281: Nascent Soul cultivator

[As expected—]

["Buzz—!"]

[The space above everyone's heads rippled like water without any warning!]

[The next second—]

[A figure quietly descended.]

[A majestic pressure, far exceeding the Nascent Soul level and as vast as a sea of stars, crashed down like an invisible curtain, enveloping the entire Hall of Fortune!]

["Ugh—!"]

["Ah!"]

[Everyone in the hall except for you, whether Golden Core or Nascent Soul, felt as if a thousand-ton mountain had suddenly been pressed onto them. The circulation of spiritual energy within their bodies abruptly stalled and became chaotic, making it impossible to mobilize even a shred of it.]

[Some with weaker cultivation had flushed faces and weak knees, nearly kneeling on the ground.]

[In the entire hall, only you and Qin Han, who was beside you clutching a wine bottle and merely blinking curiously, remained composed, as if that terrifying pressure was just a gentle breeze against your faces.]

[You clearly saw the newcomer—]

[It was an extremely young-looking man, appearing to be no more than twenty years old, with white hair and features as beautiful as a painting, handsome to the point of being eerie. Yet, he was surrounded by an unfathomable Dao charm that completely contradicted his appearance.]

[His cultivation was actually at the Middle Stage of Soul Transformation!]

[Your brow furrowed imperceptibly—]

[Previously, when your Divine Sense covered the Imperial City, you hadn't detected even a trace of his aura. It seemed this person's concealment methods were extremely sophisticated.]

[A slight trace of displeasure crossed your mind.]

[But on second thought, this was only normal.]

[A Middle Stage Soul Transformation Cultivator has been immersed in the Spirit Transformation Realm for at least a hundred years—]

[With a hundred years of accumulation in Dao and cultivation of secret techniques, the various profound methods they mastered were beyond the imagination of a Cultivator who had just entered this Realm.]

[With your current Early Stage Soul Transformation Divine Sense, it was naturally not easy to catch the trail of a Middle Stage Soul Transformation Cultivator when they were intentionally hiding.]

[This matter served as a wake-up call, causing an unprecedented sense of urgency to rise in your heart—]

[You had to head to the Heavenly Sword Sect as soon as possible to obtain the middle volume of the Limitless Primordial Chaos Art.]

[You had only learned the first volume of this Cultivation Technique, which only allowed you to Cultivate to the Nascent Soul Realm. Only by obtaining the middle volume could you continue to progress after reaching Soul Transformation.]

[However, if it came to actual combat, you were confident you didn't fear him.]

[He clearly noticed your anomaly as well—his gaze paused on you, and a flash of surprise crossed those bottomless eyes.]

[Then, he actually nodded slightly toward you and revealed a somewhat friendly smile: "Fellow Daoist, you must be the... Qin Chen that Little Wang mentioned, right?"]

[The "Little Wang" he spoke of naturally referred to that Old Monster Xinghen, Wang Xinghen.]

[The fact that you were unaffected by his Soul Transformation pressure was the best proof—in his eyes, you were already a person of the same Realm.]

[Only then did the others in the hall follow his gaze and suddenly realize—]

[That terrifying pressure, which made everyone feel as if they were carrying a mountain and stalled their spiritual energy, was like a gentle breeze when it fell on you, without causing even a ripple.]

[In an instant, the entire venue was in an uproar—]

["Soul Transformation? He really is a Soul Transformation powerhouse?"]

["I didn't expect Young Master Qin to truly be a Soul Transformation Senior!"]

["I thought he was just at the Late Nascent Soul Stage, I didn't expect him to be a Soul Transformation powerhouse..."]

["What is happening to this Shattered Star Continent? To think I'd see two Soul Transformation powerhouses in my lifetime!"]

["No wonder... that little beast was so powerful. It all makes sense now."]

[Ji Yao looked at you, her eyes nearly popping out, as she murmured under her breath: "He's actually Soul Transformation? How is that possible?"]

[In her eyes, Soul Transformation Cultivators were otherworldly experts; how could one have your playboy appearance?]

[This left her mind in a mess, feeling as unreal as a dream.]

[She unconsciously thought of the words she had once said to you, and her cheeks immediately turned crimson. Her whole body felt hot, and she trembled slightly with fear.]

[Those equally shocked were not just Ji Yao, but also Ji Changchu, Ji Fu, and others with lower cultivation.]

[Especially Ji Fu, her mouth was wide open, her jaw nearly dropping in surprise.]

[For a moment, everyone's gaze was fixed firmly on you.]

[At this point, even the dullest person had finally confirmed—]

[This "Young Master Qin," who had been calmly drinking wine all along, was absolutely a genuine Soul Transformation powerhouse!]

[At the same time, a thought flashed through everyone's mind—]

[The only variable in the current situation was you!]

[Seeing this, Old Monster Xinghen's smile grew even wider. He took a half-step forward and spoke to you, his tone carrying a hint of a warning:]

["Young Master Qin, this is the Second Elder of my Langgan Pavilion. Today's matter is an internal affair of our Pavilion. Why don't you just leave, Young Master Qin?"]

[Hearing this, you didn't show any fear, but instead gave a light chuckle and asked with interest: "Langgan Pavilion? It sounds quite impressive."]

["Why don't... you tell me just how strong it is? I'm quite curious about your Langgan Pavilion."]

[Old Monster Xinghen's face darkened. He was about to speak, but was stopped by the young Soul Transformation Cultivator beside him raising a hand—]

[His gaze remained on you, his tone flat: "Fellow Daoist... do you truly intend to intervene?"]

[You already had no good feelings toward the Langgan Pavilion, and you also needed to figure out its background.]

[Furthermore, you wanted to find a Soul Transformation Cultivator to test your skills and see exactly what level your current strength had reached.]

[However, you weren't a lunatic like Liu Jinfeng who had comprehended the Law of Death and acted without restraint—]

[Fighting here would definitely affect countless living beings in the Imperial City.]

[If you slaughtered hundreds of millions of beings for no reason, such a massive Karmic Obstruction and entanglement of Karma would likely become a Heart Demon barrier on your future path of Dao.]

[You hadn't forgotten—the Heart Demon Tribulation you experienced when breaking through to Soul Transformation.]

[You hadn't caused much slaughter, yet that Heart Demon Tribulation was already so terrifying. If the Karmic Obstruction from slaughtering was too deep, it probably wouldn't have been so easy to break through to Soul Transformation last time.]

[So after a moment's thought, you spoke calmly: "If you and I fight here, the aftershocks will spill over, and this Imperial City will instantly become scorched earth, with hundreds of millions of lives lost."]

["Excessive slaughter and being burdened by Karma... I'm afraid it will be harmful rather than beneficial to our cultivation."]

["Why don't we fight in the heavens? If you lose, you just need to answer one question for me, how about it?"]

[A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes upon hearing this, followed by a smile: "Fellow Daoist is very considerate. I am Jiang Ci. Please."]

[As soon as he finished speaking, both of your figures faded at the same time, leaving only a faint spatial ripple in your place.]

[The next second—]

[Ten thousand meters high in the sky, the astral winds were like knives.]

[The sea of clouds surged beneath your feet, and the lights of the Imperial City were like dust.]

[Only the countless cold starlights reflected the two figures suspended in confrontation.]