Aurous Core

Previous Level: Foundation Establishment | Next Level: Nascent Soul

Similar to the Foundation Establishment Stage, the Aurous Core Stage was also divided into three levels. Upon the the attainment of the Aurous Core Stage, the mana will concentrate to form a aurous core which was the initial level of the Aurous Core Stage.

## Stages

**Initial Stage (?? level)**: the mana will concentrate to form a aurous core which was the initial level of the Aurous Core Stage. In the initial stage of the golden core, although the golden core was formed, there were impurities in the golden core and it was necessary to use Yin Fire to get rid of the impurities.

Transition: Tribulations of the Yin Fire.

**Middle Stage (?? Level):** Upon surviving the tribulations of the Yin Wind, all unevenness on the elixir would have been ground smooth, and one would be able to attain the final level of the Aurous Core Stage.

Transition: Tribulation Yin Wind.

**Late Stage (?? Level)**: Upon surviving the tribulations of the Nine Heavenly Lightnings, one would then finally be able to bear a nascent soul, attaining the Nascent Soul Stage.

Transition: Nine Heavenly Lightnings Tribulation.

## Note

Amongst all cultivators who had attained the initial level of the Aurous Core Stage, there were many different grades of the aurous core. The different classifications were the Purple Pill, Red Pill, Green Pill and Yellow Pill. Amongst them, the Purple Pill was of the highest grade while the Yellow Pill was the lowest.

Any cultivator who had successfully generated the Purple Pill would not only be blessed with mana and abhijna which were far stronger than the cultivators who possessed the Red Pill or the Green Pill but also stood a far higher chance of surviving the tribulations of the Nine Heavenly Lightnings. This meant that they had a higher chance of attaining the Nascent Soul Stage.

If one were to generate the Red Pill, unless one was a fortuitous man who had immense luck or possessed support from cultivators who had immense abhijna, one would more or less only be able to survive the tribulations of the Yin Wind. The result was that he would only be able to stay at the final level of the Aurous Core Stage for the rest of his life.

Cultivators who possessed the Green Pill could at most survive the tribulations of the Yin Fire and would not be able to go through the tribulations of the Yin Wind. Hence, it would be near impossible for them to go beyond the middle level of the Aurous Core Stage without any special help.

As for the Yellow Pill cultivators, they were essentially doomed to loiter around at the initial level of the Aurous Core Stage.

The reason why it was commonly stated that the Foundation Establishment was the most critical stage of cultivation was clearly demonstrated here. There were a total of nine different grades for both the spiritual altar and the crucible.

Identifying details, and longevity would be achieved upon reaching the Aurora Core Initial Stage.

A Qi disciple could further his level to the Aurora Core Mid-Stage, characterized by the ‘Tao of Knowing’.

The ‘Tao of Knowing’ allowed one to understand the mystery of the infinitely vast universe, the heavens and hell, and communicate through the realms. The disciple would be able to warp the spiritual energy through the realms, to absorb them to be at his own disposal, and re-release them to his advantage.

When the essence of the universe is unravelled, the disciple achieved the Aurora Core Mid-Stage.

With this advantage in mind, in a duel between a mid-stage disciple and initial stage disciple, the mid-stage disciple would have an absolute advantage, purely due to the greater energy able to be harnessed from the environment. The initial stage disciple would be at a huge disadvantage.

Achieving both an eye for details and the 'Tao of knowing’ would spur the disciple to attempt to cut through the negative ‘Yin’ energy to reach the Aurous Core Final Stage.