The Golden Core Realm is a step above the Purple Mansion Realm. The latter can be said to be the preparatory stage before the former. The crystal dantian is the prototype of the round Golden Core; supernatural seeds are the embryonic versions of supernatural powers.
Three steps must be done for a successful breakthrough.
First, the full integration of soul, crystal dantian, and spirit roots. This special state can be entered as soon as the Golden Core breakthrough begins.
Hum-!
A huge vacuum of spiritual qi spanning one mile appeared. Instantly, it was filled up with spiritual qi again.
Inside Shi Tian's soul, all sorts of lights flickered. His spirit roots containing all ten elements turned into milky light that swirled to his dantian. The crystal dantian glowed with bright white light, an indicator of his very soul merging onto it.
The strange experience caused his senses to feel satisfied. No hiccups occurred throughout all this time.
It went through so easily Shi Tian had enough time to focus on his physical body's breakthrough.
Pop-!
Crackle-!
A loud thunderous sound echoed inside the palace. Streams of spiritual qi entered his physical body as it underwent a huge change. The bright red blood became spotlessly clear for a moment. The white bones started to shed its outer layers, gradually revealing a jade-like color. The ones that cannot 'shed' shattered instantly, replaced by pure jade-like bones.
The same happened to his muscles. The Golden Core Realm breakthrough is a complete reconstruction of the physical body. It is the step of leaping away from mortality, becoming one step closer to fabled immortality!
His outer skin started to shed once more, turning the already flawless skin into a more perfect version. The shedded skin, blood, hair, muscle and bone fragments dissipated into nothingness under the torrent of spiritual qi.
Countless dao rhymes are swiftly integrated permanently into Shi Tian's body, elevating his physical body into another level.
Roar-!
Screech-!
The roars of several beasts originated from his body. The traces of the meat and the Demon Core eaten by him took effect.
His closed eyes suddenly opened.
'I haven't gotten the final spiritual material for it…'
Shi Tian's mind acted fast. He took out the late third grade Demon Core belonging to the dragon. It was supposed to be for his automatic cultivation, but he hasn't found the final material.
Feeling the Heavenly Phoenix's strong influence, he felt he might gain something by taking in this Demon Core.
Although lower-leveled, it is the only third grade monster with the True Dragon bloodline.
The bright red Demon core went straight to his throat. It instantly dissipated into a crimson red light and merged straight into his physical body.
He closed his eyes once more.
The vision of the dragon and phoenix intertwining appeared. Their strength disparity did not differ. It was precisely this harmonious aura that allowed them to fuse together.
'The harmony of Yin and Yang..!'
Buzz-!
Swoosh-!
Blazing flames surrounded him. The temperature around the palace is comparable to Shamash's high output. The roars and cries of a dragon and phoenix filled the palace.
The body realm's breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm did not take long. It was the added insights to the Dao of Yin and Yang that took his attention.
Shi Tian came back to his senses.
He shockingly found that the [Sun-Moon Creation Art], which had just entered the [Great Accomplishment] mastery two months ago, is already halfway through the [Perfection] mastery.
{Body: Peak Purple Mansion > Early Golden Core}
{Physical Body Evolution: Dual Cultivation Enhancement}
{Overall Evolution: Harmony of Heaven and Earth (Dual Cultivation Trait)}
"...Am I born for dual cultivation?"
He had no place to cry or laugh. He peered at his dantian that now housed his soul and spirit roots. An inexplicably strong connection was formed between him and it.
The desire to completely transform emerged out of the crystal dantian. The soul felt very 'stuffed' inside it, to boot.
Just then, the slumbering innate spiritual flame woke up. It broke down the delicate balance Shi Tian maintained for long.
Spiritual qi surged as it fed back to his qi cultivation. The Golden Core Realm breakthrough sped up further.
Hum-!
Buzz-!
The crystal dantian became spotlessly clear. It was as if it held nothing inside—yet it did.
The second step to the Golden Core breakthrough is the purification of spiritual qi. Every cultivator absorbs spiritual qi and 'converts' them to something most suitable for them. The conversion takes place within the cultivators themselves—something they have to "upgrade" during the Golden Core Realm. Both the 'conversion' and the 'spiritual qi' they possess must transcend their current level.
This step, once again, was done easily by Shi Tian.
In the midst of it, he triggered his mind's breakthrough.
His physical body triggered his brain's advancement. It brought greater ease when it came down to his mental cultivation's sublimation.
Unlike the body, the mind's changes are much more subtle. It cannot be seen by naked eyes, but for those who did, they will see an extremely strong spiritual consciousness containing Dao Laws itself.
The subsequent upgrade was akin to having clear eyesight after being blind for countless years.
Shi Tian got to witness the world's full beauty. The dao rhymes are merely the aura emitted by Dao Laws.
Dao Laws of numerous things presented themselves in his eyes. Everything within ten thousand miles of his range could not escape his sight.
Only when he sensed the completion of spiritual qi purification did Shi Tian snap out of his daze.
{Mind: Peak Purple Mansion > Early Golden Core}
"Huff…"
Seeing his body and mind step into the Golden Core Realm, Shi Tian started the third and most important step: the formation of the Golden Core.
The newly converted spiritual qi in his body is at least a dozen times stronger than his previous spiritual qi. The power contained within it is so strong it could suppress all Purple Mansion Realm cultivators.
Its existence remains temporary, however. So long as one does not step into the Golden Core Realm, this special state will end and the cultivator will face a considerable backlash.
These worries did not exist in Shi Tian.
The crystal clear dantian started to change rapidly. The strong torrent of spiritual qi swirled around the spherical dantian. Every time it did so, it transformed a part of dao rhymes into the higher level Dao Laws.
Ninety-nine revolutions later, the crystal clear dantian was replaced with a perfectly round Golden Core. Its golden color contained hints of the Dao Laws Shi Tian had comprehended. The supernatural seeds he nurtured went into full bloom, permanently engraving their existence to the perfect golden pill.
Swoosh-!
Bam-!
The final hundredth revolution completed the Golden Core formation. It is the representation of beyond the absolute limits.
The peerless Golden Core integrated into Shi Tian's body, mind, and soul. The final piece to the puzzle was solved. The three aspects formed a harmonious balance and pushed each other to improve further.
His body and mind kept on improving whilst his soul acclimates to its new container.
The Golden Core itself remains nestled to the place where his soul used to reside, existing between reality and non-reality. His soul, on the other hand, is nurtured inside the Golden Core. Once the soul is nurtured to its utmost limits, cultivators become qualified to challenge the Nascent Soul Realm.
{Qi: Peak Purple Mansion > Early Golden Core}
The improvements did not stop yet. The feedback from the innate spiritual flames kept on pouring, feeding his Early Golden Core Realm until it was halfway through the minor realm.
Just then, a loud thunderous roar forced him to open his eyes.
The pressure around him is vastly different from his prior state. Every trembling of his eyelashes, movement of fingers, and quivering of lips are followed by dao rhymes. Shi Tian's casual actions are the equivalent of a Purple Mansion's attack.
"That tribulation knew I would succeed…"
Despite the tribulation lacking intelligence, Shi Tian knew its premature formation was due to his exceedingly high success rate. His breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm was just like the Foundation Establishment and Purple Mansion Realm; a sure-win. It posed zero difficulties for him.
With a swing of his hand, the void shifted. He left the palace. It grew smaller until it went inside his planet-sized late fourth grade storage ring.
Looking at the tribulations' formation above…
"Golden Core Realm."
…his heart wanted to try its effects wholeheartedly.