FVN Chapter 93: Nascent Soul Remnant
Chapter 93: Nascent Soul Remnant
"Lead it to the guardian beast?"
Xuan Xin was taken aback, but then he understood Li Wu's intention, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.
"Great idea!"
He immediately changed direction, no longer fleeing outwards, but instead led Li Wu and Su Wanqing towards the forest formed by the wood-elemental spiritual energy.
Seeing this, Lü Yang sneered:
"Trying to escape? None of you will get away today!"
He urged the Mirror Crane, and the blood-red light transformed into countless blood-red feathers, sweeping across the sky and chasing after the three of them.
Xuanxin gritted his teeth and activated the pagoda, enduring the bombardment of the blood feathers as he sped along.
The pagoda cracked more and more, almost crumbling into dust, but it managed to hold on until it reached the edge of the forest.
"Go in!"
The three of them plunged into the forest.
The trees, imbued with wood-elemental spiritual energy, stirred the moment the three entered. Countless emerald green vines wriggled like snakes, coiling towards them.
Xuanxin severed several vines with a single sword strike, leading the two deeper into the area.
Lu Yang followed closely behind. Jing He flapped its wings, and the blood-red light shredded the trees along the way into countless green specks of light.
But this action thoroughly enraged the guardian beasts of the forest.
Countless emerald-green mythical beasts surged forth from all directions, including tigers, leopards, giant pythons, and birds, densely packed together, numbering over a hundred, all rushing towards Luyang.
"A mere spirit beast dares to stop me?"
Lu Yang dismissed it with disdain. These spirit beasts were themselves manifestations of spiritual energy, belonging to magic, so Jinghe could replicate them all.
But the number of spirit beasts was simply too great; as soon as one batch was killed, another batch would appear, and it seemed endless.
Worse still, the blood-red aura emanating from the Mirror Crane not only attracted wood-type spirit beasts, but also alarmed the spirit beasts in the sea of fire and on the mountain peaks.
A crimson fire behemoth surged from the right, and an earthen-yellow rock giant crawled out from underground. The three elemental beasts gathered together and surrounded Luyang.
"This is……"
Lu Yang's expression changed slightly; he finally realized something was wrong.
These spirit beasts weren't targeting him, but rather all the outsiders in this space.
He and Li Wu were now the targets of these spirit beasts' attacks.
However, Li Wu and the other two hid on the edge of the spirit beast horde, barely holding on with the help of the pagoda's defenses, while he was in the very center of the horde, bearing the greatest pressure.
"A cunning brat!"
Lu Yang gritted his teeth; he finally understood Li Wu's scheme.
"Using the guardian beasts to wear me down... Good, very good!"
He took a deep breath, waved the blood banner, and countless vengeful spirits surged out, transforming into a blood-red barrier that blocked the spirit beasts that were coming from all directions.
The Mirror Crane also circled above his head, constantly replicating the attacks of the spirit beast and retaliating back.
Every time a spirit beast is killed, more spirit beasts surge forth, as if the entire ruins are at odds with Luyang.
"At this rate, I'll really be worn down and die here."
Lu Yang's face was gloomy. His gaze pierced through the group of spirit beasts and stared intently at Li Wu, who was hiding in the distance. His eyes were filled with resentment.
"I'm going to kill you no matter what!"
With this in mind, he ignored the attacking spirit beasts, endured several attacks, and charged straight towards the direction where Li Wu and the other two were.
His body was enveloped in blood-red light, and the emerald green spirit beasts along the way were smashed to pieces and dissipated into spiritual energy.
"He's going to fight desperately!"
Xuanxin's expression darkened, and he gritted his teeth as he activated the pagoda, which was already covered in cracks.
Lu Yang rushed forward, waved the blood banner, and countless vengeful spirits surged out from it, coalescing into a huge blood-red ghost claw, which fiercely grabbed down at the pagoda.
"Snap!"
The pagoda finally gave way and shattered with a crash.
Xuan Xin grunted and flew backward, crashing heavily into a giant tree brimming with spiritual energy, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"Let's see where you run this time!"
Lu Yang's eyes flashed with bloodlust. He raised his hand and pointed, and the Mirror Crane opened its mouth and spat out a beam of blood-red light, which went straight for Li Wu.
Li Wu frowned slightly, constantly activating the Golden Light Mirror and Thunder Sound Flying Sword to defend himself, while also desperately channeling his spiritual energy. His figure transformed into a silver-white arc of lightning, weaving through the horde of spirit beasts to buy time.
"Lu Yang is relying on pills to forcibly restore his strength, but he will not be able to hold on for long," Li Wuxin thought to himself.
At the same time, the guardian beasts all around rushed frantically towards Luyang.
Wood-attribute, fire-attribute, and earth-attribute spirit beasts, their spiritual energy coalescing into a torrent, completely surrounding Lu Yang and Jing He.
Lu Yang's face turned ashen. He waved the blood banner, and vengeful spirits surged forth, tearing the attacking spirit beasts to shreds one by one.
However, there were simply too many spirit beasts to kill them all, and for every one killed, even more spirit beasts would surge forth.
"Damn it! Damn it!"
Lu Yang gritted his teeth. He finally realized that he was trapped among these spirit beasts.
"We can't delay any longer."
A ruthless glint flashed in Lü Yang's eyes. He raised his hand, slapped his chest, and spat out another mouthful of blood.
The essence and blood transformed into a blood mist, merging into the Mirror Crane's body. The Mirror Crane raised its head and cried out to the sky, its body swelling once more, its wings spreading out to blot out the sun.
"Since you want to die, then I'll grant your wish!"
Lu Yang shouted loudly, and the Mirror Crane flapped its wings fiercely, turning countless blood-red feathers into a rain of blood that poured down in all directions.
This attack covered the entire ruins.
Li Wu's expression changed, and the Thunder Sound Flying Sword spun rapidly, condensing silver-white lightning into a lightning shield in front of him.
The rain of blood struck the lightning shield, exploding into clouds of blood mist. The lightning shield trembled violently, but ultimately did not shatter.
But the surrounding spirit beasts were not so lucky.
The emerald green, crimson, and earthy yellow spirit beasts were struck by the blood rain, their bodies exploding and dissipating into spiritual energy.
In just a few breaths, hundreds of spirit beasts were wiped out.
Lu Yang's face was ashen, and he swayed precariously, but the killing intent in his eyes grew even stronger.
"now you."
He raised his hand and pointed, and the Mirror Crane opened its mouth, a blood-red beam of light condensing within it, containing power more terrifying than ever before.
Just as Li Wu was about to return to the Qi Gathering Realm to avoid the attack that made his heart tremble, the area suddenly changed again.
The spiritual energy of the wood, earth, and fire elements rose, and the spirit beasts disappeared one by one, converging in one place.
"What's going on?"
Everyone looked in the direction where the spiritual energy was converging.
Then a figure gradually appeared.
"This is... a Nascent Soul stage monster!" Xuan Xin was shocked and paled.
"It's a wisp of divine soul left behind by a Nascent Soul cultivator resonating with the spiritual energy of this place!"
The figure gradually solidified, but it was not made of flesh and blood. Instead, it was formed by the interweaving and condensation of the three elements of wood, fire, and earth. It emitted a faint spiritual light, and its features were blurred. Only an old man dressed in an ancient Taoist robe could be vaguely discerned.
Lu Yang looked at the old Taoist priest with a solemn expression and said in a deep voice:
"This is... a Nascent Soul stage monster!"
A Nascent Soul cultivator is an existence that no one in the entire Danfeng Continent can match.
Xuan Qing, the strongest disciple of the Biyang Sect, is only at the peak of the Core Formation stage. Although he is known as a half-step Nascent Soul cultivator, he is actually still far from the Nascent Soul stage.
At this moment, a true Nascent Soul cultivator, even if he was just a wisp of remnant soul or a projection of spiritual energy, appeared before everyone.
"Li Wu, Su Wanqing, find a chance to leave quickly. Although this Nascent Soul old monster is only a wisp of aura, he is still not someone we can fight against."
At that moment, a voice transmission entered their ears.
Li Wu looked at the suddenly appearing Nascent Soul cultivator. Even a wisp of his aura was no less imposing than that of a Purple Mansion True Person.
He pondered to himself:
"I'm afraid that a Nascent Soul cultivator at their peak might even be stronger than a Purple Mansion True Person!"
In contrast to Xuanxin's vigilance, Lüyang was completely different.
He stared intently at the illusory figure, his eyes flashing with a complex mix of surprise, greed, and fear.
"The inheritance of Nascent Soul cultivators... Could the legends be true?"
He muttered to himself, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.
The next moment, the phantom moved.
The old man's phantom slowly opened his eyes. Though they were called eyes, they were actually just two points of light condensed from spiritual energy. But wherever those points of light swept, everyone felt as if they had been seen through, with no secrets left inside or out.
The phantom's gaze lingered on Xuan Xin for a moment, then swept over Su Wanqing, and finally landed on Lü Yang.
The Nascent Soul elder asked in surprise:
"Mirror Crane? Are you Crane Full of Pond?"
"No... He Manchi was killed by several Nascent Soul cultivators long ago. It seems you are his descendant or successor."
"The Core Formation stage is complete... thankfully, it hasn't reached its full potential yet."
Having said that, the Nascent Soul Old Monster raised his hand and waved it.
The three elemental energies of wood, fire, and earth surged simultaneously, but not indiscriminately like before. Instead, they were manipulated by an invisible hand, transforming into three chains of different colors that coiled around Lu Yang and Jing He.
"No!"
Lu Yang's expression changed drastically. He frantically activated the Blood Banner, and countless vengeful spirits surged out, trying to resist the three chains.
But the wood-based chains were the first to wrap around the blood banner, and the emerald green light seeped in. The vengeful spirits seemed to be purified, and after letting out mournful howls, they turned into green smoke and dissipated.
Lu Yang was terrified and wanted to abandon the banner and escape, but the fire-attribute chains had already wrapped around his right arm, and the crimson flames burned his demonic energy, making a "hissing" sound.
The earth-element chains then entangled the mirror crane.
The Mirror Crane struggled frantically, flapping its wings in an attempt to replicate the power of the three chains, but this time, the replication failed.
"Can't copy... Why can't I copy it!"
Lu Yang was horrified to discover that Jing He's abilities were completely ineffective against these three chains.
The Nascent Soul stage monster snorted coldly and said sharply:
"This is a Daoist technique that I condense using my divine soul as a guide and the spiritual energy of the three elements as its foundation. It is not an ordinary spell. You, little crane, are merely imitating the appearance; how can you replicate the essence?"
Lu Yang's face was ashen.
He finally realized that his prized Mirror Crane was nothing more than a clown's trick in front of this Nascent Soul old monster.
"Please spare me, senior!"
Lu Yang stopped struggling and knelt down with a thud, his voice full of pleading:
"This junior is willing to hand over all my cultivation techniques and spiritual items, only begging for your life, senior!"
The Nascent Soul cultivator remained silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head:
"You sacrificed millions of lives, your sins are unforgivable. Although I have fallen and cannot punish you on behalf of Heaven, I will not allow you to leave this place alive."
Having said that, the three chains tightened simultaneously.
Lu Yang let out a miserable scream, his body surging with bloody light, but he was unable to break free even a fraction of an inch.
The Mirror Crane let out a mournful cry as its body was torn apart by earth-elemental chains, turning into a bloody mist and dissipating.
Lu Yang's body was also gradually deformed under the pressure of the three chains. The sound of bones breaking could be clearly heard, and blood seeped from his seven orifices, a shocking scene.
Xuan Xin and Su Wanqing were horrified as they watched this scene.
The power of a Nascent Soul is terrifying, even if it is just a wisp of a remnant soul.
Lu Yang's screams gradually weakened and eventually disappeared completely.
His body was torn to pieces by three chains, and even his nascent soul was unable to escape, completely annihilated in the spiritual energy.
A powerful demonic cultivator, a master of the Core Formation stage, perished in this ancient ruin.
The three chains did not dissipate after killing Lü Yang, but slowly retracted and merged back into the old man's phantom image.
The phantom became even more ethereal, as if it might vanish at any moment.
After killing Lu Yang, the Nascent Soul Old Monster turned to look at Li Wu and the other two.
Xuanxin felt as if facing a formidable enemy and quickly cupped his hands in greeting:
"This junior, Xuanxin of Biyang Sect, has come to hunt down demonic cultivators. I had no intention of offending you, senior. I hope you will forgive me."
"The Azure Sun Sect..."
The Nascent Soul cultivator seemed to be pondering the name in his mind, but without any result. However, seeing that the three people in front of him did not have the aura of demonic cultivators, he waved his hand and said:
"Leave immediately, for my soul is about to dissipate and this land is about to collapse."
"Thank you so much, senior!"
Upon hearing this, Xuanxin felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She quickly bowed and thanked him, then, despite her injuries, she reached out and grabbed Li Wu and Su Wanqing, leading them away.
The three of them transformed into streaks of light and sped away from the ruins.
Behind them, the stone palace collapsed with a deafening roar, turning the half-collapsed stone palace into complete ruins. Then the entire mountainside crumbled, the earth split open, and countless cracks spread outwards.
The three sped along, the ground behind them constantly collapsing, and chaotic spiritual energy swept in like a storm.
Xuan Xin's face was deathly pale, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but he dared not stop for a moment, and exerted all his strength to activate his escape light.
Finally, after breaking through the edge of that wasteland, the collapse behind us gradually stopped.
The three landed on a relatively safe, desolate hill. Looking back, they saw that the area where the ancient battlefield was located was filled with smoke and dust, and the spiritual energy was chaotic. They could vaguely see that the ground had collapsed several feet deep, and the entire ruins seemed to have been crushed by an invisible hand.
"Finally... out."
Su Wanqing breathed a sigh of relief, looked at Xuanxin, and said with concern:
"Uncle-Master Xuanxin, your injuries..."
Xuan Xin waved his hand, took out a healing pill from his pocket and swallowed it. His complexion improved slightly, and he said:
"It's nothing serious. It's just that I overused my magic power, and the destruction of the pagoda caused some backlash. I'll be fine after a few days of rest."
"Lu Yang is dead. This matter is settled. We should go back now."
Li Wuwei nodded slightly. After a short rest, the three of them set off in their escape light and headed back towards the Biyang Sect.
…………
It was three days later when they returned to the Biyang Sect.
Upon hearing the news of Lu Yang's death, Master Xuanqing was first shocked, then overjoyed. After Xuanxin gave a detailed account of what had happened in the ruins, the sect leader remained silent for a long time.
"A Nascent Soul old monster... such power even from a wisp of remnant soul..." Xuan Qing murmured softly, his eyes filled with both awe and longing.
He had been stuck at the peak of the Core Formation stage for many years, unable to take that next step.
"A Nascent Soul cultivator has a lifespan of two thousand years. With every move he makes, he possesses the power to destroy the heavens and the earth. He is undoubtedly the most powerful in the world."
The only one stronger than a Nascent Soul cultivator is the Deity Transformation Ancestor.
However, there are very few Nascent Soul cultivators, and now, for nearly a thousand years, no Nascent Soul Ancestor has appeared in the world.
Master Xuanqing gazed at the sea of clouds outside the hall for a long time before turning to look at Li Wu:
"We were able to kill Lu Yang this time thanks to your thunder magic."
Li Wu shook his head and said:
"This time, we mainly relied on Elder Xuanxin's selfless protection and the remnant soul of that Nascent Soul senior to help us."
"You don't need to be modest."
Xuanqing waved his hand, then took out a jade box and said:
"This [Mysterious Thunder Strike Wood] is something I obtained in the Eastern Divine Continent. You may take it."
Upon hearing this, Li Wuwei nodded slightly, then took the [Mysterious Thunder Strike Wood], opened it, and saw that it was indeed a rare thunder-attribute spiritual object.
It's even better than the Foundation Establishment level lightning-attribute spiritual items given to us before.
"Once I refine this [Mysterious Thunder Strike Wood], I will be able to complete the Foundation Establishment stage," Li Wuxin thought to himself.
…………
Subsequently, Li Wu did not stay at Biyang Sect for long, but returned to Youyang County.
While we're at it, let's go to Qingyuan River and see what Lu Sui and his family are like now.
Li Wu rode the lightning and soon arrived at Qingyuan River.
Looking into the distance, rows of houses with blue bricks and gray tiles have been built on both sides of the river, arranged in a neat and orderly manner.
A stone wall about ten feet high stood on the outer perimeter, with simple protective formations carved on it.
A few wisps of smoke rose from between the houses, giving the area a somewhat small-town feel.
Li Wu slowly landed at the village entrance.
Apart from Lu Sui, the Lu family currently has no other cultivators, so the guards are members of the Zhao family.
The other person saw a bolt of lightning strike in front of him, was startled at first, then recognized him and hurriedly bowed in respect.
"Master Li... Master Li!"
Li Wu's illustrious name is known to everyone in Youyang County today.
Not to mention they're from the Zhao family.
"No need for such formalities."
Li Wuwei nodded slightly and asked:
"Is Lu Suike there?"
"Yes, yes, yes! Master Lu is in the ancestral hall. I'll go inform him right away!"
"No need to inform them, I'll go myself."
Li Wu walked along the bluestone path in the village. The ordinary members of the Lu family all turned to look at this unfamiliar, handsome man.
Li Wu didn't care about the gazes of these mortals and looked around at his surroundings.
Although Qingyuan River cannot compare to the sacred mountains and blessed lands, it is still nestled against the mountains and beside the water, and its spiritual energy is still considerable.
The Lu family has only been settled here for a short time, yet they have managed to build such a large structure, which shows that they have put in a lot of effort.
The ancestral hall is located in the center of the village. It is a three-courtyard building, with the ancestral tablets of the Lu family enshrined in the main hall.
When Li Wu stepped into the courtyard, Lu Sui quickly came out to greet him.
"Brother Li, you've arrived!"
Lu Sui laughed heartily; he had sensed Li Wu's presence long ago.
Li Wu smiled slightly, looked around the courtyard, and said:
"Brother Lu, it hasn't been long since we last met, yet your Lu family has already achieved such a remarkable state."
Lu Sui stepped forward, smiling and waving:
"Not at all, not at all. I'm just benefiting from the Zhao family's influence. Brother Li, please don't make fun of me."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lu Sui led Li Wu toward the main hall of the ancestral temple.
The hall was simply furnished, with more than ten wooden memorial tablets neatly arranged on the central altar. Smoke curled from the incense burner, emitting a faint sandalwood fragrance.
Li Wu's gaze swept over the memorial tablets, which were engraved with the names of Lu's ancestors throughout the ages, the earliest of which could be traced back three hundred years.
"Brother Lu is quick on his feet; he's even built the ancestral hall," Li Wu nodded.
Lu Sui stroked his beard and sighed:
"My Lu family was once known for its tradition of farming and scholarship in the mortal world. Unfortunately, due to frequent wars, many of our family genealogies have been lost. Some of the ancestors on these ancestral tablets have no known names, so we can only refer to them as 'the ancestors of the Lu family'."
At this point, Lu Sui's tone was tinged with emotion:
"Now that my Lu family has finally gained a foothold in the cultivation world, these ancestors should be gratified if they are watching from heaven."
The two took their seats in the hall, and a member of the Lu family's mortal clan served them tea.
"Brother Lu, have your clansmen adapted well since they moved here?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Sui smiled slightly.
"At first, it was indeed a bit difficult to adapt. After all, it's normal to have difficulty accepting a sudden move from the mortal realm to this cultivation world. But it's much better now."
"This place is full of spiritual energy. If mortals stay here for a long time, they will have fewer disasters and illnesses and live a few more years."
Li Wuwei nodded slightly and then asked:
"Brother Lu, have you examined the spiritual roots of your clansmen yet?"
Lu Sui nodded slightly and said:
"The survey is quite good; there are a few people with spiritual roots."
"However, most of them are already old, and even if they embark on the path of immortality, they will probably only be able to reach the early stage of Qi Refining in this lifetime."
A predestined connection to immortality is not just about spiritual roots, but also about the opportunity to embark on the path to immortality.
Li Wu and Lu Sui were quite lucky back then. When they arrived at Pukou Market, they were only fourteen or fifteen years old. Although it was a bit late, they still had hope of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.
"However, there was a seven-year-old child whom I sent to Qing Shimen."
Lu Sui smiled and said:
"That girl's spiritual root is average, so I had her become He Yu's apprentice and learn how to manage the sect from him. This way, when she returns to the clan, she can manage clan affairs."
As the two were talking, a series of crisp footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard.
A moment later, a slender figure walked into the courtyard; it was Zhao Nanxu.
She held a small child in one hand and a small child in the other, a boy and a girl, both dressed in red with pigtails on their heads, looking very festive.
The two children were exquisitely beautiful, with features somewhat resembling Lu Sui. One was a boy and the other a girl, and they looked to be about two or three years old.
"Are these Brother Lu's twins, a boy and a girl?" Li Wu asked.
Lu Sui laughed and beckoned the two children over:
"Qing'er, He'er, come and greet your Uncle Li."
Two children timidly approached Li Wu and called out in their childish voices:
"Hello, Uncle Li."