Chapter 102: Longwei
The Spiritual Core was like a transparent orb made of glass with a violet-gold glow around it. One could clearly see the other side with no hindrance, and at the center of the orb was a smoldering ember. That smoldering ember only released a dying light as if it was on its last legs, but upon closer inspection, a great vitality could be sensed from it. As long as one’s will stay true and firm, the ember will never extinguish.
Humankind was originally the weakest of all creatures within the myriad realms of the Vast Void. But through the guidance of Suiren, like an eternal flame, humankind blazed forward and prosper.
That legend was the origin of the Primogenitor Flame Scripture. There was no other scripture capable of bringing out humankind’s full potential than the Primogenitor Flame Scripture. For it represented the man’s eventual supremacy of all things.
Which was why it was so ironic that Juedai Fenghua, a clone created from the flesh of a Demon Fox, was cultivating a technique meant for pure humans.
But why would Tianyi care? This was his second choice of cultivation manual if he couldn’t cultivate the Primordial Heavenly Scripture. He always felt it was a waste, but now he could make up for his missed opportunity.
“Couldn’t you have chosen another cultivation manual for me?” Fenghua complained. “My flesh was created from a Demon Fox’s. I’m lucky that I haven’t spontaneously combusted.”
Tianyi shrugged. “But a Demon Fox cultivating humankind’s first emperor’s technique, don’t you find it interesting? Besides, as long as your soul stays human, what is the difference? The biggest proof is that you have a Violet Gold Rank Spiritual Core. I can’t even recall how many humans became something inhuman by copying the physique of non-humans.”
“Like you? At least they copied a living being’s physique, unlike you. You’re the anthropomorphization of a goddamn cosmos. I don’t think you can get anymore inhuman than that.” Fenghua rebutted.
“But my heart is still human,” Tianyi said, matter-o-factly.
Fenghua rolled her eyes.
Tianyi absorbed Fenghua back into his cosmos. After the commotion he caused, it was no longer suitable to release her at this location. He would have to find another time and place to do so and make sure that she would be able to interact with Dong Chifan. But his first priority was to make it to the Heavenly Connection Gathering.
The Heavenly Connection Gathering had already begun two days ago while he was still conditioning his clone’s progress. He didn’t even want to think about how the other people and even his own sect members saw him.
The Heavenly Connection Gathering was held in a pavilion outside of Ocean Lake City. The pavilion was a Pseudo-Immortal Realm Artifact created from merging five Transcending Mortality Realm Artifacts.
The pavilion wasn’t segregated to facilitate the relationship between the members of the Buzhou Immortal Sect and their Vassal Sects. And currently, the leader of this entourage, Su Wanyu, Hun Jusang, Ji Muyang, He Luoli, and San Jiuling, sat in an embellished area with elevated ground. These five composed the leadership of all the parties gathered.
Su Wanyu naturally took the lead as a member of the Buzhou Immortal Sect. And although she only just entered the Unity Realm, no other disciple under the age of a hundred from the other sects had entered the Unity Realm like her.
Hun Jusang, from the Nihility Sect, was cloaked in black robes and exuded an aura of negativity accentuated only by his late Nascent Soul Realm cultivation base. The hood of his cloak hid his face, revealing only a few locks of black hair. His voice resembled that of several people speaking at once.
Ji Muyang, otherwise known as the Dawn Saintess of the Bright Ascension Sect, was an extremely beautiful woman resembling the sun with a peak Nascent Soul Realm cultivation base. Her eyes burned bright orange, and her skin practically glowed. Of all those gathered, she was the only one who was the Eldest Disciple.
He Luoli was a youth who had pleasant yet non-descript features. If he hadn’t been sitting with the other four, he would have melded in anonymously with the other disciples. As a late Nascent Soul Grandmaster, he didn’t stand other either, but one could feel the sheathed sword qi between his brows if one looked closely.
And last but not least was San Jiuling from the Leakless Sect, who had the lowest cultivation at the Mid Nascent Soul Realm, but none of the other four dared to underestimate him. He had accomplished the impossible and had nine Lifebound Artifacts. Even if his cultivation was lower, just those nine Lifebound Artifacts was enough for him to fight evenly against a peak Nascent Soul Grandmaster. His eyes drifted towards Dong Chifan, who was sitting with the other loose cultivators invited.
“Brother San, is that the loose cultivator you brought?”
Indeed, the idea for those young masters and mistresses to bring in a loose cultivator who caught their eye was from Ji Muyang.
“I just brought the idea up. It wasn’t like I specifically did it for that guy after all. He’s just the one who was most fitting, so I brought him along.” Ji Muyang said lightly as if she placed no importance on the one she chose.
“How did he catch your eye then?” San Jiuling asked, quite curious. From what he heard, Ji Muyang had quite a prickly personality and was not easy to get along with.
“He didn’t catch my eye, okay?” Ji Muyang insisted, but she still explained. “Do you think any of you could kill a Four-Colored Nascent Soul Grandmaster as a Core Formation Master?”
“Uncertain.”
“Why would I do something so foolish? We are already bound to be claimed by death; I see no point in shortening our trivial lives.”
“If I fully unleashed all nine Lifebound Artifacts, but the rebound wouldn’t be worth it.”
“I have a technique that would allow me to unleash a single strike on par with a Unity Realm Venerable, but my cultivation would be crippled afterward.”
The four from the first-rate sect looked at Su Wanyu in surprise. The difference between Unity Ream and Nascent Soul Realm was greater than Nascent Soul Realm and Foundation Establishment Realm, after all.
“Tsk, tsk, as expected of the Buzhou Immortal Sect.”
“B-back to the main point. Longwei is incredible. He was able to kill with a Four-Colored Nascent Soul Grandmaster as Core Formation Master. And he only needed to recuperate for a few months!” Ji Muyang said proudly as if it was her own accomplishment.
“Hoh? He must have at least a Violet-Gold Grade Spiritual Core. Where is this Longwei? If possible, I want to spar with him.” He Luoli said as he searched for the Longwei spoken of by Ji Muyang.
Not just him but the other four had their interest peaked as well. Ji Muyang didn’t put on any airs and pointed towards a certain corner.
Longwei was a handsome man who wore purple robes with a saber sheathed at his waist. His hair was untied and slightly in disarray, giving him a wild but masculine aura. He didn’t hide his Early Nascent Soul Realm aura, and he stood out as the only invited loose cultivator in the Nascent Soul Realm.
“Not ordinary, not ordinary at all.” He Luoli said. He had cultivated his sword to the point that he almost condensed a sword intent so he could recognize the saber qi that Longwei had.
San Jiuling had to agree, and Hun Jusang only looked away, not saying anything.
But Su Wanyu clasped her palm over her face. She felt a sense of distrust and repulsiveness she had only felt towards one person.
“Sister Su, is something wrong?” Ji Muyang asked, noticing Su Wanyu’s change.
“It’s nothing. I just felt as if this Longwei looked familiar.” Su Wanyu said to direct the conversation elsewhere.
“Familiar?” The other four said, but none of them felt so.
Su Wanyu also only said as lipped service to explain the change in her demeanor. But only Su Wanyu would know her own surprise when her random words spoke true as she stared at Tianyi, who had finally arrived.
Except for those pair of mesmerizing eyes that could appear to be able to steal souls with just a glance, the rest of his face was almost an exact replica of Longwei’s.