Senior... Please Teach Me

On the other side.

Su Jiu obediently sat cross-legged as instructed.

She retrieved five materials from her storage ring and arranged them into a simple spirit-gathering formation.

With a True Dragon guarding her, many preparatory steps became unnecessary.

However, summoning spiritual energy was something she couldn’t trouble the other party with.

The materials saved could be reserved for Su Ji’s breakthrough to the Golden Core stage later.

She didn’t think much of it—just a case of making the best use of leftovers.

Then, Su Jiu began circulating the supreme core-condensation technique of the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox lineage.

Torrents of spiritual energy surged through her meridians, flowing along specific pathways before converging in her dantian, scouring her Dao Foundation.

With each surge, her Dao Platform solidified further.

Countless wisps of spiritual energy swirled and dissipated across its surface as an overwhelming aura radiated from her body.

Once the Dao Platform underwent nine refinements, guided by her soul, she could condense a supreme Ninth-Grade Golden Core in one go.

Su Ji had already achieved Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment.

How could she afford to fall behind?

Su Jiu focused entirely, her soul immersed in controlling the spiritual energy.

First refinement—success.

Second refinement—success.

...

Just as the seventh refinement was about to complete—

A voice tinged with impatience abruptly echoed in her ears.

"Stop."

Su Jiu’s mind shuddered, forcibly halting the flow of spiritual energy.

A mouthful of reverse blood nearly spilled out, but she swallowed it back with effort.

Her eyes snapped open as she looked at the red-haired little girl in confusion.

"Senior?"

"Spiritual energy scours the Dao Platform, shaping its form and condensing its essence—this is the foundation of core condensation."

The red-haired girl’s golden eyes swept over Su Jiu.

"Yet you do the opposite, using the Dao Platform to bear the spiritual energy before forcibly compressing it with your soul. This is a heretical shortcut—the worst possible choice."

Su Jiu froze, her face blank with disbelief. "But… my clan’s ancient texts state that this is the method to condense a Ninth-Grade Golden Core."

"I haven’t made a mistake."

She had absolute faith in her lineage’s inheritance.

This supreme technique had been perfected by the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox lineage over countless years—how could it be heresy?

"Ninth-Grade Golden Core?"

The red-haired girl paused, then gave Su Jiu an odd look.

"Has the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox clan fallen so low?"

"With me guarding you, you’re settling for a mere Ninth-Grade?"

Su Jiu was stunned.

"Isn’t… Ninth-Grade the highest?"

The red-haired girl scoffed, her tone dripping with undisguised disdain.

"Who told you Ninth-Grade is the peak?"

"Beyond Ninth-Grade lies the Tenth-Grade Perfection."

"And beyond that—the Golden Core of the Heavenly Palace, a direct path to immortality."

"Is this how your elders taught you?"

Su Jiu wanted to argue, but no words came out.

Because she truly had never heard of this…

All her knowledge came from her clan’s inheritance.

If that inheritance was flawed…

She had no rebuttal.

Seeing Su Jiu’s devastated expression, the red-haired girl’s disdain gradually faded.

She sighed, her voice carrying an inescapable melancholy.

"Fine."

Her gaze returned to Su Jiu.

"Your so-called technique is nothing more than a shortcut created by mediocre talents of ancient times to forcibly break through realms."

"While it can condense a core, it exhausts your potential prematurely, cutting off your future path."

"With your talent, forming that dead Ninth-Grade Core would forever bar you from the Immortal Emperor realm."

Barred from becoming an Emperor!

Su Jiu’s body trembled violently, her face turning deathly pale.

She could disregard the Golden Core’s grade, but she could never accept her path ending here.

She still wanted… to walk further alongside that person.

"Senior!"

Su Jiu looked up, her usually aloof eyes now filled with desperation.

"I beg you… teach me!"

The red-haired girl studied her in silence.

Her flawless face betrayed no emotion.

Just as Su Jiu’s hope began to fade—

"Want to learn?"

"Fine."

"But why should I teach you?"

"Your ancestor once stole my man."

"That debt remains unsettled."

Su Jiu bit her lip, saying nothing.

She knew the other party spoke the truth.

She had no bargaining power.

"However…"

The red-haired girl’s tone shifted, her lips curling into a meaningful smirk.

"Seeing as your little lover amused me, I’m in a good mood today."

"I’ll make an exception and guide you once."

Su Jiu’s heart leaped—then her cheeks burned crimson.

"He… he’s not—"

"Enough."

The red-haired girl cut her off impatiently.

"Focus. Calm your mind. Guard your essence."

"Listen to my chant."

"The heavens and earth as the furnace, creation as the craftsman, yin and yang as the charcoal, all things as the bronze."

"Draw energy into your dantian—not to scour, but to nurture."

"Use your soul as flame, your Dao Platform as the embryo. Temper it repeatedly, removing impurities."

"Only when it becomes flawless should you summon heavenly thunder to temper your body and earthly fire to refine your heart."

"Only then can you achieve the Golden Core of the Heavenly Palace!"

The red-haired girl’s voice resonated in Su Jiu’s consciousness.

Every word carried profound truths of the Great Dao, shaking her soul.

Without hesitation, Su Jiu followed the chant, carefully guiding each wisp of spiritual energy to gently nurture her crystalline Dao Platform.

The platform, which had dimmed earlier, now blazed with radiant light.

An aura several times stronger than before erupted from her body.

The red-haired girl nodded in approval.

"Thunder!"

"Come!"

With her command, the entire chained space trembled violently.

Outside, above Qihuang Gorge, the remnants of heavenly punishment—which had nearly dissipated—suddenly churned anew, drawn by an invisible force.

Tendrils of violet lightning snaked across the ground before coalescing into a single strand.

It tore through the void, violently piercing into the hidden space!

Su Jiu’s scalp prickled.

She watched as the destructive bolt shattered the spatial barrier, hurtling straight toward her.

"Focus!"

The red-haired girl’s voice brooked no argument.

"Let me show you what true core-tempering divine thunder looks like!"

She raised her shackled arm and clenched her delicate fist at the violet lightning.

The raging thunder dragon instantly docile, compressed into a fist-sized orb—its energy contained yet terrifyingly potent.

"Go!"

With a flick of her finger, the orb struck Su Jiu’s newly formed Dao Platform embryo.

"Zzzzt—"

Unbearable agony seared through her, as if her soul were being torn apart.

But once the pain faded, an unparalleled vitality surged from the embryo, nourishing every inch of her being.