An Assumed Name

A world-shaking phenomenon jolted the lands within a thousand li of Jingxiu Mountain.

The Foundation Establishment cultivators in the area were all drawn to Jingxiu Mountain by the incomparably vast Spiritual Qi vortex, eager to see just what manner of person could have caused such a phenomenon!

As they understood it, anyone capable of such a Divine Ability had to be among the finest Golden Core Early Stage cultivators, and there was a strong chance that person had already reached the Golden Core Middle Stage.

In Yan Province, aside from the three great Nascent Soul immortal sects, the patriarchs of most Golden Core immortal sects were at the Golden Core Early Stage. Only a tiny number of sect patriarchs with extraordinary aptitude and complete Golden Core Cultivation Methods could break through to the Golden Core Middle Stage, or even catch a glimpse of the Late Golden Core.

But for those who reached the Late Golden Core, that was basically the end of the road.

In Yan Province, no matter how dazzlingly gifted you were, unless you belonged to one of the three great Nascent Soul immortal sects, you had absolutely no chance of breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm.

There were many reasons for this, but only three were crucial.

First, you had no legacy of a top-tier Cultivation Method that led directly to the Nascent Soul Realm. After a great calamity, more than half of Yan Province's top-tier Cultivation Methods had been left incomplete. The few complete ones that remained had all fallen into the hands of the three great Nascent Soul immortal sects, making them almost impossible to obtain.

Second, forming a Nascent Soul required the aid of certain spiritual materials. Spiritual Qi was thin in Yan Province, and the treasured places that produced these materials were exceedingly rare. Most of them were monopolized by the three great Nascent Soul immortal sects. Obtaining the spiritual materials needed to form a Nascent Soul was harder than ascending to the heavens!

Finally, even if a Golden Core cultivator had heaven-defying fortune and met the conditions to form a Nascent Soul, he would still have to face the three great Nascent Soul immortal sects blocking his path!

Yan Province was barren; it had no room for a fourth Nascent Soul immortal sect!

Thus, Late Golden Core cultivators outside Yan Province's three great Nascent Soul immortal sects were exceedingly rare. Some cultivators, even after breaking through to the Late Golden Core, chose to conceal their cultivation, lest the three great Nascent Soul immortal sects set their sights on them and leave their lives no longer in their own hands!

Northwestern Yan Province was a remote and desolate land to begin with. Aside from the peerlessly gifted Azure Luan Fairy, there was no second cultivator who had managed to break through to the Golden Core Middle Stage.

Now that a cultivator suspected of being at the Golden Core Middle Stage had appeared on Jingxiu Mountain, how could these Foundation Establishment cultivators keep their imaginations from running wild?

Of course, until matters became clear, they dared not act rashly and could only watch as the Spiritual Qi vortex continued to spread.

As time passed, the Spiritual Qi vortex gradually extended across a radius of three hundred li.

At that point, the Spiritual Qi vortex finally stopped expanding.

And Mo Wen, who was cultivating in seclusion on Jingxiu Mountain, finally arrived at the ultimate leap!

In an instant, his Divine Sense, Law Power, and physical body all underwent a tremendous transformation, growing stronger at an unimaginable speed.

At the same time, the Spiritual Qi vortex that blotted out the sky and sun rapidly shrank until it vanished from above Jingxiu Mountain.

His cultivation complete, Mo Wen rose to his feet and let out a long breath.

I've finally reached Foundation Establishment! Boundless joy welled up in his heart.

After reaching Foundation Establishment, his lifespan would increase by two sixty-year cycles, bringing it to two hundred and fifty-four years.

Such a long span of time rivaled the lifespan of a dynasty in his previous life. And this was only the beginning of the Dao Path to immortality!

Besides that, Mo Wen's strength had soared to a level beyond his expectations.

First, his Divine Sense had increased more than threefold, reaching a terrifying one hundred and twenty zhang. Divine Sense of that extent was already comparable to that of a Foundation Establishment Great Perfection cultivator.

Second, his physical strength had also reached the body-refining Foundation Establishment level. With the power of his flesh alone, he could stand against a Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator.

Finally, his Law Power had undergone a fundamental qualitative change, transforming from a gas into a liquid. Both its abundance and purity were more than a hundred times what they had been before Foundation Establishment.

Although he did not know exactly how strong he was now, he reckoned that even if he encountered a False Core cultivator, he could fight on equal terms, or even win!

I wonder how far I still am from a true Golden Core cultivator?

Mo Wen quickly extinguished that dangerous thought. What he pursued was the Great Dao of immortality, not contests of strength and ferocity with others!

Next, it's time to deal with those guests outside Jingxiu Mountain.

Mo Wen pondered for a moment and finally came up with an idea. He opened his cave abode and walked out.

"Mo Lang, did you succeed?" Song Yixue asked, both surprised and delighted.

Mo Wen nodded and said with a smile, "Yes, it went fairly smoothly."

Before entering seclusion to break through, he had used the excuse that he was going to cultivate an exceptionally powerful Law Technique and had asked Song Yixue to stand guard for him.

Although Song Yixue was shocked by the commotion Mo Wen had caused while cultivating the Law Technique, she did not press him for details. When it came to secrets of cultivation, even dao companions in a close relationship were better off not prying.

"What's happening outside?" Mo Wen asked.

"There are a hundred or so people surrounding the mountain, all Foundation Establishment cultivators. What do we do now?" Song Yixue's delicate brows knitted slightly, and she looked a little troubled.

"It's all right. Leave it to me." Mo Wen smiled carefreely, and with a thought, he turned into a towering, broad-built man with a rough, bold appearance and eyes that flashed like lightning.

"Well? Doesn't your husband look mighty?" Mo Wen teased.

Song Yixue pressed her lips together in a smile and scoffed, "Mo Lang, you're always playing tricks!"

"I am Yan Chixia. Greetings, Fairy Song. Watch as I sweep aside the assembled heroes with a single sword and drive away these unwelcome guests!" Mo Wen said solemnly.

"Be careful, Mo Lang!" Song Yixue understood what Mo Wen intended and hurriedly cautioned him.

"Don't worry. I'm off!" Mo Wen let out a long cry and rode his sword out through the mountain-guarding formation, arriving before the assembled Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Before any of them could speak, Mo Wen demanded loudly, "What do you all mean by surrounding this place?"

"Fellow Daoist, we saw a heaven-shaking phenomenon appear on Jingxiu Mountain and came especially to see what had happened," a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator with handsome features and an upright bearing said, stepping out from the crowd to explain.

"Oh, that was the True Person practicing a Divine Ability just now. You may all leave," Mo Wen said casually.

The assembled Foundation Establishment cultivators could not help trembling slightly when they heard this.

Divine Abilities were innate Law Techniques awakened by certain peerlessly gifted Foundation Establishment cultivators when they formed a high-grade Golden Core.

These innate Law Techniques were immensely powerful, far surpassing ordinary high-grade third-tier Law Techniques, and so the world called them "Divine Abilities"!

Mo Wen's words meant that the Golden Core True Person on Jingxiu Mountain was a peerless prodigy who had formed a high-grade Golden Core, no ordinary Golden Core True Person!

"Might I ask if you would honor us with the True Person's esteemed title, Fellow Daoist?" the handsome cultivator continued.

"That is not for the likes of you to know!" Mo Wen's face hardened, and his voice turned cold.

The handsome cultivator's expression stiffened. "I have yet to ask your esteemed name, Fellow Daoist," he said awkwardly.

"I am the sword attendant serving the True Person, Yan Chixia, the Peerless Swordsman!" Mo Wen declared boldly.

Hearing this, the crowd immediately began consulting one another through Divine Sense transmissions.

"Peerless Swordsman? What an arrogant title!"

"Are we just going to leave? We'd be watching a great fortuitous opportunity slip right through our fingers."

"Who knows whether what this man says is true or false? He's trying to send us away with just a few words!"

"..."

Seeing their reactions, Mo Wen knew that unless he showed them what he could do today, he would have a hard time putting them off.