368: Chapter 368 Some Clan Members Break Through to the Nascent Soul Stage, the Chen Family Rejoices

The wind had just died down, and gray dust still hung in the air. As the sun crawled up from the ridge, its light cast a dull red glow over the scorched earth.

Chen Wuwang stood still. At his feet lay shattered talisman stones and molten metal fragments. In the distance, clansmen began moving bodies and collecting weapons with efficient, silent movements.

He wiped his face. The claw marks on his right cheek had already scabbed over, and his left Mechanical Prosthetic Eye was slightly warm, automatically scanning the battlefield for heat signatures.

In the corner of his vision, several abnormal fluctuations popped up—not enemies, but living people whose spiritual power was surging violently.

"Family Head!" A young clansman ran over, stumbling, his face covered in sweat and ash. "Over by the third watchtower on the east side... Wang Ergou and the other two... their Dantians are swelling like they're about to explode! They can't breathe!"

Chen Wuwang's eyes narrowed. He set off immediately, his boots crunching against the scorched earth.

"How many? What's their status?" he asked as he walked, his fingers unconsciously tapping the hilt of the dagger at his waist.

"Three! All at the Golden Core Peak! They were clearing the field after the fight when they suddenly clutched their stomachs and knelt. They keep muttering about 'breaking through' and 'can't hold it back'... We didn't dare touch them, fearing their Meridians would burst!"

Chen Wuwang quickened his pace. "Notify the Medicinal Field manager to bring three doses of 'Yuan-Stabilizing Powder'! Quickly!"

Rounding a collapsed section of the city wall, he indeed saw three people sitting cross-legged on the ground. Their faces were flushed purple, veins bulged on their foreheads, and spiritual power surged wildly across their skin like writhing snakes in boiling water.

Seven or eight clansmen stood in a circle around them, not daring to make a sound.

"Move aside," Chen Wuwang barked, and the crowd immediately parted.

He knelt down and pressed one hand against the back of the neck of the person on the far left. His Mechanical Prosthetic Eye instantly switched to Spiritual Vein X-ray mode—a Nascent Soul shadow was condensing within the Dantian, but the Spiritual Qi was too fierce. The Meridians couldn't withstand it and were on the verge of tearing.

"Hold on," he said in a low voice. "Don't try to guide it yourself. I'll control the flow."

With that, he joined his fingers on his right hand and rapidly drew three runes in the air, slapping them onto three vital points on the man's back.

The runes glowed faintly, and the violent spiritual power within the man was immediately intercepted and diverted, causing the pressure to drop sharply.

The man took a sharp breath, a sob escaping his throat as tears shot out of his eyes.

"What are you crying for?" Chen Wuwang cursed. "If you want to die, get out of here and lie down. If you don't, then steady your mind!"

Seeing this, the other two also gritted their teeth and straightened their backs.

Chen Wuwang stood up and scanned the surroundings. "Who has Qi Gathering Talismans? Bring them all out!"

"I do! I have two Intermediate ones here!" a mecha mechanic hurriedly pulled them out.

"Place them at their feet in a triangular formation. Everyone else, step back ten paces. Don't interfere with the field."

Once the runes were placed, Chen Wuwang drew again with both hands. A pale gold spiritual seal emerged on the ground, enveloping the three of them.

This was his self-created 'Temporary Spirit Array.' Though crude, it could provide a stable output, preventing the Breakthrough-seekers from being blown to pieces by Spiritual Qi backlash.

"Alright." He stepped back two paces, staring at the three in the array. "Now, listen to my command—inhale, exhale slowly. Don't be greedy. Take it bit by bit."

The three nodded and closed their eyes to regulate their breathing.

Time passed slowly. The sun grew more intense, and a parched smell mixed with blood rose from the scorched earth.

Suddenly, the body of the man in the middle jolted. A plume of white Qi burst from the top of his head with a 'bang,' and he popped up half an inch before stabilizing.

"He did it!" someone whispered in surprise.

Immediately after, the man on the left opened his eyes. Deep within his pupils, a light shadow the size of a baby's fist slowly rotated—the sign of a formed Nascent Soul.

"Hahaha! I've reached the Nascent Soul Stage!" he roared, jumping up as if to dance, but his legs went weak and he nearly fell. Those nearby quickly supported him.

"Steady yourself!" Chen Wuwang glared. "A newly formed Nascent Soul can lose its cultivation just from a bad fall!"

The man on the right hadn't opened his eyes yet, but his aura had smoothed out. A natural Spiritual Pressure radiated from him, causing debris on the ground to swirl into the air.

"The last one is almost there too," someone said softly.

Sure enough, a moment later, the man slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was like lightning; when it swept over the crowd, even the air seemed to be sliced.

"You three..." Chen Wuwang looked at them, his voice softening slightly. "How do you feel?"

The man in the middle grinned, ash still clinging to his teeth. "Family Head, this feeling... it's like I've been holding in a bowel movement for ten years and finally let it out!"

The field went silent for a moment, then erupted into boisterous laughter.

"You really have no class," Chen Wuwang laughed as well, shaking his head. "But... it's good."

"Family Head!" The man on the left's voice trembled with excitement. "We... we've really reached the Nascent Soul Stage? This isn't a dream?"

"Feel your Dantian," Chen Wuwang said.

The man touched it, and his hand began to shake violently. "It's really there! There's really a little person sitting there!"

"That is your Nascent Soul," Chen Wuwang patted his shoulder. "Congratulations. The Chen Family gained three Nascent Soul Cultivators today."

"Whoa—!" The surrounding clansmen exploded with excitement. Some jumped for joy, some hugged each other, and some even knelt on the spot to kowtow, muttering about "ancestral protection."

"We broke through!"

"I'm a high-level Cultivator now too!"

"I can walk with my head held high when I go home!"

Wave after wave of cheers rang out. Even those cleaning the battlefield in the distance stopped to look over.

Chen Wuwang didn't join in the laughter; he just quietly watched these three young men—

One had been a night watchman, another an apprentice in the Artifact Refining Workshop, and one had even been a mere laborer weeding the Medicinal Field.

But after this single battle, they had crossed the most important hurdle on the path of cultivation.

The corners of his mouth slowly lifted, revealing his first truly relaxed smile in days.

"It wasn't easy," he whispered.

"Family Head!" The three who had just achieved their Breakthrough turned together and bowed deeply. "If not for your leadership, we would have spent our entire lives stuck at the Golden Core stage! We will never forget this kindness!"

"Enough of that," Chen Wuwang waved them off. "You were able to break through because you fought for it yourselves. You didn't retreat on the battlefield and you came back alive from the edge of a blade; that's what triggered your potential. I merely helped you stabilize the critical points. You walked the path yourselves."

"But if you hadn't built the mecha teams, set up the training camps, and organized cross-training drills, how would we have had the chance to experience such a great battle?"

Another man said with reddened eyes, "In the past, I'd tremble just fighting a minor demon. Now... now I can challenge a Nascent Soul!"

Chen Wuwang didn't respond, but simply looked up toward the main city.

There, the chimney of the Artifact Refining Workshop was emitting white smoke, and the spiritual plants in the Medicinal Field swayed gently in the morning light. Though the city walls were broken, the flag was still flying.

He knew that this battle hadn't just been a victory over an enemy; it had carved out a path for the entire Family to ascend.

In the past, the Chen Family had only ever produced a few Golden Cores at most; a Nascent Soul was unthinkable. But now, in a single day, three had broken through together!

What did this mean?

It meant the next generation of clansmen had role models.

It meant combat experience could be part of the Legacy.

It meant the Chen Family was no longer an "upstart" supported by a single person, but a true cultivation clan that was starting to take root, bloom, and bear fruit.

"Family Head?" one of them asked cautiously. "What are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking..." Chen Wuwang withdrew his gaze and smiled. "The Artifact Refining Workshop needs an upgrade."

"Huh?" The man was stunned. "Now? We haven't even had the celebratory wine yet!"

"Precisely because you've broken through, we must move faster." Chen Wuwang patted his shoulder. "You're Nascent Souls now. Your old mechas are still usable, but they'll eventually fall behind. I need to have people start designing 'Nascent Soul compatible models,' otherwise you'll find it a struggle even to fly."

"Hey! That sounds great!" The man's eyes lit up. "I want one with flight wings! And it would be best if it could fire talisman missiles!"

"You even want missiles?" Chen Wuwang laughed and scolded. "First, nourish your Nascent Soul until it's solid! Don't go blowing yourself up while piloting a mecha."

The crowd laughed again.

Amidst the laughter, Chen Wuwang's expression slowly settled.

He glanced at the sky; the sun was already high.

The battlefield cleanup was still ongoing. Bodies were piled to one side, weapons were being sorted and stacked, and even the enemy's communication jade slips were being thoroughly destroyed.

Everything was in good order.

He took a deep breath and began walking toward the main city.

After a few steps, he stopped.

"By the way." He looked back. "At the victory banquet tonight, you three who broke through—stand by my side."

The three were stunned, then became so excited they couldn't speak, only nodding vigorously.

Chen Wuwang said no more and turned to continue walking.

The wind caught his silver-white hair, and his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye glinted in the sunlight.

As he walked, he calculated in his mind: the design for the Nascent Soul mecha must be finished as soon as possible, material reserves need to be re-evaluated, and he also needed to ask Elder Lin if there were any Foundation-Solidifying Pills suitable for the Nascent Soul Stage...

Just as the thought occurred, deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the System interface silently emerged.

Three heavenly secret instructions lay there quietly:

[Tomorrow at the hour of Chen, a thunderstorm will fall in North Valley; three drops of pure yang thunder marrow can be collected]

[Within seven days, the prototype for a Nascent Soul-level Psionic Shield must be completed]

[Chen Erniu will have an Epiphany of an earth-type Divine Ability in three days]

He glanced at them, didn't look further, and closed the interface.

The sunlight on his face was a bit hot.

But he knew that the road ahead would be brighter than ever before.