Chapter 341: Reformation Without Destruction

Heaven and earth were vast and boundless—the cosmos, ancient and primeval.

Those few simple words conveyed the most fundamental truth. When Wang Sheng carefully savored them, he felt a deep resonance in his heart.

The Great Dao was infinitely complex yet infinitely simple. The Heavenly Dao followed no fixed law, its traces hidden and obscure.

Layer upon layer of comprehension welled up in his mind as Wang Sheng quietly immersed himself in the principles within. He had been in seclusion for twenty-seven days now. Though mentally unaware of the changes around him, he had spread a wisp of his spiritual perception around him, allowing him to instinctively sense his surroundings and remain vigilant against danger.

Wang Sheng couldn't understand why, but even though he had not yet achieved a breakthrough, he had already entered the state of comprehension that followed the initial moments of one. In truth, he was still breaking his Golden Core to form his Nascent Soul, slowly condensing the latter.

***

Fortunately, the forest Wang Sheng was in stayed mostly quiet. The surrounding formations were restored thanks to Qing Yanzi, who had rushed over at some point, and his senior sister, who had painstakingly and carefully repaired the formations that the surging primal qi had broken earlier.

Neither had any experience in breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm, and even the ancient texts only had vague records of it. No one truly knew what condition Wang Sheng was in.

To say they were worried would be an understatement, especially since cultivation was completely different from combat. Amid a breakthrough, no one could offer assistance. All they could do was hope that Wang Sheng's path would be smooth.

That noon, Mu Wanxuan descended lightly upon the branch of a tall tree, her eyes fixed on the mist-shrouded land before her. The long ribbons behind her fluttered down softly. Her dark hair swayed slightly, and her starry eyes gleamed with concern.

Still unable to detect any movements deep within the forest, the stage that Wang Sheng had reached in his breakthrough remained a mystery. If not for the steady pressure emanating from his Heavenly Ziwei Sword Momentum, Mu Wanxuan would have already rushed into the formation to check on him.

𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Breaking one's Golden Core to form their Nascent Soul should have been a naturally intense and turbulent process. Yet nearly a month had passed since he began, but they still hadn't witnessed any destruction and reformation. All he had done was absorb vast amounts of primal qi for seven to eight days.

They were in such a strange situation that it was only natural for Mu Wanxuan's heart to be so deeply unsettled.

Qing Yanzi, dressed in a blue-green Daoist robe, descended from the sky and landed on a nearby tree.

Because of the strangeness of Wang Sheng's condition, Qing Yanzi had set aside many affairs and hurried over to guard his disciple's seclusion. With him and Mu Wanxuan around, they were still somewhat confident that they could save Wang Sheng if something were to go wrong.

Mu Wanxuan looked at Qing Yanzi with curiosity as she softly called, "Master."

Qing Yanzi shook his head. "I already sought the Grand Celestial Master's opinion, but even he could not give a clear answer. According to the texts, the Nascent Soul should condense swiftly the moment the Golden Core shatters. Phenomena between heaven and earth should accompany it, too.

"Based on the amount of primal qi Little Sheng absorbed, there is no way such phenomena would be too faint for us to notice. The aura here is still calm, which means he's still likely preparing. Let's wait a little longer."

Mu Wanxuan nodded gently. For now, she could only continue watching the depths of the forest.

After some thought, Qing Yanzi flew off to a distance, took out his phone, and used the "Thousand-Mile Transmission" to consult senior Daoist elders about breakthrough-related matters.

As the first cultivator of the era to attempt reaching the Nascent Soul Realm, Wang Sheng had captured the attention of nearly every Heavenly Abode Realm cultivator.

If his breakthrough succeeded, it would be an inspiration to them all. If it failed, they would each face greater pressure when their own time came.

Before long, Qing Yanzi found himself engaged in a group discussion with Qing Long, the Grand Celestial Master, and the sect master of Mount Mao. Together, they analyzed the possible conditions that Wang Sheng could be facing.

It was truly baffling that he had absorbed so much primal qi yet still hadn't condensed his Nascent Soul.

***

The others weren't the only ones perplexed. Upon setting aside the comprehension of the Dao and looking at the internal changes that he had gone through, even Wang Sheng found the process somewhat... incomprehensible.

Shouldn't 'breaking' in the 'Breaking the core to form the Nascent Soul' mean the Golden Core snapping open, with a little child emerging from within? Why did it turn out this way?

He did experience violent changes when his Primordial Soul entered his Golden Core. It even seemed as though his Golden Core would melt away at any moment. The former sword shell transformed into a cluster of starlight, while shallow grooves appeared on the surface of his Golden Core, ruining its perfectly round shape. However, as his Primordial Soul began to fuse with his Dao Body, his Golden Core rapidly stabilized, seemingly ending the process after he had removed its sword-shaped outer shell.

Wang Sheng became immersed in comprehending the Dao. Various insights welled up within him, and he got lost in them completely. He also faintly sensed that his Dao Body was drawing in primal qi at a frantic pace.

When he finally returned to his senses and observed his Golden Core again, he was shocked to find that it now looked as though he had become pregnant. Its outer shell resembled a membrane, within which curled a tiny humanoid phantasm.

Later, Wang Sheng re-entered deep comprehension. When he emerged from it, the little figure had already shifted from a curled posture to a standing one. Moreover, it had faintly formed limbs, torso, and head.

Is that the nascent form of my Nascent Soul?

Discovering that the transformation posed no danger or other abnormalities, Wang Sheng no longer worried. Allowing it to proceed naturally, he continued to immerse himself in comprehending the Dao.

The very term "Nascent Soul" seemed to contain a profound principle. Wang Sheng vaguely sensed that the method he had envisioned earlier, which was to break open his Golden Core and allow the Primordial Soul to condense with the Dao Body, was certainly viable. However, it was an inferior approach.

The path he had unknowingly taken in forming his Nascent Soul truly aligned with the Great Dao, making it far more fitting to the name "Nascent Soul." After all, it was similar to a second birth of life itself. Once it had grown into a Primordial Spirit, one could shatter the void and ascend as an immortal.

What now?

After some thought, Wang Sheng realized that he only had to wait until his Nascent Soul solidified completely. This process was a rare opportunity for him, considering he was closer to his Dao during this time than ever before. He could use this to lay new bricks upon his path, making it ever more complete.

With just a thought, his consciousness entered the forming Nascent Soul. His Dao Body seemingly disappeared, and he found himself surrounded by a world woven entirely of radiant primal qi.

Just as he was about to sink into comprehension once more, the two clusters of starlight that his Golden Core's sword shell had created caught his attention. He mentally commanded the two clusters to fly to him and made them coil around his Nascent Soul's right hand, merging them with its transformation.

The path he had taken also posed risks. Still, compared to the "destroy, then reform" method, it was far gentler and had a much higher chance of success.

Not every cultivator attempting to reach the Nascent Soul Realm possessed such a complete Primordial Soul or a Golden Core as high quality as Wang Sheng's, though. Now, it became evident that the time he had spent in suppressing his breakthrough to polish his Heavenly Abode Realm foundation had not been a waste.

Wang Sheng was flooded with insights as his consciousness returned to his Dao Body. He once again sank into comprehension.

He neither realized that he had already been in seclusion for almost a month nor knew that his unusual breakthrough was causing great anxiety among those guarding him.

***

Another nine days went by. At noon on the thirty-sixth day, Xi Lian arrived with Xiaomiao, whom she carried using her enchanted power. They hovered above the forest with Qing Yanzi and Mu Wanxuan.

"Shall we head over and have a look?" Xi Lian suggested.

They all looked troubled.

She added, "I once heard Daoist Master Qinglin say that while breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm, many cultivators end up being so careless that they allow their own Dao to consume their Primordial Soul..."

"Little Sheng had already perfected his Heavenly Abode Realm before attempting this breakthrough," Qing Yanzi immediately countered. "He has a profound understanding of his Dao, and he walks the path of a sword cultivator. His own Dao cannot harm him."

Xi Lian pursed her lips. "Alright then."

Nevertheless, all four still frowned with worry. Forming a Nascent Soul was starting to seem difficult.

Two more days passed. Wang Sheng had been in seclusion for thirty-eight days now, yet the forest remained as still as ever.

"We can't keep waiting. At the very least, we have to see him with our own eyes," Qing Yanzi finally decided. "Little Xuan, let's go dismantle the great formation."

"Okay." Mu Wanxuan agreed and headed into the forest with her master.

Soon, the two began to dismantle the grand formation that they had so painstakingly set up earlier. They worked with the utmost care out of fear of disturbing Wang Sheng and causing a primal qi fluctuation.

Fortunately, the process went smoothly. Over an hour later, they had successfully dismantled the outer four layers of the formation, allowing them to directly observe Wang Sheng.

He sat quietly under a great tree, the vitality of which flourished behind him. He had a serene expression, and starlight shimmered faintly around him.

Mu Wanxuan and Qing Yanzi focused intently. Seeing Wang Sheng unharmed, the two felt a measure of relief. However, when they probed further using their spiritual perception, a barrier of enchanted power that was ten meters in diameter blocked all their attempts. Not even Xi Lian could lock onto Wang Sheng's presence.

"My brother's fine, right?" Xiaomiao asked softly.

Frowning, Xi Lian murmured, "Could it be..."

Qing Yanzi urgently pressed, "What is it? Please don't keep us in suspense, Senior."

"It's nothing." Xi Lian shrugged. "Let's just wait. A heart devil might have simply caught him. See how freely he's smiling? He could just be trading blows with it to vent years of restraint."

Qing Yanzi could not help but laugh and cry, while Mu Wanxuan only gazed at her junior brother with growing worry.

"I doubt that's the case," Qing Yanzi replied. "He's probably still condensing his Nascent Soul even now. The process may simply differ from what we expected; it might not even cause violent commotion. Once he emerges, we will know for certain. Come, let us reestablish the formation for now. Otherwise, outsiders could disturb his seclusion."

Qing Yanzi and Mu Wanxuan, who had just dismantled the formation, carefully and painstakingly restored layer after layer of the formation once more.

Three to four hours later, they finally finished setting it all back up. Not long after, the sky darkened with rolling thunderclouds. Bolts of lightning flashed across the heavens and struck the earth, instantly destroying the entire formation.