Before long, the door to Han Tianyi's office was gently pushed open.
Liu Ruyan returned with Na'er.
"Brother..."
The moment Na'er saw Fang Lin, her violet eyes lit up.
She had changed into clean clothes, and her silver hair had been carefully combed, falling smoothly over her shoulders. She looked all the more docile and quiet.
The dust had been washed from her face, revealing delicate, finely featured looks. Her skin was as fair as porcelain, with a faint rosy flush.
"Mm."
Fang Lin nodded. His gaze lingered on Na'er for a moment before he said softly, "You look beautiful."
At those words, Na'er's ears turned faintly red. She lowered her head, though the smile tugging at her lips was impossible to hide.
"Old Han, I'll be going now."
Seeing this, Liu Ruyan bowed slightly, her tone gentle and respectful.
"Mm."
Han Tianyi gave a slight nod, his expression calm.
Liu Ruyan turned and left, closing the door gently behind her.
"Na'er, this is for you."
Han Tianyi took out an old-fashioned storage ring and handed it to her.
The ring was a lustrous white all over, its surface etched with fine patterns that seemed to shimmer faintly. It was clearly no ordinary item.
"Thank you, teacher."
Na'er accepted the storage ring and thanked him obediently.
Han Tianyi then looked at Fang Lin and said, "Little Lin, take Na'er back and help her settle in."
"If anything comes up, come to me anytime."
"All right."
Fang Lin nodded, his tone even.
Then he took Na'er's hand and led her out of the office.
They walked side by side down the corridor.
Fang Lin led Na'er into the private elevator and pressed the button for the seventieth floor.
The elevator doors closed silently, and it began to descend smoothly.
"Ding!"
A clear chime sounded. They had reached the seventieth floor.
The elevator doors slowly opened, and Fang Lin led Na'er out by the hand.
"Brother, this is..."
Na'er looked at the spacious, brightly lit living room before them and blinked in confusion.
Fang Lin explained softly, "Na'er, this is where we live."
"It's so big..."
Na'er parted her lips slightly, her voice full of surprise as she looked around.
"Mm."
Fang Lin nodded warmly. "Na'er, go take a look at the rooms and choose one you like."
Na'er looked at Fang Lin earnestly. "Brother, I want to live next to you."
"All right."
Fang Lin smiled slightly and led her toward the bedrooms.
After getting Na'er settled, Fang Lin returned to his own room.
He took out the Wordless Heavenly Book, the seemingly ordinary little booklet.
He opened it, and his mental power surged like a trickling stream, pouring into the pages as he began to examine them closely.
A line of writing slowly appeared on the booklet.
"My name is Fang Lin. By the time you read this letter, I will already be dead."
Ahem... sorry, wrong channel.
The actual writing gradually came into focus—mental cultivation art!
Fang Lin's gaze sharpened, and his heart stirred.
He continued pouring in his mental power, and lines of text welled up like spring water.
Illusion Meditation Method.
The moment those five words appeared,
Fang Lin immediately felt a terrifying mental pressure spread from the page. It was Han Tianyi's unique mental imprint.
The Illusion Meditation Method was one of the exclusive mental cultivation arts Han Tianyi had created.
It could cultivate Soul Power as well as improve mental power.
Those who cultivated it to mastery could transform their mental power into lifelike illusions, trapping enemies in dreams they could not escape and even leaving them unable to distinguish illusion from reality.
Fang Lin read on word by word, growing more astonished with every line.
Illusions could not only trap and overcome enemies in battle, but also temper one's own mental power, making it more solid and pure.
Unlike ordinary meditation methods, which simply accumulated mental power, this method tempered the practitioner by having them construct a Spirit Illusion Realm.
Practitioners had to use a reference object to build an illusory scene in their minds: all the myriad things under heaven, mountains and rivers, plants and birds, the sun and moon, and the stars...
The more detailed and expansive the illusion, the more effectively it would temper their mental power.
Of course, if the illusion collapsed, the practitioner would be left crippled at best, or die on the spot at worst.
Reading this, Fang Lin couldn't help but feel a chill.
The Illusion Meditation Method wasn't complicated to practice, but it demanded an extremely powerful mind.
As expected of a mental cultivation art personally created by his teacher. In terms of its effect on mental power alone, it probably far surpassed ordinary meditation methods.
Fang Lin closed his eyes and took a deep breath, committing the Illusion Meditation Method to memory.
A moment later, he opened his eyes. His gaze was steadier than before, and a hint of profound light seemed to glimmer deep in his pupils.
Fang Lin turned to the second page of the booklet, and his mental power surged again.
New writing slowly appeared on the page.
"Mental Shock!"
These four characters were written with sharper strokes than the words before them. Each one was like a drawn blade, keen and unsheathed.
Just looking at them made one feel a dazzling pressure on the mind.
Fang Lin steadied himself and continued probing with his mental power.
Line after line of fine text appeared, detailing how to use Mental Shock.
The practitioner condensed their mental power to a single point and unleashed it in an instant, like an invisible arrow striking directly at the enemy's mind.
Used properly, this technique could cause an enemy to lose focus briefly at best, or directly destroy their Sea of Consciousness at worst, leaving them unconscious or even scattering their soul.
However, Mental Shock demanded an extremely powerful mind.
Each use consumed a large amount of mental power. If the practitioner tried to force it when their reserves were insufficient, they could injure themselves instead.
Fang Lin slowly closed the booklet and sat in thought with his eyes shut.
For now, the most important thing wasn't to rush into trying Mental Shock. He needed to lay a solid foundation and first master the Illusion Meditation Method.
But what should he use as a reference object to construct his Spirit Illusion Realm?
Fang Lin thought for a moment, and then an idea suddenly flashed through his mind.
He possessed not only the Nine-Colored Origin Core, but also an unknown Gate of Darkness.
If so, perhaps he could build his Spirit Illusion Realm around the Gate of Darkness.
Fang Lin didn't hesitate. He sat cross-legged at once, gathered his thoughts, and let his consciousness sink slowly into the Mental Space.
When he opened his eyes again, he had arrived in that familiar void.
The Nine-Colored Origin Core floated quietly, radiating a gentle, nine-colored light.
Like a nine-colored sun, it quietly illuminated this desolate space.
Behind it, the Gate of Darkness stood in silence.
Fang Lin walked up to the Gate of Darkness and looked up at the towering portal.
He slowly raised his hand and pressed his palm against the Gate of Darkness.
It felt cold to the touch, but not with the lifeless chill of death. Rather, it was a profound coldness that held some kind of power.
Fang Lin closed his eyes, his mental power surging as he tried to sense the Gate of Darkness's aura and structure.
At the same time, the Illusion Meditation Method activated.
As time passed, little by little...
Fang Lin's consciousness sank into the Gate of Darkness. His mental power spread like strands of thread, outlining the portal bit by bit.
No one knew how long had passed before he suddenly opened his eyes.
He had failed...
Fang Lin had tried to reproduce the Gate of Darkness in his Spirit Illusion Realm, even if only as a rough outline.
His mental power poured out like floodwaters bursting through a dam, and in moments, it was almost completely depleted.
He had no doubt that if he forced himself to maintain it for even one more instant, his Spirit Illusion Realm would collapse on the spot.
As expected of the unknown existence hidden deep within him.
The Gate of Darkness was far more profound and terrifying than he had imagined.
Fang Lin took a deep breath and calmed his roiling emotions.
He wasn't discouraged. Instead, he began to reflect calmly on his failure.
Trying to reproduce the Gate of Darkness right from the start had been far too rash.
In that case, he would settle for the next best thing.
Rather than reproduce the gate itself, he would study the aura it gave off.
Perhaps using that aura as the foundation for his illusion would let him find a different path of cultivation.
At that thought, Fang Lin's mind suddenly cleared.
This time, he didn't touch the Gate of Darkness again. Instead, he sat cross-legged beside it.
He closed his eyes and opened his senses, letting his mental power flow toward the portal like a tide. He didn't force himself to outline it or try to control it; he simply sensed it in silence.
After an unknown length of time, Fang Lin slowly opened his eyes. This time, his gaze was calm and profound.
He had mastered the Illusion Meditation Method!