Starting as a Talisman Master

Chapter 273 The Barrier to Nascent Soul Formation, Overcoming Inner Demons (5.6k)

As night deepened, the bamboo groves along the mountain path swayed in the wind, making a rustling sound.

The journey from the main peak to Qingxu Peak in the back mountain is not short. At first, Song Ming kept in mind Xuan Chen Zhenren's admonition and dutifully led the way without uttering a word.

But before half an incense stick's time had passed, he could no longer contain himself.

He first used the pretext of giving directions to introduce a few words about the scenery along the way.

Seeing that Lu Chi's expression was calm and he did not show any displeasure, Song Ming became bolder.

Once they start talking, they can't stop.

From his birth in the mortal world on the border of the Great Li Kingdom, to being brought back to the Luoxia Sect at the age of eight after his spiritual root was discovered; from the complicated and trivial matters of the outer sect's arduous cultivation, to narrowly defeating his opponent in the inner sect competition, thus being exceptionally accepted into the sect by True Person Xuanchen.

He even recounted in great detail trivial matters, such as which mountain's spirit fruit he preferred and how many messenger cranes he had killed.

"Uncle-Master Lu, you may not know this, but Master is extremely strict when checking homework. Last month, I was punished by being sent to the Earth Fire Chamber to face the wall for more than half a month simply because I made a batch of low-grade Bigu Pills incorrectly and wasted some spiritual herbs."

Listening to the endless stream of words around him, Lu Chi kept his eyes straight ahead, his steps steady, his face expressionless, but he understood perfectly.

"Having already reached the Foundation Establishment stage, yet still managing to ruin such a rudimentary thing as the Bigu Pill, it's only right that I should be punished." His thoughts stirred slightly.

"Uncle-Master Lu, Qingxu Peak is just ahead." Song Ming pointed to a solitary peak shrouded in spiritual energy, finally stopping his previous conversation, and respectfully said, "Your cave dwelling is located on the summit, and all the surrounding formations have been activated."

He pointed to the pale blue light screen flowing in front of the cave entrance, a smug look on his face: "Uncle-Master Lu, this Azure Wood Everlasting Formation was personally supervised and set up by this disciple."

"Although this formation is only a second-tier auxiliary formation, it can regulate the cold and heat seasons within the cave, making it spring-like all year round."

Furthermore, the grand formation connects to the earth's veins of Qingxu Peak, effectively gathering any scattered spiritual energy and preventing it from leaking out, making it ideal for my uncle's daily life and cultivation.

Lu Chi pondered to himself, "The Luoxia Sect has always established itself on alchemy, so why is this disciple of the sect leader so proficient in formations instead of focusing on alchemy?"

He became somewhat interested, and his gaze passed over Song Ming to carefully examine the array light screen operating in front of the cave entrance, and then took the opportunity to explore the earth vein environment connected within it.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed something amiss.

Lu Chi composed himself, his expression unchanged, and said in a calm tone, "This formation is quite ingeniously arranged. However, the flow of magical power in the formation base at the southeast corner is somewhat obscure."

"Wood can only thrive by relying on the power of water. However, there is an obstruction here, which makes it difficult for the mutual generation of water and wood to blend harmoniously. As a result, the spiritual wind within the formation will instead generate a chill that should not exist."

Song Ming was taken aback upon hearing this. He suppressed his doubts, released his divine sense, and carefully explored the southeast Kan position that Lu Chi had pointed out.

A moment later, his face showed shock. Just as Lu Chi had said, there was indeed a very subtle obstruction in the array's network of energy, which disrupted the harmonious balance of water and wood.

"Master Uncle's eyesight is truly remarkable." Song Ming exclaimed in surprise, "How could I have been completely unaware of such a subtle oversight? Could it be that Master Uncle also possesses profound knowledge of formations?"

Lu Chi was indeed proficient in formations, but he naturally did not want to reveal his trump cards too much. He simply replied calmly, "I wouldn't call it an achievement. It's just that my Golden Core stage spiritual sense is a bit sharper, and I was able to detect that discordant energy."

Song Ming suddenly realized, "So that's how it is."

He stood there, secretly deducing the errors and omissions pointed out by Lu Chi.

In just a few breaths, a flash of understanding appeared in his eyes as he figured out how to improve the formation. He straightened his expression and bowed respectfully to Lu Chi, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Uncle-Master. I have learned a lot. I will come tomorrow to repair this formation base."

Lu Chi nodded slightly, about to tell him to leave, but his expression suddenly faltered almost imperceptibly.

He had casually offered Song Ming pointers on formations, merely on a whim. However, at that moment, a line of text quietly appeared before his eyes: [Profession "Formation Master" Experience +1]

Lu Chi was secretly surprised.

He had cultivated for many years, and his experience in the "Array Master" category had long been dormant. He never expected that today, on a whim, he would give some pointers to a junior, which would cause his long-stagnant experience to grow.

Seeing that Lu Chi remained silent for a long time, Song Ming looked puzzled and was about to ask him a question.

Lu Chi snapped out of his daze, calmly wiped away the writing in front of him, and waved his sleeve, saying, "It's late, you may leave now."

Song Ming dared not linger. After bowing respectfully, he turned and disappeared into the night.

Lu Chi raised his hand and activated his magic power to remove the array light barrier before stepping into the cave.

The first thing you see is a very spacious main room. Several moonstones are embedded in the surrounding stone walls, making the room quite bright.

The living quarters, including the jade table, futon, and cloud bed, are all provided. Although not luxurious, they are simple and practical.

What pleased him even more was the abundant spiritual energy here. After a brief breathing exercise, he felt that the concentration of this spiritual energy was even greater than when he was in the Taiqing Palace.

The Luoxia Sect is now in a weakened state, with only a few Golden Core stage cultivators in charge, yet it still manages to occupy this spiritually rich mountain.

If we look across the vast Qingming Continent, what kind of atmosphere must those true blessed lands occupied by major sects be like?

This thought only flashed through Lu Chi's mind for a moment before he collected his thoughts.

He slowly walked to the cloud bed, sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes and concentrated, and began to carefully consider the reason for the increase in his [Array Master] experience.

"Could it be that pointing out the flaws in the formation and resolving doubts caused the increase in panel experience?"

Lu Chi secretly speculated in his heart.

He decided to find a way to verify it.

He patted his storage bag and took out the Styx Soul Refining Banner.

With a slight release of his magic power, a wisp of black energy drifted out from the banner and transformed into the illusory figure of Li Qianyou in the room.

Before entering the Luoxia Sect, Lu Chi had already informed Li Qianyou about all the matters here.

At this moment, Li Qianyou appeared and looked around the spacious cave with abundant spiritual energy, knowing that Lu Chi had already settled down.

"Judging from this, you've settled down." Li Qianyou floated in mid-air and asked, "What kind of conditions did those two juniors from the Falling Clouds Sect offer you?"

Lu Chi replied calmly, "The offerings are quite generous, and they promise that I don't need to concern myself with the sect's mundane affairs; I can simply focus on my cultivation. Overall, it's an excellent place to go."

Li Qianyou nodded slightly, then looked puzzled: "Then why did you summon me here now?"

Lu Chi did not answer immediately. With a thought, he manipulated the Styx Soul Refining Banner into a faint, dark light, silently slipping out of the cave and patrolling the outer array of light barriers.

With the help of the cave's array and his keen senses, he confirmed that the commotion had not been noticed by anyone outside before the ghostly light flew back into the cave and landed in his hand again.

Just as Li Qianyou was completely bewildered by his actions, Lu Chi suddenly asked, "Elder Li, how is the formation outside being set up?"

Li Qianyou was slightly taken aback.

He wasn't an expert in formations during his lifetime, but as a former high-level demonic cultivator, his experience and insight made him incredibly perceptive.

"It's just an ordinary second-tier auxiliary formation. It's fine for gathering spiritual energy and regulating the temperature. But as for defending against enemies, it's riddled with holes in my eyes and can be easily broken by brute force."

Lu Chi nodded slightly and took over the conversation: "Elder Li's insight is indeed sharp. This formation is called the Green Wood Everlasting Formation, and its core lies in the mutual generation of water and wood."

"When the disciples of the Luoxia Sect set up the equipment just now, although it was able to maintain its operation, it was ultimately not smooth enough at the point where the water-attribute spiritual energy was transformed into wood-attribute vitality."

"If the Kan position array base in its southeast corner is moved three inches to the left, and a water-attribute spirit stone is added to suppress it, its spirit-gathering effect can be increased by at least 20%."

Then, Lu Chi spoke slowly and deliberately, explaining the principles behind the formation, the flow of spiritual energy, and several key points that could be improved.

Li Qianyou frowned slightly, listening with considerable impatience.

He had always believed in the power of brute force and had no interest in such complicated formation deductions. He casually remarked, "Since you are so knowledgeable about this, why don't you modify it yourself tomorrow? Why bother explaining these tedious details to an old man like me?"

Lu Chi stopped speaking, ignoring Li Qianyou's complaints, and instead focused his mind on the void before him.

A few breaths later, a line of familiar small characters quietly appeared.

[Profession "Array Master" Experience +1]

Seeing this, Lu Chi understood.

Just as he predicted.

As long as you explain the principles of formations to others, or point out the key points of formations, you can activate the panel and gain professional experience regardless of whether the other party is proficient in this field.

Lu Chi waved his hand, taking the puzzled Li Qianyou back into the Styx Soul Refining Banner.

The array master level, which had been stagnant for many years, now finally has a clear path to advancement.

There are many low-level disciples in the Luoxia Sect who are familiar with formations. In the future, they will only need to show a little bit of their knowledge and give them some pointers, and it will not be difficult for them to gain experience.

Alternatively, one could simply summon that old monster Li Qianyou more often in the future and let him listen to one's explanations of array principles, but one must not let the other party suspect anything.

After putting away the soul banner, Lu Chi calmed down and took out the jade box containing more than fifty kinds of third-tier spirit seeds from his storage bag. He then laid them out on the jade table and began to count them.

Relying on the foundation he had built up during his studies at Baicao Peak, he carefully examined the plants and was able to identify them one by one without any unfamiliarity.

Based on the grade of these third-tier spiritual plants and his own knowledge, he secretly plotted in his mind. If he wanted to use this to cultivate [Spiritual Farming]...

It generally takes about ten years to advance one's professional experience to the next level.

Ten years is nothing more than the time it takes for a Core Formation cultivator to complete a few rounds of secluded cultivation; it's hardly a long time.

After carefully categorizing and storing the spirit seeds, Lu Chi took out the elder's robe and the jade slip that Qin Zheng had given him.

He unfolded the robe and examined it briefly. The robe was intricately patterned, and the spiritual energy flowed smoothly; it was indeed a rare and valuable protective robe.

However, compared to the robe he is wearing now—the one he obtained after killing Zong Wuji—the two are roughly of similar quality.

Lu Chi casually put away his robe, then his gaze fell on the jade slip.

He was quite interested in the Nascent Soul stage divine ability of the Luoxia Sect. To this day, the only Nascent Soul stage divine ability he had mastered was the "Frosty Divine Light" passed down by his master in the past.

He placed the jade slip on his forehead and released his divine sense to probe into it. After a moment, the entire "Purple Cloud Imperial Light" method recorded within the jade slip was imprinted in his mind.

After removing the jade slip, Lu Chi closed his eyes and carefully deduced the power circulation route of this supernatural ability, a look of understanding appearing in his eyes.

This Nascent Soul Divine Power, despite its impressive-sounding name, did not possess the fierce killing power he had imagined. In reality, it was a method specifically for self-protection and flight.

According to the jade slip, when this technique is activated, the magical power in the body will flow along all the meridians of the body and condense into a layer of solid purple halo on the body surface.

This halo is dense and flexible, not only able to deflect the impact of the surrounding Five Elements spells on its own, but also able to slow down and neutralize the force of the magical weapons of cultivators of the same level, making it extremely difficult to be forcibly penetrated.

If faced with a deadly or perilous situation, one can activate the secret technique to instantly detonate this protective purple aura.

Riding on this surge of magical power, the cultivator can transform into a purple rainbow and escape through the air.

This escape technique can not only reach dozens of miles away in an instant, but it is also extremely adept at penetrating spiritual energy barriers. Ordinary trapping formations and methods of sealing off heaven and earth are difficult to hinder it.

It can protect the physical body and spirit, or transform into a beam of light to escape into the distance. Such a purely life-saving supernatural power is truly—rare.

Lu Chi secretly pondered: "In the past, when I escaped from enemies, I mostly relied on the water escape technique I learned during the Foundation Establishment stage, or the 'Rotten Wood Shadow Escape' passed down by my master."

"The former is only considered a basic escape technique of the Five Elements, and it is not particularly outstanding in combat during the Golden Core stage."

"Although the latter was created by our master, he was only at the late stage of the Golden Core realm back then. This method is sufficient for dealing with cultivators of the same level, but it will inevitably be somewhat inadequate when encountering cultivators of a higher level."

"Since this 'Purple Cloud Imperial Light' is a Nascent Soul technique, once I master it, it will definitely make my ability to escape far away even better."

"Furthermore, my current physical cultivation level is still at the second level, and my physical defense is relatively weak. The protective purple aura of this technique, which is as solid as a substance, can make up for this shortcoming. It is indeed worthwhile to spend time and effort to practice it properly."

Lu Chi couldn't help but sigh to himself, "There's still so much to learn. Not to mention this newly acquired supernatural power, even the great technique 'Purple Extreme Heavenly Thunder Guidance' that my master taught me earlier, I still haven't fully mastered its intricacies."

Thinking of this, Lu Chi suddenly remembered something. He turned his palm over and took out an ancient jade slip from his storage bag.

This item is the Nascent Soul cultivation manual that his master gave him along with the "Frosty Divine Light" years ago.

When his master entrusted it to him, he made it clear that there were strict restrictions on this jade slip, and he could only explore it after his cultivation reached the late stage of the Golden Core realm.

If he were to unfortunately perish in the hands of others, the jade slip would be destroyed by the enchantment once it was taken away by someone else.

"My current spiritual sense strength already surpasses that of an ordinary mid-stage Golden Core cultivator. I wonder if I can explore this jade slip beyond my cultivation level?"

Lu Chi's heart stirred slightly, and he sent out a wisp of his divine sense to probe into it.

The moment he touched it, a thin but extremely tough layer of spiritual light appeared on the surface of the jade slip, completely blocking his divine sense.

Lu Chi carefully examined the jade slip and found that it was indeed impossible. This restriction was extremely ingenious; if he were to use his magic to forcibly probe it, the jade slip would be destroyed on the spot.

He had no choice but to put it away safely.

"Very well, let's wait until our cultivation reaches the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm before making a decision."

Back in the Burial Abyss, his master had twice instructed him that there was another message inside this jade slip. Now that he couldn't find out, he became somewhat curious about that unknown message.

Following this jade slip, Lu Chi couldn't help but ponder the key to a Golden Core cultivator breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage.

The "Taiyuan Xuanshui Scripture" that he mainly cultivated was an ancient cultivation method. Its record of the formation of the infant spirit was almost identical to what he had heard in his early years, and it was mostly about the concept of shattering the elixir and condensing the infant spirit.

"But the Nascent Soul stage has stopped countless brilliant cultivators throughout history, and the dangers involved are definitely more than just what is described on the surface."

Lu Chi's mind raced, and he raised his hand again to activate the Styx Soul Refining Banner, summoning Li Qianyou.

This old monster was a late-stage Golden Core cultivator in his previous life, and it was precisely because he displayed the potential to form a Nascent Soul that he attracted the combined forces of the righteous and demonic paths to hunt him down. Since he had reached that point, he should know a lot of inside information.

As the black energy swirled, Li Qianyou's illusory figure reappeared in the cave.

He had only been back inside the banner for a short time, and now being summoned like this, he was naturally confused. He said irritably, "You brat, why are you summoning this old man like this in the middle of the night? Could it be that the broken formation outside has malfunctioned again?"

Lu Chi smiled slightly and calmly inquired, "The formation is fine. It's just that I was contemplating just now and happened to think about the matter of Nascent Soul formation, and there are still some things I don't understand."

"Elder Li was only half a step away from the Nascent Soul stage when he was alive. I wonder what other secrets lie behind the Nascent Soul formation stage besides shattering the core and condensing the nascent soul?"

Upon hearing the words "Nascent Soul Formation," Li Qianyou's impatience vanished instantly.

He paused slightly, his expression turning solemn, a deep sense of bewilderment and regret faintly appearing in his eyes.

"You are only at the early stage of the Golden Core realm, yet you have already begun to explore such matters. You can be considered to have a profound mind."

Li Qianyou sighed, "Most of the cultivation manuals in the world say that the first step in forming a Nascent Soul is to shatter the Golden Core and condense the Nascent Soul. It requires an extremely large amount of magical power as a guide to forcibly shatter the Golden Core, and then to fuse the divine sense, magical power and one's own essence into one furnace to nurture the Nascent Soul in the Dantian."

"This is the critical juncture for the transformation from a mortal body to a spiritual body, and it has extremely high requirements for both magical power and physical strength."

"However, such difficulties in terms of magical power and physical strength can be overcome with the help of rare and precious materials and the time spent honing one's skills."

"What truly halts ninety percent of all Golden Core cultivators in the world, causing countless exceptionally talented individuals to perish, is the formless and intangible 'Inner Demon Tribulation.'"

The tribulation of inner demons? Lu Chi's gaze narrowed slightly as he listened quietly.

"Cultivating immortality is inherently defying fate and fighting against destiny. After hundreds of years of struggle and hardship, which cultivator has no obsessions? No regrets? No bloodshed or karma?"

Li Qianyou sneered, revealing an unconcealable sorrow, "When you reach the critical moment of shattering your core and condensing your nascent soul, under the influence of heaven and earth, mental barriers will arise, transforming into the illusion that you fear most, desire most, and regret most in your life."

"When magical power is depleted, there are elixirs to replenish it; when the physical body is damaged, there are spiritual objects to heal it. But this tribulation of inner demons is something that no one else can help with, and external objects cannot lend a hand. One can only rely on one's own state of mind to overcome it."

"If one can shatter illusions, one can achieve the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage, and from then on, one's lifespan will exceed a thousand years, roaming freely between heaven and earth; if one wavers or succumbs even slightly, at best one's vital energy will be severely damaged and one's cultivation will plummet, at worst one's mind will go mad and one's soul will be scattered. Back then, I—"

At this point, Li Qianyou abruptly stopped. He closed his eyes, seemingly unwilling to recall the hateful events of the past that had almost led him to eternal damnation, leaving only a sigh that lingered in the cave for a long time.

Seeing Li Qianyou's forlorn and restrained expression, Lu Chi remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he thought to himself, "Why is this old ghost suddenly so melancholy?"

He wasn't entirely unaware of this.

His master had mentioned Li Qianyou's past to him.

This powerful demonic cultivator, whose cultivation had reached the late Golden Core stage and was on track to form a Nascent Soul, did not die in a fierce battle against the righteous forces, but was betrayed by his own Daoist partner.

He didn't touch on the other person's sore spot, but simply waved his sleeve and put the depressed Li Qianyou back into the Styx Soul Refining Banner, letting her calm down on her own.

The cave returned to silence, with only the moonstone on the stone wall emitting a faint glow.

Lu Chi sat cross-legged on the cloud bed, his brows furrowed, as he began to ponder Li Qianyou's words about Nascent Soul formation.

He was confident that he could find a way to overcome the barriers of shattering the core and condensing the nascent soul, as long as he had the time. However, this inner demon tribulation, which directly targeted his true nature and was unreliable to external forces, made him somewhat wary.

"The illusion I feared most, longed for most, and regretted most in my life —"

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