The baptism was finally nearing its end.
The jade-green spiritual energy continued to flow into Shen Yanzhou and Chang Shiyue, strengthening their bodies and souls.
Their bones had become as hard as steel, while their muscles were as tough as iron. Their tendons had grown stronger, and their internal organs were far more resilient than before.
Their meridians had also expanded, becoming wider than those of most cultivators. This allowed them to absorb and carry much more spiritual energy through their bodies, giving them a far stronger foundation for future cultivation.
Even before becoming cultivators, their physical strength had already reached an astonishing level.
In terms of pure physical strength, they were now comparable to cultivators in the Early Stage of Seed Opening.
Against anyone who had yet to become a cultivator, they would hold an overwhelming advantage. Defeating such an opponent would be an easy task for either of them.
Yet these were only the first benefits of the Jade Seed's baptism.
Their souls had also undergone an extraordinary transformation.
The spiritual energy had strengthened their souls to the point that they could now use spiritual perception, even though they had not officially entered the Seed Opening realm.
However, neither of them knew how to use this ability. They had yet to discover that their awareness could reach beyond their physical senses.
Their souls had become so powerful that even if they faced the same soul pressure they had endured during the Gold Seed stage, they could withstand it with ease.
What had once threatened to overwhelm their consciousness would no longer pose much of a challenge.
Their soul strength had reached a level close to that of a cultivator in the Late Stage of Seed Opening.
Such power was almost unheard of among people who had not even begun their cultivation journey.
This was one of the Jade Seed's greatest advantages: its baptism could strengthen both the body and the soul far beyond the limits of ordinary people.
But there was another, even more remarkable benefit.
The jade-green energy had not stopped flowing into their bodies. Instead, the warmth gradually gathered toward their lower abdomens, where their Jade Seeds were located.
The energy flowed toward their dantians, gathering around the dormant Seeds as though preparing to awaken them completely.
This was the second great advantage of the Jade Seed.
When someone awakened a Jade Seed and successfully endured its baptism, the process did more than rebuild and strengthen their body and soul. It also helped them absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth at an astonishing speed, preparing them to enter the Seed Opening realm.
Once their Jade Seeds fully opened, the spiritual energy gathered within their bodies would converge toward the Seeds.
At that moment, they would officially become cultivators and gain the ability to use spiritual energy.
Yet the advantages of the Jade Seed did not end there.
A fully opened Jade Seed could absorb and store an enormous amount of spiritual energy, far more than a Gold Seed could hold.
This gave its owner a much deeper spiritual energy reserve and a stronger foundation for future cultivation.
In battle, this advantage could prove decisive.
Even when facing cultivators with other Seed grades, Jade Seed owners could draw upon their greater reserves to sustain their techniques for much longer. While their opponents gradually exhausted their spiritual energy, they could continue fighting without running out so quickly.
Of course, victory would still depend on more than spiritual energy alone. Combat experience, martial techniques, and the difference in cultivation realms would remain important.
Nevertheless, in terms of physical strength, soul strength, and spiritual energy reserves, the Jade Seed offered advantages that ordinary Seeds could hardly match.
And now, after completing most of their baptism, Shen Yanzhou and Chang Shiyue were on the verge of taking their first true steps into the world of cultivation.
The three sect elders frowned as they sensed a change in the flow of spiritual energy within the formation.
The auras surrounding Shen Yanzhou and Chang Shiyue continued to grow stronger. Spiritual energy from heaven and earth gathered at an increasing rate, flowing into their dantians before concentrating around their respective Jade Seeds.
The three elders exchanged glances.
"This aura..."
One of the elders narrowed his eyes.
"It seems they're about to break through to the Seed Opening Realm!"
The other two elders immediately turned toward him. After carefully sensing the changes themselves, their expressions grew serious.
Without wasting another moment, one of the elders stepped forward and channeled spiritual energy into his throat. His powerful voice echoed across the entire Sacred Square of Qinghe City.
"Everyone, remain where you are! Do not move without permission! These two participants are undergoing the baptism of their Jade Seeds and are about to break through to the Seed Opening Realm!"
"Anyone who dares to interfere with their breakthrough will be executed on the spot!"
His voice rang out across every corner of the square, silencing the previously noisy crowd.
"What?! They're about to enter the Seed Opening Realm?"
"Already?! Didn't they just awaken their Jade Seeds?"
"My heavens! I've heard that those who awaken Jade Seeds receive extraordinary benefits from the baptism, but I never imagined they could break through to the next realm so quickly!"
"Does that mean they'll officially become cultivators as soon as the ceremony ends?"
The spectators exchanged astonished glances.
Most people had to spend considerable time gathering spiritual energy before they could begin cultivating. Even those with exceptional talent needed time to prepare their bodies and dantians.
Yet Shen Yanzhou and Chang Shiyue seemed likely to complete the process in a fraction of that time.
All thanks to the legendary baptism of their Jade Seeds.
.........
The Shen Clan
"My son... is he really going to break through to the Seed Opening Realm so soon?"
Shen Hongyuan stared at his son sitting in the center of the formation, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"It took me five whole years to reach the Seed Opening Realm!"
Shen Tianxiong, standing beside him, immediately snorted.
"You fool! Didn't you hear that he has a Jade Seed and is undergoing its legendary baptism? How can you possibly compare his situation to yours when all you have is a Wood Seed?"
"Ugh... Father!"
Shen Hongyuan scratched his head and laughed awkwardly.
He wanted to argue, but he couldn't think of a single reasonable excuse.
Five years.
It had taken him five full years to reach the Seed Opening Realm, while his son might achieve the same breakthrough as soon as the baptism ended.
The difference left him completely speechless.
Seeing his expression, several members of the Shen Clan couldn't help laughing.
Even Shen Honglie and Shen Hong'an wore broad smiles. They had never expected their nephew to bring such honor to the family.
Shen Tianxiong stroked his white beard with satisfaction. His gaze remained fixed on Shen Yanzhou, and a proud smile spread across his face.
The more he looked at his grandson, the more convinced he became that forcing the boy to train had been the right decision.
........
The Chang Clan
On the other side, Chang Weiming could hardly contain his excitement either.
He stood watching his daughter, who was surrounded by a jade-green glow. His eyes had grown slightly red, not from sadness, but from the overwhelming pride he struggled to contain.
"Yue'er..."
His voice was soft.
His daughter had trained diligently for years. He had personally witnessed how hard Shiyue worked to improve her martial arts, even while others her age were still busy enjoying their carefree lives.
Now, all that effort seemed to be paying off in ways that far exceeded his expectations.
Chang Shiyue had not only awakened a Jade Seed, but also stood on the verge of entering the Seed Opening Realm as soon as her baptism was complete.
How could a father not be proud of his daughter?
Chang Weiming clenched his fists, trying to contain his emotions.
The elders and other members of the Chang Clan around him were equally delighted.
They knew that after this day, the Chang Clan's position in Qinghe City would never be the same.
With a genius who possessed a Jade Seed, their family's future looked brighter than ever.
......
The Lu Clan
Unlike the other two families, the atmosphere among the Lu Clan members was gloomy.
Lu Zhengfeng, the clan patriarch, stared at Shen Yanzhou's jade-green aura with a flushed face.
His hands were clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.
He could barely contain his anger.
At first, the appearance of even a single Gold Seed had been enough to make him feel threatened. Now, Shen Yanzhou and Chang Shiyue had both awakened Jade Seeds.
If the two truly entered the Seed Opening Realm soon, they would become even more difficult to deal with.
The Shen and Chang Clans would also become far harder to suppress.
Beside him, Lu Wei looked even worse.
His face was pale, his eyes bloodshot, and his jaw clenched as he stared at Shen Yanzhou.
"Damn it! Damn Jade Seed!"
He cursed under his breath.
Hmph! So what if you have a Jade Seed? You're only about to enter the Seed Opening Realm!
Just wait until I reach the Master Realm. That's when you'll die!
His gaze was filled with hatred.
He would never allow Shen Yanzhou to continue growing stronger. As long as that bastard remained alive, his plan to get Chang Shiyue would only become more difficult.
Lu Wei took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
But the longer he stared at the jade-green light, the stronger his hatred became.
He couldn't wait for the day he finally reached the Master Realm.
When that day came, he would make Shen Yanzhou pay for every humiliation he had suffered.
........
The Wu and Yi Clans
Meanwhile, the leaders of the Wu and Yi Clans had also realized that the situation had changed dramatically.
They exchanged glances before finally nodding to each other.
There was no time to waste.
With two Jade Seed holders belonging to powerful families already bound together by an engagement, the balance of power in Qinghe City was about to shift dramatically.
If they wanted to protect their own clans' positions, they needed to act quickly.
"We can't afford to delay any longer," the Wu Clan patriarch said in a low voice.
The Yi Clan patriarch nodded in agreement.
"Once the ceremony is over, we must visit Shen Tianxiong and Chang Weiming to congratulate them."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"After that, we'll discuss the possibility of forming an alliance with their two clans."
The Wu Clan patriarch nodded.
"Agreed. Given the talent those two youngsters possess, maintaining good relations with the Shen and Chang Clans will become increasingly important to our future."
The two patriarchs turned their attention back to the formation.