socalfunplaces Chapter 346 Below the Nascent Soul stage, all are mere puppets.
Chapter 346 Below the Nascent Soul stage, all are mere puppets.
Chapter 346 Below the Nascent Soul Stage, All Are Puppetry (I'm at work now, so I can only update this afternoon or evening.)
Zhongzhou, the ancestral home of the Ji family.
Deep within the forbidden area, at the edge of the fifth-order grand formation, the formation's light curtain flowed slowly and heavily, like a dark golden lake.
Each ripple causes a violent tremor in the surrounding space, and the oppressive force it exudes makes everything pale in comparison.
Directly in front of the great formation, a middle-aged cultivator sat quietly in meditation.
He looked to be only about forty years old, with a handsome face and sharply defined sideburns. His long black robe remained perfectly still under the pressure of spiritual energy.
Ji Yinglong.
Over six hundred years, he transformed from a brilliant and talented prodigy into a revered ancestor whom all the great grotto heavens look up to, forging himself into a living legend.
Peak of Nascent Soul stage.
These four words represent supreme authority in the Great Green Realm, but in Ji Yinglong's eyes, they are a black iron cage with no top in sight.
Over the years, this was his 107th attempt to break through that barrier. The power of heaven and earth was like an impenetrable net, mercilessly pulling him back to the mortal realm each time he was about to touch the edge of "divine transformation".
That feeling of suffocation is a thousand times more desperate than a drowning person.
"It is almost impossible to become a Nascent Soul cultivator with just this one world."
Ji Yinglong had already made his judgment.
When righteous cultivation reaches its limit, the path ahead is a dead end. The ancient texts record that those predecessors either frantically ventured into forbidden lands of certain death in search of opportunity, ultimately disappearing without a trace; or—
His gaze fell upon the distant sea of clouds, and his eyes turned sinister.
Unorthodox or unorthodox methods.
Over the past century, he has taken twelve concubines, all of whom are female cultivators in the early stages of the Nascent Soul realm.
Whether it was absorbing external energy or dual cultivation, the faint Daoist energy generated by the interaction of Yin and Yang did indeed loosen his stagnant bottleneck slightly.
But it was only a trace.
Those female cultivators had too low a cultivation level and their understanding of the Great Dao was as shallow as paper. They were simply unable to bear the immense divine power he possessed when he attempted to break through to the Nascent Soul stage.
He needs a container.
A vessel whose cultivation level is comparable to his, whose understanding of the laws of heaven and earth is extremely profound, and even surpasses his.
The most demanding requirement is that the container must maintain its pure primordial yin essence, untouched by impurities.
This is a joke in the Qing community.
Female cultivators who reach the peak of the Nascent Soul stage are extremely rare; aren't they all ancient monsters who have lived for hundreds of years? Who can still preserve their primordial yin? Even if they could, who would be willing to be Ji Yinglong's furnace for breaking through to the Great Dao?
Until this news came out, Qingyun Cave Heaven changed hands, and the Mysterious Yin Fairy appeared in the world.
Ji Yinglong's heart, which had been cold for decades, finally began to beat warmly.
In the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, the aura is pure and vast, seemingly an ancient inheritance, and has also obtained a great opportunity, yet it has not yet broken through the Primordial Yin.
Every word was like a heavy hammer blow to his heart, making his long-cooled blood boil again.
"Heaven has not forsaken me."
Ji Yinglong suddenly stood up, and the surrounding wind was shattered.
A perfect Daoist partner.
It could even be said that this was a special opportunity for him to attain enlightenment, prepared by Heaven.
If one could explore Yin and Yang with such a female cultivator, and borrow her unfathomable Daoist aura despite her inexperience, perhaps a breach could truly be made in the insurmountable barrier of the Nascent Soul stage.
Even a 10% chance would be enough for him to gamble everything.
"Mingyuan, give your orders."
His voice was hoarse, piercing through the clouds and echoing throughout the Ji family's main hall.
"Prepare generous gifts. I intend to personally visit Qingyun Cave Heaven."
He paused, a determined look flashing in his eyes.
"I wish to have a long and intimate conversation with Fairy Xuan Yin!"
Jingang Temple is located on a cliff face behind the mountain.
A cold, damp wind seeped out from the cracks in the rocks and blew against Xuan Gang's bare upper body.
He has been kneeling on the cliff for more than ten years, and the bluestone slab beneath his knees has been pressed into two deep pits.
A golden light pierced through the mist and hovered in front of him.
Xuan Gang raised his head, his eyes showing no emotion whatsoever.
It was a jade talisman, dark gold in color, carved with the image of a fierce Vajra.
Even without being activated, the slight fluctuation emanating from it caused his nascent soul to tremble slightly.
An ancestral Vajra Jade Talisman. A powerful weapon recorded only in the temple's secret scriptures.
"Let's go to Qingyun Cave."
An aged voice boomed directly in his mind, devoid of any emotion, "Lie in wait, and kill Chen Yi when he emerges from the cave."
"
Xuan Gang reached out and grasped the jade talisman; it was icy cold.
He didn't ask why, nor did he ask what would happen if Chen Yi continued to hide in the cave and didn't come out.
At Vajra Temple, the words of the patriarch are the law.
Moreover, the core leadership of the temple is well aware of the legends surrounding that patriarch.
The ancestor's cultivation method was unpredictable and mysterious, capable of manipulating cause and effect and controlling people's hearts from afar. In the ancestor's eyes, cultivators below the fourth rank were nothing more than puppets on strings.
Since the ancestor told him to wait, Chen Yi will definitely come out.
Xuan Gang stood up, dusted off his knees, twisted his body, and silently blended into the mountain wind.
Qingyun Cave Heaven, Welcoming Peak.
Since the news of Qingfeng Ridge's annexation of Qingyun Sect spread, this once tranquil paradise has become one of the most bustling areas in Zhongzhou.
Every day, streaks of light streak across the sky and land on the square of Welcoming Peak.
Spies from various powerful forces, small and medium-sized families seeking to curry favor, and even passing rogue cultivators all wanted to see who this master who had brought about this upheaval really was.
Hu Mingyue was so busy she barely had time to breathe.
She was dressed in a well-fitting cyan palace gown. Although her cultivation level at the Golden Core stage was not high, she seemed quite at ease in this position.
Those cultivators in the early Nascent Soul stage were easily dismissed by her with a few words of both persuasion and coercion, and they didn't even get to see Chen Yi and the others.
But today's guests are a bit tricky.
Two powerful auras pressed down on the summit of Welcoming Guest Peak without any attempt to conceal their presence, startling the celestial birds into flight.
True Lord of Flame and True Lord of Stubborn Stone.
Both of them were renowned late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators in Zhongzhou, and were also close friends of the former Cave Heaven Master, Lin Yunsheng.
Hu Mingyue dared not delay and could only ask Chen Yi and Fairy Xuanyin to step in.
The aroma of tea wafted through the main hall.
Yan Huo Zhenjun was a red-faced old man with a fiery temper. As soon as he sat down, he slammed his teacup heavily on the table, causing tea to splash everywhere.
"Fellow Daoist Lin's body is barely cold, and Fellow Daoist Qingyun's injuries haven't healed, yet your Qingfeng Ridge has already usurped their place. Your behavior is far too disgraceful!"
His gaze was piercing, fixed on Chen Yi and Fairy Xuan Yin in the main seat, his fire elemental power subtly stirring, as if he were ready to make a move at any moment.
Chen Yi remained calm and did not speak.
Fairy Xuan Yin chuckled lightly, her voice clear and cold: "Fellow Daoist Yan Huo, you are mistaken. The change of ownership of Qingyun Cave Heaven was personally presided over by the Venerable Master Kongxing of Vajra Temple; this is the settlement of karma. If you have any objections, why not go to Vajra Temple and ask Master Kongxing?"
Upon hearing the words "Void Monk," Yan Huo Zhenjun's previously high arrogance instantly diminished.
His lips twitched, and he swallowed back the torrent of accusations he had prepared. He wouldn't dare provoke that behemoth, the Vajra Temple, even if he had ten times the courage.
"Since it is the meaning of Master Kongxing, then it must make sense."
Yan Huo Zhenjun coughed dryly, abruptly changing the subject, and began to exchange pleasantries with Xuan Yin Xianzi.
He talked about the rules for managing the caves and the division of spheres of influence among the major powers in the Central Plains, as if he were a senior instructing a junior.
Chen Yi sat beside him, listening listlessly, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest.
But he soon noticed that the stubborn rock lord who had come with him had not said a word.
This True Lord lived up to his name, looking like a stone, expressionless, and rarely even blinking.
He just sat there, motionless, like a statue, with a very low profile.
Until the two got up to say goodbye.
While True Lord Yanhuo was still at the door nagging Fairy Xuanyin to "follow the rules," True Lord Wanshi deliberately lagged behind by half a step.
A faint, almost ethereal voice suddenly entered Chen Yi's ears.
"Young Friend Chen".
Chen Yi paused slightly.
"I have no ill intentions toward what is happening here. However, there are some secrets about Fellow Daoist Lin's life that I cannot reveal in public."
The voice of the Stubborn Stone True Monarch sounded extremely sincere, with a strange magnetism, "I will be waiting for you in Falling Maple Valley, three thousand miles outside the cave heaven. I only wish to have a private conversation with you, fellow Daoist, and will not take up too much of your time."
Looking at the expressionless profile of the Stubborn Stone True Monarch, Chen Yi felt a strong impulse rising in his heart.
Go see him. He's a powerful cultivator in the late Nascent Soul stage. If he specially invited me privately, he must have an important opportunity or secret to tell me. He's just a little outside the cave, not far away.
Moreover, the other party said they meant no harm. As the master of the cave, it would be petty of me not to give them even this much face.
This late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator will surely grant me some opportunities for cultivation.
Once the thought arose, it grew wildly in my mind like weeds.
Chen Yi even felt that if he didn't go out now, he would be missing out on a tremendous opportunity.
His toes unconsciously turned in a different direction, his lips parted slightly, and the word "good" was already on the tip of his tongue.
Once you agree, everything will fall into place.
"Young master, please have a cup of hot tea."
A crisp voice suddenly broke in.
Hu Mingyue had walked to his side without him noticing, and gently placed the tray she was carrying on the table. The celadon teacup collided with the mahogany tabletop, making a very slight, crisp sound.
"bite."
The sound wasn't loud, but it was like a sharp needle, piercing the hazy membrane in Chen Yi's mind.
Chen Yi's body jolted violently.
The "kind and approachable" and "trustworthy" True Monarch Wanshi, whom he had previously perceived, instantly transformed back into the expressionless and unfathomable stranger.
The intense desire to "definitely go" receded like the tide, replaced by a layer of cold sweat seeping down my back.
Not right.
Something is very wrong.
I was determined to stay in the cave until the Black Mountain Secret Realm opened, so why did I feel that going out was completely risk-free?
That's a major overhaul in the late Nascent Soul stage!
Once you step out of the protective array of Qingyun Cave, you'll lose your geographical advantage. If the other party really has malicious intentions, what will you use to defend yourself?
Chen Yi's perception of the world restarted, and his previously vague spiritual senses became sharp again.
He vaguely sensed that the so-called Falling Maple Valley, though seemingly calm, exuded a chilling aura that made his scalp tingle.
That's the smell of death.
The stubborn rock in front of me may not have any ill intentions, but the old bald monk from Vajra Temple is indeed a persistent ghost.
Chen Yi took a deep breath, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes, but an apologetic smile appeared on his face.
He looked at the Stubborn Stone True Lord who was about to turn and leave, seemingly certain that he would follow, and said loudly, "True Lord, I appreciate your kindness."
The figure of the Stubborn Stone Lord froze for a moment.
Chen Yi picked up the hot tea that Hu Mingyue had just brewed, blew away the foam, and said in a firm tone that left no room for doubt: "It's just that my cultivation level is too low, and I need to go into seclusion to cultivate diligently in preparation for the battle in the Black Mountain Secret Realm ten years from now. During these ten years, I don't plan to leave Qingyun Cave Heaven even for a moment."
"If you have something to say, then speak here, True Lord. If you cannot speak, then it is better not to listen."
The Stubborn Stone True Lord slowly turned his head, and his simple eyes gave Chen Yi a deep look.
He forced a smile, left only the words "Alright, let's meet again in ten years," and then turned and rode away on a cloud.
Chen Yi stood still, his gaze following the yellowish-brown streak of light until it disappeared.
The fingers inside the sleeve curled slightly, and a fine layer of cold sweat seeped from the palms.
The hidden supernatural power has reached the late stage of the fourth level, and its own aura is connected with the energy of heaven and earth. Logically speaking, the fifth-level primordial spiritual soil is hidden deep in the storage bracelet and concealed by the supernatural power, so it is absolutely impossible for outsiders to discover it.
But the way the Stubborn Stone Lord looked at him just now was strange.
The gaze was unfocused, not landing on his face, but rather seemed to see through the very essence of his being.
The eyes of the Stubborn Stone True Lord, as deep as dry wells, never left Chen Yi from beginning to end.
He wasn't sure if the fifth-order primordial spirit soil left behind by Lin Yunsheng was in Chen Yi's hands.
But he was able to overcome all obstacles and cultivate to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm not only because of his hard work, but also because of his almost sixth sense-like intuition about opportunities.
The moment his eyes met Chen Yi's, his cultivation bottleneck, which had been stagnant for decades, began to show signs of loosening. This strong resonance told him that Chen Yi held a great opportunity that could allow him to advance further on his path to immortality.
Moreover, his intuition told him that he could not take it by force; only a private transaction would be safe.
Originally, he could have simply made a private deal with Chen Yi within the Qingyun Cave Heaven. However, at the moment he opened his mouth to make the invitation, the mind of the Stubborn Stone True Monarch trembled almost imperceptibly.
As if plucked by some unseen will, he inexplicably decided that setting the transaction location in the secret valley outside Qingyun Cave was the most perfect arrangement.
After the Stubborn Stone True Lord left, Chen Yi stood in place, constantly calculating and deducing with his fingertips.
Cold sweat trickled down his temples.
The urge to step out of the mountain gate and keep the appointment was gnawing at his reason like a leech.
His proud, near-fifth-tier "Perception of Heaven and Earth" was now like being stuck in a quagmire, the pointer spinning wildly but unable to give any warning of danger.
This sense of frustration from the loss of perception made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
Only when Hu Mingyue approached with the tea, and the cool aroma enveloped him, did his chaotic mind suddenly jolt awake and regain its clarity.
This feeling of teetering on the edge of clarity and depravity made Chen Yi's fingertips tremble slightly.
He looked around and felt that this seemingly peaceful paradise was being slowly tightened by an invisible net, carrying a suffocating chill.
I have already entered the game.
This inexplicable period lasted for six months.
The tranquility of Qingyun Cave was shattered once again.
On this day, fiery clouds stretched for miles across the sky, and waves of heat rolled in, making the once cool mountain breeze unbearably hot.
A loud bird cry resounded through the sky, making the protective array around the mountain vibrate.
The Flame Sparrow Demon King, mid-stage fourth tier.
Its enormous crimson body blotted out the sky, and its wingspan was a hundred feet, each flap of which stirred up a rain of fire.
On the broad back of the demon king stood a middle-aged cultivator dressed in a purple-gold robe, his hands clasped behind his back.
Ji Yinglong is the current head of the Ji family.
Behind him followed Ji Wuchen, Ji Mingyuan, and other core members of the Ji family.
And a convoy of gifts carried by a dozen or so flying horses.
Such a grand display far exceeded the standards of an ordinary visit.
The visitor's request was very great.
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