Peak Nascent Soul

When Bai Ye stepped into the white light at the exit of the secret realm, he felt only a faint spatial tug, and the next moment he stood in the dense forest at the edge of the Hundred Broken Mountains.

Morning mist still clung to the woods, dewdrops beading on branches and leaves, refracting fragments of dawn light.

He didn't pause for even a moment. With a thought, the High-grade Saint Tier Escape Technique, the Movement Character Secret, activated instantly!

Hum—!

Ripples suddenly spread through the air around him. Bai Ye's figure transformed into a pale golden streak of light, moving at an extreme speed. Wherever it passed, only a fleeting afterimage remained.

Before the birds in the forest could react, he had already crossed tens of thousands of meters!

The beasts on the ground barely sensed his presence before only a wisp of wind lingered at their noses.

Such was the terror of the Movement Character Secret.

Treading through the folds of space, shrinking distances to inches—ordinary Nascent Soul Realm cultivators couldn't even catch his afterimage!

"Hm?"

Deep in the forest, a figure hidden behind an ancient tree suddenly opened his eyes.

It was an old man in a black Daoist robe, the faint pressure of Nascent Soul Early Stage radiating from him.

He was an expert sent by some major power to monitor the secret realm's exit.

Rubbing his eyes, he stared blankly at the direction Bai Ye had vanished, utterly bewildered. "What was that? A flash of light? Or an illusion?"

He raised a hand and offered up a tracking talisman, pouring Spiritual Energy into it. But the talisman only spun in place, completely unresponsive.

The spatial fluctuations left by the Movement Character Secret had already dissipated, so thoroughly that even tracking techniques couldn't lock on.

The old man sighed, helplessly stowing the talisman. Probably some reclusive powerhouse passing through. Best not to meddle.

Meanwhile, news of the Azure Spirit Secret Realm's closure spread across Azure State at an astonishing speed.

The first to spread the word were the rogue cultivators who had emerged from the secret realm.

They vividly described the starlight that blazed atop the God Transformation Tower, the mysterious youth who raised a hand to slay a Profound Comprehension Realm cultivator and claimed the Saint Tier Spiritual Treasure, the God Transformation Tower itself. Every faction listened with pounding hearts.

"A Divine Realm Inheritance! And a Saint Tier Spiritual Treasure!"

Inside the Blood Spirit Sect, one of the Top Ten Sects of Azure State, the Sect Leader crushed the jade cup in his hand, his face dark enough to drip water. "Investigate! Spare no effort! No matter which faction that brat belongs to, even if we have to scour the entire Azure State, find him!"

In the grand hall of the Black Mountain Sect, several elders wore grim expressions.

"The Profound Comprehension Realm elders we sent are all dead—their souls didn't even return... That kid is definitely at the Nascent Soul Realm!" The Grand Elder slammed the table, killing intent blazing in his eyes. "We must find him, or the Black Mountain Sect's face will be lost!"

It wasn't just the local powers of Azure State. Even the super-factions from neighboring states grew interested.

The Sky Burning Valley from the neighboring state dispatched three Nascent Soul Realm elders, carrying top-tier tracking formations to Azure State.

The Ten Thousand Buddhas Sect even activated their sect's secret technique—the Heavenly Eye Technique—trying to lock onto Bai Ye's aura.

For a time, a storm of searching for the "mysterious Nascent Soul powerhouse" swept across Azure State and the three surrounding states.

But no matter how hard the factions searched, Bai Ye seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Some said he had hidden himself in the desolate Depths of Ten Thousand Mountains, others claimed he had already left the Wild Domain, and a few even speculated he had come from the Heavenly Domain and, after obtaining the inheritance, used a super teleportation array to leave.

All kinds of rumors swirled, but no one ever found his trail.

At that moment, Bai Ye was deep within a Gorge in the Depths of Ten Thousand Mountains.

He raised a hand and waved. The small, exquisite tower in his palm suddenly expanded, transforming into the nine-hundred-zhang-tall God Transformation Tower. Star Runes lit up along its body, forming a pale golden barrier that enveloped the entire Gorge.

This God Transformation Tower was not only a Saint Tier Spiritual Treasure but also a mobile cultivation sanctuary.

The Spiritual Energy concentration inside the tower was ten times that of the outside world, and it could autonomously absorb the power of the stars from heaven and earth—perfect for secluded cultivation.

Bai Ye stepped into the top floor of the God Transformation Tower, sat cross-legged on the White Jade Platform, and took out a Saint Medicine from his storage ring.

It was one of the three Saint Medicines left by the Profound Sword Master: the Star Grass.

The moment the Saint Medicine was taken out, the Star Spiritual Energy inside the tower surged toward it wildly. The dewdrops on its leaves shimmered with brilliant starlight.

He refined the Star Grass, and a torrent of Star Power surged into his body. Combined with his Innate Chaos Dao Body and the Star Creation Art, his cultivation speed reached a terrifying level!

Ordinary Nascent Soul Realm cultivators would need years or even decades to break through a single minor realm. But Bai Ye, with the Saint Medicine, top-tier cultivation art, and his Dao Body, saw his cultivation skyrocket like a Rocket:

In the first year, he broke through from Nascent Soul First Layer to Nascent Soul Third Layer. His Nine-Colored Nascent Soul grew more solid, and his comprehension of the laws deepened several times over!

In the second year, from Nascent Soul Fourth Layer to Nascent Soul Sixth Layer, his Spiritual Soul Power exploded!

In the third year, from Nascent Soul Seventh Layer to Peak Nascent Soul. Faint chaotic patterns emerged on the surface of his Nine-Colored Nascent Soul. With a mere gesture, he could draw upon the Power of Heaven and Earth for a hundred li in every direction!

On this day, Bai Ye slowly withdrew his cultivation, exhaling a turbid breath laced with Star Spiritual Energy.

Feeling the immense power within him, a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Peak Nascent Soul... Time to go out and see the world."

He put away the God Transformation Tower, activated his concealment technique, suppressed his cultivation to the Primordial Core Fourth Layer, and flew toward the direction of the Azure Cloud Sect.

The mountain gate of Azure Cloud Sect stood as imposing as ever, and between the seventy-two peaks wreathed in mist, disciples occasionally flew past on their swords.

The moment Bai Ye stepped through the mountain gate, a disciple on guard recognized him: "Senior Brother Bai Ye! You're back!"

News spread swiftly, and before long, the Second Elder of Azure Cloud Sect and the Head of the Bai Family sent for him to come to the Council Hall.

Inside the Council Hall, sandalwood incense curled upward in wisps.

The Second Elder sat in the seat of honor, gazing at Bai Ye with eyes full of complexity: "Bai Ye, where have you been these three years? After the Azure Spirit Secret Realm closed, we searched for you for a long time."

The Head of the Bai Family also wore a look of deep concern: "Indeed, when you left, you were still at the Vein Condensation Realm, and now you've actually reached the Primordial Core Fourth Layer... but why does your aura feel so weak?"

Bai Ye had long prepared his story. He let out a weary sigh, his face taking on a hint of pallor: "After entering the secret realm, I managed a breakthrough to the Primordial Core Realm, but while seeking my fortune, I was ambushed by cultivators from an unknown faction."

"Several of them were at the Primordial Core Realm. I fought desperately and barely escaped, but I was gravely wounded. I had to find a place to hide and heal, and only today have I fully recovered."

"Outrageous!" The Second Elder slammed the table and shot to his feet, his eyes blazing with fury. "To dare harm a disciple of Azure Cloud Sect—no matter who they are, our sect will not let this rest!"

The Head of the Bai Family nodded in agreement, his tone grave: "Do you know which faction they belong to? Our Bai family still has some connections in Azure State; we will surely seek justice for you."