Starting at the Nascent Soul stage, a rogue cultivator is incredibly poor.

[Characters with names and identities generally have their own hidden agendas, so don't ask me why there's taunting at the start of the game in the Celestial Cave.]

Above Crystal Mountain City, the vast, chilling green light, along with the faint cries of an infant within it, finally dissipated completely.

The world returned to clarity, but the deathly silence in the city was even heavier. Whether one was cultivating Qi or presiding over the Golden Core stage, it felt as if a giant mountain had crushed their heart, and the lingering fear had not yet subsided.

Nascent Soul Formation!

In this remote Crystal Mountain City, a Nascent Soul cultivator has emerged!

Deep within the solitary peak cave, the last vestige of spiritual energy within the stone chamber was channeled into the dantian.

Qingyouzi opened her eyes excitedly, the blue light in her eyes fading, returning to a calm like a deep pool.

He looked inward at himself, and in his dantian, a three-inch-tall, luminous blue nascent soul sat peacefully, its face identical to his own.

Three hundred years of trials and tribulations, countless brushes with death, finally breaking through the Heavenly Gate.

With the initial formation of the Nascent Soul stage, lifespan extended by a thousand years, and supernatural powers naturally manifested. Yet, there was no joy on his face; his ingrained habit compelled him to quickly examine his own reliance.

Within the sleeves, countless fine blue threads, barely perceptible to the naked eye, moved silently, nimble and concealed yet harboring deadly intent.

This natal magic weapon, "Thousand Threads," has evolved into "Ten Thousand Threads" as his cultivation level has advanced. When combined with the "Azure Pulling Technique" he cultivates, it can produce an effect greater than the sum of its parts.

The cultivation technique he practiced was sufficient to allow him to reach the peak of the late Nascent Soul stage, but if he wanted to continue cultivating, he would have to find other cultivation techniques.

The dusty stone hairpin in his hair bun exuded a warm, cool sensation. This ancient treasure had helped him escape from dire situations several times and was his greatest life-saving reliance.

Its attacks are elusive and difficult to defend against, employing countless threads to conceal itself and the Wind-Riding Pearl for extreme speed.

In addition, with a thought, a deep blue panel appeared before him.

That's right, he was actually a time traveler who had traveled to this cultivation world for over three hundred years.

This is his system, called the Identification System. As long as you pay the corresponding spirit stones, you can identify all things and know the name and function of the items. Although they are trash, it is better than nothing.

He achieved his current success by finding loopholes through this system and stumbling along the way.

This is all the trump card that Qingyouzi has used to survive for three hundred years and live to this day.

His divine sense swept over the storage pouch at his waist. It contained approximately five thousand spirit stones and a pile of low-grade but cherished odds and ends. He had already emptied his savings in preparation for forming his Nascent Soul.

A dignified Nascent Soul Ancestor, yet penniless.

A self-deprecating smile flickered across his lips as he stared intently at his hands, feeling the powerful magic emanating from them, his hands trembling with excitement.

"I succeeded! From now on, I am a Nascent Soul cultivator! Hahaha, my countless day and night fantasies have finally come true."

The Nascent Soul's divine sense silently spread out, instantly covering an area of ​​a hundred miles. Outside the cave, Lu Ang, the Lord of Crystal Mountain City, and his son Lu Zhou waited respectfully with their hands at their sides, their posture humble.

It seems that these two knew he had successfully broken through and wanted to pay him a visit, hoping to become acquainted with him.

After all, the appearance of a Nascent Soul cultivator in the city he had established was a matter of whether it was a blessing or a curse.

Just as Qingyouzi was about to send a telepathic message to dismiss him, his brow suddenly twitched!

In the far northeastern sky, a jet-black beam of light, exuding a chilling aura, tore through the heavens at an alarming speed, heading straight for the solitary peak!

The beam of light made no attempt to conceal its powerful and domineering Nascent Soul spiritual pressure, exuding a cold, bloody, and filthy aura. Wherever it passed, the clouds dispersed, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth became obscured.

Demonic Nascent Soul!

Qing Youzi's heart tightened, alarm bells blaring. How did this person know about his secret arrangements for forming his Nascent Soul? And how could they have arrived so quickly and accurately?

Are they friend or foe? Are they targeting me?

In a flash, he suppressed the urge to flee. His opponent was extremely fast, and his aura had already subtly locked onto this area. If he rashly fled, he would only expose his weakness.

First, stabilize the situation.

His voice came through the stone gate, calm and undisturbed yet carrying the majesty and chill of a Nascent Soul cultivator:

"Lord Lu, it would be troublesome to borrow your esteemed place for my breakthrough. However, I am currently in seclusion to consolidate my cultivation and will not be receiving guests at this time."

At the foot of the mountain, Lu Ang and his son were already terrified by the approaching demonic pressure, their faces pale. Upon hearing this, they felt as if they had been granted a pardon, bowed deeply, and then hurriedly transformed into streaks of light and sped back to the city.

Almost simultaneously, a jet-black beam of light crashed down like a meteor before the stone gate of the cave!

The ground trembled slightly, and a cold, viscous aura of bloodlust spread out, causing the vegetation near the stone gate to wither and turn yellow at a visible speed.

The malevolent aura subsided, revealing the human form.

Tall and thin, he wore a dark purple robe embroidered with ferocious blood-red clouds and white bone patterns. His face was deathly pale, his cheeks sunken, and two crimson lights flickered intensely in his eye sockets. The corners of his mouth were turned up, but there was no warmth in them.

He didn't speak immediately; his scarlet eyes, like venom, slowly swept across the tightly closed stone door, as if trying to corrode and penetrate it.

Inside the stone chamber, Qing Youzi's eyes were cold. The myriad threads in his sleeve had reached their peak, and the Wind-Riding Pearl was slightly warm, ready to be unleashed. The azure nascent soul slightly opened its eyes, its spiritual power surging and flowing, prepared to either attack with all its might or flee far away.

After a few breaths of suffocating silence, a dry, hoarse sound, like a dull knife scraping bone, pierced through the stone door and entered Qingyouzi's ears:

"Heh... Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Qingyou, on the great success of your Nascent Soul cultivation. The path to the Great Dao is within reach. This aura of Nascent Soul formation is making me... incredibly eager to try it."

Qingyouzi sneered inwardly, maintaining a calm yet sharp tone:

"Who are you? How dare you trespass into my cave! Are all demonic cultivators so ignorant of etiquette?"

"Rules?" The purple-robed demonic cultivator chuckled, his voice grating. "Very well, since you ask, I am 'Seven Fiends,' an elder of the Blood Shadow Sect."

Seven Fiends? Qing Youzi's gaze remained unchanged as he quickly pondered in his mind.

Blood Shadow Sect is a famous demonic sect in the Southern Profound Continent; Seven Fiends True Man is one of the only two Supreme Elders of the sect, and it is said that he has been stuck at the early stage of Nascent Soul for hundreds of years without breaking through.

It seems we've been stuck in a bottleneck for too long.

"Fellow Daoist Qi Sha," Qing Youzi's voice remained indifferent, "what brings you here today? If it's to offer congratulations, I appreciate your sentiment, but you may leave now."

"Why are you in such a hurry to send me away, fellow Daoist?" Seven Fiends True Man's scarlet eyes brightened slightly as he took half a step forward. The chilling, foul spiritual pressure became even more oppressive, like an invisible sea of ​​blood squeezing against the stone gate.

"I have come here today not to provoke trouble. Now that you have successfully formed your Nascent Soul, you are one of us. There is a great opportunity concerning our path to enlightenment, and I have come to invite you to join me in this grand event."

"An opportunity?" Qing Youzi's tone remained unchanged, but his vigilance reached its peak. The opportunities spoken of by the Blood Shadow Sect elders were often accompanied by mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

"Not bad." Seven Fiends True Man's crimson eyes were fixed on the stone door. "Two years later, the 'Celestial Immortal Cave' will reopen. The mysteries within are related to ancient inheritances and even breakthrough opportunities, which you, fellow Daoist, must be well aware of."

Heavenly Immortal Cave! Qingyouzi's eyes flashed almost imperceptibly.

This is the most secret realm in the Southern Xuan Continent, controlled by the most powerful force, "Celestial Immortal City," and opens only once every hundred years. Entry is only permitted with a "Celestial Immortal Token."

Not long after I condensed my nascent soul, the other party found me with pinpoint accuracy. It is estimated that they had already sensed my formation and had refrained from interfering. They only showed up now, so it seems they have no ill intentions.

Even if you discover it, it's useless. When your Nascent Soul aura starts to leak out, you're almost ready to break through.

The other party was also well aware that offending a Nascent Soul cultivator was far more troublesome than making acquaintance with one.

Moreover, the other party's intentions are quite clear. Although the Heavenly Immortal Cave holds great opportunities, it is also fraught with dangers. Winning over allies to explore the secret realm together and share the risks is indeed the old demon's style.

Demonic cultivators, righteous cultivators, and powerful rogue cultivators will all go. The Seven Fiends are trying to win them over simply to gain more power amidst the chaos and a greater chance of seizing opportunities.

In the blink of an eye, Qingyouzi had grasped the key points.

Unfortunately. First, he didn't possess the Celestial Immortal Token. He hadn't deliberately sought it while focusing solely on Nascent Soul formation. Second, before venturing into any secret realms, he had an old debt to settle.

Blood Fiend Sect. A mid-level sect with no Nascent Soul cultivators in charge and a maximum of only five Golden Core elders.

Back when he was still in the late stage of the Golden Core realm, news of a "Nurture Pill" leaked, and three Golden Core elders from the Blood Fiend Sect relentlessly pursued him, forcing him to narrowly escape death and destroying all his life-saving magic treasures.

Now that he has reached the Nascent Soul stage, some scores need to be settled. If a Nascent Soul cultivator can tolerate such grudges, what kind of Dao heart does he have? He will never have a peaceful day in the cultivation world. Perhaps the Blood Fiend Sect, which lacks Nascent Soul cultivators, can replenish his depleted storage bag.

With this in mind, Qingyouzi had already made up her mind.

He transmitted his voice.

"I appreciate Fellow Daoist Qi Sha's kindness. I am naturally aware of the opportunities at the Celestial Immortal Cave, but alas..."

A slight pause.

"Unfortunately, I do not possess the Celestial Immortal Token. As you surely know, this item is extremely rare. If we happen to obtain it someday, then we can discuss joining forces."

The Seven Fiends Master outside the stone gate seemed unsurprised by the answer. He paced back and forth at the entrance, his dark purple robe rustling against the withered grass.

"Although the Celestial Immortal Token is rare, with your Nascent Soul cultivation, if you sincerely seek it, you may have a chance within two years."

His scarlet eyes darted around, and his tone slowed, revealing a deeper meaning.

"Such an opportunity is rare; missing it once could mean missing a hundred years. Fellow Daoist, you have just reached the Nascent Soul stage and your foundation is not yet solid. You need such an opportunity to stabilize your realm and even advance further. Joining forces with us is better than exploring alone or engaging in hypocritical dealings with those righteous people."

Qingyouzi remained silent for a moment before saying:

"What you say makes sense, fellow Daoist. However, Qingyou does not currently have such an order, so empty talk is useless."

Seven Fiends Master stopped and stared at the stone gate for three breaths, the scarlet light flickering.

Finally, he grinned, a sinister smile standing out starkly against his pale face.

"Very well. It seems you have other important matters to attend to?"

Before Qingyouzi could answer, he flicked his sleeve, and a streak of black light flew toward the stone gate, where it was stopped in mid-air by an invisible barrier about a foot away.

It was a palm-sized, irregularly edged black token with a twisted "煞" character engraved on the front, its surface faintly glowing with blood.

"This is a specially made communication jade token of my Blood Shadow Sect. If you change your mind, or... are fortunate enough to obtain the Celestial Token, you only need to activate it with your magic power, and I will be able to sense you within a range of 100,000 miles."

"Then we can discuss our alliance in detail, explore the Celestial Cave together, and seek that ancient opportunity."

Without lingering, his black and red aura surged suddenly. "Farewell." Before the words were even finished, he transformed into a jet-black beam of light and soared into the sky, disappearing into the horizon in the blink of an eye.

Silence returned to the stone chamber.

Qingyouzi's divine sense spread like a tide, repeatedly sweeping across hundreds of miles, and only slowly withdrew after confirming that Seven Fiends True Man had gone far away and had not left any surveillance methods.

His gaze fell on the black communication jade tablet in front of the floating stone door. With a slight thought, a thin wisp of cyan silk silently seeped out from the crack in the stone door, coiling around the jade tablet like a serpent and drawing it into the room. However, it did not directly touch his palm, but was instead enveloped in magic power and suspended in mid-air.

After carefully examining it several times and confirming that it was just a one-way communication talisman without any insidious restrictions such as tracking curses, he then tucked it into the corner of his storage bag.

"Blood Shadow Sect... Seven Fiends..."

Qingyouzi muttered to himself, a cold glint in his eyes.

He certainly didn't want to negotiate with a tiger. But if given the chance, the Celestial Cave was indeed worth exploring. However, that's a story for another time.

The most urgent task...

He slowly rose, his aura becoming harmonious and restrained, showing none of the earth-shattering power he displayed when forming his nascent soul, appearing as if he were just an ordinary Taoist in blue robes.

It's time to make a trip to the Blood Fiend Sect. Settle old scores and replenish resources. Then, we can discuss other matters.

He took one last look at this temporary cave dwelling on a solitary peak that had helped him break through his cultivation level, then rolled up his sleeves and the stone door opened silently.

Its figure swayed slightly, then transformed into a wisp of faint blue smoke, merging into the clouds in the sky and disappearing without a trace.