Steady Mortal Path: Starting from Obtaining the Golden Core Inheritance

Chapter 352 Elder's Nascent Soul Formation

Before long, a thick layer of dark clouds had appeared in the sky.

Within the clouds of tribulation, faint purple arcs of light flickered, and the aura of lightning was rampant in the air, almost dozens of times stronger than usual.

Within the Willow Smoke Sect, disciples below the Golden Core stage felt as if the might of heaven had descended, experiencing difficulty breathing and a rapid heartbeat.

Those with lower cultivation levels felt a tightness in their chest and a sense of unease.

Only Golden Core cultivators could faintly sense that a brand new Nascent Soul aura was gradually being formed. Although the aura was weak, it aroused envy in many cultivators.

The main peak of Liuyan Sect.

"Is this the Nascent Soul Tribulation triggered by Elder Chen?"

"I never expected that he could still get this far after losing the 'Earth Infant Fruit'."

Sect Master Huang Jia's expression was complex, his face changing rapidly, clearly caught off guard by this sudden tribulation.

Since Chen Xingzhou was forced to lose the 'Earth Infant Fruit' and was unable to refine the Nascent Soul Pill, he was greatly affected. After returning to the Daoist temple, he became depressed and had no ambition to break through to the Nascent Soul realm.

Therefore, in recent years, she has somewhat neglected Elder Chen Xingzhou and gradually withdrew some of her original defensive actions.

Sect Master Huang Jia gazed at the distant peak where True Monarch Yunmiao was located. After calmly contemplating for a moment, he began to issue a series of commands.

In the immediate aftermath, the area outside the Liuyan Sect's mountain gate was enveloped in a layer of rosy light, and as the radiance rose, a slightly sharp aura emanated from it.

The sect's fourth-tier defensive array is activated at full power.

Within the formation, patrolling disciples could be seen from time to time, taking turns in formation. The entire Willow Smoke Sect had entered a state of first-level alert, completely isolated from the outside world.

Even if sect disciples return from their travels, they can only stay outside the formation temporarily to prevent hostile forces from doing anything outrageous in order to prevent the Willow Smoke Sect from gaining another Nascent Soul True Monarch.

"It seems that Chen Xingzhou did not report to the sect in advance when he attempted to break through to the Nascent Soul realm."

Standing atop Qingxia Peak, gazing at the Liuyan Sect mountain range, Lin Changsheng naturally noticed all these changes.

Logically, before a sect elder reaches the Nascent Soul realm, their cultivation progress should be monitored by the sect at all times, and they should be on high alert in advance to prevent any human-caused accidents.

The fact that the defensive formation was only activated at this critical juncture is enough to show that even Sect Master Huang Jia only just learned of this matter.

After all, as the head of a sect, no matter how much he disliked Chen Xingzhou, he could not be negligent in the slightest when it came to such a crucial matter as breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm. After all, the Nascent Soul True Monarch was related to the rise and fall and development of the sect.

"However, Chen Xingzhou's attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul stage seems a bit strange. I clearly already had that 'Earth Infant Fruit' in my hands, so where did he get the resources? Could it be that he gave up the Nascent Soul Pill and only used other Nascent Soul spiritual objects as a desperate gamble?"

Lin Changsheng had some doubts.

The 'Nascent Soul Pill' is similar to the 'Golden Core Pill' and 'Foundation Building Pill' used by low-level cultivators to break through their cultivation level. It is the mainstream spiritual item for breaking through realms in the cultivation world today, but it is not a necessity.

It is, in essence, the most cost-effective breakthrough item.

However, there are also examples of cultivators who, for various reasons, were unable to plan ahead and successfully broke through to the next level by using other, less advanced spiritual objects.

But upon closer reflection, Lin Changsheng felt it was unlikely.

As a top-tier third-order alchemist and an elder of the Willow Smoke Sect, Chen Xingzhou's wealth, personal fortune, and cultivation resources accumulated over the years are probably quite astonishing.

In addition, after a long period of planning, their resources for Nascent Soul formation are mostly abundant, giving them a far superior innate advantage over others.

"Perhaps... Chen Xingzhou has another substitute for the 'Earth Infant Fruit,' and the forced loss of the 'Earth Infant Fruit' a few years ago was just to cover up his true intentions..."

As Lin Changsheng pondered this, the tribulation clouds in the sky began to surge, brewing deep purple heavenly lightning.

As time passed, the raging lightning attribute accumulated to a critical point within the pitch-black tribulation clouds, transforming into a thick purple arc that fell down.

In an instant, the Willow Smoke Sect, shrouded in darkness, became as bright as day under the purple lightning.

‘Boom! ’

Despite the rumbling thunder, Lin Changsheng, whose Qingxia Peak training ground was a hundred miles away, could still feel the mountain beneath him swaying slightly.

Even a Golden Core cultivator couldn't help but feel a trace of fear at the power of heavenly thunder.

Where the heavenly lightning converged, in the direction of Chen Xingzhou's dojo, there was a faint spiritual light surrounding it, clearly a means of resisting the tribulation.

As the heavenly lightning struck, Chen Xingzhou's aura noticeably weakened, but the newly formed nascent soul power unexpectedly remained tenacious and resilient, ultimately allowing him to successfully weather the tribulation.

After the lightning energy within the tribulation clouds was completely depleted, the dark clouds gradually dissipated, and sunlight once again shone upon the earth.

A newly conceived nascent soul aura slowly rose within the Willow Smoke Sect.

"I never thought I misjudged him back then. This Elder Chen is indeed extraordinary."

Lin Changsheng's expression was complicated, and he sighed inwardly.

On that day, in order to stop Chen Xingzhou from breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, he not only took action himself, but also obtained the 'Earth Infant Fruit'.

Unexpectedly, the other party was still able to advance smoothly and become a True Lord.

As long as Chen Xingzhou can stabilize his nascent soul and avoid any mishaps like his cultivation level dropping, there shouldn't be any major problems.

Before long, the sound of chanting could be heard echoing within the Willow Smoke Sect.

From the initial chaotic and intermittent sounds, they eventually converged and resounded throughout the entire mountain range.

"Congratulations to Elder Chen on advancing to the Nascent Soul realm!"

"Congratulations to Elder Chen on advancing to the Operations Realm!"

"Congratulations to Elder Chen on advancing to the Nascent Soul realm!"

Lin Changsheng returned to the dojo without expression or a word, pondering his next course of action.

Chen Xingzhou is a narrow-minded person who also harbors a grudge against Lin Changsheng. Once things settle down, he will inevitably find an opportunity to lash out.

"Fortunately, I concealed my identity during the previous robbery and murder, so the other party may not have been able to guess it."

Lin Changsheng felt fortunate.

At least he won't be in the first tier of targets for Chen Xingzhou's future revenge.

Furthermore, with the Nascent Soul stage True Monarch Yunmiao in charge, and Lin Changsheng as a guest elder of the sect, and Chen Xingzhou as a newly promoted True Monarch, even if they intended to target them, it wouldn't be too obvious.

Even Nascent Soul True Monarchs and Supreme Elders would likely face resistance if they openly harmed the interests of their sect.

Moreover, although Chen Xingzhou's cultivation level has improved, he does not yet possess the foundation of a Nascent Soul True Monarch. It will take him at least ten or even several decades to truly acquire True Monarch-level abilities.

Having only just entered the Nascent Soul stage, and lacking corresponding methods, Lin Changsheng was at most a bit of trouble or a threat.

As for making him flee at the mere mention of the news, Chen Xingzhou is not at that level.

In comparison, Sect Leader Huang Jia's life is probably not so easy.

Chen Xingzhou attempted to break through to the Nascent Soul realm without prior notification, clearly indicating a lack of trust in Sect Master Huang.

It is foreseeable that in the near future, the power of Liuyanzong will likely undergo a change of leadership.

But Lin Changsheng was not interested in any of this.

As a kind elder, although he was far from power, he was relatively safe and secure. Having a place to cultivate was enough for him.

Let's wait and see. If Chen Xingzhou keeps pressing us, it won't be too late to abandon Qingxia Peak. After all, he's just an outsider cultivator here for a while and has no other attachments.

one year later.

News has spread from within the Willow Smoke Sect that Chen Xingzhou, the newly promoted Nascent Soul True Monarch, will be holding a Nascent Soul celebration.

Lin Changsheng, as a guest elder of the sect, was naturally among those invited.

The invitation to the celebration was sent by a disciple of Master Huang.

As for Sect Leader Huang, he has been busy with sect affairs and has not contacted Lin Changsheng recently.

"It seems that after a year of rest, True Monarch Qingdan has basically resolved the aftereffects left over from his attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul realm."

Lin Changsheng flipped through the invitations, making his own guesses.

"Qingdan Zhenjun" is the Daoist name that Chen Xingzhou gave himself after advancing to the Nascent Soul realm, combining it with his proud alchemy skills.

This made Lin Changsheng extremely envious.

Advancing to the Nascent Soul stage carries extremely high risks, and those who can truly cross this chasm are extremely rare. Opportunity, luck, and one's own strength are all indispensable.

"Master Lin, before Master Chen advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, he already had a deep-seated grudge against our Qingxia Peak. Now, with this Nascent Soul celebration..."

Across from Lin Changsheng, Han Xinlan, who had just handed over the invitation, had a somber look in her eyes and her tone was filled with worry.

Han Xinlan still vividly remembers the conflict between Master Lin and Master Chen when she first came to Qingxia Peak.

Even in their later argument, Master Lin had the upper hand, causing Master Chen to suffer a considerable loss. Han Xinlan was therefore smug and proud of this.

Several years ago, Master Chen Dan went out to bid for a Nascent Soul spiritual item, but was robbed on his way back, which caused him to lose the opportunity to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. After the news spread, Han Xinlan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Little did they know that the other party had been secretly accumulating strength, and in one fell swoop became a Nascent Soul True Monarch.

Upon learning of this, Han Xinlan's good mood, which had been due to her advancement to the Foundation Establishment realm, turned sour.

"It's alright. What happened back then was a misunderstanding. The sect has already mediated it. Over the years, my Qingxia Peak and 'True Monarch Qingdan' have lived in peace, and there will be no further changes in the future."

Lin Changsheng remained calm, his gentle and calm voice seemingly possessing a natural magic that soothed Han Xinlan's worries.

……

The day of celebration.

The usually quiet Liuyan Sect has become unusually lively.

Within the territory of Yan Kingdom, all major sects and families, regardless of size, sent representatives with gifts to pay their respects.

Even several sects around Yan Kingdom, which are also Nascent Soul level forces, sent people to offer their congratulations.

In addition, Chen Xingzhou also possessed alchemy skills, unlike ordinary Nascent Soul True Monarchs, and had accumulated a certain network of connections over the years.

Whether they had benefited from working with Chen Xingzhou or simply wanted to get to know him, they all came to offer their congratulations.

Therefore, this Nascent Soul celebration was unprecedented in scale.

There are dozens of Golden Core cultivators alone.

If we include the fake alchemists, there are more than a hundred of them.

Among them is Chen Xingzhou, who is arrogant and disdainful of others, and has a bad reputation in the cultivation world.

Otherwise, there would have been even more high-level cultivators coming to offer their congratulations.

I also heard that two Nascent Soul True Monarchs from other sects were present at this celebration, and Chen Xingzhou invited them to the inner cabinet to personally entertain them.

As a guest elder of the sect, Lin Changsheng held a prominent position among the many True Immortals.

In the crowd, he saw Sect Leader Huang Jia busy welcoming and seeing off guests.

In addition, Elder Yao Yun also took a seat not far from Lin Changsheng.

Seemingly noticing Lin Changsheng's gaze, the former quickly followed the line of sight, found Lin Changsheng, smiled serenely, and gave a slight nod.

Beside Elder Yao Yun were two other elders from the Willow Smoke Sect, one old and one young. These two usually stayed in the lower-level immortal cities of the sect and rarely returned. They had no contact with Lin Changsheng.

Among the crowd, Lin Changsheng also saw Elder Li, who was also a guest elder of the Willow Smoke Sect and had refined the 'Five Thunder Fan' for him.

The latter, who still appeared to be in his sixties, had a cheerful demeanor and seemed to be having a pleasant conversation with several other friends.

Not long ago, Lin Changsheng also happened to hear that this descendant of Elder Li had failed to break through to the Golden Core stage, and had not even been able to condense a false core.

After being severely injured, his cultivation level remained permanently at the late Foundation Establishment stage. From then on, he completely gave up cultivation and spent his days relying on the name of his elder, a True Person, to loaf around in the 'Meteorite Immortal City'.

In order to keep them in check, Elder Li selected a female cultivator from outside the sect who was a fake Core cultivator and arranged for the two to become cultivation partners.

With such a strong wife and weak husband, it's possible to control the situation.

Before long, Chen Xingzhou, dressed in an exquisite Dharma robe, appeared with a radiant complexion.

They said some nice, polite things, basically thanking everyone for coming to support them.

Although he had been promoted to True Lord, Chen Xingzhou still insisted on thanking each of the Golden Core True Persons who came to congratulate him.

The numerous fake alchemists do not have this qualification.

They met from afar and raised their glasses in celebration.

As for those at the Foundation Establishment and Qi Condensation stages, they didn't even get to see Chen Xingzhou; his disciples received them on their behalf.

Soon, surrounded by a crowd of admirers, Chen Xingzhou arrived in front of Lin Changsheng.

"Congratulations to True Lord Qingdan on ascending to the Nascent Soul stage."

Lin Changsheng got up early, bowed slightly to offer his congratulations, and presented a storage bag in his hand as a gift for the celebration.

"So it was the Puppet Master Lin."

Chen Xingzhou, slightly tipsy, seemed to take a moment to recognize Lin Changsheng before saying:

"Master Lin is a guest elder of our sect. He is highly skilled and has extraordinary abilities. The Willow Smoke Sect needs him now, and we should encourage more people like Master Lin to contribute their talents."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lin Changsheng still held up the storage bag, looking so respectful that Chen Xingzhou's lips curled into a smile.

He grabbed the storage bag and opened it on the spot without any hesitation.

It is a mechanical puppet at the early stage of the third tier.

It is comparable to a True Person in the early stage of the Golden Elixir realm.

"As expected of Master Lin, he produced a third-tier puppet with his first move. I am very satisfied with this congratulatory gift."

After praising it a few times, he summoned a disciple at the Pseudo-Core Formation level on the spot and casually bestowed the puppet upon him.

"Thank you for your reward, Master."

The disciple at the Pseudo-Core Formation stage was momentarily dazed, quickly thanked him, and then spoke with some difficulty:

“Reporting to Master, my cultivation level is insufficient, and I fear I will be unable to activate this third-tier puppet.”

"It's alright. Since you can't activate it, just ask Master Lin for more advice. With Master Lin's abilities, he can make several modifications tailored to your needs. In that case, it will be equivalent to having a Golden Core technique to protect you."

Faced with his disciple's predicament, Chen Xingzhou remained unconcerned and casually remarked.

However, after such an action, the Golden Core cultivators who came to offer their congratulations all wore strange expressions.

It was obvious that there was some conflict between this puppeteer and Qingdan Zhenjun, which was why he embarrassed the former in public.

“Hehe, since True Monarch Qingdan has spoken, I, Lin, will naturally comply. Fellow Daoist, you are welcome to bring your puppet to Qingxia Peak at any time. I will modify the puppet according to your wishes until you are satisfied.”

Lin Changsheng remained calm and composed, even maintaining a serene smile, addressing even a fake Dan disciple under Chen Xingzhou as an equal.