Though the man who stepped onto the stage wore a magnificent crimson robe, he could not hide the trace of nervousness on his face. He walked up to Song Qingming somewhat tremblingly.
"This junior is Linghu Jie of the Nine Yuan Sect. I pay my respects to you, Senior, and congratulate Senior Song on achieving the Nascent Soul!"
Looking at the white-haired Linghu Jie not far before him, Song Qingming could not help recalling once more the scene of their first dealings, when they had competed for spiritual items at the Star Assembly.
Back then, Song Qingming had only recently formed his core, his cultivation no more than the Second Layer of Golden Core, while Linghu Jie had already been a Late Golden Core Stage Cultivator for over two hundred years.
Whether in cultivation or personal strength, there had been a vast gap between them.
At the time, Song Qingming had still been weak. Faced with the verbal threats of Linghu Jie, an established Golden Core Cultivator, he had naturally been deeply wary and had nearly given up that auction of his own accord.
Only with the support of the old Sect Leader, Yao Ganshu, had he gathered the courage to compete with him head-on, ultimately obtaining the Phantom Boat, that treasure which had remained with him until now.
Time flew like water, and in the blink of an eye, more than a century had passed. Their statuses had become as different as heaven and earth with the passing years.
Song Qingming had now successfully formed his Nascent Soul, standing at the peak of this Cultivation World as a powerful figure capable of controlling the fate of cultivators in an entire region.
Though Linghu Jie's cultivation had broken through to the Ninth Level of Golden Core, he was already an