The woman surnamed Mu had only flown a little over ten miles when a sudden, inexplicable dread washed over her. The spiritual energy in the air abruptly churned and roiled, forming countless swirling vortices in the blink of an eye. Caught off guard, she stumbled mid-air, nearly plummeting from the sky along with her magical artifact.
Shocked, she hastily channeled all her spiritual power to steady herself amidst the turbulent energy. As she frantically scanned her surroundings, the sight before her left her utterly stunned.
Hundreds of feet above, countless specks of visible spiritual light shimmered in the sky. These lights, radiant in myriad hues, flickered between brightness and dimness, each one brimming with an astonishing purity of heaven and earth’s spiritual energy, creating a breathtakingly beautiful spectacle.
Horrified, the woman swept her gaze further into the distance, her face paling even more. As far as her eyes could see, the entire sky was filled with these dazzling specks of spiritual light, stretching endlessly without bounds, as if there were no horizon at all.
Heavens! What is happening? Floating mid-air on her artifact, the woman stared dumbfounded at the surreal scene before her.
In truth, this phenomenon of condensed spiritual light spanned a hundred-mile radius centered around Han Li’s cave abode.
At the same time the woman noticed the anomaly, tens of thousands of cultivators across the land also sensed the disturbance. Some of the most powerful among them, even from thousands of miles away, turned their astonished gazes toward the direction of the Falling Cloud Sect.
Though the vast majority of these cultivators had never witnessed such a celestial omen, let alone understood its significance, those who did were either shocked or overjoyed—though many more burned with envy and jealousy!
Deep within a cave abode atop the Falling Cloud Sect’s main peak, thousands of feet high, a silver-haired elder sat cross-legged in meditation, his complexion ashen as if recovering from a grave illness. The moment the spiritual light manifested hundreds of miles away, his white eyebrows twitched, and his eyes snapped open in disbelief.
Without hesitation, he ceased his cultivation and transformed into a streak of white light, darting out of the cave. Moments later, he stood atop the peak’s summit, gazing solemnly toward the direction of Han Li’s cave, his expression shifting between uncertainty and contemplation.
Just then, a streak of yellow light shot through the sky, heading straight for the elder’s cave. Upon seeing him outside, the light halted before him, dissipating to reveal a middle-aged man with a sallow complexion.
“Senior Brother Cheng, you sensed it too, didn’t you? There’s no mistake—someone within our Falling Cloud Sect is forming a Nascent Soul!” the man exclaimed, his voice tinged with disbelief.
“Mistake? Impossible. Both of us have experienced this before. Someone within our sect is indeed forming a Nascent Soul, and they’re already in the final stages, on the verge of success,” the silver-haired elder replied without turning, his eyes slightly narrowed.
“But this is bizarre! The only ones in our sect at the late Core Formation stage are Nephew Feng and that traitor surnamed Hu. Yet Nephew Feng was still striving for the Great Perfection realm two years ago—far from even reaching the False Nascent stage, let alone forming a true Nascent Soul. As for that Heaven’s Execution Sect spy, his cultivation has been crippled, dropping several realms. It can’t possibly be him,” the middle-aged man muttered, though his words lacked conviction.
“Hmph! Do we not know the cultivation levels of our disciples? This cultivator may be forming a Nascent Soul within our sect, but that doesn’t mean they’re one of us. It could very well be some audacious outsider who infiltrated or disguised themselves among us. After all, the Cloud Dream Mountain’s abundant spiritual energy makes it an ideal location for forming a Nascent Soul,” the elder remarked coolly, his deduction aligning closely with Han Li’s true identity.
“Senior Brother, what should we do now? Just watch as they succeed?” the middle-aged man frowned, his tone laced with reluctance.
“Precisely. We wait and do nothing. Though we don’t know if they’ll survive the final stage—the heart-devil backlash—interfering now would be pointless. The process of enduring the heart-devil may feel like months or even years to the cultivator, but to us, it’s merely a fleeting moment. Junior Brother Lü, have you forgotten your own experience during your Nascent Soul formation?” The elder’s face remained pale, yet his demeanor was composed.
“Forget? How could I? That ordeal is something I never wish to relive. The heart-devil backlash manifests whatever you fear most, amplifying it relentlessly. Had I not taken a Soul-Calming Pill back then, I would never have endured that torment,” the middle-aged man shuddered, his expression darkening at the mere mention.
“Exactly. If this person fails to overcome the final hurdle, we can deal with them as we see fit—there’s no need to rush. But if they do succeed, it’s already too late to stop them. Why make an enemy unnecessarily? Better to observe and wait. Moreover, their success might not be a bad thing for our sect. We might even forge ties with them—perhaps even recruit them.”
“Senior Brother, are you suggesting this person is a rogue cultivator?” The middle-aged man’s expression shifted with realization.
“Most likely. If they belonged to a clan or sect, why would they risk forming a Nascent Soul here in Cloud Dream Mountain? Even the weakest factions would send high-ranking cultivators to guard the process. Remember how our sect acted when we formed our Nascent Souls?” The elder smiled faintly, turning to face his companion.
“How could I forget? For months, the entire sect was on high alert, sealing the mountain and even activating the sect’s grand protective formation. In that case, this person truly might be a rogue cultivator,” the middle-aged man mused, a faint smile tugging at his lips at the memory.
“If they are indeed a rogue cultivator who succeeds, we must do everything to win them over, not provoke them. Rogue cultivators who form Nascent Souls face even greater hardships than us, but once they succeed, their abilities are formidable—not to be underestimated. Moreover, without sect ties, they have fewer inhibitions and are quick to hold grudges. Take the infamous Hatred Elder—most avoid crossing him not just because of his overwhelming power, but also his ruthless, unrestrained methods that even major factions fear.” The elder spoke leisurely, his tone measured.
The middle-aged man nodded silently, clearly in agreement.
“It’s beginning!” The elder’s eyes flashed with sharp light as he murmured. Startled, the middle-aged man swiftly extended his spiritual sense toward the distance.
Above Han Li’s cave, the spiritual light grew denser, gradually merging into a vast expanse. Soon, the sky within a hundred-mile radius was awash with boundless five-colored radiance. Within the glow, the sounds of wind, rain, and thunder roared, the luminous clouds churning violently before converging rapidly toward the center.
Above the small stone mountain housing Han Li’s cave, a blindingly bright sphere of light formed, spanning over a mile in diameter, its surface shimmering with iridescent brilliance too intense to behold directly.
Suddenly, an earth-shaking thunderclap erupted, causing the entire mountain to tremble. A pillar of azure light shot from the mountain’s heart, piercing straight into the colossal sphere above.
Dark clouds instantly gathered around the sphere, accompanied by howling winds, torrential rain, and crackling lightning. The sphere began to contract and warp amidst the storm, its five-colored radiance growing ever more dazzling.
By now, nearby cultivators had begun arriving at the stone mountain’s vicinity, staring awestruck at the celestial phenomenon, exchanging bewildered glances, uncertain how to react.
Before long, under the stunned gazes of the onlookers, the massive sphere condensed into a crystalline orb the size of a fist. The terrifyingly vast spiritual energy it emanated sent waves of alarm through the watching cultivators, deterring any reckless actions.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage