Chapter 158: Forming the Nascent Soul for the First Time

Seeing Lei Xiang collapse, everyone was startled. Hadn't this most terrifying Lightning-Fire Tree Five Elements Tribulation just been broken? The sight of the surrounding lightning-fire trees scattering and vanishing served as proof, yet why had he still fallen? Could it be that Lei Xiang's spiritual power had been completely drained, leading to exhaustion? Dugu Yixiao was the first to rush forward and lift Lei Xiang up.

Little did anyone know that right at that moment, within Lei Xiang's dantian, a tiny figure was sitting cross-legged. This figure looked identical to Lei Xiang, complete with his characteristic little canine tooth, though it was a hundred times smaller—a miniature version of "little Lei Xiang." While the "big Lei Xiang" outside had fainted, the "little Lei Xiang" inside remained fully awake, as evidenced by his clear gaze. Yet, at this moment, his face wore a solemn expression as his tiny hands moved rapidly to form hand seals.

This was the Nascent Soul newly formed after Lei Xiang successfully weathered the Five Elements Tribulation. To Lei Xiang's astonishment, no sooner had he painstakingly forged his Nascent Soul than he was forced into continuous combat before the Nascent Soul could even stabilize. When the tribulation began, Lei Xiang had not anticipated this. The initial phases of the Five Elements Tribulation had proceeded as he envisioned: both the lightning tribulation and the fire tribulation were successfully blocked by the Blue Lotus Flower Disc, while the water tribulation was safely absorbed by the White Mountain and Black Water Scroll. However, the subsequent Lightning-Fire Tree tribulation proved somewhat strenuous for Lei Xiang. Coupled with the final earth tribulation, he had indeed found himself trapped within the Five Elements Grand Array, where even the Nine-Treasure Lotus Rod proved ineffective. Ultimately, he relied on his newly developed Forty-Seven Immortal-Shooting Spear to break the restriction. The rapid-fire discharge of twenty black crystal pellets had been intensely satisfying. Who could have known that the Five Elements Tribulation would not end so simply? Earth-yellow hazy particles had invaded his sea of consciousness, causing his physical body to lose consciousness.

Now, everything depended on the newly formed Nascent Soul.

Inside the dantian, "little Lei Xiang" raised his tiny hands, and hundreds of thousands of blue squares flew out, instantly enveloping the torrential influx of earth-yellow smog. Once trapped, these squares shrank continuously under the drive of "little Lei Xiang's" incantations. When all the encroaching smog had been locked down, "little Lei Xiang" changed his hand seals once more. All the small squares rolled toward a single corner. Once they were piled up in that corner, four yellow light bars, each as thick as a child's arm, suddenly materialized. The four light bars converged toward the center, forming a slightly larger square that completely sealed off the smog-wrapped smaller squares.

Only after finishing this did "little Lei Xiang" reveal a trace of joy, his pristine little canine tooth flashing past his lips. Meanwhile, Lei Xiang regained consciousness under Dugu Yixiao's aid, grinning with his little canine tooth as well. "Dugu, you're here. This time it's your turn to save me, haha."

Dugu Yixiao did not speak; he merely tightened his embrace around Lei Xiang. Lei Xiang reached back and patted his shoulder. "Alright, big man, stop being so sentimental. Besides, haven't you always kept a straight face? How come you're showing expressions today?" Dugu Yixiao did indeed have an expression, but it was one of weeping—he was shedding silent tears of pure joy.

Yang Jian sighed inwardly, realizing that this Lei Xiang seemed truly indestructible; he might as well abandon any lingering ambitions once and for all. Stepping forward, he bowed. "Young Master, you're finally awake." Lei Xiang merely nodded with a smile, holding no deep affection for Yang Jian.

Over on the side, Tian Rui felt the stone in her heart finally drop. Lei Xiang had not perished; against all odds, he had successfully survived the Five Elements Tribulation and ascended to the Nascent Soul stage. Tian Rui was immensely delighted. Since Lei Xiang had been so outrageously formidable even during the Core Formation stage, now that he had formed his Nascent Soul, their upcoming expedition to the Floating Sky Island was bound to be an absolute victory. "Congratulations, Lei Xiang. I never imagined you could withstand such a perverted Five Elements Tribulation. You've given me yet another surprise."

Lei Xiang smiled faintly, thinking to himself: *Little do you know, I didn't completely withstand it. Those earth-yellow smog particles at the end—I have no idea what kind of substance they are—actually eroded my sea of consciousness. If I hadn't happened to practice the Sealing Technique and coordinated it with the Boundless Sea of Consciousness Art to partition those smog particles into designated areas, I never could have stabilized them.* Yet having these unidentified entities lingering inside his brain remained a massive hidden hazard. However, he could not speak of this aloud and had to keep it as his own secret.

When Daoist Wu Bo came to offer his congratulations, Lei Xiang merely smiled and said, "Daoist Priest, thank you very much for guarding my meditation. Moreover, this tribulation destroyed a third of the Boro Sect; another day, I will certainly make amends..."

Daoist Wu Bo waved his hands hastily. "Senior, you must not say that! To undergo your tribulation within our Boro Sect is giving this old man immense face. As for this minor loss, it is of no consequence. If there is ever anything you need from the Boro Sect in the future, please do not hesitate to command us." Daoist Wu Bo was a seasoned veteran. Lei Xiang was now a Nascent Soul cultivator, standing at the very apex of the continent. Fortunately, he had previously cultivated a good relationship with him; otherwise, had the man flown into a rage, their entire Boro Sect could have been wiped out in one sweep.

After dismissing the crowd, Lei Xiang, Dugu Yixiao, Tian Rui, Daoist Wu Bo, and Yang Jian repaired to the main hall. A Boro Sect acolyte served spirit tea before withdrawing, leaving only the five of them in the spacious hall. Tian Rui seized the initiative to speak. "Lei Xiang, how on earth did you break through that Five Elements Tribulation? Even outside the tribulation zone, we could feel that overwhelming pressure from the heavens, yet how managed to emerge completely unscathed?" This was the part Tian Rui could not comprehend. The Lei Xiang before her had completely shattered her expectations. Half a month ago, refining the Forty-Seven Immortal-Shooting Spear had stirred celestial phenomena as though a high-tier cultivator were undergoing a tribulation, and this time, forming his Nascent Soul had triggered an unprecedented Five Elements Tribulation. How had he managed it?

Lei Xiang had no desire to let them know too much, so he gave only a brief, generalized overview, revealing inconsequential details. "It was primarily thanks to the merit of the Blue Lotus Flower Disc, coupled with the multi-target rod technique you newly imparted to me—'Striking a Single Line, Sweeping a Vast Area'—and finally breaking the restriction with my newly developed Forty-Seven Immortal-Shooting Spear. It was truly a matter of narrow escapes and sheer luck. If there were a second tribulation like this, I might not make it through."

Everyone present was intelligent and understood that things could not possibly be as simple as Lei Xiang made them sound. However, since he had no desire to elaborate, no one pried further. Tian Rui smiled faintly and said, "When can we make our next attempt on the Floating Sky Island? Now that you are a Nascent Soul cultivator, combined with the new Immortal-Shooting Spear and the Wave Soldiers Daoist Wu Bo is lending us, our chances of victory this time should be securely in hand."

"Daoist Priest, when will the Wave Soldiers arrive?"

Daoist Wu Bo answered with absolute confidence, "Commander Bo, along with thirty-two Wave Soldiers, has been waiting for quite some time, awaiting Young Master Lei's command the moment you emerged from secluded cultivation."

"Good!" Lei Xiang nodded in utmost satisfaction. "However, having said that, although our strength has increased, do not forget the leader of the mysterious Smiling Teeth organization—the Tooth Ancestor. Even this time, we still lack a fifty-percent chance of victory, not to mention that nameless grand array. Last time, even with your brute force, Tian Rui, you couldn't crack it by even a fraction after so long. Therefore, retrieving your item will not be so simple."

Everyone nodded repeatedly upon hearing this. What Lei Xiang said made complete sense. Just now, they had been blinded by the euphoria of Lei Xiang's successful Nascent Soul breakthrough. In reality, aside from Lei Xiang at the Nascent Soul stage, Tian Rui was the only other person capable of putting up any resistance. Should the Tooth Ancestor appear this time, they would undoubtedly have to rely on the Ever-Remembering Bead to escape once again. "Do you have any good ideas?"

Without missing a beat, Lei Xiang replied, "This time, Dugu Yixiao, Commander Bo, and the Wave Soldiers will form a group with me, primarily to attract the attention of the enemy powerhouses. Meanwhile, Yang Jian, you will accompany Tian Rui to rapidly break the array and retrieve the treasure. Afterward, we will use the Ever-Remembering Bead to escape with our lives. What does everyone think of this arrangement?"

Such an arrangement increased their chances of success by at least two levels, and no one raised any objections. Lei Xiang continued, "Therefore, I would also like to ask Daoist Wu Bo for a favor. Are there any individuals highly skilled in array formations within your sect or nearby who could help us break the array swiftly? That would raise our probability of success by yet another level."

Daoist Wu Bo lowered his head in contemplation for a moment, then suddenly raised his chin. "Things have come to this, so I will throw caution to the wind. After all, eliminating the Smiling Teeth organization benefits everyone in these parts. To be frank with you all, I have a martial uncle who is a master of array formations. Although his personal cultivation level is not high, his research into formations is profound, particularly regarding certain ancient grand arrays. For instance, our Boro Sect's protective array is something he has basically researched thoroughly. If Young Master Lei doesn't mind, I can have him accompany you on this trip."

A gleam of joy lit up Lei Xiang's eyes. "Good, it's settled then."