Using Divine Thought was impossible as it would disturb Elder Jian’s advancement, but the "Eye of the Divine" was different, as it did not have any effect.
Yet, it allowed him to see much more, an opportunity incredibly rare, perhaps once in a millennium.
It wasn’t just a matter of a great sect producing a Nascent Soul Ancestor that provided a chance to observe; both the cultivator’s breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Stage and their willingness to allow others to observe were required. No one besides Elder Jian, this master, could make it possible.
As for Li Shiming himself, his master, Elder Su, hadn’t even reached the late-stage Golden Core; perhaps it wouldn’t be long before Li Shiming could catch up to Elder Su’s realm.
Li Shiming was unable to observe his own master’s breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Stage. It was very likely that it should be Elder Su observing Li Shiming’s breakthrough instead.
"Be alert, the Nascent Soul is beginning to form!" Ancestor Lu reminded Li Yuanba through a transmitted message.
The gestation of the Nascent Soul from the Golden Core was the most crucial process.
Li Yuanba didn’t need Ancestor Lu’s reminder, as he could see what was happening to Elder Jian much more clearly through the "Eye of the Divine."
The Nascent Soul was formed within the Golden Core, originally merging with the cultivator’s Spiritual Power and Spirit, yet it was akin to an inert object.
At this moment, the Golden Core was nurturing life; the Spiritual Power and Spirit within it assumed the form of a baby through some special method, while continuously absorbing all energy present within the Golden Core.
Beside Elder Jian, a Spirit Pill flew out of a jade bottle and into his mouth.
It was a fourth-grade Spirit Pill, presumably prepared by Elder Jian to assist in the breakthrough.
After the fourth-grade Spirit Pill was ingested, the aura of Elder Jian’s Nascent Soul significantly increased.
At the same time, his Sword Intent sharply contracted, rushing towards the Golden Core.
The Nascent Soul is essentially another incarnation of a cultivator, even to the extent that the Nascent Soul is, in some ways, everything of the cultivator.
During the process of the Nascent Soul’s gestation, it is necessary to concentrate one’s strongest abilities within the Nascent Soul, so that after the breakthrough, the Nascent Soul can freely utilize this ability and continuously enhance it.
This ability will also become the foundation of the Nascent Soul Stage, a process that every Nascent Soul Ancestor must undergo.
Elder Jian’s Sword Intent completely disappeared, but his Nascent Soul aura was mixed with a terrifying Sword Intent.
At this moment, his aura and the Nascent Soul’s aura were two different currents, unrelated to each other.
This process lasted six whole days, after which the Nascent Soul aura stabilized without further changes.
"What follows is the process of the Nascent Soul breaking out of the Golden Core!" Ancestor Lu, who had been silent for six days, reminded Li Yuanba through a transmitted message.
Li Yuanba dared not be distracted in the slightest; through his connection with his true form, Li Shiming, his lifebound treasure, an IBM z15, recorded all the changes occurring to Elder Jian.
A crisp sound emitted from inside Elder Jian’s body, followed by a sudden great increase in the Nascent Soul aura. After this increase, Elder Jian’s aura eerily disappeared.
Li Yuanba anxiously followed Elder Jian’s condition. Normally, the disappearance of a cultivator’s aura would mean the cultivator’s death.
But the Nascent Soul aura was still present, indicating Elder Jian was still alive.
Elder Jian’s body quickly weakened, his entire appearance aging significantly.
Yet, the Nascent Soul aura grew stronger, and had it not been for Ancestor Lu protecting him at the side, Li Yuanba might have been overcome by this uncontained Nascent Soul aura.
Just then, a tiny head peeked out from the top of Elder Jian’s head.
This was Elder Jian’s Nascent Soul. After peeking out its head, the Nascent Soul suddenly leapt upwards, its entire body springing out of Elder Jian’s physique.
Li Yuanba noticed that in the hands of the Nascent Soul, there was a flying sword which was Elder Jian’s lifebound treasure.
The Nascent Soul seemed curiously attuned to this state, a sensation it had never experienced before.
"Foolish boy, quickly restore your physical body!" Ancestor Lu said sternly.
The Nascent Soul flinched, seemingly only then realizing the situation. With a wave of its tiny hand, a Spirit Pill flew out from a jade bottle nearby and entered the mouth of Elder Jian’s physical body.
"When a Nascent Soul is just born, there is a period of memory lapse. Its behavior is like that of a newborn, driven by curiosity and exploration. It’s best to have a cultivator as a protector, otherwise, accidents are likely to occur!" Ancestor Lu explained to Li Yuanba upon seeing the Nascent Soul’s reaction.
Li Yuanba also noticed that the behavior of the Nascent Soul just now was completely different from Elder Jian’s usual composure, as if he were a different person.
Upon hearing Ancestor Lu’s explanation, he then understood why.
"The Heavenly Tribulation is coming!" Ancestor Lu looked up at the sky and said in a grave voice.
He was not only informing Li Yuanba but also reminding Elder Jian.
Elder Jian’s Nascent Soul retracted back into his body, and his life-bound flying sword floated above his head.
After swallowing the Spirit Pill, Elder Jian’s body recovered somewhat.
Though the Nascent Soul retracted into his body, his aura was still that of the Nascent Soul, or perhaps when the Nascent Soul burst from the Golden Core, it merged with him, becoming one.
Elder Jian quickly took out a jade box. Upon opening, it contained some liquid, which he then applied all over his body.
"This is the Ten-thousand-year-old Thunderstruck Wood Juice, a Fourth-grade Tribulation Crossing Spiritual Object. Applying it on the body can temporarily enhance resistance to Heavenly Thunder. The sect still has some in stock. If you break through to the Nascent Soul Stage within a hundred years, you can also get a portion!" Ancestor Lu explained to Li Yuanba about the spiritual item that Elder Jian was using.
He explained this to highlight the importance of the ’Ten-thousand-year-old Thunderstruck Wood Juice’ and to encourage Li Yuanba to diligently cultivate.
The quantity of ’Ten-thousand-year-old Thunderstruck Wood Juice’ was not abundant and belonged to the rare Fourth Grade Spiritual Objects; the Sect’s stock diminished with each use, and replenishment was nearly impossible.
Li Yuanba nodded, somewhat confident about breaking through to the Nascent Soul Stage within a hundred years.
Shortly after Elder Jian applied the ’Ten-thousand-year-old Thunderstruck Wood Juice’, dark clouds appeared in the sky.
The tribulation clouds stirred tremendously, terrifying lightning flickering within, with powerful electric fluctuations spreading around.
An unmanned drone, flying at an altitude of ten thousand meters and closest to the airspace above Senluo Sect, was monitoring but got affected by the electric fluctuations.
Even though Li Shiming had equipped the drone with a Formation to prevent lightning strikes when creating it, it was instantly destroyed under such electric fluctuations.
Through the last images transmitted by the drone, Li Yuanba saw that the thickness of these storm clouds reached nearly the height of the Thirty-Three Heavens, which was ten thousand meters high.
With the appearance of the tribulation clouds, the terrifying noise immediately attracted attention from all the major sects across Beishu Continent, as well as other powerful beings.
The other five major sects sensed the tribulation cloud fluctuations coming from the location of Senluo Sect. They realized that Senluo Sect might soon gain a Nascent Soul Ancestor.
They knew more; it was Elder Jian who was breaking through, as he was the most likely to succeed in recent decades within Senluo Sect.
Luckily for them, even if Elder Jian succeeded in his breakthrough, he wouldn’t stay in the Beishu Continent for long.
The fact that Elder Jian would leave the Beishu Continent after becoming a Nascent Soul was no secret, which made the other five major sects not particularly concerned about his breakthrough.
Ancestor Lu released his own aura, spreading out strong energy parallel to the tribulation clouds.
He did this to signal to everyone that he was protecting the breakthrough process, to prevent any powerful beings from causing trouble.
This was not impossible, as historically several cultivators had been attacked by their enemies during their Nascent Soul transformation, some managing to ascend and kill their enemies, while others were disturbed and died under the Heavenly Tribulation.
Though being in Senluo Sect made this possibility extremely low, it didn’t mean there was absolutely no chance.
Especially since years ago, Qianye Temple had been attacked, resulting in the death of monks within and giving birth to a heart demon in Venerable Huijing.
This incident served as a warning to the six major sects. Additionally, the disappearance of Patriarch Weng Zhao of Skywalk Trading Company was another destabilizing factor—no chance of accidents could be afforded at such a crucial moment.
Soon after Ancestor Lu released his aura, a Nascent Soul Aura also rose from within the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, supporting Ancestor Lu. Li Yuanba sensed that it was Lang Xiong’s aura.