Fourth Astral Soul

Fourth Astral Soul...

Qin Wentian was a firm believer that cultivation should be guided by the cultivator's heart. Therefore, he didn't dwell too much on what his next choice should be.

Strength, attack power, defense, speed – he excelled in all these aspects. Consequently, he decided not to overthink things and would make his decision when the time was right.

Opening his eyes, Qin Wentian had just unlocked his fourth Astral Gate. He was now using his perception and senses to forge a path toward the Heavenly Layers.

Tonight, the starlight was exceptionally brilliant, and once again, Qin Wentian's perception climbed steadily upward, soaring to the Astral River in the Nine Heavenly Layers.

After enduring countless trials, his perception had reached a monstrous level. Swiftly, he bypassed the 4th Heavenly Layer and ascended to the 5th. Here, he felt a formidable pressure pushing back against him.

"I already have three Astral Souls at the 5th Heavenly Layer. This time, I must break through to the 6th," Qin Wentian resolved. His will was unyielding as he continued to ascend, despite the mounting pressure.

He passed by various constellations, some of them radiating blinding brilliance.

"Peak of the 5th Heavenly Layer," Qin Wentian paused, a satisfied expression on his face. Then, his countenance grew resolute as he pressed forward, ascending to the 6th Heavenly Layer. Here, even with his formidable strength, he felt the overwhelming pressure emanating from the constellations.

Even geniuses might not withstand such pressure or ascend to this level unless they reached the Celestial Phenomenon level. In other words, only those at the Ascendant level could use their Astral Souls here to absorb astral light and convert it into astral energy. Qin Wentian might be the sole exception.

"A Flame-type Astral Soul, but the flames it emits seem to be akin to hellfire, with a touch of the underworld. This fire appears to burn eternally, at least until it reduces its target to ashes," Qin Wentian observed a nearby constellation, but he had no intention of forming an innate connection with it.

His perception continued to rise through the 6th Layer. At this point, he could still maintain control over his senses.

"That constellation..." Qin Wentian fixed his gaze on a distant, pitch-black, sabre-type constellation hanging suspended in the air. Even from this distance, he felt as though it could cleave him in two with ease.

His thoughts involuntarily drifted to Bai Qing and her execution of the Nine Slashes of the Underworld. If her Astral Soul was this particular one, her attack power would undoubtedly be boosted to an inconceivable level.

With determination, Qin Wentian pressed on, bracing himself against the mounting pressure that made his senses quiver.

He came across a constellation exuding an exceedingly malevolent aura – a gigantic skeleton adorned with a mountain of corpses and countless remains. Other constellations seemed to keep their distance from it, as if afraid.

"This constellation must contain immense power," Qin Wentian thought, but he had no intention of forming an innate connection with it.

Cultivation, he believed, should align with one's heart. He was not inherently evil, and no matter how powerful an Astral Soul might be, if it didn't resonate with him, it would be useless. While it was possible to use the power of an evil Astral Soul for good, it would inevitably influence the cultivator over time. It was wiser to forgo such a constellation.

Within the expansive astral river of the 6th Layer, Qin Wentian encountered numerous constellations of incredible might. Sensing that he had reached the edge of the 6th Layer, he tried to cross over into the 7th Heavenly Layer but found himself unable to proceed.

In the nine Heavenly Layers, every three layers marked a significant gap. The luster of the corona surrounding the Astral Souls changed: the initial three layers had a faint golden corona, the middle three had a pure golden corona, and the 7th Heavenly Layer featured Astral Souls with a violet-gold corona.

Astral Souls on the 7th Heavenly Layer completely outclassed those from the 6th Layer.

Qin Wentian's perception was forcefully repelled, causing his mind to tremble and savage headaches to assail him. He wiped traces of blood from the corner of his lips and rested for a full day. In the following days, he attempted seven more times to breach the gap, failing each time. Nevertheless, his time in the 6th Layer was not in vain. He explored the Astral River and searched for a suitable constellation before his eighth attempt to reach the 7th Layer.

This time, he reached the peak of the 6th Layer. There, he found a lone constellation positioned just before the gap to the 7th Layer. It was a sword-shaped constellation, an ancient, massive astral sword embedded at the peak of the 6th Heavenly Layer, suppressing all other constellations beneath it. It radiated a brilliant light with a hidden darkness within. Billions of floating sword shadows danced within that light, obeying its commands.

Unquestionably, this was a sword-type astral constellation, reminiscent of Excalibur – a sword for a monarch destined to rule the world.

If one could condense an Astral Soul from this constellation, all other sword-type Astral Souls would cower before it in reverence.

"You're the one," Qin Wentian declared.

His will surged forward, heading for the king of swords. Immediately, a terrifying wave of energy descended, attempting to cleave his consciousness in two, shatter his mind, and render him an idiot.

"How formidable," Qin Wentian muttered, but it only fueled his determination. His heart and will had been tempered to the point where fear no longer held sway. His resolute willpower clashed with the sword's energy, an indomitable force challenging an irresistible pressure.

Ordinary individuals wouldn't dare approach it, lacking the qualifications. This was the first time Qin Wentian had encountered such a constellation, and it seemed to possess a will of its own. Despite the fierce resistance, he couldn't bring himself to give up. His unyielding will continued to push back against the sword's pressure.

On the arena platform, Qin Wentian's body trembled violently, as though it were on the verge of being torn apart by an immense force.

"What's happening with your junior brother?" Mustang turned to Luo Huan, a nervous expression on his face.

"I have no idea, but there shouldn't be anything wrong," Luo Huan replied, though her heart was heavy with worry.

Qin Zheng's silhouette approached slowly. As he observed Qin Wentian's unusual situation, his eyes gleamed with an odd light. "He's in the process of condensing an Astral Soul, but it seems he's encountered an incredibly tyrannical one, and he's refusing to back down."

"BZZZ!"

Radiant astral light cascaded downward, transforming into countless razor-sharp swords slashing relentlessly toward Qin Wentian.

"This..." Qin Zheng stared in bewilderment. What constellation was Qin Wentian attempting to condense an Astral Soul from exactly?

Qin Wentian's trembling intensified, and waves of demonic qi radiated from his body. His will, determination, and heart seemed to transform into tangible energy, rising toward the heavens as he fought against the relentless constellation.

The constellation appeared determined to make him yield. After all, mortals weren't qualified to wield its power.

But Qin Wentian's heart had been tempered to an extraordinary degree. How could he give up in the face of a mere constellation? He wanted to master it.

Qin Wentian opened his eyes and raised his head. A terrifying light gleamed within them as he stared upward, imposing his Mandates' will through his gaze.

Boundless starlight blasted downward, and the tremors coursing through his body gradually subsided. The once aggressive beams of light now gently enveloped him, while an aura of unparalleled sharpness saturated the air. Moments later, an incredibly radiant, golden-colored glow emanated from him as the astral soul-form of an ancient sword materialized above his head, reminiscent of a pitch-dark sword that had emerged from the depths of purgatory.

"That corona..." Qin Zheng, Mustang, and the others felt a shiver run down their spines. The pure golden radiance emanating from the Astral Soul was of an intensity they had never witnessed before.

"An Astral Soul from the 6th Heavenly Layer," Mustang stammered in astonishment. This disciple of his continued to astound him. Not yet twenty-one years old, if he were to return to Chu now, he would stand at the pinnacle of power.

In Chu, Heavenly Dipper Sovereigns were already considered legends.

The Astral Soul continued to form, exuding an aura of kingly might.

Qin Wentian, however, wasn't finished. Following the condensation of his Astral Soul, his next task was to create his fourth Yuanfu.

Qin Wentian's combat prowess could already be considered at the level of the Heavenly Dipper Realm. However, he had birthed all three of his initial Yuanfu at the outset of the Yuanfu Realm. It would take time for the quantity and quality of Astral Energy in this fourth Yuanfu to match the earlier three.

A month later, Qin Wentian finally ceased his cultivation. When he opened his eyes, he noticed several people gathered around him.

"You guys don't want to cultivate?" Qin Wentian asked.

"We've already been at it for nine solid months," Fan Le replied, looking dejected. "But boss, why haven't you broken through to the Heavenly Dipper Realm yet?"

Qin Wentian could only shake his head, wearing a wry smile. Breaking through to the Heavenly Dipper Realm involved the birth of an Astral Nova and a qualitative transformation of one's Yuanfu. To ordinary people with just one Yuanfu, the nurturing and birth of an Astral Nova in their Yuanfu marked their entry into the Heavenly Dipper Realm.

However, he was an exception. He practiced the Art of the Nine Astrariums, which allowed him to have a total of four Yuanfu at the Heavenly Dipper Realm. He couldn't step into the Heavenly Dipper Realm until all four of his Yuanfu were nurtured and then birthed into Astral Novas. It wasn't that he didn't want to; he simply couldn't do it yet.

That's why the Art of the Nine Astrariums was so formidable. When he finally reached the Heavenly Dipper Realm, he would be leagues ahead of ordinary Sovereigns. The difference between them was immeasurable. Even opponents with a single Astral Nova, without innate techniques, would find it effortless for him to suppress them based solely on the number of Astral Novas he possessed.

"All of us, including myself, have reached the threshold of Heavenly Dipper Sovereigns in terms of combat prowess. It's time to consider how to leave this place," Qin Wentian declared. To condense his fourth Astral Nova, he needed to first comprehend the Mandate of Swords to the second level. To do that, he had to temper himself outside to break through any bottlenecks that might occur.

"I can send you all out."

A voice drifted over, and as the crowd turned to look, they saw that the speaker was none other than Qin Zheng.

Qin Zheng hadn't formed strong friendships with any of them. Even when they were learning the nine ultimate arts, he had refrained from participating because he wasn't well-acquainted with Qin Wentian.

Yet now, he claimed to have the ability to send them out of the formation world.

Qin Wentian looked surprised, while Yun Mengyi's eyes lit up.

"I am in the same situation as you. I gained the approval of all thirty-six eccentrics in the Unmatched Realm. Don't forget that I excel in the Mandate of Space, and Yun Mengyi should be well aware of who my teacher in the Unmatched Realm is. He gave me a life-saving treasure."

As he spoke, Qin Zheng produced an ancient scroll emitting powerful spatial waves—it seemed to be related to the concept of Space.

"This ancient scroll can control the power of space, allowing us to travel ten thousand miles in an instant. It's a treasure my teacher gave me, and we can use it to exit the Vermilion Bird Formation. But let me make one thing clear, I have no control over this treasure, so we might all end up in different places."

"If you have this treasure, why didn't you use it to leave earlier?" Qin Wentian asked, puzzled.

"Most of us here are from the Unmatched Realm. While the Unmatched Realm hasn't interfered in external matters, my teacher and the other eccentrics don't want us to meet our end here," Qin Zheng explained, locking eyes with Qin Wentian. He, Qin Wentian, Yun Mengyi, Chu Mang, Fan Le, and Ouyang Kuangsheng were all practitioners of the Unmatched Realm.

"Alright, I'll trust you on this. Let's go then," Qin Wentian said. He turned to the others and gave instructions. "Once we're out, everyone must leave Ginkou immediately. Don't gather in one place; it will make us more conspicuous. Ouyang and Bai Qing, return to your respective sects. No one will dare make a move against you there. Chu Mang and Fan Le, head back to the Unmatched Realm in the Azure Continent. Bailu Jing and Bailu Yi, return to the White Deer Institute... As for Teacher Mustang and Senior Sister Luo Huan..."

Qin Wentian hesitated for a moment. Mustang and Luo Huan weren't powerful enough to protect themselves adequately.

"I'll stay behind. It's not so bad to cultivate here," Mustang chuckled. "Wentian, remember the debt the Nine Mystical Palace owes us when you become powerful enough."

"I'll stay here too and keep Teacher company," Luo Huan smiled. "Come pick us up when you're strong enough."

Qin Wentian sighed, his heart heavy with melancholy. He nodded in agreement, looking at Little Rascal, who was nestled in Luo Huan's arms, making cute sounds.

"Do you want to stay here as well?" Qin Wentian asked Little Rascal.

"Arf!" Little Rascal enthusiastically nodded its head.

"Alright, keep Teacher Mustang and Sister Luo Huan company for me then. I promise I'll be back for you guys," Qin Wentian said, handing over the surplus Yuan Meteor Stones he had in his possession to them.

"Wentian gege, I don't want to be separated from you so soon," Bai Qing murmured, her eyes welling up with sadness as she clung to his hands.

"You're still a bit weak, wouldn't you be a burden if you stayed by my side?" Qin Wentian teased, a playful smile tugging at his lips as he looked at Bai Qing. She playfully stuck her tongue out at him, well aware of his teasing nature.

"I'll put all my effort into cultivation while you're away. Once I have the Mystic Moon Sect under my control, I'll come to help you," Bai Qing replied with determination, her smile hiding the resolute heart beneath. After all, she practiced the Chaotic Art of the Heavenly Devil.

"Alright," Qin Wentian agreed, his gaze sweeping over each of his companions. He took a deep breath, feeling a profound sense of reluctance to part ways with them. But no matter how reluctant he was, he knew that he had to face the challenges of Grand Xia alone, no matter what.