Chapter 979: Nine Orifices Nascent Soul Completely Driven Mad

Hundred Flowers Valley.

Lingyin sat under a peach blossom tree and poured two cups of wine. The aroma of the wine permeated the air, intoxicating and fragrant.

Jiang Fan appeared before her, causing the ground to tremble slightly.

Lingyin didn't even lift her head, saying calmly, "Congratulations. To break through to the second layer of the Nascent Soul stage in one go is extremely rare. Sit."

Jiang Fan looked at the two freshly poured cups of wine on the table. It seemed this woman had already anticipated his arrival. He calmly sat on the stone chair opposite her, but unceremoniously pushed away the wine in front of him. He said bluntly, "I wouldn't dare drink anything from you."

Lingyin's voice was ethereal. She picked up her own cup and took a small sip, saying, "The osmanthus wine brewed by Yaoyue is still a bit lacking in flavor." After finishing the cup, she slowly raised her eyes to look at Jiang Fan, asking, "What do you want to ask me?"

As their eyes met, Jiang Fan's heart involuntarily pounded. Although it was only his second time seeing Lingyin, her astonishing beauty still made him hesitant to meet her gaze directly. He shifted his gaze and asked in a deep voice, "Since you guessed I would come, can't you also guess what I want to ask?"

Lingyin said calmly, "Are you thanking me, or blaming me?"

Jiang Fan composed himself, solemnly cupped his hands, and said, "Naturally, I am deeply grateful for Senior Lingyin's saving grace. Without you, Ling Shu would have truly died. This junior is curious, how did you persuade Ling Shu to live on?" Saving Ling Shu's life was not difficult. Jiang Fan could have done it at the time, for example, by forcing Ling Shu to take a Rejuvenation Pill. He didn't do so because Ling Shu's entire clan had died, and she had no desire to cling to the mortal world.

Lingyin said, "There was no need to persuade her. I merely told her that her clan members were all still alive."

"What?" Jiang Fan was startled. "Ling Shu's clan didn't die? Didn't the Sky-Devouring Tiger Demon King say that all 158 members were killed?"

Lingyin smiled softly and glanced at the valley not far away. The Sky-Devouring Tiger Demon King, somewhat wary of Jiang Fan, cautiously stepped out and said, "Senior Jiang, I did not obey the Azure Sky Demon Emperor's order to kill the people of the Green Radiance Tribe. The Green Radiance Tribe had long been relocated by Old Han. When I arrived, the tribe was already deserted."

Jiang Fan was surprised again: "Then why did you say they were all killed? And what about Ling Shu's father's head?"

The Sky-Devouring Tiger Demon King dared not answer, turning his gaze to Lingyin.

"It was I who told him to reply that way. As for the head..." She casually plucked a peach blossom from the tree and lightly tossed it to the ground. The peach blossom transformed into a bloody head. Jiang Fan's pupils constricted. He swept his spiritual sense over it, yet couldn't see through the illusion! He rubbed his temples and frowned, looking at Lingyin: "What exactly are you trying to do?" He couldn't understand. If she wanted to harm Ling Shu, why did she save her later?

Lingyin didn't answer but instead asked, "Were you sad when Ling Shu died?"

Jiang Fan recalled the past two months, his voice low: "I never want to experience that feeling again in this life."

Lingyin nodded: "A scar was left on your Nascent Soul?"

Jiang Fan narrowed his eyes: "You arranged Ling Shu's fake death just to make me experience tribulation in sorrow, leaving this scar?" Lingyin smiled without speaking, implicitly affirming it. Jiang Fan felt a chill in his heart, asking uneasily, "Will this scar be detrimental to me?"

Lingyin shook her head, saying, "There's no harm, only benefit."

Jiang Fan looked puzzled: "How so?"

Lingyin said, "Do you know the secret of the late Nascent Soul stage?" This question, it seemed, Yu Peiyuan had once wanted to tell him, only to be interrupted by the mad Jiang Wuya. He frowned: "What secret does the late Nascent Soul stage hold? Isn't it the same cultivation system as the Core Formation stage?"

Lingyin poured herself another cup of osmanthus wine, taking a small sip, and said, "Have you met the sect masters of the divine sects and great academies in Taicang Great State? What are their cultivation levels?"

Jiang Fan pondered, saying, "I've met Abbot Puguang of White Horse Temple, a Third-Rank Vajra. I've met the Master of Jiangshan First-Rank Pavilion, a Five-Aperture Nascent Soul. I haven't met any others." Speaking of this, Jiang Fan himself realized something was wrong. Why were they all below Seven-Aperture Nascent Soul? Jiangshan First-Rank Pavilion is a commercial alliance, so assume it doesn't have grandmasters. But White Horse Temple is a divine sect with a Bodhisattva presiding over it. Are there no First-Rank or Second-Rank Vajras in the temple? Why is it that Third-Rank Vajra Puguang is serving as abbot?

"It seems you've found the problem," Lingyin said. "Eight-aperture Nascent Souls and Nine-aperture Nascent Souls have all disappeared."

Jiang Fan was startled: "Where did they all go?"

Lingyin said lightly, "They went mad."

Jiang Fan suddenly stood up. He remembered Jiang Wuya, that mad Nine-Aperture Nascent Soul! He had thought Jiang Wuya's madness was due to his own reasons. Now, hearing Lingyin, it seemed that the madness of Nine-Aperture and Eight-Aperture Nascent Souls was inevitable! This is the secret of the late Nascent Soul stage? "Why do they go mad?" Jiang Fan was somewhat flustered.

Lingyin said, "Because this is the inevitable path to God Transformation."

Jiang Fan was shocked. Breaking through to the God Transformation stage no longer required a mere serendipitous opportunity. Instead, it would cause madness? Lingyin continued, "Upon reaching the Eight-Aperture Nascent Soul stage, one will occasionally go mad due to God Transformation, doing unexpected things. Upon reaching the Nine-Aperture Nascent Soul stage, one will completely fall into madness. And you..." Lingyin looked at Jiang Fan, stating lightly, "One day, you too will go mad."

Jiang Fan's mouth felt dry. The late Nascent Soul stage was so perilous! No wonder divine sects and great academies had no Eight-Aperture or Nine-Aperture Nascent Souls overseeing them. Because they were all no longer normal! And he himself could not escape this fate.

Jiang Fan said in a deep voice, "Is it unavoidable?"

Lingyin shook her head: "Unless you never enter the ranks of the Nine-Aperture. The moment you step in, you will inevitably go mad. If one day you can awaken from your madness, you will shed the mortal and transform into a god."

Jiang Fan's face was grim: "What if I can't wake up?"

Lingyin said lightly, "Then there will simply be one more madman in this world."

Jiang Fan plopped down onto his seat, his eyes wide and fixed. The path to God Transformation was actually so perilous? But then, Lingyin added, "Ling Shu's death left a scar on your Nascent Soul. Its pain will prevent you from going completely mad like other Nine-Aperture Nascent Souls. It will give you a greater chance to awaken than others."

The implication: it increased the chances of God Transformation? Only then did Jiang Fan understand Lingyin's painstaking intentions! He gratefully cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Senior Lingyin!"

Lingyin said calmly, "No need to thank me. You can only achieve God Transformation by awakening on your own. If you fail to awaken from your madness, this crack will gradually expand, eventually tearing apart your Nascent Soul and causing you to lose your cultivation. At that point, you will no longer be a Nine-Aperture Nascent Soul, and the concept of a 'mad Nascent Soul' will naturally cease to apply to you, and you will awaken from your madness. However, you will become a cripple. Awakening on your own makes you a god. Awakening passively makes you a mortal. Seize this opportunity well."

After a long moment of stunned silence, Jiang Fan stood up and bowed deeply to Lingyin: "Senior Lingyin's painstaking efforts are truly profound. This junior had some misunderstandings before; please forgive me." He had once suspected Lingyin of having some conspiracy. It turned out that all her calculations were to pave the way for his path to God Transformation.

Lingyin said calmly, "If you achieve God Transformation, your child with Yaoyue will be stronger, which is good for my priestly lineage. Besides, I'm not helping you for free. Take this letter. In the future, when you meet a fellow named Old Man Tianji, give it to him."

Jiang Fan automatically ignored the first half of the sentence. He solemnly took the letter with both hands and said, "If this junior encounters him, I will certainly deliver it. Then this junior will not disturb senior's leisure."

Lingyin gently nodded, saying, "Go. Once you reach Taicang Great State, remember to stay away from Nine-Aperture Nascent Souls. No matter how normal they appear, stay away from them."

Jiang Fan remembered Jiang Wuya, who changed expressions like flipping a book, and smiled bitterly: "This point, Senior Lingyin doesn't need to remind me." He bid farewell and soared into the sky. Before leaving, he looked at Lingyin with a meaningful gaze, hesitating to speak.

Lingyin looked up at him: "What do you want to say?"

Jiang Fan looked around, asking seemingly casually: "Senior, do you raise chickens?"