The Transmigrator’s Cultivation

Arc 17: Hengwu Small World | Chapter 327: Xu Ziqing's Dao Seed

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The true essence within him was boiling, and there was a strange feeling of contraction brewing as if it were breathing, inhaling, and exhaling, carrying with it the profound mystery of life.

However, this peculiar feeling and the true essence were not in the same void; it seemed to be something even more profound, something intangible, existing in the realm of the ethereal.

This feeling was unprecedented, but at that moment, Xu Ziqing suddenly understood what it was.

The Dao Seed!

He was actually about to condense the Dao Seed!

But he clearly had not yet fully comprehended his own Dao… Why was he having this sensation?

Below, Yun Tiangang was still practicing his swordsmanship, the intent of the Four Seasons constantly shifting.

If, when Xu Ziqing practiced this set of sword techniques, his approach was more about containing power without releasing it, then when Yun Tiangang wielded his sword, it was filled with an aura of death!

Whether it was the spring rain, summer thunder, autumn wind, or winter snow, the killing intent was released inch by inch.

The longer Xu Ziqing watched, the more his mind became hazy.

This Yun Tiangang was the reincarnation of his Shixiong’s primordial spirit, now a man; his Shixiong’s primordial spirit had once been housed in an immortal-demon body; when they first met, his Shixiong’s divine soul was traveling outside the body, a godly soul.

Immortal, demon, human soul—all were part of his Shixiong, and all carried the secrets of life and death.

His Shixiong had embarked on the path of immortality, facing countless dangers, and only after reincarnating through the primordial spirit could he return.

And while the life of an ordinary person was fragile and unconnected to the great Dao, they still had the cycle of soul reincarnation. However, the person in the next life would no longer be the same as in the previous life, only knowing this life.

For many cultivators, whether they fell along the way, had their nascent soul seize another body, or reincarnated to start over, who knew how many hardships they would endure before attaining the great Dao? Worse yet, some lost both body and soul, unable even to return to the reincarnation cycle of ordinary mortals.

Therefore, under the Heavenly Law, though cultivators have methods of defying and aligning with Heaven to attain the Dao, ordinary people also possess the method of preserving their soul. All living beings under Heaven have their respective advantages and disadvantages; there is no inherent difference.

Xu Ziqing’s mind roared, as though he understood and yet didn’t.

His gaze landed on Yun Tiangang, but it was as though he saw his Shixiong’s true self, and also a glimpse of his past self.

Spring rain fell gently, summer thunder boomed, autumn wind blew desolately, and winter snow lay cold and solitary.

Such was the sword technique of the Four Seasons, embodying the essence of the four seasons. This essence could be extrapolated to the transformations of all living things, providing another layer of understanding.

All plants sprout, grow, wither, and die according to the seasons, only to be reborn with new vitality the following year. Humans, too, experience birth, aging, illness, and death; their souls reincarnate, returning to the human path. Cultivators face endless hardships and a long journey, reincarnating to start anew… The tree of the past life is not the same as the tree of the present life, just as the person of the past life is not the same as the person of the present life…

The mysterious feeling in Xu Ziqing’s dantian contracted even more violently.

That sense of expansion and pulsation seemed as if it was about to seize control of his entire being.

At that moment, there was suddenly a response within his Zifu.

It was as if a solemn voice spoke:

“The four seasons cycle, and all plants wither and thrive.

The divine soul is eternal, and reincarnation spans lifetimes.

By using the transformations of all plants to understand the transformations of all things, and by using the withering and flourishing of all plants to extrapolate the birth and death of all things, one can comprehend the cycle of Heaven and Earth—this is the Dao of life and death, the Dao of reincarnation!”

Xu Ziqing’s dantian contracted even more violently, and suddenly, something within him condensed and then burst forth!

“Boom!”

The sound echoed within his Zifu—inaudible to others—but it left him dizzy and disoriented.

The Dao of life and death!

As soon as Xu Ziqing affirmed this within himself, the object in his dantian suddenly leaped out.

It seemed like a seed, yet also like a living, round creature, rooted firmly in his dantian, immovable.

Xu Ziqing felt as though all the strength had drained from his body, and he broke out in a cold sweat.

The Dao Seed had condensed, but his true essence was now boiling even more violently!

Countless forces began to swirl within his dantian, revolving rapidly around the Dao Seed.

These true essences had long since transformed into liquid essence, and now they were solidifying at an accelerated rate, bit by bit. At the same time, spiritual energy from the outside world was pouring in madly, converting into liquid essence and continuously solidifying.

The seeds that had already fused within his dantian were now brimming with joyful intent. Some of the life-force-drained seeds that had been nurtured in his meridians were suddenly being replenished, becoming extraordinarily lively.

Countless thoughts clashed in his mind, and within Xu Ziqing’s meridians and blood, numerous forces began to stir. Even in the sky above, spiritual energy from within a hundred miles was converging swiftly.

Xu Ziqing immediately realized—he was about to form his golden core!

Indeed, after so many years, he had absorbed many seeds, studied countless miscellaneous subjects, and comprehended many spells.

All of this had built his foundation, and the essence of Yimu that remained in his true essence and flesh had become part of his reserves. There were also small divine abilities like the prototype of the Qingyun Needle, and now, the Dao Seed had finally condensed. All these things signified that he had accumulated enough and was ready to form his golden core.

However, this opportunity to form the core had arrived too quickly. He even had a premonition that breaking through at this moment would benefit him greatly.

But in a place like the Yun Family Manor, with people coming and going, how could he act so recklessly?

Moreover, there was still his Shixiong…

Xu Ziqing glanced at Yun Tiangang’s figure, his heart in turmoil.

They had only been reunited for three months, and now they were to part again?

He had only witnessed his Shixiong form his golden core years ago, but his Shixiong, being a sword cultivator, was inherently different. Besides, his Shixiong had decades more preparation than him, and so succeeded in just one day. Yet, Xu Ziqing knew that it would likely take him several years.

His Shixiong needed only to cut down his inner demons with sword intent, but Xu Ziqing had to endure it on his own; his Shixiong had abundant spiritual energy, but in this small universe, spiritual energy was somewhat lacking; his Shixiong had spirit medicines to replenish him immediately, but Xu Ziqing had long since exhausted his own over the years; his Shixiong’s sword intent was his true heart, while Xu Ziqing still had many seeds to fuse and refine within his dantian…

The paths they walked were different, and naturally, their process of forming the core would differ.

What’s more, his Shixiong had far more experience, and his will was much more steadfast. In comparison, Xu Ziqing felt inadequate in many ways.

With these thoughts, Xu Ziqing lowered his head and realized that Yun Tiangang had already stopped practicing his sword and was looking at him.

Xu Ziqing sighed and leaped down.

Yun Tiangang looked at him calmly and said, “You’re leaving, aren’t you?”

Xu Ziqing responded helplessly, “I have no choice but to go.”

Yun Tiangang gave a small nod. “Then go. Be careful.”

Xu Ziqing smiled faintly, “I will return successfully.” His body trembled slightly, almost unable to hold on any longer. “Please pass on my farewells to everyone. I’m leaving now.” With that, his figure flickered and transformed into a streak of green light, disappearing into the sky.

Yun Tiangang stood still, and only after the green light vanished did he resume his sword practice. He didn’t know why this person had to leave, but for some reason, he knew that it was necessary. One day, they would surely meet again.

Meanwhile, Xu Ziqing’s body was in turmoil, as various forces within his inner world began to merge, intending to form his golden core in one decisive move.

The profound feeling was indescribable, yet it filled him with an overwhelming sense of urgency. He quickly sped toward the valley where he had previously resided.

This place had long since become a forbidden area, rarely visited by others, and the abundance of trees in the valley offered him some support.

Xu Ziqing quickly flicked his fingers, casting dozens of restrictions. The wood energy emanating from him caused many large trees to grow uncontrollably taller, towering over the area and forming a natural barrier to keep others away.

At the same time, a thick white mist began to spread across the sky, covering everything and concealing any unusual occurrences.

Xu Ziqing sat cross-legged in the cave, while his Shixiong’s immortal demon body remained stored in his bracelet, to prevent any leakage of its aura from affecting him. It would not only damage him but also harm his physical body.

After all, forming a golden core could trigger various incidents, and one careless mistake could lead to complete failure.

In the sky, spiritual energy from a radius of a thousand miles was gradually being drawn in.

Though the Hengwu Small World had no cultivators, its spiritual energy was stronger than that of other small universes. Now, due to the need for golden core formation, Xu Ziqing deliberately expanded the range of spiritual energy absorption to reduce its impact on the vitality of the mortal world. After all, the spiritual energy he required was primarily wood-elemental, which was the energy of life.

The faster the spiritual energy arrived, the quicker his true essence condensed and solidified. Just as all of his true essence had become thick and nearly solid, an invisible and peculiar aura radiated from the Dao Seed, which suddenly plunged into the vortex formed by the true essence.

In the vastness of the unknown, an ethereal and ancient will descended. The Dao Seed emitted a joyful, clear sound. In that instant, it felt as though the seed had sprouted leaves, filled with pure delight, and the essence of this moment was more profound and ancient.

Xu Ziqing vaguely sensed that he had touched the edge of a great Dao. In the future, with deeper cultivation and further study, once the Dao Seed reached completion, he would achieve the Great Dao.

At this moment, he was borrowing the power of Heaven’s Dao during core formation to give the Dao Seed a rudimentary form of the Great Dao.

Even small divine abilities like the Qingyun Needle were gradually being supplemented by Heaven’s Dao, becoming more mature.

Various rules and principles were also being perfected.

Xu Ziqing could feel his meridians and dantian continuously expanding, and under the stimulation of wood energy, the pain from the expansion was ever-present.

But this pain paled in comparison to the excruciating agony of extracting his soul!

Anyone trying to break through to the Golden Core stage from the Foundation Establishment stage would have their three hun and seven po gradually condense. In the end, they would need to extract a thread of their primordial spirit to complete the process.

The condensation of the three hun and seven po was bearable, but forcibly extracting the primordial spirit felt like tearing the soul apart!

This pain penetrated deep into his soul, marking the beginning of core formation. Throughout this ordeal, one had to remain conscious, or the effort would be wasted.

Xu Ziqing endured the agony with great effort, feeling as though his soul was being scorched. It was like being submerged in a sea of blood in hell—unbearably painful.

It seemed like both an instant and an eternity of torment before, with a sharp tearing sound, he bit his lip so hard that blood flowed.

At last, a thread of the primordial spirit was successfully extracted! But he could not rest yet.

Simultaneously, the true essence, long prepared, surged forth—

“Boom!”

His dantian suddenly emptied.

In the very center of it, a perfectly round pearl spun rapidly.

That was the newly formed Golden Core.

— — — — — — — — — — —

One day, outside the Yun Family Manor, white mist suddenly appeared in the valley and lingered for years, turning the area into a forbidden zone. Later, when the white mist dissipated, no one dared to enter. However, one day, the mist reappeared, and the surrounding mountain peaks and vegetation began to grow wildly, making the area even more impenetrable.

At that moment, the sky was suddenly filled with swirling auspicious clouds, which soon turned purple, creating a magnificent sight. For a full eighty-one days, the purple clouds remained before they finally dispersed. Yet the phenomenon persisted, deterring anyone from approaching.

Thus, another ten years passed.

Translator: Lynn

Translations are not 100% correct. Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.

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