Really, if all of the glamor was stripped from their descriptions, Core Formation Realm practitioners were nothing.
They were at a level where they were only beginning their journeys. They did not have strong connections to the Dao yet and their power just barely surpassed an ordinary human.
For certain reasons, neither Atlas nor Horus was a normal Core Formation Realm genius. Still, what they were currently attempting went beyond their level.
This kind of action was more akin to something a Law Sea Realm cultivator or at least a Sky Sage would be attempting.
But, here they were. With their Core Formation Realm bodies and qi, they attempted to use the Daos in ways not allowed to them.