novelonline Chapter 1434 Advancement to the Nascent Soul Stage
Chapter 1434 Advancement to the Nascent Soul Stage
Chapter 1434 Advancement to the Nascent Soul Stage
With the two leaders of the Reverse Star Alliance killed and high-ranking elders either dead or on the run, the massive alliance crumbled instantly. The remaining forces were scattered across various islands in the Chaotic Star Ocean, barely clinging to life.
Ling Xiaofeng and Wen Qing entrusted Ling Yuling with the crucial tasks of eliminating the remaining enemies, recovering lost territory, and restoring order to the Star Palace. Firstly, this was the best opportunity to establish the young palace master's authority and cultivate her leadership abilities; secondly, their lifespans were nearing their end, and they needed to seize their remaining time to handle some core inheritances and secrets within the Star Palace; and thirdly, Qin Hao also needed time to deal with his own affairs and prepare for his final breakthrough.
With the level ten demon beast Gui Ling as her personal bodyguard, as long as Ling Yuling didn't actively provoke the Golden Flood Dragon King and the Suanni King, two level ten demon beasts residing deep in the outer star sea, her safety would be guaranteed. Qin Hao then gave her some powerful talismans and protective magic treasures before feeling at ease letting her lead the army into battle.
Ling Xiaofeng and Wen Qing, bound by the Yuan Magnetic Divine Mountain, were unable to leave Tianxing City and returned to their palace deep within the sacred mountain after the great battle. They began methodically organizing the core texts and secret archives accumulated over millennia by the Star Palace, gradually imparting to Qin Hao some secrets known only to the two saints, as well as deeper methods of controlling the Yuan Magnetic Divine Mountain. Of course, this process was also accompanied by deeper observation and probing.
Ling Yuling's expedition was remarkably smooth sailing. Under the overwhelming power of Guiling, the Star Palace army was invincible. The remaining forces of the Rebel Alliance surrendered without a fight, and those who resisted were swiftly wiped out. Ling Yuling's combination of kindness and severity, coupled with her fair dealings, quickly won her the unanimous support of everyone in the Star Palace, solidifying her position as the young palace master.
Months later, Ling Yuling returned victorious. A grand celebration was held in Tianxing City. The next thirty years were a rare period of peace and tranquility for Tianxing City.
Under the guidance of her parents and husband, Ling Yuling's cultivation steadily improved, and she became increasingly adept at handling palace affairs. Ling Xiaofeng and Wen Qing enjoyed their final moments of family bliss, watching their daughter and son-in-law's deep affection, knowing that the Star Palace had a worthy successor. Their lingering attachments and worries about the mortal world gradually subsided. Qin Hao, on the other hand, spent most of his time in seclusion in the Holy Mountain's secret chamber, occasionally emerging to reunite with his family, living a peaceful and fulfilling life.
However, time is merciless. Thirty years is half a lifetime for mortals, a mere blink of an eye for Nascent Soul cultivators, and for Ling Xiaofeng and his wife, whose lifespans are nearing their end, it has passed by even more swiftly.
On this day, the atmosphere in the innermost chamber of the sacred mountain was solemn and sorrowful.
Ling Xiaofeng and Wen Qing sat side by side, their faces, though preserved by magic, still revealed an undeniable withering and decay. Before them stood Qin Hao and Ling Yuling, whose eyes were red-rimmed.
"Ling'er." Ling Xiaofeng's voice was a little hoarse, but it carried the calmness of someone who had been relieved of a heavy burden: "The end for you and your mother is today."
"Father! Mother!" Ling Yuling cried uncontrollably, throwing herself into Wen Qing's arms. Wen Qing gently stroked his daughter's hair, his eyes filled with love and reluctance.
"Don't cry, child. Life and death are the cycle of reincarnation, the ultimate truth of the universe. Your father and I have walked hand in hand to this day, seeing the Star Palace at peace and you finding a good match. We have no regrets." Wen Qing comforted him gently, then looked at Qin Hao with a solemn gaze: "My dear son-in-law, the Star Palace and Ling'er are now entrusted to you."
Qin Hao bowed respectfully: "Father-in-law and mother-in-law, rest assured, your son-in-law will certainly live up to your expectations."
Ling Xiaofeng nodded, exchanged a glance with Wen Qing, and the two simultaneously cast a spell. The floor of the secret chamber slowly cracked open, revealing a small mountain, over ten zhang tall, entirely gray-black, radiating a strange force field, rising gently under the support of five-colored light. The mountain appeared small, yet it gave the illusion of immense weight, as if it could distort the five elements and suppress the void—it was none other than the Primordial Magnetic Divine Mountain that had bound the two saints for their entire lives!
"This mountain is now entrusted to you."
After handing over the Yuan Magnetic Divine Mountain, Ling Xiaofeng and Wen Qing's last gazes fell on Ling Yuling, filled with endless affection.
"Ling'er, your father and mother will help you one last time." Ling Xiaofeng said in a low voice, and he and Wen Qing placed their palms on Ling Yuling's back at the same time!
"A sudden enlightenment!"
The last remaining immense magical power and incomparably pure nascent soul essence within the two individuals surged into Ling Yuling's body like a burst dam! This was no ordinary transfer of power; rather, it was using their own Dao foundation as fuel, burning their last breaths to forcibly elevate Ling Yuling's cultivation level!
Ling Yuling's body shone brightly, and her aura surged at a visible speed! She broke through the barrier of the early Nascent Soul stage in an instant and steadily advanced towards the middle Nascent Soul stage! This process was accompanied by immense pain, but Ling Yuling gritted her teeth and persevered, tears streaming down her face.
About an incense stick later, Ling Xiaofeng and Wen Qing's hands slipped limply to the ground. The two looked at each other and smiled, but the light in their eyes quickly dimmed. Their bodies, like weathered sand sculptures, slowly turned into specks of crystalline dust and dissipated in the secret room, leaving only two warm storage rings.
"Father! Mother—!" Ling Yuling felt the disappearance of the support behind her and the powerful magic power within her body that was stable at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. She let out a heart-wrenching cry and reached out her hand towards the scattered dust of light, but she could not grasp anything.
Qin Hao silently stepped forward, embraced her, and let her tears soak his clothes.
The era of the Twin Saints of the Heavenly Stars has come to a complete end.
……
After holding a solemn mourning ceremony for Ling Xiaofeng and his wife, and assisting Ling Yuling in stabilizing her somewhat unstable cultivation level due to the surge in her cultivation, Qin Hao returned to seclusion.
Over the past thirty years, he has never wasted a moment.
More than twenty years ago, he seized an opportunity to secretly enter the depths of the Void Heaven Palace and once again saw the lower realm avatar of the Cave Heaven Rat King, which was sealed within the Void Heaven Cauldron. After a difficult negotiation and exchange of benefits, Qin Hao exchanged some of his Cold Marrow from the Rat King's avatar for the secret method to complete his Five Elements Spiritual Roots, as well as some valuable knowledge about upper realm cultivation techniques and weapon crafting.
Using this method, he successfully refined the wood-attribute inner core obtained from the tenth-level wood spirit of Kunwu Mountain, thus completing his wood spiritual root. This gave him all four attributes of metal, wood, fire, and earth, leaving only the water attribute spiritual root missing.
At the same time, the Cave Heaven Rat King also taught him a secret technique from the Spirit Realm, specifically designed for thoroughly searching powerful divine souls. Qin Hao used this technique to conduct an unprecedentedly deep soul search on the captured Six Paths Supreme Saint Nascent Soul, not only obtaining the complete "Six Extremes True Demon Art," the very manual that made him famous, but also learning a startling secret—the Six Paths Supreme Saint cultivated a bizarre incarnation ability, creating six avatars hidden in various locations! Even if the main Nascent Soul was destroyed, as long as one avatar survived, its divided soul could use that as a foundation to gradually revive and be reborn over a long period of time!
Furthermore, the Rat King's avatar pointed out the flaws and roughness of the Three Gods White Bone Banner of the Six Paths Supreme Saint, and imparted the true refining method of the Spirit Realm! If this method could be used to re-refine this banner with the life souls and essence of a massive number of cultivators, it would theoretically be enough to elevate it to a level close to or even reaching the level of a Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasure! Of course, this method is against the natural order and requires an extremely terrifying amount of divine souls to consume.
Although Qin Hao disliked indiscriminate killing, he was not pedantic either. He memorized this method, hoping it might come in handy later.
To eliminate any future threats, Qin Hao, based on the clues obtained from soul searching, began searching for the remaining avatars of the Six Paths Supreme Saint. These avatars varied in cultivation level and hid in different locations. However, thanks to the Star Palace's intelligence network, he quickly located and destroyed five of the avatars, completely refining their remnant souls.
Only one avatar remained, a hidden pawn laid out by the Six Paths Supreme Saint in his early years, whose identity was none other than his "son"—Wen Tianren! And Wen Tianren's mother was none other than Madam Wen, whom he had met once in the Void Heaven Palace!
Outside a secluded cave on a remote island in the Chaotic Star Sea.
Qin Hao's figure appeared silently, his gaze locking onto Wen Tianren, a cultivator who was meditating inside the cave. Wen Tianren's face bore a five or six-point resemblance to the Six Paths Supreme Saint, but he appeared much younger. At this moment, Wen Tianren's cultivation had reached the late stage of Core Formation, but a faint layer of black aura shrouded his brows, clearly indicating that the split soul within him had begun to subtly affect his mind.
Just as Qin Hao was about to raise his hand to kill him—
"Fellow Taoist, wait!"
A streak of anxious black light shot down from the sky, instantly landing in front of Wen Tianren and firmly protecting him behind him. The light dissipated, revealing a female cultivator dressed in black robes, still possessing a graceful charm but with an expression of endless weariness and sorrow on her face—it was Madam Wen.
Qin Hao frowned slightly: "Mrs. Wen, we meet again."
Looking at Qin Hao, whose aura was unfathomable and who had already stood at the pinnacle of the Chaotic Star Sea, Madam Wen had a bitter smile on her face: "It has been less than two hundred years since we parted at the Void Heaven Palace... I never expected that Fellow Daoist Zhang would have already reached the pinnacle and become a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, whose fame resounds throughout the world... I was blind to your greatness back then, and I hope you will forgive me."
She bowed deeply, then raised her head, her eyes pleading: "Fellow Daoist Zhang, could you... spare my son's life, considering that we once explored the Void Heaven Palace side by side and had met once before?"
Qin Hao's gaze remained icy, his tone calm yet undeniably authoritative: "Madam Wen, you should know very well. Even if I don't kill him today, once the six demonic shards within him fully awaken and take over his body, he will no longer be your son. At that time, the harm he causes will be even greater."
Madam Wen's body trembled, tears silently streaming down her face, her voice choked with sobs: "I...I know, of course. If it weren't for that, why would I...why would I have to endure this humiliation and live in such a way, staying by that devil's side? It was all to find an opportunity to save my son's life!"
Her words were filled with endless pain and self-blame. She was once a remarkable woman, but she was trapped by love and mistakenly believed the sweet words of the Six Paths Saint. Not only did she become a plaything, but she also implicated her son, making him the vessel for the demon's resurrection.
“Mother…” Wen Tianren also woke up at this moment, his face turning deathly pale.
Madam Wen glanced at her son with affection, then turned to Qin Hao and said resolutely, "I have found an ancient secret technique—the Soul Separation and Soul Retrieval Technique! It can forcibly extract and refine the fragmented soul that remains in my son's body! However… this technique requires the entire soul of a Nascent Soul cultivator as a sacrifice, burned as an offering, to succeed!"
"Mother! No!!" Upon hearing this, Wen Tianren was struck dumb, burst into tears, and grabbed Madam Wen's arm tightly.
Madam Wen gently tidied his messy hair, her eyes filled with maternal love and a sense of farewell: "Ren'er, I'm so sorry. I was foolish back then and believed that villain's lies, causing you to live in fear since birth and planting such a seed of misfortune in your body... Today, I will use my life to give my son a free and carefree future. From now on... you must live well."
"Mother! No! There must be another way!" Wen Tianren cried.
Looking into Madam Wen's gentle yet resolute eyes, Qin Hao couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion. In the cultivation world, the strong prey on the weak; fathers and sons often turn against each other, and masters and disciples frequently betray each other in the pursuit of immortality and resources. Since entering the cultivation world, he had seen very few like Madam Wen, who were willing to sacrifice everything for her children, even her own life and soul.
"The love of a mother for her child can move heaven and earth." Qin Hao sighed softly, the coldness in his heart quietly melting away: "So be it, so be it. For the sake of Madam Wen's loving motherly heart, I, Zhang, will grant you and your child your wish."
He abruptly changed the subject, took out a jade box covered with talismans from his storage bag, and casually opened it. Inside was the Six Paths Supreme Saint Lord's Nascent Soul, which was heavily sealed and looked terrified!
"Sacrificing the soul of a Nascent Soul cultivator doesn't necessarily mean using your own." Qin Hao flicked his finger, sending the sealed Nascent Soul to Madam Wen: "Madam Wen, surely... you wouldn't hesitate to harm this old demon's soul, would you?"
Madam Wen was stunned at first, then her eyes erupted with boundless hatred and wild joy! She grabbed the Nascent Soul, feeling the terror and resentment remaining in the six Supreme Saints within it, and gritted her teeth, saying, "Can't bring yourself to do it? Hahahaha! Fellow Daoist Zhang is joking! I wish I could devour its flesh and drink its blood! This demon has ruined my life and caused my son to suffer like this. Today, to be able to personally refine its soul and burn its spirit is my lifelong wish!"
"You surnamed Wen! You've finally met your match!!" Madam Wen appeared frantic, yet also exuded a sense of liberated joy. Without hesitation, she began to activate the secret technique.
The Six Paths Supreme Saint's nascent soul was completely sealed. He could hear and see, but he could neither speak nor move, and he couldn't even beg for mercy. He could only watch helplessly as the woman he once regarded as a plaything and manipulated at will used those familiar hands to perform unfamiliar hand seals, igniting the primordial soul fire of his nascent soul!
"Zizi..."
A ghostly blue soul fire ignited from within the nascent soul, accompanied by a silent yet deeply piercing wail. Madam Wen's face was solemn as she guided the burning soul power, transforming it into strange runes that were then injected into Wen Tianren's brow.
"Ah—!" Wen Tianren let out a bloodcurdling scream, clutching his head and rolling on the ground. Wisps of black mist, filled with resentment and unwillingness, were forcibly forced out of his seven orifices—the very fragments of the Six Paths Supreme Saint's soul that had been dormant for many years! Under the burning of the soul fire runes guided by Madam Wen, these black mists rapidly melted and annihilated!
The process lasted for about half an hour.
As the last wisp of black mist dissipated, the Six Paths Supreme Saint's nascent soul was completely burned away, turning into nothingness. This demonic tyrant, who had roamed the chaotic star sea for thousands of years and stirred up countless bloody storms, finally met his end, his soul and body annihilated, and he perished completely, with no possibility of resurrection.
Wen Tianren collapsed to the ground, drenched in sweat and pale-faced, but the dark aura between his brows had dissipated and his eyes had regained their clarity, though he was extremely weak.
Madam Wen was also greatly exhausted from presiding over the secret ritual, and her aura was weak. However, seeing her son return to normal, she showed a smile of extreme relief and joy.
The mother and son embraced and wept. A moment later, Madam Wen, holding Wen Tianren's hand, solemnly kowtowed three times in the direction where Qin Hao had stood.
"Thank you so much, Fellow Daoist Zhang! I will never forget this kindness and virtue!"
However, when they looked up, the spot was empty; Qin Hao was nowhere to be seen. Only the sea breeze blew by, as if nothing had ever happened.
……
Half a year later.
Deep within the outer star sea lies a region shrouded in powerful demonic energy. Here, coral forests abound and crystal palaces stretch as far as the eye can see; this is the royal city of the Suanni clan, one of the royal families of the Chaotic Star Sea demon race.
At this moment, inside the most magnificent palace in the royal city, the atmosphere was heavy and tense. Dozens of powerful, uniquely shaped transformed demonic beasts gathered together, all members of the Suanni royal family, with the lowest cultivation level being level eight, and several of them being level nine demonic beasts.
The leader was a dignified-looking middle-aged man dressed in a golden robe, none other than the current king of the Suanni clan—the Suanni King, a peak level ten demon beast!
"Hmph! Those despicable humans! They've murdered several members of my royal family who were traveling, seized their demon cores, and now they dare to openly issue a challenge, demanding a duel outside the royal city! This is utterly outrageous! Utterly arrogant!"
The hot-tempered elder of the Suanni clan slammed his fist on the table, his voice booming so loudly it shook the palace: "Today, I must skin this monstrous beast alive, extract its demonic soul, and roast it with the fires of the earth's core for a thousand years to quell the hatred in my heart!"
"The Grand Elder is right!"
"We must let humanity know whose domain the Outer Sea is!"
"Kill the provocateurs and unleash a bloodbath on several human islands in protest!"
The members of the Suanni royal family were filled with rage, roaring repeatedly. In recent years, several of their younger, transformed members had indeed perished abroad, their demon cores stolen, which had already fueled their anger. Now, the culprit dared to provoke them, a blatant slap in the face!
The Suanni King frowned, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest of his throne, unlike his subordinates who were equally agitated. He asked in a deep voice, "Has Fellow Daoist Golden Flood Dragon King of the Flood Dragon Clan replied?"
An elder in charge of liaison bowed immediately: "Your Majesty, the Golden Dragon King has come to lend his assistance and is currently outside the palace."
"Please come quickly!" King Suanni's spirits lifted slightly.
Soon, the Golden Flood Dragon King led Feng Xilong into the hall with a swaggering gait. After exchanging greetings and pleasantries, the Suanni King handed the Golden Flood Dragon King a challenge letter written with magical power and radiating a sharp sword intent.
The Golden Dragon King took a look and found that the challenge letter was simple and blunt, directly demanding the inner core of a level ten demon cultivator from the Suanni royal family and challenging him to a duel outside the royal city. It was signed with the character "Zhang".
"You bastard!" The Golden Flood Dragon King roared in fury, his golden whiskers fluttering even without wind, a domineering dragon aura spreading out: "A mere human cultivator dares to be so arrogant, openly demanding the royal family's inner core? He simply doesn't take our demon race seriously! Brother Suanni, rest assured, once we capture this fiend, I will make him taste the soul-refining methods of my Flood Dragon Clan, wishing he could neither live nor die!"
"Yes! We can't let him die so easily!" The Grand Elder of the Suanni Clan immediately echoed, but when he glanced at the Suanni King, a hint of dissatisfaction and mockery lingered in his eyes. He felt that the Suanni King was too cautious, even somewhat cowardly. Why go to such lengths to seek outside help when dealing with a human? The Suanni Clan's strength was sufficient.
The Suanni King naturally felt the Grand Elder's gaze, and the unease in his heart grew stronger. Human cultivators were cunning and resourceful; how could they dare to challenge the entire Suanni royal family single-handedly without absolute certainty? The last time humans so arrogantly provoked the royal family of the sea was back when the Star Palace was first established. The legendary first Star Palace Master had single-handedly fought his way across the outer seas, forcing all the demon races to retreat and securing a foothold for humanity in the Chaotic Star Sea.
"Elder," the Suanni King snorted coldly, an even heavier and more violent pressure bearing down on the Elder: "You seem to have some reservations about my decision?"
The Grand Elder grunted, his body swayed slightly, his face paled, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "No... I dare not. Our King's plans are far-sighted and have their reasons."
"Since you dare not, then shut your mouth!" King Suanni withdrew his oppressive aura, his tone icy: "The Suanni clan is none of your business to point fingers at!"
The elder withdrew in disgrace, not daring to say another word.
At this moment, a sudden change occurred!
"boom--!!!"
A deafening roar, as if the heavens were splitting open, came from above the royal city! Immediately afterward, a golden blade of light, a thousand feet long, condensed to its extreme, and seemingly capable of splitting the sky and the sea, descended fiercely from the heavens like a blade of divine punishment!
Before the blade even arrived, its incomparably sharp aura had already cleaved the seawater below into a bottomless chasm, with the seawater on both sides standing like walls! Finally, the golden blade struck the ancient protective array of the royal city with tremendous force!
"Buzz—Crackling sound!!"
A piercing buzzing sound and a cracking noise rang out! The entire Suanni Royal City shook violently, the seabed trembled, and dust fell from the palace! The protective array that had been able to withstand the onslaught of a level ten demonic beast for several days was now cracked and flashing with light under this attack!
"Enemy attack!!"
"court death!!"
"Insanity!"
All the demons inside the palace instantly flew into a rage! The Suanni King and the Golden Flood Dragon King simultaneously transformed into two astonishing rainbows, breaking through the top of the palace and shooting straight towards the sea! The remaining dozens of transformed Suanni royal family members also roared and revealed part of their true forms or used their escape light to follow closely behind.
The sunlight was blinding on the sea. A figure in a green robe stood in mid-air, the sea beneath his feet calm, as if the earth-shattering attack just now had nothing to do with him. It was Qin Hao.
The Suanni King and the Golden Flood Dragon King appeared on the sea with overwhelming rage and demonic power. Behind them were countless Suanni clan powerhouses, some displaying their ferocious forms and others maintaining human shapes. Their demonic aura soared to the sky, surrounding Qin Hao and glaring angrily.
Qin Hao's gaze swept across the area, and when he saw the Golden Flood Dragon King, he was slightly surprised. Then, a faint smile appeared on his lips: "Eh? You're here too? Perfect, saves me the trouble of looking for you. Since you've come to me willingly, I'll let you suffer less in a bit."
"Arrogant brat! You don't know your place!" The Golden Dragon King had never been so slighted before. He was so angry that his dragon whiskers stood on end and golden arcs of electricity crackled all over his body.
"Human, you will pay a terrible price for your arrogance!" The Suanni King's voice was icy, his killing intent palpable.
Without further ado, the two demon kings attacked almost simultaneously!
The Suanni King roared to the sky, revealing part of its true form. A gigantic claw covered in deep blue scales tore through space, carrying terrifying power and speed as it fiercely grabbed at Qin Hao! This claw was enough to crush a mountain!
Not to be outdone, the Golden Flood Dragon King opened his mouth and spewed out an extremely condensed golden dragon breath, radiating scorching heat and destructive aura. Wherever it passed, the seawater evaporated and space distorted, shooting straight at Qin Hao's face! At the same time, his figure moved like lightning, his five fingers transforming into golden dragon claws, attacking Qin Hao from the side with fierce claw wind, intending to tear him apart!
The two level-ten peak demonic beasts unleashed a thunderous attack, intending to crush this ignorant human instantly with their powerful bodies and innate abilities far surpassing those of human cultivators of the same level!
However, faced with this siege that would make any late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator turn pale, Qin Hao simply smiled calmly.
"The True and Divine Manifestation of Brahma!"
"Roar--!"
A roar seemingly from the ancient primordial era resounded! Golden light burst forth from Qin Hao's body, and a majestic, three-headed, six-armed, golden-faced true Dharma image suddenly appeared, towering over the heavens and standing tall! The Dharma image waved its six arms, two of which directly confronted the deep blue beast claws of the Suanni King, two of which formed hand seals to block the golden dragon breath, while the remaining two arms struck at the Golden Flood Dragon King's dragon claws!
Thump! Boom! Clang!
Three deafening roars erupted almost simultaneously! The violent energy surge sent towering waves crashing onto the sea!
A scene that horrified all the demons unfolded!
The Suanni King's beastly claws, powerful enough to crush refined gold, collided with the Dharma Image's arm. The impact caused its scales to shatter, leaving it aching and in excruciating pain, and it staggered backward! The Golden Flood Dragon King's invincible dragon breath was blocked by the Dharma Image's hand seal and quickly dissipated. However, when its outstretched dragon claws clashed with the Dharma Image's hand, a metallic clang was produced. Not only did it fail to tear the other apart, but the immense force also caused its claws to ache, sending it flying backward!
"what?!"
"This...how is this possible?!"
The Lion King and the Golden Flood Dragon King were filled with shock and disbelief! Their powerful bodies, cultivated for thousands of years, had actually been at a disadvantage in a head-on clash?! The physical strength of this human cultivator was simply inconceivable! Just what kind of cultivation technique did that golden dharma image possess?
In shock, the two immediately changed their strategy and abandoned their plan for close combat.
"Gui Water Yin Thunder!" the Suanni King roared, and water spiritual energy gathered wildly, transforming into a destructive pillar of light several feet in diameter, wrapped with countless electric snakes, which blasted towards the Dharma Image!
The Golden Flood Dragon King spiraled into the sky, its body radiating golden light. Countless golden dragon-shaped phantoms appeared, forming a massive strangulation formation that descended from the sky, intending to crush Qin Hao along with his Dharma form!
Faced with the combined supernatural attacks of the two demon kings, Qin Hao's eyes narrowed slightly, and he finally used his magic weapon.
"Eight Spirit Rulers, emerge!"
He let out a low shout, and the emerald green Eight Spirit Ruler flew out from between his eyebrows. It grew as soon as it saw the wind, transforming into a seven-colored light ruler phantom that stretched across the heavens and earth. The eight-colored spiritual light flowed around it, radiating a vast and mighty power to suppress all evil and pacify the universe!
"town!"
The Eight Spirit Ruler trembled slightly, and eight-colored spiritual light spread out like a tide. The imposing pillar of water and thunder collided with the spiritual light, and like a mud ox entering the sea, it quickly dissolved and disintegrated; the golden dragon phantom that had been descending was illuminated by the spiritual light, and the dragon-shaped phantoms cried out in agony as they crumbled inch by inch!
Not only that, the spiritual light of the Eight Spirit Ruler was like an invisible shackle, instantly enveloping the Suanni King and the Golden Flood Dragon King! The two felt their bodies sink, as if they had fallen into solidified amber, their movements became extremely slow, the flow of demonic power within their bodies became sluggish, and they even found it difficult to activate their natal magic weapons!
"A Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasure?!" The Suanni King and the Golden Flood Dragon King were terrified, their hearts filled with despair. They finally understood why this person dared to challenge their entire clan alone! This was a battle on a completely different level!
"Kings!"
"His Majesty!"
The Suanni royal family below, seeing their king subdued, were filled with shock and rage. Forgetting their fear, they roared and revealed their massive forms, some spewing demonic fire, some waving their claws, and some activating their innate divine abilities, rushing towards Qin Hao like a tidal wave in an attempt to rescue him.
However, Qin Hao simply patted the storage bag at his waist.
"Roar—!" With a fierce cry, the lion-beast's massive body appeared with a gust of wind. With a flap of its wings, the gale was like a knife, instantly blowing away the first few level-eight Suanni!
"Hehehe..." At the same time, five demons with black mist and ferocious faces—the Five Hearts Demons—also flew out with a shrill laugh. They were formless and intangible, specializing in attacking the soul. They instantly burrowed into the sea of consciousness of several level nine Suanni elders, causing them to clutch their heads and howl in agony, their demonic power going out of control, and they tumbling wildly in the sea!
The Lion Beast and the Five-Hearted Demon joined forces, forming two insurmountable barriers that held back dozens of Suanni royals, preventing them from crossing the line!
Without further delay, Qin Hao manipulated the Eight Spirit Ruler to firmly immobilize the two demon kings. Then, the six arms of the Brahma Saint True Magic Form were unleashed simultaneously. The fists, imbued with the power of destruction, slammed into the imprisoned Suanni King and Golden Flood Dragon King like golden meteors...
……
Half a year later.
The Star Palace Secret Hall at the top of the Sacred Mountain of Tianxing City.
Qin Hao had set up numerous restrictions here. In the center of the main hall, the Yuan Magnetic Divine Mountain floated, emitting a strange force field. Qin Hao sat cross-legged before the divine mountain, his expression solemn.
He opened his mouth and spat out an inner core the size of a fist, as blue as the purest aquamarine, radiating a powerful water elemental energy—it was the peak level 10 water attribute inner core of the Suanni King!
Following the secret method taught by the Cave Heaven Rat King, Qin Hao formed hand seals and slowly enveloped the Suanni King's inner core. The radiant light, like the most precise carving knife, peeled away the violent demonic soul imprints and impurities within the inner core, leaving only the purest water attribute essence.
This process lasted forty-nine days.
Finally, the azure inner core transformed into a pure blue stream of light, flowing through Qin Hao's meridians and merging into his dantian. Within his dantian, the previously dormant water-attribute spiritual root, like a parched riverbed receiving rain, was instantly activated, filled, and strengthened! The five colors of light—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—intertwined and shone within Qin Hao's dantian, forming a perfect and stable cycle of the five elements!
The five elements of spiritual roots have finally been completed!
Qin Hao's aura changed, becoming more harmonious and profound, and his affinity with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth reached an unprecedented level.
After replenishing his spiritual root, Qin Hao did not leave seclusion. Instead, he began to use the vast resources accumulated by the Yuan Magnetic Divine Mountain and the Star Palace to cultivate the "Tian Yuan Wan Xiang Jue" with great dedication. At the same time, he continuously honed his magical power, tempered his physical body, and refined his divine consciousness.
Fifty years have passed in the blink of an eye.
On this day, the sky above Tianxing City was originally cloudless and clear blue.
suddenly!
"Click——!!!"
A bolt of lightning, seemingly striking from the heavens and earth without warning, suddenly exploded above the sacred mountain without any cloud cover! The sound was so loud that it shook the entire Tianxing City, causing countless cultivators and mortals to tremble and experience ringing in their ears.
Immediately afterwards, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within a radius of thousands of miles centered on the sacred mountain began to stir and converge wildly! Forming an enormous vortex of spiritual energy, at the center of the vortex, faintly emanated multicolored light, and various mysterious and wondrous phenomena such as phantom images of dragons and phoenixes, celestial palaces and pavilions appeared and disappeared!
A terrifying pressure, surpassing even the Nascent Soul stage and seemingly capable of influencing the laws of heaven and earth, slowly emanated from the depths of the sacred mountain, like an ancient deity awakening!
Within Tianxing City, all cultivators above the Nascent Soul stage, whether they were Star Palace elders or visiting guests, sensed this soul-shaking pressure and looked in horror toward the Holy Mountain.
Ling Yuling was handling palace affairs when she sensed this familiar yet boundless aura. She was first taken aback, then her beautiful eyes burst with indescribable joy and pride, completely unaware that the jade slip in her hand had slipped from her grasp.
"This is... a sign of divine transformation?!"
"Someone is trying to break through to the Nascent Soul stage?!"
"It's the Holy Mountain! It's where Elder Zhang is in seclusion!"
"Heavenly Blessing Star Palace! Our Star Palace is about to produce a Nascent Soul cultivator!"
Exclamations and whispers instantly echoed throughout the city. After a brief moment of shock, all the Star Palace cultivators turned their gazes toward the Holy Mountain.
In the sky, the vortex of spiritual energy grew larger and larger, and the extraordinary phenomena became clearer and clearer. Auspicious wisps of energy descended, and celestial music lingered, as if the entire world was celebrating the birth of a newly ascended deity.
Inside the secret hall, Qin Hao sat cross-legged before the Yuan Magnetic Divine Mountain, his body surrounded by flowing five-colored light. His nascent soul in his dantian had completely merged with his internal organs and meridians, and his divine sense spread infinitely, as if resonating with some of the fundamental rules of this world.
He slowly opened his eyes, and within them seemed to be the birth and death of stars, and the rotation of the universe.
"The realm of Nascent Soul... I have finally entered it."