Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Nascent Soul of the Purple Palace

With his newfound strength, Leng Bingyan was in high spirits and couldn't help but wander aimlessly through the Trial Forest, simply for the joy of it. Before he realized it, he found himself standing before an enormous lake, its expanse stretching hundreds of kilometers across. The air carried a salty tang, evoking the sensation of the sea. Leng Bingyan, his childlike nature rekindled, ran to the shore to play in the water, splashing and immersing himself in carefree delight.

As he reveled in his play, a colossal and peculiar creature suddenly surged toward him from the distance, churning the waters with overwhelming force. Wave after towering wave crashed toward the shore, each easily dozens of meters high, shaking the very earth. The trees, flowers, and foliage near the lake were battered and scattered, creating utter chaos.

Leng Bingyan hurriedly retreated from the lakeside and, focusing his gaze, discovered a blue dragon. “Impossible! Even dragons appear now?” he exclaimed in astonishment.

Before he could process the shock, the blue dragon was upon him. “Hey there, Brother Dragon, why are you so fierce?” he said nervously, as the dragon’s massive maw drew close, revealing several sharp, long, snow-white teeth dripping with viscous fluid. Leng Bingyan forced a laugh, trying to sound slyly nonchalant.

But the blue dragon showed no intention of humoring him. It opened its giant mouth and extended its tongue, inching ever closer. “Is it… female?” Leng Bingyan hesitated, uncertain if he had misjudged the situation.

Unaware of his thoughts, the blue dragon pressed its huge tongue to his face, smearing him with sticky fluid. After a few licks, it wrapped him up and tried to swallow him whole. Stunned, Leng Bingyan thought, “I’ve actually been licked by a dragon… Disgusting! And it looks like it wants to eat me…”

He was completely engulfed, about to be chewed, when a sudden flash of purple light from his mouth caused the dragon to cry out in pain and release him. Leng Bingyan escaped, furious. “Damn it! This is so gross—sticky and revolting!” he complained, then exerted himself and vanished from sight. The next moment, he appeared beside the blue dragon, ready to strike, but the dragon was quicker; its tail swung fiercely, smacking him hard.

Leng Bingyan’s vision blurred, and he plummeted downward. Just as he was about to hit the ground, the dragon’s tail struck again, launching him skyward, then another blow followed. Dizzy and disoriented, he wondered, “What kind of dragon is this? So clever?”

Intent on knocking him unconscious or killing him, the dragon relentlessly pursued its goal. Then, with a splash, its tail wrapped around Leng Bingyan and plunged him deep into the lake. Who could breathe underwater? Most would eventually suffocate, but the dragon had made a miscalculation. Leng Bingyan was no ordinary person; not only was he a cultivator, but his Feathered Body and four elemental origins rendered him impervious to mere water.

To his astonishment, he found he could breathe freely underwater! This revelation delighted him—if he could breathe here, what was there to fear? He struggled fiercely, and after several minutes, the dragon lifted its tail in eager anticipation of enjoying its meal, only to find nothing there. Enraged, the dragon searched, but Leng Bingyan had escaped, swimming deeper into the lake.

Freed from the dragon’s grasp, a strange summons drew him ever further into the depths. “What is that?” he wondered, though his intuition assured him it was beneficial. After several minutes, far from the surface, the pull grew stronger. Nearing the lakebed, Leng Bingyan saw a blue sphere of light and, without hesitation, reached out to touch it.

A thunderous roar exploded in his mind, and he instantly lost consciousness.

Had he remained awake, he would have cried out in disbelief: this was the Origin of Water! He had always assumed the Origin of Water would be found, like the others, within the core of some powerful beast; he was mistaken. Here, it resided at the bottom of the lake.

Within him, the four elemental origins stirred restlessly, their distinct glows erupting from his body in dazzling brilliance. Leng Bingyan was enveloped, appearing ethereal and otherworldly.

The strange blue sphere transformed into a flowing river of blue light, gently pouring into him. His body radiated an increasingly bright blue glow.

The five elemental origins of Heaven and Earth converged within his core, circling his golden pill in a playful chase. Leng Bingyan’s golden pill contracted, then expanded explosively as spiritual energy from the world poured into him. The pill swelled ever larger, until a crack appeared on its golden surface, signaling its limits. Yet the influx of spiritual energy continued unabated, the crack spreading and expanding…

Boom!

His golden pill shattered within his core, and the core vanished without a trace. In its place appeared a plump, rosy-cheeked infant.

“The Purple Mansion Nascent Soul!” As the pill dissolved and the infant formed, Leng Bingyan awakened, his eyes opening briefly before closing again as he let his mind soar. His consciousness merged into the boundless realm, experiencing its unique meaning. With his nascent soul now dwelling in the Purple Mansion, he had truly entered the halls of cultivation, transcending the Three Realms and the Five Elements. From now on, he would live as long as Heaven and Earth, so long as his nascent soul endured—immortal.

Above the lake, strange phenomena began. The blue dragon, sensing the sudden change in the heavens, turned and fled precipitously. The sky darkened ominously, and wild winds ravaged the land, snapping countless trees.

Leng Bingyan remained oblivious, his eyes still closed beneath the water, a smile on his lips as his consciousness basked in the surge of advancement.

At that moment, another transformation occurred. The flow of spiritual energy paused, as if pondering some mystery, then, as if drawn by an invisible force, rushed once more into Leng Bingyan’s heavenly crown.

His body began to emit a radiant array of colors, five hues shining brightly as if a deity had descended. An ancient, vast, and heavy aura spread forth. Leng Bingyan’s soul trembled, merging joyfully into the sensation, losing all awareness of the outside world, fully immersed in comprehension.

Within his Purple Mansion, profound changes unfolded. The five elemental origins entwined, transforming and fusing in ways beyond description.