Chapter 22: Divine Ability Seeds
Chen Xiao's cultivation had now reached the peak of the late Foundation Establishment stage. Had he not been suppressing it all this time, he would probably have entered the Golden Core Realm long ago.
Now, he activated the Yin Heaven Jade Talisman left behind by the Talisman Treasure Immortal, completely concealing himself. Then the Nine Heavens Thunder Virtue Universal Transformation Art began to circulate.
Thick waves of spiritual energy gathered from all directions and poured into Chen Xiao's body.
In an instant, the True Essence that had been quiet within him erupted like boiling water, surging madly toward his dantian. The Crimson Cloud suspended inside began to transform wildly as well. Gradually, a scarlet Golden Core as large as a fist took shape in Chen Xiao's dantian.
This Golden Core was several times larger than the one Chen Xiao had possessed in his previous life. Scarlet lightning coiled around it, just like the heavenly tribulation high above the Nine Heavens.
However, although Chen Xiao had successfully formed his Golden Core, his mastery of the Nine Heavens Thunder Virtue Universal Transformation Art had not improved at all. It remained at the fifth turn of the Red Cloud Realm.
This was to be expected. According to the relationship between the Nine Heavens Thunder Virtue Universal Transformation Art and the stages of cultivation, Chen Xiao would have to reach at least the Out-of-Body Realm to break through to the Orange Cloud Realm and take control of the tribulation cultivators faced on their path to immortality.
In his previous life, Chen Xiao had taken a full fifteen years to reach the Out-of-Body Realm. In this life, the Nine Heavens Thunder Virtue Universal Transformation Art he cultivated was even more heaven-defying. His cultivation advanced quickly, but it also required an ocean of resources to sustain it.
If Chen Xiao had not obtained the Talisman Treasure Immortal's treasure, with a vast supply of Heavenly Mystery Stones behind him, he probably would not even have completed the first turn by now.
Now, though, Chen Xiao had broken through to the Golden Core Realm. He was in the belly of Mingyu Mountain, close to its Spirit Vein, where an enormous amount of spiritual energy was available. Even so, he did not dare act recklessly.
After all, this Spirit Vein sustained all of Moon-Gazing City. If anything happened to it, Moon-Gazing City would inevitably suffer. The Nangong Clan would certainly be in trouble, but Chen Tiannan, as the city lord, would not escape blame either.
So even while breaking through here, Chen Xiao dared not extend his spiritual sense to the Spirit Vein and draw on its spiritual power.
Still, the spiritual energy here was already enough for Chen Xiao to enter the Golden Core Realm without a hitch. After forming his Golden Core, he did not immediately stop circulating his energy. At a thought, a jade-green talisman shot out of the Golden Immortal Kingdom and merged directly into his dantian.
A Supernatural Ability Talisman.
Ancient cultivators were different from cultivators today. Modern cultivators focused on cultivating techniques and spells, refining their minds and bodies, comprehending the Heavenly Dao, and pursuing longevity. Even the Martial Immortals and Sword Immortals, who were called unconventional immortals, entered the immortal path through martial arts or the sword, but in essence, their methods were much the same.
In ancient times, the Talisman Dao had flourished. Ancient cultivators slew demon beasts and immortal beasts, extracted their innate abilities, and refined them into Supernatural Ability Talismans. They sealed the abilities of countless beasts within talismans, then imprinted them into their Golden Cores as the cores took shape, turning them into seeds of supernatural abilities. This way, ancient cultivators possessed not only their own magical power but also the innate abilities of demon beasts, making them far stronger than cultivators today.
But the method for drawing Supernatural Ability Talismans had long since been lost. Even the Talisman Treasure Immortal had only obtained one by chance. Since he had already become an immortal, he had no use for it, so he had left it in the Golden Immortal Kingdom.
Now it had fallen into Chen Xiao's hands. In his previous life, Chen Xiao had only discovered this treasure in the Golden Immortal Kingdom when his Nascent Soul left his body. But a Supernatural Ability Talisman could only be used when breaking through from Foundation Establishment to the Golden Core Realm.
So this time, Chen Xiao did not hesitate. He retrieved the Supernatural Ability Talisman from the Golden Immortal Kingdom and, without another word, merged it into his Golden Core, transforming the core into a seed of supernatural abilities.
"Awroo!"
A faint dragon's roar echoed in Chen Xiao's dantian. In the next moment, the phantom of an Azure Dragon emerged from the cinnabar-red Golden Core and sank into the Crimson Cloud beneath it, its scales and claws flickering into view.
"Azure Dragon inheritance: Seven Absolutes of the True Dragon!"
Suddenly, Chen Xiao's heart stirred, and a flush spread across his face.
In ancient times, four beast gods—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise—guarded the four directions of the heavens, worshipped by all living things. The Supernatural Ability Talisman Chen Xiao had merged with had actually been refined from a divine dragon that possessed Azure Dragon blood. The supernatural abilities it contained were innate abilities of the Azure Dragon clan.
The Seven Absolutes of the True Dragon: Nine Appearances of the Cloud Dragon, Divine Dragon Probes its Claws, Heavenly Dragon Controls Thunder, Nine Heavens Dragon Roar, Great Coiling Dragon Sword, Mad Dragon Battles the Wild, and Enraged Dragon Divine Heaven!
For now, however, these seven supernatural abilities were only seeds. Chen Xiao would have to reach the Nascent Soul Realm or higher to awaken them. Once all seven were unleashed, he would be invincible among those at the same level.
The Golden Core, which had originally been about the size of a fist, shrank to the size of a thumb after the Supernatural Ability Talisman transformed it into a seed of supernatural abilities. But its power had increased more than threefold.
"Middle Golden Core stage."
A flash of red lightning flickered in Chen Xiao's eyes. Then he slowly stood up. His cultivation had now reached the middle Golden Core stage, but the Universal Transformation Art still remained at the fifth turn of the Red Cloud Realm.
From the moment he began circulating his energy to his breakthrough into the Golden Core Realm, only half an hour had passed. During that time, thanks to the Heaven-Concealing Jade Talisman, no one had noticed him at all. Even the spiritual energy fluctuations caused by his breakthrough had been perfectly concealed.
Besides, this place was inside Mingyu Mountain, close to the Spirit Vein that sustained all of Moon-Gazing City. Compared with the entire Spirit Vein, the spiritual energy Chen Xiao had absorbed was less than a drop in the ocean. No one could detect him from the fluctuations in spiritual power, either.
By then, Mengmeng and Cai Di had followed Nangong Shenyao as he left, just as Chen Xiao had instructed.
The two of them had been a little worried at first, but after witnessing Chen Xiao's mysterious and unfathomable talisman techniques, they had set their minds at ease and followed Nangong Shenyao out. After all, there was nothing they could do here. Under the protection of the Heaven-Concealing Jade Talisman, they could not spot Chen Xiao, either.
After he finished circulating his energy, Chen Xiao returned to the cavern where Nangong Wenyue was. Nangong Wenyue was sitting cross-legged, using the Spirit Vein's power to recover.
Chen Xiao looked at Nangong Wenyue with a sinister smile. A black talisman had appeared in his hand: a Kui Water Talisman.
Chen Xiao could see clearly that Nangong Wenyue cultivated a fire-attributed technique. What would happen if he planted a wisp of innate Kui Water essence in him?
With a flick of his fingertip, a black light slipped soundlessly through the protection of the Heaven-Concealing Talisman and into Nangong Wenyue's back. It then went still. Nangong Wenyue had not noticed anything unusual at all.
Chen Xiao wasted no more time and immediately returned to the underground cavern from earlier. As soon as Xianxian and the others sensed him coming down, all five of them leaped out of the Spirit Vein.
After their brief encounter earlier, Chen Xiao had learned that, aside from Xianxian, the girl in black was Guigui, the girl in blue was Mumu, the little boy in green was Yaoyao, and the boy in purple was Momo.
At that moment, however, Xianxian was holding a ball of red light in her arms. It looked as if it might take human form at any moment.