Nascent Soul Battle, Bound for the North

A streak of light hurtled from south to north at breakneck speed. Its momentum was terrifying. Wherever it passed, wind and thunder roared, clouds scattered, and waters churned. Flying with such unbridled abandon, it showed no intention of turning, refusing to halt even when crossing territories guarded by strict no-flight edicts. Inside the domain of a certain Core Formation sect, an alarm sounded. A Core Formation ancestor flew into a rage and soared into the clouds to demand an explanation. Yet the moment he caught sight of the fleeing figure, he gasped in horror and beat a hasty retreat. Looking closer, that was no cultivator's beam of light! It was clearly a rank-three avian demon king, howling in agony as it fled desperately while being gnawed by ten thousand ghosts! "Which demonic titan is using such methods to hunt down a demon beast?" "Wait, that's not right!" Through the swirling mist, the Core Formation cultivator spotted a human figure seated cross-legged upon the demon king's back. Swallowing hard, he slipped quietly back to his mountain, acting as if nothing had ever happened. *** Upon Tianxuan's back, Luo Chen observed her condition, pain and reluctance written across his face. "Senior, was it really necessary to go this far?" Han Zhan's faint voice drifted out. "That He Yuan was extraordinary to begin with, and once possessed by Blood Nightmare Moluo, neither of us would fare well if he caught up. Besides, is Blood Nightmare Moluo the only enemy coveting your life? In your current state, you wouldn't get very far at all. Only by having this old man cast the Ten Thousand Souls Gnawing Art to stimulate Tianxuan's potential—combined with the Ninety Thousand Li technique you taught her—could her flight speed leave any Core Formation cultivator in the dust and give us a slim chance of survival!" Luo Chen fell silent. Looking down at Tianxuan, he saw her miserable state. Ghostly wraiths surged continuously from the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, clinging to her flesh, gnawing at her while simultaneously replenishing her with dark energy. Under this excruciating stimulation, Tianxuan—already an elite among flying demon beasts—pushed the Ninety Thousand Li technique to the fastest speed she had ever attained. It was even significantly faster than Luo Chen's Ninety Thousand Li in his Heavenly Roc True Form. By Luo Chen's estimate, no Core Formation cultivator could ever match this speed, and it was only a hair slower than a Nascent Soul True Person's flight. However! Once the technique ran its course, Tianxuan would inevitably collapse into extreme exhaustion. It might even leave severe hidden injuries affecting her future cultivation. "Master, I... I am fine," Tianxuan said with difficulty. Her voice was carried away by the howling wind, tinged with suppressed agony. "If you feel sorry for her, just compensate her later with more top-grade Nether-Passage Pills and Emperor's Flowing Syrup," Han Zhan said. Luo Chen managed a wry smile and gently stroked the feathers on Tianxuan's back. In the end, he said nothing more. He merely looked back toward Lengguang Island, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "The Qian family, Baizao Mountain, Lianfeng Firm... and Blood Nightmare Moluo. I, Luo Chen, will remember this debt." He uttered no grand threats, just a quiet murmur. Yet the chill within his words cut to the very marrow! *** Inside Feileng City on Lengguang Island. In a dim, lightless secret chamber, three figures sat in a circle. Suddenly, a man draped in blood-red robes let out a muffled groan. The woman across from him opened her eyes, frowning. "What is it, Blood Nightmare?" Blood Nightmare opened his eyes and said calmly, "Nothing. Just an issue with a Blood God Child I recently refined. It nearly broke free of my control." At the words "Blood God Child," the elderly man among them—whose bearing was that of a transcendent immortal—could not help opening his eyes as well. A flicker of wariness crossed his gaze. As the former foremost holy land of the Northern Sea, the Yuan Demon Sect had seen many of its ordinary cultivation techniques leaked to the outside world. This was especially true for the highly adaptable methods of the Blood Sea lineage and the crafting of soul-refining artifacts. Yet those circulated techniques had actually been leaked deliberately by the Yuan Demon Sect to sift through the myriad mortals and discover individuals talented enough to join their ranks. Their true core secret arts had never been disclosed. And the method for refining a Blood God Child was the absolute pinnacle of the Blood Sea lineage! Rumor had it that the Yuan Demon Sect's Ancestor Blood Sea had cultivated the Blood God Scripture to Great Perfection, commanding thirty-six hundred Blood God Children. It was said: *So long as the Blood Sea remains, the Blood God is undying!* This was also the very foundation of Ancestor Blood Sea's confidence when venturing into the depths of the Sunken Sea. Who would have thought that Blood Nightmare Moluo would dare to refine a Blood God Child while merely in the Nascent Soul realm? Fairy Feileng, who knew more inside details, spoke bluntly. "Refining a Blood God Child at your Nascent Soul stage naturally invites backlash from unstable control. What's more, you sent it out on a mission immediately after refining it. You should count yourself lucky it didn't break free on the spot." Blood Nightmare sneered. "My cultivation is none of your concern. Let us discuss the matter at hand! The fish has already taken the bait!" Fairy Feileng replied indifferently, "With bait like the God-Slashing Sword, someone was bound to bite. However, whether we can haul that big fish ashore depends on whether you and I have the strength for it." "The three of us joining hands will be more than enough!" Blood Nightmare said with absolute confidence. The immortal-looking elder asked with seeming nonchalance, "What you rely on should be that Blood God Child, correct? After the hiccup just now, are you certain nothing will go wrong later?" Blood Nightmare glanced at him, showing no anger. "Old Daoist Jiyuan, do not compare my Yuan Demon divine arts to the petty tricks of your Penglai." True Person Jiyuan, who hailed from the Penglai Immortal Sect, furrowed his brows slightly but chose not to argue. The so-called demonic sect was merely a relic of yesterday. What was the point of squabbling with something that belonged to the past? While the three were conversing, Fairy Feileng suddenly shuddered. An eerie light flashed in her eyes as she rapidly calculated with her fingers. "Mulan Gaoxiong has fallen into the trap. It is time for the three of us to strike!" Hearing this, Blood Nightmare Moluo's face twisted into a savage grin. He rose to his feet, his blood-red robes billowing. "In that case, let us tear away the fig leaf and ignite the true war between the Orthodox and the Demonic!" Old Daoist Jiyuan rose alongside him, flicking his horsetail whisk behind him as he proclaimed loudly, "It is also time for my Penglai Immortal Sect to formally declare our return to the Northern Sea!" Almost at the exact same instant. Within an immortal's cave in Feileng City, an intense bloody light abruptly flared. A sharp beam of sword light pierced through the protective arrays, shooting straight into the clouds. The dense, crimson glow was visible for a thousand li around. Inside the cave, True Person Mulan Gaoxiong of the Canghai Alliance stared in terror. Between his brows was a vertical laceration, resembling a third eye. Looking closer, it was no eye at all, but a wound carved open by sword qi. *Drip, drip!* Blood trickled down uncontrollably. The blood sword clutched tightly in his hand was buzzing and trembling, sending an evil consciousness violently battering against his purple mansion and Nascent Soul. "That bitch played me!" Mulan Gaoxiong cursed aloud. Abandoning everything else, he charged straight out of the cave, flying toward a palace in the main city. He had to use the teleportation array to leave Feileng City immediately and head to the Canghai Alliance's holy land to seek an audience with Grand Cultivator Li! Only a Deity Transformation grand cultivator could resolve the crisis afflicting him. "Activate the teleportation array!" The Feileng City cultivator responsible for maintaining the array wore an awkward, troubled expression. "Reporting to True Person, Feileng City's teleportation array has encountered a problem. It cannot be used for the time being." Mulan Gaoxiong froze, disbelief flashing across his face. He barged into the grand hall, and after a swift inspection, discovered that the teleportation array truly was inoperable. Furthermore, this was no accidental flaw in the formation—it had clearly been maliciously sabotaged! One had to understand that Feileng City upheld a policy of neutrality. Its teleportation arrays were not managed solely by Feileng City cultivators; personnel from other factions also inspected them regularly. Before the auction, this short-distance array had been functioning perfectly. How could it be that right when he needed it most, it was destroyed? A dreadful premonition seized his heart. Without a second thought, he shot into the sky. He could not even spare the time to notify the other Canghai Alliance cultivators who had accompanied him. However! Just as he reached high altitude, before he could even clear Lengguang Island, a voice drifted from behind. "Fellow Daoist, please hold your steps!" Mulan Gaoxiong whipped his head around, only to see a white-haired Daoist priest with a youthful complexion and an ethereal, immortal aura, holding a whisk and smiling faintly at him. "Old Daoist Jiyuan, since when does your Penglai Immortal Sect dare to dictate terms to my Canghai Alliance?" Mulan Gaoxiong snarled. "And what of me?" A cold, feminine voice sounded from his flank. "I am ashamed to call myself the co-ruler of Lengguang, but for Fellow Daoist Mulan to depart without saying goodbye—could it be that I have failed as a host?" "Wench, I have not even settled scores with you, yet you dare come forward? You truly have a death wish!" Mulan Gaoxiong glared at Fairy Feileng, fury blazing across his face. Fairy Feileng nodded slightly. "It seems you have indeed discovered the flaw in the blood sword. If I am not mistaken, your Nascent Soul is already damaged; you cannot even muster seventy percent of your strength!" "So what if it is only seventy percent?" Mulan Gaoxiong swept his gaze over the two. A powerful wave of force erupted outward, instantly stripping away the surrounding worldly spiritual energy until only his own elemental affinity remained. Nascent Soul domain! The moment his domain expanded, it severed the restraints the two had placed upon him. "If I wish to leave, the two of you alone cannot stop me!" Mulan Gaoxiong sneered, preparing to turn and leave. The next instant. A thick, crimson light manifested an endless sea of blood, surging wildly from the very direction he intended to flee. Blood Nightmare Moluo's arrogant, rampant voice echoed between heaven and earth. "You had best stay behind!" "This great war between Orthodox and Demonic requires a sacrifice for our banner, and mid-Nascent Soul Mulan Gaoxiong couldn't be more perfect!" In a flash, the domains of the four Nascent Soul powerhouses collided with a thunderous roar. The spiritual energy between heaven and earth instantly fractured into distinct factions, locked in fierce opposition. Amid furious shouts and curses, a titanic clash erupted in an instant. Feileng City, an ancient city that had stood for a thousand years as the premier metropolis of the southeast, was reduced to ruins almost immediately by the shockwaves of the battle. The entirety of Lengguang Island was cast under the dark shadow of a Nascent Soul war. Countless cultivators fled in panic. *** Red Tide Port. As an obscure maritime transit hub in the Northern Sea's cultivation world, Red Tide Port had very little landmass. It spanned a mere dozen li or so in circumference. Such a small territory could never host any major faction. Yet anyone who thought Red Tide Port was desolate would be sorely mistaken. Over ten thousand mortals lived there, alongside several dozen low-rank cultivators who earned a living by providing food, fresh water, cargo handling, and resource storage for passing merchant vessels. Likewise, because it served as a crossroads for travelers heading north and south, news at Red Tide Port was never delayed. At that moment, in a tavern within the small port town, several Qi Refinement cultivators were talking loudly and animatedly. "You have no idea how chaotic that battle on Lengguang Island was! Good grief, all four Nascent Soul True Persons unleashed their full might. Feileng City was flattened into rubble right at the start. As the four continually shifted their battleground, over a dozen major cities across Lengguang Island were utterly ruined. Who knows how many spiritual veins were overturned in that fight!" "After a clash like that, the balance of power on Lengguang Island will surely be completely reshuffled!" "Hah, what does that have to do with us? Lengguang Island is a full two hundred thousand li away from here. When the city gates catch fire, the disaster won't reach the fish in our pond." "You couldn't be more wrong! Don't you know who those four represent? They are the Moluo Stream, the Penglai Immortal Sect, and the Canghai Orthodox Alliance!" "From what you're saying, True Person Blood Nightmare and True Person Jiyuan joining forces means the Moluo Stream and the Penglai Immortal Sect have allied against the Canghai Alliance?" "Look at that, you're not completely dim after all! In truth, the outside world was thrown into turmoil long ago." "I actually know a bit about that. True Person Mulan was one of the strongest pillars of the Canghai Alliance short of their late Nascent Soul great cultivators, tasked with guarding the southeastern gate. His death on Lengguang Island left the southeast wide open. The three stream masters of the Moluo Stream mobilized together, leading their forces to seize cities and territory in just half a month!" "Didn't the Canghai Alliance retaliate?" "How could they? Their late Nascent Soul great cultivator is in secluded cultivation striving to break through to the Deity Transformation realm, and the Penglai Immortal Sect crossed the sea to launch a surprise attack on their rear. The Canghai Alliance can barely protect itself right now; all they can do is shrink their sphere of influence." "No, I was asking about that Deity Transformation grand cultivator!" "How would I know about that? In truth, never mind a Deity Transformation grand cultivator, even matters concerning Nascent Soul True Persons and Core Formation seniors are just hearsay to us. As for what really happened, who could say for sure?" "Speaking of which, prior to that Nascent Soul battle, there was another legendary Core Formation clash on Lengguang Island. Not many know about it; a close friend of mine stationed at the Hanli Sect told me in confidence over drinks." "Oh? Let's hear it!" Compared to figures who were Nascent Soul or Deity Transformation experts, the Core Formation realm felt somewhat closer to these Qi Refinement cultivators. The speaker's face flushed red, whether from the alcohol or the excitement of being the center of attention. Taking a swig of wine, he said smugly, "This battle, you see, begins with a demonic powerhouse named Demonic Lord Qingyang..." *** Beneath the tavern was a medicine shop. It was called Langya. The quality of the medicinal herbs inside was ordinary, but the variety was exceptionally comprehensive. Nowadays, the merchant ships of the Northern Sea did not rely exclusively on cultivators; they recruited large numbers of mortal martial artists. Traveling far and wide with the merchant fleets, these mortal martial artists were robust and physically fit, yet they inevitably suffered from illnesses and ailments in the complex maritime climate. The lofty cultivator lords would never squander magic power to heal them. At most, when ships docked, they would allow the crew to go ashore and buy medicine for treatment. Because of this, any medicine shop operating in a major port had to maintain an exhaustive selection of goods. From supplies for cultivators down to remedies for ordinary mortals, they stocked everything. At that moment, a sallow-faced, hunched man stood at the entrance, his expression dull and wooden. Footsteps sounded behind him. "Honored guest, here are the medicinal herbs you requested, all packed." The man took several large bundles and slipped them into his storage bag. He gave a soft cough. "My thanks, Shopkeeper." The shopkeeper sighed. "No need for thanks. With the war between the Orthodox and Demonic growing more intense by the day, many of our supply routes have been severed. Some of the rarer herbs you wanted were usually in stock, but lately we haven't been able to replenish them." The man raised a brow and asked probing questions. "You seem to know quite a bit, Shopkeeper." "This old man has spent his entire life in this small town, so how could I know much... Ahem, well, perhaps I do know a thing or two!" What caused the shopkeeper's attitude to shift so visibly was a mid-grade spirit stone the man handed over. The shopkeeper welcomed the man into the shop's back courtyard, where they engaged in a lengthy conversation. Only as dusk approached did the sallow-faced man step out. He walked at an unhurried pace, leaving the town's main street and strolling slowly along the coastline. The waves crashed rhythmically. Crimson tide after crimson tide swept ashore before receding with a splash. Upon the sand, they left behind a thin coating of red seaweed. Red Tide Port had earned its name from the tides dyed red by this very seaweed. *Blood Nightmare Moluo, Old Daoist Jiyuan, and Fairy Feileng—three early Nascent Soul True Persons working together against the mid-Nascent Soul Mulan Gaoxiong—actually won!* *Not only did they win, but the opponent's Nascent Soul didn't even manage to escape.* *Only a beam of sword light broke free from their grasp, flying toward the extreme north.* *Could that sword light be the pseudo-spirit treasure, the God-Slashing Sword?* *This shopkeeper's intelligence sources were surprisingly detailed. Langya Medicine Shop... could it be an enterprise belonging to True Person Langya? Calculating the distance, Red Tide Port truly isn't far from Mount Langya.* *I recall True Person Langya was also invited to the Feileng auction; he would indeed have had the chance to witness that battle in person. Like Fairy Feileng of Lengguang Island before, he has always maintained an impartial, neutral stance. But now that the war between Orthodox and Demonic is escalating, he probably won't be able to stay out of it either.* *For even a medicine shopkeeper under his banner to know such insider information, it might well have been leaked deliberately by True Person Langya to test the reactions of various factions and decide where his allegiances should lie.* Suddenly, the man stopped in his tracks, letting the red tide lap against the hems of his trousers. *In that case, this tiny Red Tide Port won't remain peaceful for long either.* A look of resignation surfaced in his eyes. Lost in thought, his pace gradually quickened until he halted before an immortal's cave carved into a coastal cliff. With a wave of his hand, he parted the dense mist of the formation and stepped inside. Before he had fully entered, he saw a woman sitting cross-legged on a stone bed, struggling to regulate her breathing. The surrounding spiritual energy gathered toward her, but more than half failed to be absorbed, rebounding outward instead. Sensing the man's gaze, the woman opened her eyes. "Master, Tianxuan... I'm afraid I..." "Don't think too much. Though your injuries are severe, I have temporarily suppressed them. Once I gather enough herbs, I can begin restoring you." The speaker was none other than one of the figures discussed by those Qi Refinement cultivators in the tavern—Luo Chen. He retrieved a batch of medicinal herbs from his storage bag. As he untied the packages to inspect them, his brow furrowed in deep thought. Tianxuan sat quietly on the bed, watching him. During this escape, she had not seen much combat—far less than Black King, who had made only a brief appearance—yet she had rendered the greatest service at the critical juncture. Pushed to her limits, she had executed Ninety Thousand Li, a technique uniquely suited to her, to its absolute pinnacle. In a single day and night, she had traveled ninety thousand li! Afterward, disregarding all else, she had pushed on for another full day and night at breakneck speed, finally shaking off the pursuit of the Mountain Master of Baizao Mountain. The price she paid was severe damage to her foundation and a drastic regression in her cultivation. Her aura had now plummeted all the way to late rank two! That was the reason for her earlier despondency. Yet with Luo Chen's reassurance, a glimmer of hope remained in her heart. Seeing Luo Chen frowning in silence amidst the heavy atmosphere, she grew restless and couldn't help asking, "Master, have pursuers arrived again?" "No." Luo Chen shook his head, looking over Tianxuan's condition. "The Mountain Master of Baizao Mountain has already overtaken us and flown far ahead. You don't need to worry about him." "Then why are you..." "I'm thinking about something else." Luo Chen's hands halted. Finally, his mind was made up. "We need to leave this place." "Where are we going?" Luo Chen looked at her solemnly. "Heading north all the way, to the Myriad Immortals Association!"