Half-step Nascent Soul

Inside the stone hall, it had become a Shura Field.

As the myriad soul soul-devouring banner swayed, a fierce Yin wind howled, and countless wailing vengeful Souls formed a monstrous black tide, relentlessly assaulting the minds of the survivors. Those Middle Golden Core and Early Stage Golden Core Cultivators couldn't even put up a decent resistance before their Divine Souls left their bodies, becoming new nourishment for the banner, which in turn made the Spirit Treasure's power even greater.

Only Yan Li, Leng Juexin, and seven or eight other powerhouses above the Late Golden Core Stage could barely hold on with their profound Cultivation and protective Magic Treasures, but all of them had faces as pale as paper, their Divine Souls felt as if they were being torn apart by countless hands, suffering immensely, and their strength was greatly diminished.

"Devil Head! My Xuanming Sect will never rest until you are dead!" Leng Juexin shrieked, conjuring a Glacial Treasure Mirror that emitted streams of Xuanming Frigid Qi, barely resisting the erosion of the Soul tide, but the mirror's radiance was rapidly dimming.

Yan Li roared repeatedly, his giant axe slashing wildly, and the ferocious Evil Qi temporarily forced back the approaching vengeful Souls, but his eyes were bloodshot, clearly indicating he was struggling immensely. The others were even more precarious.

Nightmare stood at the center of the Soul tide, like a monarch governing the netherworld, the myriad soul soul-devouring banner fluttering above his head, emanating a despair-inducing pressure. He looked at the struggling individuals with cold, emotionless eyes.

"Never rest until I'm dead? Are you even worthy?"

He slowly raised his right hand, and that ultimate darkness at his fingertip condensed once more.

This time, it was no longer a single finger wind.

Instead, it simultaneously locked onto Yan Li, Leng Juexin, and all other survivors!

Myriad Poison Soul Devouring Finger — Group Kill!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Several black finger winds, even more condensed and swift than before, shot out simultaneously, disregarding spatial distance, instantly appearing before their respective targets!

"No!"

"Block it!"

Yan Li's eyes were bloodshot, and he infused all his Evil Qi into his giant axe, blocking fiercely! Leng Juexin, on the other hand, placed the Glacial Treasure Mirror in front of her, frantically activating it!

The others also used their various means, defending with their lives!

However, under the full power of Perfected Golden Core Nightmare, and with the myriad soul banner's Soul tide interfering with their minds, their defenses appeared so pale and weak!

Crack!

Pfft!

Yan Li's extraordinary giant axe, its blade struck by the finger wind, instantly became covered in cracks, then exploded! The finger wind, its momentum undiminished, directly pierced through his glabella!

Leng Juexin's Glacial Treasure Mirror shattered like glass, and the finger wind penetrated the mirror surface, entering her heart!

The defensive Magical Artifacts and protective Spiritual Qi conjured by the other individuals were like paper under the finger wind, easily torn apart and pierced through!

Time seemed to stand still at this moment.

Yan Li's ferocity, Leng Juexin's horror, and the desperate expressions of the others all froze.

The next moment.

Bang, bang, bang... a series of thuds as bodies fell to the ground.

The fierce generals of the Tiansha Sect who dominated one region, the Prodigy Disciples of the Xuanming Sect, and those Loose Cultivators who had fortunately Cultivated to the Late Golden Core Stage... all perished! As soon as their Divine Souls escaped, they were greedily sucked into the myriad soul soul-devouring banner, becoming nutrients to nourish the banner's body.

In the blink of an eye, the stone hall became completely silent.

Besides Nightmare, there was not a single living person left.

The Wind-Devouring Demonic Vine slithered out, skillfully rolling back all the Storage Pouches and Magic Treasures that were not completely destroyed from the corpses, while demonic flames flickered, cleaning up all traces.

Nightmare beckoned, retrieving the myriad soul soul-devouring banner. At this moment, because the precious banner had devoured the Divine Souls of many Golden Core Cultivators, especially the main Souls of two Perfected Golden Core Cultivators, its black light became even deeper and more agile, and its power had clearly increased by another notch.

He scanned the empty stone hall, confirming there were no omissions. This trip to the Immortal Cave yielded far more than expected. Not only did he obtain the netherworld ghost lotus, a supreme treasure for nourishing the Divine Soul, but he also acquired the myriad soul soul-devouring banner, a killing weapon close to an Acquired Spirit Treasure, as well as the secret arts of the Nether Prison Ghost Canon and Yin Nether Iron and other Materials.

Most importantly, after successive devourings and battles, he felt that his Perfected Golden Core Cultivation had been thoroughly consolidated and was progressing towards a more perfected, more extreme direction. The black Golden Core in his Dantian spun faster and faster, with runes appearing and disappearing on its surface, as if brewing something.

"The Yin Spiritual Qi here is extremely rich, perfect as resources for me to break through to a higher Realm!"

Nightmare's eyes flashed, but he did not leave immediately. He returned to the side room of the study and sat down cross-legged directly in the center of the stone chamber.

He first took out the netherworld ghost lotus. The pale flame in the lotus heart flickered slightly, emitting pure and gentle Soul Power. He carefully guided that cluster of pale flame out and slowly absorbed it into his Sea of Consciousness in his glabella.

Boom!

As if parched land had received sweet rain, his Divine Soul power instantly began to surge! The scope of his Divine Sense rapidly expanded, and his control over his Demonic Essence and his perception of the world's energy all rose to a new level! His Divine Soul became more condensed and resilient!

After digesting the Soul Fire of the netherworld ghost lotus, he unhesitatingly swallowed the few Soul Evil Fruits. The fruits transformed into a pure and domineering torrent of Yin Evil Energy, surging into his limbs and bones, and was frantically refined by the Myriad Poison Demonic Scripture.

At the same time, he fully circulated his Cultivation Technique. The pure Yin Spiritual Qi that had accumulated for countless tens of thousands of years in the stone hall and even the entire Immortal Cave ruins, as if summoned by an emperor, transformed into visible gray Qi currents, frantically converging towards him, forming a huge energy vortex that completely engulfed him!

His body was like a bottomless pit, greedily devouring all energy.

In his Dantian, the black Golden Core's rotation speed had reached its limit, and the Demonic Patterns appearing on its surface became increasingly complex and clear, emitting heart-stopping fluctuations. The volume of the Golden Core was also slowly expanding, reaching a critical point.

The extreme of the Golden Core!

Time flew by during his Cultivation.

After an unknown period, when Nightmare had almost completely devoured the medicinal power of the Soul Evil Fruits and the Yin Spiritual Qi gathered within the Immortal Cave.

His Golden Core in his Dantian suddenly trembled!

The rotation abruptly stopped!

All the light, all the energy, all the Law patterns suddenly contracted inwards!

The next moment, a tiny, yet infinitely profound crack quietly appeared on the surface of the Golden Core!

It was not shattering, but transformation!

As if an eggshell was about to hatch, and a chick was about to break free!

A terrifying aura, far surpassing Perfected Golden Core, yet not truly Nascent Soul Stage, like an ancient slumbering beast awakening, suddenly erupted from Nightmare's body!

Rumble!

The entire stone hall shook violently, and rubble rattled down!

Half-step Nascent Soul!

Only one last step remained: to attract the Nascent Soul Heavenly Tribulation, then Shatter the Golden Core to Form a Nascent Soul, truly entering that high-level Realm on the path of Immortal Cultivation — the Nascent Soul Stage!

Nightmare slowly opened his eyes, and a flash of black lightning seemed to flicker in their depths. His aura was as profound as an abyss, like a prison. The mere pressure naturally emanating from him caused the surrounding air to solidify and twist.

He felt the vast power surging and roaring within him, almost overflowing, and a satisfied curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.

At this moment, he felt that if he were to encounter a Perfected Golden Core Cultivator of Leng Juexin's level from the Xuanming Sect again, he wouldn't even need to use the myriad soul banner and the Wind-Devouring Demonic Vine. With just his own Demonic Essence, a single palm strike could easily kill them!

"Half-step Nascent Soul... the power is indeed vastly different." He gently clenched his fist, and space itself seemed to wail in his palm.

He stood up, his gaze seemingly able to penetrate the stone walls, looking beyond the Immortal Cave, towards the deeper, more dangerous Soul Burying Valley and Yin Nether Ravine.

"It's time to find that nine nether soul-returning grass."

"And incidentally... it's also time to make those ants still scurrying around outside like headless flies realize the reality."

He took a step, and his figure vanished like a ghost, reappearing an instant later before the broken hole at the entrance of the Immortal Cave.

Outside the cave, due to the previous chaotic battle and the occasional terrifying energy fluctuations emanating from within the Immortal Cave, some Cultivators had gathered again, having heard the news or previously watched from afar. There were about twenty to thirty people, with varying Cultivation levels, cautiously attempting to investigate the situation at the cave entrance.

When Nightmare's figure appeared at the cave entrance without warning, everyone was startled, quickly retreating and looking on nervously.

When they discovered that only Nightmare had emerged, and sensed the terrifying aura emanating from him, like an ancient Demonic Abyss, everyone's faces instantly turned ashen, their eyes filled with fear and disbelief.

So many people went in... Xuanming Sect, Tiansha Sect... so many experts... only he came out?

And this aura... this is not at all the aura a Golden Core Stage Cultivator should possess!

Nightmare's cold gaze swept over the frightened Cultivators in the field, as if looking at a flock of lambs to be slaughtered.

He slowly spoke, his voice not loud, but it exploded in everyone's hearts like a clap of thunder:

"The Immortal Cave is empty."

"This place now belongs to me."

"Get out of my sight within three breaths."

"Otherwise, die."

The icy killing intent spread like a tangible substance, coupled with the terrifying pressure of a Half-step Nascent Soul, making all the Cultivators feel as if they had fallen into an ice cave, their livers and guts splitting with fear!

No one dared to question or hesitate in the slightest!

"Senior, spare our lives! We'll get out! We'll get out!"

Someone took the lead, and everyone, like rabbits scared out of their wits, scrambled and crawled, frantically fleeing in the direction away from Ghost Cry Gorge, only regretting that their parents hadn't given them two more legs!

In the blink of an eye, outside the Immortal Cave, no one dared to linger.

Nightmare stood with his hands behind his back, overlooking the desolate and silent gorge, like a monarch inspecting his territory.

Next step, Soul Burying Valley, Yin Nether Ravine.

The nine nether soul-returning grass, he was determined to obtain it.

Anyone who dared to obstruct him would only face — Divine Soul Annihilation!