Chapter 174 - 104: Unceasing Celestial Music, a Phenomenon is Born; Myriad Lights Bloom, the Gangyun Appears

Chapter 174: Chapter 104: Unceasing Celestial Music, a Phenomenon is Born; Myriad Lights Bloom, the Gangyun Appears

The Celestial Waterfall rumbled ceaselessly, but perhaps because the sound was so monotonous, like the chirping of insects on a summer night, it paradoxically created a pleasant sense of tranquility.

Within the Celestial Waterfall, Xuzhuang sat cross-legged, his five senses shut off. Only his spiritual sense had drifted far from his body, seeming to disperse into the surrounding cascade to feel the vibrant, active Spiritual Qi.

After an unknown amount of time, Xuzhuang’s expression suddenly shifted. He seemed to have captured a unique spiritual spark from within the Spiritual Qi of the Celestial Waterfall. His eyes snapped open, and he effortlessly formed a Magic Formula, pointing at an Incense Burner before him. It had an ebony base, gold and silver inlays, and a body adorned with chi-dragon and kui-dragon patterns. The captured spiritual spark immediately fell into it.

Xuzhuang had already repeated this action twelve times. On this attempt, the Incense Burner finally trembled slightly. A brilliant light flowed over the chi-dragon and kui-dragon patterns on its body before it returned to stillness.

Xuzhuang let out a soft breath, stopped the Magic Formula, and picked up the Incense Burner. He opened it and saw that his efforts had not been in vain. Just as he had hoped, a single grain of True Sand, as round as a pearl, crystal clear, and covered in a faint, almost invisible layer of light, had appeared inside.

A slight smile appeared on Xuzhuang’s face. "Celestial Purity True Sand. So it’s true."

Not long ago, when he saw the Celestial Purity True Sand in Chao Wanzhan’s possession, he had found its spiritual essence strangely familiar. After hearing Chao Wanzhan say that it was collected and refined from the Celestial Waterfall, he immediately had the idea to try collecting and refining it himself.

Cultivating in the Celestial Waterfall had the profound effect of clearing one’s mind and washing away impurities, and it also helped advance the union of one’s spirit and qi. There had to be a unique spiritual spark within the Spiritual Qi of the Celestial Waterfall. Although it was extremely rare and ephemeral, after several attempts, Xuzhuang had finally managed to find and capture it.

However, collecting the spiritual spark was one thing, and refining the True Sand was another. Although Xuzhuang could capture this spiritual spark, he couldn’t maintain it for long, let alone refine it into True Sand. Fortunately, he had already anticipated this and, with the help of the treasured Incense Burner gifted by Daochen Zhenren, he successfully refined the substance.

Xuzhuang picked up the Celestial Purity True Sand with his fingers and held it before his eyes. He mused aloud, "Senior Brother Daochen, was this truly a coincidence, or did you plan this all along?" He then smiled wryly. ’How could anyone presume to understand the thoughts of a Primordial Spirit True Man?’

Xuzhuang thought no more of it. He expelled a breath of Magical Power, wrapped it around the True Sand, and began to refine it.

As soon as the Celestial Purity True Sand was refined, a cool sensation, like a drop of jade dew on his forehead, poured in through his Heavenly Gate. It flowed through his meridians for a full cycle, leaving his body pleasantly warm, before seeming to rise into the profound void to seep into his heart and nourish his spirit.

A hint of surprise showed in Xuzhuang’s eyes. The effects of the Celestial Purity True Sand surpassed his expectations. A single grain had caused both his spirit and his qi to grow slightly, and the union between them had also advanced a step. This was far more miraculously effective than cultivating directly in the Celestial Waterfall or even absorbing the spiritual spark after capturing it.

If Xuzhuang wasn’t mistaken, this item was a worthy treasure even for the cultivation of Nascent Soul Cultivators. For a Golden Core Cultivator, it was practically overkill.

To be honest, if he had truly accepted the Dragon Image Sect’s alliance, with a continuous supply of this item, Xuzhuang could indeed have formed his Nascent Soul with great speed. Now, however, he had an extra step to take. Although the treasured Incense Burner helped him refine the True Sand, collecting the spiritual sparks was still a time-consuming process.

Of course, compared to normal cultivation, it was still much faster. It was enough.

Xuzhuang’s gaze fell upon the treasured Incense Burner, his eyes shining brightly as he murmured to himself, "My Nascent Soul is within reach."

...

While Xuzhuang was attempting to refine the Celestial Purity True Sand, Chao Wanzhan had already crossed a vast distance of thousands of miles to return to the Dragon Image Sect and report on his mission.

Chao Wanzhan’s master—a Nascent Soul Venerable who had refined Gangyun and was the current head of the Dragon Image Sect, Yang Bijie—sat upon a stone dais. He listened quietly as Chao Wanzhan recounted his conversation with Xuzhuang word for word. He wasn’t angered; instead, a faint smile touched his lips as he murmured to himself, "Daochen, and Daoist Master Miaomiao. Truly cut from the same cloth."

Chao Wanzhan’s aptitude was excellent, and he was already on the path to forming a Nascent Soul. He and his master shared a close bond, so there was no need for excessive caution in private. Hearing this, he asked in surprise, "Master, are you referring to the Venerable Dao Chen of old?"

"Correct," Yang Bijie said leisurely. "Back when Venerable Dao Chen was still around, he didn’t even give Grotto Heaven Masters a second glance. How does Daoist Master Miaomiao’s bit of arrogance compare to that of Venerable Dao Chen?"

"This..." It was the first time Chao Wanzhan had heard of this, and for a moment, he didn’t know how to react. He asked, puzzled, "I know that figures like Venerable Chen and Daoist Master Miaomiao are geniuses whose accomplishments ordinary people can’t even dream of matching, but don’t they show too little reverence for their superiors?"

"Even if Venerable Dao Chen’s might once dominated the world, wasn’t he still just a Nascent Soul Cultivator? And aren’t his whereabouts now unknown? He has probably passed away by now, hasn’t he?"

"It’s true that Daoist Master Miaomiao is incredibly formidable, suppressing a Nascent Soul cultivator while still at the Golden Core realm. But within the Nascent Soul realm, every step up to a new layer represents a world of difference. Even if he reaches the second layer of Nascent Soul, is he really that confident he can overpower someone at the Nascent Soul Third Layer?"

Yang Bijie shook his head, his tone inscrutable. "Has Venerable Dao Chen truly passed away? I don’t think so. And if Daoist Master Miaomiao reaches the second layer of Nascent Soul, could he not contend with Chu River? I don’t think that’s a given, either."

Chao Wanzhan asked doubtfully, "If Venerable Dao Chen has not passed away, then where did he go? And no matter how formidable Daoist Master Miaomiao is, why is Master so certain he can match Chu River? This disciple is slow-witted. I ask for Master’s guidance."

Yang Bijie did not answer immediately. Instead, he asked, "Wan Zhan, do you believe the Celestial Waterfall Realm is the only one of its kind in the universe?"

Chao Wanzhan’s expression turned serious. He was not a complete fool and immediately understood the implication of Yang Bijie’s words. After a long moment of contemplation, he answered, "I believe that there must be many worlds like the Celestial Waterfall Realm in the universe. It’s just a shame that this theory has never been proven."