Cultivation Begins From The Desert-Chapter 749 - 733: A Difficult Choice

The blazing noon sun was scorching and intense, more fiery than any other time.

Ordinary mortals at such times would try their best to avoid going out to prevent getting scorched or fainting from the harsh sunlight.

But atop the highest peak of Fire Birch Mountain, there was someone basking in the seemingly tangible golden sunlight, hands forming seals, diligently cultivating.

Upon closer inspection, one would notice that the tangible golden sunlight was not converging on the person but on a golden stone the size of a palm on the ground in front of him.

This golden stone was an extremely rare Exotic Treasure in the Cultivation Realm, the [Sun God Stone], a treasure capable of drawing a large amount of Great Sun Essence Qi under sunlight.

On Fire Birch Mountain, besides Zhouyang, perhaps no one else could use the [Sun God Stone] for cultivation.

It had been ten years since Zhouyang broke through to the Mid-Stage Nascent Soul and emerged from seclusion.

During these ten years, he didn't retreat to cultivate again. Instead, he stabilized his cultivation realm while using the aid of the [Sun God Stone] to practice the divine technique [Golden Sun Demon Suppression Spell].

The [Sun God Stone] indeed lived up to its name. Despite being only palm-sized, with its assistance, Zhouyang's [Golden Sun Demon Suppression Spell] advanced rapidly, the growth of its power felt almost daily.

He estimated that it would take at most another five or six years to cultivate this divine technique to its Great Success Realm, and reaching the Perfection Realm afterward would be a matter of course.

After more than two hours, as the sunlight gradually weakened, Zhouyang slowly retracted his divine technique, then with a wave, stored the [Sun God Stone] beneath his feet into his Storage Ring and stood up.

He stood atop the mountain, casting his gaze to the westward sun, and suddenly sighed deeply as if thinking of something: "Ah! Ying'Er's seclusion to form her Nascent Soul is still somewhat rushed this time. Now I only hope that the Heart Refining Technique is truly useful and that the [Ice Tear Flower] can function properly!"

It turned out that more than a year ago, after mastering the Heart Refining Technique provided by Demoness Huan Qianqian, Xiao Ying left a letter for Zhouyang and resolutely entered a closed cultivation chamber to begin her attempt at breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm.

Zhouyang had never expected that the usually gentle and indecisive Xiao Ying would have such determination and courage this time.

When he found that letter, he didn't know whether to feel gratified or angry.

In the end, he didn't forcibly interrupt Xiao Ying's seclusion, nor did he summon her out of the closed chamber.

To convince Xiao Ying to make up her mind to attempt the Nascent Soul Stage, Zhouyang had spent considerable effort and energy over the years. It was unreasonable for him to interrupt now that she had decided.

If he interrupted Xiao Ying's seclusion this time, given her gentle nature, Zhouyang feared she might never again muster such determination for this matter.

Ultimately, the path of cultivation must be walked by the cultivator themselves. Others can only clear and straighten the road at most, but cannot help them ascend to the heavens in one step.

Because of Xiao Ying's seclusion for Nascent Soul Formation, Zhouyang, during the time awaiting results, naturally could not leave Fire Birch Mountain even for a step, nor dare to go into seclusion.

Even Zhou Guangcheng and Lu Xuewei, upon receiving the news, hurried to Fire Birch Mountain to keep vigil.

The two of them, one Xiao Ying's biological son, the other her hand-raised female disciple, shared much closer bonds than others.

"Master, I have something to report. The place where Junior Brother Wang and Junior Sister Ye passed away has been found. Their remains have been retrieved and enshrined by their descendants. There is a letter left for you, Master. Please take a look."

On Fire Birch Mountain, after arriving here to guard and protect her mentor Xiao Ying, Lu Xuewei also took the opportunity to report on Master Zhouyang's other disciple, Wang Yanzhang.

Truthfully, Zhouyang hadn't done a very competent job as a master. Although he accepted two disciples, besides bestowing some cultivation techniques and resources, he rarely personally guided them, mostly leaving them to their devices.

Lu Xuewei was better off, born with excellent Spirit Root Talent, carrying the Zhou Family bloodline, and having grown up with Zhouyang and Xiao Ying, her emotional connection was not something the couple Wang Yanzhang could compare with. Although Zhouyang's personal guidance was scarce, he never lacked in providing her with cultivation resources, enabling her successful Golden Core Formation early on.

Compared to this, Wang Yanzhang lagged significantly behind.

Although the benefits he received from Master Zhouyang were not inferior to any direct disciple of a Golden Core Stage Cultivator, with his lackluster Spirit Root Talent, forming a core really depended on luck.

But luck, clearly, isn't reliable every time.

Zhouyang had bestowed a [Jade Liquid Golden Pill] to Wang Yanzhang for his Golden Core breakthrough before heading to the Beiting Continent's Cultivation Realm.

Unfortunately, even with the [Jade Liquid Golden Pill] and several supporting Core Formation Spiritual Objects, Wang Yanzhang still failed in his Core Formation attempt.

By the time Zhouyang returned from the Beiting Continent's Cultivation Realm, Wang Yanzhang and his wife had long passed away from exhausted lifespan.

In fact, if not for the two [Jiazi Divine Pills] given early on to extend their lifespans, Wang Yanzhang and Ye Lingshan would have passed before Zhouyang's journey to the Beiting Continent.

But it was unknown what transpired in those final years, causing them to leave their estate to their descendants and mysteriously disappear instead of passing away in their cave mansion.

It was only years later, when the Wang family descendants noticed their Soul Lamps in the ancestral shrine extinguished, did they learn about their demise.

Upon hearing Lu Xuewei's report, Zhouyang's expression shifted, and he said, "Since there's a letter left, bring it here for me to see."

Upon hearing this, Lu Xuewei immediately retrieved a Jade Scroll from her Storage Ring and handed it over.

Reaching out to take the Jade Scroll, Zhouyang infused it with his Divine Sense. After a short while, he retracted his Divine Sense, and a flame from his palm reduced the Jade Scroll to ashes.

"Such a pair of infatuated fools!"

With a sigh, Zhouyang, facing Lu Xuewei's curious gaze, shook his head slightly, without any intention of revealing the Jade Scroll's contents.

In fact, the Jade Scroll didn't say much—besides the gratitude and thanks from the couple Wang Yanzhang and Ye Lingshan, it included a secret technique that could be considered a Demon Technique.

The sole purpose of this secret technique was to assist a cultivator in forming a core.

But after reading through the contents, Zhouyang had no intention of even remembering it before destroying it.

For to cast such a secret technique, it required one party in a pair of Dual Cultivation Companions to willingly serve as a sacrificial vessel, transferring all their cultivation and magical power, including Divine Soul and Essence Blood during Dual Cultivation, allowing the other party to forcefully condense a Golden Core using this massive energy and Life Essence.

However, even if the secret technique succeeds, the Golden Core condensed through this method will have no further potential for advancement. Besides extending one's lifespan by several hundred years, it's absolutely useless.

Sacrificing one's most beloved Dao companion in exchange for a few hundred years of lifespan while resigning one's cultivation to stagnation for a lifetime— in Zhouyang's view, the person who invented this secret technique must be out of their mind, and those who use it are just as foolish.

The situation with Wang Yanzhang and Ye Lingshan was that Ye Lingshan intended to sacrifice herself to fulfill Wang Yanzhang, but in the end, Wang Yanzhang voluntarily shattered his own heart and dissipated his magical power, interrupting the secret technique. They only had time to leave a few farewell letters before perishing together in an unknown secret mansion on a desolate mountain.

This was why Zhouyang sighed earlier.

"After all, you are from the same sect. If your Junior Brother Wang's family descendants encounter any difficulties in the future and seek your help, offer assistance if you can!"

"Yes, Master, I understand."

In the time that followed, Zhouyang would practice the "Golden Sun Demon Suppression Spell" during the day using the "Sun God Stone," and at night he would meditate for his daily cultivation, occasionally taking time to guide his son Zhou Guangcheng and his disciple Lu Xuewei in their cultivation.

Back then, the "Celestial Frost Profound Nether Finger" cultivation technique he acquired in the Beiting Continent's cultivation realm was also passed to Lu Xuewei during this time, allowing her to familiarize herself with the technique in preparation for future cultivation after Nascent Soul formation.

Seven years later, he had successfully cultivated the "Golden Sun Demon Suppression Spell" to the Great Success realm.

The Great Success realm of the "Golden Sun Demon Suppression Spell" indeed had significantly more power than before, and the "Demon-Suppressing Golden Light" could even be controlled by Zhouyang to form a magical robe on his body, partially replicating the effect of the "Exorcism Treasure Robe" from before.

He secretly tested this divine technique on the Demoness Huan Qianqian he had imprisoned, and found that even a Nascent Soul cultivation demon cultivator was significantly restrained by this technique's attack. Any demon technique under its influence would have its power greatly reduced, failing to retain its original might.

With this discovery, Zhouyang became even more determined to cultivate this divine technique to the Perfection realm.

Eight years later, Zhouyang successfully cultivated the "Golden Sun Demon Suppression Spell" to the Perfection realm, smoothly condensing the "Demon-Suppressing Golden Wheel," which represents the highest achievement of this divine technique.

This "Demon-Suppressing Golden Wheel" was entirely transformed from the original "Demon-Suppressing Golden Light" and had some effects of a magical artifact, but in essence, it was still a divine power technique.

As for its effects, well, after Zhouyang tested it on the Demoness Huan Qianqian, her injuries, which were almost healed, deteriorated and regressed dozens of years.

First seven, then eight, a total of fifteen years, and from the time Xiao Ying began her closed-door training, it had been sixteen years.

Sixteen years is not long for a cultivator attempting to breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Stage. Back when Jiang Fengxian formed his Nascent Soul, it also took this long to succeed.

But for Xiao Ying, sixteen years felt a bit long.

It should be noted that when Zhouyang formed his Nascent Soul, it took less than ten years, and this time Xiao Ying had also prepared auxiliary items for Nascent Soul formation, including the "Holy Infant Fruit" and "Ice Tear Flower," just like him. Even considering the lower spiritual energy concentration of Fire Birch Mountain Cave Mansion compared to Donglai Immortal Island, it shouldn't have taken this long.

Therefore, although Zhouyang sensed through the bond with his Dao companion that Xiao Ying wasn't in any trouble, he still couldn't help but feel anxious.

He couldn't help but be anxious. If one doesn't reach the "Nascent Soul Formation" stage during the Nascent Soul breakthrough, that's one thing, but if you reach that stage, there's no turning back. It's do or die.

However, despite his anxiety, there was nothing he could do to help her other than pray for his Dao companion.

"Father, Mother has been in closed-door meditation for sixteen years now, and there's still no sign of any progress. What do you think...?"

Zhou Guangcheng, who was from a renowned major sect, although still in the early stage of the Golden Core, wasn't completely ignorant about Nascent Soul formation. Seeing his mother sequestered for sixteen years with no news, he too was growing extremely anxious, losing focus on cultivation, and couldn't help but bring up the issue with his father, Zhouyang.

"Rest assured, your mother is fine. Sixteen years for a Nascent Soul breakthrough is not long. Your master took twenty-one years in seclusion to form his Nascent Soul back in the day!"

Zhouyang looked at his son with a calm expression, appearing completely unworried about any potential problems.

Hearing this, Zhou Guangcheng nodded, murmuring to himself, "Indeed, if Master spent twenty-one years to successfully form his Nascent Soul, then sixteen years is hardly long for Mother's seclusion."

Then, both father and son fell into silence.

They both knew in their hearts what the actual situation was. If they weren't worried, they wouldn't be having such a conversation.

Yet, neither of them was willing to face this possible outcome in their hearts.

In such anxiety and worry, Zhouyang and his son endured two more years in this emotional turmoil.

Eighteen years later, even Zhouyang himself couldn't remain indifferent any longer.

Lu Xuewei often saw him sitting alone on the mountaintop, quietly staring into the distance where his master's wife Xiao Ying was in seclusion.

The fact that such dazing behavior was exhibited by a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator reflected Zhouyang's state of mind.

An invisible gloom shrouded Fire Birch Mountain, and many cultivators from Profound Sun Immortal Sect who were originally cultivating there left on various pretexts, as if sensing something was amiss.

Only those cultivators with guarding responsibilities, who had no choice, completed their shift transitions and other tasks nervously, speaking in hushed tones or communicating solely via telepathy, with no one daring to raise their voice even a notch.

When the time reached the twentieth year, Fire Birch Mountain seemed truly like a volcano that had been in ferment for a millennium and was ready to erupt, emitting a terrifying pressure from the mountaintop that was palpable to all Purple Mansion cultivators entering the area.

Zhouyang could no longer control his emotions, or rather, he had no intention of controlling them, not caring about the pressure his state would inflict on other cultivators.

He had stationed himself outside Xiao Ying's seclusion cave entrance, ready to forcibly break in.

In fact, he had already prepared a last-ditch plan: if Xiao Ying truly could not pass this ordeal, he would extract her divine soul before her total demise and guide her into converting to the Ghost Dao.

He hadn't discussed this with Xiao Ying beforehand, as mentioning it might create a flaw in her resolve.

But when push came to shove, he found it hard to make such a decisive choice.

After all, even though no good news had arrived yet, the worst hadn't come to pass either.

And if he were to break in now, then Xiao Ying's attempt at Nascent Soul formation would truly have no chance of success.