Dark Realm

"We'll see when the time comes."

Ling Yang did not agree, but he did not refuse either, offering only an ambiguous response.

Hearing this, Ling You did not press him further.

Although the two had been friends for many years, they held fundamentally different philosophies regarding the Ling Clan.

Ling Yang possessed a devout faith in the Ling Clan; while he was somewhat dissatisfied with the strict bloodline hierarchy within the clan, he ultimately hoped for the Ling Clan to prosper.

Ling You, on the other hand, cared nothing for ancient races or the Dou Di Bloodline. All he valued were talents in cultivation and alchemy.

The two sat there for an entire day.

Throughout that day, Ling Xi's body remained as still as a statue, not moving an inch.

If not for the slight rise and fall of his chest, Ling You and Ling Yang would have feared that he had encountered some accident during the inheritance.

"This kid actually chose to absorb the entire inheritance within the Inheritance Crystal."

Ling Yang could not help but click his tongue.

"Although our Ling Clan is known for having powerful Soul Power, for someone of his age, such Soul Power is truly rare."

"If his Soul Power wasn't up to par, how could he become a qualified Alchemist, and how could he have caught my eye?"

Ling You rolled his eyes at these words.

"Our Ling Clan is still somewhat different from the Yao Clan. Their innate Soul Power might not be as strong as ours, but almost every one of them has the constitution of an Alchemist."

Speaking of this, a hint of envy crept into Ling You's tone.

"As ancient Dou Di Bloodlines passed down through the ages, some innate gifts are truly impossible to envy."

Just as most members of the Yan Clan are born with an affinity for the fire attribute, and the Shi Clan possesses a physique comparable to Magical Beasts.

Most members of the Ling Clan possess a wood-attribute Dou Qi constitution with extremely strong Soul Power.

However, to become an Alchemist, one must have a Dou Qi constitution that is primarily fire-attribute supplemented by the wood-attribute.

"Ugh!"

Just as the two were speaking, a vague groan escaped Ling Xi's lips, and his eyes slowly opened.

"He's awake?"

Seeing Ling Xi open his eyes, Ling You hurriedly stood up and asked with concern.

Ling Xi's body remained frozen in place, seemingly still sorting through the massive amount of information in his mind.

It took a long while before he shuddered, the vitality slowly returning to his vacant eyes.

"Teacher?"

Ling Xi steadied himself, then hurriedly stood up and bowed to Ling You.

"Mm, it looks like you've digested everything within the Inheritance Crystal. Not bad."

Ling You nodded in satisfaction, then waved his hand.

"Your first time practicing a cultivation method requires a quiet place. Let's go."

With that, he didn't even bid Ling Yang farewell, heading straight downstairs.

"Thank you, Elder Ling Yang."

Ling Xi bowed slightly to the silent Ling Yang, then hurriedly followed behind Ling You.

Ling Yang did not speak, merely standing in place with a complex expression as he watched the two leave.

Ling You did not take Ling Xi anywhere else, instead leading him back to the room in the Medicine Hall.

"Although the Myriad Spirits Returning to Origin Art is extremely difficult to practice, it is indeed the pinnacle of our clan's Foundation Establishment Cultivation Methods. Even among other ancient races, few techniques can compare."

"The greatest advantage of this cultivation method is that it is not restricted by attributes; Dou Qi of any attribute can be used to practice it."

Although Ling You had not practiced this technique himself back in the day, his research into it was profound.

"While converting Dou Qi is easy, you must still be cautious when circulating the technique for the first time."

After a pause, Ling You added, "This room has the most abundant heaven and earth energy in the Medicine Hall. You can convert your Dou Qi here with peace of mind; I am going to prepare some things for you."

"Yes, Teacher."

Ling Xi nodded.

He had obtained the complete inheritance of the Myriad Spirits Returning to Origin Art from the Inheritance Crystal, as well as the insights of past practitioners.

Although this was only a High Yellow Tier cultivation method, its complexity and power were in no way inferior to Low or even Mid Profound Tier techniques.

Moreover, unlike other methods that focused primarily on Dou Qi, the Myriad Spirits Returning to Origin Art could actually sense the extremely faint Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth during the cultivation process.

By absorbing this Spiritual Qi, it continuously nourished the practitioner's Soul Power.

Spiritual Qi was not the heaven and earth energy of the Dou Qi Continent, but a completely different, higher-order energy.

Although Spiritual Qi was omnipresent on the Dou Qi Continent, it was extremely thin, making it incredibly difficult to absorb.

In the original work, although Xiao Yan could sense Spiritual Qi after obtaining the Spirit Nurturing Dust, he only managed to absorb a few wisps of it after struggling for an entire night.

It was precisely these few wisps of Spiritual Qi that strengthened his Soul Power significantly.

It was also because sensing and absorbing Spiritual Qi was so difficult that very few people within the Ling Clan cultivated this Myriad Spirits Returning to Origin Art.

After all, at the end of the day, this cultivation method was merely a Foundation Establishment Cultivation Method. With such a high threshold for cultivation, it naturally discouraged a large number of people.

One could hardly afford to waste their time on a Foundation Establishment Cultivation Method during the golden age most suitable for cultivation, could they?

"Although they have declined, to possess such a miraculous cultivation method... the Eight Ancient Clans are truly not to be underestimated."

Watching Ling You leave the room, Ling Xi sat cross-legged on the floor and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Setting aside the cultivation method for a moment, I never expected that my second check-in would yield the Devouring Ancestral Symbol from the Tian Xuan Continent in Martial Universe."

"This item is a supreme treasure of the Tian Xuan Continent; placed on the Dou Qi Continent, it is enough to even compare to the Nihility Devouring Flame."

In truth, the two were quite similar.

Both possessed an innate ability to devour and were capable of absorbing and merging various types of power.

The only difference was that the Devouring Ancestral Symbol did not possess its own consciousness like the Nihility Devouring Flame, nor could it cultivate to the level of a Nine-Star Dou Sheng.

"System, merging with the Devouring Ancestral Symbol shouldn't cause any special phenomena, right? And I won't be in unbearable pain, will I?"

As the saying goes, once bitten, twice shy; Ling Xi asked the System very cautiously.

[This fusion will not produce any phenomena, nor will it cause the host any physical pain. Please rest assured, Host.]

The System's voice rang out in Ling Xi's mind.

"Then let's merge!"

Without much hesitation, Ling Xi immediately gave the order to the System.

Taking advantage of Ling You's absence, he had to seize the time to merge with the Devouring Ancestral Symbol and then cultivate the Myriad Spirits Returning to Origin Art.

Just as Ling Xi finished speaking, a mass of darkness covered his vision without any warning.

It was not just his sight; his other six senses were almost simultaneously cut off.

Darkness. This was a world of darkness, without a sliver of light, without a trace of sound. The entire world was like chaos before the dawn of creation!

It was impossible to describe what kind of terrifying torture such an environment would be for a person. Under that kind of darkness, it felt as if even he himself did not exist.