Cultivation Begins From The Desert-Chapter 679 - 663: Stunning Everyone!

The guests have all arrived, and Zhouyang's Nascent Soul Ceremony officially begins.

According to the procedure, his son Zhou Guangcheng and disciple Lu Xuewei first appeared to present gifts and congratulations, followed by some outstanding younger cultivators from the Zhou Family.

Being able to make an appearance at such a Nascent Soul Ceremony is without a doubt a great honor for these cultivators, whose cultivation typically ranges from the Purple Mansion to the Foundation Establishment.

Even though those high and mighty Nascent Soul cultivators may not remember them, the Golden Core Stage cultivators present will certainly notice these individuals, and when they return to their respective sects and clans, they'll remind their fellow cultivators to avoid conflicts with them if encountered outside.

After all, since these Zhou Family cultivators could make a presence at Zhouyang's Nascent Soul Ceremony, it shows they hold a certain status in both the Zhou Family and with Zhouyang, this Nascent Soul Ancestor. If an incident occurs with them outside, it's hard to say Zhouyang wouldn't personally investigate the cause.

To put it simply, this segment is essentially the new Nascent Soul cultivator providing a level of personal insurance for the juniors they value, facilitating their future journeys in the Cultivation Realm.

After this segment, there are two more important rituals: offerings to heaven and ancestral offerings.

The offering to heaven is to pay homage and express gratitude to the heavens for granting the fruition of the Nascent Soul, while the ancestral offering is to pay respects and comfort the ancestors, making them proud.

After Zhouyang personally leads the completion of these solemn tasks, the usual festivities such as singing, dancing, and magic performance follow, during which the attendants arranged by the Zhou Family also gradually serve the guests with various exquisite dishes, spirit wine, and spirit fruit.

The guests attending are all at least Golden Core Stage cultivators, so they certainly do not sit around the table like ordinary cultivators; instead, they each have their own seat to enjoy their designated food and drinks.

The food and drink prepared for these cultivators are certainly not ordinary spiritual objects.

The meat and dishes on the Nascent Soul cultivators' tables are crafted by spiritual chefs using Tier Six Flood Dragon meat, bones, Tier Six Profound Turtle meat, paired with some Tier Five Spirit Elixirs. Not only do they taste exquisite, but they also greatly replenish primordial qi. Even the spirit wine is the Suyun Sect specialty, Bee King Brew, blended with other top-tier spirit wines.

Though such a feast may not significantly increase the Nascent Soul cultivators' cultivation, it fully demonstrates Zhouyang's wealth and resources, preventing his peers from underestimating him due to his newly advanced status as a Nascent Soul cultivator.

As for the Golden Core Stage cultivators, although their table fare is a notch below that of the Nascent Soul cultivators, the dishes are still made from Tier Five Demon Beast meat and some high-tier spirit elixirs. Moreover, each Golden Core cultivator's table also offers a bowl of soup with meat chunks, allowing them to taste the flavors of Tier Six Flood Dragon meat.

At this stage, the guests would successively raise toasts and congratulate Zhouyang, the focal point of the celebration, while also taking the opportunity to drink and chat with fellow recognizable cultivators or make acquaintances with peers they hadn't known prior.

Customarily, some Golden Core Stage cultivators might take the initiative to request to showcase their skills. If granted permission, they may afterwards seek Zhouyang's advice on the path of cultivation, during which Zhouyang usually provides some guidance on the divine techniques or spells they exhibit.

This showcase is quite interesting; some Golden Core Stage cultivators without a Nascent Soul stage mentor see it as an opportunity to receive pointers, asking senior cultivators to help identify certain shortcomings.

In contrast, some Golden Core cultivators from major sects or noble families might take this showcase opportunity to test the vision and insight of the new Nascent Soul cultivator, possibly even making him a subject of ridicule.

However, most Golden Core Stage cultivators usually dare not or do not wish to offend cultivators with a higher realm than themselves.

"I heard that a few years ago, the Dragon Taming Clan of the Donghua Continent traveled thousands of miles intending to harm Fellow Daoist Zhou in our Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm, only to be countered by him in collaboration with fellow daoists from the Profound Sun Immortal Sect and the Yuqing Daoist Sect outside Chongxuan Mountain, killing several of their members and capturing a number of Tier Six Flood Dragons."

"Initially, I had some doubts about these rumors, thinking they might be exaggerated. But now, seeing the Tier Six Flood Dragon meat on this table, I have no choice but to believe!"

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, at such a young age, possesses such strength and means, making me both admire and fear you!"

Master Celestial Serpent, Xu Hanwen, looking at the plates of fragrant Tier Six Flood Dragon meat, was filled with astonishment as he gazed at Zhouyang in awe.

After speaking, he half jokingly and half-seriously added, "Luckily, my Beast Taming Sect has reconciled with Fellow Daoist Zhou, otherwise, I wouldn't dare to venture out alone ever again!"

Zhouyang, upon hearing this, calmly replied, "Fellow Daoist Xu overpraises. The Dragon Taming Clan was arrogant, daring to disregard cultivation rules by entering another cultivation realm to assassinate Nascent Soul cultivators. This is a blatant disregard for the cultivators in our Liuyun Continent Cultivation Realm, a severe provocation!"

"The ability to repel these invaders was majorly thanks to the aid from fellow daoists of the Profound Sun Immortal Sect and the Yuqing Daoist Sect. My contribution was minimal; I am truly unworthy of such praise from Fellow Daoist Xu."

Hearing this, Xu Hanwen glanced once at Li Fufeng and Master Cyan Yang, then raised his cup with a hearty laugh, "Regardless, Fellow Daoist Zhou has achieved such feats less than a century after forming his Nascent Soul. I am immensely impressed. Allow me to first toast to you, expressing my gratitude for the chance to sample Tier Six Flood Dragon meat!"

This seemed to resonate with another Nascent Soul cultivator. A broad-faced, big-eared cultivator, who was initially biting into a piece of Flood Dragon meat, suddenly stopped, raised his cup and laughed, "Fellow Daoist Xu is absolutely right, this chance to savor Tier Six Flood Dragon meat makes this visit to Fellow Daoist Zhou's Nascent Soul Ceremony worthwhile for me. I too raise a toast to Fellow Daoist Zhou!"

"It's for me to toast you all first. Thanks to all of you for honoring me by attending my Nascent Soul Ceremony, taking time off your cultivation despite your busy schedules!"

Zhouyang stood up, raised his cup and swept a glance across all the guests before tilting his head back to drink all the spirit wine in his cup.

"To Elder Zhou, congratulations on your great success in forming your Nascent Soul!"

The Golden Core cultivators hurriedly stood up, raising their cups in agreement, and equally finished their drinks.

With a drink downed, the atmosphere immediately became lively.

Quite a few Golden Core Stage cultivators took the opportunity to frequently approach Zhouyang to toast. Zhouyang also did not refuse, drinking every cup offered.

Afterwards, some Golden Core cultivators began to request performing a demonstration to boost the atmosphere.

Zhouyang readily agreed to these requests as well.

Others might see him achieving Nascent Soul formation at a young age and assume he was solely focused on painstaking cultivation, perhaps lacking in vision to match his cultivation realm.

Yet, they did not know that he had experienced countless battles and traveled through numerous cultivation realms, witnessing the marvels of numerous divine techniques and spells.

The cultivators who performed demonstrations usually showcased some divine art or technique they cultivated.

As long as Zhouyang observed their demonstration process and the type of technique, he could swiftly point out inadequacies and offer suggestions for improvement.

If he encountered outstanding performers, he would additionally reward them with a piece of Tier Six Flood Dragon meat, a few taels of Flood Dragon Spirit Blood, or a Flood Dragon Scale as a prize.

This further increased the eagerness of those Golden Core cultivators to perform, for even if not for Zhouyang's guidance, striving for the potential reward from the Tier Six Flood Dragon's materials alone was worth the effort.

And Zhouyang himself, through this opportunity, enriched his experience and knowledge, without any loss.

Moreover, those who could receive the Tier Six Flood Dragon materials from him as a reward remained very few, entirely under his control in quantity.

What Zhouyang hadn't anticipated was that after he consecutively allowed over a dozen Golden Core cultivators to perform their skills, that "Master Leijian" Li Shuhua from the Taiyi Immortal Sword Sect suddenly looked at him with emotion, sighing, "I didn't expect Fellow Daoist Zhou not only to have exceptional talent in cultivation but also such extensive insight and knowledge, making Li quite envious and jealous!"

As soon as the words fell, his expression changed, eagerly looking at Zhouyang and asking, "Li lacks talent, having cultivated hard for two or three centuries, and has just mastered a divine art. May I ask if Fellow Daoist Zhou would be willing to offer some pointers?"

"Fellow Daoist Li formed his Nascent Soul several centuries before me. How could I dare presume to instruct Fellow Daoist? Please, do not jest!"

Zhouyang's expression froze for a moment before responding directly with a cold expression, declining the offer.

He was not afraid of Li Shuhua, just unwilling to be led by the nose by him.

However, Li Shuhua didn't give up, and upon hearing that, immediately laughed, "It was a slip of the tongue from me. May I request to spar with Fellow Daoist Zhou? Normally, new Nascent Soul cultivators reveal their abilities for peers' appraisal. Here, besides Fairy Liu, I have the shortest formation time. It would be fitting for me to test moves with Fellow Daoist Zhou, wouldn't it?"

During the Nascent Soul Ceremony, new Nascent Soul cultivators indeed traditionally demonstrate their techniques for fellow Nascent Soul cultivators to evaluate.

However, generally, the opponents in such sparring would have already been privately agreed upon well before the ceremony to go through the motions.

Zhouyang's initially chosen sparring partner was meant to be Liu Yunxiang, who formed her Nascent Soul several decades before him.

Now, with Li Shuhua's words, before Zhouyang could respond, Liu Yunxiang already furrowed her brows, lightly parting her lips to say, "Since Fellow Daoist Li knows that I formed my Nascent Soul later than you, it should by all means be me sparring with Fellow Daoist Zhou. How does Fellow Daoist Li have the right to take over?"

"Little Sister Liu, you are mistaken!"

"You've just formed your Nascent Soul less than a hundred years ago. I think you haven't even brought a divine technique to great success, whereas Fellow Daoist Zhou once had the record of slaying more than ten same-tier cultivators while at the Golden Core stage and possesses the Qianyang Treasure Body. He mastered a top-tier True Fire Divine Technique right upon forming his Nascent Soul successfully."

"It's not that I look down on you, but with less than a hundred years of power after forming your Nascent Soul, if you really spar with Fellow Daoist Zhou, the outcome might not be favorable!"

"Fairy Honglian" Zhao Honglian and Li Shuhua were both from the Six Paths Alliance. Now seeing Li Shuhua planning to spar with Zhouyang to probe his strength, naturally, they expressed support to facilitate this.

In fact, their uninvited attendance at Zhouyang's Nascent Soul Ceremony was originally to seize the opportunity to test Zhouyang's strength.

Yet Liu Yunxiang was not an easy person to deal with either. Hearing those words, she unreservedly retorted, "Fellow Daoist Zhao's words are misguided. The purpose of sparring is naturally to stop when the point is made. How could it be unfavorable? On the contrary, you two previously claimed to have no ill intentions today, yet your words and actions seem otherwise!"

Zhao Honglian, after being chastised by her, instantly turned red and blue with anger hidden within, and her gaze carried a trace of coldness when looking at her.

It was Li Shuhua who didn't mind Liu Yunxiang and only focused his gaze on Zhouyang, saying, "What does Fellow Daoist Zhou say? If there's no certainty on your part, I won't insist. Just pretend I haven't said anything."

"Since Fellow Daoist Li is so kind, then let me experience your brilliant moves!"

Zhouyang, with a deep look at Li Shuhua, flashed a smile and slightly nodded in agreement.

"Hahaha, Fellow Daoist Zhou is indeed straightforward, then let's begin."

Li Shuhua laughed heartily and unexpectedly stood up from his seat, transforming into a silver-white sword light, flying towards the "Nine Heavens Forbidden Realm" outside Fire Birch Mountain.

Seeing this, Zhouyang also nodded slightly to the others as a greeting and followed him to hundreds of miles above the Nine Heavens.

Before long, from thousands of feet high above the ground, came the booming sounds of two Nascent Soul cultivators exchanging blows.

Li Shuhua has been at the Nascent Soul Formation for nearly three hundred years. Although his cultivation remains at the first-tier Nascent Soul Stage, he has already cultivated a sword skill divine technique from the Taiyi Immortal Sword Sect, the "Celestial Thunder Exorcism Sword Technique," to the Great Success realm.

He uses the tier six lower-grade Lifebound Spiritual Artifact, "Celestial Thunder Evil-Slaying Sword," to perform this sword skill divine technique. The power generated by combining the artifact and the technique is far stronger than either a single divine technique or artifact alone.

Master Cyan Yang's words that his combat strength is extraordinary are definitely not spoken lightly.

Unfortunately, Li Shuhua's opponent this time is Zhouyang, a ruthless individual who, less than fifty years after forming his Nascent Soul, has already slain several Nascent Soul Stage cultivators.

Li Shuhua wanted to probe his strength and trump card; he actually just wanted to find an opponent to test the power he gained after his body refining divine techniques reached great success.

Compared to other Nascent Soul cultivators, Li Shuhua, renowned for attack power among peers, is undoubtedly the most suitable opponent.

Therefore, when Li Shuhua used his sword to draw and slash thunder mixed with sword qi—divine thunder sword qi—towards him, Zhouyang directly activated the "Cyan Dragon Transformation," and then used the dragon claw after transformation to grasp those sword qis.

Boom boom boom!

One by one, the divine thunder sword qis were blasted by Zhouyang with both fists, and the thunder and shattered sword qi produced by the explosions fell on his half-dragon, half-human body, unable to leave a trace.

This scene looked at by those cultivators watching from Fire Birch Mountain made them gasp.

"What a powerful physique! What is that body refining divine technique? It can make a human body's physical defense comparable to a tier six Flood Dragon!"

Master Celestial Serpent Xu Hanwen's eyes narrowed, looking at this scene with shock on his face, his chest heaving wildly, his voice full of amazement.

"Fairy Honglian" Zhao Honglian also widened her beautiful eyes, her voice trembling as she said, "This isn't comparable to a tier six Flood Dragon, but stronger than the defense of the average tier six lower-grade Flood Dragon. Fellow Daoist Li's sword qi is so sharp, an ordinary tier six Flood Dragon could not easily withstand it!"

Actually, not only were these people extremely shocked, even Master Cyan Yang, Liu Yunxiang, and others who fought shoulder to shoulder with Zhouyang against the Dragon Taming Clan cultivators outside Chongxuan Mountain were also stunned by Zhouyang's currently displayed formidable physique.

They were clear that during the battle outside Chongxuan Mountain, Zhouyang's physique definitely wasn't as strong as now; otherwise, it wouldn't have been so miserable.

"Junior Brother Qingyang, Fellow Daoist Zhou's body refining divine technique is called 'Azure Dragon Body Refining Technique,' right? If I remember correctly, it is also recorded within the sect's cultivation methods?"

Nascent Soul Stage cultivator Zhang Yuhua of the Profound Sun Immortal Sect watched Master Cyan Yang with sparkling eyes, secretly transmitting inquiries about Zhouyang's body refining divine technique, clearly moved by its immense power.

"Senior Sister Zhang is correct. When Fellow Daoist Zhou was rescued by Senior Brother Lu, he indeed had Senior Brother Lu take the technique back to the sect."

Master Cyan Yang nodded, affirming Zhang Yuhua's statement, then before she could express any happiness, he bitterly laughed and shook his head, saying, "But I advise Senior Sister not to entertain such ideas, for cultivating this technique further requires the assistance of Fellow Daoist Zhou's tier six middle-grade spiritual artifact, 'Heaven-Suppressing Azure Dragon Cauldron.'"

Saying this, he noticed Zhang Yuhua's eyes flickering with intent, seemingly unwilling to let go, and continued, "And, as your junior brother knows, to cultivate this technique to the Great Success realm, Fellow Daoist Zhou spent, in total, the spirit blood of three tier six Flood Dragons!"

"What! It requires this much Flood Dragon spirit blood!"

Zhang Yuhua was immediately shocked, her face full of astonishment as she looked at Master Cyan Yang.

She had initially been attracted to Zhouyang's body refining divine technique because, during the encirclement and slaughter of the Dragon Taming Clan cultivators, each Nascent Soul cultivator from the Profound Sun Immortal Sect gained a considerable amount of tier six Flood Dragon spirit blood, believing that by cultivating the technique herself, finding auxiliary spiritual objects for cultivation wouldn't be difficult.

But she could never have imagined that practicing the "Azure Dragon Body Refining Technique" would consume so much tier six Flood Dragon spirit blood!

With that amount of tier six Flood Dragon spirit blood, even if she exchanged all the blood from the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Profound Sun Immortal Sect and Yuqing Daoist Sect into her own hands, it would be far from enough.

Seeing her silence, Master Cyan Yang instead displayed a thoughtful expression and said, "But Senior Sister indeed reminded me, since the technique shows such power after Great Success, upon returning to the sect, it might be worthwhile to let some younger cultivators try it out; as long as there's sufficient Flood Dragon spirit blood supply, the cultivation speed for this technique is instead very swift!"

"Fellow Daoist Zhou is about to counterattack!"

Someone abruptly exclaimed, making Master Cyan Yang and Master Yuhua immediately halt their discussion and quickly look towards the battlefield.

On the battlefield, Zhouyang tested the powerful defense of his physical body, then launched a direct counterattack.

He still did not use any magical artifacts, just charged at Li Shuhua like a flood dragon.

Without the Heaven-Suppressing Azure Dragon Cauldron restricting the space, Li Shuhua certainly wouldn't allow Zhouyang, who had a physically powerful body, to get close to him.

While using the Sword Escape Technique to distance himself from Zhouyang, he simultaneously executed a sword technique and attacked Zhouyang with his flying sword.

However, although the Celestial Thunder Evil-Slaying Sword was his lifebound spiritual artifact, it was only a Tier Six Lower Grade. Even with the flying sword's attacks combined with the sword technique divine techniques, it only left a superficial wound on Zhouyang's body, not causing any serious harm.

As for the paralysis damage caused by his thunder and lightning, it seemed to have entirely lost its effectiveness on Zhouyang, without slowing him down in the slightest.

This is the advantage of a powerful body, not only providing strong defense against physical damage but also possessing strong resistance to the additional damage from thunder strikes, burns, freezing, and poison erosion magic.

Unless directly hit frontally by the powerful Profound Sun Purple Sky Divine Thunder, typical thunder divine techniques cannot inflict much damage on Zhouyang.

Li Shuhua's Celestial Thunder Exorcism Sword Technique, although it could harness the heavenly thunder power, was ultimately a sword technique divine technique rather than a thunder technique divine technique, mainly relying on sword cultivator methods for killing power.

Seeing that his attack only caused insignificant damage to Zhouyang, Li Shuhua was both astonished by Zhouyang's physical strength and stirred by a competitive spirit, determined to compare whose sword was sharper or whose body was tougher.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, be careful! Li is about to use his ultimate move!"

With a loud shout to warn Zhouyang, he then solemnly executed a sword technique, unleashing the ultimate killing move within the Celestial Thunder Exorcism Sword Technique.

Suddenly, a burst of silver lightning erupted from the silver-white Celestial Thunder Evil-Slaying Sword, and then the flying sword transformed into an ultimate lightning bolt, piercing towards Zhouyang.

It's so fast!

At this moment, the silver flying sword was so fast it seemed to truly transform into lightning, moving with the speed of a real bolt of lightning.

Zhouyang could only instinctively raise his hands to block in front of his chest, then felt a pain in his arms, his whole body being blasted backward.

After being knocked back several hundred feet, he stopped his body and looked at his hands, seeing the dragon scales on his right wrist shattered over half, with a large layer of skin and flesh shaved away, faintly revealing the pale golden bone underneath.

After mastering the Azure Dragon Body Refining Technique, all the bones in Zhouyang's body turned this pale golden color, even having some natural spirit patterns on them.

If his bones were extracted for artifact refining, they could entirely serve as materials for refining Tier Six magical artifacts.

"Such a powerful physical defense!"

Across from him, Li Shuhua was shocked as he looked at Zhouyang, not expecting that his strongest sword could only cause such a small injury to Zhouyang.

"Have you had enough? If so, it's my turn!"

With a fierce glint in his eyes sweeping over Li Shuhua, Zhouyang didn't wait for Li Shuhua to speak but directly summoned the Heaven-Suppressing Azure Dragon Cauldron.

He was careless earlier, thinking Li Shuhua couldn't break his defense, so he didn't consider using a magical artifact.

Now that Li Shuhua managed to injure him, he couldn't care about anything else.

Li Shuhua clearly didn't anticipate that there would be a magical artifact like the Heaven-Suppressing Azure Dragon Cauldron with such miraculous effects, and he was caught off guard, losing his power of flight and plummeting toward the ground.

However, before he actually fell to the ground, Zhouyang already burst out beside him, then slammed his fist like a cauldron at him.

Bang bang bang!

Under the astonished gaze of the cultivators watching on Fire Birch Mountain, Li Shuhua, a respectable Nascent Soul cultivator, was directly turned into a punching bag for Zhouyang, knocked about repeatedly until he spat blood and fainted.

Boom!

As Li Shuhua's body heavily slammed onto the ground, raising a cloud of dust, Zhouyang lightly swung his fist, turning his gaze to the already stunned Fairy Honglian, Zhao Honglian, on Fire Birch Mountain, and said lightly, "Fairy Zhao, please forgive Zhou for being momentarily agitated upon injury and losing control. When Fellow Daoist Li wakes up, I hope the fairy can help explain a bit."