Chapter 1525: Collapsing Baby Phenomenon

On Qinglian Island in the Five Dragons Sea, within a secluded small courtyard with green tiles, a pond about an acre in size lay to the left. Golden carp with red whiskers on their heads swam lazily, their movements sending gentle ripples across the calm water. Beside the pond, Wang Youwei and Ouyang Mingyue sat chatting in a green stone pavilion.

"Once Elder Uncle Qingshan returns, I will ask him to guide Xuan'er. I hope this child can advance significantly in the path of the sword," Wang Youwei said with a smile. He noted that the higher a cultivator's realm, the lower their chances of having offspring. Consequently, most members of the Wang family married during the Qi Refining stage, some during Foundation Establishment, but only a handful after reaching Core Formation. Shortly after Wang Youwei and Ouyang Mingyue married, they both entered seclusion to attempt breakthroughs to the Core Formation stage. Even after reaching Core Formation, despite frequent intimacy, they were unable to conceive. However, perseverance paid off; through Wang Youwei's persistent efforts, Ouyang Mingyue eventually became pregnant and gave birth to their son, Wang Mengxuan.

Wang Mengxuan possessed dual spiritual roots of fire and wood, indicating promising aptitude. He and Wang Changjie were the only two dual spiritual root cultivators in the Wang family. Wang Youwei and Ouyang Mingyue held high hopes for Wang Mengxuan; Ouyang Mingyue had taught him sword arts from a young age, aspiring for him to become the family's next Wang Qingshan. While Wang Changsheng practiced both cultivation and body tempering, his specific method was not publicly known. Other body tempering techniques were available within the clan, but members who practiced them rarely achieved outstanding results. Furthermore, influenced by Wang Qingling, many clan members raised spirit insects, though few truly excelled.

The Wang family had recently revised its talent cultivation system, introducing categories known as the "Two Heroes, Three Talents, Four Prodigies, Five Sons, and Six Elites." The "Six Elites" comprised six Qi Refining cultivators, chosen every ten years through a clan competition for intensive training; selection virtually guaranteed their advancement to the Foundation Establishment stage. The "Five Sons" were Foundation Establishment cultivators, also selected from the family competition. However, their ranking was only one consideration; personal contribution to the family was equally crucial. If a member's contributions were significant enough, even without a high competition ranking, they could be chosen as one of the "Five Sons" with the approval of two-thirds of the elders. The "Two Heroes," "Three Talents," and "Four Prodigies" were all Core Formation cultivators, selected based on their individual contributions to the family. Specifically, the "Two Heroes" were Wang Qiuming and Wang Mengbin, the "Three Talents" were Wang Rongxiang, Wang Rongting, and Wang Rongfei, and the "Four Prodigies" included Wang Changjie, Wang Youwei, Wang Huaxi, and Wang Qingjun.

The Wang family currently boasted over thirty Core Formation cultivators, a count limited to those residing in the Five Dragons Sea. The family had also established an Elder Council to manage clan affairs when the Patriarch was in secluded cultivation. Wang Mengxuan was currently at the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment but was not among the Qinglian Five Sons. With over a thousand Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Wang family, the competition to be one of the five chosen for specialized training was exceptionally fierce. A few words of guidance from Wang Qingshan, however, would be immensely beneficial for Wang Mengxuan's cultivation.

"I wonder how Elder Uncle Qingshan is faring," Ouyang Mingyue said, a worried expression on her face. "I heard the Netherworld Spider has formidable defenses and is extremely difficult to deal with." She added that if the Netherworld Spider weren't so challenging, she would have accompanied Wang Qingshan to Northern Xinjiang. "Don't worry," Wang Youwei reassured her. "Given Elder Uncle Qingshan's strength, even if he can't win, he can certainly retreat safely. However, it's hard to say for Yingjie and the others." He admitted a degree of admiration for Wang Yingjie, who, despite knowing the Netherworld Spider's difficulty, had still volunteered to go to Northern Xinjiang with Wang Qingshan – a true case of knowingly walking into danger. Neither Wang Youwei nor Ouyang Mingyue wished to travel to Northern Xinjiang. The Wang family's main base was in the Southern Sea, and even if Northern Xinjiang descended into chaos, it wasn't the Wang family's chief concern but rather that of the Northern Xinjiang cultivation world. While the Wang family did have outposts and personnel in Northern Xinjiang, their presence was not strong, and they could simply withdraw their people if necessary.

"With Elder Uncle Qingshan present, they should be relatively safe, though some casualties are certainly unavoidable," Ouyang Mingyue remarked, a hint of confusion in her voice. "But on that note, Uncle Qiuming has been in seclusion for so many years; why hasn't he emerged yet?" Due to his connection with Wang Qiuhong, Wang Qiuming had always taken special care of Wang Youwei and had informed him before entering seclusion. Wang Youwei shook his head. "It's hard to say. Some cultivators have poor luck and might only attract the Nascent Soul lightning tribulation after a hundred or even eighty years. There's no definite timeline for forming a Nascent Soul. However, given Uncle Qiuming's aptitude, I believe he still has a very high chance of success." No sooner had he finished speaking than a deafening thunderclap reverberated from high above. A fierce wind began to whip up, and the previously clear sky abruptly became shrouded in dark clouds. Wang Youwei and Ouyang Mingyue were startled. They exchanged glances, each seeing the surprise and delight mirrored in the other's eyes. They soared into the sky, where a colossal thundercloud now dominated the heavens, flashing with lightning and rumbling with thunder. Suddenly, vibrant, multi-colored spiritual light burst forth in the void, dazzling like fireworks. "A Nascent Soul phenomenon! A clan member is attempting to break through to the Nascent Soul stage!" Wang Youwei exclaimed, though a subtle look of disappointment crossed his face.

"Judging by the direction of the thundercloud, it seems to be over Huaxi. Uncle Qiuming reached the Core Formation stage earlier than him, so it's surprising that Huaxi has attracted the Nascent Soul phenomenon so quickly," Ouyang Mingyue commented, a thoughtful expression on her face. She didn't have high hopes for Wang Huaxi, primarily because he had never faced significant setbacks since embarking on his cultivation journey. In contrast, Wang Qingling and Wang Qingshan had fought their way through immense peril, enduring countless hardships and suffering greatly. Over the past three hundred years, the Ouyang family had produced three cultivators with variant spiritual roots. While their cultivation speed and strength were indeed exceptional before reaching the Nascent Soul stage, only one ultimately achieved the Nascent Soul, and another died prematurely. Geniuses cultivate much faster in their early stages than ordinary cultivators, but consequently, they often lack crucial tempering. When a genius finally emerges, families naturally strive to protect them, and the Ouyang family was no exception. However, aptitude only represents potential; it does not guarantee forming a Nascent Soul. Among the numerous Nascent Soul cultivators in the Southern Sea, most possess three spiritual roots, a few have five, and only a handful are blessed with spiritual bodies.

The Nascent Soul phenomenon quickly alerted the Wang family cultivators across the island. Elders swiftly emerged to maintain order, declaring a thirty-mile radius around Wang Huaxi's residence a forbidden zone, with strict instructions for no one to approach. Meanwhile, in a secret chamber, Wang Huaxi sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, the resounding thunder filling his ears. His eyes were tightly closed, his brows furrowed, and sweat poured from his forehead as he endured the Heart Demon Tribulation. The precise nature of the trial he faced remained unknown.

On Qinglian Peak, Wang Ruyan and Wang Qingling stood at the summit, gazing at the distant thundercloud, their eyes filled with worry. "If Huaxi successfully breaks through to the Nascent Soul stage, our family will gain yet another Nascent Soul cultivator!" Wang Qingling exclaimed, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. The Wang family now possessed four Nascent Soul cultivators, including Ye Haitang and Fairy Ziyue, who served as hidden forces. Ye Haitang, in particular, seldom appeared in public, and outsiders remained unaware of her true status.

"It's hard to say," Wang Ruyan sighed, her eyes heavy with worry. "Huaxi was far too eager. I advised him to travel for several decades before attempting the Nascent Soul stage, yet he only spent a few years in other sea regions before returning. He's had too easy a path. Qiuming's chances of success are likely much higher."