Xiaoxiao.

Although the Golden Core stage is quite difficult to cultivate, most people can eventually reach this level as long as they can calm down and study diligently.

However, the gap between the Golden Core stage and the Nascent Soul stage is insurmountable.

Countless cultivators have exhausted their entire lives but have been unable to break through this solid barrier, forever trapped at the Golden Core stage, unable to advance any further.

This is why the saying "Mahayana is easy to cultivate, but the Nascent Soul is difficult to gather" has become popular, used to describe the huge gap between these two stages and the difficulty of breaking through them.

In the cultivation world, the Nascent Soul stage is considered a crucial phase, as it also has another awe-inspiring name—"Entering Sainthood".

This means that only those cultivators who successfully break through to the Nascent Soul stage are qualified to embark on the long journey of pursuing immortality.

Why is it said that reaching the Nascent Soul stage grants one the ticket to pursue the path of immortality?

The reason is that once a cultivator reaches this level, they can almost be said to have obtained an immortal body.

Unless one encounters an unparalleled expert whose realm far surpasses one's own by three realms or chooses to self-destruct in a mutually destructive manner, one should not even think about completely annihilating a Nascent Soul cultivator, even when facing an opponent of the same realm or even one or two minor realms higher.

So, what exactly is the Nascent Soul stage?

Simply put, it is a magical existence—the "Spiritual Infant"—that is born from the foundation of the Golden Core through arduous cultivation and the nourishment of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Although this infant spirit does not yet possess independent consciousness, in some respects it is no different from the cultivator himself.

Therefore, even if a cultivator's physical body suffers a catastrophic destruction, as long as the nascent soul is preserved and not destroyed, given time, it can gradually recover to its original state by relying on its tenacious vitality.

However, it should be noted that this kind of recovery achieved by external force is not perfect.

Because it is not based on the original pure and flawless Dao body, the improvement of realm will face unprecedented and enormous limitations on the subsequent path of cultivation.

Compared to the original, undamaged body, the now repaired body is less capable of absorbing and refining spiritual energy, resulting in slow progress in cultivation and difficulty in reaching new heights.

Even so, being able to walk on the edge of life and death and rise again is already a remarkable achievement for many cultivators.

After all, in the cruel world of cultivation, survival itself is an extremely difficult challenge.

Of course, in the vast and boundless world of cultivation, there are indeed a very small number of lucky ones.

These cultivators, relying on extremely rare and precious treasures found in the world, were actually able to reshape their shattered physical bodies.

What's even more astonishing is that after this miraculous restoration, their new physical bodies were not only perfectly intact, but they even surpassed their original Dao bodies, becoming a more powerful and unique existence.

However, such amazing miracles do not happen often. In the long history from ancient times to the present, they have appeared only a handful of times!

The "Golden Elixir" also has another resounding name—"Dao Embryo".

Why is it called that?

It turns out that the Golden Core is like a new life being nurtured in the womb, and can be seen as the stage before the "Nascent Soul" takes shape.

However, it is not a simple matter to successfully transform this "Dao Embryo" into a "Nascent Soul".

Among every 100,000 cultivators who enter the Nascent Soul stage, only one or two can truly and successfully condense a Nascent Soul.

This alone is enough to show how rare the Nascent Soul stage is and how difficult it is to cultivate.

This is why a saying has been circulating throughout the cultivation world: "Mahayana cultivation is easy, but Nascent Soul cultivation is difficult."

This means that compared to the formation of the Nascent Soul stage, the cultivation of the Mahayana stage is relatively easier. Of course, this is somewhat of an exaggeration, but it vividly illustrates how rare the Nascent Soul stage is.

They had always believed that Zhu Xian was at the Golden Core stage, but the truth was like a heavy slap in the face!

Wu Ren, who was already at the peak of the final stage of enlightenment and had one foot in the fusion stage, could not even sense the slightest fluctuation of spiritual energy from the other party.

This undoubtedly reveals a cruel fact—the enemy standing before them was not the expected Golden Core stage expert, but a Nascent Soul stage powerhouse who instilled despair!

This reality, like a bolt from the blue, instantly extinguished the last glimmer of hope in their hearts.

Because no matter how exquisite or profound the techniques and combat skills are, they cannot overcome the enormous gap between the two sides. This insurmountable divide is simply impossible to cross.

At that moment, it was as if all the strength had been drained from the two of them; their eyes were empty and lifeless, and their hearts were filled with endless fear and despair...

Zhu Xian was clearly very satisfied with the two's reactions.

With a sinister smile on his face, he walked slowly toward Wu Ren and Ying Yue.

As the distance closed, he could clearly feel the surging, tide-like spiritual energy within the two of them.

A greedy glint flashed in Zhu Xian's eyes, and he let out a chilling laugh: "Hehehe... Not bad, not bad at all! You two little fellows have indeed not disappointed me! In just one short year, you have both reached the Enlightenment stage. Hahahaha, this is wonderful! Hehehe..."

His once kind face was completely ruined by that sinister, hoarse voice. That chilling, hoarse voice seemed to come from the deepest hell, sending shivers down one's spine.

Its voice suddenly shifted, becoming chillingly sinister, as if it could pierce one's soul: "I thought my treasure was lost forever. But it's returned! Hahahaha, in that case, I'll gladly accept it! Hehehe..."

At this point, it let out a strange, cold laugh that echoed in the silent air, like the cry of an owl, sending chills down one's spine.

Then, it continued in that chillingly cold tone, "I happen to have a carefully cultivated medicinal garden, where all sorts of rare herbs and exotic flowers and fruits are grown. I'll take you two back and plant you there. My disciples and grand-disciples will take good care of you every day, giving you plenty of fertilizer, so you can grow up quickly and be enjoyed by this old woman as soon as possible. Hahahaha..."

Upon hearing this, although the two knew nothing about the mysterious herb garden it mentioned, the mere mention of the word "plant" was enough to send a chill down their spines and spread rapidly throughout their bodies.

In an instant, their faces turned deathly pale, devoid of any color. An immense fear gripped their throats like an invisible giant hand, threatening to devour them at any moment.