The Great Mercy Divine Palace and the Golden Strategy Immortal Sect

The skill points were instantly poured into the Heaven Defying Soul Splitting Technique.

[Heaven Defying Soul Splitting Technique]: 5 (Respec Available)

[Heaven Defying Soul Splitting Technique]: 10 (Respec Available)

After Ning Ri added ten points in one go, he couldn't help but freeze...

It wasn't max level?!

At the same time, he sensed for a while and realized he couldn't create a new soul clone for himself.

This meant he hadn't learned enough!

No wonder Elder Zhou said that under normal circumstances, Qi Refining disciples couldn't learn this simplified version of the [Heaven Defying Soul Splitting Technique].

For other Qi Refining skills, ten skill points would have been enough to max them out, but this one was still far from it.

Thinking of this, he subconsciously added more points, directly raising it to twenty.

Only when his balance dropped to 7 points did he stop with a frown--

Twenty points still weren't enough to max it out?!

Ning Ri's heart skipped a beat--

He had always assumed that ten skill points was the maximum for a skill.

So, he had been full of confidence, thinking that once his cultivation improved, he would directly evolve away his need for sleep, achieving "no sleep, no food, no holidays." Excluding the time spent joining the sect, doing missions, and searching for techniques, he figured he could practice for eight hours a day, which was 16 points daily. In a hundred days, that would be 1600 points.

As long as he had enough cultivation methods, becoming an immortal in a hundred days wasn't a dream.

Now, it seemed things weren't that simple!

The Heaven Defying Soul Splitting Technique required so many skill points, let alone higher-level cultivation methods.

This meant he'd have to research ways to improve his grinding efficiency later.

Next, Ning Ri formed a hand seal and activated the [Heaven Defying Soul Splitting Technique].

At ten skill points, the Heaven Defying Soul Splitting Technique had remained unresponsive.

But after pouring twenty skill points into it, Ning Ri felt he had finally achieved the effect Zhou Hai had mentioned--

He could create a small soul clone!

But...

As he activated the [Heaven Defying Soul Splitting Technique], Ning Ri's expression slightly changed...

Something was wrong...

Buzz--

As Ning Ri formed the hand seal, he immediately felt his consciousness splitting, but this process was painless and incredibly fast, taking only one or two breaths.

Immediately after.

Ning Ri felt as if his divine soul had gained a layer of protection.

This was the [Heaven Defying Soul Splitting Technique]!

However, the Heaven Defying Sect's soul splitting technique was, after all, only meant to resist anomalies and protect oneself. Therefore, it couldn't leave the body and act freely, unlike the true soul clones in the Cultivation World.

But after successfully splitting his soul, Ning Ri strangely discovered--

His soul clone seemed different from the Heaven Defying Sect's soul clones too!

Because he found that what he had split out didn't seem to be a small clone for running errands, nor the soul shell for resisting anomalies that Zhou Hai had mentioned...

It was an entirely new soul clone!

It also possessed the cultivation of Third Stage Qi Refining!

In the introduction to the Heaven Defying Soul Splitting Technique, the Grandmaster who created this art initially referenced the soul splitting techniques of the Cultivation World to create another self.

Another self, identical to the main body in strength and divine soul.

But this "new self" wasn't for improving strength or for combat; it was meant to be his second life.

There were many things in the Cultivation World that provided a second life, such as substitute dolls, life-sustaining ancestral lamps, and so on. However, these methods were effective against ordinary powerful enemies in the Cultivation World, but ineffective against the Heavenly Dao.

When the Heavenly Dao wanted to kill you, even if you had a substitute doll, you would die instantly.

Because of this, the Grandmaster created this technique to deceive the Heavenly Dao.

When he was no match for the Heavenly Dao, this Grandmaster would have his second life confuse the Heavenly Dao and die in place of his true self.

If the Heavenly Dao was successfully confused, the main body would survive.

Therefore, strictly speaking, the [Heaven Defying Soul Splitting Technique] should be called [Add Another Life], just like the Konami code in Contra.

However, it was obvious that the life-adding technique had failed.

Even so, after years of evolution, this technique has become a great spell for resisting anomalies and hailing rides for free!

But at this moment...

Ning Ri looked inward at the other self within his body and was shocked—

Holy crap!

What the Grandmaster couldn't accomplish, it seems... I've accomplished?!

Immediately after.

Ning Ri studied for a while. In his senses, the strength of his split soul was identical to his main body's. However, to his regret—

The power between the split soul and the main body could not be stacked!

He threw a couple of punches, and it wasn't a case of Third Stage Qi Refining plus Third Stage Qi Refining equaling Sixth Stage Qi Refining.

Next.

Ning Ri suddenly had an idea and reset the [Heaven Defying Soul Splitting Technique]. He discovered that the split soul instantly disintegrated and returned to his main soul.

Ning Ri couldn't help but show a hint of regret—

He had thought that after successfully resetting, the split soul would remain. If that were the case, wouldn't he be able to gain infinite lives? But the facts proved his idea wrong.

He had no choice but to obediently return the twenty skill points and create a split soul again.

As for whether his split soul could deceive the true Heavenly Dao, Ning Ri couldn't verify it now.

But this wasn't something he could consider at the moment. His primary concern was hailing a ride.

Hum—

After the spiritual art entered the summoning jade slip in the [Golden Strategy Tally], the jade slip immediately began to vibrate slightly. Then, a line of text floated out:

"Esteemed guest, the [Golden Strategy Tally] is cheering for your arrival!"

"It's our first meeting, you may use it free of charge. We hope the Golden Strategy Tally can bring you a pleasant experience!"

Seeing this, Ning Ri showed a smile of successful free-riding...

The hailing range of the Golden Strategy Tally covers the entire Cultivation World.

It can achieve this not by relying on the craftsmanship of the jade slip or the power of the spell, but by relying on "anomalies."

The Golden Strategy Immortal Sect controls an anomaly called the [Great Mercy Divine Palace].

Ning Ri doesn't know what the [Great Mercy Divine Palace] is used for yet, only that the [Golden Strategy Tally] is one of its functions.

And because the essence of the Golden Strategy Tally is an anomaly, the Heaven Defying Soul Splitting Technique can deceive it!

After Ning Ri waited for a moment...

Whoosh—

In the sky above, a streak of light suddenly flew over, swift as the wind and fast as lightning.

But when it reached Ning Ri, all the noise instantly disappeared, and not a trace of power leaked out.

It descended slowly, without harming Ning Ri or causing him any discomfort.

This was enough to show that the person's mastery of power had reached a state of subtlety and meticulousness, making them incredibly strong.

Landing before Ning Ri was a man in golden robes with a powerful aura, holding a long spear.

Golden robes, as the name suggested, were forged from real gold, shining brightly and forcing Ning Ri to squint his eyes—

At this moment, the newcomer said loudly, "Greetings, I am Luo Ke of the Golden Strategy Immortal Sect. Where are you headed? And may I ask your name..."

Before he could finish, his tone suddenly changed, and he exclaimed in surprise:

"Huh?! Aren't you my young friend Ning Ri?!"