Under the broad canopy of a lush green tree, Su Min sat cross-legged in deep meditation. The air around her was still, the only movement the slow dance of dust motes in the slanted sunlight. A soft sigh escaped her lips.
"Whew, I've finally dealt with all the messy affairs. Now I can focus on cultivation." Her voice was a quiet murmur in the tranquil clearing. "This time, no matter what, I have to break through to the Nascent Soul stage."
She held the Nascent Soul elixir in her palm, its surface gleaming like a captured star. With all her external business settled, her mind was finally clear. She knew the world's spiritual energy was recovering at a rapid pace. The barriers between realms would fully open in ten years, but that was a problem for another day. Her only goal right now was to advance.
"The path of cultivation is truly treacherous and perilous," she whispered to the silent woods.
With a final, decisive motion, she tossed the elixir into her mouth. The moment it dissolved, a surge of potent medicinal energy flooded her system. Seizing the moment, she focused inward, channeling the power toward her perfectly rounded golden core.
Crack.
A faint, almost imperceptible sound echoed from deep within her. It was the sound of her foundation breaking. The golden core was the hallmark of her current stage. As long as it remained whole, any injury could eventually be healed. But to ascend, she had to deliberately shatter it, using its released energy to forge a Yuányīng, a nascent soul.
As the core fractured, vast surges of energy rampaged through her meridians. It felt like ten thousand wild horses stampeding through her veins. The pain was immense, a tearing, burning sensation that threatened to consume her. But just as quickly, the violent energy was soothed and suppressed. The emerald green energy of the Eastern Azure Wood wrapped around it, the Nascent Soul Elixir provided a guiding framework, and the triple-layered power from her earlier baptism added its own stabilizing force.
Su Min let out a breath she did not realize she was holding. This was the most dangerous phase, and she had stabilized it almost instantly. As long as this chaotic energy remained under control, the rest of the process would be much smoother.
"Next is forming the Yuányīng. Let's begin."
Closing her eyes, she focused her mind completely, guiding the powerful energy within her. From the golden sea of spiritual power left by the shattered core, she began the meticulous work of condensing her Yuányīng.
Taking this step would officially propel her into the Nascent Soul stage. The process was long and arduous, typically fraught with the risk of energy depletion. But for her, that was not a concern. The Nascent Soul Elixir provided a deep well of energy to draw from, and the Eastern Azure Wood continuously absorbed and stored ambient power, making exhaustion nearly impossible. So she took her time, calmly and methodically circulating the energy, building her new foundation with painstaking care.
As time passed, her secluded spot remained undisturbed. This was the way of cultivators. Once one reached the Golden Core stage, seclusions lasting one or two years were common, and retreats spanning decades were not unheard of.
At this level, one had to relinquish certain worldly attachments. Power, desires, love, family. These ties gradually faded in a cultivator's eyes, not out of coldness, but because the relentless passage of time forced a different perspective.
The gender imbalance among high level cultivators created further complications. Many top tier experts struggled to find partners of equal strength, often settling for those of lower cultivation. But with such a disparity, their spouses would age and wither before their eyes. Their children, if they lacked innate talent, might fail to overcome even the basic Three Nine Heavenly Tribulation, eventually turning to dust.
This was a key reason Su Min maintained a certain distance from others. She knew that every step forward on her path meant facing the relentless erosion of time. Only by ascending to the legendary Immortal Realm could she truly transcend it.
~
While Su Min remained in seclusion, the spiritual energy in the outside world was visibly recovering. The Heavenly Dao had slightly loosened its restrictions, making the Three Nine Heavenly Tribulation easier to overcome.
As spiritual energy grew denser, rare treasures that had once vanished began to reappear. Newborn children now had a significantly higher chance of possessing spiritual roots. The world was flourishing with newfound vitality. Sealed powerhouses from major sects emerged one after another, all at the peak of the Divine Transformation stage, many just a step away from the next realm.
Unfortunately, without the right opportunities, they might never advance further. Regardless, the world's overall strength had undergone a qualitative leap. As the saying goes, while some rejoiced, others grieved. The Golden Core Avenue had offered great opportunities but also terrifying dangers. Some sects had been completely wiped out within it, a catastrophic blow.
Take the Blood Puppet Sect, for example.
"What?! All of them died? Not a single survivor?!" The roar echoed through a dark, cavernous hall. "Who did this?!"
The rage of two blood red figures dyed the entire sky visible through the chamber's opening a sinister crimson. These two were the true pillars of the Blood Puppet Sect, the Divine Transformation experts Mu Xue and Mu Kui.
As their fury erupted, the disciples and elders below trembled in fear. When the Golden Core Avenue had closed and they discovered none of their disciples had returned, the sect leader had spat blood and collapsed on the spot. Now that the two elders had emerged from seclusion, the matter would not be left unresolved. They could have accepted losses, but a total wipeout was different.
"Elders," a brave subordinate stammered, kneeling with his head bowed. "We have already sent people to inquire with the Ancient Mansion Holy City. They lost only a tenth of their disciples and reaped substantial rewards. Their Holy Son even ranked fifteenth on the Leaderboard. But when we asked about our disciples, they refused to speak."
Hum.
A terrifying pressure instantly forced the speaker flat onto the stone floor.
"The Ancient Mansion Holy City has been at odds with us for countless years," Mu Xue growled. "It is nearly impossible for them to have annihilated Mu Ling and the others alone. There is no need to question them further. Dispatch all available forces to every realm. Interrogate other sects and rogue cultivators."
"Second Brother, mere inquiries will not suffice," Mu Kui interjected, his voice a low rumble. "Our strength has suffered severe damage. To avenge Mu Ling, we need to bolster our forces."
"Elder Brother, what do you propose?"
"Activate the Essence Blood Pool. Use our sect's hidden resource to forcibly elevate a group of Golden Core cultivators to the False Nascent Soul stage."
"This..." The suggestion gave Mu Xue pause. Such a secret technique came at a steep cost. The Golden Core cultivators selected had to be under two hundred years old. Once enhanced, their cultivation would be permanently capped at the early Nascent Soul stage, and their remaining lifespan would shrink to just over a century.
Cultivation was ultimately about longevity. The technique could not be used indiscriminately. Given their current reserves, they could produce only a dozen or so False Nascent Souls at most.
"If we let this go, how will the Blood Puppet Sect maintain its standing?" Mu Kui pressed. "And remember, time is not on our side. The barriers have just opened. Those who emerged from the Avenue are now in seclusion, breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage. The False Nascent Souls we create now can still pose a threat. But if we wait another century, when those cultivators grow stronger, even our enhanced forces will not be enough."
"Fine." Gritting his teeth, Mu Xue agreed.
With that, the Blood Puppet Sect mobilized. Now that the realms were connected, they could send envoys everywhere to gather information.
Within less than a decade, they had their answer. Su Min had publicly issued a bounty that day. There was no hiding it. The Ancient Mansion Holy City, long at odds with them, had kept silent out of respect for her. But others had no such reservations.
"Eastern Mulberry Land. Su Min. Ranked first on the Heavenly Leaderboard." Mu Kui read the report aloud, his voice growing quieter with each word. "Offered a bounty of five fourth grade pills for Mu Ling's head. The others were likely killed by opportunists during the chaos."
Reading the report, even Mu Xue and Mu Kui, hardened as they were, were stunned. They could not fathom how their precious descendant had managed to provoke a pill refiner so severely. According to the intelligence, three people had competed for the Eastern Azure Wood. The other two survived unscathed. Only their disciple had been executed.
They knew why. Their sect's techniques had flaws, making practitioners impulsive and prone to acting on whims without forethought.
But...
"A Golden Core cultivator capable of refining fourth grade high tier pills... she is likely already a fifth grade pill refiner." Mu Xue's face was pale. "And even more terrifying, she is ranked first on the Heavenly Leaderboard. A Five Elements Holy Body..."
With Su Min's identity confirmed, gathering more information became easier. The more they learned, the more alarmed they grew. Mu Ling had provoked someone he should not have. A fifth grade pill refiner at the Golden Core stage sent chills down their spines. The good news was a fifth grade refiner could not yet mobilize Divine Transformation experts. But if she reached the sixth grade...
The Blood Puppet Sect would face annihilation.
A Golden Core cultivator who could refine fifth grade pills, once she reached the mid or late Nascent Soul stage, who knew how far she would go?
Moreover, they knew the latest Heavenly Leaderboard was filled with monsters. To dominate such a group meant she was no ordinary talent. Given time, she might not even need to leverage her status as a refiner. She could single handedly eradicate their sect.
"Mu Ling... could you not have picked your enemies more carefully?" Mu Kui muttered, horror dawning on his face.
Staring at the report, the two elders knew they were in deep trouble. Under normal circumstances, even they would not dare offend such a person. But now, they had no choice. They could not be sure whether she held a grudge. The only option was to strike first and eliminate this future calamity.
"We must act immediately," Mu Xue declared, his voice tight with urgency. "Only twenty years have passed since the Avenue closed. At most, she has just reached the Nascent Soul stage. If we give her more time, even we might not be able to stop her."
"Send the order!" Mu Kui roared to the empty hall. "Prepare to march on Eastern Mulberry Land!"
Their commands echoed, but were met with silence.
No one dared to respond.
"Elders..." a timid voice finally spoke from the doorway. "Where... where is Eastern Mulberry Land?"
A stunned silence fell over the chamber. None of them had ever heard of such a place.
"Find it!" Mu Xue screamed, his composure shattering. "Now!"
"Yes!"
The hall emptied in an instant, leaving only the two elders behind.
"Elder Brother," Mu Kui said, struggling to regain his calm. "Prepare gifts. I will seek out a divination expert to pinpoint East Mulberry Land's location. Relying on manpower alone could take forever."
"Go." With a resigned sigh, Mu Xue nodded. They had no other choice. They had to act fast.
~
Eastern Mulberry Land, a secluded valley.
After decades of absolute stillness, Su Min's eyes snapped open. Her aura had undergone a monumental transformation, radiating a pressure that had not been there before. Where her golden core once resided, a miniature version of herself now sat in meditation, a perfectly formed Yuányīng.
"Nascent Soul stage... Finally."
Taking a deep breath, she marveled at the changes within her. She had finally reached this realm. The sheer power she now wielded was on an entirely different level compared to the Golden Core stage.
Thanks to her impossibly solid foundation, she was even stronger now than when she had relied on pills during her epic battle with Yao Xian'er.
"In my current state, facing Yao Xian'er again, I would not need so many tricks." A faint smile touched her lips. "I might not even need Yingying's blood essence. She would struggle to harm me."
Of course, this was mere speculation. Yao Xian'er might have also reached the Nascent Soul stage by now.
"This seclusion lasted about twenty years. I wonder how the outside world has changed." Her smile faded as her thoughts turned to unfinished business. "It seems the Blood Puppet Sect has not come for me yet. But this is not over. I will have to wipe them out eventually."
A cold glint flashed in her eyes. The Blood Puppet Sect was now her sworn enemy. A confrontation was inevitable.
But launching a direct assault on their stronghold was too risky. Who knew what ancient traps they had prepared in their home territory?
She would bide her time. Once she reached the Divine Transformation stage, if they had not made a move, she would take the initiative and annihilate them herself.
===
For the Nascent Soul stage, I'll refer to the "infant" within it as Yuányīng, but the stage itself will still be called Nascent Soul.