97: Chapter 97 Seeking the Spirit Land to Overcome the Heavenly Tribulation, the Core Shatters and the Nascent Soul Forms, the Great Dao Manifests

In the White Bone Wasteland, the yin vein had been seized, and the commotion was not small.

Ye Qing did not dare to linger for even an instant, pushing the effects of his "Void Step" and "void concealment pill" to the limit. His figure almost turned into a faint shadow, difficult to discern with the naked eye, as he sped through the wind, sand, and desolate silence, rapidly putting distance between himself and the rift valley area that had become a place of trouble.

He escaped for thousands of miles in one breath, until he had completely left the scope of the White Bone Wasteland and penetrated deep into the even more desolate "Boundless Sand Sea," where the Spiritual Qi was so thin it was almost a vacuum, only then did he slightly slow his speed.

This place was far removed from the main territories of major powers and exploration routes. All that met the eye were monotonous sand dunes sculpted into various bizarre shapes by the wild winds. The sky was forever a dim yellow, with the scorching sun and wind-blown sand as the ruthless Dominators, and no living creatures were to be found.

"The Spiritual Qi here is almost non-existent, and the environment is harsh. Ordinary Cultivators would never wish to set foot here, let alone expect anyone to attempt a Nascent Soul Breakthrough in this place. It is truly the perfect choice for secluded cultivation and Undergoing Tribulation." Ye Qing swept his gaze across the rolling sand sea, having already made his decision.

Attempting a Nascent Soul Breakthrough requires passing through two major hurdles: "shattering the Golden Core to form the Nascent Soul" and "tempering by Heavenly Tribulation." The commotion is far greater than when condensing a Golden Core; it will inevitably attract celestial phenomena and tides of Spiritual Qi. If one were in a bustling or dangerous area, it would be extremely easy to be exposed and court disaster.

Deep within this Boundless Sand Sea, where the sky is high and the earth is remote, devoid of life, it serves as an excellent natural barrier.

Deep in the sand sea, he found a bowl-shaped sand valley, hundreds of feet deep, formed by years of erosion from massive sandstorms. The wind at the bottom of the valley was slightly weaker, and there was hard black rock exposed, making it relatively stable.

Landing his escape light, Ye Qing immediately set to work on preparations.

This secluded cultivation was no small matter; he brought out almost all of his trump cards.

First, using the "earth vein array core mushroom" as the core, he set up the strongest "Great Heavenly Cycle Five Elements Earth Vein Formation," connecting with the earth Qi to form the most stable protective and concealment barrier. The Formation covered the entire sand valley, its light flowing and merging almost seamlessly with the surrounding yellow sand.

He then took out the thirty-six repaired and nurtured "zhou tian star formation flags" to set up the "Small Heavenly Cycle Star Array," which would assist with early warnings, interfere with probing, and even draw in weak star power for minor replenishment.

Finally, within a range of several dozen miles around the sand valley, he laid down several layers of complex "Void Maze Restrictions" focused on illusions, trapping enemies, and early warnings, ensuring that if any living creature intruded, he would be able to sense it immediately and then confuse and delay them.

With all preparations complete, the sand valley was shrouded in layers of Formations. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary sand dune, completely unremarkable.

Ye Qing sat cross-legged in the center of the valley floor, atop the rock layer.

He sank his consciousness into the Cave Heaven World.

The 18,000-zhang Cave Heaven World, having devoured a medium-sized yin vein, had undergone earth-shaking changes and truly possessed the embryonic form of a "world."

Above the land, the embryonic forms of several majestic "mountain ranges" were clearly visible. The mountains were towering with rugged rocks, and earth Qi flowed faintly within them. Between the mountain ranges, several "yin rivers" meandered, their waters gurgling, emitting a faint chill and pure water spiritual and yin Spiritual Qi.

In the sky, the star core hung high, and the moonlight jade tree shone with silvery radiance. The trajectories of the stars were even more profound, and the scattered starlight and moonlight mingled with the Qi of the earth and mountains, nourishing all things.

The Floating Landmass had expanded to nearly a hundred zhang in circumference, with lush spiritual plants growing upon it. The moonlight star seeds stood tall like canopies, and numerous Spirit Medicines breathed in and out Spiritual Qi, filling the air with medicinal fragrance.

The newborn star beast "Xing Hao" was playing on a newly formed hill dotted with starlit grass. Its aura had already stabilized at the Early Stage of the third rank, its growth speed shockingly fast, and it showed affection and reliance toward the arrival of Ye Qing's consciousness.

The entire Cave Heaven World was full of vitality, with orderly rules, and the feedback of the "Power of the Primordial World" was vast, pure, and endless.

"With this Cave Heaven World as the Foundation and the feedback power as fuel, my Nascent Soul shall surely be an unprecedented 'Chaos Nascent Soul'!"

Ye Qing was filled with confidence and anticipation.

Withdrawing from the Cave Heaven World, he first consumed a drop of "star source liquid" and a mouthful of "earth vein stone milk," adjusting his own essence, Qi, and spirit to their absolute Peak.

Then, he began to circulate the Hunxu Yandao Scripture.

As the Cultivation Technique circulated, within his Dantian, that Hunxu Golden Core—which had reached the Perfection of the Golden Core stage, its radiance contained within, and interwoven with Dao patterns—began to rotate with slowly increasing speed.

Each rotation triggered a resonance between the vast Dantian essence within his body and the Power of the Primordial World fed back from the Cave Heaven World, emitting a low rumble like thunder.

Ye Qing's consciousness sank completely into the depths of the Golden Core, contemplating the various truths of the Dao contained within—Chaos, stars, Void Realm, Five Elements, Yin and Yang, tides, life and death, and annihilation—sorting, merging, and sublimating them one by one.

Shattering the Golden Core to form the Nascent Soul was not destruction, but rebirth.

It was the process of taking the Dao insights, life essence, and Divine Soul Origin condensed within the Golden Core and, in a way that was at a higher level and more attuned to the rules of Heaven and Earth, re-forging and condensing them into a "Dao Nascent Soul" possessing infinite potential for growth.

Time slipped away quietly in deep meditation.

Outside the sand valley, the sun rose and the moon set, and the wind and sand never ceased.

Inside the valley, Ye Qing's body was shrouded in a layer of hazy Chaos radiance. His aura was sometimes as still and deep as an abyss, sometimes erupting like a tide, faintly resonating with the surrounding Formations and the Heaven and Earth.

The Power of the Primordial World fed back from the Cave Heaven World, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, flowed continuously into his body, being absorbed and refined by the Golden Core.

The rotation speed of the Golden Core became faster and faster, yet its volume began to shrink inward at an extremely slow but unwavering speed!

It was as if a pair of invisible hands were beating, compressing, and purifying this Golden Core, which had already reached its limit, in an incredibly profound way, wanting to compress all its essence, all its Dao charm, and all its possibilities into a single point, and then... erupt!

This process lasted for seven full days.

On the seventh day, at midnight.

Deep in the sand sea, everything was silent, with only the sound of the wind like weeping.

Inside Ye Qing's Dantian, that pigeon-egg-sized Hunxu Golden Core had shrunk to the size of a longan fruit. Its entire body shone with radiance to the extreme, and all the Dao patterns on its surface lit up simultaneously, like a miniature, burning Chaos star!

Inside the Golden Core, an indescribable, vast vitality and immense Dao charm, as if from the creation of the world, were frantically brewing and churning, having reached a certain critical point!

"This is the moment!"

Ye Qing's heart was clear, without joy or sorrow, with only one thought.

"Shatter the Golden Core, form the Nascent Soul!"

As his thoughts moved, the Hunxu Yandao Scripture circulated at an unprecedented speed. His Soul Power, life essence, the feedback from the Cave Heaven World, and all the power contained within the Golden Core itself erupted at this moment, twisting into a flood like the creation of the world, fiercely striking the very core of the Golden Core!

Crack...

A slight cracking sound, which seemed to resound from the depths of his Soul and also seemed to come from the beginning of creation, echoed from his Dantian.

On the surface of that Hunxu Golden Core, which had condensed Ye Qing's lifelong cultivation, insights, and fortune, and had reached the limit of the Golden Core stage, a crack as thin as a hair appeared, running through the entire thing.

Immediately following, the crack spread rapidly like a spiderweb, instantly covering the entire Golden Core.

The Golden Core shattered.

But the shattering was not destruction.

It was rebirth.

The shattered Golden Core did not turn into nothingness but transformed into countless specks of Chaos-colored light, the purest and most original, containing all of Ye Qing's Dao truths and life imprints.

Under the guidance of an unfathomable and mysterious law, these specks of light began to rotate, gather, and condense rapidly in the center of the shattered Golden Core!

Just like the beginning of the Universe, the birth of stars.

A tiny, curled-up "infant" phantom, with Chaos Qi flowing all over its body, and surfaces displaying various phenomena such as the birth and death of stars, ripples in the Void Realm, the rotation of the Five Elements, and the rising and falling of moonlight, slowly took shape.

The phantom was initially blurry but quickly became clear and solid.

Its face was exactly the same as Ye Qing's, eyes closed, expression serene, as if it were sleeping, and also as if it were contemplating the ultimate truths of Heaven and Earth.

Its whole body radiated an aura that was pure, vast, and of the same Origin as Ye Qing, yet higher-level and closer to the Origin of the Dao.

The embryonic Nascent Soul was formed!

At the very instant the embryonic Nascent Soul took shape—

Above the sand valley, the originally dim and calm night sky suddenly surged with wind and clouds!

Endless black clouds surged from nowhere, instantly obscuring the firmament and covering the sand sea for hundreds of miles around! Within the clouds, electric serpents danced wildly, thunder rumbled, and a vast, majestic, terrifying pressure that seemed to represent the will of Heaven and Earth descended with a boom!

The Heavenly Tribulation had arrived!

The Nascent Soul Heavenly Tribulation consisted of three stages.

The first stage was the Wind and Fire Tribulation, which tempered the Physical Body and Foundation.

The second stage was the Lightning Tribulation, which tested magic power and Divine Soul.

The third stage was the Heart Demon Tribulation, which honed the Dao Heart and will.

Only after passing through the three stages of tribulation could the Nascent Soul be successfully formed.

Ye Qing had long anticipated this; his expression was calm as he looked up at the sky.

"Come."

He stood up, suspended in the air, with Chaos radiance flowing around his body. The newly formed embryonic Nascent Soul trembled slightly in his Dantian, emitting an aura of longing and fearlessness.

Boom!

The first stage of the tribulation descended without warning.

It was not heavenly lightning, but the pitch-black "Xun Wind" and blood-red "yin fire" born from the Void Realm!

The Xun Wind was invisible yet sharp as a blade, specifically eroding flesh, muscles, and bones. The yin fire had no heat but was incomparably vicious, specifically burning magic power and Divine Soul.

The wind and fire intertwined, transforming into a gray-red tornado that reached from the sky to the earth, instantly swallowing Ye Qing and the entire sand valley!

"Mere wind and fire, yet you dare to consume me?"

Ye Qing did not dodge or evade, nor did he even utilize any Formation for protection.

He merely moved his mind, and the newly formed Nascent Soul prototype trembled slightly.

A pure and vast Chaos Infant Essence (the embryonic form of Nascent Soul magic power), containing the true meaning of Chaos, surged from his Dantian and instantly flowed throughout his entire body.

Precious light flowed over his Physical Body, while Five Elements Dao patterns, star trajectories, and Void Realm talisman scripts flickered, blocking the encroaching wind and yin fire entirely outside his body. He even conversely absorbed and refined them bit by bit, merging them into himself, tempering every inch of flesh and bone, and every wisp of magic power and Divine Soul.

The wind and fire tribulation lasted for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick.

Ye Qing's figure was as steady as a rock, and his aura not only did not diminish but instead became more condensed and thick due to absorbing and refining a portion of the tribulation power.

"The first stage, passed."

He spoke indifferently.

As if enraged by his composure, the tribulation clouds in the sky rolled violently. Countless silver-white heavenly lightning bolts, thick as water buckets, tore through the clouds like furious silver Dragons, crashing down crazily toward the top of Ye Qing's head!

The second stage, Lightning Tribulation!

The Lightning Tribulation is extremely Yang and rigid, extremely violent and fierce; it specializes in breaking evil spirits and tests the purity of magic power and the resilience of the Divine Soul.

"Bring it on!"

A flash of Battle Intent crossed Ye Qing's eyes; this time, he would no longer passively endure it.

He raised his hand and made a hollow grasp toward the sea of lightning pouring down.

"Primordial Chaos, Swallow Heaven!"

Inside his Dantian, the Nascent Soul prototype formed a hand seal, and an invisible Chaos vortex that seemed capable of devouring all things emerged from Ye Qing's palm. It instantly expanded, transforming into a Chaos vortex several dozen zhang in diameter, spanning across above his head!

Boom, boom, boom, boom—!!!

Countless silver-white heavenly lightning bolts struck into the Chaos vortex like clay oxen entering the sea. They failed to stir up much of a ripple before being rapidly decomposed, devoured, and converted by the true meaning of Chaos contained within the vortex, turning into the purest lightning essence to nourish Ye Qing's Physical Body and Nascent Soul!

Lightning light coiled around Ye Qing, and his hair flew wildly. He was not only uninjured, but his aura surged at a speed visible to the naked eye. Under the nourishment of the lightning essence, the Nascent Soul prototype rapidly solidified and grew, its features becoming clearer, even faintly showing signs of opening its eyes!

"This Lightning Tribulation... tastes not bad."

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and he actually took the initiative to draw down more heavenly lightning to be devoured and refined by the Chaos vortex.

Such an arrogant act seemed to thoroughly enrage the Heavenly might.

The tribulation clouds rolled even more violently, their color shifting from silver-white to pale gold, and finally transforming into a brilliant purple-gold!

Purple Heaven Divine Lightning!

One of the strongest forms of Lightning Tribulation during the Nascent Soul Stage Heavenly Tribulation!

Boom!

A purple-gold lightning pillar, only as thick as an arm but condensed to the extreme and exuding an aura capable of destroying everything, descended like a spear of the Heavenly Dao from the center of the tribulation clouds, crashing down toward the center of Ye Qing's brow!

This strike had already faintly exceeded the scope of an ordinary Nascent Soul Stage Heavenly Tribulation!

"Now that's more like it."

Ye Qing's gaze fixed, and he finally became serious.

He no longer met it head-on with the Chaos vortex but instead used his mind to communicate with his Cave Heaven World.

"zhou tian star formation flags, rise!"

"Hunxu Zhou Tian, Star River Defense!"

The thirty-six star Formation Flags shone brilliantly, instantly setting up the strongest defensive Formation, transforming into a brilliant galaxy that shrouded the top of his head.

At the same time, he raised his right hand, pointing his fingers like a sword, with Chaos star energy surging and compressing at his fingertips.

"Hunxu, Severing Dao!"

A Chaos Sword Qi, condensed to the extreme and seemingly capable of severing Karma and destroying all laws, erupted from his fingertips, rising against the Heavens and slashing fiercely toward the Purple Heaven Divine Lightning!

The sword Qi and the lightning pillar collided violently in mid-air!

Blinding light erupted, illuminating the entire Boundless Sand Sea as if it were broad daylight!

The terrifying shockwave instantly leveled the surrounding sand dunes. The outer Restrictions laid down by Ye Qing shattered layer by layer, with only the core "Great Heavenly Cycle Five Elements Earth Vein Array" vibrating violently, barely supporting.

The stalemate lasted only an instant.

The Chaos Sword Qi ultimately proved superior, slicing the Purple Heaven Divine Lightning in two. The residual lightning power was mostly obliterated by the galaxy set up by the star Formation Flags, with only a small amount passing through to strike Ye Qing. It only caused his body to tremble slightly, the lightning light flowing over his skin surface before being rapidly absorbed and refined.

The second stage Lightning Tribulation, passed.

The tribulation clouds in the sky slowly dispersed their lightning light, but they did not dissipate; instead, they became deeper and more oppressive, with various twisted illusions, low murmurs, and Heart Demon distractions faintly permeating the air.

The third stage, Heart Demon Tribulation, arrived.

This tribulation is formless and intangible, pointing directly at the Dao Heart. It triggers the deepest, most fragile, most fearful, most persistent, and most unwilling-to-face thoughts, memories, and illusions within the Cultivator's heart, forming a Heart Demon illusion realm that disintegrates the Dao Heart from within, making it impossible to guard against.

Ye Qing felt his vision blur, and the surrounding scene changed abruptly.

It was no longer the barren Boundless Sand Sea, but the bustling streets of a modern city, with towering buildings, neon lights flickering, noisy and familiar. He was wearing a suit, carrying a briefcase, and hurriedly heading to the subway station after work... that was the world before his Transmigration.

Immediately after, the scene shattered and transformed into the dilapidated hut in the Servant Quarters of the Qingyun Sect, with inferior Spiritual Roots, being bullied, and a bleak future...

Then it changed into exploring a Secret Realm, being besieged by strong enemies, and barely surviving...

Then it changed into failing to condense the Nascent Soul, having his Dao Foundation completely destroyed, and becoming a useless person...

Then it changed into his Cave Heaven World being exposed, being hunted by the whole world, and his friends and family dying miserably...

Countless illusions, difficult to distinguish true from false, surged like a tide, impacting his mind and triggering all kinds of negative emotions—attachment to the past, unwillingness regarding the status quo, fear of the future, persistence for longevity, desire for power, and weariness of loneliness...

The Heart Demon whispered like a venomous snake, entwining his Divine Soul.

"Come back, this is your home..."

"Give up, you were always a failure..."

"Hand over the Cave Heaven, and you can obtain eternal life..."

"What is the use of longevity, it is but eternal loneliness..."

Ye Qing stood in the center of the illusions, his eyes tightly closed, but his expression remained calm throughout.

Regardless of the thousands of illusions and the howling of the Heart Demons, he remained unmoved.

Deep within his Divine Soul, the star Soul Power Dao rhyme obtained from the "star soul spirit-calming fruit" transformed into a layer of clear, calming starlight, protecting his spiritual platform.

Furthermore, there was a firm Dao Heart, originating from the Origin of the Cave Heaven World and cultivated alongside his own life, of "Chaos as One, My Dao is Unique," acting like a needle to calm the sea, suppressing all falsehoods.

"The Dao I seek is longevity and transcendence, freedom and ease."

"The path I walk is one of careful planning, moving steadily forward."

"Everything I possess is cultivated by myself, with a clear conscience."

"The past has passed, the future has not yet arrived; there is only the present, only my original heart."

"Illusions, disperse."

"Heart Demon, perish."

An indifferent and firm voice sounded from within his heart, like a great bell, shattering all the Heart Demon whispers.

The light and shadows before his eyes shifted, and instantly, clarity returned.

It was still that same sand valley; the tribulation clouds in the night sky were slowly dispersing, revealing a corner of starlight.

The third stage Heart Demon Tribulation, passed.

The three tribulations finished, and the Nascent Soul was formed.

Inside the Dantian, the Nascent Soul prototype had now completely solidified, transforming into a tiny infant about three inches tall, its whole body crystalline like jade, flowing with Chaos Qi currents, its face identical to Ye Qing's, surrounded by numerous phenomena such as stars birthing and dying, Void Realm ripples, Five Elements rotating, and moonlight rising and falling.

The Nascent Soul's eyes slowly opened.

Within its eyes, Chaos was just beginning, stars were evolving, deep and endless, as if containing the supreme principles of the Dao.

A "Nascent Soul magic power," far surpassing the Golden Core Perfection by a thousand times, and more advanced, purer, and vaster, surged from the Nascent Soul, instantly flowing through all of Ye Qing's limbs and bones, washing over his Divine Soul and Physical Body, undergoing the final leap and sublimation of his life level.

Boom!

Ye Qing's aura erupted violently, like a sleeping ancient god or demon awakening. The majestic pressure of the Nascent Soul Stage soared into the sky, completely dispersing the last trace of the tribulation clouds!

The night sky reappeared, with stars and moon shining together.

Inside his body, the Cave Heaven World sensed its master condensing the Nascent Soul and once again transmitted a joyful vibration. The Chaos gray mist at the edges surged, and its area expanded again, breaking through a radius of twenty thousand zhang in one fell swoop! The Heavenly Dao rules became more perfect, the outlines of mountains and rivers became clearer, and the vitality was as vast as the sea.

The feedback of Power of the Primordial World also instantly underwent a qualitative change, transforming into a purer, more advanced "Chaos Infant Essence," continuously nourishing and consolidating the newly formed Nascent Soul.

Ye Qing slowly opened his eyes, feeling the vast power surging within his body that seemed capable of controlling a region of heaven and earth, as well as the unprecedentedly clear perception and control over the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, Dao rules, and his own power brought about by the leap in his life level.

Nascent Soul Stage, achieved!

Moreover, it was a "Chaos Nascent Soul," unprecedented, condensed with the most perfect Foundation and tempered by the strongest Heavenly Tribulation!

"From now on, the sea is wide and the sky is high; the Nascent Soul is formed."

He whispered to himself, looking up at the endless starry sky, his gaze calm and firm.

Inside his body, the twenty-thousand-zhang Cave Heaven, earth veins, star seas, and mountains and rivers appeared faintly. The Chaos Nascent Soul sat in the Dantian, breathing in and out Chaos Infant Essence, nourishing the Cave Heaven World, endless and ceaseless.

The longevity Dao of the Nascent Soul Cultivator Ye Qing, after being baptized by the Heavenly Tribulation, embarked on a brand-new starting point.