Chapter 1293: Chapter 672 Fake Infant Level Cultivator_2
It is even said that Song Xin sustained injuries in a battle against a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, leaving him with severe chronic ailments. This caused his cultivation to continuously regress, ultimately leading to his premature passing.
These rumors, whether true or false, caused a tremendous uproar for a period of time.
In response, even the Yuanchen Sect neither clarified the matter nor attempted to stop the spread of these rumors.
Such behavior left many people utterly baffled, unable to discern Yuanchen Sectâs true intentions.
Eventually, as time passed, these rumors gradually subsided.
Song Xinâs renown began to fade, but in the hearts of many elder cultivators, his legend had already left an indelible impression.
Thinking of this, after once again confirming Song Xinâs identity, Lin Tianmingâs apprehension soared to its peak.
Such apprehension arose because Lin Tianming knew well that Song Xinâs current cultivation and power must be incredibly formidable.
After all, over three hundred years ago, Song Xin had already reached the Late Stage Golden Core realm.
Moreover, the fact that Song Xin could exchange more than a dozen moves with a Nascent Soul cultivator without defeat testified that his cultivation had reached the very limits of the Golden Core Stage.
At this level, deemed Golden Core Grand Perfection, it could also be said that he had one foot already stepping into the Nascent Soul Stage.
Some even coined a term for cultivators at such a level, calling them Fake Infant cultivators.
As the name suggests, a Fake Infant cultivator was a Golden Core cultivator who, through various heaven-and-earth treasures or special secret techniques, refined their divine soul and body to their utmost limits, reaching a level infinitely close to that of a Nascent Soul cultivator.
However, since the Golden Core had not yet transformed into a Nascent Soul and could not consolidate the complete Three Souls and Seven Spirits of a Nascent Soul, they were unable to draw the Sixfold Thunder Tribulation force required for further ascension.
Typically, cultivators at the Fake Infant level possessed terrifying strength, often representing the pinnacle of Golden Core cultivators.
If one were to acquire a Nascent Soul spiritual item, a Fake Infant cultivatorâs chances of entering the Nascent Soul Stage would increase dramatically.
At the very least, their likelihood of success would surpass that of an ordinary cultivator at the peak of the Late Stage Golden Core realm attempting the same breakthrough.
However, Nascent Soul spiritual items are exceedingly rare and precious in the Cultivation World, often difficult to encounter even by chance.
Even powerful factions like the Yuanchen Sect, with their deep foundations, struggled to obtain such treasures.
Typically, it came down to luck and foundational strength.
An example would be the Liang Family, a formidable clan with a history spanning tens of thousands of years and an immeasurably deep heritage.
Yet, even with all this, no Nascent Soul Stage expert had ever emerged from the Liang Family throughout its history.
This outcome was not because the Liang Family lacked ambition, nor because they lacked gifted clansmen, and certainly not due to a lack of effort or struggle.
The greatest reason for this result was the scarcity and unmatched value of Nascent Soul spiritual items.
Even beyond that, acquiring a Nascent Soul spiritual item didnât guarantee smoothly stepping into the Nascent Soul Stage; numerous challenges awaited.
The most direct challenge was the process of transforming the Golden Core into a Nascent Soul, accompanied by the lethal test of the Sixfold Thunder Tribulation force.
In most cases, the vast majority of cultivators attempting to advance to the Nascent Soul Stage perished under the final lightning tribulation.
Because of this, in the expansive territory of Qingzhou, where hundreds of Golden Elixir forces operated, the number of Nascent Soul-level forces could be counted on one hand.
From this, one could infer the immense difficulty of a cultivator entering the Nascent Soul Stage.
Below the Nascent Soul Stage, Fake Infant cultivators represented the ultimate peak of the Golden Core Stage.
At this level, such cultivators were virtually unrivaled within the Golden Core realm, unless facing a monstrous genius born once in millennia or a peer of the same level.
Otherwise, a Fake Infant cultivator was almost impossible to eliminate within the confines of the Golden Core Stage.
As Lin Tianming pondered the various rumors in the Cultivation World, Song Xinâs past feats, and Liang Shaorongâs attitude towards Song Xin, he deduced with a probability of over 80% that Song Xin had reached the Fake Infant level.
In the face of such a supreme powerhouse, even though Lin Tianming had not personally witnessed Song Xinâs capabilities,
he could sense neither Song Xinâs breath nor his movement patterns without the aid of the Eye of Five Colors, nor could he perceive his cultivation strength.
Just this alone brought tremendous pressure to Lin Tianmingâs heart in this moment.
The pressure far surpassed what he felt when meeting Yang Yinghai and the Bald Old Monk in the past.
As such, Lin Tianming was now on full alert, keeping a close eye on Song Xinâs every move.
If Song Xin possessed invincible power that could shatter the balance between the Liang Family and the four major forces, there would be no reason for him to stay with the Liang Family any longer.
At that time, he would unhesitatingly take Lin Tianfeng and the others away, unwilling to risk his life for the Liang Familyâs survival.
With this mindset, Lin Tianmingâs face was grave, his nerves taut, as he focused intently on Song Xinâs every action.
At the same time, Lin Tianming remained prepared to lead his clansmen in an immediate retreat if necessary.
Just then, Liang Shaorong, staring at his opponent, spoke for the first time.
At that moment, Liang Shaorongâs face darkened, and he said, âOld Ghost Song, I never expected you to still be alive!â
Hearing this, Song Xinâs expression remained calm, but he sneered and replied coldly.
âLittle Shaorong, if even your elder brother is still alive, how could this old man have gone before him?â
After saying this, Song Xin continued, âWhat surprises me, however, is how Old Ghost Liang, at your advanced age, could think that even with a Nascent Soul Fruit, your chances of breaking through to that level would surpass 20%.â
âIn such a situation, attempting to break into the Nascent Soul Stage under dire circumstances is, to me, nothing short of squandering a priceless treasure.â
Upon hearing Song Xinâs words, Liang Shaorongâs face instantly turned several shades paler.
It was evident that he partially agreed with Song Xinâs sentiments in his heart.
Yet, bound by pride and in the presence of so many cultivators, Liang Shaoping refrained from speaking further or directly rebutting Song Xinâs statement.
In his heart, he understood that Song Xinâs assessment was indeed accurate.
For someone of Liang Shaopingâs age, near their final days, even with the Nascent Soul Fruit, the chances of successfully reaching the Nascent Soul Stage were frighteningly slim.
From a higher-level perspective, using the Nascent Soul Fruit at this moment could indeed be seen as a waste of such a rare treasure.
However, despite the truth of this, the Liang Family had no other choice under the current circumstances.
The news of the Liang Family acquiring the Nascent Soul Fruit had leaked, drawing the four major forces upon them like predators.
Initially, the Liang Family thought their century-long scheming and secrecy in obtaining the Nascent Soul Fruit would suffice to avoid detection.
Yet, to their dismay, the truth leaked, prompting the four major forces to dispatch their power to ambush the Liang clansmen undertaking the mission.
At that time, Liang Zhuoying and her brother had paid a steep price, and the Liang Family lost several Golden Core Stage clansmen before finally securing the Nascent Soul Fruit within their territory.
In their original plan, due to the Nascent Soul Fruitâs extreme rarity and value,
the Liang Family intended to give it to the youngest and most talented clansman, ensuring the highest possible chance of success to reach the Nascent Soul Stage.
But who could have predicted that when the four major forces failed to seize the fruit, they would fear the Liang Family taking that next step?
Out of fear that the Liang Family might swallow or annihilate them, the four major forces united under enormous pressure.
Subsequently, the four major forces convened their powers, launching a direct attack on the Liang Familyâs territory.
In truth, the four major forces were left with little choice in making such a move.
Similarly, the Liang Family, under the immense strain of the assault on their land, had no time to wait for the younger generation to mature.
They understood that the overwhelming power assembled by the four major forces far exceeded theirs.
Without external assistance, they were no match for the four major forces.
Furthermore, even the Yang Clanâs aid during the conflict came only after the Liang Family paid a severe price.