Chapter 162

Updated cultivation approach, easily obtaining Heavenly Material Earthly Treasures for cultivation, updated cultivation approach, easily obtaining Heavenly Material Earthly Treasures for cultivation→:

Lin Ze named this brand-new spatial distortion ability Ten Directions All Perish, and defined its function as breaking through defenses.

It made up for one of his shortcomings, allowing him to deal with targets that had particularly strong defenses. In the environment where Lin Ze currently lived, basically no material was strong enough to withstand such an attack.

As long as Lin Ze didn't use Ten Directions All Perish on a high-energy target like a nuclear bomb undergoing a chain reaction, it could basically destroy anything in its path.

This improvement to his spatial abilities had not only given him the new offensive ability Ten Directions All Perish, but had also greatly enhanced his Within Reach Horizon divine ability. With a quick test, Lin Ze found he could now move 3,200 meters in an instant.

Next, Lin Ze began sensing the changes in his mental abilities.

His mental power had increased substantially once again. The strength of his Mental Power had risen to 17,000 catties, while its precision remained at the micron level, albeit with a slight improvement. Its endurance was now two hours.

Of course, the greatest change was the tremendous leap in his comprehension and perception.

He focused intently on the surrounding area. Supported by his powerful thinking ability, everything around him seemed to slow down. A speck of dust drifted toward the ground under Lin Ze's gaze at a speed so slow it was almost stationary.

This powerful reaction ability, almost like stopping time, allowed Lin Ze to respond to anything in his surroundings in an instant.

With such incredible reaction speed, the breaching power of Ten Directions All Perish, and his existing Within Reach Horizon divine ability, Lin Ze came up with a completely new idea.

"My powerful reaction speed would let me deal with every unpredictable change in a rapidly shifting battle. I could use Within Reach Horizon to launch a surprise attack from several kilometers away, instantly closing in on the enemy, then hit them with Ten Directions All Perish."

"After the attack, I could increase the distance again to dodge their counterattack and the destructive power of Ten Directions All Perish."

"With the invincible destructive power of spatial distortion and Within Reach Horizon to keep me undefeated, wouldn't my Combat Power be nearly invincible?"

Lin Ze calculated the feasibility in his mind.

If this combat style worked, then the shortcomings of Ten Directions All Perish would no longer be shortcomings, and Lin Ze's Combat Power would rise to an astonishing level.

He didn't have to think for long before he regretfully stopped.

After using his knowledge of space to calculate and simulate the idea, he found that Ten Directions All Perish and Within Reach Horizon were incompatible.

Within Reach Horizon exploited weak points in space to alter the spatial concept of distance, bringing him closer to his enemies and moving him farther away from their attacks. Ten Directions All Perish, on the other hand, destroyed weak points in the space of an area, generating a force of annihilation.

If Lin Ze followed the combat style he had imagined, he would use Within Reach Horizon to close in on his enemy, then bring down Ten Directions All Perish. Afterward, he would use Within Reach Horizon to keep himself safe, only to find that he couldn't use it anymore.

He would have to stay right where he was and suffer the same Ten Directions All Perish attack as his enemy.

He'd basically become a little suicide truck.

"To solve this problem, there are two ways. First, I could fully control the direction and range of Ten Directions All Perish's attack. Second, I could survive being hit by Ten Directions All Perish myself. I have no clue how to manage the second."

"The first might be possible in the future, but it's completely impossible at this stage. My control over spacetime isn't strong enough."

"When I eventually gain that kind of control over spacetime, will I still need this combat style?"

Lin Ze set aside those thoughts.

For now, there was nothing he needed to do.

World No. 1 was busy purchasing supplies in bulk; he only needed to collect the goods periodically. World No. 2 was preparing to recruit people and expand its productive capacity, while adding many new resource extraction sites. World No. 03 was building its industrial system.

Everything needed time to change.

Lin Ze had also completed his initial study of the industrial system Chu Ge had left behind. He now had at least a general understanding of these cutting-edge technologies, and could study them in greater detail later.

So he turned his attention to his martial arts cultivation.

Previously, he had cultivated martial arts to extend his life and attain longevity.

But now that Lin Ze had obtained Immortality Technology, he no longer had to worry about dying of old age. Martial arts had become a purely defensive art.

This brought about a huge change in how Lin Ze viewed martial arts.

Lin Ze still believed in the three realms of longevity. Now that he possessed a life that would never wither, his next goals were to survive any change in his environment and to become impossible for any being to kill.

"Half a year has passed since I broke through to the Spirit Accumulation realm. I've kept up my cultivation throughout those six months, and used Gates to Heavens several times to strengthen my spirit. My spiritual conception has long since reached—and even far exceeded—the requirements to break through to the Aura realm."

"But the Aura realm is known as the realm of Peerless Experts because a martial artist's body undergoes a fundamental change at this stage, experiencing Rebirth and Transformation."

"So, to condense Aura and undergo Rebirth and Transformation, I need to build up an extremely deep reserve of Inner Breath. My Inner Breath is already deep and abundant compared with that of other martial artists in the Spirit Accumulation realm, but it's still nowhere near enough for the transformation."

"Even though I have the Qi Consumption Method and plenty of Spiritual Medicine to help me cultivate, I'm accumulating Inner Breath relatively quickly. But I still need at least several years to build up my essence, energy, and spirit. And it'll take even longer to become a celestial being."

"I need to find a way to speed up the accumulation of Inner Breath."

As Lin Ze thought it over, he quickly found a direction.

"Perhaps some unorthodox demonic arts would be just right for my current situation."

He had been cultivating Peerless martial arts for quite some time, so he naturally understood that ordinary martial arts cultivation focused on strengthening the foundation and nourishing the origin, refining essence into qi, refining qi into spirit, refining spirit to return to the void, and finally refining the void to merge with the Dao and become a celestial being. The whole process was upright and peaceful, cultivating the body and mind.

It allowed people to gradually transform their lives, ultimately achieving longevity.

Unorthodox demonic arts, however, didn't care about any of that. They only sought to stimulate the body's life potential as quickly as possible and gain powerful, unmatched Combat Power. They didn't care if it consumed life essence or shortened their lifespan, so long as they could shine brilliantly for a moment.

Such demonic techniques existed in the martial world of World No. 2. Lin Ze simply hadn't paid much attention to their specific methods of cultivation before.

Under normal circumstances, Lin Ze would never have considered cultivating demonic arts. Longevity was what he pursued.

But now that he had already attained longevity, what he needed to pursue was the means to protect it. It didn't matter if cultivating demonic arts consumed his life; he could use Immortality Technology to repair the damage. But once he gained powerful Combat Power, it would truly be his.

"YuanBao, build me an immortality device that can treat aging and replenish vitality."

In the quiet base, Lin Ze gave the order.

YuanBao would start making the device while he went to World No. 2 to look for demonic arts. By the time he returned, he could begin using them to accelerate his cultivation.

YuanBao received Lin Ze's instructions through the cameras and audio equipment and replied, "City Lord, the task has been added. At the current rate of development, our industrial capacity should be able to manufacture the necessary equipment in about two and a half years."

"We're currently collecting the gold left behind by the previous human civilization in this world. Based on our records, we conservatively estimate that we can obtain 40,000 tons of gold, worth 18 trillion in World No. 1 currency. If we spend all the gold to exchange for resources, we should be able to complete the industrial system in one year and three months."

Previously, Lin Ze's goal in World No. 2 had only been to obtain 10,000 tons of gold. But now that he had acquired the entire world, he had far exceeded his target.

It was good news that the industrial system would be completed even sooner, but the fact that he couldn't immediately make the immortality device was not.

At this response, Lin Ze fell silent.

But when he thought about it, it made sense. Behind Immortality Technology stood an entire industrial system. His own industrial system was still under construction, so naturally he couldn't manufacture the necessary equipment yet.

In other words, Lin Ze still had a year and three months in which he couldn't get stronger.

Of course, Lin Ze could cultivate demonic arts first, damage his body to get stronger, and repair it once the equipment for Immortality Technology was ready. But that wasn't something a wise person would do.

The world was always changing. What if he cultivated demonic arts until he had exhausted his lifespan, only to find that the equipment couldn't repair him once it was built?

Then he'd truly become a laughingstock. Even Batman in Gotham City wouldn't bother beating him; he'd be too ugly for that.

He'd have well and truly brought about his own death.

"Forget it. I'll go find Heavenly Material Earthly Treasures and get through the next year or so first."

Lin Ze gave up on looking for demonic arts for the time being. Instead, he planned to go to World No. 2 to collect its local specialties, Heavenly Material Earthly Treasures, and gather some techniques for cultivating them as well, preparing for his future cultivation.

World No. 2.

In a quiet, uninhabited valley, 180 kilometers from the mountain headquarters of the Martial Arts Holy Land Fallen Flower Valley, Lin Ze was accompanied by his concubine, Li Lihua, and two Affairs Elders from Fallen Flower Valley.

"Greetings, Elder Bai Li and Elder He."

The two Peerless Experts guarding the place emerged from their wooden huts and saluted the elders who had brought Lin Ze there.

In Fallen Flower Valley, becoming a Peerless Expert was enough to qualify someone to be an elder.

But there were ordinary elders and Affairs Elders. Affairs Elders were responsible for managing the sect's businesses and wielded greater authority, while ordinary elders were chosen from among disciples with exceptional martial arts talent. They served as a source of strength and a pillar of the sect.

Bai Li Hong and He Zhong, who had brought Lin Ze here, belonged to the former group.

The two Peerless Experts living in this valley, Ning Xue and Zhang Yuan, belonged to the latter. They received generous stipends from the sect to live in seclusion and improve their cultivation, while raising Heavenly Material Earthly Treasures and guarding the sect's valuable property.

Bai Li Hong presented the Valley Master's order and explained, "This is Lin Ze, Lin Ziyi, Earl of Fengping County in Great Zhou. He is the husband of our sect's disciple Li Lihua and an important guest of the sect. He needs Heavenly Material Earthly Treasures for his cultivation, so we've brought him here to collect them."

Fallen Flower Valley was a major grower of Spiritual Medicine; it was one of the sect's main industries.

As a disciple of Fallen Flower Valley, Li Lihua had acted as a go-between and introduced Lin Ze to the sect's senior figures. After Lin Ze promised to give them priority access to more fertilizer, they had agreed to give him the Spiritual Medicine he wanted without even bringing up money.

Of course, there was no need to mention these behind-the-scenes exchanges of interests.

The two Peerless Experts on guard examined the order and confirmed that it was genuine.

Without asking anything more, they led the way, bringing Lin Ze and the others to a pool whose entire surface was pale yellow.

Numerous lotus leaves grew in the pool, clustered around an Azure Lotus. On a lotus leaf not far from it sat a transparent frog with an icy blue body.

These were the Heavenly Material Earthly Treasures that the late Lu Lu and the others had dreamed of obtaining: the Yi Wood Longevity Azure Lotus and the Fire Avoiding Spirit Toad. The very treasures they had expected to pay a huge price to seize had now been delivered straight to Lin Ze.

In truth, even an army of one celestial-level fighter and multiple Peerless Experts wouldn't have been entirely confident of stealing the Heavenly Material Earthly Treasures here. After all, this place was so close to Fallen Flower Valley's headquarters.

But Lin Ze had obtained them effortlessly, thanks to the power of money.

Before he even approached, Lin Ze could already smell a fresh fragrance. He felt his Inner Breath circulating faster throughout his body.

If even a martial artist like him could benefit so much, then the mosquitoes, rats, and snakes living in the valley surged toward the pool like mad. They all ended up as food for the Fire Avoiding Spirit Toad guarding the place.

Without a word, Ning Xue and Zhang Yuan, the two Peerless Experts guarding the area, sprang into action.

A strange light flashed in one man's eyes as he displayed a secret spiritual art. The agile Fire Avoiding Spirit Toad froze in place. The other moved with lightning speed, seized it while it was momentarily paralyzed, then released his force and crushed it to death.

After the two men plucked the Yi Wood Longevity Azure Lotus and brought the Fire Avoiding Spirit Toad back, Lin Ze had already set up a pot over a wood fire.

He tossed the Yi Wood Longevity Azure Lotus seeds, the Fire Avoiding Spirit Toad, and various supplementary ingredients into the pot. As the heat continued to build, a delicious dish came together.

While it cooked, the elders of Fallen Flower Valley took their leave.

By the time the stew was finished, only Li Lihua remained with Lin Ze.

Li Lihua watched Lin Ze dig in, eating the whole pot of Heavenly Material Earthly Treasures. She was so envious that she kept swallowing, but she knew very well that her cultivation was too low for her to handle such potent treasures.

Fortunately, Lin Ze still left her a mouthful of soup at the end, allowing her to share in some of the benefits within what she could bear.