Demonic Cultivation: Devouring Ten Thousand Demonic Beasts

"What?"

Langtian's eyes widened.

"Wait… I thought that was impossible!"

Right. It was common knowledge that once your Core was taken from you, there was no way to get it back.

You'd be coreless. Forced to continue cultivation without that vital foundation.

Yes, it was still possible to grow stronger without a core. There were techniques, body refinement paths, even forbidden arts… but all of them were limited.

Because without a core, the body could only absorb and process a fraction of spiritual energy. There would always be a ceiling, an invisible wall that no amount of determination could shatter.

And most importantly, without a core, advancement to the next stage, the Primordial Embryo Stage, would be impossible.

To reach that realm, one's core had to grow and mature, slowly condensing over years. And once it reached its peak, the cultivator would face the Heavenly Tribulation. If they survived, the core would disintegrate, and from its remains, the Primordial Embryo would be born.

That means… no core, no Embryo.

And when no Embryo, there would be no path forward.

So when Yue Ling said there was a way to form a new core, Langtian could barely believe it.

But if such a path did exist, if there really was a way to rebuild what was lost…

Then he would do anything to claim it, even if it meant risking everything.

__________________________

Yue Ling turned away, her blood-soaked silhouette outlined against the swirling mist.

"You already know, don't you? I was just like you. I had my core stolen by that bastard, Yan Hao Yang... and I was thrown down here."

Langtian's fists clenched tight.

"Right…" he muttered, voice low, rage simmering in his chest. "We both formed the Golden Core… and we were both betrayed."

That's why she was here.

That's why they had met.

Their fates were twisted together by the same cruelty.

"But then," Yue Ling continued, her voice burning with intensity, "after living here, fighting to survive every day, forced to devour demonic beasts just to stay alive,I've discovered it. A new path to cultivation. A way to grow stronger. And yes, even to form a new core!"

She turned back toward him, her eyes gleaming with a fiery spark.

She grinned.

"And judging from the look in your eyes, Junior Brother, I think you've already guessed what that path is."

Langtian took a sharp breath.

"Is it… by eating demonic beasts? Absorbing their demonic energy?"

Yue Ling nodded.

"Exactly."

She stepped closer.

Then, without hesitation, she grabbed his hand and guided it to her abdomen, placing his palm firmly against her stomach.

Startled, Langtian instinctively pulled back.

"S-Senior Sister, what are you doing?" he stammered, a faint flush rising to his face.

But Yue Ling simply smiled.

"Relax. I'm just showing you something."

She gently pulled his hand back, pressing it over her abdomen once more.

This time, Langtian didn't resist. His palm rested flat against her body.

"Close your eyes," she said softly. "Feel it. Sense what's inside."

Langtian obeyed.

He closed his eyes, focused his mind, and reached out with his senses. And then, he felt it.

Deep within her now, there was a dense, overwhelming energy.

There was something round, pulsing and alive. A force of raw demonic Qi, flowing through her body, supplying her meridians with terrifying power.

His eyes snapped open.

"T-That… That's—!"

"Yes," Yue Ling said, smiling wide. "My new core."

Langtian stared at her, wide-eyed in awe.

"Senior Sister… you really… you formed another core…"

"YES!" Yue Ling exclaimed, her voice fierce and proud.

And not only that—

"Heaven… it's so powerful," Langtian breathed.

Because what he felt beneath his palm wasn't just energy.

It was dense, wild, and overwhelming, like there was a chaotic storm of raw power pulsing through her body right now. It was so intense it made his previous Golden Core feel like a candle beside a roaring sun.

Is this really… the power of a Demonic Core?

He was bewildered, shocked to his bone.

But then—

Yue Ling shook her head. Her smile faded, and her voice came softer now, tinged with sadness.

"Actually, it's not a true core though. I failed to reach True Core Formation Stage."

"What?" Langtian blinked, stunned. "That can't be right."

The core was there. He could feel it, her core was more powerful than any core he had ever sensed. Even a Golden Core paled in comparison!

"What do you mean, you failed?" Langtian pressed.

Yue Ling's gaze lowered slightly.

"Didn't you notice? It's just a false core."

"What? How?!"

Langtian focused again.

He reached inward, extending his senses deeper.

And then, he saw it.

The truth.

It turned out… Yue Ling's core was exactly that: A false core.

Though it pulsed with power and felt overwhelmingly dense, it was barely formed.

One moment, it was there.

The next, it vanished.

The energy never truly stabilized. It refused to stay anchored.

It was like a cloud, forming with each breath in, only to dissipate the moment she exhaled. There was no solid structure, no true foundation, only the illusion of a core.

A fragile imitation.

The telltale sign of a failed Core Formation breakthrough.