182: As the Nascent Soul begins to form, turbulent undercurrents arise.

Three black-robed figures stood in the air, their Spiritual Pressure from the Nascent Soul Stage pressing down like a tangible mountain!

The entire defensive Formation of the Listening to Bamboo Pavilion let out an unbearable groan and shattered inch by inch!

"Hand over the netherworld token!" The leading Middle Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator's voice was hoarse and cold. He pointed an ancient bronze mirror at Lin Xuan, its surface shimmering with a ghostly light, firmly locking onto the black token in his hand.

"Dream on!" A fierce glint flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes. Faced with three Nascent Soul Cultivators, not only did he not retreat, but his Battle Intent surged!

"System, help me Breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Stage!"

【Ding! Detected strong will from the Host, meeting the conditions for a forced Breakthrough!】

【Consumption: nirvana phoenix blood pill x1, Nirvana Fire (Elementary) state】

【Warning: Forcibly attempting to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage will result in a Lightning Tribulation far exceeding the norm, and there is a risk of damaging your Foundation! Do you wish to continue?】

"Continue!" Lin Xuan did not hesitate. He opened his mouth and swallowed the reserved nirvana phoenix blood pill, simultaneously activating the Nirvana Fire mark between his brows!

Boom—!

A sea of vast medicinal power and Nirvana Fire exploded within his body instantly!

His Golden Core spun crazily, and countless fine cracks appeared on its surface. Brilliant golden light shone through the cracks, and a vast aura that transcended the Golden Core level soared into the sky!

"He is forcing a Breakthrough! Stop him!" the leading black-robed Cultivator shouted sharply. A grey beam shot from the bronze mirror in his hand, and wherever it passed, the space seemed to be eroded and decayed!

"Don't even think about it!"

Su Wanqing let out a sharp cry, and the frost silence sword bloomed with unprecedented cold moonlight. She unleashed her full Taichu Sword Domain, forcibly freezing and deflecting that corrosive beam!

A trace of blood spilled from the corner of her mouth; having taken a hit from a Middle Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator while at the Late Golden Core Stage, she had already sustained internal injuries.

"Sister, hold on!" Qu Feiyan cried out. She pushed her purified Blood Lotus Demonic Art to the limit, and enchanting blood lotuses bloomed in the Void Realm, entangling the other two Early Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators. The alluring demonic sound poured directly into their Sea of Consciousness, causing their movements to slightly stall.

Gongsun Yu also gave it her all, unleashing the Chaos Thunder Gang Seal. Violent purple-black thunder, like an angry Dragon, roared toward the Middle Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, attempting to buy time for Lin Xuan!

"Ants shaking a tree!" The Middle Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator snorted coldly. With a wave of his sleeve, he unleashed a condensed, grey, decaying palm print that easily shattered the Thunder Gang Seal. The aftermath sent Gongsun Yu flying backward, spitting blood.

The gap in Realm was simply too vast!

But the brief moment the three women had fought to buy was enough for Lin Xuan!

"Break!"

Lin Xuan let out a long shout, and the Golden Core filled with cracks inside him shattered with a boom!

Endless rosy light erupted from his body, and a tiny infant phantom, identical in appearance to him and surrounded by Chaos Qi currents and faint Nirvana Fire, slowly condensed in the center of the shattered Golden Core!

Meanwhile, above Tianshu City, the originally clear sky was instantly shrouded in thick, dark clouds!

Within the dark clouds, it was not ordinary silver lightning, but terrifying thunder light interwoven with the colors of Chaos and crimson-gold Nirvana Fire!

The might of Heaven was vast, locking onto Lin Xuan, who had just condensed the embryonic form of his Nascent Soul!

"What... what Heavenly Tribulation is this?!" The three Guixu Cult Nascent Soul Cultivators also wore expressions of shock; the power of this Heavenly Tribulation far exceeded their understanding!

"primal nascent soul, condense!" Ignoring the terrifying Lightning Tribulation brewing overhead, Lin Xuan immersed all his focus in his Dantian.

The tiny infant phantom quickly solidified, its features clear. As its eyes opened and closed, the left pupil seemed to contain primal chaos, while the right pupil flickered with a wisp of Nirvana Fire!

A vast Spiritual Pressure, transcending that of an ordinary Early Nascent Soul Stage, erupted outward!

He had successfully stepped into the Nascent Soul Stage! Although the Nascent Soul was not yet fully stabilized, his power had already undergone a qualitative change!

"Kill him while he is Undergoing Tribulation!" The Guixu Cult Cultivators reacted and attacked fiercely once more!

"Your opponents are us!" Although injured, Su Wanqing, Qu Feiyan, and Gongsun Yu forced themselves to raise their spiritual power again and blocked the way.

They knew well that Lin Xuan's Undergoing Tribulation could not be disturbed.

"You seek death!" The Middle Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator was truly enraged. The bronze mirror's ghostly light flared, transforming into a massive grey vortex that engulfed the three women.

Just at this critical moment, Lin Xuan suddenly opened his eyes, and two tangible beams of sharp light shot out!

He pressed his fingers together like a sword and pointed from afar at the grey vortex!

"Taichu, sin-slaying!"

A Chaos Sword Gang, condensed to the extreme and containing the Concept of destroying all laws, struck first despite being launched later, instantly cutting into the core of the grey vortex!

Hiss—!

There was no earth-shattering explosion; that astonishingly powerful grey vortex simply vanished and dissipated silently, as if it were ice thrown into a raging fire!

"What?!" The Middle Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator's pupils shrank, and for the first time, a look of horror appeared on his face.

He felt that his Magic Treasure and Divine Ability had not even a shred of resistance before that strange Sword Gang, being directly "decomposed" at the source!

Lin Xuan slowly stood up. Although the aura around him was still somewhat fluctuating, the Spiritual Pressure belonging to the Nascent Soul Stage was like a mountain.

He swept his cold gaze over the three Guixu Cult Cultivators. "Now, it is my turn."

He raised his hand, and the ancient sin-slaying sword fell into his grasp. On the blade, Chaos Qi currents and Nirvana Fire intertwined, emitting a heart-palpitating fluctuation.

"Attack together!" The three Guixu Cult Cultivators exchanged glances, seeing the fear and ruthlessness in each other's eyes, and simultaneously unleashed their strongest Magic Treasures, pouncing toward Lin Xuan.

A cold arc curled at the corner of Lin Xuan's mouth. The Taichu Sword Domain moved with his will, instantly enveloping the three of them.

Within the Domain, all laws evolved and returned to Taichu!

Sword light rose, thunder and fire followed.

After a moment, the Sword Domain dissipated.

The two Early Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators had already turned to ashes, their bodies and souls destroyed.

The Middle Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator had barely managed to protect his Nascent Soul with the bronze mirror in his hand, but the mirror's surface was shattered, his Physical Body had collapsed, and the little Nascent Soul figure's face was filled with fear as it screamed, trying to flee.

"Stay." Lin Xuan flicked his finger, and a wisp of Nirvana Fire pursued it, instantly burning that Nascent Soul into nothingness.

The battle ended, and the strange Heavenly Tribulation in the sky also slowly dissipated as the target had completed the Breakthrough.

"Lin Xuan!"

"Junior Brother!"

The three women ignored their injuries and rushed to his side.

Looking at their pale faces and the blood at the corners of their mouths, infinite pity and anger welled up in Lin Xuan's heart.

He waved his hand, sending out three streams of pure Tai Chu Spiritual Energy containing vitality to help them stabilize their injuries.

"I am fine. The Nascent Soul has just formed and still needs stabilization. This place is not suitable for a long stay; the fact that the Guixu Cult people could find this place means we have been exposed," Lin Xuan said in a deep voice. He picked up the broken fragments of the bronze mirror and the Storage Pouches left behind by the three Cultivators.

【Detected 'Shadow-Tracing Mirror' fragments, capable of tracking specific auras. Inference: Guixu Cult used this mirror to track the netherworld token.】

【Obtained Guixu Cult identity tokens x3, several High-Grade Spirit Stones, and several Demonic Technique manuals.】

"The netherworld token..." Lin Xuan rubbed the cold black token in his hand, his eyes deep.

The Guixu Cult was going to such great lengths to find this object; it must hide a heaven-shaking secret behind it, and it was very likely related to that so-called "Xu".

"Let us leave Tianshu City first and find a safe place. I need to stabilize my cultivation, and you all need to heal. Then..." Lin Xuan looked into the distance, his gaze sharp, "We must figure out what this netherworld token really is, and what the Guixu Cult really wants to do!"

He felt that an invisible net was tightening, and he and those around him were already at the center of the vortex.

The peaceful days were likely gone forever. What would follow would be a direct collision with the behemoth that was the Guixu Cult!