Chapter 1566: Metasoma Late Stage

Qin Sang's avatar returned to Qingxu Illusion Realm, immediately activated the restrictions, and personally guarded outside the cave.

Ten days later, the avatar suddenly stood up, looking up at the sky.

The sky was high and the clouds were thin.

Qingxu Illusion Realm was located on top of Mount Pu, offering an unobstructed view of the scenery outside the mountain.

After Qin Sang ordered Mount Pu to be sealed off, Xie An had been extremely busy arranging various affairs for Fudu Prefecture and recalling the Xie family disciples.

At this moment, several young people returned together, chatting and laughing as they flew to the mountain gate. The disciples guarding the gate opened the entrance for them, exchanged greetings, and talked about recent events inside and outside the gate.

They were chatting animatedly, completely unaware that the celestial phenomena within Qingxu Illusion Realm were changing.

First, gentle breezes blew.

The wind grew stronger and stronger.

Whoosh...

Leaves rained down.

These leaves were still green, not yet the season for falling, but they were forcefully torn from the branches. Grass and trees in the forest were flattened, completely destroying the previous beautiful scenery.

Strong winds converged in mid-air, and the sky gradually darkened, as if covered by a layer of dark clouds.

The area directly above the cave was the densest.

This was not real cloud, but a celestial phenomenon formed by spiritual energy reaching its extreme concentration. The spiritual energy in the void was converging there, and its speed was increasing.

The avatar quickly scanned the surroundings, ensuring that the anomaly would not affect the outside, then withdrew its gaze and focused intently on the cave.

In just a few breaths, a visible tide of spiritual energy appeared above the cave, magnificent and imposing. Immediately afterward, a sudden tremor shook the entire Qingxu Illusion Realm, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound of wind.

The spiritual energy suddenly swirled upwards, then crashed down.

A waterfall of spiritual energy appeared in the void, pouring into the cave!

Boom!

The cave shook violently, its restrictions flashing, and colorful lights shone on the avatar's face.

The avatar's expression subtly shifted, its gaze turning to focus on the very center of the cave.

The next moment, the spiritual energy waterfall suddenly reversed, and a figure emerged within it, ascending against the current, rushing into the center of the spiritual energy. Not only was the figure unharmed, but its body, like a whale drawing water, completely absorbed all the spiritual energy.

The celestial phenomenon came quickly and departed just as swiftly.

It revealed the figure of the true body.

The true body floated in mid-air, eyes closed, motionless.

This quiet did not last long.

The true body had likely not yet completely refined the spiritual energy it had just absorbed; its aura suddenly began to surge, and its momentum was very strong, rising steadily.

But this progress was short-lived.

The momentum of the breakthrough came to an abrupt halt, clearly indicating a bottleneck.

The true body let out a cold snort, its aura stagnated for only a moment, then suddenly surged, and the so-called bottleneck, having caused only this slight hindrance, was overcome by the true body, riding on the momentum.

Late Nascent Soul stage achieved!

"Hahahaha..."

Hearty laughter echoed throughout Qingxu Illusion Realm.

The true body stood suspended in mid-air, its daoist robe billowing, an expression of delight on its face, laughing heartily towards the sky.

Hard work pays off.

After more than a hundred years of secluded cultivation, enduring boundless solitude, the breakthrough was finally achieved today!

As of today, less than three hundred years have passed since Qin Sang formed his Nascent Soul, and his first Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation would not descend for another twenty or thirty years.

If this were to spread, it would undoubtedly cause a huge stir in the cultivation world.

Even among the cultivators of the super sects in Central Continent, who have access to abundant resources, very few could achieve such results; they would all be peerless geniuses.

Whoosh!

The laughter ceased, and the true body appeared beside the external avatar, exchanging a smile. The second Nascent Soul merged into the true body, and all events of these past years became known to the true body.

Qin Sang absentmindedly browsed through the various messages, still recalling the experiences of his hundred-plus years of secluded cultivation.

After acquiring Qingxu Illusion Realm, the true body had arranged the cave and entered secluded cultivation, and this was the first time it had emerged.

The tedious nature of cultivation goes without saying.

It wasn't until twenty years ago that Qin Sang touched upon the Late Nascent Soul stage bottleneck and began preparing for the breakthrough. Before that, he naturally had to review his previous cultivation path, identify and rectify shortcomings, consolidate his realm, and adjust his state to perfection.

This process was very smooth.

He was arguably a cultivator of essence, qi, and spirit, with a more solid foundation than other cultivators.

Over a decade ago, Qin Sang had a premonition that he could attempt the breakthrough with a fair degree of certainty.

However, such rapid progress made Qin Sang feel somewhat unsettled. Since he had no worries about heavenly tribulation or lifespan, after some thought, he decided to consolidate his realm for a while longer to ensure absolute certainty.

Accumulating momentum for ten years, he charged the bottleneck in one go, and indeed, success came naturally!

The Cleansing Pond and the Killing Talisman increased his cultivation speed but did not alter his fundamental constitution. The Buddhist Bone Relic contributed significantly to this smooth breakthrough, and the role of "Fire Seed Golden Lotus" also cannot be ignored.

Reaching the realm of divine sense manifestation ahead of time was helpful for the breakthrough, once again confirming Senior Qingzhu's speculation from back then.

Cultivating essence, qi, and spirit simultaneously was beneficial for breakthroughs.

Even in Central Continent, Grand Cultivators are figures standing at the pinnacle. Soul Transformation stage cultivators are few and far between, and now they have inexplicably disappeared, further reducing those who can keep Grand Cultivators in check.

Qin Sang was extremely pleased with himself, performing an internal inspection.

His Nascent Soul was more solidified, but after all, it was only a minor realm, unlike the qualitative leaps between major realms.

The most obvious change was his deeper True Essence.

Previously, although he possessed strength not inferior to Grand Cultivators, he was always constrained by his True Essence, forced to either end battles quickly or withdraw early.

Now, he had no such concerns.

Next was his divine sense.

Qin Sang had long since achieved divine sense manifestation, and after this breakthrough, his divine sense also improved with the advancement of his realm.

He could foresee that after breaking through to the Late Nascent Soul stage, his divine sense would certainly surpass that of ordinary Grand Cultivators. This significant change still surprised him greatly.

"If I continue cultivating 'Fire Seed Golden Lotus' and refining the demonic flame, if all goes well, my divine sense might have a chance to surpass the Nascent Soul stage and rival Soul Transformation cultivators!" Qin Sang reached a conclusion that filled him with immense surprise and joy.

It was noteworthy that he had only just broken through to the Late Nascent Soul stage, his realm not yet stable, yet he dared to harbor such ambition, coveting the Soul Transformation stage.

Even if it was just a unilateral breakthrough in divine sense, it was astonishing enough.

"Fire Seed Golden Lotus" and the Nine Nether Demonic Flame, one a top-tier divine ability and the other a rare spiritual flame, when combined, would push him to an unimaginable height!

And don't forget the function of the Soul Nurturing Wood.

Having possessed the Soul Nurturing Wood for so long, the imperceptible benefits he had gained were immeasurable.

"If my divine sense breaks through again, rivaling the Soul Transformation stage, will I be able to resist the Heavenly Dao suppression of Soul Transformation cultivators?" Qin Sang pondered this question.

The biggest gap between the Nascent Soul and Soul Transformation stages stemmed from this.

Qin Sang knew too little about the Soul Transformation stage to conjure an answer out of thin air.

With this discovery, Qin Sang was now eager to return to secluded cultivation, focus on "Fire Seed Golden Lotus," and see what heights he could ultimately reach.

In his previous plan, after breaking through to the Late Nascent Soul stage, Qin Sang had intended to dedicate some energy to body cultivation, specifically to cultivating "Heavenly Demon Refining Form."

After reaching the Nascent Soul stage, he had barely cultivated this technique.

"Heavenly Demon Refining Form" was still only in its early fourth layer, lagging far behind.

The "Seven Masters Buddhist Seal" was a divine ability with good power and potential, but unfortunately, due to the limitations of his physical body, it was far inferior to Qin Sang's other methods and could not be effectively used in combat.

By cultivating essence, qi, and spirit simultaneously, even if he didn't encounter a Soul Transformation opportunity in the future, he could still cultivate all three to their peak, increasing his chances of breakthrough.

"I'll have to change my plans..." Qin Sang rubbed his chin.

Soul Transformation was not imminent.

If his divine sense could break through, there would be countless benefits; such a rare opportunity should naturally take precedence. Even without considering the elusive Soul Transformation cultivators, it could create suppression against cultivators of the same stage.

Central Continent was in turmoil.

Qin Sang had always kept his avatar detached from the chaos, for one reason: his strength was not sufficient.

The accumulation of the super sects in Central Continent was absolutely terrifying. Furthermore, some sects had more than one Grand Cultivator, and they were intricately connected, so offending one could provoke many.

Compared to them, Qin Sang was weak and isolated; only by becoming stronger would he be qualified to intervene in the grand affairs of the world.

Dismissing these thoughts, Qin Sang turned his attention to other matters.

"Luye, Old Devil Lu." Qin Sang murmured to himself, then listed several more names: "Eight Sceneries Temple, True Monarch Danyu, Sweet Dew Chan Monastery, Saint Huiguang, Ghost Mother, Demon Clan, Gu God Sect, Southern Sea Immortal Palace..."

These names, along with sects like Forget-Thought Mountain, could outline the general distribution of forces in Central Continent.

However, much was missing, preventing Qin Sang from connecting them, leaving a heavy fog behind which nothing could be clearly seen.

Where had the Soul Transformation cultivators gone? What were the Gu God Sect and Luye plotting?

He pondered for a long time.

Qin Sang suddenly let out a self-deprecating laugh.

Why was he thinking so much?

He had no ties in Central Continent; he was free to come and go.

He just needed to remember his goal and adapt to changing circumstances.

As for the Boundless Palace, Qin Sang not only kept his avatar away but also had no intention of having his true body join the excitement.

In his view, the Boundless Palace was likely to ignite conflicts in Central Continent, and the forces gathering overtly and covertly from the Chinan Island Chain would undoubtedly be astonishingly numerous.

The true body had just broken through to the late stage and needed to stabilize its cultivation.

According to Cheng Weizi, those people had already locked onto the location of the Boundless Palace ruins, so going now would likely be too late. It was better to wait for more news.

Afterward, Qin Sang had his clone guard outside, contact Forget-Thought Mountain, and monitor the outcome of the Boundless Palace conflict.

The true body, meanwhile, returned to the cave and continued its secluded cultivation.

Besides cultivation, Qin Sang also needed to prepare for his Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation.

It was merely his first heavenly tribulation; with his strength, there was no need to worry, but he couldn't be overconfident.

Especially as the heavenly tribulation approached, cultivators would feel a heavier Heavenly Might suppression, which would affect them during combat.

Unless something major occurred, Qin Sang planned to keep his true body in seclusion until he had passed the tribulation.

Returning to the cave, Qin Sang spent some time slightly stabilizing his cultivation, then eagerly summoned the Cloud Roaming Sword.

A flash of light between his brows, and the Cloud Roaming Sword appeared before Qin Sang.

The sword body was like jade, possessing a breathtaking beauty.

Qin Sang gazed at it for a long time, murmuring, "Old friend, it's been a long time."

Back then, Bai You had warned him that after accommodating Cloud Roamer's true spirit, he would be unable to use the sword for a long time. He hadn't expected that even as a Grand Cultivator, he still saw no hope.

In the Mid Nascent Soul stage, Qin Sang had tried to refine the Cloud Roaming Sword using the "Spirit Offering Art," but repeatedly failed due to insufficient cultivation. Now, he decided to try again.

The Cloud Roaming Sword trembled slightly, then slowly settled into Qin Sang's palm.

Qin Sang placed his palms together, entering a meditative state, as the entire "Spirit Offering Art" flashed through his mind.

A cultivator's Natal Magic Treasure, being attuned to their Great Dao, was their most important possession.

Through the "Spirit Offering Art," there was no need to seek various treasures; merely by expending a cultivator's energy and time, it could gradually be upgraded, refined into a pseudo-spirit treasure, or even a true spirit treasure.

On this point alone, the difficulty was much lower than refining an ordinary spirit treasure.

Of course, this process was also very lengthy.

Recalling the entire art, Qin Sang's mind connected with the Cloud Roaming Sword, with a portion of his mental energy observing the changes in Cloud Roamer's true spirit, while simultaneously activating the "Spirit Offering Art."

At this moment, streaks of light appeared before Qin Sang, countless runes flashing and continuously merging into the Cloud Roaming Sword, all absorbed by it.

The runes were extremely complex, requiring the simultaneous mobilization of True Essence and divine sense.

The further he went, the more strenuous Qin Sang felt it to be. In the Mid Nascent Soul stage, the last part of the "Spirit Offering Art" had exceeded his capabilities, forcing him to give up each time.

Now, it was clearly different.

Whoosh!

The last dozen or so runes were completed in one go.

A hazy glow appeared on the surface of the Cloud Roaming Sword, giving it a dreamlike quality.

Qin Sang let out a light breath, a look of joy on his face. Without hesitation, he stored the Cloud Roaming Sword within his Nascent Soul, activated a secret art, and began to refine it with full concentration.

The "Spirit Offering Art" was extremely demanding.

In less than an hour, Qin Sang felt a sense of fatigue.

He awoke from his meditative state, slowly ceased his cultivation, and sensed the Cloud Roaming Sword.

There was a feeling of blood connection between a cultivator and their Natal Magic Treasure; after the refinement, it seemed to grow a little closer, but Cloud Roamer's true spirit showed no significant change.

At least, the "Spirit Offering Art" was not detrimental to the true spirit.

Confirming this, Qin Sang felt relieved.

Next, Qin Sang took a brief moment to adjust his breathing, then summoned the Fire Lotus Seed and the demonic flame. Refining the demonic flame after his divine sense had greatly increased, the speed was indeed faster than before.

Just as the true body was focused on refining the demonic flame, the avatar finally received news from Forget-Thought Mountain; it was Fu Han who personally delivered an invitation, and not just to him, but to gather all Nascent Soul stage forces under Forget-Thought Mountain for a discussion.

Qin Sang closed the invitation, looked at Fu Han, and asked, "I hadn't heard any rumors, so I'm surprised the matter of the Boundless Palace has concluded. May I ask when Sect Master Situ returned from the East Sea? Sect Master Situ and Daoist Friend Cheng Shenzi set out together; they must have had considerable gains, right?"

It wouldn't be long before this matter spread throughout Central Continent.

Fu Han had no need to hide anything from Qin Sang. He shook his head and said, "Both Master and Martial Uncle returned empty-handed! There were indeed anomalies near the Chinan Island Chain, which basically confirmed it was the Boundless Palace ruins, but before anyone could enter, the entrance vanished."

"Oh?" Qin Sang paused, surprised, and asked, "And then, they just gave up?"

Fu Han hummed in affirmation, "After the entrance vanished, Master and the others searched everywhere but found nothing. Actually, the anomaly had appeared for quite some time, but it was extremely dangerous, so Master had been observing from the outside. Unexpectedly, True Immortal Zilei, the Master of Eight Sceneries Temple, disregarded the danger and ventured in, resulting in severe injuries, yet ultimately failed to breach the outer forbidden zone. It is said that Eight Sceneries Temple and Sweet Dew Chan Monastery lost several Nascent Soul cultivators inside."

After a pause, Fu Han added, "Master said that the Boundless Palace ruins are a very dangerous place, even for Soul Transformation cultivators."