Chapter 300: Earth Vein Spirit

[Soul Capital]

[You had essentially scoured an area of hundreds of thousands of li, and you were in an excellent mood.]

[The sheer volume of cultivation resources you looted—even if most were Soul Dao resources—was enough to sustain you for the next several decades to a century. It was more than enough for you to advance to the Deity Transformation Middle Stage.]

[This essentially fulfilled your objective. Beyond seeking revenge, your trip to the Central Continent Territory was naturally to prepare for your subsequent cultivation.]

[With a mere thought, a dark ring appeared before you.]

[It was Heavenly Monarch Wanhua's Storage Ring.]

[The exterior of the Storage Ring was layered with numerous restrictions. Soul Dao methods were inherently bizarre and unpredictable; as a Deity Transformation Middle Stage Heavenly Monarch of the Soul Dao, who knew what hidden traps he had left on it?]

[Of course, you didn't believe a mere Deity Transformation Middle Stage Heavenly Monarch could leave behind anything capable of threatening you. Out of caution, however, you did not immediately force the Storage Ring open.]

['Let's take a look...']

[You gazed at the dark Storage Ring as the talent "Foreseeing Good and Bad Fortune" activated.]

[Information regarding the dark ring flooded your mind.]

["This ring has been set with thirty-six layers of Soul Dao restrictions. It poses no threat to you and holds no hidden dangers."]

[The information conveyed by the talent "Foreseeing Good and Bad Fortune" told you exactly what you needed to know.]

[This also met your expectations. You only would have been surprised if the ring actually posed a threat to you.]

[After using your talent to confirm the Storage Ring was absolutely safe, you extended your divine sense and forcefully broke it open.]

[Crack.]

[A moment later, your divine sense slipped into the Storage Ring.]

[A space a hundred li in size appeared beneath the shroud of your divine sense.]

['It's actually a miniature, mobile world...']

[You nodded slightly. It was similar to the Grotto-Heaven Fragment you had forged in reality. Although its internal space couldn't compare to a true grotto-heaven, it could be carried with you, and living creatures could survive inside it.]

['Not bad at all.']

[You quickly finished tallying the numerous resources within the Storage Ring. Heavenly Monarch Wanhua was a Deity Transformation Middle Stage Heavenly Monarch who had awed the Human Realm for a millennium. The resources, treasures, and rare wonders collected in his ring naturally left you highly satisfied.]

['The ancient era truly lives up to its reputation...']

[You sighed in admiration once more. Many resources and treasures had long since gone extinct in the recent era, yet here, they could be found by the handful.]

['My actions this time should have already drawn the intense focus of those Heavenly Monarchs in the Human Realm...']

[You thought to yourself, though you didn't pay it too much mind.]

[Given your methods and talent, you might have held some apprehension toward the Human Realm's Deity Transformation Heavenly Monarchs before stepping into the Deity Transformation Stage. But after advancing? Even Deity Transformation Late Stage Heavenly Monarchs could no longer pose any threat to you.]

[This was your greatest source of confidence in daring to wipe out the Soul Dao Lineage directly. Your current combat strength had completely reached the level of the Deity Transformation Late Stage, and you were the extreme type who specialized intensely in offense.]

[Furthermore, your strength was improving with every passing moment. As you continued to perfect your sword dao, your speed of advancement would only grow faster and faster.]

['Right, there's still the Youming Earth Vein...']

[With a shift of thought, you arrived at the center of the Soul Capital and looked down into the massive fissure.]

[Shrouding it with your vast divine sense, you took a step and vanished, entering the subterranean depths beneath the Soul Capital.]

[Many Soul Dao resources and spirit herbs grew around the Youming Earth Vein, and you naturally weren't going to let them slip by.]

[You had severed the Youming Earth Vein to cut off the path of soul cultivators in the Human Realm, not because you looked down on these resources and herbs.]

[Deep underground, your divine sense continuously swept outward, gathering numerous Soul Dao resources and spirit herbs.]

[Finally, you arrived before the severed Youming Earth Vein.]

[This was a colossal earth vein that meandered for a million li. It had been severed by your single sword strike at the position of the dragon's head, causing endless nether qi to rapidly dissipate.]

[You observed it carefully. Suddenly, your expression flickered, and you moved to the original position of the earth vein's "dragon head."]

[At the center of the dragon head's brow, an extremely obscure spiritual nature emanated faint fluctuations. It blended into the dissipating nether qi, making it difficult to detect with divine sense. If you hadn't approached in person, even you would have overlooked it.]

['Spiritual nature? Is this the spiritual nature of the Youming Earth Vein?']

[You observed it carefully for a while and reached a conclusion. 'Such strong spiritual nature. With a little bit of enlightenment, it should be able to transform into a true living creature.']

[All things in the world possessed a spiritual nature. Flowers, grass, and trees? Boulders, mountains, and rivers? In theory, any of them could give birth to a spiritual nature.]

[The same was true for earth veins.]

[It was just that the vast majority of spiritual natures could only ever remain mere spiritual natures. To transform into sapience? To completely become a true living being? That required tremendous fortune and grand opportunities.]

[Right now, the spiritual nature of this earth vein's dragon head was only one step away from completing its transformation.]

[The more inherently powerful an entity was, the harder it was to give birth to a spiritual nature. Transforming from a spiritual nature into true sapience was as difficult as ascending to heaven.]

[An earth vein's spiritual nature transforming into a true living creature? There were likely barely any precedents in the entire history of the Human Realm.]

[You pondered for a moment before making a move to enlighten it.]

[It wasn't out of benevolence on your part. Rather, a creature enlightened by a cultivator would harbor absolute loyalty toward them—a loyalty stemming from the very depths of its soul.]

[Moreover, if it were an ordinary spiritual nature, you wouldn't bother enlightening it; there would be no point. Whether you could even enlighten it into sapience was uncertain, and even if you succeeded, so what? It wouldn't be able to help you.]

[But this mass of Earth Vein Spirit before you... was the spiritual nature nurtured by this very Youming Earth Vein. Once it smoothly completed its transformation and became a living creature, its accumulated foundation would be immeasurably robust. It was practically destined to step into the Deity Transformation Stage.]

[And this so-called "enlightenment"... was a method belonging to Deity Transformation Stage Heavenly Monarchs.]

[By integrating with the heavens and the earth, Heavenly Monarchs could borrow their power to guide and inspire spiritual nature, aiding it in taking that final half-step.]

[Without your enlightenment, who knew how many eons it would take for this spiritual nature nurtured by the earth vein to cross that half-step and transform into sapience.]

['This mass of spiritual nature should have originally been gestating in the deepest part of the earth vein, where not even Heavenly Monarch Wanhua could detect it. It only actively revealed itself because it was on the verge of destruction after I severed the earth vein...']

[During the enlightenment process, your mind did not stop pondering.]

[Several dozen breaths later.]

[Under your enlightenment, your divine sense slowly guided the mass of spiritual nature through its transformation. At the same time, your divine sense's aura became permanently engraved in the depths of its spiritual nature.]

[Buzz.]

[The mass of spiritual nature rapidly took shape, ultimately transforming into a young child.]

["Master."]

[The child opened its eyes and looked at you, feeling an inexplicable sense of intimacy. Fundamentally speaking, you had created it.]

["Mm..."]

[You nodded slightly, sensing that this child's physical structure was extremely unique, faintly resonating with the Great Dao of the Human Realm's heaven and earth.]

[This in turn deeply inspired you, and your Deity Transformation Middle Stage sword dao rapidly began to perfect itself.]

['Nurtured by heaven and earth, surpassing all treasure bodies and dao bodies of the human race in the Human Realm...']

[You watched for a while, marveling inwardly. The child's body was unconsciously absorbing the nearby dissipating nether qi.]

[However, because it had received your enlightenment, your aura and divine sense were engraved within its consciousness. Even though it had gained sapience, it would still obey your every word, entirely devoid of any thoughts of rebellion or questioning.]

["What is your name?"]

[You looked at the child and asked with a smile.]

[A creature transformed from an Earth Vein Spirit was not a blank slate. Over the long eons of the past, it would have retained some unconscious memories.]

["What name..." the child pondered, then said in a milky, childish voice, "Master, my name is You."]

["You?"]

[You stared blankly for a moment, a trace of astonishment flashing in your eyes.]

Outside the simulation, Zhou Qing was also inwardly surprised when he saw this.

"You?"

Zhou Qing glanced in the direction of the Nether Mountain. "The Ghost Realm Trial Field?"

There had never been any accurate intelligence regarding the creator of the Ghost Realm Trial Field.

The only certainty was that this creator's strength was absolutely terrifying.

And from his several experiences in the Ghost Realm Trial Field, Zhou Qing had deduced that this person must have had a very good relationship with the Sword Lord.

Otherwise, how could the Ghost Realm Trial Field possess the Sword Lord's Manuscript when even Heavenly Sword Peak didn't have it? Furthermore, the Heavenly Sword Sheath was also located there.

'Could it be that the creator of the Ghost Realm Trial Field is this Earth Vein Spirit?'

Zhou Qing stroked his chin. This speculation would also explain why the Ghost Realm Trial Field held so many of the Sword Lord's belongings.

With even the Heavenly Sword Sheath being inside the trial field, one could well imagine the trust the Sword Lord had placed in him.

Looking at it now, if the creator truly was a creature enlightened by the Sword Lord, then all of this made perfect sense.

'Let's keep reading.'

Zhou Qing steadied his mind, gathered his thoughts, and continued to look at the constantly shifting illusory text.

[You looked at the child and waved your hand. "Go and absorb the nether qi."]

[The Youming Earth Vein had been severed, causing massive amounts of nether qi to dissipate. To You, who had been nurtured within the Youming Earth Vein, this nether qi was a great tonic.]

[Every bit swallowed would enhance its own foundation.]

["Thank you, Master."]

[The child You's eyes lit up. Its figure immediately dispersed, transforming into wisps of flowing light that continuously blanketed and shrouded the entire Youming Earth Vein.]

['It's a pity that this level of enlightenment can only be chanced upon, not sought, and cannot be replicated...' you pondered. The reason you had successfully enlightened the Earth Vein Spirit of the Youming Earth Vein was that you had severed it, triggering the spirit's instinct to save itself.]

[As for other mountains, rivers, and earth veins? The vast majority had never birthed a spirit, and even if a spirit did exist, it wouldn't reach the level of the Youming Earth Vein's spirit. Forceful enlightenment would not succeed.]

[If the Youming Earth Vein hadn't been severed, even you wouldn't have discovered that it had nurtured a spirit.]

[A moment later, you returned to the surface.]

["Rise."]

[With a thought, you placed the numerous array diagrams you had looted into specific positions. The power of a grand array converged once again, covering the perimeter of the Soul Capital.]

[The Soul Capital's grand array had long since collapsed under your single sword strike. The grand array you were deploying now was condensed from array diagrams. In terms of power, it naturally couldn't compare to the original grand array, but it was better than nothing. Its main purpose was to help you bind that Fifth Tier Middle Grade spirit vein underground.]

[Your subsequent cultivation would also require the use of this Fifth Tier Middle Grade spirit vein.]

['That should just about do it.']

[You nodded slightly, then your expression suddenly shifted as you looked into the distance.]

[Swoosh.]

[An invisible sword intent swept past. In the distance, an old man in white robes stumbled, tumbling wretchedly out from the depths of space.]

['A Deity Transformation Middle Stage Heavenly Monarch? His mastery and utilization of space are much stronger than Heavenly Monarch Wanhua's? Is he from Ethereal Peak?']

[You looked at the old man in white robes and pondered. The other party was clearly not a body cultivator. On the path of dharma cultivation, only Ethereal Peak—the very source of dharma cultivation—could achieve such a feat.]

[The division of factions in the ancient era was One Law, One Body, the Eight Hundred Auxiliary Branches, and the three thousand heterodox paths.]

[Among them, One Law was Ethereal Peak.]

[And One Body was the Extreme Saint Palace.]

[You were not surprised by the white-robed old man's arrival. You had wiped out the Soul Dao Lineage with a single sword strike; it was impossible for the other factions in the Human Realm to do absolutely nothing in response.]

["Fellow Daoist's methods are truly formidable," the white-robed old man said as he straightened his robes and smiled. "Those streaks of sword intent annihilate everything. Even the myriad laws and countless arts of my Ethereal Peak find them hard to resist. I am ashamed to say I fall short. Truly ashamed."]

[In that brief moment just now, the white-robed old man had been hiding deep within space, yet he was forced out by your sword intent. Although the clash between you was brief, in that split second, he had deployed hundreds of methods.]

[However, under your sword intent, every single one of them was swept away, ultimately forcing him to stumble into the open.]

[Although the white-robed old man still had many methods he hadn't used, by the same token, you had merely circulated your sword intent.]

[You looked at the white-robed old man, feeling no killing intent.]

[The other party hadn't done anything out of line.]

["I am Xingmang. Greetings, fellow Daoist." The white-robed old man bowed to you, showing his respect and regard.]

[At the same time, the white-robed old man continuously used Divination to deduce and divine. During the brief clash, a karmic medium had been established between you both, lowering the difficulty of his divination.]

['An omen of supreme peril, an omen of supreme peril... How could it be an omen of supreme peril? I brought a heritage Spirit Treasure with me on this trip, one that excels most at preserving life...' the white-robed old man thought in disbelief. He had divined the outcome of engaging in an all-out life-and-death battle with you, but the resulting hexagram made his scalp go numb.]

[As One Law overlooking the ancient era, Ethereal Peak's heritage Spirit Treasures originated from the Upper Realm, and those geared toward life preservation were even more terrifying. Yet even with that, facing you yielded an omen of supreme peril. What did this mean?]

[Moreover, compared to Heavenly Monarch Wanhua, Heavenly Monarch Xingmang was fully prepared, yet the result was still the same... If it weren't for the fact that you showed no intention of attacking right now, Heavenly Monarch Xingmang would have entertained the thought of calling for help from the Deity Transformation Late Stage Heavenly Monarch at Ethereal Peak.]

["Heavenly Monarch Xingmang..." You looked at the white-robed old man, nodding slightly as you said, "You may call me Sword Lord."]

["Sword Lord." Heavenly Monarch Xingmang's heart settled. As long as you were willing to communicate, that was enough.]

["Might I ask what the Sword Lord desires?" Heavenly Monarch Xingmang inquired cautiously.]

["What do I desire?" You smiled, knowing this was a probe to see if you would continue taking action against the other factions in the Human Realm.]

["Let us discuss this all together."]

[You didn't answer immediately, but instead looked in another direction.]

[Invisible sword intent intertwined, instantly covering a radius of tens of thousands of li. Space rippled as figures were forced to stumble out from the depths of space, one after another.]

["You all?"]

[Heavenly Monarch Xingmang's mouth twitched as he recognized the figures. They were the other Heavenly Monarchs of the Human Realm, and among them was even the body cultivator Heavenly Monarch of the Extreme Dao Hall. They had all been hiding far in the distance, but you had just forced them out one by one.]

['What terrifying means...']

[Heavenly Monarch Xingmang was shocked. He had approached the Soul Capital and was discovered by you, which was understandable.]

[But Heavenly Monarchs hiding deep within the layers of space tens of thousands of li away were also easily detected by you? And subsequently forced out into the open? Such means were simply inconceivable.]