Steady Mortal Path: Starting from Obtaining the Golden Core Inheritance

Chapter 378 Self-Destruction of Nascent Soul

Chen Xingzhou never expected that this fourth-tier demon butterfly would have such a fiery temper, attacking without saying a word.

In his shock and anger, he could only hastily respond, constantly activating his supernatural powers to resist the hurricane-like attacks of the fourth-order demon butterfly.

In no time, the area within a thousand feet was filled with the poisonous powder shed from the Nightmare Moth, which, along with the hurricane, formed billowing black dust.

Chen Xingzhou had never seen this kind of attack before, but he still activated his protective shield to defend against it. However, he found that the poison powder was extremely corrosive, and even a fourth-level protective shield found it very difficult to withstand.

Moreover, he was already suffering from a level four poison, and needed to use a portion of his Nascent Soul power to suppress it.

This resulted in him appearing quite disheveled under the Nightmare Moth's onslaught.

Lin Changsheng, naturally, was not going to sit idly by. He unleashed his fourth-order Qi and blood power with all his might, wielding his nine-toothed rake as he charged forward with overwhelming momentum!

In the sky, several powerful hurricanes, accompanied by billowing dust, swept across the sky. During this time, Lin Changsheng wielded his nine-toothed rake, continuously bombarding Chen Xingzhou's protective magic shield.

The two joined forces and locked onto Chen Xingzhou's aura.

Chen Xingzhou, who was at the Nascent Soul stage, was suffering repeated defeats and was struggling to cope.

On the other side, Lin Changsheng, at the fourth level of body refinement, had a faster attack frequency, lower energy consumption, and greater stamina.

Nightmare Moth, after years of accumulation, has finally recovered to the fourth-tier demon king realm. Excited and full of energy, it needs to release its pent-up energy.

Aside from hurricane attacks and activating their own poisonous powder, they are also unsuitable for launching mental attacks with powerful divine sense.

Physical, magical, and mental attacks are used simultaneously.

In addition, he was poisoned by a level four toxin, causing continuous damage.

Even a well-established early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator would feel considerable pressure, let alone Chen Xingzhou, who was a pill refiner and not skilled in combat.

As time went by, it was inevitable that some things would be neglected and others would be overlooked, resulting in a very messy situation.

The moment the protective shield was broken by the Nightmare Moth, his consciousness was also impacted, and his hand movements became slightly sluggish.

Although he quickly returned to normal, Chen Xingzhou was shocked when he sensed something amiss behind him, feeling as if he were being pricked by needles!

The next moment, he was hit squarely on the back by Lin Changsheng's rake, and blood gushed from his mouth. His body plummeted straight down and crashed into the mountainside with a loud 'boom'.

It fell with a loud bang.

Lin Changsheng produced several exquisite magic talismans in his hand, activated them all at once, and then tossed them into the talisman.

Several streaks of light followed one after another into the crater left by Chen Xingzhou's fall.

‘Boom! ’

Inside the mountain below, the ground shook violently, and light shone everywhere.

Although no one was visible, it was clear that Chen Xingzhou's aura had weakened once again.

"Lin San Gou!"

"Too deceiving!"

In an instant, Chen Xingzhou flew out again from below, looking completely different from his previous appearance in a magnificent blue robe.

His clothes were tattered, his hair was disheveled, his face was bruised and swollen, and his head was bleeding. He looked disheveled.

A furious shout rang out, and Chen Xingzhou seemed to feel humiliated. His attacks became even more chaotic, and he activated several fourth-tier magic weapons, including the 'Azure Bowl Magic Treasure,' as he desperately attacked Lin Changsheng!

"If you don't give this True Lord a way out, you won't have an easy time either!"

The Nascent Soul True Monarch's attack, fueled by rage, exceeded the normal level of his current realm, almost comparable to a veteran early-stage Nascent Soul True Monarch, and should not be underestimated.

Despite the crisis, Lin Changsheng remained calm and composed, emanating a peaceful, pale green aura.

An ancient and rustic wooden cauldron suddenly appeared in front of him. After a continuous flow of magical energy poured into it, its size swelled up in the wind, resembling a small hill. Its huge shadow blocked Chen Xingzhou from below, giving people an immense and suffocating pressure.

"Ding Ding Ding!"

Several crisp sounds rang out.

Chen Xingzhou's all-out attack was completely blocked by the giant wooden cauldron.

The wooden cauldron, after being thrown back several dozen feet, gradually lost its force and became as stable as a mountain.

"What the hell is this!"

Enveloped in the shadow of the giant cauldron, Chen Xingzhou couldn't help but scream, trying to hide his inner fear.

Despite being just a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, he was completely stunned by his opponent!

Even if one's cultivation level is higher than the opponent's, there is no obvious advantage; instead, one is constantly crushed.

In his pupils, the giant wooden cauldron continued to enlarge, while the shadow covering the ground shrank dramatically.

Chen Xingzhou was terrified and shocked, feeling the presence of death.

His body immediately turned blood red, and he prepared to use a secret technique to extract his own essence in order to escape from this place.

"Senior Aoki, stop him!"

Lin Changsheng tried his best to activate the Azure Wood Spirit Cauldron and realized that the other party wanted to escape. He immediately sent a telepathic message to the Nightmare Moth.

Although the Green Wood Spirit Cauldron is quite large, it is difficult to activate; it is powerful but lacks agility.

If a Nascent Soul True Monarch is determined to escape, he is currently unable to effectively lock onto him.

"Before me, even if this bastard's nascent soul leaves his body, he won't be able to escape!"

Nightmare Moth spoke arrogantly, its dark eyes seemingly radiating layers of invisible fluctuations as it activated its mental powers.

A sharp, needle-like pain shot through his mind, almost making him faint.

However, Chen Xingzhou managed to break through the brief feeling of losing control by relying on his refined spiritual sense honed through years of alchemy.

What came into view was a huge wooden cauldron that was right next to them, pressing down like Mount Tai!

Chen Xingzhou's physical body collapsed instantly under this immense pressure.

Amidst the swirling smoke and dust, a palm-sized, translucent nascent soul burst forth from beneath the Azure Wood Cauldron.

"I, the True Lord, will never let you go!"

Her tiny face was filled with resentment and malice. She glared at Lin Changsheng behind her with hatred, vented her anger, and then turned into a streak of light without looking back, fleeing into the distance.

Unfortunately, the Nightmare Moth, which had been watching from the sidelines, had anticipated this.

Waves of spiritual energy emanated from his body, and a powerful spiritual attack swept towards Chen Xingzhou's Nascent Soul like a tidal wave!

The miniature Nascent Soul figure flew halfway before suddenly stopping, wobbling like a headless fly, unable to fly in a straight line.

"Stop right now! I am a fourth-level alchemist! Spare my life, and if I can recover, I will refine pills for you for a hundred years!"

Between life and death, Chen Xingzhou still couldn't face his fear. At this moment, he no longer cared about the dignity of the True Lord and only wanted to survive.

"A fourth-tier alchemist?"

"It's really nothing to me."

Lin Changsheng chuckled, and a wooden divine thorn about an inch long slashed through the void, silently flying towards Chen Xingzhou's nascent soul.

"If you refuse to spare my life, I, the True Lord, will make you pay with your life!"

At this moment, with no hope of survival, Chen Xingzhou's pent-up anger erupted instantly. He forcefully broke free from the Nightmare Moth's mental restraints, his nascent soul brimming with immense power, and his size nearly doubled, like an inflated balloon.

If a self-destruction at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm is hit head-on, it could potentially injure a mid-stage Nascent Soul True Monarch!

……

Liuyan Sect, Yunmiao Peak.

A chill permeated the ice palace, where a fairy-like beauty, dressed in plain white robes and resembling a snow lotus, stood, appearing and disappearing like a dream.

Suddenly, the sound of disciples activating the restrictions came from outside.

Soon after, True Monarch Yunmiao received the news.

Half an hour ago, the soul lamp left by True Monarch Qingdan at the Daoist temple went out.

"Junior Brother Qingdan's soul lamp has gone out?"

Yunmiao Zhenjun frowned slightly, and a chilling aura of magical power rippled out, giving his disciple Lu Zhenren a suffocating sense of oppression.

"This matter should not be spread for the time being. I need some time to investigate it."

Yunmiao Zhenjun calmly gave his instructions, his words carrying a hint of authority.

Upon hearing his master's slightly harsh tone, Master Lu responded respectfully and cautiously.

Having served at Yunmiao Peak for many years, he naturally understood the personality of his master, Yunmiao Zhenjun, and knew that his master seemed somewhat angry at this moment.

As Master Lu withdrew, True Monarch Yunmiao's beautiful eyes flickered, revealing a strange expression.

For many years, she has been dedicated to cultivating a successor Nascent Soul True Monarch within the sect. In fact, the Holy Monarch even secretly provided assistance in cultivating the Azure Pill True Monarch.

This can be considered as repaying the sect's kindness in nurturing them.

The sage ruler was also well aware of this.

Moreover, this Holy Lord has a mysterious origin, profound knowledge, and a far-sighted vision. He possesses countless supernatural powers and secret techniques. Even if True Lord Qingdan were to provoke him, he would at most teach him a lesson, and it is reasonable to assume that he would never kill him.

Thinking of this, True Monarch Yunmiao seemed to have a sudden realization.

Since the Holy Lord possessed Lin Kui Shi's body, he has never taken the initiative to contact him again.

It's rather strange that he rushed out with two powerful demons this time.

"Could it be that he possessed someone back then...?"

With the fall of True Monarch Qingdan and the strange, abnormal behavior of Lin Changsheng, True Monarch Yunmiao's bright eyes suddenly showed a look of surprise and doubt.

……

Half a day later.

Several auras of Golden Core cultivators descended one after another.

"A violent commotion suddenly broke out here not long ago, as if a great battle had taken place. However, to cause such a scale of destruction, it must have been a battle between Nascent Soul True Monarchs."

Three men and one woman, four Golden Core cultivators, arrived here. After searching for a while, they looked at each other, their expressions all very solemn.

"I have raised a 'quasi-third-tier' war wolf spirit beast. When I first arrived here, it kept sending out thoughts of fear. I have never encountered such a situation before. You should know that even when my war wolves encountered a true third-tier demon, they were never so afraid. Only a legendary fourth-tier demon king could make it so afraid."

Among the group, an elderly man with a white beard and a spirit beast pouch around his waist offered his analysis.

"A fourth-tier demon king?!"

"Our cultivation world here has a long history and is far more prosperous than some uncivilized areas. The spiritual veins suitable for cultivation are almost all occupied by human forces. Even third-tier great demons are extremely rare. How could a fourth-tier demon king possibly appear?"

"This matter involves a fourth-order demon king and a Nascent Soul True Monarch. It is far beyond the scope of our ability to handle. We should report it as soon as possible and wait for the 'Azure Dragon True Monarch' to make a decision."

After a brief discussion, the four Golden Core cultivators unanimously decided to wait for a higher-level cultivator to make the final decision.

During this time, he carefully searched the surroundings again, trying to find some traces left by Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

But their plan ultimately failed; there were almost no treasures left around, and even some traces of the battle seemed to have been erased.

Before long, a loud dragon roar suddenly came from the void.

The four Golden Core cultivators present all looked solemn upon seeing this.

Soon, a robust man in his prime landed in front of them, enveloped by a phantom of a blue dragon.

Even without deliberately revealing his aura, the Nascent Soul power he unintentionally released greatly increased the pressure on the four Golden Core cultivators.

"Greetings, Azure Dragon True Lord!"

The four Golden Core True Monarchs paid their respects in unison.

"No need to be polite."

The middle-aged man, respectfully addressed as 'Azure Dragon True Lord', waved his hand lightly, his gaze sweeping over the four people in front of him.

"I have investigated and found out that the cause of the previous disturbance was that Qingdan Zhenjun of the Liuyan Sect in the neighboring country was fighting with a fourth-level butterfly demon king. It seems that a fourth-level body-refining Golden Core cultivator was also involved."

"In this battle, the Azure Pill True Monarch of the Willow Smoke Sect perished. The huge commotion and the surrounding mess were all caused by the Azure Pill True Monarch's self-destruction of his Nascent Soul."

"Besides this True Monarch Qingdan, there is another Supreme Elder in the Willow Smoke Sect, True Monarch Yunmiao, who has been at the mid-Nascent Soul stage for many years and whose strength is unfathomable. A newly promoted True Monarch in his sect has fallen nearby. To avoid misunderstandings, you should carefully investigate the surrounding area and then contact the Willow Smoke Sect to explain the situation."

Azure Dragon True Lord slowly explained and then issued the instructions one by one.

At this point, Azure Dragon True Lord's eyes showed a hint of curiosity.

Once you reach the Nascent Soul stage, unless you naturally pass away after your lifespan is exhausted, it becomes very difficult for others to completely kill you.

After all, once the nascent soul leaves the body, it moves at several times the normal speed, making it extremely difficult for even two or three cultivators of the same level to detect it.

Therefore, in ordinary battles between Nascent Soul True Monarchs, even if a winner can be determined, it is rare for a Nascent Soul True Monarch to be completely killed.

Although Liu Yanzong Qingdan Zhenjun is a newly promoted Nascent Soul Zhenjun in recent years, he had met the former once at an auction a few years ago, and thus became familiar with the other's aura.

Unfortunately, he was still far from this place when he sensed the battle aura between the three.

When he arrived at this place, thousands of miles away, he happened to witness Qingdan Zhenjun self-destructing his nascent soul.

The other fourth-tier demon king and the fourth-tier body-refining Golden Core cultivator, although facing the self-destruction of the Nascent Soul and weakening their auras, were still able to maintain a speed of escape that was no weaker than that of the early Nascent Soul stage.

He also tried to chase and intercept, attempting to pick up any loose ends, but to no avail.

In addition, Azure Dragon True Monarch was worried that although the other party was affected by the Nascent Soul self-destruction, they were still considered to be two Nascent Soul level combatants, and there was a certain risk in pursuing them alone.

Therefore, after chasing for hundreds of miles, and confirming that the opponent's speed had not decreased, they took the initiative to give up.

……

Lin Changsheng traveled to seven or eight countries before finally arriving at a large market town called 'Qinggu Xianfang'.

Here, he concealed his true identity and appearance, transforming himself into a Foundation Establishment cultivator and renting a mid-grade second-tier Daoist temple.

After his battle with Chen Xingzhou, Lin Changsheng used his own strength, along with the help of the Nightmare Moth, to kill a genuine early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator for the first time.

Unlock the achievement of the first kill of a Nascent Soul True Monarch.

However, the consequences of this effort were equally dire.

When Chen Xingzhou self-destructed his nascent soul at the moment of his death, Lin Changsheng and Nightmare Moth both suffered great damage.