Every field had its specialists, and people learned the Dao in different orders. Letting professionals handle professional work had always been Lin Xian's guiding principle.
If it had been any other system, dissecting Spirit Summoning and Dispatching might have posed a minor problem.
But System 10086 had nothing to worry about, because The Outcast world was Its home turf.
System 10086 had originally been assigned to The Outcast. There had merely been the tiniest little deviation, and It had transmigrated into another "The Outcast"—the "perennial runner-up, Desolate Ancient Sacred Body."
Analyzing a Spirit Summoning and Dispatching technique was hardly difficult.
The Qi-State Origin-Flow, one of the Eight Extraordinary Skills included in the beginner's gift pack, had cracked the ultimate mystery—Return to Origin—from the very beginning.
"Beep, beep, beep..."
System, activate!
That ethereal voice rang by his ear. System 10086's most basic function activated, like a supercomputer with an optical brain, deducing and analyzing every structural detail of Spirit Summoning and Dispatching.
[1%...28%...56%...81%...99%...]
The progress bar crept forward bit by bit, finally stalling at 99%. It suddenly froze, seeming to have encountered some difficult problem that prevented it from advancing even a fraction. Seeing this, Lin Xian could not help encouraging it. "System, we crawled out of the Chaos Sea. Keep your spirits up, good job, don't disgrace yourself!"
A rustling current crackled intermittently as System 10086 could not help complaining, "Host, be a decent person. Stop slacking off so much."
From Qi-State Origin-Flow to opening the Sea of Bitterness, from breaking through to the Life Spring to Spirit Summoning and Dispatching, It could practically never see the host doing any work.
It always had the illusion that It was the host, while Lin Xian was the system.
"A gentleman is not born different; he is simply skilled at making use of things."
Lin Xian thought to himself, then said calmly, "Don't dwell on such trivial details. As long as the result is right, that's enough. Immortality need not ask where one comes from, and becoming an immortal need not ask what road one took."
"Damn it!" System 10086 could not help cursing. "You're not the one doing the work, of course you don't care!"
"System, don't be angry."
Lin Xian smiled as he dangled a tempting prospect before It. "Don't you want to become an Advanced System?"
"What does that have to do with the Eight Extraordinary Skills?" System 10086 refused to be manipulated. Even if It had an opportunity to advance into an Advanced System, it would be in the Shrouding the Heavens Universe, in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, or within the Sea of Realms—not on some tiny Earth.
Yesterday was dead with yesterday; today was born anew with today. It was no longer the low-level System 10086, but the Intermediate System, Niu Hulu · Check-In · 10086!
"Earth may be small, but the universe is vast and boundless."
Lin Xian smiled faintly and found an excuse to ask Feng Zhenghao for an observatory as a place for secluded cultivation.
Using the instruments to observe the stars, Lin Xian pointed to the vast night sky and said meaningfully, "The immortals of The Outcast world are not battle immortals. They are more like immortals who unify with Heaven and Earth, touching upon a certain kind of authority."
"They use the small heaven and earth within themselves to influence the great heaven and earth of the universe. This is inner and outer resonance—the Inner Landscape."
"The Great Universe does not consist of Earth alone. There are also countless stars and endless galaxies."
"When the Inner Landscape manifests outwardly, one becomes the master of one's own small heaven and earth. This is called a Qi Configuration."
"Twenty-Four Solar Terms Tongtian Valley is a Qi Configuration. Is this boundless universe not also a Qi Configuration?"
System 10086 fell silent. According to host Lin Xian's deduction, although this world's immortals were weak, they could use themselves as a fulcrum to leverage the power of Earth, even the universe.
This was not a difference in energy, but an application of certain rules.
"A conjecture is still only a conjecture," System 10086 countered. "Without proof, it will ultimately amount to nothing."
"No, I have evidence. Look at this." Lin Xian circulated Qi-State Origin-Flow, and a point of pure, hazy white light emerged at his fingertip. He said gravely, "When Qi-State Origin-Flow is cultivated to its deepest level and touches the origin, what it nurtures is Innate Qi."
"Innate Qi is the foundation of cultivation for Otherworlders in this world. Even Innate Otherworlders derive their abilities from Innate Qi."
"Doesn't that have the flavor of a Mortal Body giving rise to all constitutions?"
The Mortal Body was not the strongest, but it was the foundation.
What was a foundation? It was the mother body, the realm, the origin.
A Mortal Body could transform into myriad constitutions. When Mortal Bodies combined, countless possible combinations could give birth to a Primordial Chaotic Body, a Primordial First-Generation Sacred Body, or any other constitution.
This was the mother of all constitutions—the foundation.
"Dao Generates One, One generates Two, Two generates Three, Three generates all things. All things bear yin and embrace yang, blending their qi to achieve harmony."
Lin Xian drew the Primordial Qi into his Wheel and Sea secret realm, mending the cracks in his Life Wheel. Faint white light flickered in his eyes as he murmured, "This One may be called Primordial Qi, Longevity Immortal Essence, or Primordial Essence!"
System 10086 trembled. The System Race traversed the Chaos Sea and looked down upon the heavens and myriad worlds. Naturally, It knew what Primordial Essence was!
Essence qi was divided into acquired and innate.
Acquired essence nourished, while Primordial Essence gave birth.
Postnatal Essence Qi was the essence qi, spiritual qi, and vital qi familiar to the world. It had to be refined and absorbed to nourish the spirit and sustain life. In the end, it became one's own mana. If one's mana became vast enough, one could burn the heavens and boil the seas, seize stars and pluck the moon.
The Time and Space of The Outcast was a typical world where Postnatal Essence Qi was sparse. That was why it had only minor spells, rather than great divine powers capable of moving mountains and overturning seas.
Primordial Essence accompanied the birth of the human body. It was the beginning of one's personal heaven and earth. When form was complete, spirit was born; when form perished, spirit was extinguished.
Primordial Qi, Primordial Essence, and Longevity Immortal Essence were all the same thing—the One in "Dao Generates One."
Primordial Essence was finite. Its initial value was one, and it was damaged throughout the passage of time and the process of continual growth. When it was completely exhausted and one returned to zero, death arrived.
Some people were unwilling to wait for death and longed for immortality, so they sought immortals and pursued the Dao. They borrowed falsehood to cultivate truth and comprehended the fortune of Heaven and Earth. Though they did not attain immortality, their bodies and spirits were elevated. The vessel that held Primordial Essence Qi expanded, allowing them to extend their lifespan and wield considerable power.
Such people were cultivators.
A cultivator's Primordial Essence was vast enough to sustain them for thousands or tens of thousands of years, but it was not infinite. One day, it would still run dry.
How to solve this problem was the Immortal Ascension Road, the Longevity Method.
Lin Xian currently knew of two Immortal Ascension Roads. One was the Longevity Method of the Ancient Immortal Era. Once one's realm reached that of a True Immortal, the consumption of Primordial Essence became exceedingly slight. One could also use the Longevity Substance produced by the universe to replenish that expenditure. With one gain and one loss, a perfect balance was formed.
As long as Longevity Substance remained, True Immortals would live forever, sharing the lifespan of Heaven and Earth and shining alongside the sun and moon.
One could even say that if there were enough Longevity Substance, even mortals could live forever and become Immortal Citizens.
Unfortunately, that path had been severed. At the End of the Chaotic Ancient Era, the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths shattered. Though the Desolate Heaven Emperor restored the Myriad Dao, the will of Heaven cut itself once more. It no longer produced Longevity Substance, and instead had to draw it back in to repair the Cosmic Origin.
As a result, the True Immortal path of the Great Universe was severed. Even a Great Emperor, powerful as he was, could only live for a little over ten thousand years. Despite possessing inconceivable power, he could only die of old age.
Yet nothing was ever absolute. Beneath the will of Heaven, there was always a sliver of hope. Some astonishing geniuses struggled for survival in the Dharma-Ending Era and ultimately forged another Red-Dust Immortal Path.
Since the Great Universe no longer produced Longevity Substance, they would produce Longevity Immortal Essence themselves and create a small universe within their bodies. Once the Longevity Immortal Essence accumulated within reached a certain level, they could undergo transformation in their twilight years and live a brand-new Second Lifetime.
Thus, they used every possible means to keep living, transforming lifetime after lifetime. When the Longevity Substance produced within their bodies could completely offset the ravages of time, they became true Red Dust Immortals.
Once one attained the station of a Red Dust Immortal, even if Heaven and Earth were destroyed, one would remain undying; even if the sun and moon decayed, one would remain undying.
Not to mention the Dharma-Ending Era, where no Longevity Substance was produced—even in the Age of Severed Spirits, where not even Postnatal Essence Qi existed, a Red Dust Immortal could still live forever.
Because while he stood amid the red dust, he himself was the Immortal Realm.
"And the foundation of all this is this." Lin Xian's voice was quiet and profound. "Primordial Qi, Primordial Essence Qi, Longevity Immortal Essence."
"Now, System, tell me: is this 'One' important?"