Under the promotion of the Chen Clan Commerce Association, the news of Chen Sheng's advancement to a Quasi-Tier Four Alchemist quickly spread across many Immortal Cities and Markets.
The Quasi-Tier Four Celestial Yang Realm-Breaking Pill was particularly praised, as if it were a mythical creation.
However, in Chen Sheng's eyes, this highly sought-after Celestial Yang Realm-Breaking Pill was rather "tasteless."
In his view, a Tier Three Top Grade Taiqing Barrier-breaking Pill was already sufficient for mid-stage Golden Core Cultivators, with a high probability of breaking through to the later stage.
Although the Quasi-Tier Four Celestial Yang Realm-Breaking Pill, which he refined, could nearly guarantee a passage to the late-stage Golden Core, its refinement required the Celestial Yang Fruit and Myriad Purity Flower, the cost surpassing the Taiqing Barrier-breaking Pill by more than ten times.
Even if an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator were to exhaust their fortune, they might not afford even one, such high costs were ultimately beyond the reach of most.
If not for Chen Sheng's profound familiarity with the realm-breaking domain, increasing the probability of success in advancing to Quasi-Tier Four, he would not have decided to refine this pill.
...
Meanwhile, the sands and winds of the Western Wilderness were sweeping through the Bright Tower Market.
This market, situated on the edge of the desert, was surrounded by dangerous lands and was usually frequented by loose cultivators who live by the sword. The atmosphere was much less lively than other markets.
In a Tier Three Top Grade mansion deep within the market, Chen Xihua sat cross-legged on a mat, with faint sword light circulating around him.
He had just learned from the market's messaging hub about his father's advancement to a Quasi-Tier Four Alchemist, a realization flashed in his eyes, and he slowly raised his right hand.
In his palm, a small infant about an inch tall quietly hovered, its eyebrows and eyes resembling Chen Xihua's. It wore a miniature cyan sword robe and was surrounded by condensed Sword Qi. Even though it slept with its eyes closed, it exuded a heart-palpitating pressure.
This was the "External Sword Infant" he had spent nearly a century of effort creating, using the Xichuan Sword Mansion's secret techniques along with various high-tier spiritual materials. The Sword Infant contained half of his Sword Intent, needing only a thought to unleash power comparable to a Nascent Soul Cultivator.
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Feeling the majestic power within the Sword Infant, Chen Xihua nodded slightly:
"With the External Sword Infant achieved, the Nascent Soul Three Tribulations can be broken in a snap!"
"Since father has become a Quasi-Tier Four Grandmaster, he must already be planning for the Nascent Soul, and I should keep pace as well."
With this thought, he suddenly swung his sleeve, and the walls of the mansion lit up with dazzling spirit light.
The Tier Three Top Grade Spirit Gathering Array, prepared in advance, activated instantly. The Array Patterns, like they had come alive, extended from the floor to the ceiling, forming a massive vortex of spirit light.
Spiritual Qi from between heaven and earth was frenziedly sucked into the array, condensing into tangible spirit threads within the array, flowing into Chen Xihua's body like water, causing the spirit power concentration in the mansion to suddenly rise to Tier Four level, making the air shimmer faintly.
Chen Xihua took a deep breath, forming a Sword Seal with his hands, and the Sword Pill within him began to tremble violently.
With a low hum, the void above his head suddenly rippled, and a semi-transparent Nascent Soul phantom slowly emerged—dressed in a cyan robe, holding a long sword, surrounded by swirling Sword Qi, it was the Nascent Soul phenomenon!
This phenomenon had just appeared, attracting cultivators from inside and outside of the market, with escape lights flocking over like birds, landing on the sand dunes outside the mansion, observing from afar.
A Golden Core Cultivator in a gray robe couldn't help but exclaim, his eyes full of surprise:
"Someone is actually breaking through to Nascent Soul in Bright Tower Market. The Spiritual Qi here is thin, with no Sect protection, could it be a loose cultivator?"
Beside him, an old cultivator with white hair stroked his beard, his gaze scanning over the Mansion's Array Light:
"This Daoyou is quite meticulous. Bright Tower Market is remote, so no Nascent Soul Cultivator will come to disrupt within a short time. As long as he withstands the Three Tribulations, he can successfully break through."
"But... For a loose cultivator to become a Nascent Soul is tough indeed!"
The gaze of more cultivators fell upon the Array Light, sparks of greed flashing in their eyes. Most of them were mid to late-stage Golden Core loose cultivators, fully aware of the dangers in breaking through to Nascent Soul, and their minds had already begun scheming.
If this person fails the tribulation, the spiritual materials and magical treasures within the array would become theirs, with some already quietly preparing to claim their prizes.
Time slowly passed under tense observation, but only an hour later, clouds began to gather atop the firmament!
The originally clear sky got covered with thick black clouds, lightning flickering faintly within, a sign that the Celestial Thunder Tribulation was about to descend!
The gray-robed cultivator shouted with shock, his face full of astonishment:
"The brewing of the Celestial Thunder Tribulation, to think he passed the Heart Demon and Pill Shattering Tribulations so quickly, for a loose cultivator to reach the third barrier is indeed rare!"
Instantly, the cultivators on the sand dunes were in an uproar, a few clear-minded ones knew that passing the first two barriers meant the cultivator had deep foundations, so they immediately activated their escape lights to leave, fearing trouble upon themselves.
Yet over a dozen of them remained with a fluke mentality, staying to observe, their eyes filled with more greed, as they didn't believe this person could withstand the mightiest Celestial Thunder Tribulation.
At that moment, the dark clouds in the sky suddenly burst open, and a purple lightning as thick as a water barrel descended like a giant dragon, with a world-destroying momentum, heading toward the mansion!
"It's here!"
The Golden Core Cultivators who stayed behind flashed with excitement in their eyes, but the next second, their smiles froze on their faces.
Inside the mansion, a brilliant sword light suddenly erupted, soaring skyward and transforming into a cyan Sword Qi Flood Dragon in mid-air. Its scales were distinctly visible, and with its dragon whiskers fluttering, carrying a fierce Sword Qi, it collided head-on with the purple lightning.
"Boom!"
With a thundering explosion, the celestial lightning was shattered by the Sword Qi Flood Dragon, dissipating into scattered lightning light across the air without even slightly shaking the mansion's protective shield.
"Such powerful Sword Intent!"
The white-haired cultivator gasped, his voice quivering: "This elder's strength is likely several times greater than an ordinary Golden Core Perfection!"
Those cultivators who originally harbored a fluke finally panicked, activating their escape lights to flee.
But just as they turned, a cold snort came from within the mansion—Chen Xihua, with Sword Heart Clarity, could sensitively perceive the malice around him, how could he allow these people to covet?
He pinched his fingers together, slashing towards the thunderclouds. A cyan Sword Rainbow instantly tore through the clouds, splitting the second celestial lightning in two.
The left hand flicked a thread-thin Sword Thread, which suddenly split into seven or eight strands in the air, slashing toward the cultivators on the dune.
"Puff! Puff!"
With a few faint sounds, whether late-stage Golden Core or mid-stage cultivators, fine bloodlines instantly appeared on their necks.
They didn't even have time to scream before their heads rolled down the dune, blood turning the yellow sand red, their bodies soon buried by sand blown by the western wind.
After dealing with the coveters, Chen Xihua refocused on crossing the tribulation, as the thunderclouds continued to roll in the sky, with one Celestial Thunder after another falling, only to be shattered by his Sword Qi.
...
A quarter of an hour later, the final pillar-thick purple Celestial Thunder crumbled under a blue Sword Rainbow, turning into countless fragmented Thunder Light, scattering like stars.
The heavy dark clouds above the sky receded swiftly like a tide, and the Tier Three Top Grade Spirit Gathering Array inside the cave dwelling gradually ceased its operation, the Spirit Light on the Array Pattern dimming like the ebbing tide.
Chen Xihua's figure slowly emerged from the Spirit Light of the cave dwelling, his aura completely transformed.
The heavy pressure belonging to a Golden Core Cultivator was gone, replaced by a profound and ethereal sense unique to Nascent Soul Cultivators.
At this moment, the original Golden Core within him had completely disappeared, replaced by a miniature Sword Infant, very similar to the External Sword Infant.
Chen Xihua murmured to himself, "The Nascent Soul is formed, and the External Sword Infant can be refined into a second Nascent Soul Avatar."
He brushed the dust from his sleeve and glanced at the bodies of the cultivators on the dune slain for their greed, his eyes calm and without disturbance.
To him, these malicious people deserved such an end.
Now that he has completed the tribulation, he has no intention of lingering—this Western Wilderness is not a place to stay long-term. After breaking through to the Nascent Soul, he needs to find a place richer in Spiritual Qi to stabilize his realm and plan the future path of cultivation.
Chen Xihua slowly raised his right hand, pinching his fingers to gather a wisp of concentrated blue Sword Qi.
This wisp of Sword Qi appeared slender yet harbored immense power, flickering with dense runes—an initial attempt to fuse his Sword Intent with Void Power.
His gaze turned to the distance, towards the direction of the Three Elements Dao Sect, where his father was preparing for a Nascent Soul breakthrough; he needed to return quickly to provide support.
"Go!"
Chen Xihua whispered softly, flicking his finger, and the wisp of blue Sword Qi shot into the sky like an arrow leaving the bowstring. Immediately, a subtle ripple appeared in the sky.
The ripple rapidly expanded, forming a half-zhang wide black rift with edges shimmering with faint purple Void Energy like flowing auroras, pitch-black within.
Without any hesitation, Chen Xihua's figure flickered, transforming into a streak of blue light, heading towards the Void Rift.
His movements were smooth and natural, and as he approached the rift, a protective shield formed around him from Void Power, isolating him from the erosion of Void Energy.
At the moment of entering the rift, his figure slightly blurred, merging like water with no obstruction.
Once the blue light completely entered the Void Rift, the purple energy at its edge rapidly contracted, and the black rift shrunk like a healing wound, eventually closing entirely.
...
Two hours later, in the void, a faint purple Mirage silently appeared, gradually condensing into a man wearing a purple robe.
The man's features were handsome, enveloped by an illusory mist, and as he moved, countless phantoms seemed to float at the hem of his robe.
He was the Mirage Daoist, who years ago seized the seventh Nascent Fruit from among many Golden Core experts in the Ancient Yue Grotto Heaven and was now a Nascent Soul True Monarch.
Suspended a hundred zhang above the desert, his body was surrounded by a vague, illusory mist, his gaze calmly scanning the chaotic tribulation crossing land below, a peculiar Treasure Bead quietly appearing in his palm.
The Treasure Bead was entirely a dreamy pale purple, not material, but seemingly condensed from pure light and shadow, rippling with phantom images upon touch, as if it would shatter with a touch, yet carrying an indescribable gravity.
This was the Mirage Bead, the Lifebound Spiritual Treasure of the Mirage True Monarch, projecting to reflect the traces of heaven and earth, peering into hidden secrets.
"Go."
The Mirage True Monarch flicked his finger, and the purple Treasure Bead left his fingertip, spinning rapidly over the Bright Tower Market.
The Bead's rotating trajectory resembled a profound array, and with each rotation, a silver glyph lit up on its body, the purple glow becoming increasingly intense, dyeing the surrounding void into a dreamlike purple mist.
On the third rotation, the Bead abruptly halted, slightly tilting toward the direction of Chen Xihua's tribulation crossing.
The next moment, the purple glow of the Bead exploded, transforming into a faint purple light screen, floating in front of the Mirage True Monarch.
On the light screen, images flowed like water, revealing fragmented sights of the tribulation crossing process.
The Mirage True Monarch's eyes locked onto the vivid blue Sword Rainbow that tore through the Celestial Thunder in the light screen, his previously calm eyes becoming progressively grave, with the surrounding illusory mist trembling slightly.
"Such fierce hostility!"
"Even without completely crossing the tribulation, to wield Sword Qi so sharp, the Sword Intent forming a trend, could he be a Sword Child of the Myriad Swords Sect?"
The Mirage True Monarch murmured softly, his voice carrying an imperceptible hint of dread, he slowly closed his eyes, his Divine Sense delving into the Sword Intent imagery within the light screen, savoring its profound mystery.
Moments later, he opened his eyes, his brows furrowed, filled with confusion:
"The dominance of this Sword Qi resembles some aspects of the Myriad Swords Sect's style, yet it's fundamentally different, as if fused with other Sword Dao inheritances, truly strange."
Having said this, he gestured with his hand, causing the purple Treasure Bead in the air to transform into a streak of light, returning to his palm, the dreamy glow surrounding him gradually retracting, merging into his sleeve.
Having finished everything, his figure flickered, the purple robe becoming blurry like mist scattering with the wind, gently blending into the surrounding void.
Moments later, the Mirage True Monarch's figure completely vanished, leaving only faint purple ripples in the void.
A fortnight later.
In the depths of the Three Elements Main Hall, within a cultivation secret chamber, True Monarch Qian Yuan sat cross-legged on a jade mat etched with array patterns, surrounded by a faint ink-colored primordial magnetic spirit light.
This is the unique spirit light of his core cultivation technique, the "Primordial Magnetic Array Manual," with halos interwoven with dense array patterns, like countless tiny compasses slowly rotating.
The Divine Sense of a Nascent Soul True Monarch typically has a range of a thousand miles. As a Tier Four Grandmaster of Array Dao, True Monarch Qian Yuan habitually merges part of the Primordial Magnetic Array's power into himself during cultivation.
With the augmentation of the array, his Divine Sense's coverage surpasses three thousand miles, enough to perceive the surroundings!
Suddenly, True Monarch Qian Yuan's eyes snapped open, a ripple of ink appeared in his once calm eyes, and the primordial magnetic spiritual Qi around him instantly stagnated.
He slightly furrowed his brows and quickly locked his Divine Sense on the western direction—an unbeatable Sword Qi was racing from west to east, with the sharpness within the Sword Qi akin to a peerless Divine Weapon unsheathed.
Even at a distance of three thousand miles, he felt a hint of its piercing pressure.
"Such powerful Sword Qi!"
True Monarch Qian Yuan was secretly alarmed:
"Such domineering Sword Intent, could it be a True Monarch from the Myriad Swords Sect visiting? But why didn't they send a Communication Talisman beforehand?"
He pondered for a moment, a look of decision flashing in his eyes. Regardless of the visitor's intentions, as the Rotating True Monarch of the Daoist Sect, he must intercept personally to prevent any accidents.
True Monarch Qian Yuan flicked his finger, condensing a wisp of faint ink-colored Primordial Magnetic Power at his fingertip and gently pointed it at the array patterns on the ground.
In an instant, all the array patterns in the cultivation secret chamber lit up simultaneously, the faint ink-colored light surged like a tide, gathering before him to form an avatar identical to himself.
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The avatar's appearance and demeanor were indistinguishable from the main body, and the primordial magnetic spirit light surrounding it was even denser, precisely the "Primordial Magnetic Avatar" condensed with the help of the Primordial Magnetic Array.
This avatar not only possesses fifty percent of the main body's power but can also perfectly bear his Divine Sense. Even if it encounters danger, it can instantly dissipate through the array without harming the main body in the slightest.
"Go."
True Monarch Qian Yuan nodded slightly at the avatar, his Divine Sense instantly merging into it.
The avatar lightly waved its sleeve, primordial magnetic spiritual Qi rippling around it like a pebble dropped in water, causing the surrounding void to ripple finely.
In the next second, the avatar's form gradually became ethereal like a water ripple, eventually merging completely into the void, disappearing without a trace.
...
Seven hundred miles from the Three Elements Immortal City, above a desolate valley, two distinctly different fluctuations suddenly appeared in the void.
On the western side, a green Sword Light first sliced through the void—the Sword Light was as dazzling as a meteor, transforming into the figure of Chen Xihua upon landing.
The Nascent Soul True Monarchs can escape using the Void Power, at a speed ten times that of a Golden Core Perfection Cultivator, maintaining a standard escape speed of three hundred thousand miles per hour.
Although the Western Wilderness is far from the Three Elements Immortal City, Chen Xihua, traveling tirelessly, still reached the vicinity in just half a month.
At this moment, Chen Xihua wore a green Sword Robe, surrounded by a faint Sword Mist, with tiny Sword Qi faintly circulating within the mist, exuding a peerless edge even while standing quietly.
He lightly brushed his sleeve, gazing calmly toward the eastern side, clearly aware of the other's arrival long ago.
Almost simultaneously, faint ink-colored ripples appeared in the void on the east side as True Monarch Qian Yuan's Primordial Magnetic Avatar slowly emerged.
The primordial magnetic spiritual Qi around him was like flowing ink gauze enveloping him, and as he landed, his steps were steady, each step seemingly treading on invisible array patterns, causing the ground around him to faintly light up with tiny ink-colored array points.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he gazed at Chen Xihua, a glint of seriousness in his eyes, becoming more pronounced as he approached, increasingly feeling the terror of the Sword Intent, as if even the primordial magnetic spirit light around him was being gradually sliced by the Sword Qi.
Such sharpness, even those famed Nascent Soul Sword Cultivators of the Myriad Swords Sect might not possess.
True Monarch Qian Yuan was the first to speak, his voice steady, carrying the composure unique to a Grandmaster of Array Dao:
"Three Elements Dao Sect, Qian Yuan, may I ask this fellow Daoist's esteemed name?"
His gaze locked tightly on Chen Xihua, the primordial magnetic spirit light around him subtly pulsating, ready to set up an array at any moment. Faced with such a powerful Sword Intent, even being a Nascent Soul himself, he dared not be careless.
Upon hearing this, Chen Xihua suddenly laughed heartily, the laughter crisp yet with a touch of carefree detachment:
"True Monarch, you are too kind."
He raised his hand and cupped it toward True Monarch Qian Yuan, the gesture simple yet not lacking in etiquette, the Sword Mist around him slightly retracting yet still unable to hide its sharpness:
"Three Elements Dao Sect, Xuan Zhao, greetings to Fellow Daoist Qian Yuan."
The name Xuan Zhao was precisely Chen Xihua's Daoist title in the Three Elements Dao Sect!
"Xuan Zhao?" True Monarch Qian Yuan was momentarily stunned, frowning as he quickly searched his mind for this name.
The Daoist Sect's disciples' titles are always sequential, with "Xuan" generation disciples having joined for less than three hundred years and most still at the Mid-to-Late Golden Core stage; how could there be such a formidable Nascent Soul Cultivator?
He scrutinized Chen Xihua's face carefully, suddenly startled—this face seemed familiar!
Moments later, True Monarch Qian Yuan suddenly recalled the journey to the Ancient Yue Grotto Heaven over a hundred years ago, where he had briefly encountered Chen Xihua, who was then only Mid-stage Golden Core, with a remarkable aura but far from today's terrifying presence.
In the span of over a hundred years, Chen Xihua switched to cultivating the Fundamental Sword Scripture, and his mana fluctuations and Divine Soul aura underwent earth-shattering changes, which is why True Monarch Qian Yuan did not immediately recognize him.