Chapter 329 - 322: Zhang Chi’s Nascent Soul Formation

Chapter 329: Chapter 322: Zhang Chi’s Nascent Soul Formation

"Nephew Chen, you sought me out directly. Are you looking to accept a special mission, or are you hoping to trade for some precious materials?"

In an inner hall of the City Lord’s Mansion, City Lord Wu looked at Zhang Chi and asked with a smile.

Normally, such matters could be handled by any ordinary Golden Core Steward. But since Zhang Chi had messaged him directly, there was surely a reason. Thus, he wasn’t the least bit impatient.

"Junior Martial Uncle Wu, I wish to turn in some Magical Treasures for Contribution Points, then exchange them for the short-term use of a Tier Four Cave Mansion to attempt my Nascent Soul Formation," Zhang Chi answered honestly.

"You have enough Nascent Soul Materials? Nascent Soul Formation is incredibly difficult. A single failure could cost you your life; this is no time to be rash," City Lord Wu said, first startled, then surprised.

"I’ve prepared a Waste Nascent Soul Pill and a Vein-Protecting Pill. I want to try my luck."

Zhang Chi was already prepared. With a wave of his hand, he produced the two pills for inspection.

"I see. In that case, it’s worth a shot. However, the chances of success are minuscule. Are you sure about this? If you were to accumulate resources for another century or two and acquire one or two more Spiritual Objects, your chances would be much more secure," City Lord Wu said, understanding now but still attempting to dissuade him.

"Thank you for your kind reminder, Junior Martial Uncle, but I’ve already made up my mind. I have a strong premonition that I will succeed this time. Besides, if I fail, I can always figure something out later. It won’t be too late," Zhang Chi stated firmly.

"Very well. This approach does grant you an extra attempt. Since you’ve made up your mind, I’ll say no more. To trade for the use of a Tier Four Cave Mansion, you’ll need several Middle Grade Magical Treasures, or a few dozen Low Grade Magical Treasures."

"Of course, if you have an Upper Grade Magical Treasure, a single one would suffice. The specifics, however, depend on the treasure’s quality."

Hearing his resolve, City Lord Wu finally stopped trying to persuade him.

"Junior Martial Uncle, please take a look at these Magical Treasures."

Zhang Chi nodded, put away the pills, and with another wave of his hand, six Middle Grade Magical Treasures materialized in the air before him. Each was about the size of his palm, shimmering with Spiritual Light and exuding a faint, suppressive aura.

These were all new Magical Treasures that Zhang Chi had refined aboard the Floating Airship on his way to Canglan Oasis.

While relatively common, they were also more versatile, making them perfect for selling or turning in to the Sect.

Of course, the spoils from his last battle included a large number of Magical Treasures. Among them were many Middle Grade Magical Treasures of even higher quality and greater Mighty Power, some of which had once been other Cultivators’ life-bound items.

However, it was precisely because those Magical Treasures were too good that they were not suitable for him to reveal.

Even though Zhang Chi had used his Artifact Refining Technique to alter their appearances, a risk still remained.

After all, a Nascent Soul Powerhouse could easily tell whether a Magical Treasure was brand new or merely refurbished.

"Nephew Chen, you truly are extraordinary. These Magical Treasures are just enough. As it happens, there’s a Tier Four Cave Mansion in the city that will be vacant for a while. You can use it for Breaking Realm."

"As for the Sect, I’ll report this myself. You don’t need to waste time waiting for approval."

City Lord Wu’s eyes lit up. He took the Magical Treasures to examine them and couldn’t help but nod in satisfaction.

He didn’t give it a second thought.

After all, they were just Middle Grade Magical Treasures, and Zhang Chi was a Tier Three Peak Refiner. It was perfectly normal for him to have such a collection saved up.

"This is the key. It’s effective immediately and will automatically expire three years from today. Make sure you manage your time well."

He then took out a white Jade Token, performed a few gestures over it, and handed it to Zhang Chi.

"Thank you, Junior Martial Uncle."

Zhang Chi immediately clasped his hands in thanks. He accepted the Jade Token, a great weight finally lifting from his heart.

Normally, borrowing a Tier Four Cave Mansion would require the Sect’s approval, a process that could easily cause a delay of ten to fifteen days. And with such a long wait, who knew what other complications might arise.

But now that the City Lord was handling it directly, things couldn’t be better.

"Nephew, wait a moment."

The two chatted for a few more moments. Just as Zhang Chi was about to leave, the City Lord suddenly called out to him.

"These are some insights on Nascent Soul Formation. Take them and study them; perhaps they’ll be of some help."

As the City Lord spoke, he brushed his Storage Bag, withdrew a white Jade Scroll, and handed it to Zhang Chi.

"Thank you, Junior Martial Uncle."

Zhang Chi, startled, immediately thanked him again.

He had performed a Soul Search on a Nascent Soul Cultivator from the Hundred Flowers Palace, so he was already familiar with the process of Nascent Soul Formation.

Still, having another person’s insights was undoubtedly a good thing.

Most importantly, it was a gift. If he had tried to obtain it from the Sect, he would have had to turn in at least a few more Middle Grade Magical Treasures.

After all, while such a thing might be of limited value to a Nascent Soul True Monarch, it was priceless to a Golden Core Cultivator.

Besides, under normal circumstances, a Nascent Soul True Monarch wouldn’t go out of their way to help a Golden Core Cultivator.

"It’s nothing. Just remember not to share it with others. Go on, I’ll be waiting for your good news," the City Lord said with a faint smile.

These were his personal insights, so sharing them was a trivial matter for him.

In fact, he had long since made many copies. Whenever he encountered a Golden Core Peak Cultivator with potential, he would make a small investment.

If they succeeded, great. If not, he lost nothing either.

"Understood, Junior Martial Uncle. I’ll see you again soon."

With that, Zhang Chi flew out of the City Lord’s Mansion, following the Jade Token’s guidance directly to the Tier Four Cave Mansion.

"Junior Martial Uncle, was that Senior Brother Chen just now?"

"Yes, was Senior Brother Chen here to accept a mission?"

Just then, Wei Wei, Zheng Hongping, and their group arrived at the City Lord’s Mansion. Spotting the receding streak of Escape Light and then the City Lord himself, they couldn’t help but ask.

Having just worked together to complete a mission to slay a Quasi Tier Four Demon Beast, they were all looking quite proud and accomplished.

"Yes. He came to trade for the use of a Tier Four Cave Mansion to prepare for his Nascent Soul Formation. You all should strive to do the same."

The City Lord, who was just about to leave, nodded and replied casually.

"What? He’s attempting Nascent Soul Formation?"

"How is that possible? Did he gather all the Spiritual Objects?"

"Even the right to use a Tier Four Cave Mansion costs a huge amount of Contribution Points, doesn’t it?"

Wei Wei and the others were stunned, momentarily losing their composure.

The pride they felt from completing their mission evaporated in an instant, replaced by a sense of shock and dismay.

"He prepared an Inferior Nascent Soul Pill..."

The City Lord didn’t hide the details. It wasn’t a secret, and Zhang Chi hadn’t asked him to keep it confidential.

In fact, revealing this information could prevent fellow sect members, who were unaware of the true situation, from targeting Zhang Chi.

"I see!"

"Senior Brother Chen is certainly wealthy, and daring!"

"I hope he succeeds."

Only then did Wei Wei and the other Cultivators understand, and they all calmed down considerably.

But while their words wished Zhang Chi success, in their hearts, they were deeply jealous and secretly hoped he would fail.

And in truth, they fully expected him to fail.

After all, relying on a single Low-quality Infant Formation Pill, success was practically impossible under normal circumstances.

The Vein-Protecting Pill could only mitigate injuries and prevent death; it couldn’t completely prevent injury, much less stop the severe regression of one’s Cultivation that resulted from a failed Nascent Soul Formation.

In other words, Zhang Chi would most likely fail, suffer injuries, and see his Cultivation regress.

With this thought, their Dao hearts immediately stabilized.

—

’Not bad. Even though I don’t have this Tier Four Spiritual Vein all to myself, it’s more than enough for Nascent Soul Formation!’

By now, Zhang Chi had arrived inside the Tier Four Cave Mansion.

The cave mansion was situated atop a small mountain peak, surrounded by beautiful scenery. Inside, the Spiritual Qi was incredibly rich, far surpassing that of his previous home on Lake Heart Island.

The cave mansion came with its own Grand Array, which could be activated and deactivated with the Jade Token.

But even after fully activating the built-in Array, Zhang Chi still set up his own Gold Fiend Gale Array before he could finally feel at ease.

Next, he inspected the cave mansion inside and out. Finding no issues, he released the Eye of the Spirit Spring, his Corpse Puppet, his Spirit Beast, and his Puppets.

The first would help provide more Spiritual Qi, while the other three would serve as guardians during his breakthrough.

Looking at the Eye of the Spirit Spring and the Spirit Beast, Zhang Chi began to ponder.

’If I upgrade these two first, the Eye of the Spirit Spring will surely provide more Spiritual Qi.’

’And the Spirit Beast will be a better guardian.’

In the end, however, Zhang Chi decided he should be the one to break through first.

If those two advanced first, it would undoubtedly attract the attention, and possibly the envy, of the Sect’s Nascent Soul Powerhouses.

A Tier Four Eye of the Spirit Spring, in particular, would be tempting even to a Nascent Soul Middle Stage Cultivator.

Besides, the Spiritual Qi here was already sufficient. Upgrading the Eye of the Spirit Spring wouldn’t make a fundamental difference.

If worse came to worst and the Spiritual Qi proved insufficient, he could always supplement it with his Tier Four Earth Milk Spirit Liquid and the Divine Whale Devouring Sea Technique.

And so, Zhang Chi first activated the Divine Whale Devouring Sea Technique, completely devouring all the Spiritual Qi in the area.

Then, he took out the Experience Jade Scroll and began to study it.

He was also using this time to adjust his condition.

In the days that followed, not only did he fully comprehend the insights on Nascent Soul Formation, but he also practiced Alchemy and Artifact Refining daily, as if he had forgotten all about his impending breakthrough.

Meanwhile, the Spiritual Qi in the cave mansion quickly replenished itself.

Then, one day two years later, just after finishing a Fire Dragon Talisman, Zhang Chi was struck by a sudden moment of inspiration. He immediately sat down cross-legged, took out the High-quality Nascent Soul Pill, and swallowed it.

The Nascent Soul Pill melted the moment it entered his mouth, releasing a peculiar energy inside Zhang Chi’s body. This energy was absorbed by his Golden Core, and cracks immediately spiderwebbed across its surface.

At the same time, six additional Nascent Soul Spiritual Objects materialized in front of Zhang Chi.

Zhang Chi’s body trembled. The Spiritual Objects instantly shattered, transforming into streams of strange energy that he swallowed with an open mouth. All of it was absorbed by the Golden Core within him.

BOOM!

Immediately after, the nine Blood Flames within Zhang Chi’s Dantian shattered in unison, then reformed into a single, more condensed flame.

During this process, a profound power emerged and also flowed into his Golden Core.

CRACK!

The next moment, the Golden Core finally shattered completely, dissolving into countless motes of light.

Simultaneously, the Dao Patterns on the Golden Core transformed into profound runes, and even more new runes began to manifest on their own.

These runes rapidly transformed and recombined, forming a miniature person—the embryonic form of a Nascent Soul.

The motes of light immediately converged upon it.

Zhang Chi’s powerful Divine Soul, vital energy, and Spiritual Power also gathered violently, pouring into this embryonic form.

The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi within the cave mansion, along with the Spiritual Qi from the Spiritual Vein and the Eye of the Spirit Spring, also began to converge.

A phantom image of a Divine Whale suddenly appeared behind Zhang Chi, funneling a massive amount of Spiritual Qi into the embryonic form.

A glob of Earth Milk Spirit Liquid, along with numerous Elixirs and Spirit Stones, suddenly appeared before Zhang Chi.

These items also shattered, transforming into Pure Spiritual Qi that was absorbed by Zhang Chi.

The miniature figure finally began to solidify, and an immense, overwhelming pressure instantly and violently spread outward.

The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi throughout Canglan City and the vast surrounding region fluctuated violently, then surged in from all directions like a massive tide.