Acquiring Treasure and Returning, Strength Greatly Increased

The ground was still shaking, the rhythm more urgent than before. I gripped the base of the spirit beast's horns, pulling it forward quickly. The mist had thinned considerably, and the silhouette of the standing stone tablet ahead was becoming clearer, its edges glowing faintly gold.

There wasn't much time.

As I walked, I brought up the System interface and took out the jade slip fragments I'd accumulated from answering questions. I hadn't used them before, but now was a good time to try. I placed a fragment on my palm and pushed forward, a surge of warmth shooting up my arm from my fingertips.

My spiritual sense immediately reacted.

Thirty-six steps ahead, spatial fluctuations became dense. It wasn't a stone tablet there, but a door-shaped light screen, covered in layers of runes, as if being suppressed by something and slowly sinking.

The secret realm was closing.

"We have to get in before it does," I told the spirit beast.

It let out a low hum, pawing the ground lightly with its front hooves, indicating understanding. I had it stand half a step behind me, then stepped forward myself, pressing the jade slip fragment against the center of the light screen.

The runes moved.

Ripples spread out from the point of contact, like waves on water. I quickly closed my eyes, mobilizing all my spiritual sense to capture the patterns of change. These symbols were similar to those on the standing stone, but far more complex, each stroke imbued with sealing power.

A question suddenly popped into my mind: [When deciphering this type of composite seal, what is the first step to guide spiritual power?]

There were three options.

Without hesitation, I chose the second one—"Insert along the flow direction."

The moment I answered, the light screen shuddered, and a crack appeared. I immediately reached in and touched the edge of a jade booklet. It was scorching hot, as if just pulled from a fire. Beside it, a sword hovered, entirely gray-blue, its body trembling slightly.

Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Art and "Flowing Abyss."

The System told me the names; they popped up automatically as I got close. I didn't dare look too closely, snatching the jade booklet into my arms with one hand and reaching for the sword hilt with the other, pulling it outward.

The sword didn't move.

What was it waiting for?

I didn't have time to think. The shaking outside intensified, and cracks began to appear on the bone floor beneath my feet. If I didn't leave soon, I might not be able to get out.

I bit my finger and smeared blood onto the sword's body.

Instantly, a voice sounded in my ear: "Why do you cultivate the Dao?"

I said: "To protect what must be protected."

It asked again: "If you gain immense power, will you bully the weak and prey on the small?"

I replied: "No."

The final voice rang out: "If heaven and earth reject you, will you still hold onto your original heart?"

I gripped the sword hilt tighter. "As long as the Dao is in my heart, even heaven and earth cannot stop me."

As my words fell, the sword body trembled, emitting a clear, resonant hum. A flash of gray-blue light, and the entire sword transformed into a stream of light, drilling into my brow. My forehead burned, as if a brand had been seared onto it.

It was done.

I turned and ran, the spirit beast close behind. The path we had taken was unrecognizable; bone beams on either side collapsed one by one, and the passage in the middle narrowed continuously. The places we had just passed were now completely blocked by black mist.

"Go left!" the System suddenly prompted.

Without hesitation, I immediately veered left. It had been a wall before, but now a crack had opened. The spirit beast and I squeezed through, our feet landing on a sloping stone slab that threatened to send us sliding if we weren't careful.

A rumbling sound came from behind; the entire area collapsed.

As we rushed out of the last section of the corridor, only an exit about ten feet wide remained before us. The valley wind from outside blew in, carrying the familiar scent of grass and trees. I shoved the spirit beast forward and leaped out right behind it.

I rolled to a stop, kicking up dust.

Looking back, only an ordinary stone remained where the secret realm entrance had been, its surface smooth, devoid of any trace of runes. The wind rustled through the trees; everything was as quiet as if nothing had happened.

I leaned against a tree trunk, catching my breath, my hands still trembling. The jade booklet in my arms slowly cooled, but I could feel the vast amount of information hidden within. The mark of "Flowing Abyss" on my brow pulsed incessantly, as if adapting to my presence.

"Are you alright?" I patted the spirit beast's neck.

It shook its head, its ears twitching, then lay down beside me, its eyes fixed on the stone. It knew how perilous that trip had been.

After resting for a moment, I rummaged through my storage bag and took out a few spirit-replenishing pills, swallowing them. The medicinal effect wasn't as good as before; after all, I had just been through a major battle, and my body hadn't fully recovered. But this wasn't the time to nurse my wounds.

I walked to the bluestone platform in the center of the valley and sat down, spreading the jade booklet across my lap.

I couldn't understand the characters.

They were all ancient seal script, and their arrangement was unlike ordinary cultivation methods, seeming to follow the order of some star chart. I tried to read them with my spiritual sense, but the moment I probed a little, my head felt like it was being stabbed by needles.

The System chimed in at this moment: [Detected high-level cultivation technique comprehension barrier. Requires passing basic Heavenly Dao principles test to unlock.]

The question appeared quickly: [When the Primordial Wilderness first opened, which was faster: the rise of pure qi or the descent of turbid qi?]

I recalled the knowledge I'd accumulated from previous questions and combined it with Hong Yun's mention of "Innate Three Qi," choosing the first answer.

Correct.

The text on the jade booklet began to change, becoming clear one by one. The first section discussed "Primal Qi Returns to Origin," explaining how to condense the spiritual power scattered throughout the limbs and body into one, and then feed it back to the Dantian. This was not an ordinary Foundation Establishment technique, but one that directly pointed towards the Golden Core stage and beyond.

I read it once and committed it to memory.

Then I closed my eyes and tried to run a small section. The spiritual power within my body reacted differently, no longer just flowing along the meridians, but swirling like a vortex deep within my Dantian. The speed was slow, but with each rotation, I could feel impurities being squeezed out.

The process was painful, like new branches growing from bone.

I gritted my teeth and endured, not daring to stop. The spirit beast stayed by my side, occasionally looking up at me before lowering its head again. A trace of golden thread still lingered on the tip of its horn, a remnant of its potential unleashed during battle, which hadn't faded yet.

By the time I finished reciting the first passage of the incantation once through, the sun was already setting in the west. When I opened my eyes, my vision was significantly clearer than before; I could even discern the patterns on the leaves of distant trees.

"Flowing Abyss" also seemed to be responding.

The mark between my brows pulsed gently, and I could feel it transmitting some kind of information, like the sword's own memories. However, I couldn't decipher it yet and needed more time to integrate it.

I put the jade book away, keeping it close to my body. I couldn't leave this place for the next few days; I had to master these two items completely.

The valley was quiet, perfect for secluded cultivation.

I adjusted my posture, preparing to cycle the cultivation technique once more. The spirit beast shifted its body, shielding me in its shadow to prevent direct sunlight from hitting me.

As soon as I closed my eyes, the System popped up another notification: [Detected a rapidly moving aura in the distance, heading directly towards this area].

I didn't open my eyes.

I couldn't leave now, nor could I afford to.

"Wait until I've mastered the first revolution," I said.

The spirit beast let out a low hum, its tail sweeping across the ground.

The wind stopped.