Opening the Mud Pill

Lin Yiqing formed an arcane hand seal and immediately began practicing the brand-new Taiyin Scripture, as gray-white Yuan Power began to circulate through the meridians in his body.

The original Lesser Red Sun Scripture had become completely unsuitable the moment he fused with the Greater Yin Qi.

A Red Sun Technique that cultivated fire-attribute energy could not fully unleash the potential of yin-cold attribute Yuan Power; the two were inherently contradictory.

He had found it incredibly strenuous when clearing his first meridian, often exhausting his own Yuan Power in the process of forcing them open.

Fortunately, the Mysterious Light Orb had helped him modify the technique.

Within his dantian, an ocean of cold energy enveloped a slowly rotating mass of gray-white gas, looking as resplendent as the starry sky of the universe.

Sensing the flow of Taiyin Yuan Power, this vortex—which had fused with the Greater Yin Qi—began to emit waves of powerful gray-white energy, pushing Lin Yiqing's cultivation level to rise continuously.

Early Earth Origin Realm, middle stage, and then all the way to the late Earth Origin Realm! Only then did Lin Yiqing forcefully suppress it; sacred objects inevitably possessed miraculous properties.

At the same time, the meridians required for practicing the Taiyin Scripture were all brutally cleared under the reinforcement of this powerful Yuan Power.

Small vortexes began to form slowly at the nodes between his fifty-five meridians, and the Yuan Power flowing between heaven and earth seemed like hungry wolves spotting meat, rushing madly toward these vortexes.

"Hiss, late Earth Origin Realm, all fifty-five meridians cleared; this Greater Yin Qi is truly miraculous."

Lin Yiqing gasped, a look of wild joy appearing on his face; the surprises this Greater Yin Qi had brought him were simply too many.

For now, this improvement in cultivation and the transformation of his marrow and bones were only the initial signs; in the future, it might bring Lin Yiqing even greater assistance.

However, his expression soon turned peculiar; this situation really resembled the "protagonist halo" from the novels he used to read.

The protagonist would devour divine objects, flames, ice, or lightning, then see their cultivation soar, beat those who defied them, marry holy maidens or princesses, and embark on a path of becoming a powerhouse.

"And they all share a common trait: starting from the bottom and being forced to leave home. What a cliché trope."

Lin Yiqing mocked inwardly, though it felt quite satisfying when such things happened to himself.

At the same time, this strengthened his conviction to become a supreme powerhouse. With so many divine objects to aid him, if he still couldn't reach the pinnacle of the martial path, he would truly be doing a disservice to his journey in this world.

For several days in a row, Lin Yiqing continuously polished his Taiyin Yuan Power. At this moment, the He Jun brothers could no longer pose a threat to him, and if the Lin Family refused to repent, he would no longer concern himself with the bonds of the clan.

"Spirit Refining Chapter."

Looking at the book before him, Lin Yiqing couldn't help but feel excited.

This was the spiritual power manual he had obtained from that cave dwelling, and it was the key to opening the door to becoming a Rune Master.

Lin Yiqing opened the book and began to read carefully. As expected, it was a secret manual for cultivating spiritual power; while not considered profound, it was still an extraordinary item.

"Spirit Refining Chapter: Visualize the brilliant sun in the void behind the mind, constantly tempering spiritual power. When practiced to a high level, a single thought can move mountains and rivers."

A Rune Master, simply put, was another way of manifesting Yuan Power.

However, this method required spiritual power as a driver. A powerful Rune Master could cause mountains to crumble and rivers to dry up with a single thought; it was also a supreme Great Dao.

Lin Yiqing possessed top-tier aptitude. Although this book was extremely obscure, he understood it very quickly.

Setting down the Spirit Refining Chapter, Lin Yiqing slowly closed his eyes, sat with his five hearts facing the sky, cleared his mind of all distractions, and withdrew his consciousness inward. His focus gradually condensed as he visualized the scorching sun existing behind his mind.

"Calm the heart and stabilize the breath, let the spirit be serene, wash the heart and filter the thoughts, keep the mind clear and the demeanor respectful."

The obscure incantations flowed continuously through Lin Yiqing's heart. After sitting in silence for a while, a ripple stirred in his mind. In a trance, wisps of spiritual power seeped out from his consciousness and finally spread outward.

As his spiritual power spread, Lin Yiqing clearly saw the scene inside the cave, and then it expanded rapidly toward the surroundings.

When he broke through to the Earth Origin Realm, he already knew his spiritual power was extremely strong, capable of sensing things within hundreds of meters—about ten times stronger than an average person.

Now that he had cultivated spiritual power, this range expanded once more, vaguely encompassing the area within a thousand meters of the cave.

Compared to Yuan Power, spiritual power was more illusory, yet it was tangibly real.

Lin Yiqing knew that true powerhouses never had weak spiritual power; only all-around strength was true strength.

The supreme "Ancestor Realm" required one to cultivate both Yuan Power and spiritual power to the extreme before attempting a breakthrough.

The formless spiritual power accumulated more and more, instantly forming an ocean in Lin Yiqing's mind. The immense spiritual power he was born with finally manifested at this moment.

The formless and powerful spiritual power roared and rolled within Lin Yiqing's mind, then surged toward the Baihui Acupoint at the top of his head.

"Boom!"

An invisible thunderclap exploded, and an invisible space was opened at the Baihui Acupoint on the top of his head, into which all the spiritual power surged.

"The Mud Pill Palace is opened!"

Noticing this, Lin Yiqing naturally knew he had opened the Mud Pill Palace at the top of his head.

He couldn't help but feel a surge of joy; the most important step in spiritual power cultivation had finally been reached.

The head has nine palaces, corresponding to the nine heavens. The central palace is called the Mud Pill, also known as the Yellow Court, the Kunlun, or the Heavenly Valley; it has many names.

The Mud Pill Palace is the Upper Dantian Palace, located at the center of the nine palaces. The four palaces near the Mud Pill are called the Four Directions, and the edge areas far from the Mud Pill are called the Four Corners.

Taoism has dozens of names for the Mud Pill Palace, such as Heavenly Brain, Yellow Court, Kunlun, and Heavenly Valley.

Zhang Jingyue's annotation in the Classified Canon states: "The human brain is the sea of marrow, which is the Upper Dantian, where the Taiyi Emperor resides."

The so-called "Taiyi" is the ancestral palace of the body, occupying the supreme and unparalleled position; it is the gathering place of all Yang and the capital of all spirits.

The Ten Books of Cultivation state: "The Heavenly Brain is the ancestor of the body, the meeting place of a hundred spirits, and its path aligns with the Great Mystery, hence it is called the Mud Pill."

Just as Lin Yiqing opened his Mud Pill Palace, in front of the inner hall of the Lin Family, a figure paced back and forth, looking like an ant on a hot pan.

Lin Yun appeared hesitant and distracted, sporting large dark circles under his eyes; clearly, Lin Yiqing's departure had been weighing heavily on him for some time.

Ever since he heard that Lin Yiqing had wounded the Lin Hong brothers and left in a fit of anger, followed by rumors that the Second Master of the Lin Family had dispatched men to capture him, he had been living in constant fear.

He was deeply worried that if Lin Yiqing were to reveal the spoils from the Relic Mansion, his own cultivation at the fifth level of the Body Tempering Realm would be nowhere near enough to protect them, and he might even be silenced to ensure the treasure remained hidden.

The opportunity gained from the cave dwelling was immense, yet he felt deeply unwilling to hand it over to the family, though he saw no way to resolve the dilemma; words could hardly describe the bitterness of his predicament.

"Cousin Yiqing, don't blame me for this!"

Lin Yun paced before the door for a moment, then, with a look of heartache on his face, gritted his teeth and rushed into the inner hall of the Lin family.