Chapter 604: Breakthrough to Nascent Soul

Zhu Yunwu’s pupils contracted, his four wings bristled, and his smile froze. As Lu Yang’s opponent, he knew how powerful Lu Yang truly was. If Lu Yang were to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, Zhu Yunwu feared he wouldn't be able to defeat him even if he burned his essence blood.

Lu Yang approached Zhu Yunwu step by step, making a distinct pattering sound. Each step had a slight pause, and the sound didn’t seem to fall on the Altar of Heaven, but rather on Zhu Yunwu’s spirit platform. His demeanor was leisurely, as if he were taking a casual stroll, clearly not taking Zhu Yunwu seriously.

He was already at the ninth level of the Golden Core stage and could break through at any time. However, his original plan was to finish touring the Demon Country and return to Dao Seeking Sect to break through slowly. After all, it was a major realm breakthrough, and he wanted to have a sense of ritual. Unfortunately, plans had changed.

Seeing the unfavorable situation, Zhu Yunwu roared and attacked first, seizing the initiative. He absolutely couldn't let Lu Yang succeed in breaking through! His four wings vibrated, and his six hooves stomped the sky, causing space to ripple. Zhu Yunwu fought desperately, like a rushing torrent of mud and rock, pouring down.

Boom—

Lu Yang was completely unprepared and was sent flying by Zhu Yunwu, crashing into the railing of the Altar of Heaven.

“Phew, so he’s just at the end of his rope.” Zhu Yunwu burst out laughing, instantly relaxing. That’s right, the Heaven-Shrouding Great Hand Seal just now must have consumed all his spiritual power. Where would the other party get the strength to break through? He had been too nervous.

Lu Yang spat out a mouthful of blood, which stood out conspicuously on the pristine white glazed jade. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, got up, and walked towards Zhu Yunwu, still wearing that triumphant smile.

“Come again.”

Zhu Yunwu’s eyes instantly turned red, and fear spread through his heart. Like a mad bull, he furiously attacked Lu Yang. Each time, Lu Yang didn’t dodge, taking Zhu Yunwu’s impact head-on. But with each of Zhu Yunwu’s attacks, the distance Lu Yang was pushed back shortened. The last time, Lu Yang only retreated half a step.

During the repeated collisions, cracks appeared on Lu Yang’s Golden Core. Milky white light emerged from the cracks, rapidly healing Lu Yang’s injuries.

Boom—

Zhu Yunwu performed another charged impact. Lu Yang finally moved. He extended his right palm, exerting force, and pressed down on Zhu Yunwu’s head, forcibly stopping the blow! Zhu Yunwu stared up at Lu Yang in disbelief. What greeted him was a radiant smile… and Lu Yang, now at the Nascent Soul stage.

His bones crackled, undergoing a rapid tempering process. His physical condition was now vastly different from before. His essence, vital energy, and spirit merged, using the accumulated invincible momentum as a catalyst to intertwine in his dantian, giving birth to a strange power.

The Indestructible Core completely shattered, and abundant spiritual energy burst forth, flowing through all his meridians. Above the Altar of Heaven, a terrifying spiritual energy vortex formed, wildly pouring into Lu Yang’s body, filling his shriveled meridians and the nascent infant. In his dantian, a tiny infant, the size of a fingertip, curled into a ball, emitting a milky white, peaceful light. It absorbed the external spiritual energy, growing continuously until it reached three inches tall and could move freely, at which point it stopped absorbing. Unlike a newborn child, this Nascent Soul was plump and white, its face full of excitement and laughter.

“Is that all?” Lu Yang’s muscles tensed, his body like a great dragon, pulsing with power. He threw a punch directly at Zhu Yunwu’s face!

“How is this possible!” Zhu Yunwu couldn’t believe it. Not only could the opponent break through to the Nascent Soul stage at any time, but how could he possess such strength immediately after breaking through? Did he not need the process of solidifying his foundation and refining his Nascent Soul? Typically, cultivators who break through to the Nascent Soul stage would have unstable cultivation and need time to consolidate it. However, Lu Yang, as the strongest Golden Core holder, had been undefeated in countless battles during the Golden Core stage, achieving continuous victories. The invincible momentum he formed allowed him to directly solidify his foundation, eliminating the need for secluded cultivation to consolidate.

Zhu Yunwu had never encountered such a situation. He was caught off guard by Lu Yang's rapid changes, losing the initiative. Lu Yang didn't even need to use his sword techniques; he could suppress Zhu Yunwu with just his bare hands.

“I will definitely win!” Zhu Yunwu went berserk, disregarding the consequences and burning his essence blood to temporarily boost his combat power. The onlookers gasped in alarm. Zhu Yunwu's foundation was unstable, and burning his essence blood at this moment, even if he won this fight, would likely make future breakthroughs difficult!

A faint projection of Zhu Tian flickered behind Zhu Yunwu. As the ancient patriarch of the Di Jiang clan and the most powerful being, Zhu Tian was the source of their bloodline. The appearance of Zhu Tian’s projection was one of the characteristics of burning essence blood. Borrowing power from his ancestor to defeat a powerful enemy!

Roar—

Zhu Yunwu roared, completely losing control. Lu Yang took out a pill. As Zhu Yunwu roared, he flicked it with his index finger into Zhu Yunwu’s mouth. Zhu Yunwu tried to spit it out, but Lu Yang stepped forward, held his chin, and lifted it. Zhu Yunwu instinctively swallowed the pill.

“What did you feed me?!” Zhu Yunwu exclaimed in alarm. He felt the power gained from burning his essence blood rapidly disappearing. This pill had actually interrupted his essence blood burning process.

Lu Yang smiled and explained, “It’s a Realm-Breaking Pill. It can help someone break through from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core, and it can also help someone break through from Nascent Soul back to Golden Core.” Lu Yang had asked Seventh Elder to refine a Rejuvenating Reversal Pill. Seventh Elder had just successfully refined a Realm-Breaking Pill earlier and had given one to Lu Yang as a celebratory gift.

Zhu Yunwu’s heart sank. Sure enough, not only was the power from burning his essence blood disappearing, but his cultivation realm was also dropping! He was completely flustered. How could he fight now?

“Useless!” Zhu Tian roared in fury. He was now certain that the person on the Altar of Heaven was the true Young Sect Master Lu. Otherwise, where would such a peerless genius come from? No matter what, Zhu Yunwu absolutely could not lose here. This was a matter of pride! The first battle after the establishment of the Demon Country, defeated by the Heavenly Court Sect—this would become a lifelong joke for him!

He split off a wisp of his divine sense and attached it to Zhu Yunwu.

“Master…”

“Useless! Let me do it!” Zhu Tian temporarily took control of Zhu Yunwu’s body, halting the dropping cultivation realm.

“Rise!” he softly commanded, and Zhu Yunwu’s cultivation realm actually returned to the Nascent Soul stage!

Lu Yang had just learned from Immortal Fairy that his opponent had changed from Zhu Yunwu to Honored One Zhu Tian. He felt very helpless. It was one thing for the Demon Country’s referees to be biased, but how could they have the referee enter the fight?

Immortal Fairy was indignant for Lu Yang, rolling up her sleeves and charging forward, “That grandson Zhu Tian has been scheming and sly ever since I knew him. How dare he fight like this again? Get out of the way, let me do it!”

Lu Yang invoked the spirit, inviting Immortal Fairy to act as she pleased.

On the other side, Zhu Tian was scolding Zhu Yunwu in his mental space. “You good-for-nothing! You can’t even beat an opponent like this. Your master has to take action personally. Watch how your master fights!”

Zhu Tian controlled Zhu Yunwu’s body, shaking off his daze and preparing to counterattack, only to be smashed in the face by Lu Yang’s fist, leaving him dazed. He vaguely heard something about “Immortal Fairy’s Fist.”

Zhu Yunwu watched this scene, speechless, silently and humbly learning.

The second update will be at eleven.

(End of chapter)