Chapter 169: Chapter 169: The Nascent Soul’s First Condensation, Like the Moon’s Splendor, Hidden in the Dantian with a Faint Glow

’It looks like defeating Chu He head-on is probably impossible now.

If Chu He doesn’t fall, dealing with my sister will be next to impossible.’

Lu Tianxiao sighed softly, his eyes sweeping over the faces of the people below.

Every one of them was filled with terror and worry, afraid he might do something reckless, like ordering them to go after Chu He.

Everyone present was one of Lu Tianxiao’s trusted confidants. They knew he was wildly ambitious,

and had long coveted the throne of the supreme ruler in the distant Royal City.

The elder known as Elder Shi had originally only been at the Great Perfection level of the King’s Realm.

Later, with a massive investment of resources from Lu Tianxiao, he finally stepped into the Emperor Realm.

Moreover, thanks to his many years of cultivation, his breakthrough was built on a solid foundation, and he became an opponent few in the Emperor Realm could match.

This was the trump card Lu Tianxiao had kept hidden all this time.

He had originally planned to wait until the time was ripe, accumulate a bit more strength, and then lead Elder Shi and other experts

straight to the Great Xia Empire’s Royal City to force Lu Yinxing to relinquish the throne.

But he never expected Lu Yinxing to find Chu He from the Great Jing Empire.

At the time, Lu Tianxiao had been left dumbfounded by the actions of the Great Jing Empire’s Queen.

Every empire on Blue Star was green with envy over Chu He,

yet an expert this ridiculously powerful had been driven away by the Queen of the Great Jing Empire.

She had even tried to hold him accountable, trumping up a pile of baseless charges to frame and slander him.

Lu Tianxiao had also entertained the idea of using the opportunity to recruit Chu He to his side,

and even felt a sense of kinship, seeing them both as unfortunate souls.

However, he never expected his sister Lu Yinxing to move faster, even managing to find Chu He’s biological parents.

And, as it turned out, Chu He’s biological parents were citizens of the Great Xia Empire.

This nearly sent Lu Tianxiao over the edge. For a full month, he couldn’t get a good night’s sleep.

He went about his days with dark circles under his eyes and his eyes completely bloodshot.

Just when he had finally managed to calm down, Chu He’s actions in the Great Xia Empire became more and more astonishing.

"Go and use this incident. Stir up the emotions of those brain-dead fans.

’I never thought Si Haowen would turn out to be a pawn planted in our Great Xia Empire by the Lighthouse Empire.

But this time, I can use their own move against them.

If this succeeds, I’ll have to give the Lighthouse Empire my sincerest thanks.’

A sinister smile crept across Lu Tianxiao’s face.

...

The mountain cave was pitch-black, with only the faint glow of True Qi drifting through the cavern.

"The Nascent Soul first condenses, like the brilliance of the moon. Hidden within the Dantian, its faint light flickers in and out of sight.

To reach this realm, one must first achieve Qi Refining and Divinity Transformation. When one’s spirit is full and qi is abundant, only then can one achieve Primordial Spirit Emergence, allowing it to roam outside the body.

However, the Primordial Spirit is fragile and easily invaded by external evils. Thus, it requires a Secret Technique for protection to solidify its foundation.

When cultivating, one must choose a secluded place, clear the mind of all distractions, and focus one’s intent on the Dantian.

Use the breath as a guide to draw the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi into the body, circulating it in an endless loop. Like fine threads, it will gradually lead to an optimal state.

When the Qi Sea is full, the Primordial Spirit will manifest on its own. It will resemble a pure and innocent infant—this is the beginning of the Nascent Soul..."

The passage above was the Secret Technique Chu He had obtained from the system on how to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm. Following its guidance,

Chu He circulated the True Qi in his body, slowly merging it into the small figure formed from his Supreme Divinity.

The small figure’s shape was in constant flux.

Within the cavern, all was pitch-black, save for specks of fluorescent light that slowly emerged from the depths,

like the brightest stars in the night sky, guiding an explorer’s gaze.

In this dark and deep space, Chu He was undergoing a crucial cultivation session, a turning point in his life.

He sat cross-legged on a stone platform, his posture as straight and unyielding as a pine, his eyes tightly shut.

With every breath, he seemed to evoke the roars of dragons and tigers. Each respiration stirred the faint fluctuations of Spiritual Qi around him,

forming vortexes invisible to the naked eye that swirled around his body.

Nourished by his True Qi, Chu He’s skin gave off a faint, jade-like luster, making him appear otherworldly.

As his cultivation deepened, it was as if great rivers were surging within his body.

This was the sign of his True Qi surging powerfully through his meridians.

His consciousness sank into his Dantian. There, a small figure refined from the essence of Supreme Divinity floated quietly.

The figure had a cold, stern face and profound eyes. It was wreathed in an inviolable, holy white light, radiating a transcendent indifference that looked down upon all of creation.

This small figure was the very foundation of the Nascent Soul Chu He was about to condense, containing endless possibilities and power.

Yet, beneath this divine radiance, faint wisps of an ominous black mist could be seen.

They coiled around the Nascent Soul figure, now vanishing, now reappearing, like phantoms in the night that sent a chill down one’s spine.

This black radiance was a trace of the world’s most frigid and primal Chaos Qi, which Chu He had inadvertently absorbed during his cultivation.

Although an impurity, it had become exceptionally powerful, empowered by Chu He’s Supreme Divinity.

It was both an obstacle on his path to breakthrough and a terrifying power he might one day master.

Chu He was well aware of this. He felt no fear; instead, it ignited an even stronger fighting spirit within him.

He began to circulate the ancient and mysterious Secret Technique for the Nascent Soul breakthrough.

His True Qi surged like a river flowing in reverse, violently assaulting the small figure as he attempted to fuse with it completely and make it his own.

During the process, Chu He’s face would alternate between being as pale as paper and as red as fire, a clear sign he was enduring immense pain and pressure.

...

During the time Chu He was in seclusion, another extremely shocking piece of news broke on Blue Star.

The White-Red Empire had publicly announced

that it would allow Martial Artists from the Lighthouse Empire to be stationed within its borders, and had even designated a large territory

for the construction of a Martial Artist Base.

The Lighthouse Empire would also dispatch numerous expert Martial Artists to the White-Red Empire

to protect the White-Red Empire and guard against aggression from other empires with ill intentions.

「On this very day,」

the Lighthouse Empire made a direct declaration:

Daniel and Si Haowen, who had been captured by Chu He, were both law-abiding citizens of the Lighthouse Empire.

They should not have been captured and detained by the Great Xia Empire, and it demanded their immediate release.

Otherwise, the Lighthouse Empire would be forced to take other measures to rescue its citizens, not ruling out the use of force.

It also gave the Great Xia Empire one week,

expecting a definitive response from the Great Xia Empire after one week.

At the same time, it demanded that these two citizens of the Lighthouse Empire not be subjected to any harsh or inhuman treatment during this one-week period.

"Si Haowen is actually from the Lighthouse Empire? He’s a real traitor, biting the hand that feeds him. It would be so satisfying if Chu He just let him rot in jail for the rest of his life."

"Sounds like sour grapes to me.

Si Haowen is rich and handsome. If he weren’t in the Great Xia Empire, would he be treated like this?

He could have left, but he stayed for us. Chu He better come out and apologize now!"

"The Great Xia Empire is rotten to the core.

And you people actually expect to find fairness and freedom in the Great Xia Empire?

We fans of Si Haowen should take to the streets and march. Let the leaders of the Great Xia Empire see for themselves the true power of Si Haowen’s fanbase."