Chapter 349 - 347: The 4 Major Nascent Soul Phenomena

Chapter 349: Chapter 347: The 4 Major Nascent Soul Phenomena

The tribulation clouds scattered, and the red sun hung high in the sky.

The Celestial Tribulation had been crossed, the Nascent Soul was formed. A Sour-Faced Daoist leaped from the crown of Master Ge Cang’s head. The Spiritual Qi within a hundred-mile radius churned, surging into the Nascent Soul’s body as if being devoured by a whale.

At the same time, a Heaven-Sent Dew descended. Countless droplets, nourished by Great Dao True Intent, rained down, causing the Nascent Soul to quickly fill out and solidify.

A Rainbow Bridge also stretched across the sky, its iridescent light shining down like the clear sky after a fresh rain, bursting with vitality.

Master Ge Cang’s body, battered and broken from the Tribulation Crossing, rapidly recovered. As his Nascent Soul grew, its facial features became more defined.

After these two Nascent Soul Phenomena, Thunderbolts once again gathered in the sky, undulating like the surface of the sea.

"A sea of thunder!"

Bai Zichen exclaimed in shock. An ordinary Nascent Soul True Monarch would manifest one phenomenon; only those with profound accumulation and formidable strength would produce a second.

But for three Nascent Soul Phenomena to appear simultaneously... the emergence of such a Cultivator almost always signified they had the potential to practice to the Late-Stage Nascent Soul Realm and become a Great True Monarch, dominating an entire region.

Within the Thunder Sea, bolts of golden lightning shot out, striking Master Ge Cang’s body and tempering it.

RUMBLE!

An ancient, massive gate covered in inscriptions materialized. With a CREAK, the gate swung open, revealing a world within.

It was an expanse of Chaos, with the light rising and the heavy sinking. Earth, water, wind, and fire were constantly reshaping themselves, giving birth to a brand new world.

The characters on the gate were even closer to the Great Dao than the Flower Bird Talisman. A single glance made one’s head swim, and it was impossible to deliberately record them. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

Even if one managed to etch them into their Divine Sense, they would be completely forgotten in the next moment, impossible to recall no matter how hard one tried.

"This is... the Grotto Heaven Gate! It’s actually the Grotto Heaven Gate!"

Bai Zichen hesitated for a moment before he could be certain. This illusory gate, exuding an ancient aura, was indeed the legendary Grotto Heaven Gate.

If the appearance of three Nascent Soul Phenomena represented the potential to cultivate to the Late-Stage Nascent Soul Realm...

...then the appearance of the Grotto Heaven Gate, even if accompanied only by the Heaven-Sent Dew, would earn one the title of a Divinity Transformation Seed.

It all began with a Nascent Soul True Monarch’s ability to refine a Realm and create their own small world.

When a Divinity Transformation Great Power evolved that Realm into a complete form, generating its own Spirit Veins and cosmic cycles, it became a Grotto Heaven Prototype.

Even if the cultivator themselves passed away, the Grotto Heaven could be preserved, becoming a masterless Secret Realm.

Depending on the degree of the Grotto Heaven’s evolution, it could last for several thousand to hundreds of thousands of years.

The most perfect of these worlds were almost indistinguishable from the real world, fully capable of sustaining life and allowing creatures to thrive within.

Of all the Nascent Soul True Monarchs in recorded history who had manifested the Grotto Heaven Gate phenomenon, excluding those who died prematurely due to accidents, a full one-third eventually became Divinity Transformation Great Powers.

This probability ensured that every Cultivator who manifested the Grotto Heaven Gate would become the absolute focus of the Cultivation Realm.

"Thank goodness we’re deep within Black Mountain, with no one else to witness this. This news shouldn’t leak out..."

Bai Zichen muttered. The simultaneous appearance of the Four Great Nascent Soul Phenomena caused Ge Cang’s Nascent Soul to grow rapidly, brimming with spiritual energy.

Then, a melodious bell toll resounded through heaven and earth. The Sound of the Great Dao descended, bestowing its blessings upon all living beings present.

Ge Cang’s originally salt-and-pepper hair instantly turned jet-black. He appeared much younger, radiating a robust vitality.

Zhou Suqing’s eyes glazed over. Her fingers unconsciously traced countless Arrays in the air as she spoke words even she couldn’t understand, having fallen into a state of sudden enlightenment regarding the Array Dao.

Bai Zichen’s experience was the most dramatic of all. A segment of a river appeared before him, its origin and destination unknown.

The Sound of the Great Dao had directly stirred the River of Time, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.

He could only feel the ages on the River of Time accelerating and decelerating, giving him the sense of eons passing in an instant.

He felt a dawning comprehension in the depths of his soul, evoking the sensation of the moment he drew the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword and unleashed the Qing Emperor Longevity Sword.

The Power of Time was in his hands. The feeling of plucking the strings of time, of manipulating the years, was intoxicating.

He reached out toward that segment of the River of Time, but just as he was about to make contact, the river surged forward. Though it was right before his eyes, he couldn’t touch it.

’Life is but a fleeting dream, how much time is there for joy... To truly touch the Power of Time is indeed harder than scaling the heavens.’

In that brief instant, it was as if Bai Zichen saw the countless branching paths of his own life.

In some, he died at the hands of a powerful Demon Cultivator. In others, he perished in a great worldly calamity, or fell during his own Nascent Soul Celestial Tribulation... But there were also paths where he successfully formed his Nascent Soul and became a True Monarch who reigned over a region.

Had it been the True Intent of any other Great Dao, with his current accumulation, he would have long since touched, understood, and attempted to master it.

But the Power of Time was immeasurably profound. Even now, he wouldn’t dare claim to have truly touched it.

Only when he unleashed the Qing Emperor Longevity Sword, by borrowing the might of this Supreme Divine Power, did he come closest to the Time Path.

This Sound of the Great Dao had stimulated Bai Zichen’s entire understanding of the Path of Time, drawing forth the River of Time.

This single moment had advanced his comprehension by at least a full 60-Year Cycle.

He subconsciously glanced at the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword in his Sword Box. Just as he expected, the Qing Emperor Longevity Sword within, nourished by the power of the River of Time, had also had its Hidden Sword period shortened by sixty years.

He only needed to keep the sword hidden for another nine years before he could unleash the Qing Emperor Longevity Sword again.

’Most importantly, as my understanding of the Power of Time deepens, the next Hidden Sword duration seems to no longer require a hundred years... only eighty will be enough to unleash the Qing Emperor Longevity Sword!’

As a mere spectator to the Tribulation Crossing, Bai Zichen had reaped immense rewards and gained a clearer understanding of the path ahead.

At the very least, he no longer had to worry about solidifying his Pill Discussion upon reaching Core Formation Perfection.

His comprehension of the Time Path was so profound it wouldn’t seem shallow even for a Nascent Soul True Monarch; it was more than enough to see him through the process of Shattering Core and Transforming into Nascent Soul.

By the time he had digested the benefits from the Sound of the Great Dao, the Four Great Nascent Soul Phenomena began to dissipate, and the Sour-Faced Daoist Nascent Soul returned to Ge Cang’s body.

Ge Cang rose to his feet and gazed out. A pressure unique to Nascent Soul Cultivators washed over them like a tide, shaking their very souls.

And unlike the other Nascent Soul True Monarchs Bai Zichen had met, Ge Cang’s presence faintly carried a supreme celestial might that made it difficult to even think of resisting.

"Congratulations to Brother Ge on ascending to the Nascent Soul Realm! With the Four Great Phenomena appearing at once... Divinity Transformation is within reach, and your Great Dao will be everlasting!"

Bai Zichen cupped his hands in congratulations. Ge Cang becoming a Nascent Soul True Monarch was a tremendous boon for Ge Cang himself, for the Sect, and even for Bai Zichen.

Setting aside the gains from witnessing the ascension, just having a Nascent Soul True Monarch in the Sect meant that all external threats could be easily resolved.

Bai Zichen would no longer be tied down to one place, his feet bound by the duty of protecting the Sect.

From now on, with the prestigious reputation of True Monarch Ge Cang, the Qingfeng Sect’s sphere of influence would no longer be limited to just two commanderies.

"Congratulations to Ancestor Ge on your successful ascension! May your Great Dao be everlasting!"

Zhou Suqing flew over. She hesitated for a moment over the form of address before reverting to the title she had used back in her Foundation Establishment days.

The Qingfeng Sect had never had a Nascent Soul Cultivator before, so there was no established precedent for what honorifics to use.

A Core Formation True Man was a Supreme Elder, but a Nascent Soul True Monarch couldn’t also be just a Supreme Elder, could he? That would erase the distinction in status.

Zhou Suqing, unlike Bai Zichen, didn’t have the confidence of being certain to reach the Nascent Soul Realm herself, which allowed him to still address Ge Cang as a brother.

Calling a Nascent Soul True Monarch "Brother" would leave her terrified and uneasy; she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

"The road ahead is long, and I dare not dream of the Divinity Transformation Realm... I have merely taken one step ahead, and I will be waiting for you."

True Monarch Ge Cang was all smiles. Having successfully formed his Nascent Soul, he now stood among the highest echelons of the Cultivation Realm.

Moreover, he had manifested the Four Great Phenomena, including the Grotto Heaven Gate. For others, "everlasting Great Dao" was mere flattery, but for him, it was a genuine expectation.

"Go back and arrange for our people to completely occupy Flame Mountain... Also, circulate the news of my successful ascension to all the major sects and prepare for the Nascent Soul Ceremony!"

With a wave of his sleeve, True Monarch Ge Cang summoned a thundercloud that enveloped the three of them, flying back to the Sect at lightning speed.

His entire fortune could be said to have been destroyed during the tribulation; he was now an utterly destitute Nascent Soul True Monarch.

However, aside from his Lifebound Magical Treasure, his previous magical treasures were all transitional, so it wasn’t a great loss.

He just needed to find suitable Spiritual Materials to re-forge his Lifebound Magical Treasure.

Fortunately, for True Monarch Ge Cang, who had already cultivated the Daoist Classic Cantongqi to the fifth volume, the time required for the Refinement of a Lifebound Magical Treasure was completely acceptable.

Refining his Lifebound Magical Treasure, cultivating Tier Four Techniques, comprehending the Profound Nether Qi Formless Divine Thunder, refining his Nascent Soul Realm...

There were many tasks lying before True Monarch Ge Cang that needed to be done one by one.

For the first hundred years after becoming a Nascent Soul Cultivator, he would be busy with these various matters, unable to stop at all.

Only after everything was settled and he had become a proper Nascent Soul Cultivator could he consider the next steps in his Cultivation.

The trio made no attempt to conceal their return to the Mountain Gate. The thundercloud landed directly on the Cloud Platform, and a summons was immediately sent out to Wei Dao and the other high-ranking Cultivators of the Sect.

Soon, the disciples of the Qingfeng Sect saw their high-ranking Cultivators rushing to the Cloud Platform in a flurry, disregarding their usual composure.

Except for two who were away from the Sect, every high-ranking Cultivator arrived without a moment’s delay, even those who had been in secluded cultivation rushed over at top speed.

When Bai Zichen announced the news of Ge Cang’s successful ascension, everyone was dumbfounded, utterly speechless.

Everyone had been saying that it was a certainty for the Sect’s two Core Formation Ancestors to become Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

But no one could have imagined that, with no prior indication whatsoever, Ancestor Ge had already accomplished it.

Several hours later, a shocking announcement was delivered to every Sect Disciple.

From this day forward, the Qingfeng Sect is officially renamed the Qingfeng Sect, a proclamation to all under heaven.

In three months, Ancestor Ge’s Nascent Soul Ceremony would be held.

All the Sect Disciples were in an uproar, their hearts swelling with pride.

In unnoticed corners, several inconspicuous disciples put on a show of joy upon hearing the news.

But in secret, they used various clandestine methods to transmit the information out immediately.

Regarding the Sect’s name change, besides the proposal to elevate its status from a minor to a major sect, there was another faction that advocated for changing the name to the Pure Brightness Sect.

The Pure Brightness Sect was the name of the founding ancestor’s original sect, the lineage passed down by True Monarch Shao Yang.

Strictly speaking, the Qingfeng Sect could be considered a branch of the Pure Brightness Sect.

In the end, it was True Monarch Ge Cang who made the final decision, opting to follow tradition and rename it the Qingfeng Sect.

This was both to commemorate the founding ancestor, Master Qingfeng, and because if the Pure Brightness Sect still existed on the continent across the Outer Sea, they, as a branch, would certainly not have the right to use its name.