Chapter 387 - 382: Nascent Soul Formation

The Sword Intent of "Annihilate" was coiled, ready to strike.

Du Youqian didn’t allow the Sword Intent to grow too vast or sharp, lest it be discovered by Lu Yang Master.

The bit of Sword Intent he had condensed was merely a catalyst. This time, to deal with Lu Yang Master, he mainly needed to borrow a tiny bit of the Blood Slaughter Sword’s power.

Of course, for the Blood Slaughter Sword, it was just "a tiny bit."

For the person receiving the sword, however, it was a weight that life could not bear—a massive mountain that would crush them, leaving them unable to recover or resist.

To that end, Du Youqian had agreed to the Blood Slaughter Sword’s demand for "extra payment."

This payment was naturally not worldly money, nor was it Spiritual Jade or cultivation resources.

It was a wisp of his "Merit."

Something that even the Blood Slaughter Sword desired was naturally extremely precious.

Besides, Du Youqian had read so many web novels in his many, many past lives, so he naturally knew that Merit was something extremely useful even to Great Powers.

’So I really do have Merit? Excellent.’

’But now I have to pay a wisp of Merit... It hurts.’

But if he didn’t overcome this current hurdle, he would immediately face a forced reincarnation. Comparatively, it was better to choose the lesser of two evils.

’It’s just one wisp of Merit.’ Du Youqian reckoned he could afford it.

He had even accomplished the feat of saving the world several times. ’I shouldn’t be lacking in Merit, right?’

Although he didn’t know how the Blood Slaughter Sword would take away something as ethereal and illusory as a "wisp of Merit," this was naturally not something Du Youqian needed to worry about.

All he had to do was seize the instant Lu Yang Master’s attention was diverted and unleash that one strike.

He only needed a single instant.

"Never made a Golden Core oath? Little guy, you’re so stupid, I’m starting to reconsider making you my slave... If I took such a stupid slave out, people would laugh at me."

Lu Yang Master scrutinized Du Youqian for a moment. Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, he snorted, took out a Jade Scroll, and prepared to inscribe the procedure and vow for a Golden Core oath.

This was the moment!

The humble smile on Du Youqian’s face didn’t falter. The Jinhuan Flying Sword thrust out silently, almost slowly.

But the Jinhuan Flying Sword was wobbling and staggering, looking as if it had drunk some bad booze.

Sharp?

It was anything but sharp.

It looked more like a mischievous child randomly poking with a tree branch.

But Lu Yang Master only had time to say a single word, "You..."

He didn’t even have time to activate his Defensive Treasure before the Sword Intent clinging to the Jinhuan Flying Sword reached him.

In that instant, he felt as if his very soul had been frozen solid.

The light in his eyes vanished.

~~~~~

From a side hall, a bloodcurdling scream that barely sounded human rang out. "Ah, Xue Tu..."

The voice stopped abruptly.

~~~~~

More than ten li away, in an unremarkable corner of Starry Valley, stood a shabby wooden house. A young man with an honest smile had just returned from the fields. He took the bowl of water offered by his new wife, smiled at her, and she shyly lowered her head.

He lifted the bowl, about to drink it all down, when suddenly a strangled gurgling sound came from his throat. The veins on his forehead bulged, and his eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of their sockets.

The water bowl fell, SMASHING to pieces.

But at that moment, no one cared about a single bowl.

His young wife anxiously held him up. "Husband, husband!"

But a moment later, he went silent and collapsed limply.

"Ah!" His wife’s shriek shattered the tranquil air.

~~~~~

In the Qianshan Sect, a Foundation Establishment Realm Dharma Transmission Steward was teaching a class of young Outer Disciples.

Seeing the young disciples listening so intently, he was very satisfied. ’This batch of disciples is quite good,’ he thought. ’Not only are their Spirit Roots excellent, but their Comprehension is also superb. They’ll have great prospects in the future.’

’And the one with the most promise among them is, of course...’

"Lu Yang!"

A Qi Refining Realm disciple in his early twenties stood up.

"You answer. This question shouldn’t be difficult for you!"

The disciple, Chen Yang, offered a calm smile, so radiant in the sunlight that the Kun Cultivators in the class all watched him shyly.

Chen Yang opened his mouth, then suddenly fell down stiffly, his aura completely gone.

~~~~~~~

Xue Tu sent a thought to Du Youqian across the distance: "The Merit, I have taken. Next time you have need, you may call upon me."

Du Youqian carefully tried to feel for any change, but didn’t sense that he was missing anything.

With a wave of his hand, the Jinhuan sword returned to his palm.

He nudged Lu Yang Master’s corpse with his foot, feeling a bit regretful.

He had previously seen Lu Yang Master inhabiting Master Luo Fan’s body, and this bizarre scene made him wonder: ’Was Lu Yang Master particularly skilled at parasitic techniques?’

’If so, did he have Split Souls residing elsewhere?’

So, just to be safe, Du Youqian had used the Sword Intent of "Annihilate."

No matter how many Split Souls Lu Yang Master had out in the world, no matter how many backup plans he had.

With that single strike, all of them would be turned to ash.

No matter how many contingencies he had, all were implicated and destroyed.

’But it’s also a shame. A Nascent Soul Master... If I could have killed him but preserved his soul for a Soul Search, imagine the rewards!’

But that was just wishful thinking.

Even he himself, if he were to flee as just a soul, would be difficult for even a Nascent Soul Master to catch.

And if a Nascent Soul Master were to escape with their Nascent Soul before death, Du Youqian wouldn’t be able to catch up even on his Thousand-Mile Shuttle.

Therefore, even in an idealistic scenario where he killed Lu Yang Master and preserved his soul, there would have been no opportunity for a Soul Search.

After killing Lu Yang Master, Du Youqian not only looted the corpse but also thoroughly plundered Starry Valley, packing up and taking away anything that caught his eye.

But Lu Yang Master hadn’t been a wealthy man. Having been jointly driven out and ending up in such a state, he hadn’t dared to be ostentatious. His wealth couldn’t compare to that of an ordinary Nascent Soul.

Poor Du Youqian. He had paid such a high price to kill a Nascent Soul, yet his haul was even less than the score he’d made back at Su Miao Master’s Cave Mansion.

As for Master Luo Fan’s concubines, Du Youqian investigated them and then let them all go.

Some of these women had committed minor misdeeds, but none were guilty of great evil. Their crimes did not warrant death.

Du Youqian had no need to kill a few Qi Refining Realm women just to show off his power.

At this point, Du Youqian’s objective in coming to the Eastern Domain was completely achieved.

However, he didn’t rush back. Instead, he settled down in Starry Valley, using the Tier Three Upper Grade Spirit Vein in Master Luo Fan’s cave mansion for his Cultivation.

Because the Spiritual Qi in the Human World was so abundant, the speed of Cultivation on a Tier Three Upper Grade Spirit Vein should far exceed the speed Du Youqian had experienced back in the Holy Blood Sect.

Of course, Du Youqian wasn’t exactly cultivating right now. To be precise, he was using the abundant Spiritual Qi to rapidly restore his Cultivation.

In just over ten days, he recovered to the Golden Core Perfection Realm.

He even had a feeling that if he pushed forward in one go and tried to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm, he would have a decent chance of success.

But of course, Du Youqian wasn’t one to take reckless risks.

He currently had one Nascent Soul Spiritual Object on hand, which he had bought from the bearded Cultivator at the Qingxu Commerce Association for several hundred thousand Spiritual Jade.

However, he had not yet found a Life-Saving Elixir for Nascent Soul Formation, nor had he practiced a Nascent Soul Secret Technique.

If he attempted Nascent Soul Formation now, the risks would be quite high.

Although he only had 23 years of life remaining, which was very pressing, it was still enough time to acquire a Life-Saving Elixir and a Nascent Soul Secret Technique.

So, Du Youqian wasn’t in a hurry to return to the Western Domain. After leaving Starry Valley, he continued to head east.

For the next several years, he cautiously explored the region and visited several Immortal Cities.

Although he was still quite wealthy, he didn’t dare to reveal his fortune.

It’s not the thief who steals that you fear, but the one who’s always watching.

A few years later, he finally found an opportunity in Conglan Immortal City. He spent nearly his entire fortune to buy a finished Life-Saving Elixir, plus a Secret Technique that could increase the probability of successful Nascent Soul Formation by about fifteen percent.

In fact, a Pill Formula for a Tier Four Nascent Soul Pill was also for sale at the auction, causing a huge sensation. A Pill Formula of this quality was something almost no one would ever put up for sale.

Missing this chance, there was no telling how long one would have to wait for another.

Many people only encountered such an opportunity once in their entire lives.

So, the Pill Formula naturally sold for an astronomical price.

Du Youqian, however, was quite calm, because he didn’t just have one life...

’Even if I only encounter it once this life, it’s fine. There’s always the next one.’

Besides, after buying the Life-Saving Elixir and the Nascent Soul Secret Technique, his rapidly deflated Storage Treasure Pouch wouldn’t allow him to participate in the bidding for the Nascent Soul Pill Formula anyway.

He couldn’t even afford to make a single bid...

After spending another few years practicing the Nascent Soul Secret Technique, seeing that he only had about ten years of life left, Du Youqian hurried back to Starry Valley.

More than a decade had passed, but the outside world seemed unaware that Master Luo Fan had fallen. Starry Valley remained peaceful.

To the Mortals living in the valley, it was normal for Master Luo Fan to not show his face for over a decade. He rarely bothered with them anyway.

Du Youqian thus occupied Master Luo Fan’s cave mansion and, on top of this Tier Three Upper Grade Spirit Vein, began his attempt at Nascent Soul Formation.