Cultivating Disciples to Breakthrough

Having decided not to pay a visit to the Nascent Soul Realm Expert sent over by the Spring Flower Sect after seeing her rather… Interesting comments about how she had ended up in the small town, Xuan Hao quickly began making his way up the Ninth Star Peak of the Shattered Star Peaks without alerting any of the guards in front of the only path leading up the mountain.

The reason why he didn't just directly fly up to the Second Star Peak, was because he was quite curious about how thing had changed at the Shattered Star Peaks during the last year. Especially after he had informed Feng Chen about the Shattered Star Peaks being their future sect location…

At least from what he could see while making his way up the Ninth Star Peak, it seemed like there were way fewer people making their way up the mountain compared to when he had gone together with Qing Yi and Chu Yang in the past.

Not only that, but after arriving at the forest covered peak, there were even fewer cultivators present looking for the spiritual herbs that grew there, with the weakest of them having reached the Foundation Establishment Realm. Not a single person at the Qi Condensation Realm could be seen even after he scanned the entire Ninth Peak.

From the looks of it, Feng Chen had likely put some restrictions on the people who could enter the Shattered Star Peaks, though still not completely restricting it to others, that would most likely only happen after the construction of the Flying Sword Sect on top one of the Mountain Peaks began…

The Shattered Star Peaks had quite a reputation even outside their territory, with the Third Star Peak being the most famous due to the many people going there to enter a life and death cultivation trying to reach the Nascent Soul Realm.

Closing such a place down, would surely incur a lot of anger from these Peak Core Formation Realm Experts with half a step into the grave that had come to seek an opportunity to reach the Nascent Soul Realm… Something Feng Chen really didn't want to experience…

With that in mind, it might be for the best if the Third Star Peak remained open to the public after the Flying Sword Sect had been constructed!

This way, the Flying Sword Sect could potentially recruit any new Nascent Soul Realm Expert that came out from there.

Even using it as a way to recruit Core Formation Realm Experts was not out of the way. After all, some of the Core Formation Realm Experts going to the Third Star Peak were just there to visit the place in case they would return there in the future when their lifespan was about to run out and they still hadn't reached the Nascent Soul Realm...

Overall, having the Third Star Peak open to the public was a good idea. However, in case they built the sect on the Ninth Star Peak, they would have to make another way into the Shattered Star Peaks going directly to the Third Star Peak.

After all, no matter what, they couldn't just have a bunch of unknown cultivators walk through their sect on a daily basis…

<br/>…

"Looks like the Third Star Peak in still filled up with people like last time…"

Muttering this to himself as he arrived at the Third Star Peak, Xuan Hao could not help sighing internally as he watched the hundreds of elderly people desperately clinging onto what little hope they had left of extending their lifespan and continuing their journey towards immortality.

From what Xuan Hao understood, it seemed like the people of the Ewaria Continent believed in one's soul reincarnating after death, something that did make some sense given the fact one could begin interacting with one's own soul from the Nascent Soul Realm.

Now, why did these old people fear death even when they believed in reincarnation after death?

Well… The reason why these old people feared death was simple, they were cultivators. People who essentially went against the heaven in an attempt to escape the cycle of reincarnation and obtain immortality.

Because they had essentially already gone against the cycle of reincarnation, they believed that heaven would no longer allow them to reincarnate after death…

However, all of this was not really something that could be confirmed and was merely based on speculations…

"Hm… I wonder how that friend of Chi Hu is doing, Zhu Lian was it? I don't think I saw her at the sect, I wonder if she is guarding one of the new branches…"

Remembering the old female friend of Chi Hu, who he had helped reach the Nascent Soul Realm on the Third Star Peak, Xuan Hao jumped into the air before heading towards the Second Peak lost in thought.

From him seeing her at the Third Star Peak and helping her reach the Nascent Soul Realm, to him leaving for the Main Peak back then, he had not even caught a single glimpse of Zhu Lian since then.

Not something too odd, as he had not really been much at the sect lately… Not to mention, Feng Chen could have assigned her to guard some place away from the sect after she had stayed for only a few days…

Whoosh~

Not thinking about Zhu Lian for too long, Xuan Hao increased his speed and at the same time made sure to protect himself from the chaotic qi with one of his domains. Not something nearly as difficult after his strength had increased.

Even flying that would consume all his strength in a short period of time before, had become easy! At least flying up to the Second Star Peak was not a challenge to him, things might be different if he tried flying up to the Main Peak…

…

"Hah… Looks like the feather imprint might not be able to absorb the blue divine energy on the Second Star Peak…"

Arriving at the Second Star Peak, Xuan Hao could not help letting out a sigh as he said this. The feather imprint had still not revealed itself like it had in the swamp of the Cloud Sky Kingdom.

However, Xuan Hao still felt reluctant about going back without at least trying, so after thinking about it for a short moment, he made his way towards the smallest rock of blue divine energy that he could find.

"Still as scary as before…"

Remembering what had happened when he had accidently picked up one of these small divine rocks, Xuan Hao could not help shivering. After all, he had almost died just from touching a rock back then!

If he really died touching a rock, it would be quite embarrassing…

For this reason, he did not dare picking up the small fist sized rock filled with blue divine energy in front of him. Instead, he tried to get as close as possible in an attempt to get a reaction from the feather imprint between his eyebrows.

Something less than enjoyable, as he felt his entire body freeze up the closer, he moved his head to the small rock on the ground. Even with his cultivation at the seventh stage of the Domain Lord Realm and his ice domain, he still had no way to resist this freezing cold invading his body the closer he got.

"S-so, c-cold…"

Not giving up as he moved close enough to almost touch the small rock on the ground with his head, Xuan Hao suddenly felt like he was thrown into a frozen hell, as he became unable to move any closer to the small rock without risking turning into an ice statue…

Remaining still just like that for a few minutes as he felt his dantian slowly empty out, Xuan Hao was about to give up, when the feather imprint between his eyebrows finally began showing signs of life again.

Fwoosh~

Lighting up like it had done back in the swamp of the Cloud Sky Kingdom, Xuan Hao felt a small stream of blue divine energy being sucked out of the small rock in front of him before entering the feather imprint between his eyebrows.

Different from the time in the swamp. Absorbing the small stream of blue divine energy from the rock had a completely different effect on the feather imprint, as an excruciating pain spread throughout his body with the feather imprint at the core of it, causing Xuan Hao to rapidly retreat from the small rock.

However, the stream of blue divine energy inside the rock had already been absorbed by the feather imprint and moving away did not stop the pain from spreading all over his body.

Barely able to stop himself from screaming out due to the sudden pain, Xuan Hao managed to stabilize himself as the pain wrecked through his body. At the very least, only his physical body was affected by the pain, his soul remained completely unaffected. Allowing him to think clearly.

Due to this, he could also clearly see the changes taking place in his physical body alongside the pain spreading through it.