The first phase of the Daoist Scripture Spirit Net had taken shape. With Daoist Duobao's full support and Lin Xuan (Xuanyuanzi)'s careful planning, everything was progressing in an orderly fashion. The Standardization Team had established preliminary metadata standards for three categories of knowledge: cultivation techniques, skills, and experience. The Data Collection Team had begun systematically organizing the standardized procedures from the Artifact Refining Hall and Array Court, converting them into formats ready for entry. Meanwhile, under the guidance of several elders skilled in runes and formations, the Technical Implementation Team was attempting to build a prototype for a large-scale jade-slip information storage and retrieval array powered by spiritual leyline energy.
There was no end to the work. As chief architect and lead consultant, Lin Xuan barely rested day or night. His divine sense raced as he coordinated everyone and resolved one technical problem and clash of ideas after another. This intense mental labor left him deeply exhausted, despite his body having reached perfection in the First Revolution of the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique and his Spirit Soul growing stronger by the day. It was a weariness that came from the depths of his mind.
That day, after finalizing a plan to break down the knowledge points in a complex Formation Diagram with Wuyun Xian of the Array Court, he felt a dull ache in his temples and sensed his divine sense nearing exhaustion. He knew he had reached his limit. He needed to set work aside for a while and tend to his mind; otherwise, it would do his cultivation more harm than good.
He strolled out of the busy editorial committee's quarters and, without thinking, headed toward a garden on higher ground on Jin'ao Island, where the spiritual energy was purer and more tranquil. Near the edge of Biyou Palace's inner restricted grounds, it was seldom visited. Ancient trees towered overhead, exotic flowers and plants grew everywhere, and a spiritual spring bubbled into a clear pool. It was one of the rare places on the island suited to quiet cultivation.
As he entered the garden and left the bustle behind, Lin Xuan felt his mind relax. He casually chose a smooth blue-gray rock near the spring and sat down. Closing his eyes and clearing his mind of distractions, he simply breathed in the pure spiritual energy of the place and circulated the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique, nourishing his somewhat overtaxed Spirit Soul.
Just as his mind began to settle and resonate faintly with the natural surroundings, the system's prompt sounded in his mind once more. This time, it carried a sense of ethereal distance, as though resonating with the Dao Charm of the world around him:
[Ding! The host is in a special environment: a Ling Shu Node on a branch of Kunlun Mountain's ancestral vein (Biyou Palace's Tranquility Garden).] [The host's divine sense has been heavily depleted recently and is in an "Inspiration Vacuum Period" following intense thought and creation.] [The host has made a core contribution to the Interception Sect's "Daoist Scripture Spirit Net" project, indirectly improving the Fortune Flow of Kunlun Mountain (Interception Sect's side).] [Hidden conditions met: mentally exhausted, in a Blessed Land, and having benefited the Earth Vein. Triggering a special opportunity sign-in!] [Special sign-in initiated: drawing upon the spiritual charm of Kunlun Mountain's ancestral vein, analyzing the Great Dao Fragments settled in this place...] [Sign-in successful! Congratulations, host. You have received a special gift from Kunlun Mountain's Blessed Land:] 1. [Innate Spiritual Root · Enlightenment Tea Tree (a wisp of Origin Aura)]: Not actual tea leaves, but a trace of the innate Enlightenment Tea Tree's original Dao Charm, nurtured by Kunlun Mountain and now fused with the host's Spirit Soul. Effect: Permanently and slightly increases comprehension (by approximately 5%) and enhances the ability to sense and understand the Great Dao Rules. Greatly reduces the mental effort and time needed to comprehend complex cultivation techniques, divine powers, and concepts. During deep thought, calculations, and creative work, it may passively trigger a "Flash of Inspiration" (low probability). 2. [Innate Spiritual Root · Yellow Middle Plum (a virtual Dao Fruit Projection)]: A projection of the laws of the Yellow Middle Plum, a treasure of Queen Mother of the West in Kunlun Mountain (not an actual fruit). Effect: After consumption (fusion through intent), it can refine the host's Innate Dao Body once, slightly improve Foundation Quality, and repair subtle flaws from previous cultivation that had gone unnoticed. It will purify the host's vital energy, make the spiritual power more refined, and permanently improve their affinity with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Note: This effect provides additional reinforcement to the foundation of the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique. 3. [Kunlun Mountain Spirit Rhyme Blessing (ongoing effect)]: For the next three months, cultivation speed within Kunlun Mountain (primarily Jin'ao Island) will increase by 10%, and the chance of breaking through when encountering a bottleneck will rise slightly.
As the system's prompt sounded, Lin Xuan felt a cool, clear spring flow into the depths of his Spirit Soul. His weariness and mental sluggishness vanished, and his thoughts became extraordinarily sharp and clear. The obscure details of cultivation techniques and technical problems that had once baffled him now seemed to make perfect sense. This was the permanent boost to his comprehension from the Enlightenment Tea's Origin Aura!
Next, a gentle yet weighty energy, brimming with vitality, flowed from the void into every part of his body, reaching deep into his bones and meridians. Like the work of the most meticulous craftsman, it silently repaired the subtle damage left by his past cultivation—whether from his impatience to advance or outside pressure—and strengthened every inch of his foundation. His vital energy flowed with greater ease, and the exchange between his body and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth became smoother. This was the refining effect of the Yellow Middle Plum's Dao Fruit Projection!
Finally, he felt himself wrapped in a faint aura that shared Kunlun Mountain's origins. Cultivating here would now yield twice the results for half the effort. This was the Spirit Rhyme Blessing.
"To think... the Dao Charms of the Enlightenment Tea and Yellow Middle Plum!" Lin Xuan was deeply shaken. These were two of the highest-grade innate spiritual roots in the Primordial World, their miraculous effects far beyond those of ordinary heavenly treasures! Even though the sign-in had granted him neither in physical form, only an Origin Aura and a Dao Fruit Projection, their value at his current cultivation level was immeasurable!
The Enlightenment Tea's permanent boost to comprehension and its passive Flash of Inspiration effect were especially perfect for him. His path ahead depended on continually combining modern Scientific Thinking with the cultivation system of the Primordial World and innovating. That would demand extraordinary comprehension and creativity. This gift was exactly what he needed in a time of hardship!
And the Yellow Middle Plum's refinement had removed a worry that had been hanging over him. Cultivating the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique was grueling, and his progress had been rapid. It was only natural that he might have developed foundational weaknesses without noticing them. This refinement was like a thorough, high-quality tune-up, laying an incredibly solid foundation for his future breakthroughs into higher realms.
[Host, although neither of these gifts is physical, their Dao Charms were bestowed by Kunlun Mountain's Origin and are worth far more than ordinary immortal fruits.] The system, unusually, offered an explanation. [The Enlightenment Tea's aura will help you think more rigorously and find inspiration more often as you work on the "Daoist Scripture Spirit Net" and carry out future deductions. The Yellow Middle Plum Projection will ensure your foundation grows in step with your wisdom, preventing you from being "unable to keep up with your own ambitions." Make good use of them.]
Lin Xuan took a deep breath, tamped down his excitement, and replied solemnly, "Understood. Thank you, System."
He slowly opened his eyes. The light in them was restrained, yet they seemed deeper than before. All weariness was gone, replaced by a sense of clarity and fullness unlike anything he had felt before. He gazed into the depths of the garden, as if he could see through layer after layer of space and sense the grandeur and mystery of Kunlun Mountain's ancestral vein, the source of countless legends.
This special sign-in was less a reward than an endowment and a strengthening of his foundation. In its own unique way, Kunlun Mountain, the home of myriad gods, had recognized him as an anomaly and bestowed a gift perfectly suited to his path.
With the wisdom of the Enlightenment Tea and the foundation of the Yellow Middle Plum, Lin Xuan felt he was in the best shape he had been in since crossing over. He was confident he could meet the challenges ahead for the Daoist Scripture Spirit Net—and take the vision of Scientific Cultivation to still greater heights. The bell announcing the Zixiao Palace's second lecture seemed to ring on the distant horizon. He was ready to face the great age of the Primordial World with better preparation than ever.
Before you continue