PDLP Chapter 207 Qingling Breakthrough
Chapter 207 Qingling Breakthrough
……
Half a year has passed in the blink of an eye.
At the bottom of a secluded, remote ravine in the heart of Yunzhou, a cave dwelling, concealed by numerous restrictive formations, quietly stands.
Deep within the cave, Qingling sat cross-legged, suspended in mid-air.
The Profound Yin Soul-Condensing Jade had already been completely refined and absorbed by her, and was now transforming into the foundation for her breakthrough to the core of the Nascent Soul barrier.
The entire cave dwelling felt stagnant and heavy, with invisible pressure emanating from it.
Little Yun in her arms was also fast asleep, her tiny body curled up as if she were undergoing some kind of transformation.
Countless bluish-gray winds swirled and gathered around Qingling.
Each shift of these eerie winds stirred the invisible wind spirits of heaven and earth, emitting a low whistling sound.
Deep within her dantian, the dark blue golden core was undergoing an unprecedented transformation.
On the surface of the Golden Core, the vast Yin-Yang origin bestowed by the Profound Yin Condensing Soul Jade perfectly merged with her Wind Spirit Root.
It formed a torrent containing the power of destruction and rebirth, crashing against that solid Nascent Soul barrier time and time again.
With each impact, the oppressive force within the cave grew heavier.
Qingling's divine power was pushed to its limit, and her consciousness sank into the center of a chaotic storm.
It guides the power that combines the attributes of Yin and Yang with wind, carrying out its most fundamental transformation and sublimation.
Just as Qingling reached the peak of her breakthrough to the Nascent Soul barrier and condensed the rudimentary form of a Ghost Dao Nascent Soul,
boom!!!
An indescribable, immense pressure suddenly erupted from the cave deep within the rift valley!
This oppressive force ignored the layers of restrictions and formations carefully laid out by Chen Xu, and swept across hundreds of miles in an instant.
The entire deep rift valley trembled violently, and rocks tumbled down.
Immediately afterwards, an enormous, bluish-gray beam of light, carrying a malevolent wind that could tear apart all life, shot straight into the sky.
Wherever the beam of light passed, the sky was stained a deathly gray.
The clouds were instantly frozen, turning into countless ice crystals that fell from the sky.
At the core of the beam of light is the eye of a storm, composed of countless high-speed rotating wind blades.
What's even more terrifying is the aura emanating from the pillar of light, which is chilling and piercing to the bone, penetrating straight to the soul.
The forests touched by the edge of the beam of light, whether towering ancient trees or low shrubs, were visibly stripped of their vitality and withered away.
The lush green leaves withered and turned black in an instant, turning into ashes.
Birds and beasts died on the spot before they could even cry out in pain.
"Ghostly aura soars to the heavens! The power of a Nascent Soul cultivator?!"
Inside a cultivator stronghold called "Qingyan Fortress," belonging to the Cangshan Alliance, which is closest to the rift valley.
The late-stage Core Formation elder in charge of overseeing the situation suddenly rushed out of the meditation room. Looking at the towering, grayish-blue pillar of light, his face turned deathly pale, and his eyes were filled with disbelief and horror.
"The direction... is that forbidden area in the rift valley! How could a ghost cultivator be attempting to break through to the Nascent Soul stage there?!"
At another outpost of the Cangshan Alliance, several Foundation Establishment cultivators were so overwhelmed by the oppressive aura that they could barely breathe and their bodies trembled.
The Cangshan Alliance considers itself neutral, and most of the cultivators within its territory practice ordinary cultivation techniques. Ghost cultivators are already rare, let alone ghost cultivators who are trying to break through to the Nascent Soul stage.
This undoubtedly puts the Cangshan Alliance's position in the spotlight.
"Such pure Yin and Yang essence!!" Inside a black stone palace near the border of the Cangshan Alliance, the Demonic Path Alliance was located.
A Nascent Soul demon, his body surging with demonic energy, suddenly opened his blood-red eyes, his divine sense traversing a vast distance to probe the direction of the pillar of light.
His face first showed surprise and doubt, then revealed a look of greed and fear.
"Such a figure is hidden on the territory of the Cangshan Alliance? Interesting... Send someone to investigate! Be careful not to become a target."
Inside the Heavenly Evolution Sect of the Righteous Path Alliance, in a sword pavilion that houses countless spiritual swords.
A sharp and incomparable golden sword aura suddenly shone brightly, emitting a buzzing sword sound.
Li Luo's senior uncle, who was meditating and had clashed with Chen Xu's clone in the late Core Formation stage, suddenly stood up, his face ashen.
"It's the Cangshan Alliance again! That Core Formation ghost cultivator and his accomplices disappeared there last time..."
"A ghost cultivator has actually broken through to the Nascent Soul stage within the Cangshan Alliance's territory?!"
"What is the Cangshan Alliance doing! Immediately send a message to the sect and ask the elders to make a decision! If this villain is not eliminated, he will surely become a great threat!"
The leaders of all major forces in Yunzhou, whether righteous or demonic, were alarmed at this moment.
Countless powerful divine senses probed towards the rift valley, and various emotions surged in the undercurrents of Yunzhou.
Inside the Rift Valley Cave.
Qingling was completely unaware of the towering waves outside.
Her entire focus was concentrated in her dantian, under the countless impacts of that fusion power.
The seemingly indestructible Nascent Soul barrier finally emitted a cracking sound that only she could hear.
"Snap!"
The moment the barrier shattered, a vast and boundless power found its outlet.
Within Qingling Dantian, the golden core suddenly disintegrated, transforming into the purest torrent of primordial energy.
At the center of this torrent, a bluish-gray nascent soul, composed entirely of wind-spirit yin energy, was slowly taking shape.
The moment the nascent soul took shape, the pillar of light within the cave suddenly contracted, pouring back into Qingling's body like a whale sucking in water.
The terrifying pressure that had spread for hundreds of miles and devoured life also receded like a tide.
The bluish-gray ice crystal clouds in the sky slowly dissipated.
However, the lingering chilling aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator in the world heralded the birth of a newly promoted Nascent Soul ghost cultivator.
After a long while, Qingling slowly opened her eyes.
She looked down at Xiaoyun, who had undergone a complete transformation, and a cool smile curved her lips.
She gently stroked its two new tails, and Xiao Yun let out a soft, comfortable whimper, nuzzling affectionately against Qing Ling's palm.
Then, Qingling raised her hand, a wisp of bluish-gray wind spirit energy swirling around her fingertips, and her thoughts stirred slightly.
Buzz... Centered on her, a ghostly domain with an area far larger than ever before instantly unfolded.
Within the Ghost Realm, the light was dim, the wind howled, and all was silent, as if it were a small, dark world of its own.
Within this realm, Qingling felt she was the absolute master.
She even felt that, with the suppressive power of the [Ghost Domain Suppressing Spirit Emblem] and the newly awakened innate divine abilities of herself and Xiaoyun, they were able to overcome the enemy's defenses.
Even when facing a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, they might still have a fighting chance.
"Nascent Soul... Is this the Nascent Soul realm...?" Qing Ling murmured to himself, feeling the surging power within his body.
However, at that moment...
A very subtle spatial fluctuation was instantly detected by both Qingling and Xiaoyun.
Its speed far surpasses that of a Core Formation cultivator, and its target is this Rift Valley Cave!
"You came so fast." A cold glint flashed in Qingling's clear eyes, and she moved in a flash.
Qingling's figure, along with Xiaoyun in her arms, suddenly became blurry, as if they had merged into the omnipresent yin wind.
The next instant, only a wisp of bluish-gray airflow remained, rapidly dissipating from its original location.
Qingling and Xiaoyun have completely vanished without a trace, as if they had never existed here.
Almost at the same time that Qingling disappeared.
boom!!!
A blinding white light tore through the lingering dark clouds above the rift valley, crashing heavily onto the entrance of the cave like a falling meteor.
The light faded, revealing a figure.
The newcomer had white hair and beard, a gentle face, and wore a silver-white Taoist robe. He was none other than the Nascent Soul Ancestor of the Changqing Sect of the Cangshan Alliance, the Cold Mist Taoist.
"Hmm?" Daoist Hanwu frowned and let out a surprised sound.
"Disappeared?" His divine sense swept over every corner of the cave again and again, even penetrating hundreds of feet underground, but he could no longer detect even the slightest trace of the newly promoted Nascent Soul ghost cultivator's aura.
The other party left extremely decisively, without leaving any trace of pursuit. The mystery of their escape technique even made him feel a little uneasy.
"What a brilliant escape technique..." Cold Mist Daoist thought with awe.
When he arrived, he clearly sensed that the aura of the newly born nascent soul was right here, without a doubt.
But just as he was about to lock onto his target, the aura vanished as if erased from thin air, disappearing without a trace.
call out!call out!
Two more powerful beams of light followed closely behind, landing beside the Cold Mist Daoist.
One was a middle-aged Taoist priest with a serious face, carrying a long sword on his back.
The other was dressed in palace attire, exuding an elegant and dignified air. .
Both of them are Nascent Soul Elders of the Cangshan Alliance.
"Brother Han!" The middle-aged Taoist priest looked at the empty cave and the solemn-faced Cold Mist Taoist, and said in a deep voice:
"That ghost cultivator... escaped?"
"Hmm." Daoist Hanwu nodded slowly, his voice carrying a hint of solemnity.
"The aura vanished in an extremely strange and complete manner. This fiend, having just broken through, already possesses such abilities; it is definitely not a benevolent being!"
The palace-clad figure swept his divine sense across the air, sensing the lingering chill and withered vitality, and his expression turned grim.
"What an overbearing ghost cultivation technique! Fellow Daoist Han, such a ghost cultivator is secretly breaking through within the territory of my Cangshan Alliance. His ambitions are not small."
"We must find out its origins as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences will be dire!"
The divine senses of the three Nascent Soul cultivators intertwined once more, sweeping over every inch of the rift valley repeatedly.
After confirming that there were no more valuable clues, he left in a wisp of light with a heavy heart.
The rift valley returned to deathly silence, leaving only the scorched earth stripped of its life, silently recounting the earth-shattering changes that had just occurred.
……
Meteor City, Floating Island Cave.
Chen Xu's true form sat cross-legged in the most central quiet room.
With the Xuanqiong Netherworld about to open, it's time to make some preparations.
After some thought, he immediately sent a clone made from a disguised disposable training dummy to the location.
Three months later, in a desolate sea area prone to storms.
Chen Xu piloted an unremarkable, low-level flying boat, struggling to navigate through the raging winds and towering waves.
Guided by the increasingly strong spatial resonance of the Ghost Key, the entrance should be located at a weak point in the space of this sea area.
He remained highly vigilant, his divine sense reaching out like a spider web, constantly watching for any unusual activity around him.
On the sea, a storm raged, dark clouds loomed overhead, and lightning crackled.
Occasionally, one could see the escape lights of other cultivators flashing across the distant horizon, heading in roughly the same direction, clearly indicating that they were also key holders.
Everyone tacitly maintained their distance, and an invisible tension and vigilance permeated the air.
Suddenly, the You Key in Chen Xu's hand trembled violently and emitted a low hum.
Suddenly, the You Key in Chen Xu's hand trembled violently and emitted a low hum.
Its surface star map suddenly lit up, pointing diagonally forward to a sea area shrouded in dense thunderclouds.
At the same time, he sensed at least seven or eight equally intense spatial fluctuations lighting up simultaneously in the nearby sea.
"The entrance is about to open!" He felt a chill and immediately put away his flying boat.
Rumble!!!
The thunderclouds in the sky seemed to be stirred by an invisible giant hand, spinning wildly and forming a huge vortex with a diameter of hundreds of miles.
At the center of the vortex, space was like a crumpled piece of silk, violently twisted and stretched.
Finally, it tore open a huge crack that stretched across the sky, radiating a deep, dark blue light.
At the edge of the rift, turbulent spatial currents flickered and leaped like lightning, emanating a terrifying aura of destruction.
The Mysterious Realm of the Void has opened!
The deep blue crack, like the maw of a giant beast, slowly stabilized.
An ancient aura surged forth, instantly engulfing the entire sea area.
"It's activated!"
"Charge!"
"The opportunity is right in front of us!"
In an instant, dozens of streaks of light, which had been unable to contain themselves any longer, rushed toward the dark blue crack from all directions.
The weakest of these escape lights were all at the mid-stage of Core Formation, and there were also some Nascent Soul level monsters who rushed into it.
Chen Xu did not act immediately, but instead concealed himself and observed from the shadows.
Several Core Formation cultivators' escape lights approached the rift.
Suddenly struck by several strange spells coming from the side, he screamed and fell into the sea, clearly having been ambushed by the key-stealing ambush.
Chaos, slaughter, greed... all unfolded at the entrance.
Chen Xu waited patiently until the fluctuations caused by the opening of the entrance stabilized.
He suddenly activated the Nether Key, transforming himself into an almost imperceptible streak of light, skimming the sea surface as he rushed towards the dark blue crack.
He was extremely fast and chose a rather cunning route, not rushing straight into the center of the crevice, but cutting in diagonally from the side, avoiding areas where ambushes were obviously planned.
However, just when he was less than a hundred feet away from the crack, a sudden change occurred.
"Buzz!!"
Twelve crimson beams of light suddenly appeared on the surrounding sea, instantly weaving together into a massive blood-red net covering an area of hundreds of feet in radius.
Runes flowed within the net, emanating a powerful binding force.
"Hahaha! Another fat sheep has fallen into the trap!"
Three figures rose from the sea surface, forming a triangle that surrounded Chen Xu in the center.
The leader was an old man in a gray robe with a sinister face. His cultivation had reached the late stage of Core Formation. He held a blood-red banner in his hand, on which countless vengeful spirits struggled and wailed.
On the left was a short, stout middle-aged cultivator with a mid-stage Core Formation cultivation level, surrounded by twelve emerald green flying knives.
On the right is a beautiful but vicious-looking female cultivator in red, also at the mid-stage of Core Formation, playing with a crimson whip in her hand.
"Boy, hand over the Nether Key, and I'll leave you with a whole corpse!" The gray-robed old man grinned maliciously, waving his blood banner, and a cloud of blood mist spread out, corroding the air with a hissing sound.
Chen Xu stopped in mid-air, his gaze calmly sweeping over the three of them.
"People from Xuan Sha Island?"
A hint of surprise flashed in the gray-robed old man's eyes:
"Oh? You've got some insight. Since you know we're from Xuan Sha Island, you should understand that resistance is futile."
"Hand over the Ghost Key obediently, and I'll let you die a quick death."
Facing the three attackers, Chen Xu remained calm and simply said, "Those who block my way shall die."
Before he finished speaking, without moving, he had already grasped a long sword with a dark blue body in his hand.
"Arrogant!" The red-clad female cultivator launched the first attack, her crimson whip emerging like a venomous snake, carrying scorching waves of heat as it swept straight towards Chen Xu's neck.
The short, stout cultivator simultaneously activated twelve emerald green flying knives, transforming them into a net of blades to block off any escape route.
The gray-robed elder at the head grinned and waved his banner, several ferocious ghost claws coalescing from the blood mist and reaching for Chen Xu...