Wanfa Daojun, starting from the Little Cloud and Rain Technique

Chapter 718 Shattering the Core to Form a Nascent Soul
After discussing things for a while, Ji An took his leave and returned to Crimson Flame Peak via two teleportations.

As he rode the crimson clouds that circled the mountains and forests, his initial excitement returned to calm.

He came to this mountain after breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage. At that time, the spiritual veins were not as large as they are now, and the spiritual fields totaled only two thousand acres. Among the spiritual plants covering the mountains and plains, not a single one had reached the second tier.

At that time, Master Ge Ying was still in relatively good health, and many of her senior brothers and sisters were Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The area of ​​the spirit fields is now close to 7,000 mu. If it weren't for the magic array restricting the area of ​​the spirit veins, it would easily be over 10,000 mu.

Tier 3 spirit trees are everywhere. The cave contains Tier 3 superior-grade soul-nourishing wood, as well as Tier 3 superior-grade cloud-top jade trees, Bodhi trees, spirit peaches, dragon blood trees, azure dragon wood, Vajra Bodhi trees, and a large number of Tier 3 mid-grade spirit trees.

Most of the sect's third-tier spirit trees grow here, not to mention the depleted spirit vein deep underground that is at least a fourth-tier high-grade one.

It is no exaggeration to say that Crimson Flame Peak holds a large portion of the sect's wealth.

After the hustle and bustle, some people are forever frozen in time, lost to the passage of years.

Time is the greatest enemy of cultivators. If they cannot maintain the continuous improvement of their cultivation, they will one day turn into the sands of time.

After flying around the mountains and forests for a week, Ji An landed on the mountainside and stepped into the cave.

He broke the seal of the magic array, took out the gourd stone, entered the small world, and lay down on the rattan chair under the Gathering Yuan Tree.

He focused his mind on his dantian, connecting it to the stone tortoise. He glanced at the amount of Daoist energy in his sea of ​​consciousness and gave the command:
"Refine the Dao essence and elevate the grade of the Metal Element Dao Seed."

His consciousness was drawn into the mysterious space of the stone tortoise, where he felt the sharpness and killing intent of Geng metal, and the tenacity and indestructibility of Xin metal.

Within the Golden Path Divine Palace, the two Dao Seeds drew ever closer, finally merging into one like two drops of water.

[Taoist Seed - Gengxin Metal (Lower Grade): Located in the Metal Palace of the Lungs, it allows one to comprehend the extinction and indestructibility of metal, enhancing one's understanding of metal-based magical arts.]

Stillness is immortal, movement is annihilation; the sharpness of a person is revealed in the interplay between stillness and movement.

[Daoyun: Gold 1454.6→1368.4]

Ji An could feel that his understanding of the power of metal had deepened, and the effect of casting the same spell would increase by at least 20%, while the mana consumption would decrease.

Between the increase and the decrease, his combat power increased by several percent.

Combat power cannot be calculated by simple addition. An extra 20% of attack power can overwhelm more enemies.

What might have been an attack that couldn't break through the enemy's defenses can now inflict damage directly.

The reduction in Daoist charm is not significant, which is to be expected.

Based on past experience, reaching the Great Perfection level in magic can contribute to improving the grade of one's Dao seed.

Ji An smiled faintly and continued to issue orders.

"Refine the Dao essence to elevate the grade of the Water-type Dao Seed."

[Taoist Seed - Ren-Gui Water (Lower Grade), stored in the water palace of the kidneys, allows one to comprehend the nourishing power of water, cleanse the spirit, and enhance understanding of water-based magical arts.]

Still as a tranquil lake, yet when stirred, its turbulent waves surge and wash away everything in their path.

"Refine the Dao essence to enhance the grade of the Wood element Dao seed."

[Taoist Seed - Jia Yi Wood (Lower Grade), stored in the Wood Palace of the Liver, allows one to comprehend the growth, cycle, and plundering of divine will of wood, enhancing comprehension of wood-based spells.]

The Jia wood reaches the sky, while the Yi wood grows lush and green. When in motion, they flourish and grow vigorously; when still, they lie dormant and restrained. It is in the interplay of withering and flourishing that the true nature of wood is revealed.

"Refine the Dao essence to enhance the grade of the Fire Dao Seed."

[Tao Seed - Bing-Ding Fire (Lower Grade): Stored in the Fire Palace of the Heart, it allows one to comprehend the properties of fire—burning all things and warming living beings—and enhances one's understanding of fire-based magic.]

Bing fire is blazing and Yang, while Ding fire is warm. Yang fire is bright and dazzling, burning everything, while Ding fire is like a flame leaping in a fireplace in winter, resisting the cold and giving comfort.

With the formation of the Bing-Ding Fire Dao Seed, the veins on the surface of the Five Elements Divine Palace became more lustrous and smooth, and the speed of the automatic operation of the cultivation technique accelerated once again.

Ji An was not surprised by this phenomenon. In a sense, these Dao Seeds had all reached the level of Nascent Soul cultivators.

To achieve the unity of the two, one must have a deeper understanding of the transformations of Yin and Yang.

The birth of a Nascent Soul requires insight into the broader Yin-Yang power; one can comprehend more from the Yin-Yang transformations of the Five Elements.

Ji An sat down cross-legged and began cultivating the Five Elements Revolving Scripture. To his surprise, he found that his speed of refining spiritual energy had increased by about 30%, a huge improvement!
He didn't continue cultivating; instead, he lay on the rattan chair and took out a jade slip containing the breakthrough insights of those who had broken through before him to examine it.

He added a lot of things to it, which were added after being dictated by Lianshan Zhenjun.

The next day, the disciples around Crimson Flame Peak received a relocation order.

Liu Yu led the disciples of the Enforcement Hall to maintain order, and he vaguely guessed the reason.

Even though they didn't know why they had to move, the disciples were very cooperative, because the move was only temporary and they would be back in a few days.

The cultivators of the Enforcement Hall declared that if the cave dwelling and the spiritual plants outside it were destroyed by force majeure, the sect would be responsible for compensation.

This news sparked further discussion among the disciples, who wondered what would happen next.

The disciples moved very efficiently, completing all the work in less than half a day.

They put the most important supplies into storage bags, activated the defensive array of the cave, and arrived at their resting place under the guidance of the disciples of the Enforcement Hall.

Liu Yu entered Crimson Flame Peak and found a figure standing proudly on the mountaintop. At that moment, a strong wind blew, making the person's hair flutter.

He flew over and landed slowly, laughing:

Is a breakthrough imminent?

Ji An nodded, "Yes."

A flash of memory crossed Liu Yu's eyes, and the scene of their first meeting suddenly popped into his mind, filling him with a myriad of emotions.

His cultivation level was only at the fourth level of the Golden Core stage, and he had long since given up the idea of ​​comparing himself with the other party, as the gap was too large and there was no basis for comparison.

"If Master knew about your achievements today, he would be so happy."

“We haven’t broken through yet,” Ji An replied, though the other person’s words sounded like he was trying to plant a flag. “Let’s talk by the cold pool.”

The two rode on clouds to the pavilion by the cold pool and sat down. Liu Yu spoke first:

"The area around Crimson Flame Peak has been cleared. When do you plan to make the breakthrough?"

"Tomorrow."

A few days later, at noon, the sun was shining brightly.

Liu Yu and the others looked towards Crimson Flame Peak and saw that the affected spiritual energy of heaven and earth stretched for hundreds of miles, with winds rising and clouds moving, creating an imposing atmosphere.

A massive vortex of spiritual energy stretched from the sky to the earth, covering an area of ​​nearly a thousand acres.

Above the vortex of spiritual energy, purple tribulation clouds began to gather.

Not only them, but most of the high-level cultivators in the sect were paying close attention to the situation here.

Although the news hadn't spread, the commotion was so great that everyone guessed what was happening. Ji An was sitting cross-legged atop Crimson Flame Peak, using a secret technique to continuously infuse his divine soul power into his golden core. He had a plate of sandalwood soul-nourishing incense burning on each of his sides, and two jade bottles in front of him.

Within the golden core, an infant had already taken shape, its appearance vaguely resembling his own.

The infant remained seated cross-legged, his hands forming hand seals, and the elixir rose and fell like the tide, constantly impacting the outer shell of the golden core.

For a cultivator to attain the Nascent Soul stage, their magical power must be perfectly integrated and of superior quality, and they must be as pure as a newborn being, untouched by any impurity.

Ji An follows the path of 'the five elements revolve and all laws return to oneness'. This path is very difficult, and it consumes a great deal of spiritual consciousness during cultivation. At the same time, it requires extremely strong spiritual consciousness control. However, the advantage of choosing this path is that the body has extremely strong purifying power.

The toxins accumulated from swallowing pills cannot remain in the body for long under the influence of surging magical power.

After breaking through to the ninth level of the Golden Core stage, he stopped taking pills, which further purified his magical power, making it crystal clear and spotless.

The second factor is the development of the soul infant. Because the soul is stronger, good 'raw materials' can naturally produce good 'products'. His soul infant's spirituality also far exceeds that of ordinary cultivators.

The third factor is to open the pathway to the upper dantian, using the sublimated power during the tribulation of lightning to reveal the Niwan Palace, thereby opening up the upper dantian.

Ji An possesses all three qualities; all he needs to do is firmly uphold his Dao heart and remain undisturbed by external influences, and his breakthrough will come naturally.

Gradually, he felt that the tidal power drawn by the soul infant was no longer increasing, and the power of his soul was also gradually running out.

He knew that his power had reached its limit, and the next step was to take a strong medicine to enhance it.

Without any hesitation, he immediately swallowed the pill in the jade bottle directly in front of him.

One pill, as red as fire with three golden lines swirling around it, is the Phoenix Nirvana Pill; the other, as black as ink, yet shimmering with a warm, watery light, with three white cloud-like lines floating within it, is the Nascent Soul Pill.

He calmed his mind, continued to circulate the secret technique and exhale slowly, without interfering further, letting everything develop freely.

It seemed as if magma was brewing in his abdomen, and the surging spiritual power was immediately drawn out by the Fire Element Divine Palace. Crimson flames ignited on the surface of the golden core, and the balance of the five elements was immediately at risk of being broken.

At this moment, the medicinal power of the Nascent Soul Pill was also refined, like the eruption of ten thousand years of cold water. The power contained within was extracted by the Water Element Divine Palace, and half of the surface of the golden pill burned with black cold flames, stabilizing the balance of the five elements that was about to collapse.

Moreover, the speed of circulation between the Five Elements Divine Palaces suddenly increased by 50%, and Ji An's speed of refining spiritual energy also increased accordingly.

The medicinal power contained in the pill was completely absorbed by the Golden Core, and its magical power and soul power were rapidly restored. The tidal power of the pill liquid controlled by the Soul Infant became even more vast.

Ji An controlled the flow of power without any joy or sorrow. His magical power and spiritual power surged like a galaxy pouring down, and his power continued to accumulate.

When the power reached its peak, Ji An seemed to hear a barely audible cracking sound, like hearing the crackling of Jun porcelain in the dead of night.

The next moment, his body trembled violently, and his golden core shattered.

Like the Big Bang, the golden outer shell shattered into powder and scattered in the middle dantian.

At the same time, a thunderclap emanated from his body, echoing through the mountains.

The thunderclouds in the sky surged wildly as if in response, growing even thicker.

A surge of pure energy rose from Ji An's lower dantian and entered his middle dantian. His nascent soul formed a hand seal to gather the shattered outer shell of the golden core, creating a small golden core which he swallowed. Riding on the rising energy, the core traveled along the newly opened immortal meridian to his brow.

Ji An activated his magic weapon, and five precious flags flew out of his dantian.

Within his dantian, the stone tortoise disappeared as the Five Elements Flag flew out.

The Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner transformed into the shape of a Qilin, which prostrated itself in front of its master, its yellow radiance spreading across the ground.

The remaining banners were quickly arranged according to their different directions: the Azure Lotus Banner was in the east, the Plain Cloud Banner was in the west, the Flaming Banner was in the south, and the Mysterious Origin Water Control Banner was in the north.

These precious banners disappeared into the rock, and their forms emitted various colors of spiritual light, creating a huge protective array.

The nascent soul rested between the eyebrows, looked up at the sky, and emitted a wisp of aura.

This was a provocation. Purple lightning crashed down, and the cultivators watching from afar felt as if the world had turned purple.

Immediately following, a deafening roar of thunder shook the surrounding area, causing some disciples with lower cultivation levels to sway and their faces to turn pale in an instant.

Their consciousness was attacked, as if a sharp blade was hanging over their heads, which made them feel a chill run down their spines.

Liu Yu felt his soul being shaken by the thunder and was immediately shocked, not expecting to be affected even from a hundred miles away.

The Jade Cloud True Man beside him immediately ordered, "Golden Core cultivators and Chaoyuan stage disciples, take responsibility and evacuate the lower-level disciples immediately!"

The sound echoed through the mountains and forests, and in an instant, various colored spiritual clouds rose and fell, carrying the disciples away quickly.

Those disciples who were not rescued immediately boarded their flying shuttles and fled, calling on their friends.

On Crimson Flame Peak, Chaos Divine Lightning struck the spiritual energy shield that shimmered with five-colored light.

The light trembled and shook, but remained unharmed.

An invisible force of vibration pierced through the defenses and struck Ji An directly, damaging his consciousness while simultaneously bringing a surge of soul power.

The waves surged in his sea of ​​consciousness, but were quickly suppressed by his divine soul.

The Niwan Palace appeared as a silent mass of black.

The nascent soul between the eyebrows made a hand seal, opening the portal to the Niwan Palace.

Ji An took out a top-grade third-tier mind-stabilizing talisman and activated it. Silver threads lit up on his sea of ​​consciousness, weaving into a net. This would be the first line of defense against attacks on the soul.

Then, he made a hand seal to release the strength of metal and stone, and silver spiritual light covered his entire body.

Golden blood surged through his body, and faced with the terrifying tribulation of lightning, he felt a surge of eager anticipation.

Purple lightning continued to fall, and the defensive power composed of the five magical treasures dissipated twice, but it re-condensed each time.

The magical artifacts suffered varying degrees of damage, but they also gained many benefits from being bathed in the lightning tribulation.

The three rounds of chaotic lightning tribulation ended, and a bright purple light illuminated the sky, shaking the soul.

The defensive barrier formed by the magical artifacts shattered after only half a breath, scattering into countless rays of light.

As Ji An's defenses were deactivated, he unleashed the Wrath of the Earth. Yellow spiritual light expanded outwards like the shockwave from a bomb explosion, counteracting the impending damage.

The Purple Heaven Divine Lightning pierced through the magic and crashed down on his head.

It penetrated the defenses of metal and stone and the barrier of the physical body, and landed on the nascent soul.

The nascent soul paused for a moment, and countless cracks appeared on its body, like a porcelain doll that had shattered and then stuck back together.

The purple lightning lasted for an extremely short moment. The nascent soul completed its final movement, and the Niwan Palace burst open, allowing the injured nascent soul to enter.

Ji An's body was torn open, his injuries were exactly the same as those of a Nascent Soul cultivator, and golden blood splattered everywhere.

The tribulation clouds above Crimson Flame Peak dissipated, and the sky, now cloudless, suddenly darkened, blocking out the sun's rays.

The sobbing echoed in the sky, and the crowd watching from afar cheered with joy.

The emergence of the Nascent Soul startled even ghosts and gods; the sect's first True Monarch was born.

(End of this chapter)