Finally Reaching the Nascent Soul Stage

Under a lush green tree, Su Min sat cross-legged in meditation.

"Whew, I've finally dealt with all the messy affairs. Now I can focus on cultivation. This time, no matter what, I must break through to the Nascent Soul stage."

Holding the elixir in her hand, Su Min fell into deep thought. Having settled all her affairs, she knew that spiritual energy was rapidly recovering. In ten years, the barriers between heaven and earth would fully open, but that had little to do with her. Right now, she had to advance to the Nascent Soul stage as soon as possible.

"The path of cultivation is truly treacherous and perilous."

With a sigh, Su Min tossed the elixir into her mouth. Seizing the surge of medicinal energy, she began channeling the power within her perfectly rounded golden core.

Crack.

A faint, almost imperceptible sound echoed. The golden core was the hallmark of the Golden Core stage. As long as it remained intact, any injury could eventually be healed for a Golden Core cultivator.

But once the core shattered, the consequences ranged from a drop in cultivation level to instant death. Yet, to advance to the Nascent Soul stage, she had to deliberately break her golden core, using its energy to transform it into a nascent soul.

As the core shattered, vast surges of energy rampaged wildly through Su Min's body. It felt like ten thousand galloping horses stampeding through her veins. However, the energy was quickly suppressed by the emerald-green Eastern Azure Wood, the Nascent Soul Elixir, and the threefold power she had received during her baptism.

This allowed Su Min to breathe a sigh of relief. This was the most dangerous phase, and she had stabilized it almost instantly. As long as this energy remained under control, the rest of the process would be much smoother.

"Next is forming the nascent soul. Let's begin."

Closing her eyes, Su Min focused her mind while continuing to guide the energy within her. From the golden sea formed by the shattered core, she began condensing her nascent soul.

Taking this step would propel her directly into the Nascent Soul stage. However, the process would be long and fraught with the risk of energy depletion. But for her, that was no concern. The Nascent Soul Elixir provided an immense reserve of energy, and with the Eastern Azure Wood absorbing and storing power, exhaustion was nearly impossible. Thus, Su Min took her time, calmly circulating the energy within her body.

As time passed, her secluded cultivation spot remained undisturbed. This was typical for cultivators—once they reached the Golden Core stage, seclusion lasting one or two years was common, and even decades-long retreats weren't unheard of.

At this level, one had to relinquish certain worldly attachments—power, desires, love, familial bonds. These gradually faded in the eyes of cultivators, not because they were cold-hearted, but because the passage of time forced them to.

Moreover, the gender imbalance among cultivators created further complications. Many top-tier cultivators struggled to find partners of equal strength, often settling for those of lower cultivation levels. But with such disparities, their spouses would age before their eyes, and their children, if lacking talent, might fail to overcome even the Three-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, eventually turning to dust.

This was why Su Min maintained a certain distance from others. She knew that every step forward on her path meant facing the relentless erosion of time. Only by ascending to the legendary Immortal Realm could she truly transcend.

While Su Min remained in seclusion, the spiritual energy in the outside world was visibly recovering. The Heavenly Dao had slightly loosened its restrictions, making the Three-Nine Heavenly Tribulation easier to overcome.

As spiritual energy grew denser, rare treasures that had once vanished began to reappear, and newborn children now had a higher chance of possessing spiritual roots. Thus, the world flourished with vitality. Sealed powerhouses from major sects emerged one after another—all at the peak of the Divine Transformation stage, many just a step away from the next realm.

Unfortunately, without the right opportunities, they might never advance further. Regardless, the world's overall strength had undergone a qualitative leap. But as the saying goes, while some rejoiced, others grieved. The Golden Core Avenue offered great opportunities but also terrifying dangers. Some sects had even been completely wiped out within it—a catastrophic blow.

Take the Blood Puppet Sect, for example.

"What?! All of them died? Not a single survivor?! What happened? Who did this?!"

The rage of two blood-red figures dyed the entire sky crimson. These two were the true pillars of the Blood Puppet Sect—the Divine Transformation experts, Mu Xue and Mu Kui.

As their fury erupted, those below trembled in fear. When the Golden Core Avenue closed and they discovered none of their disciples had returned, the sect leader had spat blood and collapsed on the spot. Now that the two elders had emerged from seclusion, the matter wouldn't be left unresolved. They could accept losses, but if even half had returned, they might have let it slide. The Golden Core Path was inherently chaotic, but a total wipeout was different.

"Elders, we've already sent people to inquire with the Ancient Mansion Holy City. According to reliable sources, they lost only a tenth of their disciples in the Golden Core Path and reaped substantial rewards. Their Holy Son even ranked fifteenth on the Golden Core Leaderboard. But when we asked about our disciples, they refused to speak a word."

Hum.

A terrifying pressure instantly forced the speaker to his knees.

"The Ancient Mansion Holy City has been at odds with our Blood Puppet Sect for countless years. Both sides know each other well. It's nearly impossible for them to have annihilated Mu Ling and the others alone. There's no need to question them further. Dispatch all available forces to every realm—interrogate other sects and rogue cultivators."

"Second Brother, mere inquiries won't suffice. Our strength has suffered a severe damage. To avenge Mu Ling, we need to bolster our forces."

"Elder Brother, what do you propose?"

"Activate the Essence Blood Pool—our sect's hidden resource—and forcibly elevate a group of Golden Core cultivators to the False Nascent Soul stage."

"This..."

The suggestion gave the man pause. Such a secret technique came at a steep cost. The Golden Core cultivators selected had to be under two hundred years old. Once enhanced, their cultivation would be capped at the early Nascent Soul stage, and their remaining lifespan would shrink to just over a century.

Cultivation was ultimately about longevity. Moreover, the technique couldn't be used indiscriminately—given their current reserves, they could produce only a dozen or so False Nascent Souls at most.

"If we let this go, how will the Blood Puppet Sect maintain its standing? And remember—time isn't on our side. The barriers between heaven and earth have just opened, and the Golden Core Avenue has just closed. Those who emerged are now in seclusion, breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage. The False Nascent Souls we create now can still pose a threat. But if we wait another century or two, when those cultivators grow stronger, even our enhanced forces won't be enough."

"Fine."

Gritting his teeth, the other elder agreed. With that, the Blood Puppet Sect mobilized. Now that the realms were connected, the barriers between regions had vanished, allowing them to send envoys everywhere to gather information.

Within less than a decade, they had their answer—Su Min had publicly issued a bounty that day. There was no hiding it. The Ancient Mansion Holy City, long at odds with them, had kept silent out of respect for Su Min. But others had no such reservations.

"Eastern Mulberry Land. Su Min. Ranked first on the Heavenly Leaderboard. Offered a bounty of five fourth-grade pills for Mu Ling's head. The others were likely killed by opportunists during the chaos."

Reading the report, even Mu Xue and Mu Kui, hardened as they were, were stunned. They couldn't fathom how their precious descendant had managed to provoke a pill refiner so severely. According to the intelligence, three people had competed for the Eastern Azure Wood. The other two survived unscathed—only their disciple had been executed. It was baffling. They knew why—their sect's techniques had flaws, making practitioners impulsive and prone to acting on whims without forethought.

But...

"A Golden Core cultivator capable of refining fourth-grade high-tier pills, with a high success rate... She's likely already a fifth-grade pill refiner. And even more terrifying—she's ranked first on the Heavenly Leaderboard. A Five Elements Holy Body..."

With Su Min's identity confirmed, gathering information became easier. But the more they learned, the more alarmed they grew. They realized Mu Ling had provoked someone he shouldn't have. A fifth-grade pill refiner at the Golden Core stage—the mere thought sent chills down their spines. The good news was that a fifth-grade refiner couldn't yet mobilize Divine Transformation experts. But if she reached the sixth grade...

The Blood Puppet Sect would face annihilation.

A Golden Core cultivator who could refine fifth-grade pills—once she reached the mid or late Nascent Soul stage, who knew how far she'd go?

Moreover, they knew the latest Heavenly Leaderboard was filled with monsters. To dominate such a group meant she was no ordinary talent. Given time, she might not even need to leverage her status as a sixth-grade refiner—she could single-handedly eradicate their sect.

"Mu Ling... couldn't you have picked your enemies more carefully?"

Staring at the report in horror, the two elders knew they were in deep trouble. Under normal circumstances, even they wouldn't dare offend such a person. But now, they had no choice. They couldn't be sure whether she held a grudge. The only option was to strike first and eliminate this future calamity.

"We must act immediately. Only twenty years have passed since the Golden Core Avenue closed. At most, she's just reached the Nascent Soul stage. If we give her more time, even we might not be able to stop her."

"Send the order—prepare to march on East Mulberry Land!"

Their roars echoed through the hall—but silence followed.

No one dared respond.

"Elders... where is East Mulberry Land?"

"..."

A stunned silence fell over the assembly. None of them had ever heard of such a place.

"Find it! Now!"

"Yes!"

The hall emptied in an instant, leaving only the two elders behind.

"Elder Brother, prepare gifts. I'll seek out a divination expert to pinpoint East Mulberry Land's location. Relying on manpower alone could take forever."

"Go."

With a resigned sigh, Mu Kui nodded. They had no other choice—they had to act fast.

East Mulberry Land, a secluded valley.

After decades of stillness, Su Min's eyes snapped open. Her aura had undergone a monumental transformation. Where her golden core once resided, a miniature version of herself now sat—a nascent soul.

"Nascent Soul stage... Finally."

Taking a deep breath, Su Min marveled at the changes within her. She had finally reached this realm. The sheer power she now wielded was on an entirely different level compared to the Golden Core stage.

Thanks to her solid foundation, she was even stronger now than when she had relied on pills during her battle with Yao Xian'er.

"In my current state, facing Yao Xian'er again, I wouldn't need so many tricks. I might not even need Yingying's blood essence—she'd struggle to harm me."

Of course, this was mere speculation. Yao Xian'er might have also reached the Nascent Soul stage by now.

"This seclusion lasted about twenty years. I wonder how the outside world has changed. It seems the Blood Puppet Sect hasn't come for me yet. But this isn't over—I'll have to wipe them out eventually."

A cold glint flashed in her eyes.

The Blood Puppet Sect was now her sworn enemy. A confrontation was inevitable.

But launching an assault on their stronghold was too risky—who knew what traps they had prepared?

She would bide her time. Once she reached the Divine Transformation stage, if they hadn't made a move, she would take the initiative and annihilate them herself.