Chapter 410: Late-Stage Heaven Realm
After parting ways with Xiao Yi Xian, Xiao Ming casually found a room for himself within the Bamboo Pavilion.
Seated on the bed, Xiao Ming took out the three clusters of Soul Essence.
The shimmering essences emitted a brilliant glow, and his soul, which was close by, felt a sense of excitement.
Reaching out, he merged the three clusters of Soul Essence into one. Perhaps due to their similarity, Xiao Ming didn't sense any resistance.
The unified Soul Essence formed was much larger than Xiao Ming's entire body. It hovered in mid-air, resembling a shrunken moon.
Compared to this Soul Essence, Xiao Ming's initial-stage Heaven Realm soul seemed "petite." However, these Soul Essences were ultimately lifeless objects, so he had no need to worry.
Summoning the White Glazed Heart Flame, he prepared to burn away the residual black gas in it. His soul emerged and began the process of absorption.
The clear and ethereal Soul Essence enveloped his soul. The endless Soul Essence flowed into him like a stream, and Xiao Ming felt as if he were wrapped in a warm current, experiencing a deep sense of relaxation. With the integration of the Soul Essence, his soul continued to ascend.
...
A gentle breeze brushed through the serene and verdant Sound Valley, causing waves to ripple in the forest.
In a place imperceptible to the naked eye, a soul domain suddenly took shape, enshrouding the entirety of Sound Valley and even showing signs of expanding beyond its borders!
However, separated by a layer of space, this domain ultimately couldn't permeate beyond.
All the disciples of Sound Valley felt an intangible pressure settling upon them.
Qing Yi Nan and Qing Yi Ya stood side by side at the entrance of the previous palace, gazing in the direction of Xiao Ming. Their eyes were filled with astonishment.
Even they could sense this oppressive force, which had nothing to do with Dou Qi cultivation but rather pertained to the realm of the soul.
Undoubtedly, it was a soul in the Heaven Realm, and it was continuously ascending!
"A soul in the Heaven Realm... The advancement of the soul realm is notoriously difficult. The two of us are only in the Spirit Realm, yet Xiao Ming has made such rapid progress at his age. It truly is... sigh..." Qing Yi Nan sighed softly, her voice full of envy.
'Perhaps he happened upon some fortuitous encounter.' Qing Yi Ya pondered in her heart but did not dwell on it. She, too, was filled with envy.
If this breakthrough were to happen outside, given the current commotion, Xiao Ming would have probably attracted unwanted attention long ago.
Valley Master Qing Yi was taken aback by the sudden appearance of this oppressive aura. However, when she sensed Xiao Ming's aura, she sighed inwardly at his monstrous talent. She immediately told the disciples not to bother the Bamboo Pavilion.
Qing Lin, who was in seclusion, was also awakened. At this point, her aura had reached the seven-star Dou Venerate.
"This is Young Master's aura. Young Master has grown in strength once more! No, I must continue to work hard!" Her pretty face was filled with determination as she resumed her cultivation.
Inside the Bamboo Pavilion, Xiao Ming was completely unaware of what was happening outside. He only knew that his soul was wandering in a warm ocean, constantly sensing the immense power of his soul.
At this moment, time seemed to stretch infinitely. Xiao Ming didn't know how long had passed, but he knew that a long, long time ago, his soul had already reached the mid-stage of the Heaven Realm.
But even so, there were still nearly boundless Soul Essences remaining, which he keep absorbing. Using the Heavenly Flame, he quickly refined them, rapidly ascending toward the late stage of the Heaven Realm.
A Late Stage Heaven Realm soul. How many people on the continent could compare to that? At this stage, Xiao Ming could compete with low-level Dou Saints using only his powerful soul.
As time passed, the Soul Essences were almost completely absorbed by Xiao Ming. Only a thin layer remained, encasing his soul and forming a peculiar crystal layer.
Crack! Crack!
Suddenly, a series of cracks sounded, and Xiao Ming truly awakened in that instant. His soul erupted, tearing through the crystal layer.
Rumble!
Above the sky, dark clouds gathered, and lightning shot out like silver serpents, accompanied by the rumbling of thunder.
The entire sky above Sound Valley surged with wind and clouds.
Qing Yi Nan almost immediately flashed out and stood above Sound Valley, her powerful aura surging forth. The shattered sky quickly returned to normal, its clarity and transparency restored as if nothing had happened.
"This little guy... He can't even break through in peace. I'm not sure how he cultivates. This commotion is even more intense than when we broke through to the Half-Saint realm back then," Qing Yi Nan said as she returned to the palace, somewhat speechless.
"Who knows? If I carefully sense it, even with my intermediate-level Half-Saint strength, I would feel my body trembling. His gains this time are most likely not minor," Qing Yi Ya replied.
"We said he could come to us if he had any problems, but who would have thought that his soul would make such a breakthrough..." Qing Yi Nan felt a little embarrassed as she spoke.
The two sisters exchanged a glance, silently understanding each other.
"By the way, the current Valley Master of the Burning Flame Valley has arrived." Perhaps to change the topic, Qing Yi Nan brought up something else.
"I've heard Little Qing Yi mention it before. It seems to be related to the Ice River Valley. With the chaos in Central Plains, the conflicts between the Ice River Valley and the Burning Flame Valley are becoming increasingly intense," Qing Yi Ya replied.
"I think he wants to drag our Sound Valley into the mix..." Qing Yi Nan said.
"Although our Sound Valley has always had a good relationship with the Burning Flame Valley, and our cold poison has been expelled, considering the current situation in Central Plains, getting involved might not end well," Qing Yi Ya said.
During this period of time, they also briefly learned about the situation in Central Plains.
"I think so too. Moreover, Huo Yun and Bing Jing have been missing for many years. We don't know if they are still alive or what realm they have reached," Qing Yi Nan said.
Huo Yun was the Ancestor of the Burning Flame Valley, and Bing Jing was the Ancestor of the Ice River Valley. These two individuals were older than the sisters and had higher realms.
If they were still alive, they should have advanced to the Dou Saint Realm by now, whereas Qing Yi Nan and Qing Yi Ya were still at the intermediate Half-Saint stage due to the Cold Poison.
"In that case, let's stay out of it and see how things play out..."
...
The intangible soul spread silently like ripples, permeating the entire Sound Valley and echoing back into Xiao Ming's mind.
He could sense any movement or disturbance within Sound Valley at that instant. Unidentified insects mating, the motion trajectories of every bamboo in the bamboo forest, even Qing Yi Nan and Qing Yi Ya's conversation - all of this was perceived by him, but no one noticed.
'So, this is the late-stage Heaven Realm soul...'
Xiao Ming's inner voice murmured in awe as he keenly felt the vast disparity between his current state and the past.
The difference between the late stage and the initial stage of the Heaven Realm was greater than the disparity between the Heaven Realm and the Mortal Realm!
'However, Tang Zhen, the Valley Master of the Burning Flame Valley, has come?' Xiao Ming's mind quickly shifted to the present situation.
'Perfect timing. I was just thinking about obtaining the complete Sky Fire Three Mysterious Change.'
Xiao Ming had long coveted the Sky Fire Three Mysterious Change. Although the inheritance of Burning Flame Valley was incomplete, it was better than having nothing at all.