’t, don’t say that.