233: Chapter 233 Ling Yuling's Surprise: Did He Really Do It?

Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty-One: Ling Yuling's Surprise; Did He Really Do It?

After dismissing the two Elders from the Star Palace, Lu Qiu did not linger on Liuyun Island.

Standing at the entrance of his Immortal Cave, he took one last look at the valley he had borrowed for over half a year.

The valley remained lush with green trees, the stream gurgled, and birds chirped, looking no different from when he first arrived.

Only the lingering fluctuations of Spiritual Qi in the air told the story of what had once transpired here.

The residual rhythm of that Spiritual Qi spread out in ripples, and it would take a long time to dissipate completely.

He withdrew his gaze and, leading Xia Xinyan, transformed into two streaks of light to leave Liuyun Island.

...

Tianxing City, Holy Mountain.

Two streaks of light landed before the Heavenly Fragrance Cave on the Forty-fifth Floor.

The area was still shrouded in mist and permeated with Spiritual Qi, looking exactly as it had when they left.

The two pots of Spiritual Plants at the entrance had grown a bit taller, their leaves a vibrant green and emitting a faint, delicate fragrance.

Xia Xinyan took out a jade tablet and waved it toward the Immortal Cave's Restriction.

A gap opened in the Restriction, and she stepped aside to let Lu Qiu enter first, her movements elegant and respectful.

Lu Qiu stepped inside, his gaze sweeping across this familiar Immortal Cave.

The misty haze drifted around; everything was as before, quiet and cozy.

He turned to look at Xia Xinyan, and after a moment of silence, said, "You continue to live here and Cultivate with peace of mind. As for resources, I will have Zhao Wen deliver them regularly. For Core Formation Stage Medicinal Pills, just give him a list of what you need."

Xia Xinyan was slightly stunned, an imperceptible trace of disappointment flashing in her eyes.

She already understood Lu Qiu's situation quite well.

She knew Lu Qiu already had a Dao Companion who was responsible for helping her husband manage the Liulian Residence.

She had originally thought that after her husband achieved Nascent Soul Formation, he would take her back to the Liulian Residence and let her meet that Sister Xin.

She had even prepared a meeting gift and thought about what she would say.

But now it seemed her husband had no such intention.

She quickly understood.

Was her husband afraid of making that Sister Xin sad?

Unlike herself, Sister Xin was her husband's Dao Companion, his first wife who had walked with him since his humble beginnings.

During those years, she had accompanied him through his most difficult times and weathered countless storms with him.

And she was merely a Concubine he had bought, a tool used to Breakthrough his Bottleneck.

In her husband's heart, Xin Ruyin's status would always be the highest.

Even though he was now a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, he still cared deeply about Xin Ruyin's feelings.

That was a respect etched into his bones, an emotion settled by the years, which she could not compare to.

If he brought her back rashly, even if that Sister Xin's character led her to accept it, she would still feel hurt in her heart.

She understood women; she knew that feeling.

If it were her, she would also feel hurt.

She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting together as she whispered, "Yes, Husband."

Her voice was very soft, carrying a hint of imperceptible loneliness.

Looking at her obedient appearance, Lu Qiu's heart softened slightly.

He paused and then added, "Cultivate well. In some time, I will come to see you. If there is an emergency, send a message to me at any time."

Xia Xinyan looked up and broke into a smile.

That smile was bright and radiant, as if the disappointment from a moment ago had never existed. "Husband, rest assured. I will certainly Cultivate hard and not let Husband down."

Lu Qiu nodded and turned to leave.

Xia Xinyan accompanied him to the cave entrance, watching his back disappear into the mist, standing there for a long time.

In her eyes, there was disappointment, expectation, and a trace of an indescribable sentiment.

After a long while, Xia Xinyan sighed, turned back into the Immortal Cave, and closed the door.

...

Liulian Residence.

The familiar pavilion, the familiar storefront, the familiar plaque.

Lu Qiu stood at the door, took a deep breath, and pushed it open.

"Husband Lu!"

Xin Ruyin was sitting in the main hall, holding a volume of Formation Dao scriptures. Sunlight spilled through the window lattice, casting a soft glow over her.

Seeing him enter, she hurriedly stood up and walked quickly toward him.

In those gentle eyes, there was nothing but surprise and longing, her eyes turning slightly red.

She walked up to him, looking him up and down, as if wanting to take in all the changes he had undergone during these days.

Under the effect of the Soul-Snatching Pupils, Xin Ruyin could clearly feel that Lu Qiu's aura had become deeper, like the water of a deep pool—calm on the surface, but with surging undercurrents beneath.

His whole being radiated an indescribable charm.

That was the unique temperament of a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, resonating with heaven and earth, aligning with the Law—a leap in the level of life.

"Husband Lu, congratulations on achieving the Great Dao of the Nascent Soul; longevity is within reach."

She spoke softly, her voice filled with heartfelt joy and a hint of emotion.

Once upon a time, her dream was merely to become a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, to live a few more years, and to survive in this cruel cultivation world.

At that time, she was tortured by the Dragons Roar Physique, and even Foundation Establishment was a luxury; she could only rely on Spirit Medicine to suppress it every day, barely clinging to life.

Who would have thought that now, not only had she become a Core Formation Cultivator, but her Dao Companion was also a Great Nascent Soul Cultivator.

Walking this path felt like a lifetime ago.

Xiao Mei rushed out from inside and grabbed Lu Qiu's arm, her Face flushed with excitement. Her eyes curved into crescents from smiling, yet tears were welling up. "Young Master! You've reached the Nascent Soul Stage! You've reached the Nascent Soul Stage!"

She cheered and jumped for joy as if she were the one who had achieved Nascent Soul Formation, spinning around the room with her skirt fluttering like a happy butterfly.

"Young Master, do you know? During the days you were away, I was so worried every day that I couldn't sleep! Every night I had to get up several times to see if you had sent a message back. The Young Miss was the same; she went to your room every day to look, asking me every day if there was news from you, sometimes sitting there for a whole day..." she babbled on, her voice getting lower and her eyes redder, until she finally couldn't hold it back and tears fell pitter-patter.

Lu Qiu laughed and gave her a gentle flick on the forehead, the force just right. "Haven't I returned? Why are you crying? You're not a child anymore."

Xiao Mei clutched her forehead, laughing through her tears, and then skipped off to pour tea for them, muttering, "I must brew the best tea using the best spiritual water. Young Master is a Great Nascent Soul Cultivator now; he must not be neglected."

According to her thoughts, now that the Young Master had reached the Nascent Soul Stage, he was her greatest backer.

With a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator backing her, who in this Chaotic Star Sea would dare not give Immortal Master Xiao Mei Face?

Those who used to look down on her, those who had bullied her, and those who were arrogant in front of her would all have to give her a wide berth!

The more she thought about it, the more wonderful it seemed, and the smile on her Face wouldn't stop.

Xin Ruyin watched from the side with a slight smile, not exposing her little thoughts.

...

For the next few days, Lu Qiu spent quality time with Xin Ruyin.

The two strolled through the streets of Tianxing City, watching the people and the bustling traffic.

He held her hand, and she leaned on his shoulder. Neither spoke, just walking quietly.

They walked through the prosperous markets and quiet alleys. The sunlight spilled down, stretching their shadows very long and overlapping them until they were indistinguishable.

At night, red candles burned bright, and the bed curtains hung low.

Xin Ruyin snuggled in his arms, listening to him recount his experiences during the Nascent Soul Formation.

Hearing about that hundred-foot-tall figure, hearing about that sky full of...

"Husband Lu, do you know how worried I was?"

She whispered, her voice carrying a trace of lingering fear and a hint of grievance. "During this time, I couldn't sleep every day. I had to go and sit in your room for a while every day to see if your things were still there. I was always afraid... always afraid you wouldn't come back."

Lu Qiu stroked her long hair, feeling the warmth of her body, and said softly, "I know, I know everything."

She looked up into his eyes and said seriously, "You're not allowed to do this again. No matter where you go, you must take me with you. I don't want to wait alone anymore."

Seeing the determination in her eyes, a warm current surged in Lu Qiu's heart. He nodded. "Alright."

She smiled, leaned back into his embrace, and closed her eyes, listening to his heartbeat.

That heartbeat was steady and powerful, making her feel at peace.

...

After spending a few days of tenderness with Xin Ruyin, Lu Qiu returned to the Quiet Room.

The stone door slowly closed, isolating everything from the outside world.

He sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, the spirit eye spring gurgling nearby as misty Spiritual Qi filled the surroundings.

He closed his eyes and began to organize his belongings.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

Breaking through to the Nascent Soul Stage was certainly worth celebrating, but what Lu Qiu sought was eternal life and Immortal Ascension.

The Nascent Soul Stage was merely a milestone on this path, far from the end.

Those old monsters at the Late Stage of the Nascent Soul Stage, who had lived for thousands of years, were still struggling bitterly for Soul Transformation.

His meager achievement really amounted to nothing.

Therefore, he still needed to continue working hard in his cultivation and climb toward Soul Transformation.

With a thought, he began to take stock of his current strength.

First was defense.

The Six Ding Heavenly Armor Talisman remained Lu Qiu's greatest trump card.

This secret talisman of the Heavenly Talisman Sect had been with him for decades, ever since he obtained it in the Blood-Colored Forbidden Land.

This talisman did not require mana to activate; once enabled, it could automatically absorb the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to maintain itself, requiring only powerful Divine Sense to control.

The more concentrated the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi was in an area, the more solid and astonishing the "Six Ding Heavenly Armor" defense formed by the talisman's absorption would be.

Back on that deserted island, when he activated it with his Middle Stage Nascent Soul Divine Sense, he was able to withstand Savage Beard's attacks for a day and a night without sustaining any damage.

Now that his Divine Sense had reached the Late Stage of the Nascent Soul Stage, activating this talisman with such Divine Sense meant that, in a place with rich Spiritual Qi, it would be almost impenetrable below the Soul Transformation Stage.

Even if Savage Beard were to attack him for another whole day, he would never be able to harm him in the slightest.

Then there was the offensive aspect.

The eight-gate golden light mirror was the strongest Magic Treasure he had obtained from Immortal Tianjing's Immortal Cave.

There were eight palm-sized, pure gold mirrors, all identical, golden throughout, with mirror surfaces as smooth as glass and exquisite cloud patterns carved along the edges.

He took out one, infused it with mana, and the mirror immediately erupted with brilliant golden light, like eight blinding golden flames dancing on his palm.

That golden light contained an incomparably sharp power, as if it could sever everything and incinerate everything.

This treasure was Immortal Tianjing's Lifebound Treasure, belonging to the ranks of supreme Magic Treasures, second only to Spirit Treasures.

When all eight mirrors were unleashed, the golden light and divine flames would cover the sky and earth, sufficient to incinerate everything and sever everything.

Back in the day, Immortal Tianjing relied on this treasure to slaughter Nascent Soul Cultivators as easily as cutting vegetables or reaching into a bag to retrieve an item.

Although this treasure was Immortal Tianjing's Lifebound Treasure and Lu Qiu could only unleash eighty percent of its power, it was still astonishingly powerful.

Even at eighty percent power, it was enough to keep him invincible within the Nascent Soul Stage.

After reaching the Nascent Soul Stage, this treasure could be considered Lu Qiu's most powerful offensive Magic Treasure; even his own Lifebound Treasure, the chixiao thunder fire pearl, could not compare to it by a long shot.

Although the chixiao thunder fire pearl was good, it was, after all, only refined from the Ten-Thousand-Year Purple Flame Thunder Crystal and had not been nourished for very long.

Compared to the eight-gate golden light mirror, which Immortal Tianjing had refined with his life's efforts, it was still a grade lower.

As for Divine Ability Secret Techniques, on the offensive side, there was the Spirit Shocking Thorn.

The Spirit Shocking Thorn, condensed with the Divine Sense of the Late Stage of the Nascent Soul Stage, could be unleashed as eight thorns simultaneously, each one solid and sharp, like eight peerless divine weapons.

Even a Middle Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator would suffer heavy injuries if they lacked defensive treasures for their Primordial Spirit.

If caught off guard, it could even kill with a single strike.

This secret technique, which had been with him since the Qi Refinement Stage, could finally unleash its true power.

After taking stock, Lu Qiu estimated his current strength.

If he were to fight Savage Beard again, even if he could not secure a certain victory, he would absolutely not be defeated.

The Six Ding Heavenly Armor Talisman could block his attacks, the eight-gate golden light mirror could break his defenses, and the Spirit Shocking Thorn could injure his Primordial Spirit.

With all three used together, Savage Beard would lose a layer of skin even if he didn't die.

If combined with the complete version of the Nine Nether Universe Array, it might even be possible to slay him.

A smile curled at the corners of his mouth as he put away the treasures one by one, carefully storing them.

...

The seventy-second floor of the Sacred Mountain was a place where only the high-ranking members of the Star Palace could appear.

Inside an ancient and simple great hall, sunlight streamed through the carved window lattices, casting mottled light and shadows on the floor.

Those lights and shadows changed slowly with the movement of the sun, like the silent footsteps of time.

The air was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood, making one's mind calm and tranquil.

Ling Yuling was sitting at a desk, holding a Jade Slip in her hand, an expression of surprise appearing on her stunningly beautiful Face.

Today, she was wearing a white Star Palace outfit, her black hair like a waterfall cascading to her shoulders, and she wore that emerald green jade-inlaid headband on her forehead, making her skin appear even fairer, like jade.

Her phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and the movement of her gaze was captivating.

"Another newly advanced Nascent Soul Cultivator has appeared?"

She put down the Jade Slip, her brows slightly knitted, and her fingers tapped lightly on the table, emitting a crisp "tap, tap" sound.

As the hegemon of the Chaotic Star Sea, the Star Palace had to record the information of any Nascent Soul Cultivator.

Over the years, there had not been a newly advanced Nascent Soul Cultivator in the Chaotic Star Sea for a long time.

Those veteran Nascent Soul Cultivators, which one of them had not been famous for hundreds of years?

A new Face suddenly appearing was indeed worth noting.

"Is it a Grand Elder from some Sect? Or some old monster who has been in seclusion for many years?"

She picked up the Jade Slip and continued reading.

This was a report sent back by the two patrol envoys, Lin Xuankong and Gu Lingyuan, which detailed the information about the newly advanced Nascent Soul Cultivator.

Location of Nascent Soul Formation: Flowing Cloud Island.

Ling Yuling was somewhat surprised.

That was a small island on the edge of the Inner Star Sea; the Flowing Cloud Sect on the island was just a medium-sized Sect, so how could a Nascent Soul Cultivator emerge from it?

Identity: Loose Cultivator.

It was actually a Loose Cultivator?

Without a Sect background, without the support of a faction, they had relied entirely on themselves to reach this step.

It was already difficult enough for a Loose Cultivator to Cultivate to the Pseudo-Nascent Soul Realm, and those who could successfully form a Nascent Soul were even rarer.

Such a person must be a person of exceptional talent and firm determination.

Characteristics: Proficient in Formation.

The great Formation set up made even the two Nascent Soul Stage patrol envoys, Lin Xuankong and Gu Lingyuan, feel palpitations. Lin Xuankong wrote in the report: "The ingenuity of this Formation is something I have only seen once in my life. The murderous intent faintly emanating from the Formation makes even me feel alarmed."

Gu Lingyuan also wrote: "This person's attainments in Formation are far above those of the various Great Masters in our Star Palace's Formation Hall."

As Ling Yuling read on, she suddenly froze.

A Loose Cultivator? Proficient in Formation?

A figure flashed through her mind.

That was the Cultivator in the Fengle Alliance great hall who wore a silver-white mask and claimed to be surnamed Zhou.

He had cracked the Ancient Restriction on the black treasure chest, and then cracked the Ancient Restriction on the jade box, exchanging it with her for the heaven mending pill.

His attainments in Formation were so high that he had cracked in just a few years a Restriction that even the Star Palace's Formation Great Masters had studied for over a hundred years without finding a solution.

Could it be that this newly advanced Nascent Soul Cultivator was Fellow Daoist Zhou?

Ling Yuling was shocked, her fingers unconsciously gripping the Jade Slip tightly, her knuckles turning white.

In her phoenix eyes, light flickered, with surprise and curiosity.

Although she knew that after Fellow Daoist Zhou obtained the heaven mending pill, he should be preparing for Nascent Soul Formation.

She had originally thought that he would be like other Cultivators, going into seclusion for eight or ten years, slowly polishing and preparing.

She just hadn't expected it to be so fast.

How long had it been? From Pseudo-Nascent Soul to Nascent Soul, how many people had been stuck at this step for over a hundred years?

Those geniuses with exceptional talent, those Cultivators supported by large Sects, and those powerhouses possessing extraordinary treasures might not necessarily be able to break through so quickly.

And yet, he had only used a little over a year.

And, he had truly taken that step.

Ling Yuling leaned back in her chair, a smile curling at the corners of her mouth, and she murmured, "Interesting."

She picked up the Jade Slip and read it again.

A Loose Cultivator, proficient in Formation... this information completely matched that Fellow Daoist Zhou.

She could almost be certain that this newly advanced Nascent Soul Cultivator was that mysterious person who wore a mask and claimed to be surnamed Zhou.

What exactly was his background? How could a Loose Cultivator have such high attainments in Formation?

How could a Loose Cultivator break through to the Nascent Soul Stage so quickly?

How many secrets were hidden on him?

Ling Yuling stood up, walked to the window, and stood with her hands behind her back.

Outside the window, the Sacred Mountain was towering, shrouded in clouds and mist, like a traditional ink painting.

Tianxing City remained bustling, with people coming and going, and heavy traffic.

Looking at the city where she had grown up, and at the bustling Cultivators, a premonition suddenly welled up in her heart.

This Fellow Daoist Zhou, no, this newly advanced Nascent Soul Cultivator would surely become a prominent figure in the Chaotic Star Sea in the future.

With his attainments in Formation, he was destined not to be ordinary.