365: Chapter 359 A 20-Year-Old Core Formation Female Cultivator

Furthermore, it had perfectly fused with the original Seven-Source Illusory Light Formation.

At this moment.

The entire Ten Thousand Swords Sect City was enveloped by a purple light curtain invisible to the naked eye.

Faint sounds of thunder echoed in the Void Realm.

Like a sleeping behemoth, it quietly guarded this city.

"Whew..."

Chen Zhiwen exhaled a long breath of turbid air.

He slowly opened his eyes.

A trace of fatigue flashed through his eyes, but it was mostly relief.

"It's finally finished."

"With this grand Formation, even if a Late Nascent Soul Stage expert comes, I can make him lose a couple of teeth."

He took out a Qi Recovery Pill and swallowed it.

He closed his eyes to regulate his breathing for a moment.

He felt the depleted spiritual energy in his body recovering like a trickling stream.

About an hour passed.

Chen Zhiwen opened his eyes again.

His spirit and energy had mostly recovered.

He stood up.

Looking at the first light of dawn gradually appearing in the east.

He cast his gaze toward the distant sea.

"The grand Formation is complete, but I cannot slack off yet."

"The battlefield cannot only be at home."

"I must take the initiative to attack, set a trap, and wait for them to walk into it."

"The Ten Thousand Swords Sect governs thirty-six islands."

"This Flying Leaf Island is in a key location, right on the path the Wan Family must take to attack."

"It's a good place for an ambush."

Thinking of this.

Chen Zhiwen no longer hesitated.

With a flip of his wrist.

A long sword, pitch-black and lusterless, appeared in his hand.

hidden edge.

His natal Flying Sword.

"Rise!"

Chen Zhiwen gave a low shout.

His figure flickered, turning into a streak of light as he stepped onto the Flying Sword.

"Whoosh—"

The hidden edge sword did not make a piercing sound of breaking through the air.

Instead, it was like a swimming fish, silently merging into the night.

Its speed was extreme.

In an instant, it vanished into the horizon.

...

Flying Leaf Island.

A medium-sized island.

The Spiritual Qi on the island was decent, and it was rich in a Spiritual Plant called 'Flying Leaf Tea'.

At this time.

Most of the Cultivators on the island were still sleeping or meditating.

Only a few Disciples on rotation were bored, guarding the Formation hub and yawning.

"Sigh, when will these days ever end?"

"I heard things aren't peaceful outside lately. Is the Wan Family about to attack?"

"What's there to fear? If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up."

"Small fry like us should just stay far away."

While the two were chatting.

Above their heads.

A very subtle ripple suddenly came through.

Like a breeze brushing over the water's surface.

Before they could react.

A dark shadow appeared out of thin air in the void directly above the island.

There was no warning.

Nor was there any leakage of spiritual energy.

Not until that figure slowly descended, its toes lightly touching the tip of a towering ancient tree.

Only then did the two Disciples suddenly snap awake.

Their eyes widened.

Looking at the figure that seemed like a banished immortal.

The light faded.

Revealing a young and cold face.

In green robes fluttering in the wind, with a long sword on his back.

"That is..."

One Disciple rubbed his eyes, seemingly unable to believe what he was seeing.

Immediately.

A surge of wild joy filled his heart.

His voice trembled with excitement as he pointed at the figure and shouted:

"It's the Grand Elder!"

"It's Ancestor Chen!"

"The Ancestor is here!"

The voice spread throughout the entire Flying Leaf Island.

In an instant.

The sixty-odd resident Cultivators on the island were startled awake from their cultivation.

One by one, as if injected with chicken blood, they rushed out of their houses.

They converged toward the ancient tree.

In this moment of impending storm.

The personal arrival of their own Ancestor.

Undoubtedly gave these anxious Disciples a shot of confidence.

Chen Zhiwen stood on the treetop.

Looking down at the pairs of eyes filled with awe and expectation. Above Flying Leaf Island.

The wind howled.

Chen Zhiwen stood on the hidden edge sword, hovering beneath the clouds.

His eyes were slightly closed, and his vast Divine Sense was like an invisible net,

silently cast downward.

The Divine Sense of the Nascent Soul Stage was powerful and keen.

Every blade of grass and tree on Flying Leaf Island, even the insects in the rock crevices, was clearly reflected in his mind.

After a moment.

He slowly opened his eyes.

A hint of doubt flashed in his eyes.

He didn't find anything unusual.

The sixty-plus garrison Cultivators on the island were all patrolling and cultivating according to plan.

The few villages where Mortals gathered also had smoke rising from chimneys, and the sounds of chickens and dogs could be heard.

Everything seemed very peaceful.

Even a bit too peaceful.

Chen Zhiwen put away his Flying Sword and slowly descended.

His gaze turned toward the area in the eastern part of the island shrouded in black smoke.

That was the only Forbidden Ground on Flying Leaf Island—a continuous range of volcanoes.

"Strange."

Chen Zhiwen murmured softly.

His brow furrowed slightly, and his fingers subconsciously stroked the sword hilt.

He remembered a past event Li Jiewen had reported to him before he set out.

Regarding the female infant with an extremely rare Physique, Li Shuang.

According to Li Jiewen, Li Xiaofei had many years ago,

near the crater of a volcano here on Flying Leaf Island,

found Li Shuang, who was only about a year old at the time.

This matter had always been like a thorn in Chen Zhiwen's heart.

It was full of a sense of incongruity.

"A female infant about a year old..."

Chen Zhiwen shook his head.

His gaze became somewhat deep.

A child of that age had no ability to take care of themselves.

If it were someone close to her, how could they have the heart to abandon her in such a place,

an active crater that could erupt at any time?

That was a place of certain death.

Even someone with only a slight conscience wouldn't do such a thing.

"Could it be the work of an enemy?"

As soon as this thought emerged, Chen Zhiwen dismissed it.

He paced a couple of steps in mid-air.

The air beneath his feet rippled in layers.

If an enemy were seeking revenge and wanted to pull up the roots,

wouldn't it be easier to just slap her to death or toss her into the magma?

Why go through the trouble of leaving the child by the crater and letting her somehow survive?

This defied logic.

It was simply contradictory.

"Unless..."

Chen Zhiwen's eyes flickered.

Looking into the depths of the billowing black smoke.

"Unless there is something special there,

or a special Formation that could keep that child from dying."

"Or perhaps the child herself has some inexplicable connection to this volcano."

Thinking of this.

He no longer hesitated.

His figure flickered, turning into a streak of light, heading straight for the desolate land in the east.

...

The place where he landed.

Was a patch of scorched earth.

The temperature here was extremely high.

The soil beneath his feet had long since cracked, showing a weird dark red color.

Like clotted blood scabs.

The air was thick with the smell of sulfur, pungent and unpleasant.

If an ordinary person took a single breath, they would probably faint on the spot.

Chen Zhiwen propped up a faint layer of protective spiritual light.

It isolated the external high temperature and toxic gas.

He stepped forward.

His feet stepped on the brittle volcanic rock, making a 'crunch, crunch' sound.

In this silent wasteland, it sounded exceptionally harsh.

Not far ahead.

Were those few craters spewing black smoke.

Huge fissures in the ground, like hideous giant mouths, stretched across the surface.

Deep in the fissures.

Dark red magma was rolling and roaring.

From time to time, it splashed out sparks of intense heat.

The heat waves rolled, distorting the vision.

It made one feel as if they were in purgatory.

"This is definitely not a place where Mortals can survive."

Chen Zhiwen stopped.

Standing at the edge of a huge fissure.

He looked down at the churning magma below.

Even for him, if he didn't use spiritual energy to protect his body, he could feel that searing heat hitting his face.

How could a one-year-old infant survive here?

Unless that Li Shuang was not of Mortal birth from the start.

Chen Zhiwen reached out his right hand.

He lightly tapped with his index finger.

"Rise."

With his low shout.

The magma below suddenly churned violently.

A fire snake formed from magma roared out of the fissure.

It hovered in front of Chen Zhiwen.

The fire snake was about ten feet long, its body flowing with scorching liquid, emitting an astonishing high temperature.

But Chen Zhiwen's eyes were very disappointed.

He did not feel any special fluctuations from this fire snake.

"Disperse."

He waved his hand.

The seemingly powerful fire snake instantly collapsed.

It turned back into puddles of magma and fell back into the fissure.

"It's just ordinary earth-fire magma."

Chen Zhiwen sighed.

He was even more confused now.

This magma didn't contain the slightest bit of fire-attribute spiritual energy.

Apart from the high temperature, there was nothing special about it.

Even a junior who had just entered the Qi Refining Stage, as long as they had a Low Grade fire avoidance talisman or put up a simple spiritual shield,

could come and go freely here.

"Since there's nothing wrong with the environment, the problem must be elsewhere."

Chen Zhiwen looked up.

His gaze pierced through the heavy black smoke, looking toward the main peaks deeper in.

There, perhaps, would be the answer.

Just as he was about to set off and go deep into the volcanic group to investigate.

Suddenly.

His expression flickered slightly.

Like a stone thrown into a calm lake.

At the edge of his Divine Sense.

Two unusual auras entered his range of perception.

"Someone is coming?"

Chen Zhiwen was a bit surprised.

This was the most remote and desolate place on Flying Leaf Island.

Normally, not even a bird would come here.

Why would someone run here?

And...

He carefully sensed the speed and strength of those two auras.

They weren't Foundation Establishment Stage.

Nor were they Qi Refining Stage.

They were two Golden Core Cultivators!

"They're very fast."

"Direction... they're heading straight here."

A sharp light flashed in Chen Zhiwen's eyes.

At this critical juncture, two strange Golden Core Cultivators appearing on Ten Thousand Swords Sect territory.

They were up to no good.

He didn't arrogantly go out to meet them.

Instead, he immediately circulated the spiritual energy in his body.

His hands formed seals.

"Purple Star Breath Concealment Technique, Hide!"

With the casting of the technique.

A faint purple glow appeared on his body and then quickly faded.

His figure, along with his aura, instantly vanished from the spot.

As if he had never existed.

Even the heat waves around him that he had disturbed returned to their natural flow.

He hid behind a huge black volcanic rock.

He closed all his pores.

Like a stubborn stone that had existed for ages, he waited quietly.

A moment later.

Two dazzling blue lights streaked across the sky.

That was the unique light of High Grade flying Magic Treasures.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

The sound of breaking through the air approached from afar.

In just a few breaths, those two streaks of blue light arrived above the volcano cluster.

The light faded, revealing two figures.

They did not land directly but hovered in mid-air, vigilantly observing their surroundings.

Both were draped in wide gray cloaks.

Their hoods were pulled very low, as if they did not want anyone to see their true faces.

But all of this was useless before Chen Zhiwen's powerful Divine Sense.

His Divine Sense silently penetrated the cover of the cloaks, clearly seeing the faces of the newcomers.

The person on the left was burly, with broad shoulders and a thick back.

He looked to be about fifty years old.

A thick circle of whiskers covered his face, each bristle standing up like iron wire.

His face was rugged, exuding an air of heroism and boldness.

But at this moment, his copper-bell-like eyes were filled with caution and vigilance.

His right hand remained pressed on the Storage Pouch at his waist, ready to lash out at any moment.

This was a Late Golden Core Stage Cultivator, and one of those veterans who had spent years fighting outside, possessing extremely rich experience.

The person on the right was completely different.

It was a slender young girl.

Judging by her age, she was in her prime.

Her skin was as white as jade; even in the harsh environment of the volcano cluster, it still maintained a moist luster.

She had an exquisite oval face.

Her eyes were lively and radiant, revealing a mischievous intelligence.

The girl was not as tense as the man; instead, she was looking at the rolling magma below with great interest, her eyes filled with curiosity.

Her cultivation... was actually at the Golden Core Stage!

Although it was only the Early Golden Core Stage and her aura was still a bit unstable—clearly, she had just made a Breakthrough—this was enough to shock Chen Zhiwen.

A twenty-year-old Golden Core Cultivator!

This was simply unheard of!

"Grandfather."

The girl's crisp voice rang out with a hint of coquettishness, breaking the dead silence of the surroundings.

"Is this the volcano cluster of Flying Leaf Island?"

"It doesn't look like anything special."

"Apart from the smoke being a bit thick and the smell being foul, I can't even see a single Spiritual Plant."

She curled her lips, clearly disdainful of the environment here.

The bearded man addressed as "Grandfather" did not answer immediately.

Instead, he released his Divine Sense again, carefully scanning the surroundings.

After confirming that there was no one within a radius of ten miles, he breathed a slight sigh of relief.

He turned his head, looking at the girl beside him with eyes full of doting and helplessness.

"Xiaer, watch your words."

The man's voice was deep and resonant.

"This is, after all, the territory of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect."

"Although Flying Leaf Island is located in a remote area and is not highly regarded."

"But caution is the parent of safety."

"If we happen to run into a patrolling expert from the Ten Thousand Swords Sect and our whereabouts are exposed, it will be troublesome."

Upon hearing this, the girl shrugged indifferently.

She reached out with slender fingers, twirling a strand of stray hair by her ear.

Her expression held a hint of the arrogance peculiar to a Genius.

"Grandfather, you are too careful."

"On this crappy island, the most powerful ones are only a few old men at the Foundation Establishment Stage."

"They aren't even worthy of carrying your shoes."

"As for that so-called Ten Thousand Swords Sect..."

She huffed lightly, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly.

"Although I heard they produced a Nascent Soul Ancestor."

"But why would a Nascent Soul Stage Senior have the spare time to come to such a godforsaken place to hold the fort?"

"They must all be enjoying offerings in the main peak hall."

"As long as we are quick, take the item, and leave, who could possibly discover us?"

The bearded man listened to his granddaughter's naive words and shook his head with a bitter smile.

"You girl, you don't know how high the sky is or how deep the earth is."

"The Ten Thousand Swords Sect is currently in its prime, and that Chen Zhiwen is a ruthless character."

He sighed, his tone becoming a bit more serious.

"Don't forget our identity this time."

"We are from the Huang Family of Kongtong Island."

"If we are discovered crossing the sea region and sneaking into someone else's territory, this is an excuse that could spark a Sect war!"

Chen Zhiwen, hiding in the shadows, felt a slight stir in his heart upon hearing the words "Huang Family of Kongtong Island."

Kongtong Island.

That was a large island very far from the Shuangcheng Sea Region.

It did not belong to the jurisdiction of Shuangcheng but was a relatively independent sphere of influence.

It was said that the Huang Family had operated on Kongtong Island for thousands of years; their foundation was deep, and their strength could not be underestimated.

Unexpectedly, they had actually sent people all the way here.

"These two have impure motives," Chen Zhiwen thought to himself, continuing to listen intently.

In mid-air, the girl saw that her grandfather was truly a bit angry, so she quickly stuck out her tongue and made a face.

"Alright, alright, I know."

"I will be careful."

"But Grandfather..."

She blinked her large eyes, looking at the man with anticipation.

"Are you really sure that there is that thing down there?"

"Why don't I have any reaction at all?"

The man nodded, his expression becoming exceptionally solemn.

He took out a tattered, ancient animal skin map from his bosom and carefully compared it with the terrain below.

"There is no mistake."

"According to the records in our Family's ancient books, three hundred years ago, a Soul Transformation Stage powerhouse passed through here."

"It seems they left behind a trace of Origin Fire Seed."

"Although it is only a rumor, for those of us who Cultivate fire-type Cultivation Techniques, even if there is only a one in ten thousand chance, it is worth a try."

Speaking of this, he looked at the girl deeply, his eyes filled with expectations.

"Xiaer."

"You are the only Dao cultivation seed born with Luck in our Huang Family in thousands of years."

"Reaching Core Formation at twenty—such talent is rare even in those super-large Sects."

"Grandfather brought you out this time, firstly because I was afraid that being grounded in the clan for over a decade would stifle your Dao Heart."

"Secondly, it is for this Opportunity."

"If you can obtain that trace of Origin Fire Seed, your future achievements will be absolutely limitless!"

"Perhaps... even possible to Breakthrough to that legendary Soul Transformation Realm!"

The girl was stirred by her grandfather's words.

Her small face flushed red, and her eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Soul Transformation..."

She murmured to herself.

That Realm was too far away for her, but it was also filled with fatal temptation.

"Grandfather, rest assured!"

"Xiaer will definitely do her best!"

"I will never let down the high hopes of Grandfather and the Family!"

The man nodded with gratification and waved his large hand.

"Good!"

"Since that is the case, let's not delay."

"We will split up."

"I will stand guard on the perimeter and incidentally investigate these small volcanic craters."

"You possess a special treasure and do not fear earthly fire."

"Go and check that largest main peak."

"Remember, if something goes wrong, crush the jade talisman immediately, and I will arrive at the first moment!"

"Understood!"

The girl responded crisply.

Immediately, her figure turned, transforming into a fiery red stream of light.

Without hesitation, she rushed toward the highest main peak with the thickest black smoke deep within the volcano cluster.

The man watched his granddaughter's departing back until she completely disappeared into the black smoke.

Only then did he withdraw his gaze.

He also selected a direction, lowered his cloud, and began to search carefully.

...Behind the rock, Chen Zhiwen did not move.

He still maintained his state of concealment.

But his heart had already been stirred by raging waves.

The conversation between that grandfather and granddaughter just now contained too much information.

"Origin Fire Seed..." "The remains of a Soul Transformation powerhouse..."

Although these were tempting, Chen Zhiwen did not pay too much attention.

Rumors were, after all, rumors, and most were likely distorted.

What truly shocked him was the girl named Huang Xia.

A twenty-year-old Golden Core Cultivator!

This could not be achieved merely by piling up resources.

Even if one ate Medicinal Pill like meals every day, without sufficient Aptitude, it would be absolutely impossible to reach Core Formation at this age.

"This girl..."

Chen Zhiwen's gaze pierced through the Void Realm, locking onto the red figure darting on the main peak.

He quickly deduced in his heart.

"With ordinary Spiritual Root, even if it is High Grade, the Cultivation speed cannot be this fast."

"The Ten Thousand Swords Sect has been established for over six hundred years."

"It has produced countless brilliant talents."

"But even that founding Ancestral Master barely reached Core Formation at forty."

"And this girl, she is a full half-time ahead!"

"The only explanation..."

Chen Zhiwen took a deep breath.

A trace of shock flashed in his eyes.

"She is an Earth-grade Spiritual Root!"

In this world of cultivation, Spiritual Root Aptitude determines a person's upper limit and Cultivation speed.

The vast majority of Cultivators have mixed Spiritual Roots, or Low Grade or Medium Grade Spiritual Roots.

Those who can possess High Grade Spiritual Roots are already one-in-a-hundred Geniuses and will be fought over by major Sects.

And Earth-grade Spiritual Root... that is a legendary existence!

That is a darling of the heavens!

In the six-hundred-year history of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, not a single clan member with an Earth-grade Spiritual Root has ever appeared.

It is said that only those top Holy Lands with a Legacy of ten thousand years, or super Families with a Soul Transformation Old Ancestor in charge, occasionally give birth to one or two such Prodigies.

"Earth-grade Spiritual Root..."

Chen Zhiwen licked his slightly dry lips.

A complex emotion surged in his heart.

There was envy, jealousy, and a trace of inexplicable excitement.

"No wonder that old man said she was 'born with Luck'."

"Such a person, as long as she does not fall halfway, will surely become a giant in the future."

"The Huang Family..."

"Actually hiding such a trump card."

"If she is allowed to grow up, I fear the entire Shuangcheng Sea Region, and even the surrounding major Sea Regions, will have to be reshuffled."

Chen Zhiwen was not in a rush to make a move.

He also had no intention of killing to seize treasures.

This was, after all, his territory.

He was the hunter hidden in the dark.

"Interesting."

"Truly interesting."

A playful smile curled at the corner of Chen Zhiwen's mouth.