Proud Sword Soaring Clouds

Moreover, there was a question that Ling Xiao couldn't wrap his head around: out of so many people, why were Ling Yun'Er and Huangpu Yue the only ones to form a Golden Core?

It was somewhat understandable that Huangpu Yue had formed a Golden Core; she possessed a Spirit Root, after all, even if she had no prior foundation of strength. But why had Lady Ling, whose strength was comparable to Ling Yun'Er's, only seen an increase in her Martial Artist cultivation level from the Canglan Continent without forming a Golden Core herself?

Ling Xiao racked his brain but couldn't figure out the reason. The patriarch who had created the Heaven-Ascending Pill had never anticipated that the elixir would be used in another world. Even that patriarch, who had already ascended to the Immortal Realm, probably couldn't explain this strange variation. In the end, it could only be explained with the phrase "it varies by person." Perhaps there were other reasons, but they were clearly beyond what Ling Xiao could currently comprehend.

In any case, this was simply fantastic news for the Shushan Sword Sect!

Shangguan Yutong, Su Xue, and the others were now clamoring to take the Heaven-Ascending Pill. After all, if Qiu Chen and Ling Tianxiao, who had just reached Tier One Sword Sect, could soar to the realm of a Tier Six Sword Emperor, and even people as originally weak as Tang Ming and Gaia could reach the Sword Emperor realm at a minimum... then what heights would they, who were already Middle-to-High Tier Sword Emperors, achieve after taking it? The thought made even Ling Xiao a little excited.

And so, the six Grand Elders, plus Ling Xiao himself, all decided to take a Heaven-Ascending Pill. To be on the safe side, Ling Xiao even prepared a Soul-Stabilizing Pill for himself. 'Just because the weaker ones didn't have any mishaps doesn't mean we won't.'

Before entering seclusion, Ling Xiao handed over the sect's affairs to his father and Qiu Chen. Both men were experienced, but they had never been given full responsibility simply because their strength was insufficient. Although this was Ling Xiao's domain, one's power had to be sufficient to command respect, or it would inevitably incite dissent.

After arranging everything, Ling Xiao left behind cultivation Heart Methods and sword techniques specifically for Huangpu Yue and Ling Yun'Er. Now, aside from Ye Zi, his group had two more Cultivators! This made Ling Xiao ecstatic. 'If Ling Yun'Er and Huangpu Yue cultivate together, they can learn from each other and improve significantly!'

Ling Xiao decided then and there. 'Once I'm out of seclusion, I'll personally guide Huangpu Yue and Ling Yun'Er. Then, it'll be time to have Ye Zi and the others return! By then, the Shushan Sword Sect's overall strength will be more powerful than ever before!'

Ling Xiao held the Heaven-Ascending Pill. The elixir was an emerald green, veiled in what looked like a fluorescent light, making it glitter with a crystalline beauty. Just holding it, he could feel the immense energy contained within. 'A heaven-defying elixir like this must never become known to outsiders,' he thought. 'Otherwise, even the people from the Holy Sanctuary would stop at nothing to get their hands on it.'

With that thought, Ling Xiao swallowed the Heaven-Ascending Pill without hesitation. The instant the pill entered his body, the Nascent Soul in Ling Xiao's Purple Mansion suddenly opened its eyes, shooting out two beams of light! At the same time, an extremely dazzling golden light formed an eggshell-like protective layer, enveloping the Nascent Soul!

The Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword in the Nascent Soul's hands couldn't help but let out a draconic cry! The sound wave pierced through the Shushan Sword Sect's Mist Array and spread out endlessly in all directions!

Within a radius of several thousand miles, every Martial Artist whose cultivation surpassed the Sword Venerable Realm snapped their eyes open, which now shone with disbelief. They all walked out of their homes, squinting up at the empty sky.

Someone muttered to themselves, "The passage to the Demon Realm has opened, and chaos is upon us. Could it be... that troubled times truly do create heroes?"

High in the sky, Sikong Yang, Sikong Liu, and Ximen Aotian, who were flying at high speed, all shuddered in unison. They simultaneously turned their heads to look back in the direction of Shushan City.

Sikong Yang asked, his voice laced with shock and suspicion, "Could that commotion be Ling Xiao's doing?"

Sikong Liu's brow furrowed, his cherubic face wrinkling as he said, "I don't care if it's that kid or not, I just hope it isn't someone from the Demon Realm! What a terrifying fluctuation! It feels... stronger than even Saint Tier power, doesn't it?"

Ximen Aotian shook his head. "How is that possible? That kid's strength should be about the same as mine, only slightly stronger at best! Saint Tier? Impossible!"

Sikong Yang remained silent, thinking, 'Impossible?' He recalled the directive he had received from the Holy Sanctuary: *Even if you fail to recruit Ling Xiao, you must never, under any circumstances, make an enemy of him!*

He kept this sentence to himself; there was no need to voice it.

Sikong Yang felt nothing but reverence for the powerful figures of the Holy Sanctuary, not a single thought of resistance or disdain. He glanced at Ximen Aotian and scoffed inwardly. 'How can you possibly question someone who caught the eye of one of the Holy Sanctuary's four great powers? On your level? Hmph. Even if I can't see through that kid's true strength, I'm sure he would have no trouble defeating you!'

...

The power of the Heaven-Ascending Pill was so great that Ling Xiao's Nascent Soul immediately began to protect itself. At the same time, Ling Xiao felt as if every meridian in his body was about to explode!

At the very instant he consumed the Heaven-Ascending Pill, Ling Xiao's internal organs were torn to shreds by the surging, immense energy! All that remained was the Nascent Soul inside him, desperately resisting the boundless power!

But even the Nascent Soul could not withstand it. The Nascent Soul let out a cry of utter terror, like a small wooden cabin being washed away by a ferocious flood, and was instantly submerged by the endless energy!

In Ling Xiao's Sea of Consciousness, a huge dharma visage suddenly appeared!

The dharma visage was incomparably huge, filling the entire space!

The dharma body erupted with a boundless radiance!

Amidst the light, the Great Perfection Radiant Cloud, the Great Compassion Radiant Cloud, the Great Wisdom Radiant Cloud, the Great Wisdom Radiance Cloud, the Great Samadhi Radiant Cloud, the Great Auspicious Radiant Cloud, the Great Merit and Virtue Radiant Cloud, the Great Merits and Virtues Radiant Cloud, the Great Refuge Radiant Cloud, and the Great Praise Radiant Cloud—countless auspicious clouds—materialized and swirled around the dharma body.

An array of subtle sounds also emerged: the so-called Sandalwood Fruit Sound, Corpse Fruit Sound, Kantiparmita Sound, Vihaya Parmita Sound, Zen Fruit Sound, and the Wisdom Paramita Sound; the Sound of Compassion, the Sound of Joyous Giving, the Sound of Liberation, and the Sound of Purity; the Sound of Wisdom and the Sound of Great Wisdom; the Lion's Roar and the Great Lion's Roar; the Sound of Cloud and Thunder and the Great Sound of Cloud and Thunder... All of them echoed within Ling Xiao's Sea of Consciousness, simultaneously spreading outward!

It enveloped the six Grand Elders in their seclusion and everyone else in the Shushan Sword Sect, before spreading to encompass the entirety of Shushan City!

The Ice Sea Secret Clan People, who were working underground raising the Ice Crystal Celestial Silkworms, all widened their eyes and almost simultaneously prostrated themselves on the ground, muttering incantations.

The Beastmen of the Penzes Beast Race, no matter what they were doing, also prostrated themselves on the ground, their expressions incomparably pious!

At that moment, everyone in Shushan City put down whatever they were holding and walked out of their homes as if compelled. Their faces filled with utmost piety as they gazed in the direction of the Shushan Inner City.

Suddenly, a person fell to their knees and cried out, "A True God has revealed Himself!"

Countless people followed, kneeling down...

This Magical Power enveloped the entire Shushan City for several hours!

Everyone's Spiritual Power gathered together, forming a line that traced an arc through the air, landing precisely on Ling Xiao inside the Shushan Sword Sect and entering his Sea of Consciousness! The giant dharma visage grew a little taller!

At the same time, the two eyes on the giant dharma body suddenly opened. Its mouth opened slightly, but no sound came out. Yet, everyone in Shushan City heard a sound like celestial music ring in their minds!

Those who had been ill felt as if they were bathed in holy light upon hearing this sound. Their bodies instantly felt lighter, their spirits invigorated.

High above Shushan City, all the white clouds gathered together. The clouds gradually formed a giant dharma visage! Everyone bowed down to the visage with even greater piety!

Even the people within the Shushan Sword Sect felt the change. Though Ling Tianxiao and the others didn't understand what was happening, they recognized it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for cultivation. And so, without needing to be told, they led the way, and everyone once again entered a state of secluded cultivation.

As for the Shushan Disciples who were already in seclusion after taking a Foundation Establishment Pill, when they were enveloped by this atmosphere, concepts they had struggled to grasp suddenly clicked into place.

Ling Xiao was completely unaware of all this!

The seventh level of the Great Freedom Heart Scripture allowed Ling Xiao to feel the immense pain in his body with extreme clarity, but it didn't affect his powerful mental state in the slightest!

Ling Xiao could even feel his meridians being repeatedly torn apart and repaired, his internal organs seemingly reforged countless times!

Just like a treasured sword under a blacksmith's hammer!

Forged and reforged a thousand times!

Occasionally, a huge wave of pain would try to break through Ling Xiao's Mental Cultivation, but he desperately held it at bay.

Outwardly, Ling Xiao's appearance was ghastly. Bright red blood trickled from his eyes, nostrils, ears, and the corners of his mouth. The hair on his head vanished in an instant, as if consumed by fire, only to grow back with incredible speed before disappearing once more...

This repeated over and over. In the end, Ling Xiao relied solely on the seventh level of the Great Freedom Heart Scripture to maintain his mental state. The Nascent Soul in his Purple Mansion had long since been washed away to who knows where!

「Seven days later.」

Shangguan Yutong was the first to emerge from seclusion. The sheer power undulating from her was so immense that her mental state nearly collapsed! It was only thanks to the profound Magical Power from the seventh level of Ling Xiao's Great Freedom Heart Scripture—which had previously enveloped all of Shushan City before converging back to cover only the Shushan Sword Sect—that she and the others who had advanced by leaps and bounds were able to maintain their mental stability.

This had actually been an oversight on Ling Xiao's part. But as they say, every action has its fated consequence. Even Ling Xiao himself had never imagined that the seventh level of the Great Freedom Heart Scripture possessed such incredible Magical Power.

In fact, Shangguan Yutong didn't know what realm she had reached. She only felt that everything between heaven and earth was vibrant and alive, as if she had gained a new understanding of all things!

Even a single, delicate flower became an entire world in her eyes. She felt as though she could perceive the flower's entire life cycle.

As she perceived the flower bloom and wilt in an instant, a radiant smile graced Shangguan Yutong's lips.