Across the horizon, the wind howled.
Dark clouds bore down upon the city, silver light flickering within.
Such an anomaly in the celestial signs drew sideways glances from many cultivators in the city.
Outside the valley, Fu Chaosheng blurted out, "An omen of Nascent Soul formation!"
Yet after observing for merely a moment, the heart that had leapt into his throat settled back down, and he muttered a low scolding:
"Nonsense!"
Whether or not the person inside the valley heard his reprimand, in the next instant, the storm clouds rolled back, and the silver light dissolved.
That distinctive aura was abruptly pulled back.
Between heaven and earth, nothing remained except the unmoored spiritual energy drawn from the earth veins, drifting aimlessly without a single lingering anomaly.
At the same time, the dense fog and rolling mists within the valley slowly parted, revealing a narrow path just wide enough for a single person to pass.
"Since Senior has arrived, why not enter the valley and take a seat, allowing this junior to extend a bit of hospitality?"
Hearing the clear, resonant voice, Fu Chaosheng raised a brow. Without much hesitation, he strode right in with easy nonchalance.
Wherever he passed, the mists parted on their own and slowly sealed shut behind him.
Before long, Fu Chaosheng arrived in front of a wooden cabin.
A woman stood before the doorway, guarding it with absolute vigilance.
The instant she laid eyes on Fu Chaosheng, Tianxuan blurted out, "Manager Fu, it's you!"
Fu Chaosheng smiled faintly. "As Fu said, you and I are destined to meet again."
"You followed me!" Tianxuan's willow-leaf brows flared, murderous intent surging forth.
Before Fu Chaosheng could explain, that same clear male voice drifted from inside the cabin.
"Tianxuan, do not be impudent. This is a senior; you must address him respectfully as Perfected Person."
Tianxuan froze, her face instantly turning deathly pale.
"Senior Fu, my apologies. This junior is currently indisposed, so please step inside so we may speak face-to-face."
Fu Chaosheng took no offense. Casting an amused glance at Tianxuan, he strode into the cabin.
Outside, Tianxuan stood pale and at a loss, thoughts churning like storm-tossed waves in her mind.
*How could this be!*
*I was only selling some demon beast materials, yet I actually ran into a Nascent Soul Perfected Person.*
*To make matters worse, he was so patient, deliberately concealing his cultivation realm to laugh and chat with me.*
*Wait!*
*Why would a Nascent Soul Perfected Person bother to hide his realm and play along with me?*
*He must have an ulterior motive!*
Considering that he had tailed her all the way to this valley cave abode, could his motive be...
Tianxuan turned around stiffly, biting her lip. *Did I just bring a huge disaster upon Master?!*
The trouble weighing on her mind remained uncertain.
Yet Luo Chen was indeed in some trouble right now.
As soon as Fu Chaosheng entered the wooden cabin, he saw a black-haired man with his hair draped loose down his back and a flushed red face, sitting cross-legged on a prayer mat.
From head to toe, the man's aura fluctuated wildly, his surging magic power roiling tumultuously through the room.
Faintly, even his divine sense seemed impossible to rein in, constantly spilling outward into the surroundings.
Anyone else might have viewed an inferior carelessly releasing divine sense in the presence of a superior as an insolent act, but Fu Chaosheng knew the youth had no choice in the matter.
"It seems you truly are quite indisposed!"
Luo Chen blinked his bloodshot eyes hard and said with some difficulty, "I've made a fool of myself before Elder."
"It is indeed rather ridiculous," Fu Chaosheng replied noncommittally, his eyes sweeping unceasingly across the cabin.
At the same time, he voiced what he found so laughable:
"Cultivation realm insufficient, spirit pulse inadequate, and not one of the three treasures of essence, qi, and spirit perfected—virtually zero preparation, yet you dared to attempt a sprint toward the Nascent Soul realm. Junior, do you lack the guidance of a master to commit such a reckless blunder?"
Luo Chen let out a bitter smile, offering no further explanation.
Fu Chaosheng's scanning of the surroundings finally ceased; he had not found the figure he had expected to see.
Yet earlier, he had genuinely sensed a Nascent Soul aura within the grand formation.
Could he have sensed wrongly?
Unable to fathom it after racking his brains, his gaze settled on Luo Chen.
And it was right at that moment that he suddenly realized something.
"Eh? Fourth layer of the Golden Core?"
Luo Chen nodded.
In his current condition, it was simply impossible to conceal his true cultivation realm. With ripples of magic power wafting uncontained, anyone with a modicum of discernment could gauge his exact level.
Fu Chaosheng's eyes narrowed.
At merely the fourth layer of the Golden Core, he had actually managed to trigger the initial signs of Nascent Soul formation.
If nothing else, this lad's foundation and natural talent alone were terrifying to behold.
If that was the case, his trip today had not been in vain.
After pondering for a moment, he said, "You likely know this old man's identity, yes?"
Luo Chen nodded. "A Nascent Soul cultivation, a kindly countenance, an affable manner toward others, plus my maidservant already knows you—presumably, you are the renowned Perfected Person Fu, one of the four elders of the merchant alliance established in the Northern Sea by the Tianyuan Dao Sect!"
"Good breadth of knowledge. It seems you aren't some ascetic monk who pays no heed to the outside world." Fu Chaosheng clasped his hands behind his back, his eyes continuously sizing Luo Chen up.
Under that scrutiny, Luo Chen took the opportunity to state his identity. "I am Luo Hai, a mere rogue cultivator."
"Luo Hai? Heh heh..."
Fu Chaosheng chuckled, knowing full well it was a pseudonym. Still, in times like these, and in the Northern Sea no less, it was only natural for the youth to be cautious.
Luo Chen felt considerable pressure in his heart. Beneath the other man's gaze, it felt as though he were being seen right through.
He knew full well that this was merely an illusion.
Yet it still left him feeling thorns at his back.
Clearing his throat with a slight cough, he began, "Senior..."
"Enough. I merely dropped by to take a look, and this is plenty."
With that, Fu Chaosheng made to leave.
Yet before departing, he paused. Two items appeared in his hand, which he nudged before Luo Chen with magic power.
Luo Chen was taken aback. "This is...?"
"This identity medallion is held by VIPs who have spent over a million spirit stones in our Tianyuan Business Alliance. That maidservant of yours concluded a transaction at my establishment, so it is only right that you receive this token."
"As for this pill..."
Fu Chaosheng smiled. "Meeting like this is destiny. Looking at your current state, without four to six months, you likely would not recover. With this Yang-Returning Pill, you will be restored in no more than three to five days. If you seize the opportunity to refine the heaven-and-earth spiritual energy here that has been tinged with your aura, it may even bring you considerable benefit."
Luo Chen said with trepidation, "Such a generous gift—how could this junior dare accept it?"
"Take it if it's given to you. Just come spend more at my Tianyuan Tower in the future."
Fu Chaosheng waved his hand, flicked his sleeves, and turned to leave.
Luo Chen opened his mouth, but in the end, he only called out to tell Tianxuan to see the guest off on his behalf.
...
Along the narrow path through the valley.
Tianxuan followed beside Fu Chaosheng, tense and reverent, not daring to breathe loudly.
The middle-aged man's chuckling voice sounded:
"How did you come by this transformed body of yours?"
Tianxuan's heart skipped a beat, but she had prepared a response for such an inquiry long ago and replied immediately, "This junior was fortunate enough to ingest a Transformation Grass, and with the help of Master's medicinal pills, I managed to obtain this opportunity."
Fu Chaosheng remained noncommittal.
Transformation Grass?
Assistance from pills?
He did not care how much of that was true and how much was false.
Once outside the valley, he looked back over his shoulder, a contemplative glint in his eyes.
To comprehend a method of forming a Nascent Soul at the mid Golden Core stage—even if merely the crudest outline—demonstrated remarkable talent and brilliance.
On top of that, being able to subdue a demon cultivator of equal rank for his own service meant his strength was certainly not low either.
Above all, that faint, elusive Nascent Soul aura was ample proof that he was not someone without backing or heritage.
*Quite a talent indeed!*
*Showing a small kindness and forging good karma now might allow this lad to be of some help in that future matter.*
*It only cost a single Yang-Returning Pill—treat it as laying down an idle chess piece.*
Pondering this, the man departed in high spirits.
In any case, confirming there was no unfamiliar Nascent Soul cultivator here and ensuring no interference with the major event ahead was the greatest gain.
And after he left.
Tianxuan went to see Luo Chen and recounted every detail of her prior interaction with Fu Chaosheng.
At the end, she asked worriedly, "Master, I didn't bring trouble upon you, did I?"
Luo Chen shook his head. "Had it been another Nascent Soul Perfected Person, there might have been trouble. But this one's good temper is renowned, so it matters not. On the contrary, he even helped me out a little."
With that, Tianxuan breathed a complete sigh of relief.
After she took her leave, Luo Chen sat quietly in the wooden cabin.
The previously stowed Ten Thousand Soul Banner reappeared, and Han Zhan's figure manifested before him.
Without turning his head, Luo Chen asked, "Did he notice you?"
Han Zhan replied, "He shouldn't have. Although his cultivation realm is a bit higher than mine was at my peak, I specialize in the path of spirit refining and am now a remnant soul. Concealing myself intentionally with the aid of this Ten Thousand Soul Banner, it isn't so easy to detect me."
"And the Nascent Soul aura within the formation?"
"It can be explained away by the phenomenon of your Nascent Soul formation attempt."
"Still, it's not entirely safe."
Han Zhan consoled him, "Actually, there's no need to be nervous. The Tianyuan Dao Sect's merchant alliance spans across four regions, and four Nascent Soul elders are dispatched to manage each region. These Nascent Soul elders strictly adhere to their duties; they virtually never pick quarrels without cause and only seek to harvest profit and gather intelligence for the Dao Sect. You are a mere Golden Core cultivator; he won't do anything to you."
Luo Chen grimaced. Would the man truly do nothing to him?
If Fu Chaosheng discovered that he had once refined pills for the demon race—even if under duress—he likely wouldn't let him off easily!
His gaze ultimately settled on the medallion and the medicinal pill sitting on the table.
"There's no problem with the medallion. I've inspected it; it's just the most ordinary VIP identity token from Tianyuan Tower. Before handing it over, he had already gathered your leaking aura, so no one else can impersonate you with it."
"And what about this pill?"
Luo Chen's eyes fell upon the medicinal pill wrapped in golden pill patterns.
With his knowledge, he could tell this pill was extraordinary, harboring immense medicinal potency within.
Han Zhan's tone held a tremor of surprise as he said, "A Yang-Returning Pill? Wonderful stuff! It's one of that Alchemy Saint's signature pills from his earlier years. Over in the Eastern Desolation, it no longer circulates outside and is only distributed within the Mingyuan Sect."
*A signature pill of the Alchemy Saint?*
Luo Chen was inwardly astonished.
Regarding that figure standing atop the pinnacle of the alchemy dao in the Mountain and Sea Realm, he knew quite a bit.
That person hailed from the Soul Formation sacred ground of the Eastern Desolation, the Mingyuan Sect. After advancing to the Nascent Soul stage, for reasons unknown, he had traveled far to the Central Plains and joined the Tianyuan Dao Sect.
Now that his signature pill had appeared in the hands of a Tianyuan Dao Sect Nascent Soul Perfected Person, it was only natural.
"What is the effect of this pill?"
"Its effect is singular, specifically tailored to treat your current condition."
"Uh..."
Han Zhan explained with a rueful tone, "Forming a Nascent Soul is extraordinarily perilous for a cultivator. It involves not only the most iconic heavenly tribulation lightning, but also internal regulation. The so-called Golden Core perfection means regulating one's internal state to perfection. Once that realm is reached, the scattered soul merges with essence blood and magic power, allowing one to transition from a yin soul into a yang state, thus achieving a cultivator's Purple Mansion Nascent Soul.
"Yet this process is immensely complex. With the slightest carelessness, one will injure oneself.
"Many Golden Core cultivators who find themselves trapped at the ninth layer, unable to attain perfection for the longest time, fail repeatedly at this very step.
"Each failure inflicts grievous damage upon oneself, and may even invite the invasion of external demons. With the assistance of a Yang-Returning Pill, one can achieve twice the result with half the effort. Even if one fails, it can repair those injuries.
"Back then, I sought one in vain, never expecting he would casually toss you one as a gift. Boy, your fortune is truly profound!"
Luo Chen's heart stirred violently.
Pinching the golden pill between two fingers, his mouth felt dry.
Under his repeated examinations, he could confirm that this pill was non-toxic, nor were any hidden tricks left upon it.
With Fu Chaosheng bestowing a Yang-Returning Pill upon him so generously, he truly did not know what to say.
This favor—neither overwhelmingly grand nor insignificant!
Yet at the time, it had been awkward to refuse, and he hadn't wanted to refuse either.
"Take it shortly. Otherwise, in your current state, you are truly unfit to attend the auction in Feileng City."
"Mm," Luo Chen grunted in assent, feeling rather eager in his heart.
Han Zhan, however, felt a bit self-reproachful.
"Blame me. I didn't warn you earlier."
Luo Chen exhaled a mouthful of turbid air. "How could I blame you? I never expected that deducing a demon cultivation technique would lead me to comprehend a method of Nascent Soul formation. I circulated it subconsciously, nearly courting disaster. If you hadn't broken my trance with your soul voice, I might have perished beneath the sudden strike of tribulation lightning."
Indeed.
The grand commotion he had stirred up earlier had caught everyone off guard, including Luo Chen himself.
In the process of perfecting the *Huanyu Secret Scripture*, he had continuously compared it against himself, verifying everything he had learned.
Without realizing it, he had actually comprehended a method for forming a Nascent Soul.
The so-called Nascent Soul formation was when a cultivator's scattered soul transitioned from yin to yang, condensing into a Purple Mansion Nascent Soul.
Prior to Nascent Soul, a cultivator's soul was naturally terrified of thunder and rain, baleful qi and astral winds; at this stage, it was known as an yin-deficient state.
Even upon death, the chance of reincarnating to cultivate anew was exceedingly slim.
Only after the Nascent Soul stage, having endured the trial of heavenly thunder, gathering the Three Flowers at the crown and channeling the Five Qi toward the origin, could the soul manifest outwardly and escape a thousand li in a single burst.
Hence, some said that Nascent Soul cultivators were unified within and without, returning to yang to achieve truth—having attained yang-substance, they were called Perfected Persons.
Luo Chen remarked with emotion, "Though this epiphany led to reckless behavior that nearly caused a catastrophe, the harvest was bountiful. At least I have gained another piece of preparation for forming a Nascent Soul in the future."
A cultivator forming a Nascent Soul was in truth not so different from what was needed in daily cultivation.
It simply came down to those four words: "Wealth, Companions, Doctrine, and Land."
Wealth referred to external resources, such as auxiliary items like the Nascent Soul Formation Pill.
Companions meant Dao companions; with a senior like Han Zhan offering guidance at his side, Luo Chen could avoid many detours.
Now, he had also comprehended a method of Nascent Soul formation!
As long as his essence, qi, and spirit reached perfection in the future, he could attempt to gather the Three Flowers at the crown and catch a glimpse of the Nascent Soul realm!
As for a spiritual land?
He would deal with that when the time came; it was not something Luo Chen could indulge in dreaming about just yet.
With his mind resolved, Luo Chen cast aside stray thoughts and ingested the Yang-Returning Pill.
He needed to adjust his current condition as quickly as possible so as not to affect his subsequent moves.
Furthermore, with Fu Chaosheng extending goodwill, he could not simply pretend nothing had happened; paying a visit in person was at least necessary.
Whether the man would see him or not was his business.
The superficial courtesies that ought to be performed still had to be performed.
If possible, doing something to repay the favor of the gifted pill would be even better.
Bearing these thoughts, Luo Chen once again entered a brief period of secluded cultivation.
The door of the wooden cabin in the valley closed tightly, and the vast amount of heaven-and-earth spiritual energy that had been drawn out previously began converging toward him.
Just as Fu Chaosheng had said:
Once Luo Chen weathered this ordeal, a blessing would surely emerge from the disaster, and his cultivation might even advance a notch or two.
Chapter 573