The woman surnamed Mu had only flown for about ten miles when an inexplicable sense of terror suddenly descended upon her. At the same time, the spiritual energy in the air abruptly became chaotic, forming numerous vortexes in the blink of an eye.
Caught off guard, she staggered mid-air and nearly fell, along with her magic tool.
Greatly startled, she quickly gathered her spiritual power to steady herself amidst the turbulent spiritual energy, then looked around in astonishment.
High up in the sky, she saw countless specks of spiritual light, visible to the naked eye. These lights, in various colors and flickering intermittently, all contained extremely pure spiritual energy, creating a dazzling and beautiful sight.
Her shock deepened as she scanned the distance. The entire sky was filled with these specks of light, stretching endlessly in all directions.
What in the world was happening?
Floating in the air, she stared at the bizarre scene before her, utterly dumbfounded.
In fact, this phenomenon of condensed spiritual light spread throughout the entire area, centering around Han Li's cave dwelling, extending for a hundred miles.
At the same time that the woman noticed the abnormal spiritual energy, thousands of other Luoyun Sect cultivators also sensed the enormous change.
Those within a hundred miles of the cave dwelling saw the spectacle firsthand.
However, the experience was not pleasant for those within this radius.
Foundation Establishment cultivators managed to maintain their composure despite feeling physically uncomfortable and mentally unsettled.
But for the more numerous Qi Refinement cultivators, the overwhelming spiritual pressure made them all feel slightly breathless, and those with lower cultivation levels even found breathing difficult.
Terrified, these cultivators sat down to meditate, attempting to resist the strange and unnerving change.
Outside the Luoyun Sect, cultivators could not see the phenomenon, but many still sensed the violent disturbance in the spiritual energy.
Some highly advanced cultivators, even those thousands of miles away, turned their astonished gazes toward the direction of the Luoyun Sect.
While most cultivators did not recognize the significance of this celestial phenomenon, those who did reacted with shock, joy, or envy.
On the main peak of the Luoyun Sect, inside a cave mansion several thousand feet high, a silver-haired elder with a pale face was meditating, looking like he had just recovered from a serious illness.
At the moment when the spiritual light appeared hundreds of miles away, the elder's white eyebrows twitched, and his eyes suddenly opened in disbelief.
Without hesitation, he stopped his meditation and turned into a beam of white light, flying out of the cave mansion.
Moments later, the silver-haired elder stood on a large boulder at the peak of the main mountain, gazing solemnly in the direction of Han Li's cave dwelling, his expression changing unpredictably.
At that moment, a beam of yellow light flew in from the distance, heading straight for the elder's cave mansion. Seeing the elder already outside, the yellow light immediately descended, revealing a middle-aged man with a sallow complexion.
"Senior Brother Cheng, did you sense it too? Is it true that someone is forming a nascent soul within our Luoyun Sect?" The middle-aged man asked in astonishment, seemingly unable to believe it.
"Mistaken? How could that be possible? We both have experienced this process ourselves. Someone within our sect is indeed forming a nascent soul, and they are already in the final stage, about to succeed," the silver-haired elder said, not even turning his head, eyes narrowed.
"This is strange! In our sect, only Junior Martial Nephew Feng and that spy from the Tian Sha Sect are in the late Foundation Establishment stage. But Junior Martial Nephew Feng was still striving for the Great Circle stage two years ago and is far from the false nascent soul stage, let alone forming a nascent soul. As for the spy, his cultivation was mostly crippled, and he has dropped several stages. It can't be him either," the middle-aged man murmured, lacking confidence in his words.
"Hmph! We are well aware of those disciples' cultivation levels. Although this cultivator is forming a nascent soul within our sect, it does not necessarily mean they are one of our own. Perhaps some bold individual snuck in or infiltrated our sect. After all, Yunmeng Mountain is rich in spiritual energy, an ideal place for forming a nascent soul," the silver-haired elder said calmly, having accurately guessed most of Han Li's situation.
"What should we do now, Senior Brother? Should we just watch them successfully form the nascent soul?" the middle-aged man asked reluctantly, frowning.
"That's correct. We will wait and see. Whether this person can withstand the final heart demon tribulation is uncertain. Interfering now is pointless. The process of enduring the heart demon might seem to last for months or even years for the person forming the nascent soul, but for us, it is only a moment. Do you remember your own heart demon tribulation?" The elder's face was pale, but his demeanor was composed.
"How could I forget? That experience is something I never want to relive. The heart demon tribulation manifests your deepest fears and anxieties. Without a Dingling Pill, I wouldn't have survived that ordeal," the middle-aged man shuddered, his face turning grim.
"Exactly. If this person fails, we will decide their fate. If they succeed, it is too late to intervene, and it would be unwise to provoke them. Watching and waiting is our best option. Forming a nascent soul within our sect might not be a bad thing; we might even be able to form an alliance," the elder said.
"You think this person might be a rogue cultivator?" The middle-aged man was moved by the suggestion.
"Most likely. If they had a sect or family, they wouldn't risk forming a nascent soul here without significant protection. Remember how our sect acted during our own nascent soul formations?" The elder smiled slightly, turning to the middle-aged man.
"How could I forget? During my nascent soul formation, the entire sect was on high alert, with the grand protective formation activated. So, this person is likely a rogue cultivator," the middle-aged man recalled, smiling lightly.
"If this person is a rogue cultivator who successfully forms a nascent soul, we must ally with them, not provoke them. Such cultivators, once successful, are usually quite powerful and vengeful. The Tianhen Old Monster is a prime example—no sect wants to provoke him," the elder said slowly.
The middle-aged man nodded in agreement.
"It has begun!" The elder's eyes flashed, and he spoke in a low voice.
Startled, the middle-aged man quickly extended his spiritual sense.
Above Han Li's cave dwelling, the spiritual light increased and began to merge.
In no time, the sky within a hundred-mile radius was filled with multicolored light.
The sound of wind, rain, and thunder echoed within the glowing clouds, which churned and gathered towards the center.
Over the small stone mountain where Han Li's cave was located, a massive light sphere formed, about a mile in diameter, glowing so brightly it was difficult to look at.
Suddenly, a thunderous roar shook the entire mountain.
Then, a pillar of green light shot out from the mountain, piercing the large light sphere in the sky.
Clouds gathered around the sphere, with wind, rain, and lightning swirling.
The sphere began to shrink and transform, its colors growing even more brilliant.
Nearby cultivators, who had arrived close to the small stone mountain, looked up in astonishment at the sky, unsure of what to do.
Soon, the massive sphere condensed into a crystal-clear orb the size of a fist, containing immense spiritual energy, causing the onlookers' faces to change in shock, making them afraid to act rashly.
