Chapter 407 : Beginning the Nascent Soul Formation
Chapter 407: Beginning the Nascent Soul Formation
Jade Pure Immortal Sect, Feather Immortal Pavilion.
Inside the quiet chamber, a handsome cultivator dressed in luxurious robes lightly tapped the tea table with his fingertip.
“How is the arrangement?” Xiao Yu asked lazily.
“Young Master, everything has already been arranged. It can be activated at any time.”
Hearing his subordinate’s answer, Xiao Yu slightly nodded.
During his previous move, although he had achieved part of his objective, obtained the Origin Beginning True Qi he desired, and given Chen Beiwu a warning, he had been unable to trigger his follow-up move because the sect had intervened.
This time, he had completed the deductions for his plan. He was no longer arrogant, nor careless. Once the plan was activated, he would certainly be able to completely cripple Chen Beiwu.
At this moment, the subordinate who had kept his head lowered suddenly spoke, “Young Master, this subordinate received news that Chen Beiwu plans to livestream his proving the Dao as a True Monarch. Should we use this opportunity to contact the Ancient Demon Sect?”
“Fool. Follow the plan. Do not harbor any improper thoughts.” Xiao Yu’s eyes narrowed as he scolded him.
He was born with a noble background. He was a renowned cultivation prodigy of the Heavenly Origin Xiao Family. At a young age, he had already become a mid-stage Nascent Soul True Monarch, was listed in the Jade Pure Golden Register, and was also a disciple of the Sect Master. The entire Jade Pure Immortal Sect believed that he possessed the aptitude to become a Divine Transformation True Venerable.
However, Xiao Yu clearly understood his own foundation. What Divine Transformation aptitude?
It was merely a false aptitude accumulated through his trade with the Ancient Demon Sect using vast amounts of Companion Beast pill resources.
He had even secretly used some unspeakable methods to suppress his rivals, ensuring that he was the unquestionable peerless prodigy of the Xiao Family’s main lineage.
And all of these were secrets that could not be exposed publicly or known by his master and father.
Even though everyone actually had more or less some idea in their hearts, they were still the same. Certain factors prevented them from exposing it openly.
To put it unpleasantly, if Xiao Yu had no dealings with the Ancient Demon Sect and already possessed peerless talent, he would not have needed to resent and target Chen Beiwu, a prodigy from a humble background, to the point where the sect stripped away his Jade Pure Golden Register position.
Xiao Yu only needed to cultivate step by step. Relying on his family background, he could naturally obtain the sect’s Divine Transformation resources and even gradually become the Jade Pure Sect Master after proving the Dao as a True Venerable.
This was the importance of one’s family lineage, an advantage that a common-born cultivator like Chen Beiwu could never catch up to.
However, Xiao Yu truly had ties with the Ancient Demon Sect!
The existence of this stain, even without being exposed publicly, was enough that even the slightest suspicion would cause him to lose his qualifications to inherit the position of Jade Pure Sect Master. Even competing for Divine Transformation resources in the future would require him to pay a tremendous price.
It was precisely because of this that Xiao Yu regarded Chen Beiwu as a thorn in his eye and a thorn in his flesh.
Why?
Why was it that he, who had a noble birth and a True Venerable father, possessed mediocre talent? Even though he could freely choose a Heavenly Astral Profound Beast cub to form a contract with, none of them acknowledged him, and in the end, he could only contract a third-stage Earth Fiend Treasure Beast.
Yet Chen Beiwu, a poor descendant of a declining household, was able to rely on the Immortal Alliance entrance examination, the recognition of the Jade Pure sect lineage and the Dongming Evergreen lineage, and step by step become the current Chief Disciple. He had even gained the recognition of that Dao Venerable and would later be listed in the Jade Pure Golden Register, becoming one of the candidates for the position of Jade Pure Sect Master.
But although jealousy remained jealousy, Xiao Yu, as a Nascent Soul True Monarch, could naturally distinguish grievances, the Dao path, and family matters clearly.
If his family required it, Xiao Yu could suppress the jealousy in his heart and his contempt toward Chen Beiwu’s origins, recruit him into the Xiao Family, and even discuss the Dao with him, becoming close friends.
But Chen Beiwu was too outstanding!
Whether among the current generation of Jade Pure young prodigies, the previous generation, or even the generation before that, he was unquestionably a figure riding the tide of the era.
Such a prodigy possessed the qualifications to cross the restrictions of generations and compete with him for the sect’s Divine Transformation resources, becoming an unavoidable competitor. This was undoubtedly something Xiao Yu found the hardest to accept.
One had to know that Divine Transformation resources were incomparably precious. Even Dao Venerable immortal clans found it difficult to forcibly obtain them!
Xiao Yu disliked accidents, and he was even more unwilling to have another competitor.
Especially now that he had already been stripped of his Jade Pure Golden Register status by the sect’s higher-ups. Only by stepping on Chen Beiwu could he gain his father’s approval and obtain the possibility of returning to the Jade Pure Golden Register.
But wanting to step on Chen Beiwu now was not a simple matter. It required following certain rules.
Yes, that was right. Playing petty tricks ultimately could not be brought into the open, and could only be used against existences whose power and background were far inferior to his own.
And under circumstances where rules had to be followed, one either did nothing or killed with a single strike.
Otherwise, Xiao Yu would not have been so cautious, nor would he have refrained from making a move against Chen Beiwu all these years before completing his plan.
“Young Master is wise. This subordinate was foolish.” The lowered-head cultivator sighed in relief and hurriedly bowed in apology.
Some matters were not even worth four liang when placed on a scale, but once weighed, even a thousand jin would not be enough to stop them.
He had deliberately brought up this matter because he feared the Young Master would act stubbornly and do something reckless when Chen Beiwu was proving the Dao as a True Monarch, violating a taboo.
That would be the most foolish choice, no different from offending the entire sect’s higher-ups.
If the Young Master could deceive everyone successfully, then it would still be fine. But once the sect discovered it, what awaited him would not only be Chen Beiwu’s retaliation but also the sect’s investigation.
At that time, even the matter of the Ancient Demon Sect could be exposed, leading to a major case.
“Go. Do your work properly. Do not make your own decisions again and suggest such foolish ideas.”
Xiao Yu glanced at his trusted subordinate. Watching his figure disappear, he then took out his phone and opened the Jade Pure Immortal Sect’s official website.
“What does proving the Dao as a True Monarch matter?” Xiao Yu let out a low laugh, his tone filled with confidence.
Killing a Jade Pure Chief Disciple, a Nascent Soul True Monarch who would set a new Immortal Alliance record, no matter how secretly and cautiously it was planned, the storm it caused within the Immortal Alliance would eventually affect him.
But if Chen Beiwu were transferred to the external affairs office, causing him to fail in handling matters and provoke the thousand-year peaceful Abyssal Abyss Demon Clan into a violent backlash that affected the overall situation of the Immortal Alliance, then that would be a different matter.
Once such a grave crime was placed upon him, even if the Jade Pure Immortal Sect could protect Chen Beiwu, the latter would lose the qualification to seize Divine Transformation resources.
If Chen Beiwu could never become a Divine Transformation True Venerable for his entire life, then even if he remained alive with the cultivation of a Nascent Soul True Monarch, he was no different from a cripple in Xiao Yu’s eyes. There would always be a way to completely suppress him in the future.
……
Meanwhile, Azure Dark Peak.
Water Evolution Residence.
After Chen Beiwu returned to his cave abode, the first thing that entered his eyes was the resplendent Jade Pure Myriad Transformations Lotus Platform.
Under the gazes of Golden Egg and the others, Chen Beiwu followed the ritual rules explained by the Sect Master, then poured a cup of third-stage treasure wine.
“Buzz!”
As the wine within the cup disappeared, a gentle female voice sounded beside Chen Beiwu’s ears.
‘This wine is average. It is not spicy enough, but it can barely be considered tasty.’
Hearing this, Chen Beiwu did not reply.
Pouring fourth-stage profound wine would easily cause trouble. He did not want any accidents to occur while breaking through.
‘Boring.’
As the voice fell, the radiance of the Jade Pure Myriad Transformations Lotus Platform vanished, revealing an ordinary appearance.
Chen Beiwu stepped onto the lotus platform and sat down. He meditated on Supreme Mystery Guarding Unity and discovered that there was no change whatsoever, causing him to feel somewhat puzzled.
Had he succeeded or not?
“I’ll try too!”
Golden Egg was the first one unable to sit still. It rode clouds and attempted to rush into Chen Beiwu’s embrace.
“Buzz!”
At that moment, the Jade Pure Myriad Transformations Lotus Platform released a faint glow and stopped Golden Egg.
‘Calm your breath and focus your mind. Whether you can gain enlightenment depends entirely on yourself.’
‘As for other beasts, they are too filthy. Do not dream of sitting upon the lotus platform.’
Hearing the artifact spirit’s response, Chen Beiwu looked toward Golden Egg.
The latter lowered its three heads and guarded the lotus platform together with Iron Egg and the others.
Chen Beiwu shook his head, closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and circulated 《Purple Mansion Opening Heaven Nascent Soul Transformation Secret Record》.
This Nascent Soul Formation immortal technique possessed four major realms: Initial Entry, Yin and Yang First Harmony, Primordial Chaos First Division, and Opening Heaven with Divine Spirit.
In the Supreme Origin Heavenly Realm, with the guidance of that existence, after digesting his insights, Chen Beiwu had successfully comprehended this Nascent Soul Formation immortal technique to the second realm.
As for the third realm 【Primordial Chaos First Division】 and fourth realm 【Opening Heaven with Divine Spirit】, a cultivator needed to complete the Nascent Soul Formation process before entering them. Chen Beiwu had not reached them yet.
“Buzz!”
As time passed, the natural spiritual energy within Water Evolution Residence began to stir.
Above Chen Beiwu’s Purple Mansion Spirit Platform, a resplendent great sun and a bright full moon simultaneously appeared. The two illuminated each other, triggering the phenomenon of ‘Sun and Moon Sharing the Sky, Divine Qi Growing Together.’
‘It is about time!’
Chen Beiwu sat cross-legged with his eyes closed. He had already deduced this dozens of times and confirmed that the moment had arrived. He immediately seized the opportunity and moved his thoughts.
“Roar!”
“Woof!”
“Na!”
“Ying!”
Four completely different voices echoed within Chen Beiwu’s mind.
Golden Egg coiled on the left side. Its three dragon heads raised upward as it activated the Three Forms Manifestation Mystical Ability, releasing vast dragon might to guide and gather the natural spiritual energy of heaven and earth for Chen Beiwu.
Iron Egg crouched on the right side. Its entire fur burned like flames as it spat out a spinning inner core, refining the natural spiritual energy of heaven and earth for Chen Beiwu.
Snow Le clasped both hands together and stood at the very front. Azure, crimson, yellow, white, and black five-colored radiance circulated around its body as it operated Five Elements Treasure Light, nourishing Chen Beiwu’s physical body.
Zhiling stepped through the air. Behind it, seven fluffy fox tails bloomed with dreamlike radiance, suppressing Chen Beiwu’s dantian and maintaining the stability of his qi sea space.
At this moment, the bloodline powers of the four Heavenly Astral Profound Beasts resonated with the Sun and Moon phenomenon within Chen Beiwu’s Purple Mansion Spirit Platform, becoming completely connected as one.
“Rumble!”
As thunderous sounds rang out, Chen Beiwu sensed the three treasures of essence, qi, and spirit within his body, which had always been clearly separated, beginning to circulate repeatedly and merge with one another. Even the nascent Yang Spirit within his Purple Mansion Sea of Consciousness bloomed with unprecedented radiance.
‘Using the source of Companion Beasts, strengthen my three treasures;’
‘Using my own Dao, control ten thousand tribulations and ten thousand spirits.’
When the true meaning of 《Origin Beginning Cave True Azure Radiance Controlling Ten Thousand Tribulations and Ten Thousand Spirits Immortal Technique》 surged into Chen Beiwu’s heart, the Origin Beginning Golden Core within his dantian qi sea began to tremble slightly.
However, Chen Beiwu did not rush. He suppressed the restlessness in his heart and slowly circulated his technique.
As Ancestor Zhu Wuyá had said, Southern Wilderness Golden Core Realms proving the Dao as True Monarchs had to pass four trials: Shattering the Core, Condensing the Nascent Soul, Tempering the True, and Forming the Core.
However, the True Monarch method of the Immortal Alliance’s Golden Core cultivators proving the Dao was clearly different from the Southern Wilderness method.
Simply summarized in one sentence, it was: “Humans gain unity and obtain spirit, beasts gain unity and obtain essence. Borrow essence to supplement spirit, steal the secrets of the Three Talents, harmonize yin and yang. This is the Dao of Beast-Taming Cultivation.”
And this Three Talents Stealing Secrets referred to stealing the beast’s origin, gaining the support of the origin lineage, and completing the cultivator’s unrevealed innate endowment;
Stealing the beast’s attribute, gaining the support of the attribute lineage, and assisting the cultivator in comprehending the Great Dao of heaven and earth;
Stealing the beast’s method, gaining the support of the method lineage, and using Companion Mystical Abilities to glimpse the truth and falsehood of the Great Dao.
Especially since Chen Beiwu cultivated three Nascent Soul Formation methods. Among them were the Immortal Alliance’s Ten Thousand Tribulations and Ten Thousand Spirits Natal Immortal Technique, Purple Mansion Opening Heaven Nascent Soul Transformation Secret Record, as well as the Southern Wilderness Supreme Unity Dao Sect’s Heavenly Unity Northern Abyss Myriad Forms Record, which directly pointed toward the Pure Yang Nascent Soul and the Dao of Cause and Effect Reality and Illusion, allowing Golden Core cultivators to see through Heart Demon Tribulations.
The three combined together. Everything would naturally proceed smoothly, allowing him to break the Golden Core’s golden nature and transform the tangible core into an intangible one.
Rushing would instead lower the outcome.
……
At the same time, the boundless starry sky.
A dead silent star hung high above the endless galaxy.
The surface of this star was covered by dark purple dust haze. Not a trace of natural spiritual energy leaked out, making it appear exceptionally ordinary among countless stars.
However, the interior of this star had long been hollowed out and transformed by numerous Ancient God Sect cultivators, with extremely concealed formations and restrictions arranged throughout.
Ancient God Sect, True God Hall.
A black-robed cultivator knelt on the ground, holding a silver plate that was neither gold nor jade.
On the plate was a piece of Zhengming Stone, emitting a trace of pure Origin Beginning True Qi aura.
In front of the black-robed cultivator stood an especially eye-catching altar.
Above the altar was a divine statue approximately nine zhang tall.
The posture of this divine statue was strange. Both palms faced upward, the right hand rested atop the left hand, and the thumbs lightly touched each other before the body.
However, compared to these details, the most eye-catching aspect was that the divine statue had no features. It possessed no facial features, and an abstruse seal script character was engraved upon its forehead.
If Chen Beiwu were here, he would immediately be able to see the terrifying fortune contained within that seal script.
“It actually had no reaction!”
After a long while, the black-robed cultivator who had been kneeling on the ground stood up. His brows slightly furrowed, and he did not dare to look at the divine statue.
He had conducted hundreds of divine sacrificial ceremonies.
After every divine sacrifice ended, he would more or less receive gifts from the Origin Source Ancient God. Only in extremely rare cases, when the True Qi and magical power did not satisfy the Ancient God’s requirements, would he receive no response.
But this should not have happened!
According to past patterns, the quantity of True Qi and magical power offered during divine sacrifices did not matter. As long as the quality was sufficient and it came from an unparalleled prodigy of the Immortal Alliance, it could trigger a trace of divine power fluctuation.
The peerless prodigy of the previous generation who forged the Origin Beginning Golden Core, namely Mysterious Pivot True Monarch of the Jade Pure Immortal Sect, had allowed the Ancient God Sect to obtain the method of becoming an Ancient God and gain another Divine Son through a single accidental complete divine sacrifice.
As for the casualties caused by the Ancient God Sect because of this, they were merely the necessary price on the path toward the supreme immortal road.
There was only one strange point. Chen Beiwu was capable of reversing the killing of a Nascent Soul True Monarch, and he was also the peerless prodigy of this generation who forged the Origin Beginning Golden Core in the Jade Pure Immortal Sect. Logically speaking, it was impossible for him to be unable to trigger the Ancient God’s divine power fluctuation.
A peerless prodigy who could not even trigger divine power fluctuations would usually only appear among useless second-generation cultivators.
With this thought, the black-robed cultivator removed the Zhengming Stone and placed a Divine Mechanism Stone containing stored True Qi and magical power onto the silver plate, continuing the simple divine sacrificial ritual.
“Buzz!”
Unlike the previous reaction, the Divine Mechanism Stone on the silver plate immediately shattered. The True Qi and magical power within vanished without a trace, and the black-robed cultivator instantly entered a profound state.
After one breath, the black-robed cultivator opened his eyes and took out a jade slip from his robes.
On the jade slip were densely recorded the names of cultivation prodigies from the five Immortal Alliance Cave Heavens, the thirteen Immortal Sects, and the seventy-nine Upper Sects.
In the list, the names of the prodigies from the five Immortal Alliance Cave Heavens all had an × marked behind them. In contrast, the marks behind the prodigies of the thirteen Immortal Sects and seventy-nine Upper Sects differed, with some having × and others having √.
After hesitating for a moment, the black-robed cultivator moved his fingertip and marked an × behind Chen Beiwu of the Jade Pure Immortal Sect, then marked a √ behind Li Yu of the Supreme Purity Immortal Sect.
A peerless prodigy unable to trigger divine power fluctuations was still trash no matter how talented he was, and was not worth the Ancient God Sect’s attention.
However, the black-robed cultivator did not notice that when he performed the divine sacrifice with the Zhengming Stone, the seal script on the divine statue’s forehead emitted a faint glow that even a Divine Transformation True Venerable could not sense.