Chapter 213: The Remains of the Sole Existence of This World

Lu Yan’s voice seemed to carry the might of the Heavenly Dao, like a sudden clap of thunder exploding in Ji Xingyao’s heart.

Her soul trembled. The weariness that had clouded her divine sense was instantly swept away.

“A Heart Demon Tribulation!”

Before Ji Xingyao had been corrupted by the Foul Law Spiritual Qi, she had already been on the verge of stepping into the Golden Core Realm.

Now, after being bathed in the power of hundreds of Sun Stones, not only had her damaged foundation been completely restored, her cultivation had taken another step forward—triggering the breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm. And it was in this very process that the Heart Demon Tribulation descended silently.

The moment one’s cultivation was fully restored was when the mind was most at ease—most relaxed. This was the perfect moment for the Heart Demon Tribulation to strike, and Ji Xingyao had no time to prepare for it.

Given the strength of Ji Xingyao’s foundation, if the Heart Demon Tribulation had aimed to make her breakthrough fail, she would have sensed it instantly and responded with full force.

But this time, the tribulation wasn’t trying to stop her from advancing—it was trying to delay her timing. If she missed the optimal window to condense her Golden Core, the grade of the core would inevitably be affected.

After figuring out the cause and effect, a bigger question arose in Ji Xingyao’s heart.

“The Heart Demon Tribulation is impervious to external aid. How could Lu Yan have noticed and even called it out?”

What she didn’t know was that the seemingly simple words Lu Yan had spoken earlier had been infused with Heavenly Dao Merit, a rare power in the cultivation world.

Merit was the bane of all evil and demonic influences. Heavenly Dao Merit, in particular, was the natural nemesis of all heart demons and deviant paths. Before such force, a mere Heart Demon of the Golden Core stage couldn’t stir up any trouble.

Even before Ji Xingyao could mount a counterattack, the truth within Lu Yan’s words—backed by Heavenly Dao Merit—had already annihilated the Heart Demon.

Dispelling the doubts in her mind, Ji Xingyao summoned a mental sword upon her spiritual platform and swept away all mundane distractions.

With her heart and mind steady, her nearly liquefied spiritual power gathered atop her Dao Foundation.

Having just endured the tempering of hundreds of Sun Stones, the purity of Ji Xingyao’s spiritual power was beyond imagination. She encountered almost no resistance in forming the nascent shape of her Golden Core.

In that instant, heavenly light descended, golden lotuses sprang from the earth, and above the heavens, an immortal city of white clouds appeared between sky and earth. Celestial beings danced, dragons and phoenixes cried out, and sun and moon shone together—six phenomena manifested simultaneously in the heavens.

Within the Clear Wutong Blessed Land, multiple Nascent Soul True Lords and true disciples opened their eyes from closed-door cultivation, gazing in the direction of Ji Xingyao’s cave abode.

“Six phenomena… a Fourth-Grade Golden Core!”

“Looks like this new true disciple has extraordinary talent. To be able to rebuild her foundation and still reach the Golden Core Realm after being tainted by Foul Law Spiritual Qi… A Fourth-Grade Golden Core means she has hope of reaching Nascent Soul.”

“It’s been two hundred years since Clear Wutong Sect last saw a Fourth-Grade Golden Core.”

“Unfortunately, she was born into a humble background. The divine ability embedded in her core will be limited. If she had formed a Third-Grade Core, she might have had a chance to glimpse the Divine Transformation Realm.”

While the Nascent Soul elders and true disciples discussed among themselves, Ji Xingyao’s breakthrough suddenly changed once again.

The Heavenly Dao Merit that had annihilated her Heart Demon had not been fully consumed. The remaining power took the initiative to fuse with her Earth Dao Foundation.

Ji Xingyao had formed her foundation through the Dao of the Sword. Originally, her Earth Dao Foundation consisted of five layers, placing her in the mid-tier among sword cultivators.

But as the Heavenly Dao Merit merged with her foundation, a sixth, ethereal layer appeared atop the original five.

This change in her Dao Foundation resonated with her forming Golden Core. A divine ability seed, infused with the essence of the Dao Foundation, began to take shape inside her core.

In the next moment, the budding innate divine ability burst forth. Sword intent soared skyward, slashing directly at the six-tiered celestial phenomena.

Under the overwhelming force of the sword intent, the illusionary visions shattered—leaving behind only a colossal sword scar etched into the heavens.

The many Nascent Soul elders and true disciples who had been commenting suddenly froze. Their faces turned to expressions of utter disbelief.

“That’s… the seventh celestial phenomenon?!”

“She actually used an unformed divine ability to interfere with the heavenly visions and created the seventh phenomenon with a single sword slash?”

“What kind of fortune is this? Even someone favored by the Heavenly Dao might not compare!”

“Seven celestial phenomena… a Third-Grade Golden Core… she now truly has hope of reaching Divine Transformation!”

In the blink of an eye, from dozens of abodes within the blessed land, streams of golden transmission sword talismans shot toward Ji Xingyao’s cave.

In one of those abodes, True Lord Wu—who had once met Lu Yan—gently stroked his beard, eyes fixed in amazement on Ji Xingyao’s cave.

“Could Ji Xingyao’s breakthrough be related to that Taiyi Sect’s Lu Yan?”

“To have gained Mu Chunqiu’s favor… truly blessed by fortune.”

Muttering to himself, True Lord Wu waved his sleeve, and a blue decree fell upon all the sect factions within the Clear Wutong Blessed Land who had been stirred into action.

“True Disciple Ji Xingyao is currently stabilizing her realm. None may disturb her. The matter of faction allegiance shall be decided one year from now.”

Within Ji Xingyao’s cave, as the seventh phenomenon manifested, her Golden Core finally stabilized completely.

The moment she opened her eyes, it was as if a sword light cleaved through the void. The second-tier protective array shielding her cave shattered in an instant.

Even Lu Yan felt a sliver of lethal danger at that moment.

Though Ji Xingyao was only at the initial Golden Core stage, the threat Lu Yan sensed from her was just barely beneath that of Peak Golden Core Elder Xiao.

This was the true power of core grade and innate divine abilities—its gap laid bare.

Ji Xingyao slowly rose from the prayer mat, the sword light in her eyes gradually receding. She looked at Lu Yan with a sense of great relief.

She knew well the extent of Lu Yan’s aid in her breakthrough.

He had provided a massive number of Sun Stones to heal her foundation. He had warned her of the Heart Demon Tribulation at the critical moment. And though she had no evidence, her instincts told her that the transformation in her Dao Foundation was also due to Lu Yan’s help.

Everything Lu Yan had done for her could be considered a debt of rebirth.

Ji Xingyao, in the Immortal Cultivation Version, was naturally cold and not good with words. Even though she was filled with gratitude, she didn’t know how to express it.

After a long silence, she finally forced out a single sentence:

“Thank you, Junior Brother Lu, for your help.”

But the moment the words left her lips, Ji Xingyao noticed something odd about Lu Yan’s gaze.

He was staring fixedly at her chest, eyes filled with doubt and confusion.

Ji Xingyao instinctively wanted to block his view, but thinking of how much Lu Yan had done for her, she forced herself to suppress the impulse. A barely perceptible blush crept across her face.

At that moment, Lu Yan finally spoke.

“Sister Ji, may I take a look at your robe?”

Ji Xingyao hesitated and glanced around. This spirit peak was her private cave residence, and aside from Su Yan’s distant flying boat on the horizon, there was no one nearby.

Even so, this was still considered outdoors. For Lu Yan to suddenly say something like that left her completely at a loss.

After several moments of indecision, Ji Xingyao lowered her head and murmured softly:

“Junior Brother Lu… how about we go somewhere more private?”

Her words startled Lu Yan, who immediately realized the misunderstanding. His expression froze, and he hastily waved his hand.

“Ahem! Don’t misunderstand, Sister Ji. I’m only interested in the traces left on your robe.”

He pointed toward her chest. The Foul Law Spiritual Qi that had nearly consumed her had not only corrupted her spiritual power but had also eroded her dantian and meridians.

To resist the torment of the corrosion, Ji Xingyao had sat in stillness within her cave for over a year, trying to fight it off with sheer willpower.

Over time, the robe she wore had been affected by the Foul Law Spiritual Qi. The once-pure white celestial garment had become stained like a fading sunset.

Though the spiritual qi had been purged thanks to the Sun Stones, her robe still bore some residual marks.

What Lu Yan was interested in… were those marks.

He had detected something strange in them—an aura that seemed not to belong to the Immortal Cultivation Version.

Ji Xingyao realized what he meant. Her face flushed red, but she still removed the robe in front of Lu Yan and changed into a new green one.

Lu Yan took the garment, and with his index finger brushed over the tainted traces. He closed his eyes, carefully sensing the subtleties within.

After a while, he came to a conclusion.

“This Foul Law Spiritual Qi… is likely a product of version invasion!”

The realization shocked Lu Yan.

He had thought only lower-level versions would suffer from version invasion. But he hadn’t expected that even the Immortal Cultivation Version had been invaded.

Though the corruption was currently isolated to a forbidden zone, and hadn’t spread, that fact alone revealed a deeper truth:

Version invasion was far more serious than he had imagined. It wasn’t limited to just a few versions.

A shadow fell over Lu Yan’s heart.

“I can’t worry about other invasions right now. First, I need to find a true Immortal and eliminate the hidden danger from the Longevity Version inside me!”

With that thought, Lu Yan spoke seriously:

“To tell you the truth, Sister Ji, I’ve come to ask a favor. I hope you can help me answer a question.”

Hearing this, Ji Xingyao’s face grew serious as she responded earnestly:

“Junior Brother Lu, whatever it is, I will do everything in my power to help.”

Lu Yan looked around, then formed a hand seal to set up a barrier that blocked all outside probing.

Only then did he solemnly ask:

“Sister Ji, do you know of the existence of Immortals?”

“Immortals?”

Ji Xingyao frowned slightly, then after a moment of contemplation, replied:

“In the cultivation world, Nascent Soul is the peak for most itinerant cultivators and small sects.

“But if you go beyond the Central Continent—to the Outer Territories or the Four Seas—there are many powerful forces led by Divine Transformation Realm experts.

“Among all these factions, only the Ten Great Daoist Sects and the Seven Supreme Demonic Sects hold dominion over the Central Continent. Only they are known throughout the cultivation world.

“According to ancient legends, each of those top sects has once given rise to an Immortal.”

“Some say Immortals are those beyond Divine Transformation. Others claim they are beings who have transcended the laws of Heaven and Earth.

“Still others believe Immortals walk a completely different path from cultivators, and cannot be judged by mere cultivation stages.

“Junior Brother, why are you seeking Immortals?”

Lu Yan’s heart trembled, a flicker of hope shining within.

Since the key to finding an Immortal lay with Ji Xingyao, he saw no reason to hide it anymore. He spoke frankly:

“I’ve been marked by a special existence. I want to find an Immortal to remove this hidden danger.”

But Ji Xingyao only shook her head.

“The Immortal of Clear Wutong Sect has not appeared for thousands of years.

“According to ancient sect rules, when a new true disciple is promoted, they must visit the Ancestral Hall to pay respects to the Immortal. If the disciple is exceptional, it might draw the Immortal to appear, at which point one request can be made.

“I went there myself… but never saw the Immortal. No one has for thousands of years.”

Lu Yan’s disappointment was plain to see.

He had pinned his hopes on Clear Wutong Sect, but if even they had no idea where their Immortal was, how could they help him?

Seeing his expression, Ji Xingyao hesitated before offering:

“Must it be an Immortal?

“Now that I’ve formed a Third-Grade Golden Core, I’m entitled to request a True Law Decree from the sect.

“With it, I can ask a Divine Transformation Dao Lord to intervene. Maybe they could help with your issue.”

But Lu Yan simply shook his head.

“I appreciate your kindness, Sister Ji, but the problem I’m facing runs deep. Only an Immortal can help me resolve it.”

Divine Transformation Dao Lords were indeed powerful—perhaps even stronger than some low-tier Sole Existences in other versions.

But without the status of being a Sole Existence, no amount of power could remove the mark left by the Longevity Version.

Though still disappointed, Lu Yan was at least reassured that the Ten Great Daoist Sects did indeed have Immortals. It wasn’t a baseless rumor.

Ji Xingyao looked hesitant, wanting to say more. But if even a Divine Transformation Dao Lord couldn’t help, what could she possibly offer?

As she struggled with her thoughts, her eyes fell on the robe still in Lu Yan’s hands, and a flash of memory lit up in her mind.

“Junior Brother Lu, wait a moment. I have something that might help you.”

With that, she turned into a stream of light and flew back into her cave.

Moments later, she returned, holding a jade box in her hands.

The moment she approached, Lu Yan sensed a wave of filth and decay from the jade box—eerily similar to the Foul Law Spiritual Qi.

More than that, he felt a strange sense of familiarity.

His mind raced—and then the realization hit.

The aura from within the box was very similar to the undying divine light formed when that wisp of Supreme Will was crushed.

Not in material, but in level and concept.

Ji Xingyao opened the jade box, revealing a withered finger that resembled a gnarled tree branch.

“I found this deep in the Foul Law Forbidden Zone. That place buried countless mighty beings, most of whom had turned to dust under the corruption.

“Only this finger remained.

“Back then, I was suffering from the Foul Law Spiritual Qi myself, so I brought it back, hoping it might lead to a cure.

“But no alchemist or medical sage could discern its origins—let alone find a way to purge the Foul Law Spiritual Qi.”

Lu Yan stared at the finger intently.

If his guess was right, this finger might belong to a Sole Existence who had tried to invade another version—its level comparable to that of the Supreme Will itself.

To ordinary cultivators, it was a dangerous object that reeked of corruption.

But to someone like Lu Yan, who had encountered multiple Sole Existences, it was a rare treasure. Even though its life force and immortality had faded, its essence as a Sole Existence remained.

If he could harness it properly, it might even help accelerate the hatching of the black egg on his Soul Continent.

Ji Xingyao closed the jade box and handed it to him.

“I suspected it might be related to an Immortal. But so few have returned alive from that forbidden zone, I couldn’t confirm it.”

Lu Yan took the box, suppressing his excitement, and asked curiously:

“Sister Ji, why do you think this finger is related to an Immortal?”

Ji Xingyao looked surprised.

“You don’t know? The most well-known legend about Immortals is from seven hundred years ago—when the Taiyi Immortal used a single sword to annihilate a horde of deviant demons, which resulted in the creation of the Foul Law Forbidden Zone.

“That Taiyi Immortal… is the only confirmed true Immortal in the entire cultivation world!”

(End of Chapter)