A flick of the finger, seventy years.
In the deepest part of the Yin Yang Grotto Heaven, Chen Sheng's demon Yin Soul was enveloped in the hazy black and white energy, continuously comprehending the Yin Yang Dao Rhyme.
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Domain of Han Country, time flowed like the river of the Eastern Domain, carrying the morning frost and evening snow of White Crane Mountain Peak.
On this day, at the peak of the Cloud Sea of White Crane Mountain, Chen Sheng's human Yang Soul finally slowly opened its eyes.
"Buzz—"
The sound of the sword did not come from the outside world but surged from the depths of his pupils, initially as faint as a mosquito's buzz, then suddenly transforming into the sound as of a thousand armies clashing.
Two streams of silvery-white sword intent burst forth from the depths of his eyes, like two light dragons swimming, circling around him once before crashing straight into the rolling Cloud Sea outside.
There was no earth-shattering roar, only the silent cleaving of the Cloud Sea—the emergence of a chasm stretching a thousand feet long.
The clouds on either side seemed to have crashed into an invisible wall, recoiling violently to form two towering cloud mounds.
In the chasm, even the light was drawn and twisted by the sword intent condensed to the extreme, forming a pitch-black void that could not be bridged for a long time.
Chen Sheng raised his hand, murmuring to himself:
"Seventy winters and summers of comprehension, observing the Cloud Sea's ephemeral life and death, understanding the spring and autumn of rocks and stones, now this sword of mine has finally been achieved."
Seventy years ago, Chen Xihua's sword shadow that cleaved the void was like a Dao seed, taking root and sprouting in his heart.
In these seventy years, he wandered across every inch of White Crane Mountain, transforming his observations of the clouds, perceptions from listening to the wind, insights from touching stones, along with his past and present Sword Dao foundation, into boundless Sword Dao inspiration, cast into the Heart Furnace.
De parasieten verlaten het lichaam! Doe het voor het slapen gaanOpen
Removing impurities and forging the purest essence of the sword.
Today, the sword shadow occupying his heart for years finally merged with his own Sword Dao, and the Sword Dao was first formed!
He rose to his full height, his figure as upright as a pine tree, with fingers like swords. Even before his fingertips moved, the air around him began to tremble slightly.
"Huh."
A low shout rolled out of his throat, and the Cyan Nether Sword at his waist suddenly drew out, without a sharp whistle piercing the sky or fluttering robes stirred by sword winds.
Even the sword tassel remained in a hanging posture, except for the sword tip, which suddenly lit up.
It wasn't sword light, with no diffused halo, it wasn't Sword Gang, with no fierce air waves, nor was it Sword Threads, with no tenuous path.
It was just a point, a point many times more delicate than a needle tip, more condensed than a cold star.
When it first appeared, it lingered at the sword tip for just a moment, like a fragment of setting sun on the sword, faint yet brilliant, but the next moment, it detached from the sword, flying towards the void ahead.
During its flight, it neither grew larger nor faded, maintaining that point-like form, yet causing the surrounding air to ripple gently.
These ripples didn't spread outward but instead gathered towards that point, as if the entire void was collapsing in on it, even time seemed to slow down at this moment.
And then came the instant of "piercing through", with no loud noise, no cracks, not even a speck of dust.
That point quietly drilled into the void as if a water drop merged into the sea, or like a needle tip pierced through thin paper.
It all happened so fast that it was impossible to see the process clearly, only that the void seemed to "tremble" slightly, and then returned to its original state.
But on closer inspection, the imperceptibly minute trace remained—where the point disappeared, a nearly invisible "point" was left in the void.
That point had no color, no outline, yet it caused the surrounding light to cave in slightly, as if the vision folded here.
Chen Sheng slowly sheathed his sword, the Cyan Nether Sword returned to its sheath without a sound, as if it had never been drawn.
He gazed at the tiny point in the void, his fingertips moving slightly, a flash of satisfaction passing through his eyes.
This sword lacked the flamboyance of Sword Gang, the brilliance of sword light, yet condensed his lifelong sword intent and sword momentum into that single point.
Without wasting a thread, without leaking a fraction, using the purest "condensation" to break open the void barrier between heavens and earth.
"A sword strikes out, life is severed, this sword shall be called Life-Annihilating, as a mark of my name in this life."
Chen Sheng nodded lightly, his divine sense sinking into his Dantian.
The long-silent Golden Core now radiated brilliant golden light, the Dan body was covered with intricate sword patterns, each circulating pure sword intent, clearly reaching complete Great Success.
"Sword Dao is first formed, Golden Core is perfected; it's time for me to leave!"
Chen Sheng raised his hand, causing ripples in the surrounding void, his form merged into it and disappeared.
"First find a place to break through to the Nascent Soul, then give Master of Emotionless a surprise."
...
Half a year later, in the southeast of Jiang Country, Qingxi Market is the most bustling gathering place for cultivators within a thousand miles.
Just past the hour of Chen, the main street paved with bluestone slabs was already crowded, the cries of vendors rose one after another, yet this hubbub suddenly froze at the faint sound of a sword cry.
The first to notice the anomaly was a swordsmith, who was hammering at a sword body with an iron hammer, only to see the hammer suddenly vibrate with a "buzz", and the patterns on the sword embryo dimmed slightly on their own.
"Strange..."
Frowning, he looked up, his gaze sweeping towards the sky, and his pupils shrank tremendously.
The once clear sky unknowingly gathered a layer of pale silver clouds, among which sword Qi faintly circulated, refracting the sunlight into fine silver rays scattered in every corner of the market.
Soon after, the clouds surged dramatically, a towering figure slowly emerged from the clouds, its face indistinct, yet the sword Qi coiling around him could be seen clearly.
"That is... the Nascent Soul Formation Phenomenon!"
In a teahouse, an elderly cultivator with white hair stood up abruptly, his voice trembling with excitement.
He had seen records in ancient texts, that only when a cultivator breaks through to the Nascent Soul, drawing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to merge with their own Dao Rhyme, could such a magnificent phenomenon be manifested.
This statement exploded like thunder in the market, cultivators looked up to the sky, eyes filled with shock and awe.
Some instinctively took out a Communication Jade Scroll, fingers trembling slightly with nervousness, injecting spiritual power into the jade scroll, their voice quavering:
"Quick! A Nascent Soul Formation Phenomenon has appeared over Qingxi Market! A Sword Cultivator! It's a Sword Cultivator breaking through to the Nascent Soul!"
The spirit light from Communication Jade Scrolls flickered in the market like a myriad of stars, and in just half a stick of incense time, the news surged like a tide towards all parts of Jiang Country.
The first to receive the news were the three major Nascent Soul Sects of Jiang Country.
In the main hall of Path of Emotion Destruction, the Communication Jade Scroll in the hand of the Emotionless Daoist slightly heated up, and upon seeing the content, his eyes turned cold instantly.
"Sword Cultivator breaking through to the Nascent Soul... The balance of Jiang Country must not be disturbed, no matter who it is, they cannot easily disrupt this equilibrium."
His form merged into the void, swiftly heading towards the market.
Simultaneously, Nascent Soul True Monarchs from Black Evil Sect and Blood Soul Sect also utilized the Void Power, rushing towards the Nascent Soul breakthrough location, clearly not wanting to see a Nascent Soul True Monarch emerge.
The silver-white virtual image above Qingxi Market had not dissipated yet, when the sky suddenly darkened.
The originally drifting pale silver clouds were replaced by thick black tribulation clouds. The clouds crackled constantly, as purple thunder light wandered between the cloud gaps, reminiscent of a giant dragon in hibernation.
Each flicker caused the spiritual qi between the heavens and earth to tremble violently, with a rustling sound echoing from the forests a thousand miles away—the Celestial Thunder Tribulation had begun to nurture.
The tribulation clouds gathered thicker and thicker, pressing down like heavy ink, making it hard for people to breathe.
Under the clouds, an invisible pressure made cultivators retreating to hundreds of miles away all summon their defensive magical artifacts, looking pale at the sky, and someone couldn't help but mutter:
"This must be the Celestial Thunder Tribulation, the most difficult of the three major tribulations, truly worthy of being a calamity bestowed by heaven, indeed terrifying!"
...
At the same time, a black-robed figure quietly appeared in the void hundreds of miles away; it was Mo Wuchang, the Demon Monarch of the Black Evil Sect.
He floated under the clouds, his black robe fluttering with invisible airflow, and a hint of relief flashed in his eyes reflecting the thunder light in the clouds.
"Fortunately, I came in time; the first two stages were passed so quickly, at such a speed of crossing tribulation, passing the Celestial Thunder Tribulation should not be a problem."
Holding a black bone staff, the skull on the staff gleamed with a ghostly light under the thunder, and he raised the corners of his mouth:
"Yet, although the Celestial Thunder Tribulation is difficult, it is not as perilous as the tribulation caused by humans—at this moment his nascent soul, though having both form and spirit, has not yet imprinted the Void Mark, and can't even perform Void Shuttling, hence this is the most fragile time."
Thinking of this, greed flashed in Mo Wuchang's eyes, his throat involuntarily moved:
"Such a Sword Dao Nascent Soul, gathered from countless essences, if refined, my 'Black Evil Demon Technique' might advance further, truly a great supplement!"
Een theelepel op een lege maag vernietigt alle parasieten razendsnelOpen
Yet he did not rashly advance; his figure remained hidden in the void, his divine sense carefully swept over every corner of Qingxi Town Market.
Daring to cross tribulation under the eyes of the three Nascent Soul Sects, it's impossible not to have a backup plan; he shall see what this cultivator relies on to cross tribulation.
It was at this moment that Mo Wuchang suddenly sensed two familiar auras, his mouth curled into a cold smile, telepathically calling to the void on both sides:
"Since the two of you have come, why hide?"
As soon as the words fell, a blood mist surged on the left side of the void, revealing the figure of Bloodthirsty, the leader of the Blood Soul Sect, dressed in a blood robe with the Blood Soul Banner in hand slightly swaying. The ghostly shadow on the banner appeared even more fierce under the thunder light.
On the right side of the void, a silver-white light passed by, Emotionless Daoist stood holding a small bell, his silver daoist robe flapping in the wind, with the usual cold expression.
The three of them faced each other across hundreds of miles, their divine senses swiftly interwoven in the air.
"Brother Black Evil is really fast, arriving ahead of me."
Bloodthirsty chuckled, his blood-red pupils scanning the tribulation clouds below with undisguised greed, secretly thinking:
"Judging from the tribulation clouds, this one's foundation is not ordinary. If my Blood Soul Banner can absorb this nascent soul, it might advance further."
Emotionless Daoist initially intended to discuss joining forces to stop this person from crossing tribulation, but when his divine sense pierced through the tribulation clouds and landed on the figure standing below with hands behind his back, his expression suddenly changed.
Within that mana fluctuation was a scent he knew all too well!
"Rebellious disciple, it's you!"
The angry roar came from his mouth, trembling with shock and fury, reverberating in the void, even the thunder light in the tribulation clouds seemed alarmed, flickering more frequently.
Mo Wuchang and Bloodthirsty were first stunned; Emotionless Daoist was always arrogant, treating sect disciples as slaves, never heard of him accepting disciples.
But on second thought, a rumor circulated over a century ago that Emotionless Daoist had accepted a direct disciple with Celestial Grade Spiritual Root, supposedly to cultivate as a spare Dharma Body.
Later, this disciple mysteriously disappeared, and Emotionless Daoist did not change the Dharma Body, sparking some discussion among cultivators in Jiang Country at that time, but gradually forgotten.
Hearing the angry shout now, the two immediately realized, looking at Emotionless Daoist with a few more playful glances.
Bloodthirsty Demon Monarch even started to laugh oddly, full of sarcasm:
"So this sword cultivator about to cross tribulation is the Young Venerable who fled from Emotionless Daoist in those years!"
"Brother Emotionless, your disciple really has some skills, not only escaped from your hand but also cultivated to a stage of crossing tribulation, seems he's had quite some fortuitous encounters over the years!"
Emotionless Daoist suppressed the fury in his heart, his expression returned to calm, telepathically speaking to the two:
"When this child escaped from me years ago, he already possessed notable Void fortunes and could perform Void Shift at Foundation Establishment. Who knows what fortunes he's gained over the years to cause such grand phenomena."
"When the Celestial Thunder Tribulation falls, while he resists the tribulation thunder, the three of us will strike simultaneously, sever his path, and share his fortunes after soul searching, how about it?"
While saying this, he was also wary at heart.
To this day, this disciple and that Void Talisman remain mysteries in his heart, he had various guesses but doesn't know which one is true.
Upon hearing this, Mo Wuchang's heart immediately moved; nascent soul cultivation most values void power, this child's fortunes concerning the void are highly tempting for him, and he nodded immediately:
"Alright, let's do as brother Emotionless says, act when the Celestial Thunder Tribulation falls."
Bloodthirsty hesitated for a moment; he knew well Emotionless Daoist's temperament, if there's truly a great fortune, he wouldn't easily share it.
Doubt flashed in his eyes, yet he didn't refuse—regardless if there's a fortune trap, just obtaining the nascent soul, he has ways to dissolve it, better than letting this nascent soul fall into Mo Wuchang or Emotionless Daoist's hands.
The communication between the three took but a moment, while the Celestial Thunder Tribulation in the sky had already been nurtured sufficiently.
Amidst the thick tribulation clouds, a water-barrel thick purple celestial thunder gathered, the flashing thunder light exerting terrifying pressure stopping the spiritual qi within hundreds of miles from flowing, as if ready to strike in the next second.
And under the celestial thunder, Chen Sheng stood in the void with hands behind his back, the Cyan Nether Sword at his waist still unsheathed.
His simple long robe gently swayed under the tribulation wind, not a trace of nervousness faced with the Celestial Thunder Tribulation, instead showing some composure.
When the aura of the three appeared in his perception, he smiled lightly: "Been expecting the three of you!"
As the words fell, he didn't even look at the celestial thunder about to strike above, flicking his right finger. The Cyan Nether Sword at his waist hummed lightly.
The sword sheath automatically ejected, and the sword split into three silver-white points of light, moving at extreme speed, breaking through the void, shooting towards the three at once over hundreds of miles.
During the flight of the light points, no air currents were stirred, yet along the way, the void rippled in fine patterns as if even space was being sliced by the sword light.
——He unexpectedly initiated an attack on the three Nascent Soul True Monarchs at the moment when the Celestial Thunder Tribulation was about to strike!