Whoosh, splash...
The seawater that had flooded Longyuan Island receded as swiftly as it had surged in.
Following deep fissures and gullies, it dragged shattered rocks, toppled trees, and debris back into the calm sea.
Now and then, gentle swells washed over the beach. When the tide withdrew once more, fine, soft sand spread across the leveled shoals, stretching out like a delicate velvet rug.
Peace seemed to have returned to the world.
Yet shifting one's gaze from the shore inward revealed that Longyuan Island, once a secluded paradise, was now reduced to ruins.
The mountains, modest in height to begin with, had collapsed and fractured.
Centuries-old ancient trees burned with raging fires that even the receding ocean waves could not extinguish, with faint arcs of lightning crackling across their charred bark.
The spirit fields Sang Jinghe had so meticulously arranged were utterly ruined, their ridges broken and medicinal herbs flattened against the earth.
Looking down from high above, one could see jagged stones and crisscrossing ravines spanning a thousand li centered on Xiaqiu Mountain.
Massive, hideous fissures resembling giant earthworms sprawled across the landscape in dense tangles.
Countless wisps of spiritual energy broke through the cracked rock, leaking uncontrollably from the subterranean depths.
The culprits behind this devastation were not only the heavenly retribution tribulation lightning summoned by Luo Chen, but also the two colossal beings.
The towering White Tiger stood deathly still upon the earth, its blade wings raised at an angle and its four limbs planted wide, devoid of any aura of life.
Beside it, a hundred-zhang black flood dragon lay prone on the ground, gasping for breath in heavy, ragged heaves.
To describe him as torn to ribbons would be an understatement; his body had literally been severed at the waist.
Even the spiral markings on the single horn atop his head had lost all luster, growing dim and lifeless.
"Haaah... It stopped moving?"
Black King lay panting on the ground, his bloodshot eyes blurring his vision.
Right then, a teasing voice reached his ears.
"Black King, why in such a sorry state?"
The voice held a touch of playful mockery, yet to Black King's ears, it sounded infinitely tender and familiar, like heavenly music.
With great effort, he raised his dragon head and looked toward the sky.
The colossal giant's physique was gone. There was only a small black speck descending from the high heavens, gradually revealing clear, familiar features.
It was Luo Chen!
"Master..."
That single cry of "Master" was steeped in deep emotion, brimming with boundless joy, veneration, guilt, and remorse.
Only the connection of their bloodline allowed him to truly believe that the figure before him was his master, Luo Chen, rather than the old scoundrel Han Zhan!
Luo Chen looked at Black King's current state and nodded slightly.
Miserable though the dragon looked, he had at least managed to hold off the White Tiger puppet while Luo Chen was locked in the divine soul struggle with Han Zhan.
This made it clear that after ascending to rank four, Black King's strength had indeed experienced a tremendous leap.
"Need a hand?"
Black King shook his head repeatedly. "No, no need. This little injury is nothing to Xiao Hei."
Gritting his teeth, the two halves of his severed body began to draw together on their own, and his mangled flesh knit back at a visible pace.
Such a rapid rate of physical regeneration... Luo Chen's eyes narrowed slightly.
*The Immortal Body!*
This was a constitution possessed only by certain legendary desolate beasts.
It relied on no external power, functioning entirely through the natural affinity and attraction of its own bodily tissues.
Though Luo Chen could also reattach severed limbs and regrow flesh, he relied on the support of origin power to do so.
With his divine sense spread just now, Luo Chen had seen it with absolute clarity: Black King had not used an ounce of origin power, yet his severed dragon body naturally reconnected.
Was this an innate talent of his? Or the foundation built from soaking in the Spirit-Shaping Holy Spring? Or perhaps... that drop of essence blood from Luo Chen's tongue tip, infused with both origin power and the life-force of the Taisui?
Most likely, a convergence of all these factors had forged this remarkable constitution.
No wonder he had managed to hold off the White Tiger puppet for so long despite having only just stepped into rank four.
"Master, are you all right?"
While repairing his body, Black King timidly voiced his concern for Luo Chen.
Guilt laced his tone.
He had fallen for that old scoundrel Han Zhan's trick, and rather than protecting his master during his nascent soul formation, he had nearly imprisoned his master's Nascent Soul.
Luo Chen glared at him in exasperation. "I have more than enough on my plate. Scram and heal your wounds properly!"
Far from feeling terrified at the rebuke, Black King felt a wave of relief wash over him and chuckled foolishly.
As the two spoke, Tianxuan arrived, escorting a shell-shocked Sang Jinghe.
Upon seeing Luo Chen, hesitation flickered across Tianxuan's face.
"Master?"
"Mm."
Luo Chen gave a faint grunt of affirmation before saying, "Black King will recover from his injuries. Tianxuan, reorganize Longyuan Island and clean up the aftermath. What's wrong with Sang Jinghe?"
"He..."
Just as Tianxuan was about to explain, Sang Jinghe let out a wailing cry.
"Ruined! Everything is ruined!"
"The spirit fields, the medicinal herbs, even the blood pool I used to study and nurture the Demon-Fiend One-Heart Tree... all destroyed!"
Luo Chen frowned. What manner of decorum was this, weeping and wailing like a child?
With a flick of his sleeve, a wave of magic power swept over Sang Jinghe, snapping him back to his senses.
Sang Jinghe shuddered, looking up at Luo Chen with uncertainty.
Luo Chen offered no lengthy explanation. "Handle matters on the island as you see fit. I must enter seclusion for a time. Do not disturb me."
With that, he turned to depart.
Pausing as he passed the silent, towering puppet, Luo Chen spoke without looking back:
"Leave this fellow alone as well. Let it remain here; I will deal with it later."
Once he was gone, the man and two demon beasts exchanged bewildered glances.
Tianxuan still felt uncertain. "That was Master, right?"
Black King snorted. "Of course it was Master! Could you really not recognize Master just because the slave seal is gone?"
A slave seal was a contract formed between a cultivator and a spirit pet, falling somewhere between a restriction and a spell.
Initially forged with the aid of a Spirit-Controlling Seal and medicinal pills, the bond would deepen over time until their divine souls became intertwined.
Their slave seals had dissolved back in the Alchemy Hall of Mingzhao Heaven when Luo Chen underwent physical nirvana.
That was why Tianxuan had failed to immediately recognize him.
Yet from that familiar tone, phrasing, and conduct, she realized the truth as well. Senior Han... no, that treacherous old scoundrel Han Zhan would never act like that.
Sang Jinghe, his mind shattered by the sudden loss of years of painstaking effort, had remained silent after Luo Chen snapped him awake.
Only after the two great demons finished speaking did he ask cautiously, "Did the Superior... succeed in forming his Nascent Soul?"
Black King and Tianxuan exchanged a glance, then nodded in unison.
"From now on, you must address him as True Person!"
***
Deep within the subterranean abyss.
Several li away from where he had previously cultivated, Luo Chen sat cross-legged inside a newly excavated cave.
In his previous cultivation chamber, the immense mobilization of spiritual energy from the earth veins during his nascent soul formation had caused the concentration to plummet below rank four.
Though it was slowly recovering, the spiritual energy during this period was wildly turbulent and unsuitable for cultivation.
Thus, Luo Chen had chosen a different spot.
This rough, unadorned cave still maintained the spiritual energy density of a rank-four spirit vein, and the flow was relatively tranquil.
Luo Chen had no time to set up elaborate furnishings. He immediately circulated the *Micromote Origin Art* to calm his mind and reign in his scattered thoughts.
Half a day later.
He finally regained his inner composure.
The turbulent thoughts and chaotic impulses from before had settled at last.
"Outside matters require only a few words of instruction. What comes next is dealing with my own body,"
Luo Chen murmured. He first examined his physical form.
Beneath the tribulation lightning, not only had his body suffered no harm, but by using the heavenly lightning to temper his flesh, he had actually advanced further.
The increase was modest—a mere five points of progress—bringing him to [Desolate Ancient Rank Four: 40/100].
Yet Luo Chen was thoroughly satisfied.
The higher one climbed in body refinement, the slower progress became, especially now that the *Convergence of Myriad Paths* could offer him little further assistance.
To make a leap of five full points in a single day was an unexpected windfall.
"This is likely the final twilight of the *Convergence of Myriad Paths*."
Luo Chen shook his head. No long hair fluttered about him, only a chilling breeze grazing his skin.
He subconsciously touched his bald scalp and gave a dry chuckle.
While his body had emerged largely unscathed, his head of lustrous hair had been completely incinerated beneath the fivefold thunder strikes.
Still, it hardly mattered.
It was only hair. Over the long course of his journey, it had endured countless ordeals.
He had been bald before, had gone grey before, and his locks had withered and flourished in endless cycles.
If he truly wished it, he could channel his origin power and regrow it in an instant.
Yet that would be a waste of energy.
A year or two of quiet closed-door cultivation would see it return naturally.
Taking a deep breath, Luo Chen turned his attention away from his fleshly body. He withdrew his focus inward, directing his faint divine sense to inspect his Purple Mansion.
The qi sea that once resembled a blazing ocean was gone.
In its place stood a thick, fortified barrier, creating an inner sanctum within him like a miniature immortal's abode.
According to ancient records and Han Zhan's past explanations...
At the thought of Han Zhan, Luo Chen's thoughts paused briefly before he cross-referenced his memories with his current state.
After a cultivator formed a Nascent Soul, their three treasures momentarily fused into one, creating the state known as the Gathering of the Three Flowers at the Summit.
In this state, the divine soul—which once dreaded the blazing sun and astral winds—could travel outside the body by relying on the Nascent Soul, achieving the preliminary transformation of a yin soul into a yang spirit.
This was merely the most preliminary stage. To truly become a yang spirit completely unbothered by harsh natural environments, one had to attain the Soul Formation realm.
That was straying too far.
Returning to the Nascent Soul realm:
In this realm, a cultivator's Nascent Soul could roam heaven and earth, perceiving free-flowing spiritual energy, the natural evolution of all things, and even the veins of the Great Dao! Thus, they were said to see the true heaven and earth, which was the origin of the term "True Person."
Luo Chen had already experienced a fleeting taste of this state during his nascent soul formation.
Communion of the spirit with heaven and earth!
However, no matter how seamlessly the Nascent Soul blended with heaven and earth, it remained the concentrated manifestation of a cultivator's own mighty power. If separated from the physical vessel for too long, it would be assimilated by heaven and earth, extinguishing one's conscious will.
That sensation was something every cultivator yearned for, yet feared in equal measure.
Thus, across the long ages of cultivation, the transformation of the qi sea into a Purple Mansion was developed precisely to prevent the Nascent Soul from being assimilated by heaven and earth.
The vast qi sea condensed into the thick barriers of the Purple Mansion, shielding the Nascent Soul from assimilation. Only during battle would the Nascent Soul briefly make contact with heaven and earth.
This was also why Han Zhan, after losing his physical body, had never dared to act lightly. Most of the time, he had curled up inside Luo Chen's Hunyuan Cauldron, the Soul Refining Banner, or the Soul Nourishing Wood plaque, even halting his cultivation for it.
In a sense, the Purple Mansion was both a constraint on the cultivator and a fortress protecting the Nascent Soul.
Examining it now, Luo Chen found the walls of his Purple Mansion unfathomably thick.
The internal space was vast and boundless, far exceeding the ordinary three-inch expanse.
"This must be the manifestation of my deep foundation."
With this realization, Luo Chen turned his gaze to the interior of the Purple Mansion.
A vast quantity of pure magic power formed dense mists, contained entirely within the Purple Mansion.
Amidst the mist, a fair-skinned infant identical to him sat cross-legged.
Though called an infant, every feature was distinct—nose, eyes, limbs, and torso—an exact, proportional miniature of Luo Chen's body.
Such miraculous craft of nature was truly breathtaking.
The infant sat in serene stillness, making no movement. The surrounding mist gathered toward him, yet remained held at bay outside his form.
Luo Chen looked upon that mist, his mood turning solemn.
This energy did not belong to him, nor was it a boon bestowed by heaven and earth after surviving the tribulation.
"This is the pure magic power Han Zhan refined over an entire lifetime!"
As Luo Chen inspected his Purple Mansion, a streak of azure-gold light danced with boundless glee.
A flickering flame!
Luo Chen's divine soul conveyed approval, channeling magic power to stroke the flame gently.
It was as if saying, *I know, I know. It was all thanks to you.*
Having earned praise, the Wither-Bloom Fire Spirit grew even more thrilled. Its slender branches swayed, drawing a strand of mist before Luo Chen's Nascent Soul.
Seeking more credit?
Luo Chen had not thought much of it at first, still pondering how to expel the magic power left behind by Han Zhan's refined Nascent Soul. He had no wish to let another's magic power corrupt his own Nascent Soul.
Yet as he scrutinized it closely, shock overtook him.
"This..."
Luo Chen's Nascent Soul trembled slightly, subconsciously drawing the strand of mist from the Wither-Bloom Fire Spirit.
Wood-attributed magic power—pure magic power, devoid of any prior cultivator's imprint, without a shred of lingering soul aura!
"You refined this as well?"
Luo Chen looked at the Wither-Bloom True Fire, which swayed its branches with evident pride.
Luo Chen fell silent.
During the tribulation, he had possessed many methods beyond his physical body and the Xuanchen Armor.
For instance, the Wither-Bloom True Fire, which had attained rank four many years ago and was not far from rank five!
Yet he had forcefully suppressed the impulse to use it, solely to preserve its strength against any treacherous move from Han Zhan.
His caution had paid off.
It was the intervention of the Wither-Bloom Fire Spirit that had incinerated Han Zhan's Nascent Soul, cutting off any retreat for his divine soul.
Now, it seemed there was an additional harvest.
The Wither-Bloom Fire Spirit had not undergone the tribulation, yet during the transformation of the Purple Mansion, it had shared in the mist poured down from the heavenly ladle, greatly enhancing its spirituality.
Not only that, but it appeared to have used this fortuitous occasion to thoroughly assimilate the wisp of Nirvana Holy Fire it had swallowed in the Alchemy Hall.
Only because of this could it independently purify the residual imprints from Han Zhan's Nascent Soul without Luo Chen's direction.
"This works entirely to my benefit. If I absorb all this pure magic power stripped of any imprint, it will save me decades of effort in consolidating my realm!"
The infant broke into a broad smile, brimming with joy.
Han Zhan had claimed Luo Chen was making a wedding dress for him, yet in the end, it was Han Zhan who had left behind an astonishingly generous legacy!
Although this magic power was wood-attributed, converting it would pose little difficulty for Luo Chen.
Within the generation of the five elements, wood fed fire.
Back in the early Golden Core stage, when he switched cultivation arts, he had converted from wood to fire.
He was thoroughly experienced in the matter!
Yet before converting magic power to consolidate his realm, other matters required attention.
Suppressing his excitement, Luo Chen observed the several treasures floating within the Purple Mansion.
The Xuanchen Armor was still tattered and battered, yet amidst the ruin lay the stirrings of new life!
Having absorbed the thunderous might of the heavenly tribulation, it had cleared through the manually carved formations from its crafting. As it slowly recovered and evolved, those engraved formations would fuse even more seamlessly with its materials.
It was as if they were transforming into meridians and blood vessels within the treasure.
Once that happened, the magic treasure would advance into a True Artifact. Like a Nascent Soul True Person, it would be able to commune with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth rather than relying solely on its own reserves.
To commune with heaven and earth's spiritual energy and draw upon it, no longer depending solely on the cultivator's own magic power—this was the defining difference between a magic treasure and a True Artifact.
It seemed simple, yet the divide was as vast as heaven and earth!
The Poyue Wings drifted within the Purple Mansion as well, having also endured the battering of tribulation lightning.
Regrettably, its foundation was insufficient. By Luo Chen's assessment, even if it fully absorbed the lingering thunder power, it would at most reach the top grade, falling far short of refining its formations and clearing meridians.
With a single glance, Luo Chen moved on.
The treasure he cared about most was only one.
The Hunyuan Cauldron!
With a stir of Luo Chen's thought, the small grey cauldron standing within the Purple Mansion gave a faint tremor.
At that solitary tremor, an immense weight lifted from Luo Chen's heart, replaced by sheer delight.
"At last!"
"I can activate my natal magic treasure once more!"
Chapter 713