Chapter 568

Chapter 568

I Can See Through Everything

“Daoist Wubao, I have another question.”

As they continued flying, Lu Qing raised another concern.

“For itinerant cultivators like us—once we enter a secret realm and obtain treasures or fortunate encounters, what happens afterward? Even if those Nascent Soul cultivators can’t enter the secret realm, couldn’t they just lie in wait outside the entrance? Wouldn’t we still be at their mercy upon our return?”

“There’s no need to worry about that, Fellow Daoist Chen,” Daoist Wubao replied with a chuckle. “The Sacred Mountain of Tianxu is truly extraordinary, and any secret realm it spawns is bound to be just as unique.”

“These newly formed secret realms may have only one entrance, but the exits are not limited to a single point.”

“Within the secret realm, many of the spirit beasts and demon beasts will have a ‘Secret Realm Pearl’ gestating within them. As long as one obtains such a pearl, they can activate it upon exiting and appear anywhere on Tianxu Continent, according to their will.”

“So, no matter how long those Nascent Soul cultivators guard the entrance, it will be in vain.”

“Is that so?!”

Lu Qing was genuinely astonished this time.

No wonder so many itinerant cultivators dared to come to the Sacred Mountain of Tianxu, even knowing that countless powerful sects would be present.

So this was the reason.

As long as they could obtain a Secret Realm Pearl, they wouldn’t have to fear having their gains stolen by those powerful sects upon leaving.

For the first time, Lu Qing began to suspect that the Sacred Mountain of Tianxu wasn’t a naturally formed wonder, but rather something created by some ancient and mysterious force—or perhaps a supreme power.

Otherwise, how could such clearly unnatural rules exist?

“Now you can set your mind at ease, can’t you?” Daoist Wubao said with a smile.

“Rules are dead, people are alive. I’ll reserve judgment until I see it for myself,” Lu Qing replied noncommittally.

“You're certainly cautious, Fellow Daoist Chen,” Daoist Wubao remarked with admiration.

But inwardly, he was even more satisfied.

Exploring a secret realm was no trivial matter. After all, it meant competing with the strongest prodigies from several surrounding continents.

A single misstep could result in death—it was all too common.

So the more cautious Lu Qing was, the better. If he had acted like a reckless hothead, Wubao would have doubted the accuracy of his divinations and suspected he had chosen the wrong companion.

Thus, the two continued their journey atop the clouds.

Throughout the trip, Daoist Wubao covertly observed Lu Qing.

After all, this was the companion chosen by his divination. He had to better understand the man.

Yet after several days of observation, Daoist Wubao grew increasingly shocked.

By his perception, Lu Qing only had the cultivation of a Third Transformation Golden Core of inferior grade.

That alone wasn’t strange. There were plenty of treasures and secret techniques in the world that could disguise one’s cultivation.

He himself, after all, did not display his true strength outwardly either.

But what startled Wubao was the sense of perfect fluidity and harmony in Lu Qing’s every movement.

It suggested that not only was Lu Qing’s cultivation realm far higher than it seemed, but his control over his power had reached an exceptional degree.

Such mastery indicated that Lu Qing’s Golden Core was of extremely high quality.

At the very least, it had to be a Superior Golden Core—very likely one forged through eight, or even nine, rounds of thunder tribulations: a Precelestial Superior Golden Core.

When Daoist Wubao arrived at this suspicion, he was inwardly shaken.

Even among Superior Golden Cores, there were varying degrees of strength.

The weakest were Postnatal Superior Golden Cores, refined slowly from inferior or middle-grade ones. These had little hope of ever advancing to the Nascent Soul Realm.

Even if such cultivators managed to stumble into the Nascent Soul stage, their potential would usually be exhausted, limiting them to the earliest stages.

True Precelestial Superior Golden Cores were formed directly through tribulation during the Golden Core stage.

And even among those, their power and future potential varied greatly, depending on how many tribulations they withstood—seven, eight, or nine.

The more tribulations endured, the exponentially greater the power and potential.

A fully perfected Precelestial Golden Core forged through nine thunder tribulations was peerless among all Golden Cores.

Such a cultivator, if not cut down prematurely, was almost guaranteed to reach the Nascent Soul stage.

And once they did, their potential would continue to soar, enabling them to rise rapidly within the Nascent Soul Realm.

Such individuals had every chance of one day becoming a top-tier Nascent Soul powerhouse.

Naturally, cultivators who managed to form such perfect Precelestial Golden Cores were exceedingly rare.

Even in a vast world like the Tianyuan Great World, only the most dazzling prodigies of top-tier sects or ancient aristocratic clans might hope to achieve it.

So when Daoist Wubao suspected Lu Qing had withstood eight or even nine rounds of thunder tribulations to form his Golden Core, he was thoroughly astounded.

At the same time, he realized why his divination had shown such auspicious signs.

If Lu Qing truly was one of those once-in-a-generation peerless prodigies, then even if he wasn’t invincible within the secret realm, he would certainly have the ability to protect himself.

As long as he clung tightly to this thick golden thigh, his own safety would be guaranteed!

With that thought, Daoist Wubao became even more determined to stick close to Lu Qing once they reached the Sacred Mountain of Tianxu.

The two continued their journey for several more days, encountering more and more cultivators along the way.

Finally, on the fifth day, they arrived at the foot of the Sacred Mountain of Tianxu.

“What a truly majestic sacred mountain.”

Suspended in mid-air, Lu Qing couldn’t help but marvel as he gazed at the Sacred Mountain of Tianxu ahead, feeling its vast and boundless might.

They were still a thousand miles away from the mountain.

But in front of a divine mountain of such grandeur—comparable to a small world in size—it felt no different from being right before it.

Fortunately, though the aura radiating from the Sacred Mountain of Tianxu was overwhelming, it wasn’t oppressive. Rather, it was as broad and embracing as the earth itself.

Otherwise, only the most powerful Nascent Soul cultivators would be able to get close.

Perched on Lu Qing’s shoulder, Xiaoli was also staring at the mountain in a daze.

“No wonder it’s one of the Ten Sacred Mountains of the Tianyuan Great World!”

Daoist Wubao was equally in awe.

Though he knew a lot about the Sacred Mountain of Tianxu, this was also his first time laying eyes on it.

Only when he faced the divine mountain up close did he realize—

No matter how detailed the scrolls and records in his sect might be, they could never capture even a fraction of its true majesty.

No wonder his master often reminded him that cultivation was not just about reading ten thousand scrolls, but also walking ten thousand miles.

Only by traveling widely and experiencing the wonders and immensity of the world firsthand—living through its splendor and sorrows—could one truly temper a Dao Heart that was unyielding and immaculate.

And only then could one break through the limits of body and soul and step into the supreme Nascent Soul Realm.

The two men and one beast hovered in the sky, gazing at the Sacred Mountain of Tianxu for a long time.

At last, they exchanged a smile—and set off once again.

At last, they exchanged a knowing smile and resumed their journey.

As they set off again, Lu Qing quietly reflected on the subtle changes within himself.

Just now, under the baptism of the mountain’s vast aura, he could clearly feel his Divine Soul had become more refined.

Though his cultivation hadn’t tangibly improved, his Dao Heart had grown more rounded, more immaculate.

Such gains were far more precious than simple advancement in cultivation.

He was certain that Daoist Wubao and Xiaoli had felt the same.

The Sacred Mountain of Tianxu truly lived up to its name as one of the great divine peaks of the Tianyuan Great World.

Merely standing in its presence and observing it had brought a remarkable refinement to their Divine Souls—an otherworldly phenomenon indeed.

No wonder so many cultivators chose to seclude themselves and cultivate near this mountain for years on end.

However, according to Daoist Wubao, the Sacred Mountain of Tianxu was not a place one could linger in indefinitely.

Once one entered the mountain, they would inevitably absorb its unique aura.

This “mountain aura” would gradually accumulate within a cultivator’s Divine Soul over time.

The longer one stayed, the heavier this “mountain aura” became.

And once it crossed a certain threshold, it would begin to interfere with the Divine Soul’s functioning.

Thoughts would slow, clarity would wane, and one’s Dao Heart could become obstructed.

At that point, a cultivator would need to leave the mountain and take time to slowly dissipate the mountain aura.

If they were to stubbornly remain instead, the result could be disastrous—confusion of the soul, the fading of their spiritual light, and ultimately becoming a cripple unable to cultivate ever again.

This was also why, despite its extraordinary nature, no powerful sect had ever managed to claim the Sacred Mountain of Tianxu as their own.

Not even Nascent Soul cultivators could escape the effects of the mountain aura.

At best, they could withstand it longer than others.

But once the aura built up beyond a limit, even they would be forced to retreat and undergo seclusion to cleanse themselves.

Since not even Nascent Soul cultivators were immune, no sect would ever build their headquarters here—no one could afford to relocate their entire sect every few years.

It was precisely this necessity to leave the mountain that gave rise to many cultivator settlements around it.

Among these, Tianxu City was the largest—and it was also the city Lu Qing and his group were headed toward.

Tianxu City was located right at the foot of the Sacred Mountain, about a hundred miles away—just beyond the reach of the mountain aura.

Initially, Lu Qing had assumed Tianxu City would resemble Canglan City of the Xiao Cang Realm—a bustling place filled with buildings and thriving commerce.

But when he arrived, he discovered it was completely different from what he had imagined.

Though called a “city,” Tianxu City had no gates, no walls, not even the appearance of a city.

There was only a single, towering stone peak, on which three massive characters—Tianxu City—were engraved.

The characters were so large they could be seen clearly from a hundred miles away.

Lu Qing stood dumbfounded as he gazed at the three characters.

He could feel that the calligraphy—those words flowing like coiled dragons and dancing serpents—had been written by a supremely powerful individual.

The characters were not only penned in a single, fluid stroke, but also radiated a forceful intent that struck straight to the heart.

“According to legend, those three words, ‘Tianxu City,’ were inscribed by a former city lord—a peak powerhouse who had reached the Fifth Tribulation Nascent Soul stage.”

Daoist Wubao stared at the massive characters with reverence.

“Even after tens of thousands of years, the Dao Rhythms within have not faded in the slightest. That alone speaks volumes about the unfathomable cultivation of that city lord.”

Seeing Lu Qing still staring in a daze at the three characters, he chuckled and said, “You know, these three characters are often considered the very first fortuitous encounter awaiting any newcomer to Tianxu City.”

“Oh? And what do you mean by that?” Lu Qing turned to him, intrigued.

“They say that those characters were inscribed using the city lord’s own unique Daoist technique—a sword Dao divine ability he created himself.”

“Within them lies his understanding of that very sword Dao. It’s long been said that anyone able to comprehend the sword intent hidden in those characters might be able to inherit his sword Dao divine ability.”

“What a fortuitous opportunity that would be,” Lu Qing said with interest. “Has anyone actually succeeded in obtaining this inheritance over the years?”

“None so far,” Daoist Wubao shook his head. “Over the past ten thousand years, countless cultivators have come here to study them.”

“After all, an inheritance left behind by a Fifth Tribulation Nascent Soul cultivator is enough to stir envy in anyone. Even the top sects can’t claim to have many legacies of that level.”

“Plenty of cultivators have gained insight through contemplating the characters—some even developing sword Dao divine abilities of their own.”

“But no one has ever been known to acquire that specific technique passed down by the city lord himself.”

“So in the end, the idea that the sword Dao inheritance lies within the characters remains nothing more than a rumor—never proven true.”

“That’s not necessarily the case,” Lu Qing said with a faint smile. “Perhaps someone did receive the inheritance—they just didn’t make it known.”

“Fair point,” Daoist Wubao grinned. “If it were me, and I obtained such a legacy, I’d definitely keep my mouth shut. Holding a treasure invites envy, after all.”

Noticing that Lu Qing still glanced frequently toward the three characters as they talked, Daoist Wubao’s eyes gleamed.

“Fellow Daoist Chen, since we’ve come all the way to Tianxu City, why don’t we also take a moment to contemplate those characters?” he suggested.

“I was thinking the same,” Lu Qing nodded with a smile. “There’s great profundity in those three characters. Gaining even a sliver of understanding would surely benefit our cultivation.”

“In that case, let’s get a bit closer. If I recall correctly, there should be a smaller observation peak ahead.”

“It’s the perfect vantage point—close enough to see the characters in full and to clearly sense the sword intent they contain. That’s where most cultivators go to contemplate the words ‘Tianxu City.’”

Daoist Wubao recalled what he had read in his sect’s scrolls and offered the suggestion.

“Sounds good.”

Lu Qing had no strong preference for where they observed from—but he wasn’t about to ignore his companion’s opinion either.

So without further ado, the two of them flew forward.

Before long, a smaller peak—significantly lower than the one bearing the three engraved characters—came into view.