Nascent Soul

Gradually, time became indistinct—how long had passed? As his physical body endured the relentless ravages of the heavenly tribulation and subsequent healing, Ye Chuan’s consciousness began to clear, even the agony of his flesh fading from perception.

"Boom—!" Just as the twentieth combined heavenly tribulation prepared to strike, Ye Chuan’s eyes snapped open, lightning and fire dancing in their depths.

"Bloody hell, bring it on!"

He lunged toward the thunderous light, allowing the raging thunder to surge into his dantian. The stagnant barriers of his physical form shattered layer by layer under the brutal onslaught of the tribulation’s power, only to reform even faster amidst excruciating pain—golden light seeped from fractured bones, charred flesh regenerated into new sinew!

Cross-legged, Ye Chuan hovered mid-air. The golden core within his dantian trembled violently—this core, nurtured for less than half a year, had solidified like glazed porcelain, yet now it was riddled with spiderweb cracks!

Steadying his mind, Ye Chuan relentlessly channeled the lightning’s power to temper the core further. But his defiance seemed to enrage the heavenly tribulation above.

The ceaseless bombardment of thunder abruptly ceased. Two coiling lightning dragons began merging, transforming into a pitch-black bolt!

Sensing the soul-rending pressure, Ye Chuan instinctively reached for the dormant Chaos Power. Yet his golden core quivered more urgently than ever—the barrier blocking his nascent soul’s birth had thinned to a cicada’s wing. One final step! Clenching his fist, he crushed all thought of retreat.

Damn it, this last strike was what he needed!

The black heavenly lightning struck like a divine spear piercing heaven and earth, impaling Ye Chuan’s body in an instant!

Agony exploded through his skull, as if his soul had been shredded. Gritting his teeth, Ye Chuan mustered every shred of will to forcibly divert this apocalyptic force into his dantian!

"Crack—!" The glazed core finally shattered, its billions of pure spiritual energy coalescing—

Within the dantian, a miniature figure no taller than a thumb began taking shape amidst the lightning—features identical to his own, wreathed in crackling tendrils of thunder. A nascent soul!

Nascent Soul, achieved!

The moment it formed, the tiny soul opened its mouth, devouring the remaining lightning. Simultaneously, Ye Chuan’s body underwent metamorphosis—wounds split open by the thunder bled pale gold, bones grew denser with audible snaps, even his pores exhaled arcs of electricity!

As the final bolt dissipated, the golden core vanished entirely. The nascent soul now sat cross-legged within his dantian, its consciousness intertwined with Ye Chuan’s.

Nascent Soul Realm!

[You have entered the early Nascent Soul stage]

[You have entered the mid Nascent Soul stage]

Two notifications thundered in his mind. Tipping his head back to the clearing sky, Ye Chuan grinned, the relief of survival sharpening his delight:

"Heh. Not just Nascent Soul—two breakthroughs at once. This tribulation… was kinda fun."

The terrifying heavenly baptism granted him instantaneous perception of everything within a hundred-mile radius. It also meant he could now teleport across that distance in a blink!

"Hell yeah! First try succe—... huh?"

Perhaps his nerves had been stretched too taut. The moment he relaxed, darkness swallowed his vision—his body plummeted straight toward the cliffs below!

......

......

"......"

Had he been asleep for an eternity?

On the Tianxuan Continent, Ye Chuan dreamed—though of what, he couldn’t recall. Faint echoes of voices roared at him:

"Chaos Heavenly Emperor, you dare oppose us all? This is forbidden ground!"

"With Luo Xuan Empress dead, I care not for justifications.

"Those who obstruct me—die."

"You—! Even at full strength, you can’t kill us all!"

"......"

......

......

Consciousness drowned in chaos, dragging Ye Chuan through timeless limbo. His body felt trapped in quicksand, sinking without escape.

Then—a sound. The rasp of wagon wheels grinding over gravel pierced the void. His stagnant awareness flickered awake.

Blinking slowly, Ye Chuan stared upward in confusion.

"Huh?"

An unfamiliar ceiling...

No—wait. Where was this?

Pushing himself up, he realized he wore rough-spun clothes. The space around him seemed to be a carriage compartment; outside the window, scenery crawled backward.

"A wagon?"

Where exactly was he?

Was this still the Tianxuan Continent?

His mind still addled from the lightning strike, Ye Chuan slapped his cheeks, then summoned his system interface to check. Confirming he remained in the Tianxuan Continent’s Western Glory Divine Land, he steadied his thoughts.

A cloth curtain hung before him. Parting it, he saw a horse plodding along.

"You’re awake?!" A man dressed as a driver gaped at Ye Chuan’s sudden appearance. "Lad, you alright?"

"Uh..." Ye Chuan struggled to process the situation, but the line of wagons ahead clarified things—he’d been picked up by a merchant caravan.

"Where are we?"

"Approaching Xiluo Kingdom," the driver answered.

"Eh?" Scanning the surroundings, Ye Chuan recognized the terrain. A short distance ahead lay the place where he’d last seen Cangwu and Ademi.

"Hey, you good?" The driver waved a hand in front of Ye Chuan’s face. "Found you sprawled half-dead in the wilds, not a stitch on you. Our young mistress has a soft heart—had you hauled in."

"Must’ve been born under a lucky star. Pass out in beast country and live to tell the tale."

"Ah..." Ye Chuan pieced it together. During his unconsciousness, this group had "rescued" him.

Though "rescue" was generous—even left untouched, he’d have been fine. The heavenly tribulation’s aura had scared off every demon beast for miles.

Still, kindness deserved gratitude.

With little else to do, Ye Chuan settled cross-legged at the wagon’s front, addressing the driver:

"Uncle, this a merchant convoy?"

"Aye, the Chen family’s caravan," the man replied promptly. "That lead wagon? Our young mistress, Chen Muling."

"You’re not from Xiluo, are you?" The driver eyed Ye Chuan’s features.

"Not originally." Ye Chuan shook his head. Xiluo natives carried an exotic flair he lacked.

(Not that he wasn’t handsome in his own right.)

"If you’re foreign, entering the city might be tricky. Rumor says Xiluo’s princess is still missing—kidnapped, they claim."

"You mean Ademi?" Ye Chuan interjected.

"Ho! You know the princess’s name?" The driver chuckled. "The king’s frantic. Search parties everywhere, and the gates are locked down tight."