Reaching the Heaven-Dao Nascent Soul stage... was supremely difficult!
That difficulty lay in the fact that not only did one have to get five deva souls, but each of those souls also had to represent a different one of the five elements. Metal. Wood. Water. Fire. Earth. Only with a complete set could one succeed. It really was a very difficult matter.
In the lands of Heavenspan, deva souls were very rare, and it was only by chance that Bai Xiaochun had begun to collect them. He had been given one in the Spirit Stream Sect, and then gifted one by Du Lingfei. However, it was only when it came to the third soul that he had been forced to work hard to get it.
After putting his life on the line, he got the third soul in the labyrinth, after which he had been teleported deep into the Wildlands. Then, to get his fourth deva soul, he had risked everything, and also offended the Bai Clan!
Then came the final soul, which he got only after a long and bitter struggle.
Even as he merged with the deva soul and formed his fifth clone, he thought back to what had happened recently, and felt lingering fear in his heart. Then he looked around at his five clones, took a deep breath, and thought back to the information on the stone stele in the labyrinth, which had described how to break through to the Heaven-Dao Nascent Soul stage.
“Bring all five clones into one’s body, merge them with the true self... Break out of Gold Core and into Nascent Soul!” He closed his eyes to concentrate; this matter was of vital importance, and no mistakes could be tolerated. After getting his thoughts in order, his eyes opened again, and they shone with determination.
“Metal. Wood. Water. Fire. Earth. Let’s begin with my metal clone!” He unleashed the power of his cultivation base, causing the fluctuations of the great circle of the Gold Core stage to erupt out. Even as the pressure of his Gold Core weighed down in the area, Bai Xiaochun’s eyes shone brightly, and he looked over at his metal-type deva soul clone.
The metal-type clone looked over at his true self and gave a slight nod. Then, without the slightest hesitation, he turned into a beam of gold-colored light that shot toward Bai Xiaochun’s forehead.
As it drew close, it began to crumble into fragments, sending dazzling light out in all directions. In the blink of an eye, it merged into Bai Xiaochun’s forehead, where it became the power of metal, surging through his body.
Rumbling sounds filled his mind, and he began to tremble visibly as he sensed the metal-type power swirl through him and then pound into his Gold Core.
His Gold Core trembled as an aura appeared therein that could only be described as a mystery within a mystery. It seemed to contain profound levels of life force, which spread out through him and began to transform him.
At the same time, golden magical symbols appeared all around his Gold Core, causing his face to radiate an air of profound holiness!
However, before long, the golden magical symbols began to fade away, replaced by a desolate bleakness. It was almost as if the power of metal itself was too strong, and under its pressure, his Gold Core was beginning to crumble into destruction!
In fact, even his qi passageways didn’t seem capable of handling that level of metal-type power, and began to fall apart!
If things continued on in this fashion, it would only be a few moments before Bai Xiaochun was destroyed in body and soul.
In that moment of crisis, Bai Xiaochun’s eyes snapped open, revealing a gaze as sharp as a sword, which swiveled onto his fire clone!
“Vital energy defeats that which is solid. Fire restrains metal!” he roared. At the same time, his fire clone’s eyes sparkled brightly, bursting into crimson flames that shot toward Bai Xiaochun and merged into his forehead.
Instantly, the power of metal within him was restrained as the power of fire coursed through him. The metal-type power in his qi vessels was suppressed, and the power of fire shot toward his Gold Core.
Rumbling could be heard as the power of fire turned into a sea of flames that surrounded his Gold Core and then began to pour into it. Instantly, the golden magical symbols began to glitter brightly as the power of metal was replaced by the power of fire, making it impossible to harm his Gold Core.
However, although the power of metal had been suppressed, the power of fire was now posing just as much danger to his Gold Core.
In the blink of an eye, his Gold Core became a Fire Core, radiating such intense heat that Bai Xiaochun immediately began to sweat. It was as if there were a sea of flames sealed up inside of him that was so powerful it could destroy everything in the area if it exploded out.
The sensation of deadly crisis he felt now was no less than before. In fact, it was greater. However, Bai Xiaochun remained calm. Now was not the moment to lose control! Looking over at his water clone, he shouted, “The many defeat the few. Water restrains fire!”
Rumbling could be heard as his water clone became a stream of blue light, within which was a drop of blue liquid, a drop that seemingly contained unending amounts of water. Within the blink of an eye, the drop of water had reached Bai Xiaochun, and merged into him.
As the power of water began to flow through him, it suppressed the power of fire as surely as a bucket of ice-cold water would suppress a spark. Within moments, it was flowing into the Fire Core, and yet, the sensation of danger was still there!
Soon, Bai Xiaochun was filled with the power of water, and it felt as if he were going to be liquified.
It was as if a corrosive force were eating at his bones, filling him with intense pain. At that point, his eyes turned completely bloodshot as he shouted, “The real defeats the illusory! Earth restrains water!”
His earth clone merged into him, causing earth-type power to spread out through his body.
“Focus defeats dissemination. Wood restrains earth!”
Intense rumbling sounds filled him as his wood clone merged into him. As of this moment, he had all five types of power inside of him. The power of earth was suppressed, and the power of wood exploded out, transforming his core into a Wood Core.
However, Bai Xiaochun wasn’t alarmed at all by the danger he felt. Eyes shining with anticipation, he shouted, “The unyielding defeats the soft. Metal restrains wood!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the metal-type power which had been suppressed inside his core erupted out, restraining the power of wood. Then, the resurging power of metal was suppressed by the power of fire, which was suppressed by the power of water, which was suppressed by the power of earth, which was suppressed by the power of wood....
A perfect cycle was completed inside of Bai Xiaochun’s Gold Core, which began to rotate with the full power of all five elements!
This... was why the Heaven-Dao Nascent Soul required all of the five elements deva souls. With even one missing, no complete cycle would be created, and the person making the cultivation base breakthrough attempt would be destroyed!
Only when the great circle of the five elements was completed would a perfect cycle be created!
After nine complete revolutions, Bai Xiaochun let out a howl that could shake heaven and earth. As he did, his cultivation base began to grow with terrifying speed. His Gold Core shattered, and the resulting pieces rapidly formed together... to form a small person who looked exactly like Bai Xiaochun!
That small person was his nascent soul!
Its eyes were closed, and it shone with five dazzling colors. The power of the five elements surged through him, and at the same time, a shocking aura appeared within his nascent soul.
If any other Nascent Soul cultivator were here to witness the spectacle, they would cry out in alarm. After all, when an ordinary cultivator used their own core to form their nascent soul, it would be called a Mortal-Dao Nascent Soul. It would be difficult to see clearly, almost as if it were a mortal.
If someone used deva beast souls to create a nascent soul, it would be more clearly visible. Furthermore, based on the latent talent and technique practiced by the individual, it would consist of power of one of the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, or earth. Furthermore, it would result in a divine light which swirled around the body.
Generally speaking, that was the limit. Only the legendary Heaven-Dao Nascent Soul could be considered the perfect and flawless version, as clear as crystal, and filled with the divine light of the five elements. Such life essence divine light could not be suppressed by any technique based on the five elements; furthermore, when it was unleashed, it could suppress all other types of nascent souls. Whether they were those of Mortal-Dao or those created by deva beast souls, they would all be crushed!
Any other cultivator in the same cultivation stage as a Heaven-Dao Nascent Soul expert would be, at best, a third as powerful. In fact, they might even be so weak that they couldn’t rotate their cultivation base.
There were virtually no such nascent souls in the entire world!
This... was the Heaven-Dao Nascent Soul!
As the nascent soul’s eyes opened, a massive clap of thunder rang out in the sky over Giant Ghost City.
CRAAAAAAAAAASH!!!
In that same moment, a burst of Heaven-Dao aura erupted from within Bai Xiaochun’s nascent soul, seemingly in coordination with the heavenly thunder.