The void in the western Great Wilderness remains chaotic.
Outside Broken Sword Valley, amidst the space, a faint golden light dissipates, followed by the quiet appearance of a gap less than half a foot wide, trembling slightly as if about to close completely.
In the next moment, a dazzling sword light shoots out from the gap, sharp yet understated, carrying a faint Sword Rhyme. Drawing a graceful arc through the void, it lands steadily on the desert dunes.
As the light fades, Chen Sheng's figure appears. He remains in that gray-blue Daoist robe, with a faint sword light seemingly circulating at the hems, a natural phenomenon formed after achieving Sword Momentum, blending Sword Intent and self Mana.
Introspecting his Dantian, Chen Sheng can clearly see the transformation of that Sword-carrying Nascent Soul.
The current Nascent Soul has grown to over four inches tall, with the Void Mark on its forehead becoming more refined, holding a cauldron in the left hand and an array banner in the right, much taller than when first forming the Nascent Soul.
Sorrounded by Mana becoming increasingly condensed, faintly revealing the colors of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth, the Power of Origin from his Five Elements Celestial Spirit Root.
The long sword behind the Nascent Soul is precisely his Lifebound Flying Sword "Tingyu Sword," its body covered in dense patterns that subtly resonate with the Sword Intent around the Nascent Soul, each move carrying a hint of controlling the world's might.
Chen Sheng nodded slightly. Since forming the Nascent Soul, it has been over a hundred and eighty years; with the Five Elements Celestial Spirit Root, Tier Five Sword Scripture, and a constant supply of Elixir Pills, his Mana accumulation speed far surpasses ordinary Nascent Soul Cultivators.
"According to the current trend, at most another ten or twenty years, I can cultivate to the peak of Nascent Soul Early-stage."
"With my aptitude, there should be no bottlenecks in the Nascent Soul early to mid-stage, though the late-stage might have obstacles, so it's better to prepare some Realm-Breaking Elixirs in advance."
Celestial Grade Spiritual Root is not omnipotent. After passing the Nascent Soul stage, bottlenecks gradually emerge, some will even face bottlenecks at the early Nascent Soul stage.
However, these bottlenecks have many ways to overcome, such as Elixir Pills, insight, Secret Techniques, etc... For Nascent Soul Cultivators, it's not a big problem.
The most troublesome is the understanding of Void Power!
Een lepel voor het slapengaan, en de wormen zullen binnen een dag uit het lichaam verdwijnenOpen
To cultivate the Nascent Soul, one needs to achieve a standard in understanding Void Power, complete the Void Mark, and induce the Nascent Soul's transformation for breakthrough to Mid-stage Nascent Soul.
"Fifty years of sword enlightenment, yet progress in Void Power is insufficient."
Chen Sheng thought back to Broken Sword Valley, where despite thoroughly comprehending Sword Momentum, he felt lacking a few points of smoothness when using Void Power to travel.
"Comprehending the void..." Chen Sheng gazed into the distance, having made a decision, "This place is just near the 'Double Star Wonders,' participating may bring gains!"
With the thought established, Chen Sheng no longer hesitated. With a sudden wave of his sleeve, seventy-two array banners flew out, transforming into specks of Spirit Light in the air, quickly weaving into a small void boat about ten feet long.
The entire boat is condensed from Spirit Light, its hull engraved with complex array patterns, emitting faint spatial ripples.
Transforming into sword light, Chen Sheng lightly landed on the boat, which quivered slightly before turning into a stream of light heading towards the Double Star Wonders, leaving behind a faint trail of Spirit Light quickly lost in the wilderness's wind and sand.
...
Half a year passed swiftly.
As the speed of the small void boat gradually slowed, Chen Sheng's gaze was suddenly drawn to the scene ahead, a spectacle that would astonish any cultivator.
Above the Great Wilderness, two meteors, each with a diameter of tens of thousands of miles, were entwining and rotating, one completely azure, emanating an icy chill like eternal frozen ice, the other fiery red like flames, its scorching light almost piercing through the sky.
Two contrasting forces collide and merge in the void, forming a pitch-black void black hole.
Around the black hole, the space keeps twisting, trembling... emitting a vast attraction, pulling all nearby rubble and sand into it, creating a massive crater stretching millions of miles on the Great Wilderness surface.
At the crater's edge, the small void boat slowly stopped, and Chen Sheng's figure quietly emerged.
He stood on the dune, gazing up at the sky, his eyes slightly squinting, unable to express the shock inside.
The blue and red meteors drew graceful arcs across the sky, the cold and heat intertwining, forming visible energy ripples that spread downward through the void, landing in the crater, stirring waves of sand.
"The power of nature is indeed wondrous beyond measure."
Chen Sheng murmured to himself, the Primordial Magnetic Divine Mountain of the Three Elements Dao Sect is endlessly shocking, yet pales in comparison to the Double Star Wonders.
The Double Star Wonders demonstrate an ultimate opposition and integration of life and death, cold and heat, attraction and repulsion, each energy ripple containing the mysteries of nature.
Taking a deep breath, Chen Sheng adjusted his state, his figure flickered, heading towards the crater's center.
The deeper he went into the crater, the heavier the surrounding air grew, the chill of the blue meteor and the heat of the red meteor intertwining, forming a peculiar airflow, affecting even his Daoist robe.
He could distinctly feel the stars' emitted power continually affecting the surrounding void, sometimes stretching it, sometimes compressing it, each change seeming to subtly interpret the mysteries of void rules.
But danger accompanies it!
The closer he got to the center of the meteor crater, the stronger the pull generated by the Double Star became, constantly tugging at his body, trying to drag him into the black hole.
Meanwhile, the annihilation force produced by the collision of two extreme forces was like an invisible blade, weaving through the void, and if he wasn't careful, he would suffer injuries.
Chen Sheng advanced while sorting through the Daoist Sect's records on the Double Star Wonders:
"Ordinary Nascent Soul Early-stage cultivators can only reach the outskirts of seventy to eighty thousand miles, which is already their limit. Mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators mostly reach fifty to sixty thousand miles; late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators might get to thirty or forty thousand miles."
"As for the very center of the crater, where the Double Star is less than ten thousand miles away, such terrifying power probably can only be barely withstood by a Celestial Venerable of Divinity Transformation."
When he walked just over eighty thousand miles, his body suddenly felt a severe soreness, as if his bones were groaning under the strain—this was the limit of his physique.
The pull of the Double Star was like an invisible giant hand, gripping his body tightly, and the annihilation force kept hitting his Protective Spiritual Light, making his breathing somewhat hurried.
"Hmm?"
Chen Sheng's mind stirred, the Sword-carrying Nascent Soul within his dantian suddenly opened its eyes, and the Five-Colored Small Cauldron in his left hand slightly vibrated, emitting a faint Five-Colored Spiritual Light.
He opened his mouth and spat out, the Five-Colored Spiritual Light transformed into a thin robe as light as silk, enveloping his whole body.
In an instant, a gentle power emanated from the robe, not only resisting most of the pull and annihilation force but also forming a buffer barrier around him, making him feel much lighter.
"With the protection of the Five-Colored Dust Transformation Cauldron, I can indeed go further."
Chen Sheng nodded lightly and continued to approach the inner layers of the crater, gradually employing more means as he progressed...
Seventy-two array banners circled around him, forming defense arrays that resisted the steadily increasing energy blasts.
The Tingyu Flying Sword gently waved, unleashing Sword Momentum, slicing through the surrounding annihilation force, carving out a safe path for him.
Although he had not been a Nascent Soul cultivator for long, his wealth of techniques was definitely top-notch among Nascent Soul Early-stage cultivators.
With the Lifebound Tingyu Flying Sword, Five-Colored Dust Transformation Cauldron, and the set of seventy-two array banners in his dantian, three Tier Four Spiritual Treasures that are versatile in attack and defense, they far surpassed most Nascent Soul cultivators!
It's worth noting that many Nascent Soul cultivators spend their entire lives with only one Lifebound Spiritual Treasure.
The Nascent Soul cultivators of Yue Country's Six Great Sects appear quite prosperous compared to most Nascent Soul cultivators, as after all there are only four Ancient Grotto Heavens in the entire Eastern Domain, Ancient Yue Grotto Heaven being one of them.
During his journey forward, Chen Sheng also saw numerous marks left by other cultivators, some inscribed on rocks, others imprinted in the void, mostly recording the distances they reached:
"Heaven-Burning Sect of the Western Domain, True Monarch Lieyang, Nascent Soul Early-stage, reached seventy thousand miles."
"Ice Soul Sect of the Northern Domain, Cold Moon True Monarch, Nascent Soul Early-stage, reached seventy-two thousand miles."
The deeper he ventured, the fewer marks there were, and those left were mostly by Body Cultivators or cultivators practicing the Path of Yin Yang.
Body Cultivators had strong physiques to endure the pull of the Double Star, while Yin Yang cultivators could leverage the power of the Double Star to neutralize some dangers, naturally having more advantage in such environments.
Eventually, when Chen Sheng reached sixty-eight thousand miles, even with all his techniques, his body began showing signs of strain.
The Protective Five-Colored Silk Robe flickered faintly, the Defense Array formed by the array banners showed minor cracks, and the Sword Momentum around him began to feel somewhat sluggish.
"Sixty-eight thousand miles... among Nascent Soul Early-stage cultivators, it can be considered top-tier."
Chen Sheng stopped, took a gentle breath, and contemplated inwardly:
"Truly, this place is not favorable for Sword Cultivators. Since Sword Cultivators usually substitute offense for defense, and their physiques are inherently weak, reaching this point is already an achievement."
He shook his head. Fortunately, he wasn't a pure Sword Cultivator but also practiced the Array Dao, and had the protection of the Five-Colored Dust Transformation Cauldron. Otherwise, forget about sixty-eight thousand miles; even seventy thousand miles would be hard to reach.
Knowing his limit, Chen Sheng did not push further. He began to slowly retreat, since sixty-eight thousand miles was the limit he could endure, not an ideal state for cultivation.
As he retreated to seventy-two thousand miles, he halted—here, the pull and annihilation force, while still threatening, were within his control range, and he could clearly sense the effect of the Double Star on the void, an ideal location for understanding the Void Power.
"This place is just right!"
Chen Sheng nodded in satisfaction, sat cross-legged, and slowly closed his eyes.
He spread out his Divine Sense, allowing the power of the Double Star to wash over his perception, meticulously capturing every fluctuation, every subtle change in the void, and began to delve into the mysteries of the void's transformations.
In the span of thirty years, the winds and sands of the Great Wilderness have alternated countless times in the passage of time, yet the magnificent Double Star Wonders above the sky remain as awe-inspiring as ever.
The azure and crimson meteors, like ancient and unchanging dancers, continue to entwine and spin in the void, with the Yin and Yang forces perpetually colliding and merging, sometimes erupting into dazzling flares, and at other times sinking back into profound darkness.
The void black hole, concurrently, grows increasingly solidified, exuding an attraction and annihilative force more formidable than it was thirty years ago.
Below, in the vast crater, the sands pile up and are scattered by the winds, yet the dunes seventy thousand miles from the center remain exceptionally tranquil—this is precisely Chen Sheng's place of cultivation.
From a distance, there seems to be no conspicuous structures atop the dunes, only seventy-two array banners hidden in the void, flickering in and out of sight.
The spiritual light emitted by the array banners merges with the surrounding space fluctuations, indiscernible unless meticulously perceived.
And in the center of the array banners, a Five-Colored Small Cauldron is suspended in mid-air, with blue, red, yellow, white, and black halos flowing around its body, like five graceful ribbons connecting with the seventy-two array banners, evolving into an illusory yet stable Five Elements Palace.
The palace is entirely condensed from the Five Elements Spiritual Light, with intricate array patterns carved upon its flying eaves, each pattern slowly circulating, mobilizing the Power of the Five Elements in the heavens and earth, both resisting the erosion of the Double Star's attraction and annihilative force.
While continuously channeling the surrounding void fluctuations into the palace, providing assistance for Chen Sheng in his comprehension of the void mysteries.
Chen Sheng sits cross-legged at the center of the Five Elements Palace, his eyes tightly shut, his breathing long and steady, perfectly harmonized with the power of the Five Elements and the surrounding void fluctuations, as if he is a part of the crater itself.
His Divine Sense extends like a fine web from his brow, penetrating through the Five Elements Palace, reaching out into the surrounding void, meticulously capturing every spatial tremor and every subtle void transformation triggered by the yin-yang forces of the Double Stars, wholeheartedly delving into the mysteries of the void.
Over the past thirty years, as his control over Void Power deepens, his cultivation site has progressively advanced from the original seventy-two thousand miles to seventy thousand miles.
It may seem just a distance of two thousand miles, but it condenses countless of his efforts.
It's important to know that the closer to the center of the crater, the more violent the Double Star's power becomes. With every ten thousand miles advanced, the pressure increases tremendously, and this leap of two thousand miles sufficiently proves his significant progress in the Path of Void.
Er komt 's morgens een stukje worm uit je. Probeer hetOpen
This day, the originally tranquil Chen Sheng's eyes subtly move, and his tightly closed eyelids slowly open, a gleam of enlightenment flashing in his gaze.
Instead of immersing himself further in comprehension, he slowly raises his right hand, palm facing up, slightly opening his mouth.
"Swoosh!"
In an instant, a streak of dazzling rainbow Sword Light shoots out from his mouth, brilliant like a post-rain rainbow, yet infused with a sharp Sword Qi.
The Sword Light initially as thin as a thread, sweeps through the air in a round and beautiful arc, seemingly resonating with the surrounding void fluctuations, quickly converging into form.
That is a flying sword, three feet in length, with a body that is entirely jade-white, as if crafted from millennia-old Cold Jade, yet with an added hint of transparency.
The golden patterns on the sword's ridge are clearer and more profound than thirty years ago, an imprint of Sword Momentum comprehended in the Broken Sword Valley, further refined by thirty years of void power nourishment.
The black silk threads at the sword's hilt have gained more luster, and when held, besides the warm jade-like touch, an additional mystical connection with the void is felt, with the sharp Sword Qi restrained within the sword body, making it even more unfathomable.
The flying sword lands steadily in Chen Sheng's palm, the sword body gently vibrating, transmitting waves of intimacy.
Chen Sheng's fingertips gently brush across the sword body, clearly sensing the resonance from the Sword Spirit within the sword. This Lifebound Flying Sword "Tingyu" is in harmony with his Heart Spirit and has long become a part of his body.
Every movement can be controlled at will, with even the slightest change in Sword Momentum being precisely communicated.
Back then in the Broken Sword Valley, it was both Chen Sheng's opportunity and the Tingyu Sword's opportunity.
The Sword Rhymes from those ancient Sword Cultivators, some like thunder breaking the void, some like water flowing through stone, others standing like lofty mountains, converged into a flowing galaxy of swords.
Chen Sheng collected these Sword Rhymes, repeatedly nurturing the Tingyu Sword, allowing its might to vaguely reach Tier Four Middle Grade.
At this moment, Chen Sheng lightly flicks the sword ridge with his thumb, and a crisp sword hum suddenly rings out.
"Zheng——"
The sword hum initially deep and resonant, like ancient jade colliding, carrying a weighty sense of time's sedimentation, slowly reverberating within the Five Elements Palace.
It then gradually elevates into a sharp whistle, like an eagle breaking free from its shackles, soaring into the clouds, directly charging at the sky.
The sword hum spreads, smoothing the turbulent airflow caused by the Double Star's gravitational pull nearby, even momentarily halting the floating sand and dust carrying both hot and cold auras in the air.
It was as though this sound, imbued with Sword Momentum and Void Power, had intimidated them, not daring to act wantonly.
Amidst the sword hum, the translucent white radiance of the sword body becomes more dazzling, like a miniature sun, illuminating the entire Five Elements Palace.
The golden patterns on the back of the sword slowly flowed, as if coming to life, spreading along the blade and finally condensing into a tiny point of golden light at the tip.
As the golden light flickered, it faintly revealed some ripples of Void Power, more condensed and pure than thirty years ago—this was the result of Chen Sheng's thirty years of comprehending the void.
He was now able to actively integrate Void Power into the sword, giving this Lifebound Flying Sword, "Tingyu," the ability to traverse the void; where the Sword Light reached, even the void would tremble slightly.
Holding "Tingyu," Chen Sheng felt the warm touch and surging power from the sword, gently swinging the flying sword, the blade traced a beautiful arc in the air, leaving a faint seven-colored trail.
The moment the trail dissipated, the surrounding void trembled slightly like a calm lake disturbed by a stone, creating faint ripples in space.
This was the result of his deep integration of Sword Momentum with Void Power, it still had room for improvement, but it was no longer immature and held practical combat value.
With this move "Sword Intent Derives Void," Chen Sheng had previously attempted to reach a distance of 600,000 miles in a crater, comparable to a normal Mid-Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator.
"Using Sword Intent Derives Void, I've finally understood another transformation!"
Chen Sheng thought to himself, his eyes full of satisfaction.
He gently tossed "Tingyu," and the flying sword circled three times in the air as if bidding farewell to its master, then turned into a seven-colored Sword Light, reentering his mouth, disappearing from sight.
Then, Chen Sheng introspected his Dantian, where the sword-carrying Nascent Soul had already reached five inches tall, more erect than thirty years ago, entirely white as jade, chubby like a porcelain doll but exuding an awe-inspiring pressure.
The Mana surrounding the Nascent Soul surged like a mighty river, full and condensed, clearly in a saturated state.
Only the faint purple Void Mark on the Nascent Soul's forehead was still slightly blurry, lacking a touch of Perfection—even so, he had already cultivated to the Peak of Nascent Soul Early-stage!
Thinking back to fifteen years ago, at that time Chen Sheng's Mana had reached the limit of Nascent Soul Early-stage, and in the subsequent fifteen years, he focused all his attention on comprehending the Void Power.
Yet, the Void Power was profoundly mysterious; without extraordinary talent and some fortunate opportunities, most Nascent Soul Cultivators would be stuck at the Nascent Soul Early-stage for a lifetime, unable to breakthrough.
Initially, with the Double Star Wonders Yin Yang fusion and void transformation's favorable environment, Chen Sheng's comprehension progressed rather rapidly.
In just fifteen years, he thoroughly comprehended the fundamental transformation rules of Void Power, easily controlling the void fluctuations around him, and with its aid, could even perform a 300-mile void jump.
But as his understanding deepened and he touched upon the ten core transformations of Void Power, Chen Sheng encountered a bottleneck.
No matter how hard he tried, he struggled to grasp the mystique within. His Divine Sense repeatedly delved into the void for exploration, only to find no results like a stone sinking into the sea, and even suffering reverse damage from void turbulence several times when forcibly comprehending, harming his Divine Sense.
Then, ten years ago, during a meditative recovery after a Divine Sense injury, he comprehended the "Seven Emotions Sword Scripture," where the concept of "Controlling the sword with emotion and breaking the realm with the sword" exploded like thunder in his mind.
He suddenly realized that he had been fixated on understanding the Void itself, neglecting his specialization in Sword Momentum.
"Since directly comprehending the void is obstructed, why not find another path and derive the void through Sword Momentum?"
It was this idea that led him to the path of deriving void through Sword Momentum.
Subsequently, as he consolidated his Sword Momentum, he attempted to combine Sword Momentum with Void Power, seeking the transformation rules of the void from the sword's trajectory and rhyme.
Day after day, year after year, he finally gradually understood several void core transformations, not only breaking through the bottleneck but also elevating both his Sword Momentum and Void Power to new heights.
At this moment, Chen Sheng slowly stood up, the Five Elements Palace slightly trembling with him, while the Spirit Light of the seventy-two Array Banners and the Five-Colored Dust Transformation Cauldron dimmed a bit.
"After thirty years of comprehension, the foundation of Void Power is greatly accomplished; several core transformations are partly understood. For the remaining transformations, I may need a suitable opportunity to gradually understand them."
He gazed at the Double Star in the sky, a hint of contemplation flashing in his eyes:
"Being stuck here is not a solution, I should also wander to other places; perhaps a change of environment will bring new insights."
In the past thirty years, he was not always alone; the crater was vast, with cultivators coming to comprehend from different directions.
Chen Sheng had successively met with more than a dozen Nascent Soul Cultivators, estimating that with those from other directions, nearly a hundred Nascent Soul Cultivators might be comprehending the Double Star Wonders here.
Most of these cultivators would leave after a few months or years, rare to see someone like Chen Sheng, a Nascent Soul Early-stage Cultivator, sitting for as long as thirty years.
After all, though Nascent Soul Cultivators have a long lifespan, enduring such long-term consumption is difficult; they prefer traveling the Great Wilderness Four Domains, few possessing Chen Sheng's dedication and patience, persisting on a single path for thirty years.
With a wave of his hand, Chen Sheng made the Five Elements Palace instantly disperse, the seventy-two Array Banners and the Five-Colored Dust Transformation Cauldron transforming into Spirit Light and being collected into his sleeve.