Chapter 1232
Nascent Soul Stage 3, Black-Robed Ghost Cultivator
Chapter 1232 The Three Stages of Nascent Soul Transformation, the Black-Robed Ghost Cultivator
There are three major hurdles for Nascent Soul cultivators attempting to break through to the Deity Transformation realm!
These are respectively: comprehending the Dao of Heaven, tempering the body with primordial energy, and transforming into a god through infancy.
The first stage, comprehending the Dao of Heaven, involves having one's own nascent soul leave the body to perceive the primordial energy of heaven and earth.
Once a Nascent Soul cultivator reaches the peak of the ninth level of the Nascent Soul realm, their spiritual energy becomes saturated. They then need to comprehend and control the purer primordial energy of heaven and earth, which is even purer than spiritual energy, and use it for their own purposes.
The process of a cultivator comprehending the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is mainly based on personal comprehension and does not require much assistance from spiritual objects, so the difficulty is relatively not high.
In the cultivation world, almost all great cultivators who have reached the ninth level of the Nascent Soul stage can successfully pass this test and comprehend the primordial energy of heaven and earth.
However, due to differences in individual talent, the time required for each Nascent Soul cultivator to comprehend the primordial energy of heaven and earth varies greatly.
Some exceptionally talented individuals can easily attain enlightenment by spending one or two decades in seclusion.
Those with less talent may need hundreds of years to successfully comprehend the primordial energy of heaven and earth.
Zhao Wuling of the "Wanling Sect" back then was already considered the number one person in the "Floating Cloud Mountain Range" at that time, despite his talent.
But they also stayed at this hurdle for over a hundred years.
The second stage is tempering the body with vital energy.
After comprehending the primordial energy of heaven and earth, cultivators can use it to temper their physical bodies, thereby raising their magical power and physical strength to a level close to that of a Nascent Soul cultivator.
After completing this stage, cultivators will experience a significant increase in physical strength and magical power, and will have one foot already in the Nascent Soul realm.
It is also referred to by many cultivators in the cultivation world as the half-step deity realm.
However, compared to the first stage of comprehending the primordial energy of heaven and earth, the "Primordial Energy Tempering" stage requires introducing the primordial energy of heaven and earth into the body to temper the physical body.
The process is extremely dangerous and the requirements for cultivators are very strict; it is not so easy to get through.
In the cultivation world, almost 80% of Nascent Soul cultivators are stuck before reaching this stage.
It should be noted that there are nearly a thousand Nascent Soul cultivators in the entire cultivation world of "Eastern Phoenix Immortal Continent".
Ultimately, there are fewer than twenty cultivators who have managed to break through to the half-step Nascent Soul realm, and they are mostly elders from powerful sects with deep foundations.
Without sufficient sect resources, and with difficulty finding those extremely rare high-level spiritual items to assist in breaking through to the next realm.
Many Nascent Soul Ninth Level cultivators, like Zhao Wuling, can only forcefully break through their realms using inferior spiritual objects with extremely poor effects.
Ultimately, he inevitably failed, was injured, and died in his cave after his lifespan was exhausted.
However, although the "half-step to the Divine Transformation" realm is difficult, as long as the cultivator can find a spiritual object that can help them break through the realm, along with some talent and luck, it is possible.
However, there are still some exceptionally talented and lucky individuals who are able to overcome this hurdle.
The people Song Qingming knew back then were Ling Zhentian, He Yuliang, and Qingyu Zhenren, as well as the "Jin Chen Daoren" who was currently sitting cross-legged in mid-air casting spells.
Without exception, they were all rare and exceptional talents in the cultivation world.
They are also among the Nascent Soul cultivators who are closest to advancing to the Divine Transformation realm.
Next comes the third and final challenge, "Transforming the Infant and Gathering the Spirit".
After reaching the "half-step deity transformation" realm, cultivators will attempt to transform their nascent soul into a divine being, dispersing their "natal nascent soul" into their body and completely merging it with their natal spirit.
Once the Nascent Soul Transformation is successful, the cultivator can directly break through to the Nascent Soul realm.
This final step, "Transforming Infant and Gathering Spirit," is also the most difficult step in the process of breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm.
Throughout the entire "Huayang Realm," the number of Nascent Soul cultivators is difficult to fully count, and almost every year someone goes into seclusion to attempt to break through to the Divine Transformation Realm.
However, Nascent Soul cultivators are extremely rare in this realm.
On average, it takes at least several hundred years for one or two newly promoted Nascent Soul cultivators to appear.
It was almost a thousand years ago that Chen Qingxuan, the Supreme Elder of the Heavenly Imperial Sect, advanced to the Nascent Soul realm on the Eastern Phoenix Immortal Continent.
In the past thousand years, countless people from various sects in the "Eastern Phoenix Kingdom," including Zhao Wuling in the remote Floating Cloud Mountains, have attempted to break through to the Nascent Soul realm.
Without exception, all attempts ended in failure.
Beneath the piles of white bones lie countless losers, all of whom ultimately fell before this hurdle, their journey halted here.
Only by successfully advancing to the Divine Transformation Realm and achieving true supernatural powers to overturn clouds and rain, can one stand out above the entire human realm.
At that time, attaining enlightenment and ascending to heaven was just around the corner.
Only then can one have the opportunity to go to the upper realm and try one's way to immortality.
".
As more and more "yin spirit energy" gathered in the above magic array, the gray spiritual light attached to "Jin Chen Dao Ren" also became deeper and deeper, almost completely covering his entire body.
With enough "yin energy" already gathered before him, "Jin Chen Dao Ren" immediately used his internal cultivation technique to control the yin energy to gather rapidly.
Before long, the "yin spirit energy" absorbed by the great formation quickly condensed into a ball of transparent spiritual light, floating in mid-air.
After doing all this, the "Jin Chen Daoist" in mid-air gently raised his hand and took out a black elixir the size of a thumb from his body.
A unique fragrance, characteristic of high-grade elixirs, immediately appeared in his hand.
"Yin-Yang Creation Pill!"
".
Upon seeing "Taoist Jin Chen" suddenly take out this black spiritual pill, the many cultivators below, including Song Qingming, couldn't hide the surprise that flashed in their eyes.
Although he wasn't a high-level "alchemist," Song Qingming had already heard of the "Yin-Yang Creation Pill" long ago, as he had cultivated to the late Nascent Soul stage.
This pill is a special high-grade spiritual pill that requires fifth-grade spiritual herbs to refine, and it contains two powerful yin and yang energies of heaven and earth.
It is one of the rare spiritual items alongside "top-grade spirit stones" and "purple sky jade," and can assist Nascent Soul cultivators in breaking through to the Divine Transformation realm.
After swallowing the "Yin-Yang Creation Pill," "Jin Chen Dao Ren" quickly formed hand seals to refine the elixir within his body, and his aura also rapidly increased.
While refining the elixir within his body, "Jin Chen Dao Ren" was once again struck by a flash of light, and a three-year-old infant suddenly appeared out of thin air.
The boy was wearing a gray Taoist robe and his face was seven or eight parts similar to that of the "Jin Chen Daoist" at his feet. He was the "Nascent Soul" that had broken out of his body.
After Jin Chen Dao Ren's "natal nascent soul" appeared, he immediately opened his mouth wide and began to inhale the Yin spiritual energy that he had already controlled in front of him.
The Heavenly Yin Qi Divine Skill cultivated by "Jin Chen Dao Ren" is a special skill with a predominantly yin and cold attribute.
At this moment, after inhaling a large amount of "yin spirit energy," his aura immediately distanced him from those below who were controlling the formation.
In Song Qingming's eyes, the current "Jin Chen Dao Ren" still has an aura that is far inferior to that of a true Nascent Soul cultivator.
However, it is roughly comparable to the Six-Tailed Celestial Fox that he fought before, and it is estimated that it can already unleash the supernatural powers of most Nascent Soul cultivators.
In comparison, when Zhao Wuling of the "Ten Thousand Spirits Sect" broke through to a higher realm, the commotion and aura were far less than that of the current "Golden Dust Daoist".
The difference between the two is quite obvious.
"This Jin Chen Daoist's technique is indeed quite impressive, as it allows him to so easily manipulate so much Yin energy for his own use."
With such thorough preparations, coupled with high-level spiritual items like the Yin-Yang Creation Pill, and the continuous supply of Yin spiritual energy from the grand formation, the team was truly formidable.
It seems the opponent is quite confident in their attempt to break through to the next realm.
"Jin Chen Dao Ren" has not only been at the half-step Nascent Soul realm for many years, but he has also made many preparations for this breakthrough to the Nascent Soul realm, and has invited so many late-stage Nascent Soul experts such as Song Qingming to help him.
In Song Qingming's view, the other party was indeed well prepared and had at least a 40-50% chance of success.
In contrast, when Zhao Wuling attempted to break through to the Nascent Soul realm for the second time, he did not possess any suitable high-level spiritual items, and his cultivation level was far inferior to that of "Jin Chen Dao Ren".
He was forced to take a gamble because his lifespan was nearing its end, which was truly a bit of a stretch.
Looking up at the "Jin Chen Dao Ren" who was focused on breaking through his cultivation level, Song Qingming, who was casting spells to assist him below, was also very much looking forward to seeing if the other party could pass this test.
I felt the same way as Song Qingming.
The other Nascent Soul cultivators in charge of setting up the formation, including the peerless genius Xia Mo, all looked at "Taoist Jin Chen" with a hint of excitement.
After all, everyone's cultivation has already reached the late Nascent Soul stage, and they were all bound to reach this point sooner or later. If "Jin Chen Dao Ren" succeeds in breaking through to the next level, it will be a great encouragement to the future cultivation paths of the other cultivators present.
"Fellow Daoists, Elder Jin is about to begin his breakthrough to a higher realm. Please do not be distracted and try your best to keep the formation running!"
Seeing that Song Qingming and the others were all staring intently at "Jin Chen Dao Ren" high in the sky, Wang Quan'an, who was in charge of controlling the magic array, couldn't help but remind everyone again.
As one of the Nascent Soul elders of the "Four Seas Business Alliance," Wang Quan'an was naturally more worried about "Jin Chen Dao Ren" who was breaking through his cultivation level than any other cultivator present.
After all, what follows concerns whether their merchant alliance can produce a Nascent Soul cultivator, and they cannot afford to be careless in the slightest.
At Wang Quan'an's reminder, everyone present immediately turned their attention away and focused on channeling their magic power into the array flags in their hands.
".
Outside the formation, in mid-air, Long Ziyun, Qi Rong, and three other Nascent Soul cultivators from the Four Seas Merchant Alliance were also watching the movements within the formation.
"Senior Brother Qi, do you think Master will succeed this time?"
"Junior Sister Long, don't worry. The chances of the Grand Elder succeeding in his breakthrough are definitely not low."
Our Sihai Business Alliance has been meticulously preparing for this moment for so many years.
"As long as the Grand Elder can successfully advance to the Nascent Soul realm, the Merchant Alliance will no longer need to be beholden to those Nascent Soul sects and can stand on equal footing with them."
"Brother Qi is right. So many of us have been looking forward to this day."
"Junior Sister Long is the Grand Elder's personal disciple. Once he successfully breaks through to the Nascent Soul stage, your path will definitely be broader than ours."
"You're too kind, fellow disciples."
Despite the words of comfort from her companions, Long Ziyun's expression remained serious, and she did not relax.
His gaze remained fixed on the large formation below.
".
Just as Long Ziyun and the others were guarding outside the great formation, a gust of cold wind suddenly swept across the distant sea, followed by more than a dozen wisps of ghostly mist approaching them.
"They are ghost cultivators, and there seem to be quite a few of them."
Activate the main formation quickly and decisively; do not engage them in prolonged combat!
Upon seeing the ghostly mist that suddenly appeared in the distance, Qi Rong immediately shouted out and, together with Long Ziyun and the others, cast a spell to activate the array flags in their hands.
Moments later, a white mist rose from the sea, obscuring the surrounding area for dozens of miles.
The ghostly mist in the eerie wind had just arrived nearby when it was enveloped by white clouds and quickly lost its direction.
They could only wander around aimlessly like headless flies, unable to break through the entanglement of clouds and mist.
A moment later, three sword lights suddenly appeared from the white clouds and mist, rushing straight towards the several larger clumps of ghostly mist in the center.
In the blink of an eye, the dozen or so Foundation Establishment ghosts leading the group, all of whom were at higher cultivation levels, were killed by the sword light without any power to resist.
Although ghost cultivators below the Golden Core stage don't possess much intelligence, they can still instinctively sense some dangerous auras.
Sensing that something was amiss with the white mist before them, the remaining ghosts were immediately terrified and scattered in all directions, turning back to where they had come from.
Just when Long Ziyun and her companions thought that these ghostly creatures, after realizing their power, would quickly retreat and flee the nearby sea area as they had done before,
Unexpectedly, after circling around a few times, the ghosts that had been driven outside seemed to receive some kind of command and turned back into the clouds behind them.
"Hmph! How strange, they actually dare to come back."
Before these ghosts could run amok, a middle-aged man beside Long Ziyun, who had been unable to contain himself any longer, immediately cast a spell and rushed into the white mist.
All that could be heard were screams of agony.
The middle-aged man instantly killed most of the hundreds of ghosts.
After all, it was a Nascent Soul cultivator who made the move, so his actions were naturally smooth and decisive.
Under the overwhelming power and realm, those low-level ghosts had no ability to resist whatsoever, and even escaping was impossible.
As the man surnamed Wang was about to raise his hand to kill the last few ghosts, he suddenly felt a powerful pressure coming from behind him, which made his subordinates feel a chill.
"Junior Brother Wang, be careful!"
Although he heard his companion's warning, the man surnamed Wang didn't have time to turn around before he was struck in the shoulder by a powerful force.
With a loud "bang!"
The man surnamed Wang flashed by like a streak of light, his body slammed into the sea by the opponent's punch.
At this moment, a figure in black robes appeared in the spot where the other person had just been standing, landing with a hint of smugness.
This figure in black robes had an eerie green light emanating from his eyes, and his aura far surpassed that of the man surnamed Wang from the "Four Seas Merchant Alliance."
The three people, including Long Ziyun, who were hiding in the formation below, all changed their expressions when they saw the black-robed man who suddenly appeared.
"This guy is a peak Nascent Soul stage ghost cultivator!"
“We clearly checked this sea area before, and there were no ghosts or monsters above the late Nascent Soul stage. When did this guy appear?”
"Never mind that for now, Junior Sister Long, go and meet Junior Brother Wang. We'll hold him off for now."
We absolutely cannot let him disturb the Grand Elder's breakthrough!
He realized that the black-robed man in front of him was a powerful ghost cultivator whose cultivation was no weaker than a human half-step Nascent Soul cultivator.
Qi Yun and the others looked rather grim. They quickly cast spells to control the magic array in their hands, releasing bursts of mist to entangle the ghost cultivator in front of them.
Long Ziyun immediately used her magic to rush into the sea, trying to save the man surnamed Wang.
Despite being entangled in the mist before him, the Nascent Soul Peak Ghost Cultivator showed no fear. He opened his mouth wide and spat out bursts of black mist, which then condensed into seven or eight puppet figures in mid-air.
These ghostly puppets, the lowest of which are at the early Nascent Soul stage, and the two leading ones are no weaker than mid-Nascent Soul cultivators like Long Ziyun.
After summoning his ghostly puppet subordinates, he immediately stepped forward and stopped Qi Yun and his companion who had just rushed up, without waiting for them to give any orders.
Meanwhile, the black-robed ghost cultivator flashed straight towards Long Ziyun and her companion, who had just retreated into the sea.
Faced with the powerful black-robed ghost cultivator who was chasing after her, Long Ziyun could only raise a shield magic weapon in front of her, trying to block the opponent's attack.
The black-robed ghost cultivator unleashed a powerful punch, easily knocking back Long Ziyun and her companion who had no time to dodge. The entire surrounding sea area, spanning dozens of miles, trembled as a result.
The next moment, the black-robed ghost cultivator, who had intended to continue the pursuit, suddenly noticed a transparent shield appearing in the sea ahead.
Upon seeing this, the black-robed ghost cultivator immediately stopped, ignoring Long Ziyun and the man surnamed Wang who were retreating to the side, and instead fixed his gaze on the protective barrier in front of him.
"You people have some nerve! Not only did you kill my beloved concubine, but you also dare to hide here and secretly absorb the spiritual energy of the dead!"
"Such disrespect for me! Today I will make you pay the price!"
The black-robed ghost cultivator seemed to sense the dense Yin energy covering the formation below. His face flashed with anger again, and he immediately activated a black light, about to step forward and break through the protective barrier in front of him.
Seeing that the enemy was about to attack the formation in front, Long Ziyun and her companion, who had just been repelled, immediately used their magic weapons to step forward and block them.
However, when faced with the powerful black light, Long Ziyun's level-four shield magic weapon failed to stop it and was shattered in two by the black light.
"not good!"
Just as Long Ziyun was watching what was about to happen and felt a sense of despair and helplessness, a golden light suddenly flashed out from the protective barrier in front of her.
A flash of light streaked past, directly meeting the oncoming black light.
The moment they made contact, the black light was instantly cleaved in two, disappearing into the air without a trace.
(PS: Sorry, Xiaomeng had to go out for a meeting today and was delayed for half a day before she got back.)
I'll make up for the word count I owe you all tomorrow!
(End of this chapter)