Chapter 176 - 105: The Mansion’s Purple Qi Conceives an Infant; An Ascension to the 2nd Heaven in One Step

Chapter 176: Chapter 105: The Mansion’s Purple Qi Conceives an Infant; An Ascension to the 2nd Heaven in One Step

Within the Celestial Waterfall, Xuzhuang stood with his hands at his sides, his expression tranquil. His eyes were slightly closed as he sank into a state of endless epiphany.

Above his Heavenly Gate, an ethereal Gangyun flickered between colorless and colored, formless and formed, intangible and tangible, in a ceaseless transformation. The Purple Qi Xiaoyi robe he wore had vanished at some unknown point. The Celestial Waterfall thundered down, but it naturally parted around his Gangyun, not affecting him in the slightest.

He had now passed the final threshold, merging his spirit and qi to nurture a Nascent Soul. From this point on, his True Spirit would reside within the Nascent Soul. The distinction between core energy and Magical Power no longer existed; one could say all his Magical Power was now a primordial force, akin to the energy of his core. This was why Nascent Soul Cultivators could leave their physical bodies, survive through possession, or even be reincarnated.

Of course, the physical body is a Cultivator’s treasured vessel. After possession, a Nascent Soul Cultivator loses all hope of ever glimpsing the Great Dao. As for reincarnation, even if one were to walk the path of cultivation again and one day unlock the secrets of their past life, they would no longer be the same person.

The transition from Golden Core to Nascent Soul was just that simple—at least for a Top-Grade Golden Core Cultivator, for whom it was only a matter of time.

Since Xuzhuang had formed his Top-grade Golden Core, only about eighty years had passed in terms of natural lifespan. His cultivation progress could be considered astonishingly fast. It only seemed more normal when factoring in the time spent in the Flowing Water Grotto Heaven.

Yet this simple breakthrough brought about a world-altering transformation. For someone like Xuzhuang, whose foundation could be called unparalleled, the difference between the Golden Core and Nascent Soul Realms was as vast as that between the heavens and the earth.

With Xuzhuang’s current cultivation, if he were to fight a Nascent Soul Cultivator like Qiu Song again, he could easily suppress him with his Magical Power alone, which had multiplied several times over. And that was without even mentioning Xuzhuang’s full arsenal of Divine Techniques and Daoist arts.

Before entering seclusion to seek his breakthrough, Xuzhuang had already cultivated all his Daoist arts to the Sixth Realm. Taking advantage of the opportunity from breaking through to the Second Celestial Realm of the Nascent Soul, he refined all his Daoist arts into his Gangyun. Not only did they advance to the seventh realm in one fell swoop, but they also transformed into Divine Techniques that he could now use effortlessly, instinctively, and which would grow infinitely more profound as his cultivation progressed.

Beyond this, the Nascent Soul Realm held many other ineffable wonders that Xuzhuang was still in the process of comprehending. His Daoist arts and Divine Techniques were advancing by leaps and bounds along with his epiphanies. An entire day and night passed just like this.

When the sun rose again, the endlessly shifting, ethereal Gangyun above Xuzhuang’s head suddenly stirred and descended back into his Heavenly Gate. At the same moment, Xuzhuang’s eyes opened. He gazed at the heavy curtain of water, a faint smile on his face. He raised his arm before his eyes and gently flicked two fingers to the left and right.

With a deafening RUMBLE, the eternally cascading Celestial Waterfall shockingly split apart from top to bottom, parting into two separate waterfalls that were pushed to the left and right.

Outside the Celestial Waterfall, the four of them hadn’t expected to wait for a full day and night. They were just beginning to wonder if Xuzhuang needed more time to consolidate his cultivation and wasn’t ready to emerge. Suddenly, they heard a continuous rumbling. Looking up, they were horrified to see the Celestial Waterfall actually parting. It continued to separate until a gap of several hundred zhang opened up before it slowly came to a stop.

As the four stood in shock, a long laugh echoed from within the gap. Immediately after, a magnificent beam of clear light shot into the sky. A handsome Daoist appeared mid-air, an ethereal Gangyun floating above his head. A sword pin held his black hair in place, and a red gourd was tied at his waist. Wind and clouds gathered beneath his feet to form steps as his robes fluttered, cutting a heroic and dashing figure. He descended step by step, reciting a poem:

"To cultivate life and fate is to merge spirit and qi;Within the celestial falls, I gathered spirit’s key."

"In the mansion, purple qi nurtured the infant soul;With a single step, I ascended to the Second Celestial Realm!"

Zeng Quanfeng stared blankly as Xuzhuang descended, momentarily lost in a daze. He only snapped out of it when Daoist Zhang took half a step forward, bowed, and saluted. Zeng Quanfeng quickly followed suit, saying, "Congratulations, Martial Uncle, on nurturing your Nascent Soul and refining your Gangyun!"

Upon seeing this, Qin Dengxiao and Xue Yuren hurriedly bowed in unison. "Congratulations, Master/Martial Grand-uncle, on nurturing your Nascent Soul and refining your Gangyun!"

Xuzhuang smiled faintly and landed on the peak. "I’ve kept you all waiting."

Daoist Zhang quickly replied, "To be able to welcome Martial Uncle as you emerge from seclusion is this nephew’s honor."

Xuzhuang waved his hand. "We’ve only been apart for a dozen years or so. Why are you being so formal, Nephew?"

Daoist Zhang paused, then smiled. "Yes, this nephew has been too distant."

Xuzhuang nodded. "Let’s talk in the estate."

Before any of them could respond, and without any visible action from Xuzhuang, the four of them felt their vision blur. They found themselves inside the grotto-mansion. Xuzhuang was standing at the main seat and gracefully sat down. The four looked closely and saw that chairs had appeared beneath each of them. They all bowed before taking their seats.

Xuzhuang scanned the room and asked, "Nephew Zhang, were there any important matters in the sect while I was in seclusion?"

Daoist Zhang replied, "Reporting to Martial Uncle, all is well within the sect. The disciples are all striving hard and cultivating diligently without pause. This nephew has even had some spare time for his own cultivation."

Xuzhuang nodded. "That’s excellent." He then turned his gaze to Zeng Quanfeng and asked, "Nephew Zeng, why have you seemed so distracted since just now?"

Zeng Quanfeng froze at his words. He opened his mouth, then closed it. Suddenly, two streams of clear tears rolled down his cheeks.

Xuzhuang raised an eyebrow and said comfortingly, "If it’s inconvenient, you don’t have to say anything, Nephew."

"This nephew has lost his composure. I beg for Martial Uncle’s forgiveness." Zeng Quanfeng covered his face with his sleeve and wiped his tears before sighing. "Just now, when this nephew saw Martial Uncle’s magnificent bearing, my vision blurred. It was as if I was a child again, witnessing my Master descend from the heavens with the same ethereal grace. For a moment, I was lost in that memory."

"It is a pity that my generation’s aptitude is poor. I only managed to form a Middle Grade Golden Core and cannot attend to Master’s side. Now, Master has achieved eternal life, while more than half of this nephew’s lifespan is gone, yet I’m still squandering my time. I do not know if I will have the honor of seeing Master’s celestial face again in this lifetime, and so I weep."

At these words, everyone fell silent. A Golden Core Cultivator already enjoyed a lifespan of eight hundred years, yet compared to a Primordial Spirit, it felt like the difference between a mortal and an immortal. Zeng Quanfeng’s deep affection for his master, Daochen Zhenren, was especially moving.

Daoist Zhang was momentarily overcome with emotion and quickly closed his eyes. After a few breaths, he opened them again, either because he felt it was inappropriate or because he had managed to suppress his feelings.

Xuzhuang was silent for a moment before sighing. "Nephew, I can feel your deep, filial devotion."

His gaze swept between Daoist Zhang and Zeng Quanfeng. He pondered for a moment and said, "The True Form Temple is flourishing now, and members of the younger generation like Wen Ning have formed Middle Grade Golden Cores. It’s time for you two nephews to lay down your heavy burdens. How about I write a letter to the main sect, explain the situation, and have you two return for Profound Yellow Cultivation?"

As soon as he said this, both Daoist Zhang and Zeng Quanfeng were shaken. Zeng Quanfeng couldn’t help but ask, "Martial Uncle, are you serious?"

Xuzhuang smiled. "When have I ever lied to you?"

Overjoyed, Zeng Quanfeng stood up to kowtow. Xuzhuang simply flicked his sleeve, pressing Zeng Quanfeng back into his seat. Zeng Quanfeng continued to exclaim, "Thank you, Martial Uncle!" without stopping.

Xuzhuang turned his gaze to Daoist Zhang, saw the conflicted look in his eyes, and asked, "Nephew Zhang, what are your thoughts?"

Daoist Zhang was silent for a long while. His shoulders suddenly slumped as he sighed. "Reporting to Martial Uncle, it is not that this nephew is unfilial. It’s just that for the past three hundred years, I have poured my heart and soul into the True Form Temple. I’m afraid I cannot leave it, not even for half a step."

Xuzhuang nodded in understanding. "No matter. Whenever you feel you can lay down your burden, it won’t be too late to find me."

Daoist Zhang said emotionally, "This nephew thanks Martial Uncle."

Just then, Zeng Quanfeng suddenly said, "Reporting to Martial Uncle, this nephew has one more audacious request."

Xuzhuang said, "Please speak, Nephew."

Zeng Quanfeng glanced at Qin Dengxiao, then bowed and said, "Dengxiao is determined to seek a Top-grade Golden Core. However, after he perfected his cultivation, the temple could offer him no further assistance. This nephew boldly asks Martial Uncle to test Dengxiao’s cultivation and consider recommending him to the upper sect."

"Oh?" Xuzhuang’s gaze fell upon Qin Dengxiao. He had seen this disciple quite a few times before. He asked, "Dengxiao, Nephew Zeng says you are determined to seek a Top-grade Golden Core. Is this true?"

Zeng Quanfeng’s sudden words left Qin Dengxiao both stunned and overjoyed. Hearing Xuzhuang’s question, he quickly bowed and answered, "Replying to Martial Grand-uncle, this disciple yearns for the Primordial Spirit Dao and has resolved to seek a Top-grade Golden Core."

A smile appeared on Xuzhuang’s face. "Good. Since you have such ambition, I can give you a chance."

Qin Dengxiao was overjoyed. He stood and bowed. "Thank you, Martial Grand-uncle! This disciple will definitely seek the Top-grade Golden Core. I will never give up and never back down."

"Not so fast." Xuzhuang raised a hand, helping Qin Dengxiao up. He said lightly, "I only said I would give you a chance. Whether you succeed or not will depend on your performance."

Qin Dengxiao said solemnly, "Yes. I await your test, Martial Grand-uncle."

Xuzhuang said lightly, "I see no need to test your cultivation. I will be returning to the main sect in a few days. If you can pass my trial, you may accompany me then."

Qin Dengxiao quickly replied, "Yes! Thank you, Martial Grand-uncle."

Xuzhuang nodded without further comment. He pondered for a few breaths, then took a Golden Talisman from his sleeve. With a tap of his finger, a block of text appeared on it. "Nephew Zeng, take this talisman to the Ancestral Hall. You will know then how to send word to the main sect."

Zeng Quanfeng accepted the Golden Talisman with immense joy. Looking as if he couldn’t bear to stay a moment longer, he said, "Yes, Martial Uncle. This nephew will go at once."

Xuzhuang didn’t mind. After allowing him to take his leave, he turned to Daoist Zhang. "Nephew Zhang, since you do not wish to return for Profound Yellow Cultivation for the time being, I will feel more at ease with the True Form Temple remaining in your care."

Daoist Zhang quickly said, "Yes, Martial Uncle."

Xuzhuang smiled. "Of course, I won’t add to your burdens. Since Nephew Zeng is leaving, I’ll find you a new right-hand man."

Daoist Zhang froze, then said joyfully, "Martial Uncle, you mean...?"

Xuzhuang nodded slightly. "I will be returning to the main sect in a few days, and I do need a reliable person to oversee things here. So, before I go, let’s bring Nephew Meng back."