Chapter 232: Reincarnation

232. Chapter 232 Reincarnation

After mastering Taiyi Divine Light, Xiao Zhangqing spent nearly three more months raising the power of the Star‑Plucking, Constellation‑Swapping Sword Technique by one level.

Previously, the Star‑Plucking, Constellation‑Swapping Sword Technique's lethality had already reached the late third tier, capable of threatening Core Formation late-stage cultivators.

Now that Xiao Zhangqing has successfully completed Core Formation, his magical power may not be much stronger than when he used the Immortal Stone fragments, but it is more flexible and can endure consumption. Most importantly, having attained the Primordial Spirit allows him to perceive the forces of heaven and earth, deepening his understanding of the Star‑Plucking, Constellation‑Swapping Sword Technique considerably.

The Star‑Plucking, Constellation‑Swapping Sword Technique is the most central inherited divine skill of the Seven‑Star Sword Sect; its essence can only manifest its power for those at Nascent Soul level or above, and at the extreme it can truly commune with stellar power, merging it into sword aura as if the heavens themselves were shifting.

Thus within the Seven‑Star Sword Sect, only a handful have comprehended this technique.

Anyone who can refine this technique to Core Formation level is undeniably a true sword‑path prodigy.

With the aid of the Jade‑Clear Bright Light Sword, Xiao Zhangqing gained a violet sword‑path talent, already able to stand shoulder‑to‑shoulder with the Seven‑Star Sword Sect's elite core disciples. Therefore over the years his insight into the Star‑Plucking, Constellation‑Swapping Sword Technique has accumulated greatly.

Now that the Primordial Spirit is formed, he can perceive the forces of heaven and earth; after three months of seclusion, he finally managed to barely commune with 'stellar power' and fuse it into his sword aura.

"Whoosh!"

The spacious training chamber seemed to summon a bright moon, and the terrifying sword aura made even space tremble, showing signs of rupture!

Fortunately Xiao Zhangqing withdrew the move in time; otherwise the newly built cave dwelling training chamber would have been torn apart immediately.

"This sword technique has finally risen to the Fourth-Grade Lower Grade tier."

Xiao Zhangqing felt joy in his heart.

Being able to subtly rupture space is truly a divine‑skill killing move of the Nascent Soul realm.

At the Core Formation stage, even someone as perfected as Liyang, with Core Formation Perfection, no matter how powerful the methods or magic treasures employed, no matter how terrifying the display—splitting rivers and moving mountains—it is still very hard to truly shake space.

"According to the system description, the potential of the Star‑Plucking, Constellation‑Swapping Sword Technique is slightly lower than Taiyi Divine Light. Taiyi Divine Light, when cultivated to its later stage, can threaten the Transformation God Venerable; the pinnacle of the Star‑Plucking, Constellation‑Swapping Sword Technique is Fourth-Grade Upper Grade, which corresponds to the late Nascent Soul level."

"Based on its current power and subtlety, Taiyi Divine Light is indeed a step stronger than the Star‑Plucking, Constellation‑Swapping Sword Technique."

"However, I suspect the Seven‑Star Sword Sect's Star‑Plucking, Constellation‑Swapping Sword Technique is itself incomplete, or that the technique has a higher‑level inheritance. After all, the Seven‑Star Sword Sect claims its lineage comes from that Transformation God Venerable who altered the environment of the Northwest Region…"

Xiao Zhangqing thought.

If one can commune with stellar power and turn it into sword aura, and refine this technique to its ideal state, it would certainly not be limited to the Fourth-Grade tier.

Unfortunately, the Seven‑Star Sword Sect only received a small fragment of that mysterious Transformation God Venerable's inheritance; the system extracted for Xiao Zhangqing is the sect's fragment, not the complete version.

"When I truly enter the Nascent Soul realm later, if I have the chance to complete or upgrade this Star‑Plucking, Constellation‑Swapping Sword Technique, that would be great."

A sword method inherited from a Transformation God Venerable cannot be simple.

"However, once a divine‑skill's lethality reaches the Nascent Soul Initial Stage, it can cause spatial fluctuations; if it reaches the mid Fourth-Grade, it should be able to truly tear space open, right?"

"Late‑stage Nascent Soul cultivators who have also mastered spatial power might be able to use their divine skill to achieve the effect of a spatial teleportation array."

Xiao Zhangqing speculated in his mind.

According to ancient cultivation texts, only great cultivators in the late Nascent Soul stage possess unfathomable abilities; even without a spatial teleportation array, they can easily traverse a vast 'realm‑domain'.

That so‑called region is not the Southwest Region or Central Region of the Da Yu Cultivation World, but a domain composed of many cultivation nations! For example, the area where the Da Yu Cultivation World lies, plus the four surrounding cultivation nations, and the lands once occupied by Demon Sect Evil Cultivators, together constitute a 'realm‑domain'.

Major forces such as the Dan Dao Alliance and the Nine‑Union Trade Guild span multiple cultivation nations, yet they still remain within this 'realm‑domain'.

Because these two great powers may have true masters at the mid Nascent Soul stage, but certainly lack great cultivators of the late Nascent Soul stage.

"My Second Avatar, forged by using the Immortal Stone to devour evil, already mastered a rudimentary use of spatial power and can perform the most basic spatial evasion technique."

"The bronze ancient mirror obtained from the Grand Elder of Giant Wood Sect also yielded a spatial‑talent skill extracted by the system."

"I should be able to master the spatial‑teleportation divine skill without waiting for the late Nascent Soul stage!"

"However, mastering spatial power is not something that can be rapidly improved in a short seclusion; it requires years upon years, day after day of accumulation."

Spatial power is a deeper existence than the forces of heaven, earth, and the five elements.

Generally only great cultivators of the late Nascent Soul stage encounter it.

Because of his Second Avatar and spatial talent, Xiao Zhangqing has already surpassed many cultivators at the early and even mid Nascent Soul stages.

This is also the confidence behind his promise to Su Wushuang and his daring challenge to Xingyue Palace.

"Shou Yuan, I have already reached the level of Nascent Soul True Lord. With the Primordial Spirit, the 【Created Primordial Spirit】 present, I am not inferior to the two Nascent Soul Old Ancestors of the Da Yu Cultivation World. What I lack is magical power intensity and the Nascent Soul Spirit Body…"

"But I have grasped a certain amount of spatial power, allowing me to use evasion techniques freely..."

"Moreover, I now possess both 【Taiyi Divine Light】 and 【Star‑Plucking, Constellation‑Swapping Sword Technique】, each having reached Fourth-Grade offensive levels!"

"To truly determine the victor, we must each fight a match ourselves!"

After several months of seclusion, Xiao Zhangqing's confidence grew considerably.

As for the many other skills, although they may pose far less threat to a Nascent Soul True Lord, combined they still constitute a substantial foundation.

For example, Dragon‑Crying Technique was Xiao Zhangqing's major killing move before Core Formation, helping him survive many crises. But now it can't quite keep up with the pace.

The ceiling of Dragon‑Crying Technique is barely the early Fourth-Grade.

After all, that Prison‑Dragon Cuff, before it was damaged, was only a third‑tier supreme artifact, sealing within it a third‑tier flood‑dragon spirit.

Dragon‑Crying Technique, extracted from that equipment, is said to have an upper limit of early Fourth-Grade; when used, it deals some damage to cultivators at the Nascent Soul Initial Stage, but it is not fatal.

After a Nascent Soul cultivator's Soul Transformation becomes the Primordial Spirit, their defense against soul attacks increases greatly, so the lethality of a mind‑technique like Dragon‑Crying is greatly reduced.

Not to mention the Nine‑Autumn Mind‑Techniques, Qingxiao Sword Array, and so on; they scarcely can harm Nascent Soul cultivators.

However, the Body‑Refining Art that reaches late third tier still has great utility; even in battles at the Nascent Soul level, it can be employed to save one's life at critical moments.

These spells and divine skills can either be set aside for now or not be rushed to cultivate, so Xiao Zhangqing need not devote much thought to them at present.

But that does not mean this seclusion has reached its end.

"The main act is still to come..."

Xiao Zhangqing switched the system interface to the Immortal Stone fragment tab.

【External Body Avatar Technique】, 【Nightmare Reincarnation Technique】! There's nothing much to say about the External Body Avatar Technique.

He had long since cultivated his second avatar, and for now there is no way to further boost the Second Avatar's strength.

But 【Nightmare Reincarnation Technique】, upgraded from 【Nightmare Technique】, is something Xiao Zhangqing has never used! To employ this divine skill, the prerequisite is that the Soul Transformation undergoes a complete metamorphosis, evolving into the Primordial Spirit.

Now, Xiao Zhangqing finally has the qualification.

"A great dream spanning millennia, traveling the myriad realms…"

Xiao Zhangqing stared at the skill note given by the system, couldn't help murmuring to himself, his spirit wavering.

He inhaled deeply, a thought stirred, and the system began to feed this divine technique into his mind as if through a dharmic bestowal.

Xiao Zhangqing was already familiar with skill extraction, having many experiences, and with his powerful Primordial Spirit, in theory receiving should be easy, but this "bestowal" process lasted nearly half an hour.

After the reception finished, Xiao Zhangqing was stunned for a while before coming to his senses.

"Is this the true secret of the Immortal Stone?"

Xiao Zhangqing exclaimed in amazement.

He had thought the Reincarnation Avatar Technique was a standalone divine art, but didn't expect its best use is combined with the Body‑Outside Avatar Technique!

Because without the Body‑Outside Avatar Technique, using the Nightmare Reincarnation Technique alone, even if one has cultivated a Primordial Spirit and it is strong enough, traveling the myriad heavens and realms would still be extremely dangerous.

Even if the mortal body doesn't traverse, merely the Primordial Spirit possessing another's body brings many uncertainties.

But with the Body‑Outside Avatar, Xiao Zhangqing's true self need not personally adventure!

He can send a split self to roam the heavens and realms while his main self remains stationed on the current plane, convenient and safe, reaping the benefits like a fisherman; if the Second Avatar encounters danger during the "reincarnation" and falls, it's no big deal.

At worst it just runs empty‑handed; as long as the Immortal Stone fragment remains, he can spend time and resources to condense the avatar again.

"Feels a bit like using my avatar to cast a net, fishing the heavens and realms?"

Xiao Zhangqing couldn't help smiling.

Thinking of the myriad mysteries of traveling the heavens and realms and the huge profit it could bring, Xiao Zhangqing's heart burned intensely.

No longer hesitating.

Buzz! A thought turns, and the Second Avatar is released.

Two bodies stand opposite each other, feeling rather strange.

Immediately Xiao Zhangqing's Primordial Spirit cast a spell, the Reincarnation Nightmare Technique slowly enveloped the Second Avatar, an incomparably profound aura filled the cultivation chamber.

This aura surpasses magical power, surpasses the forces of heaven and earth, even surpasses spatial force, profoundly mysterious.

"Go!"

The Primordial Spirit trembles, an invisible "vortex" appears, a powerful pulling force captures the Second Avatar, along with its body and this portion of Xiao Zhangqing's "consciousness", transmitting it to an unknown void.

Moments later, the "vortex" disappears.

This portion of Xiao Zhangqing's consciousness is also "cut off" from contact.

But before the disconnection, Xiao Zhangqing felt that because it was his first time, he was not very proficient, and even with the aid of the Creation Primordial Spirit skill, his Primordial Spirit was not strong enough, still at the Nascent Soul Initial Stage, not having reached the Nascent Soul Middle Stage.

Therefore, this time his Second Avatar's reincarnation journey seems it will not go "too far". (End of chapter)