txolops Chapter 334 Pseudo-Nascent Soul Strength
Chapter 334 Pseudo-Nascent Soul Strength
Just then, a weary, aged voice, filled with emotion, slowly resounded in his mind:
"If it were anyone else, it would be absolutely impossible. But your total amount of magical power is now not much less than that of an ordinary early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. More importantly, the strength of your spiritual sense is not much different from that of an ordinary mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator!"
With this foundation, and considering that your cultivation of the Qianyang Fire Eyes inherently emphasizes divine sense and true fire, this breakthrough in your realm resulted in a surge in both your magical power and divine sense. It's not entirely surprising that you unexpectedly mastered this divine ability.
The Heavenly Mirror Hermit resided within Luo Ming's natal magic treasure, where he continuously nurtured and recovered within Luo Ming's dantian.
This time, Luo Ming broke through to the late stage of Core Formation, not only did his magical power nearly double, but his divine sense was also tempered and strengthened once again.
As the spirit of his natal magic weapon, which was connected to his soul, Tianjing Sanren naturally benefited greatly. The essence of his soul, which he had lost in order to kill the Extreme Yin Ancestor, had not only been fully restored, but was even more refined and powerful than before.
If he were to unleash that "decapitation strike" again now, he would not struggle as much as he did last time, and could even unleash it several times in a row with spare energy.
Upon hearing Tianjing Sanren's assessment, Luo Ming's face lit up with even greater joy, and he couldn't help but ask for confirmation, "Senior, are you saying that my current total mana has... has already reached the level of a Nascent Soul stage cultivator?"
Although he knew that within a major realm, a cultivator's strength would experience a qualitative leap each time they advanced to the later stages, the gap between the late and middle stages of Core Formation was much greater than the gap between the middle and early stages of Core Formation, second only to the breakthrough of a major realm.
But he never expected that the increase in his magical power during this breakthrough would be so terrifying! He felt the golden core in his dantian, which had "expanded" by nearly twice its previous size, radiating a dazzling golden light and emitting a heart-palpitating power fluctuation, as well as the surging magical power contained within it, which was like a turbulent river.
He suddenly realized why those late-stage cultivators at various realms could easily suppress or even crush mid-stage cultivators.
The Heavenly Mirror Hermit let out a soft hum in his sea of consciousness, his tone carrying a hint of complexity:
"Look at how solid your foundation is! The golden core of an ordinary Core Formation cultivator is only the size of a pigeon egg, but your golden core, when it was in the middle stage of Core Formation, was more than eight times the size of a cultivator of the same level! Now that you have broken through to the late stage, your golden core has 'grown' again, so what's so strange about your total mana doubling?"
With a solid foundation built up in the early stages, the gap between you and others will naturally widen. But don't be too happy too soon.
He paused, his tone turning serious: "Although your total mana is close to that of some early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators with shallow foundations, it doesn't mean you truly possess the strength of a Nascent Soul cultivator. The most terrifying aspect of Nascent Soul cultivators lies in their control over mana, which is far beyond what a Core Formation cultivator can achieve."
They can condense and compress their magical power to the extreme. With only 20-30% of their magical power, through the manipulation and transformation of their Nascent Soul, the power of their supernatural abilities can be equivalent to a full-force attack from a Core Formation cultivator. In your current state, at best... you can be considered a 'pseudo-Nascent Soul' cultivator with half your strength.
When encountering a Nascent Soul cultivator with extraordinary magical powers and treasures, you might be able to hold your own with your own abilities. However, if you get into a stalemate and the opponent figures out your strength, given the Nascent Soul cultivator's combat experience and profound foundation, you will inevitably be defeated. Remember, never become complacent because of a sudden surge in your magical power, and never engage in a prolonged head-on confrontation with a Nascent Soul cultivator.
Tianjing Sanren paused for a moment and then said, "However, if you use all your skills and join forces with your powerful spirit beasts to fight to the death, even an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator would probably have a hard time dealing with you."
Luo Ming nodded secretly, understanding that his own strength was roughly equivalent to that of the Extreme Yin Ancestor, whose strength was sealed by half. He could completely crush ordinary late-stage Core Formation cultivators and could also hold his own against ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators. However, when he encountered Nascent Soul cultivators with powerful magical abilities and treasures, like Han Li who had advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, he would probably be instantly killed, and might not even have a chance to escape.
"Not bad. How many Core Formation cultivators like me can there be in the mortal realm?" Luo Ming thought with a pleasant mood.
In high spirits, Luo Ming suppressed the powerful aura that had been overflowing from his body due to his recent breakthrough and strolled out of the secret chamber where he had been in seclusion for half a year.
He did not return to his usual quiet room, nor did he seek out Mingyue to inquire about matters within the building. Instead, he went straight to the door of the secluded chamber next door, which was also shrouded in heavy restrictions and belonged to Yuan Yao.
After a brief moment of sensing and confirming that the energy inside was stable, he raised his hand and cast a few spells, silently dissolving the restriction at the entrance of the secret chamber, and stepped inside.
Inside the secret chamber, spiritual energy abounded, but compared to the outside world, it possessed an even more refined and chilling aura of darkness.
Yuan Yao sat cross-legged in the center of the spirit-gathering array, her eyes slightly closed, her body enveloped in a faint, almost transparent, dark aura. Her aura had undergone a dramatic change compared to half a year ago.
The most obvious change is, of course, cultivation level. The powerful spiritual energy fluctuations that were originally present in the early stages of Core Formation have now become almost imperceptible, replaced by a refined and pure third-level Qi Refining fluctuation that is still immature yet exceptionally condensed and pure.
She has successfully taken the first step in resuming her cultivation of the "Nether Phoenix Technique" after dispersing her own power.
However, what concerned Luo Ming even more was the change in her entire spirit and temperament. The original Yuan Yao was beautiful and radiant, with an outgoing and energetic personality.
At this moment, sitting quietly cross-legged, she naturally exuded an aura of coolness, solitude, and tranquility, as if she were slightly isolated from the surrounding light.
That was not deliberate indifference, but a natural change in temperament brought about by an affinity and control over the power of Yin and Yang, originating from the depths of one's cultivation techniques and bloodline.
Luo Ming was familiar with this aura. It shared a similar origin with the pure Yin energy of the Wind Fox Beast, but was more restrained and carried the agility of a human.
The reason for this is that when Yuan Yao switched to cultivating the "Nether Phoenix Technique", she used a drop of the original essence blood from the Wind Fox Beast provided by Luo Ming as a "catalyst" to initially stimulate the characteristics of the technique, causing her magic power and soul to begin to move closer to and transform towards the Netherworld attribute.
As if sensing Luo Ming's arrival, Yuan Yao's long eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.
In an instant, those already beautiful eyes seemed to shed a veil of worldly dust, becoming even clearer and deeper. A faint, eerie light flickered deep within their pupils, and a cool, aloof air naturally emanated from them as they glanced around, as if they could see right through people's hearts.
However, when her gaze focused and she saw Luo Ming standing at the door, smiling at her, the cold aura that had just enveloped her instantly melted away like thin ice being melted by the spring sun!
A bright, unreserved smile, as radiant as the rising sun, blossomed on her exquisite face. Her eyes instantly filled with undisguised joy, dependence, and tenderness. The passion and vivacity that belonged to Yuan Yao in the past had returned to her.
"Is that... a stark contrast?"
Luo Ming's heart stirred slightly, but his smile remained unchanged, though he seemed to be deep in thought.
He could sense that as the cultivation of the "Nether Phoenix Technique" progressed, this top-tier Yin-attribute technique would likely have an increasingly greater impact on Yuan Yao's external temperament, eventually forming a unique aura. This was not a bad thing; it was simply a natural evolution resulting from the combination of the technique and her physique.
He cultivated the "Azure Nether Scripture" on his own, and now his temperament has become more and more serene. On the outside, he is like a deep pool, but deep inside, he contains an extreme sharpness.
If it weren't for his divine sense being far superior to others of the same level, and his active restraint and concealment, ordinary Core Formation cultivators would probably have easily felt that suppressed pressure. This was the result of his deeper understanding of the Azure Nether Scripture after advancing to the late Core Formation stage.
However, to truly reach the state of "a mind as still as a deep pool, outwardly calm and inwardly clear," and returning to one's original simplicity, one will probably have to wait until at least after condensing the Nascent Soul.
"Brother Luo, you've emerged from seclusion?" Yuan Yao stood up happily, quickly walked to Luo Ming, tilted her pretty face up, and looked him over with sparkling eyes. Then, her joy deepened. "The aura around you... is much stronger than before! Have you successfully broken through to the late stage of Core Formation?"
Seeing her future Daoist partner's cultivation advance so much, getting one step closer to the lofty Nascent Soul realm, Yuan Yao felt genuinely happy and proud, even more so than when her own cultivation had improved.
Seeing her delighted expression, Luo Ming's smile deepened. He suddenly stepped forward, leaned down slightly, and whispered in her ear in a slightly teasing, magnetic voice:
"Why are you still calling me 'Brother Luo'? It sounds a bit distant. Our relationship is different now, shouldn't we... change how we address each other?"
A warm breath brushed against his earlobe, carrying Luo Ming's unique and reassuring masculine scent.
Yuan Yao's delicate body trembled slightly, and her exquisite face instantly flushed a captivating blush, like a ripe cherry. It spread all the way down to her fair neck.
She instinctively took a small step back, lowered her eyelids, and spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, filled with barely concealed shyness:
"Change...what should we call each other? We...we haven't formally...done the wedding ceremony yet..."
As she spoke, her eyes darted around, and she secretly glanced at Luo Ming, her expression shy and hesitant, revealing a charming and coquettish air.
Combined with her aloof and ethereal aura enhanced by her cultivation of the "Nether Phoenix Technique," she possessed a breathtaking charm that made Luo Ming's heart skip a beat, and a surge of heat rose uncontrollably from his lower abdomen.
Luo Ming stared intently at Yuan Yao, who was so close to him, her breath sweet and her beauty breathtaking, and his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.
He could hardly resist the urge to pull the beautiful woman before him into his arms and cherish her tenderly.
He had been in seclusion for half a year, making great progress in his cultivation. He was in a state of vigorous energy and mental well-being. It would be a lie to say that he was not tempted by such a stunning beauty.
But reason instantly prevailed over impulse. He took a deep breath, circulated his Azure Netherworld Qi, and forcibly suppressed the sudden flame that rose in his heart, his eyes regaining their clarity.
Luo Ming wasn't exactly a gentleman either. The reason he acted this way was mainly because Yuan Yao had just finished retraining and was in a crucial period of consolidating her foundation and transforming her magical power.
If we were to do that now, it might not only affect her progress in cultivating the "Nether Phoenix Technique," but it could also disrupt the yin-yang balance within her body and even damage her very essence.
This will directly affect the purity and accumulation of the Yin essence within her body, and consequently affect his grand plan to condense his nascent soul!