Cultivation Starts from Farming Chapter 1143 489: Guardian Earth Realm (2)

To him, with his current Divine Sense cultivation, conducting a Soul Search on a Mid-Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator silently is as easy as turning the palm of his hand.

Moreover, his technique is exquisite, only extracting the needed information without causing any damage or effect to the subject's Divine Soul.

He extended his index finger, a slightly perceptible divine light at the fingertip, gently touching the old man's glabella like a dragonfly skimming the water.

The old man's body trembled almost indiscernibly but soon regained its calm, maintaining his meditative posture as if he had merely taken a nap.

Xu Ping closed his eyes and focused, the old man's centuries of memories unfolded like opened scrolls, flowing swiftly before his "eyes."

Irrelevant trifles and personal privacy were swiftly passed by; his target was clear—looking for information related to the Black Soul and the Guardian Earth Realm's layout.

Soon, a few key memory fragments were precisely captured and extracted by him.

The Guardian Earth Hall is supreme, the Black Soul Patriarch has been in seclusion for over a hundred years, suspected to have little life remaining.

The headquarters of the Guardian Earth Hall is situated in the Central Domain's 'Immortal Mountain,' reportedly guarded by a fifth-grade array, difficult to approach casually.

Although the information wasn't particularly detailed, the core points were already clear.

"Guardian Earth Hall, Black Soul in seclusion, life nearing its end."

Xu Ping mused to himself.

His objective achieved, Xu Ping no longer lingered.

The divine light at his fingertip quietly retracted, and his figure silently vanished from the secret chamber just as quietly as he had arrived.

In the secret chamber, the eyelids of the Mid-Stage Nascent Soul old man fluttered slightly as he slowly awoke.

He frowned slightly, feeling that there was a moment of daze just now, as his Divine Sense operated with slight stagnation.

"Hmm? Strange... could it be that my recent cultivation has been too rushed, leaving my mind somewhat fatigued?"

He murmured in confusion, thoroughly inspecting inwardly yet finding his Divine Soul harmonious, without any abnormalities.

Shaking his head, he quickly cast off this small anomaly and didn't dwell on it.

Meanwhile, Xu Ping had already reunited with Duan Shuang, who was waiting outside, the two transformed into inconspicuous Escape Light, heading towards the teleportation hall of this city.

Their target was locked—ahead, the Central Domain, the Immortal Mountain, the Guardian Earth Hall.

...

The Guardian Earth Realm, Immortal Mountain, core of the Guardian Earth Hall.

As the sole overlord of this realm, the headquarters of the Guardian Earth Hall exuded a severe atmosphere, with a rugged and solid architectural style, mostly constructed of massive yellow-brown stones, blending seamlessly with the Primordial Qi of the entire realm.

Among the mountains, Restriction lights were faintly visible, while patrolling disciples exuded a calm aura, reflecting the deep heritage and majesty of a ten-thousand-year-old sect.

However, these stern guards and strong Restrictions were near nothing in today's Xu Ping's eyes.

His form slipped into the Guardian Earth Hall's most core area like a light shadow merging with the breeze, as if entering an uninhabited land.

With his Divine Sense measuring up to Mid-Stage Divinity Transformation and his exquisite control over spatial fluctuations, within thousands of miles around, no one could detect his presence.

Xu Ping eventually approached the core forbidden ground, guarded by the most powerful array and saturated with the richest Spiritual Qi, yet also steeped in a heavy sense of end-of-life.

Though he didn't see the Black Soul, Xu Ping's Divine Sense had already clearly captured the unique aura of Divinity Transformation emanating from the deepest part of the forbidden area.

This aura must have once been vast and immeasurable, enough to repress an entire realm.

But now, it was like a candle flickering in the wind, unsteady and filled with an overwhelming sense of decay and end-of-life.

Xu Ping quietly sensed for a moment, already knowing in his heart.

"Indeed... nearing the end of life, judging by the extent of aura decay, there may only be ten to twenty years left." Xu Ping understood.

Frankly speaking, given the current waning condition of the other party, if Xu Ping wanted to forcibly kill, it wouldn't be difficult.

He wouldn't even need to utilize the Profound Celestial Spiritual Treasure; merely with his formidable physique and Divine Sense, he had absolute confidence.

However, Xu Ping chose not to strike.

There was no enmity between them.

Besides, in ten to twenty years' time, Xu Ping could afford to wait.

During this period, he could continue to temper Duan Shuang's Dao heart.

"Might as well wait for him to naturally pass on."

Thus, Xu Ping stealthily concealed himself within the core area of the Guardian Earth Hall, selecting a secretive spot at a nexus of Spiritual Qi and spatial crevice, setting down a sophisticated Restriction, and began a twenty-year-long lurk.

He, like a bystander, coldly observed the operations of the Guardian Earth Hall, feeling the growing end-of-life aura in the core forbidden area day by day.

Meanwhile, Duan Shuang was arranged by him to live in seclusion in an inconspicuous cultivator's city on the outskirts of the Guardian Earth Hall.

Over these twenty years, Xu Ping occasionally went out, continuously refining Duan Shuang's Dao heart with an improved "True Spell of Devilish Wrath," honing her performance in simulated Heart Demon Tribulations to growing maturity and steadfastness.

...

Time flies, twenty years like sand slipping through fingers, quietly passing away.

In the core forbidden area of the Guardian Earth Hall, deep within a stone palace.

A man with a face of black iron color, burly like a tower, yet appearing still in his middle years, was sitting cross-legged on an ordinary stone bed.

He was the pillar of the Guardian Earth Realm, the sole Divinity Transformation Cultivator, Black Soul.

However, in sharp contrast to his strong physique was the heavy aura of near-tangible death around him.

The deathly aura, like a grey verdant mist, circled him, so although his eyes were open, they were filled with muddiness and fatigue.

The flame of his life had burned to its end.

After sitting for a while, Black Soul's lips moved slightly, emitting a divine thought.

Moments later, the stone palace door opened silently, and a young man dressed in the core disciple attire of the Guardian Earth Hall walked in briskly.

This young man had a resolute face, sharp eyes, with an aura imposing and formidable, remarkably reaching the Nascent Soul Perfection stage.

Moreover, his foundation was solid, with pure mana, nurtured with all resources by the Guardian Earth Hall, acknowledged as the sole Divinity Transformation seed.

"Master."

The young man approached the stone bed solemnly, eyes filled with uncontrollable grief and respect, bowing deeply.

"Hmm."

Black Soul nodded slightly, his voice hoarse and dry, like two withered woods rubbing against each other.

His cloudy gaze fell upon this most outstanding disciple of his, with a hint of final expectation.

"For Master… is nearing the end."

Black Soul didn't beat around the bush, speaking directly, "Soon, I shall willingly pass on, dissolving and returning to the heavens."

The young man's body trembled; despite being mentally prepared, hearing this from his master still inflicted a piercing pain.

Black Soul continued, his tone carrying a peacefulness of seeing through life and death: "Once I pass on, at the moment when the fortune of heavens and earth returns, you must immediately go into closed-door cultivation to trigger the Divinity Transformation Tribulation."

"Remember, the timing is fleeting, only by striking while fortune is at its peak will your success rate be highest."

This was the last thing he could do for the sect, for the realm that birthed and nurtured him.

By passing on, paving a relatively smooth Divinity Transformation path for posterity.

The young man took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging emotions, the sorrow within his eyes rapidly replaced by determination as solid as a rock.

He once again bowed deeply, his voice ringing with strength: "Yes, disciple abides by Master's command, determined to breakthrough to Divinity Transformation in one go, perpetuating the Guardian Earth Hall's legacy, not failing Master's eternal guardianship and final trust."

"Very well, then."

Black Soul's face seemed to reveal a trace of gratification.

He raised a hand, pointing to a side chamber next to the stone hall, "You may go to that adjoining quiet chamber, adjust your state, and prepare to enter seclusion."

"Disciple bids farewell to Master!"

The young man bowed respectfully to Black Soul.

Then, he resolutely stood up and entered the side chamber with a solemn look back at each step, the stone door slowly closing.

Inside the stone hall, silence reigned anew.

Black Soul slowly closed his eyes, as the last bit of life force retreated from his body like an ebb tide.

He no longer resisted, nor lingered, guiding his remaining mana and Divine Soul to begin the unique self-passive dissolution of a Divinity Transformation Cultivator.

No earth-shattering visions, no painful struggle process.

Only a tranquility like the fall of stars, where all things return to silence.

The deathly aura on him reached its peak at this moment, then began to dissipate like smoke and clouds.

His burly body visibly shriveled and darkened, finally becoming a lifeless shell, quietly sitting cross-legged on the stone bed.