Chapter 917
Chapter 917
The power of the contract, interwoven with pale gold and dark purple, transformed into two strange chains, shooting towards Lei Dong and the Old Man of Ghost Calculation! The chains were not targeting their bodies, but rather the "contract links" that were wrapped around them and connected to the source of chaos!
"Break!"
Fu Shaoping gave a low shout, tightening the chains in an attempt to forcibly sever the links!
However, the will of chaos was exceptionally strong, and the links were extremely resilient. The chains clashed fiercely, producing a piercing grinding sound!
"Ugh—!" Lei Dong and the old man of the Ghost Calculation screamed at the same time, seemingly in even greater pain.
"No! Forcibly severing it might severely damage the foundation of their soul contract!" Meng Qingyuan realized the problem.
Fu Shaoping's forehead was beaded with sweat; he too felt the resistance. The chaotic will seemed to have sensed his intentions and launched an even more frenzied counterattack, countless chaotic illusions and tentacles converging on him!
"Use the power of 'purification' to first weaken the erosion of the chaotic source on them, then try to 'transfer' some of the erosion, and finally 'isolate' them!" Fu Shaoping instantly changed his strategy.
He focused his mind on three things: one part of his mind maintained the halo of the Purifying Heavenly Stele, purifying the surrounding corruption; another part of his mind drew upon the purifying and judgmental power of the dark gold fragments of the "Contract Order," transforming them into golden rain of light that showered on Lei Dong and the other, weakening the chaotic corruption on their bodies; and the last part of his mind attempted to use the "Contract Transfer and Grafting" technique to "graft" some of the chaotic origins that had invaded their bodies onto himself!
This is an extremely risky move! The source of chaos is highly corrosive; once it enters the body, the consequences are unpredictable!
"Fellow Daoist Lu!" Meng Qingyuan and Luo Bingyun exclaimed.
"It's alright! I have purification methods!" Fu Shaoping said through gritted teeth. He believed that purifying the fragments of the Heavenly Stele and his own contractual origin could suppress the small amount of chaotic origin that had been transferred over.
As the golden rain of light fell, the chaotic aura emanating from Lei Dong and the Old Man of the Ghostly Calculation noticeably paused, and their struggles weakened. At the same time, Fu Shaoping felt two cold, chaotic forces surge into his body along the chains of the contract!
His body shuddered, and his face instantly turned pale. The chaotic source, like a maggot clinging to his bone, frantically eroded his meridians and true essence, even attempting to corrupt his contracted golden core!
"Purify!" Fu Shaoping roared inwardly, and the Source Core and Purification Stele operated at full power! The pure contract origin and purification power, like oil being poured into a raging fire, fiercely fought against the invading chaotic origin! On the surface of his body, golden and gray light flashed alternately, and his aura fluctuated violently.
Meng Qingyuan and Luo Bingyun watched in horror, but could only do their best to protect each other and resist external interference.
Huo Ling'er also desperately urged the flames to burn the approaching chaotic tentacles, her little face turning pale with fright.
Time seemed to stretch on endlessly.
Finally, Fu Shaoping's body jolted violently, and he spat out a mouthful of blood with a grayish aura! But the chaotic source that had invaded his body was temporarily suppressed and sealed in a corner.
At the same time, the chaotic link between Lei Dong and the Old Man of Ghost Calculation has become much more fragile because its source has been weakened and partially transferred!
"Now! Quarantine!" Fu Shaoping suppressed his discomfort and activated the contract chains once more!
"Crack!"
The two invisible contract links snapped instantly! Lei Dong and the Ghost Calculator Elder's bodies went limp and they collapsed to the ground, unconscious. However, the chaotic aura around them quickly subsided, and the original contract fluctuations returned (albeit weak and disordered).
Having lost its target for erosion, and seeing the fierce resistance of Fu Shaoping and the others, the chaotic will deep within the ruins seemed to let out a defiant roar before slowly receding and disappearing back into the depths of the river. The surrounding chaotic illusions and tentacles also gradually dissipated.
The ruins returned to relative tranquility, with only the pure primordial power still flowing slowly.
Fu Shaoping staggered a step and was supported by Meng Qingyuan.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, are you alright?" Meng Qingyuan asked with concern, his eyes filled with admiration. What he had just done required extremely high skill in contracts, precise control, and immense courage and a spirit of sacrifice.
Luo Bingyun also cast an admiring glance at her. Huo Ling'er's eyes lit up: "Brother Lu, you're amazing!"
Fu Shaoping waved his hand, swallowed a few pills, and after a moment of meditation, his expression softened: "It's nothing serious, just a significant loss. I've temporarily sealed away that chaotic source of energy; I'll deal with it slowly once we get out."
He looked at the unconscious Lei Dong and the old man of the Ghost Calculation: "Although the two of them were not deeply corrupted by the chaos, the foundation of their soul contract was damaged. They need to rest and recuperate after they get out, and there may be hidden dangers left in their mental state."
Meng Qingyuan nodded: "It is already a great fortune that we were able to preserve our lives and foundations. We owe a lot to Fellow Daoist Lu this time."
Luo Bingyun said coldly, "I appreciate your kindness."
Fu Shaoping shook his head: "We should be in the same boat, that's how it should be."
After this turn of events, the remaining time for the initiation was running out. The four dared not delve any deeper into activating the source, but instead absorbed some gentle, pure source energy at the edge to solidify their gains.
After an unknown amount of time (time was blurred within the ruins), a repulsive force came.
"It's time to close the ruins," Meng Qingyuan said.
The six beams of guiding light descended, enveloping everyone (including the two unconscious ones) and pulling them out of the ruins.
With a flash of light, the six reappeared on the magic array of the Contract Dao Source Hall.
Apart from the unconscious Lei Dong and the old man of the Ghost Calculation, the auras of Fu Shaoping, Meng Qingyuan, Luo Bingyun, and Huo Ling'er were all much stronger than before they entered! Especially Fu Shaoping, although his face was slightly pale, his eyes were more profound, his contracted golden core was perfect and flawless, and he faintly had a trace of the Daoist charm of the Nascent Soul stage! It seemed that he was only a thin veil away from forming the Nascent Soul stage.
Master Xuanqi looked at the six people's condition, especially the two who were unconscious and Fu Shaoping's pale face, and sighed inwardly, but did not ask any further questions. He simply said, "The initiation is over. Each of you has your own destiny, so digest it well. Three days later, someone will send you away from the Tianyan Sect."
Fu Shaoping and the others bowed and took their leave.
Upon returning to his residence in Daocheng, Fu Shaoping immediately began seclusion to digest the insights gained from the empowerment and to purify the chaotic essence sealed within his body.
Three days later, when he emerged from seclusion, his aura was completely stable, his Golden Core was perfected, and the opportunity to reach the Nascent Soul stage was clearly perceptible. The chaotic origin within his body was also completely extinguished and purified by the combined efforts of the Purification Stele and his own contract origin. Instead, this gave him a deeper understanding of the corrosive nature of the chaotic contract and a further comprehension of the true meaning of "purification."
"It's time to prepare for Nascent Soul formation." Fu Shaoping looked out the window, his gaze distant.
However, forming a nascent soul is no small matter; it requires finding an absolutely safe place with abundant spiritual energy and making thorough preparations.
At the same time, the shadow of the Wanqi Alliance and the heavy responsibility of purifying the "Qi Shu" also made him dare not relax in the slightest.
The story of the Central Plains is about to enter a new chapter—the Tribulation of the Nascent Soul Stage. And an even greater storm is quietly brewing.
The Tribulation of the Nascent Soul
Ask the Way City, the quiet room on the top floor of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion.
Fu Shaoping sat cross-legged, his aura perfectly harmonious. His golden core slowly rotated within his dantian, his nine orifices radiating light, absorbing pure spiritual energy from heaven and earth and the origin of the contract. Three years had passed since he returned from the "Contract Dao Source" initiation.
For the past three years, he has never left the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, immersing himself entirely in digesting what he has learned, consolidating his cultivation, and deducing the Dao.
The initiation brought not only an improvement in cultivation, but also a profound understanding of the essence of the contract rules. The purest contractual power, like a brand, was engraved into his foundation, allowing him to reach an unprecedented level of understanding of the five core truths of "fairness," "order," "protection," "purification," and "judgment."
The two cores of the "Contract" became increasingly intertwined under the nourishment of the initiation and the source. The dark gold fragment shone with a warm glow, its protective intent of order restrained yet vast; although the pitch-black fragment still emitted an evil fluctuation, under the suppression of the purifying fragment of the Heavenly Stele and the control of Fu Shaoping's true nature, it had been completely transformed into a controllable "Evil Contract Blade," becoming the sharp side of "judgment" and "evil-breaking" in his contract system.
The transfer and grafting techniques in the "Ancient Contract Fragment" have been completely integrated with the "Frost Soul Contract Canon," the "Secret Record of Witch Contracts," and his own inheritance, forming his unique "Three-Turn Purification Source Contract Array" concept. The framework of this array is complete, but the details still need to be perfected, and it requires massive resources and a specific environment to set up.
Most importantly, he could clearly sense that the Nascent Soul Tribulation was about to arrive.
It was a premonition, a call from the heavens before the leap in life level after the Golden Core stage was perfected. He felt that his soul, true essence, and physical body had all reached the pinnacle of the Golden Core stage, with no further advancement possible. The next step was to shatter the core to form an infant, reshape his Dao body, open the Purple Mansion, and condense his primordial spirit.
Reaching the Nascent Soul stage is the first true chasm on the path of cultivation. Those who fail will, at best, have their golden core shattered and their cultivation completely destroyed; at worst, they will die, their cultivation vanish, and their soul will be scattered.
Fu Shaoping dared not be careless. He consulted countless ancient records and past experiences about Nascent Soul formation through the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion. There are three tribulations in Nascent Soul formation: the Wind Tribulation, the Fire Tribulation, and the Inner Demon Tribulation.
The Wind Tribulation is a fierce wind from the heavens that blows and corrodes the soul, testing the foundation of the physical body and the solidity of true essence.
The Fire Tribulation is the Samadhi Fire, which burns the golden elixir and the soul, testing the purity of one's Dao foundation and the steadfastness of one's will.
The Tribulation of Inner Demons is the most bizarre and dangerous, a phantom formed from inner obsessions, fears, and desires, testing whether one's Dao heart is perfect and flawless.
Each tribulation is extremely dangerous. Moreover, he cultivates the Dao of Contracts; will there be additional "Contract Tribulations" when he forms his Nascent Soul? No one knows.
"I must find a completely safe place, rich in spiritual energy, and capable of concealing celestial phenomena to cultivate my Nascent Soul in seclusion," Fu Shaoping pondered. Although Daowen City was the core of the Central Plains, it was crowded with people and eyes, and during the Nascent Soul stage, the gathering of spiritual energy and changes in celestial phenomena made it impossible to hide. Moreover, he had a grudge against the Myriad Contracts Alliance, so he had to be cautious.
He found Guan Xingzi and explained his intentions.
Guan Xingzi's expression was solemn: "Fellow Daoist Lu is about to form his Nascent Soul? Congratulations! This matter indeed requires careful consideration. Our Heavenly Mystery Pavilion has a secret cave called 'Hidden Star Realm,' which is a fragment of a small world created by an ancient powerful being using the power of stars. It is hidden in the void layer, rich in spiritual energy, and protected by the 'Zhou Tian Star Array,' which can isolate the inside from the outside and conceal the secrets of heaven. Historically, it can only be used by the core members of the pavilion when they are breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage."
He paused for a moment, then said, “Fellow Daoist Lu is a guest elder of our pavilion and bears the important responsibility of purifying the ‘Spirit of the Alliance.’ Both in terms of sentiment and reason, he is qualified to use the ‘Hidden Star Realm.’ I can apply to the pavilion master for permission.”
Fu Shaoping said gratefully, "Thank you for your help, senior."
Three days later, Guan Xingzi brought good news. The Master of Tianji Pavilion personally approved Fu Shaoping's use of the Hidden Star Realm.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, the entrance to the Hidden Star Realm is located at the deepest part of the main pavilion, guarded by two Nascent Soul stage elders. I will take you there now," Guan Xingzi said solemnly. "In addition, the pavilion master asked me to convey this message: Nascent Soul formation is a matter of life and death, so please be careful. If needed, the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion can provide some resources, but ultimately you will have to rely on yourself."
"Thank you very much, Pavilion Master, thank you very much, Senior." Fu Shaoping knew that this support was already an immense favor.
He followed Guan Xingzi to the depths of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion's underground, passing through layers of restrictions, and saw two Supreme Elders, their auras as deep and boundless as the ocean, sitting cross-legged. Both were at the mid-Nascent Soul stage; upon seeing Fu Shaoping, they nodded slightly but said nothing more.
One of them raised his hand and cast a spell. A crack appeared in the void, revealing a starlight-filled entrance behind it.
"Go in. This place will be completely sealed during the Nascent Soul stage, and will not open unless you succeed or...," the Supreme Elder said in a deep voice.
Fu Shaoping took a deep breath, bowed to the two elders and Guan Xingzi, and then stepped into the crevice.
The scene before him shifted, and he found himself under a strange starry sky.
This is not the actual universe, but a small, isolated space. The sky is an eternal night, adorned with countless glittering stars, their light falling and transforming into a rich, liquid stellar energy. The ground is flat, paved with warm, white jade, and in the center stands a high platform, inscribed with array runes for gathering and protecting spiritual energy.
"What a blessed land!" Fu Shaoping felt certain upon sensing the incredibly pure stellar spiritual energy here. Although the attributes of the spiritual energy here were not entirely compatible with his, its purity and vastness were its greatest strengths, and the power of the stars also had the effect of stabilizing the soul and suppressing inner demons, making it perfect for seclusion.
He walked up to the high platform and sat down cross-legged. He first checked his own condition, then took out various pills, talismans, spirit stones, and most importantly—the Nascent Soul Pill, which he had prepared beforehand.
This pill is a top-grade spiritual pill that assists in the formation of the Nascent Soul stage, increasing the success rate by 10%. It is extremely precious. It was kindly provided by the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, and also obtained by Fu Shaoping through exchanging some of his accumulated rare materials.
everything's ready.
Fu Shaoping closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and adjusted his energy and spirit to their peak.
Three days later, he felt he was in peak condition and no longer hesitated.
"Let's begin."
He circulated his cultivation technique, and his golden core began to spin wildly at an unprecedented speed! Within his dantian, a vast expanse of pure true essence began to collapse and condense towards the center of the golden core!
At the same time, the divine intervention from the heavens descended!
Outside the Hidden Star Realm, although there was a great array to conceal it, the two Supreme Elders and Guan Xingzi guarding the entrance could still feel a subtle yet immense pressure of heaven and earth seeping out from the crack.
"It has begun," a senior elder whispered.
Within the Hidden Star Realm.
An invisible gale suddenly appeared above Fu Shaoping's head! This was no ordinary wind; it was the Heavenly Gale, designed to blow against a cultivator's soul and erode their physical essence!
The Calamity of Wind Arrives! (End of Chapter)