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

Qingyouzi took out the black boulder, the base of the Heavenly Demon God-Slaying Array.

Following the activation method recorded in "Yi Xuan Zhen Jie", he embedded the magic spirit stone into the groove at the top of the boulder.

The boulder trembled slightly, and the dim array patterns on its surface lit up one by one! A dark light rippled outwards like water, quickly enveloping the entire quiet chamber. An invisible barrier quietly formed, completely isolating the inside from the outside.

Qingyouzi tried to probe the outside world with his divine sense, and sure enough, it was as if there was a thick layer of glass between them, and everything was blurry and unclear.

If divine senses from the outside were to probe in, they would likely be distorted and misled by this formation, making it difficult to perceive the true situation inside.

"A good formation."

He nodded in satisfaction.

With this protective array, future seclusion, healing, and even doing secret things will be much safer.

After dismantling the formation, Qingyouzi sat down cross-legged.

In the coming days, he needs to adjust his condition to its peak, and then refine the remaining medicinal power of the Divine Grass to stabilize his fourth realm.

As for the items such as the Condensing Essence Pills and Void Crystals obtained from the Nascent Soul Trading Fair, they also need to be dealt with one by one.

Outside the window, the sky was gradually brightening.

Qingyouzi closed his eyes and immersed himself in cultivation.

Time flies, and years pass quickly.

Outside Tingzhu Pavilion, the bamboo forest has withered and flourished eight times, and the mountain mist has gathered and dispersed three thousand times.

Deep within the cave, Qingyouzi sat cross-legged like an ancient pine tree, his aura subtly harmonizing with the earth's veins of the entire Cuiwei Mountain.

Late autumn of the eighth year.

At dusk that day, the wind suddenly stopped in the mountains.

Birds fell silent, and insects hibernated.

The spiritual energy of the entire mountain began to flow slowly, like rivers flowing into the sea, converging towards Tingzhuxuan.

At first, it was just a slight ripple like a breeze brushing leaves, but in less than half a day, it had formed a visible vortex of spiritual energy, slowly rotating above the cave.

At the center of the vortex, Qingyouzi's eyes were closed, and the nascent soul within her body was undergoing a transformative metamorphosis.

The three-inch nascent soul sat cross-legged in the dantian, its originally somewhat illusory body gradually solidifying, with fine blue patterns appearing on its surface.

A deafening roar came from the depths of my consciousness!

The bottleneck of the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm was broken in an instant!

In an instant, a surge of immense spiritual power erupted from Qing Youzi's body like a torrent! Centered on the cave dwelling, an invisible wave of energy spread out and swept across the entire Cuiwei Mountain!

Wherever they went.

Dead trees come back to life, withered grass sprouts new buds.

The dried-up streams gushed forth with clear spring water, and the withered herbs unfurled their leaves. The entire mountain seemed to be infused with new life, displaying a vibrant energy comparable to early spring even in late autumn!

Inside the cave.

Qingyouzi slowly opened her eyes.

A flash of blue light appeared in his eyes and then disappeared, returning to its deep depths.

He raised his hand, his five fingers loosely clenched, feeling the surging magical power within his body, which was twice as strong as before his breakthrough!

His divine sense spread out.

One hundred li, two hundred li, three hundred li!

Within a radius of three hundred miles, everything was within my perception! The mountain ranges in the western suburbs of Xuanxian City, the cultivators' escape lights, the lurking demonic beasts... every detail was as clear as the lines on the palm of my hand.

This level of spiritual power is comparable to that of an ordinary late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator!

"finally……"

Qingyouzi exhaled softly, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Eight years of hard work have finally paid off.

The fourth chapter of "Seven Chapters of Refining the Spirit" was already complete. Over the past five years, he had thoroughly refined the power of the divine herbs, stabilizing his divine sense at 250 li. In the following three years, he used the power of the Condensing Essence Pill to hone his magical power, and today he finally achieved a breakthrough.

Even if he couldn't defeat a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, he was now confident he could escape unscathed.

If we also consider the myriad threads, the ancient green demon fire, the insect swarm, the soul-shaking bell, the hundred-demon net...

Even those in the late Nascent Soul stage might be able to put up a fight!

Just as he was immersed in the joy of this breakthrough, a familiar aura suddenly came from the edge of his consciousness.

Qingyouzi's mind stirred slightly.

With a flash, he appeared in the front courtyard of the cave.

Outside the courtyard, Yun Yun leaned against an old bamboo post, holding a vermilion wine gourd in his hand, and was tilting his head back to drink wine.

"well……"

He wiped his mouth and muttered:

"Senior has been in seclusion for eight years, and we don't know when he will emerge. Master asked about him the other day, saying that if he comes out of seclusion, he must inform us immediately..."

Before he could finish speaking...

The bamboo door in front of him slid open silently.

Qingyouzi, dressed in a blue robe, stood inside the door with his hands behind his back, looking at him with a half-smile.

"puff--!"

Yun Yun spat out a mouthful of wine!

He hurriedly stood up straight, frantically straightened his robes, wiped his mouth, and then bowed in greeting.

"S-Senior! You've emerged from seclusion?!"

"Just came out of seclusion." Qingyouzi stepped out of the courtyard gate, her gaze sweeping over the vibrant mountains and forests around her. "You certainly know how to pick your time."

Yun Yun chuckled, took a few steps closer, and carefully examined Qing Youzi. Suddenly, his eyes lit up:

"Senior...you've broken through?!"

"I've made some progress," Qingyouzi said calmly. "How is your master doing lately?"

"Excellent!" Yun Yun hurriedly said, "Master broke through the bottleneck of the mid-Nascent Soul stage eight years ago, and now his cultivation is stable, making his position in the Inspection Division even more secure."

Qingyouzi nodded slightly.

Xu Changxing, though somewhat unfathomable, is generally upright in his actions. Looking back now, those words and the game of chess he played back then were truly a reminder.

"By the way, senior," Yun Yun remembered something and took out a jade slip from his robes, "this is what my master asked me to pass on. He said it might be useful to you after you come out of seclusion."

Qingyouzi took it and probed it with his divine sense.

The jade slip contained a detailed summary of intelligence.

The internal strife within the Wanxian Dynasty intensifies, with the struggle between the reformists and conservatives spreading from court infighting to border skirmishes, and even small-scale conflicts among cultivators erupting.

While outwardly maintaining neutrality, the Guixian Sect secretly continued to provide resources to the reformists.

The Xuanxian City Demon Hunting Order continues to be implemented, and the price of demon beast materials remains high, attracting more cultivators to go overseas.

Currently, there are some minor frictions between the Guixian Sect and Xuanxian City.

Qingyouzi put away the jade slip, his expression calm.

Mr. Mo's words from back then suddenly echoed in my ears.

"Senior," Yun Yun asked cautiously, "what are your plans next?"

Qingyouzi gazed at the distant sky, where clouds rolled and unrolled.

"Please convey my message to Fellow Daoist Xu: I appreciate his kindness. However, over the years, Xuanxian City has ceased to offer anything I require."

He paused, then continued:

"I will be leaving soon."

Yun Yun was taken aback, a look of reluctance appearing in his eyes:

"Senior, are you leaving? Where are you going?"

"It's not decided yet." Qingyouzi shook his head. "Perhaps I'll go to the Guixian Sect in the east, perhaps I'll travel north to explore the glaciers, or perhaps I'll return overseas. But I will come back in the future."

He looked at Yun Yun, his tone unusually gentle:

"You've made good progress in the past eight years, reaching the late Golden Core stage. Continue your cultivation, and you'll be on track to reach the Nascent Soul stage."

Yun Yun bowed deeply and solemnly said:

"This junior will certainly live up to the expectations of my seniors."

Qingyouzi took out a jade bottle from her storage bag and handed it to him:

"These contain three drops of 'Earth Vein Essence,' which may be useful when you form your Nascent Soul. Consider this your reward for all the years you've worked so hard for me."

Yun Yun accepted it with both hands:

"Thank you so much, senior!"

"Go ahead," Qingyouzi waved her hand.

Yun Yun bowed deeply, then turned and left.

After taking a few steps, he looked back again.

Qingyouzi still stood in front of the courtyard, his green robe fluttering. As the mountain wind passed, his figure seemed somewhat desolate and aloof.

He took a deep breath and rode away in a streak of light.

Three days later.

Qingyouzi tidied up all the items in Tingzhuxuan.

After living here for ten years, I've accumulated some odds and ends.

He used the newly acquired Void Crystals and other materials to reforge the internal space of the storage bag, making it more than five times larger than before, enough to hold all his belongings.

One last check to make sure nothing is missing.

He walked into the courtyard and looked at the clumps of green bamboo. After eight years of growth, they were much more lush than before.

With a flick of his sleeve.

Thirty-six array flags flew out from his sleeves and landed in various parts of the mountain. This was a "Minor Five Elements Illusion Array" that he had set up according to the "Explanation of the Mysterious Array". Although it was not as mysterious as the Heavenly Demon God-Slaying Array, it could still conceal the cave and would be difficult for ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators to detect.

After finishing.

Qingyouzi turned around and took a step forward.

His figure transformed into a blue rainbow and soared into the sky.

Crossing Cuiwei Mountain and passing the silhouette of Xuanxian City's towering buildings, it sped towards the horizon.

There was no farewell, no lingering affection.

Ten years is but a brief pause on the path of spiritual practice.

The road ahead is long and full of opportunities.

He wanted to see the ancient secret realm of the Guixian Sect, the royal treasury of the Wanxian Dynasty, the monster lairs of the overseas islands, and the natural treasures of the glacial wastelands...

more importantly.

He was going to find the path to godhood that belonged to him.

The blue rainbow faded into the distance, disappearing into the clouds on the horizon.

Xuanxian City remains prosperous.

People come and go, bustling about.

[The author has missed many previous messages. If you find any plot issues or loopholes, please feel free to point them out. The author will then revise the earlier or later parts of the story accordingly.]