The Nascent Soul Heavenly Tribulation—this is the second great hurdle for a Core Formation cultivator to beco a Nascent Soul True Lord. However, the tribulation can be resisted with external items. As long as one prepares thoroughly, there's still a good chance of surviving it.
In contrast, the truly difficult step is forming the Nascent Soul itself. Without the right opportunity to break through, no amount of external assistance will help.
Unless one uses a pill like the Nascent Soul Pill, which assists in forming the Nascent Soul. But breaking through with the help of a pill is fundantally different from doing so through one's own insights and enlightennt—the resulting foundation is not the sa.
Yet for most peak Core Formation cultivators, finding that breakthrough opportunity is extrely difficult. They may run out of lifespan without ever encountering it. In such cases, a single Nascent Soul Pill becos their only hope.
Even if the foundation is weaker through pill-assisted breakthroughs, becoming a Nascent Soul cultivator grants them vastly extended lifespans. In fact, a Nascent Soul forged with the power of immortal force could even achieve immortality through body possession.
But for Gu Mo, he no longer needed to search for so elusive breakthrough opportunity. He could naturally form a Nascent Soul through sheer accumulation of immortal Force alone.
Besides enlightennt and dicinal breakthroughs, Gu Mo had found a third path to the Nascent Soul Realm: brute force.
For several days straight, Gu Mo had been refining fourth-grade Sun Essence, steadily enhancing the immortal Force within his Core. As he did, mories of his Foundation Establishnt breakthrough ca to mind.
Back in the Qi Refining stage, Gu Mo had used second-grade Sun Essence to preemptively generate liquid spiritual energy within his body, granting him battle power comparable to Foundation Establishnt cultivators long before he actually broke through.
The downside? When he officially attempted to break through to Foundation Establishnt, he encountered a bug-like bottleneck. In the end, it was only through a higher-level Core Formation thod that he was able to bypass it.
Now, at the Core Formation stage, he was again relying on Sun Essence—this ti of the fourth grade—to acquire immortal force. If he continued refining like this, his combat power would soon reach the level of a Nascent Soul True Lord.
But would this cause another "breakthrough bug" like before?
Back then, the Foundation Establishnt issue was solvable. He had the Core Formation thod, and his False Core avatar helped patch the problem.
But if he ran into a bug while breaking into the Nascent Soul Realm… that would be far more troubleso. He had no thod to break into the Soul Transformation Realm, nor an avatar at that level.
"Better let the avatar test the waters first."
Gu Mo decided. He would raise the avatar's cultivation first and let it scout the breakthrough path. Once he confird there was no issue, the true body could then safely proceed.
In any case, his main body remained in Shennong Valley. As long as he kept a low profile, he was unlikely to face any danger.
It was the sword cultivator avatar who had drawn attention due to ties with the Grand Yan Sword Sect—even inside Shennong Valley, enemies were seeking him out.
Gu Mo turned his focus toward the avatar, which at this mont was attending a small sword assembly hosted by Ding Shiyan. Among the attendees, a Core Formation sword cultivator had been repeatedly provoking Gu Mo's avatar.
Gu Mo had never even t this man before. But the blatant hostility made everything clear in an instant. His master, Xuan Tianhen, had already explained the situation regarding the Grand Yan Sword Sect.
To prevent Grand Yan from rising again, the three major demonic sects were doing everything they could to suppress it. The mont Gu Mo's avatar left for Shennong Valley, those spies planted throughout the Grand Yan Sword Sect would have known.
Of course, they also understood that Xuan Tianhen would likely provide protection during the journey, and given the short distance between Grand Yan and Shennong, trying to ambush him en route would be pointless.
Thus, they chose to make a move inside Shennong Valley itself. Once Gu Mo's avatar entered, Xuan Tianhen could no longer protect him.
So they sent in a sword cultivator under the guise of purchasing Sword-Heart Bamboo, aiming to provoke Gu Mo and draw him into a duel where they could conveniently kill him.
A duel on a sparring stage—accidents happen. Who could say otherwise?
It was a flawless plan. Now they only needed Gu Mo to agree. As for launching a direct attack? That was a joke. This was Shennong Valley. Ding Shiyan, a powerful Core Formation cultivator herself, wouldn't stand idly by.
"Heh, is the Grand Yan Sword Sect only good at talking?" The spy from the demonic sect gave Gu Mo a contemptuous look, his words dripping with mockery.
His goal was obvious: provoke Gu Mo into accepting the duel.
"This is just a friendly sword discussion, let's not make it personal." Ding Shiyan frowned slightly. She was clearly displeased. A Core Formation cultivator trying to duel a Foundation Establishnt junior? It was shaless.
Still, she held back her irritation and gave a warning.
"Fellow Daoist Ding, as sword cultivators, how can we lose our edge?" The spy didn't care about her displeasure. As long as he could kill Gu Mo, he'd receive a massive reward.
For that reward, who cared about saving face? Could pride improve his cultivation?
"Then why not spar with instead?" Ding Shiyan replied coldly.
"I deeply admire your swordsmanship, Fellow Daoist Ding. But I simply hold a different opinion about Grand Yan's style. A true sword cultivator should cleave through all techniques with a single strike. But Grand Yan wastes their ti on sword formations—that's completely misguided." The spy refused to engage Ding Shiyan, instead insisting on targeting Gu Mo.
To so extent, he did have a point. Most sword cultivators focused on a single path. Grand Yan's dual focus on formations was indeed unusual.
But the fact that Grand Yan once nearly beca a top-tier sect proved that sword formations weren't weak.
Still, challenging Grand Yan's legacy might seem reasonable—but doing it as a Core Formation cultivator challenging a Foundation Establishnt junior? That was plainly unfair.
"I'll suppress my cultivation to the Foundation Establishnt level," the spy said, clearly aware of the biggest obstacle to his plan.
Hearing this, the other sword cultivators turned to Gu Mo. Even with suppression, a Core Formation cultivator's strength vastly exceeded normal Foundation Establishnt levels. But for a true sword genius, that was no longer a valid excuse to refuse.
Gu Mo simply watched him perform. This man practiced a legitimate sword path—he wasn't cultivating demonic arts, or he'd never have passed Shennong Valley's entrance restrictions.
"I only spar in duels of life and death."
Gu Mo's calm eyes revealed killing intent. Since the other party ca to kill him, why would he hold back?
"Excellent! Let it be to the death!"
The spy was overjoyed. Now he had an open excuse to kill Gu Mo.
"Don't be reckless." Ding Shiyan tried once more to intervene. Though a Core Formation cultivator herself, she still addressed Gu Mo as "Fellow Daoist"—a sincere recognition of his swordsmanship.
"The fellow just now spoke true—how can a sword cultivator lack sharpness?" Gu Mo smiled faintly, then looked to the spy coldly. "But if you want to test the edge of my blade… be prepared to die by it."
"Uh…"
Ding Shiyan looked troubled. She had organized this rare sword assembly and didn't want it to end in bloodshed. But sword cultivators and their tempers…
Her own path, influenced by Shennong Valley, leaned toward vitality rather than killing intent.
"Then the two of you, please proceed to the dueling arena."
Seeing she couldn't stop them, Ding Shiyan led the group to the valley's duel arena. Unlike the bustling arenas of sword sects, this one was quiet—Shennong Valley disciples focused on cultivation and spirit plants, not combat.
Still, the ntion of an outside sword cultivator engaging in a life-or-death duel stirred excitent. Though not battle-focused, Shennong disciples were happy to watch the drama unfold.
"There's still ti to back out," Ding Shiyan warned. "Once the dueling array activates, only one of you will leave alive."
This life-and-death formation wouldn't release until only one combatant remained. Even surrendering mid-fight wouldn't deactivate it.
"A sword cultivator doesn't fear death. We live and die by the sword!" the spy shouted dramatically, afraid Gu Mo might back out.
"Good!"
So sword cultivators were stirred by these words. But the Shennong disciples? Not so much. All this "live by the sword, die by the sword" nonsense? Better to live and keep planting herbs.
"Let's begin."
Gu Mo stepped onto the arena, ready to end this.
"Hmph!"
The spy followed, and the death formation activated. Now, only one would leave alive.
"You're dead, boy!"
The mont the formation sealed them in, the spy laughed madly and instantly unleashed his full Core Formation strength. All talk of suppressing cultivation? Forgotten.
This was a death match—why hold back? Kill fast and take the reward.
"What?!"
The onlookers were stunned. Many sword cultivators began cursing—agreeing to suppress cultivation, then breaking your word? Despicable.
None were angrier than Ding Shiyan. She'd believed in the honor of sword cultivators. That belief had just been betrayed.
She couldn't disable the formation. Not without power enough to destroy the fifth-grade spirit tree connected to the array. Only the valley master could control it, and seeing them in ti? Unlikely.
A realm-level difference in power—this would be a slaughter.
"Die!"
The spy lunged in full force, trying to end it before help could arrive.
Gu Mo t the attack with calm eyes. Then, without warning, a surge of Core Formation aura burst from within him.
"What?!"
A second Core Formation aura?! The crowd was stunned. Wasn't this youth a Foundation Establishnt cultivator?
"Maybe a secret art to conceal his realm?" soone suggested.
"No—it's not concealnt. His realm is still Foundation Establishnt, but he has Core Formation power within him," Ding Shiyan explained, her eyes sharp.
This wasn't unheard of. So cultivators obtained great power through fortune or chance. Though hard to control, it was better than sitting still and dying.
Gu Mo drew his flying sword and poured all his Core Formation power into it—along with the embryonic form of his Killing Sword Intent.
Then, he added a trace of immortal force.
Thanks to the fourth-grade Solar Flower, Gu Mo had no shortage of immortal force. His avatar's body was also tough enough to handle a bit of it.
With that, the power of his sword skyrocketed.
"Heaven-Sundering Slash!"
Gu Mo's voice was cold and calm. As he swung, a beam of sword light that seed to tear space itself surged forth.
Under its brilliance, the spy's sword looked utterly insignificant.
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