The ground was still shaking, its rhythm more urgent than before. I grabbed the spirit beast by the base of its horn and pulled it forward at a brisk pace. The mist had thinned considerably, and the outline of the upright stone stele ahead grew clearer and clearer, its edges glimmering with faint golden light.
There wasn't much time left.
As I walked, I summoned the system interface and took out the jade slip fragment I had accumulated from answering questions earlier. I had never used this thing before; now was the perfect time to try it. I pressed the fragment against my palm and pushed forward. A rush of heat shot through my fingertips and into my body.
My spiritual sense reacted at once.
Thirty-six steps ahead, spatial fluctuations became dense. That was not a stone stele, but a door-shaped curtain of light. Layers of runes floated across its surface, as though something were pressing down on it and making it sink bit by bit.
The secret realm was about to close.
"We need to get inside before then," I told the spirit beast.
It gave a low growl and pawed lightly at the ground with a forehoof to show that it understood. I had it stand half a step behind me, then stepped forward and pressed the jade slip fragment against the center of the light curtain.
The runes moved.
Ripples spread outward from the point of contact like circles on water. I quickly closed my eyes and mobilized all my spiritual sense to catch the paths of those changes. These symbols resembled the ones on the standing stone, but they were far more complex. Every stroke carried the power of a seal.
A question suddenly appeared in my mind: [When breaking this type of composite seal, what method should first be used to guide spiritual power?]
There were three options.
I did not hesitate and chose the second one—"Enter along the direction of its flow."
The instant I answered, the light curtain shuddered and split open with a crack. I immediately reached inside and touched the corner of a jade tome. It was scorching hot, as if it had just been taken from a fire. Beside it, a sword hovered in the air, grayish blue all over, its blade trembling faintly.
Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Art and "Flowing Abyss."
The system told me their names; they appeared automatically the moment I approached. I did not dare look any longer. I snatched the jade tome into my arms, then grabbed the sword hilt with my other hand and pulled outward.
The sword did not move.
What was it waiting for?
I had no time to think. The tremors outside were growing stronger, and cracks had begun spreading across the bone floor beneath my feet. If I did not leave now, I might never get out.
I bit my finger and smeared blood across the blade.
In an instant, a voice sounded beside my ear. "Why do you cultivate the Dao?"
I said, "To protect what must be protected."
It asked again, "If you gain great power, will you bully the weak and oppress the small?"
"I will not."
The final question sounded. "If heaven and earth reject you, will you still hold fast to your original heart?"
I tightened my grip on the hilt. "So long as the Dao is in my heart, not even heaven and earth can stop me."
As my words fell, the sword trembled and let out a clear, ringing cry. Gray-blue light flashed, and the entire sword transformed into a streak of light that shot into my brow. My forehead burned, as though a mark had been branded there.
It worked.
I turned and ran, with the spirit beast close behind. The path we had taken in had already changed. Bone beams on both sides collapsed one after another, while the passage down the middle narrowed without pause. Everywhere we had just passed was blocked by black mist.
"Go left!" the system suddenly prompted.
I did not hesitate and immediately turned left. That had originally been a wall, but now a crack had opened in it. The spirit beast and I squeezed through. Beneath our feet were slanted stone slabs, and a moment's carelessness would send us sliding down.
A thunderous crash came from behind us as the entire area collapsed.
When we rushed out of the final stretch of corridor, only an exit one zhang wide remained before us. Wind from the valley outside blew in, carrying the familiar scent of grass and trees. I shoved the spirit beast ahead, then leaped out right after it.
I hit the ground and rolled, kicking up dust.
When I looked back, the secret realm's entrance had become nothing more than an ordinary smooth stone, without the slightest trace of runes on its surface. The wind passed through the forest. Everything was so quiet that it seemed as if nothing had happened.
I leaned against a tree trunk and panted, my hands still trembling. The jade tome in my arms gradually cooled, but I could sense the vast amount of information hidden within it. The mark of Flowing Abyss between my brows also kept pulsing, as though it were adapting to my presence.
"Are you all right?" I asked, stroking the spirit beast's neck.
It shook its head, flicked its ears, then lay down beside me with its eyes fixed on that stone. It knew how dangerous that trip had been.
After resting for a moment, I rummaged through my storage pouch and swallowed several Spirit Replenishing Pills. Their effects were not as good as before. After all, I had just gone through a fierce battle, and my body had yet to fully recover. But this was not the time to nurse my wounds.
I walked to the bluestone platform at the center of the valley and sat down, spreading the jade tome across my lap.
I could not read the words.
They were all written in ancient seal script, and their arrangement differed from ordinary cultivation arts. They seemed to be arranged according to the order of some star chart. I tried reading them with my spiritual sense, but the moment I probed in even slightly, pain stabbed through my head like needles.
The system appeared at that moment: [A cognitive barrier for a high-grade cultivation art has been detected. Unlocking requires passing a test on the fundamental laws of the Heavenly Dao.]
A question quickly appeared: [When primordial chaos first opened, between the rise of clear qi and the descent of turbid qi, which came first?]
I recalled the knowledge I had accumulated from previous questions and combined it with what Red Cloud had once said about the Innate Three Qi, then chose the first answer.
Correct.
The words on the jade tome began to change, becoming clear one by one. The first section spoke of "Primal Qi Returns to Origin," explaining how to gather the spiritual power scattered throughout the limbs and bones into one whole before feeding it back into the dantian. This was no ordinary foundation-building method; it pointed directly toward realms above the Golden Core stage.
I read through it once and committed it to memory.
Then I closed my eyes and tried circulating a small portion of it. The spiritual power inside my body truly reacted differently. It no longer merely flowed along my meridians, but began rotating deep within my dantian like a vortex. It was slow, but with every revolution, I could feel some impurities being forced out.
The process was agonizing, as though new branches were growing from inside my bones.
I gritted my teeth and endured it, not daring to stop. The spirit beast remained lying beside me, occasionally lifting its head to look at me before lowering it again. A faint golden line still lingered at the tip of its horn—the potential awakened during battle had yet to fade.
By the time I completed one full circulation of the first section, the sun had already slanted westward. When I opened my eyes, my vision was much clearer than before. I could even make out the veins on distant leaves.
Flowing Abyss was responding as well.
The mark between my brows pulsed softly. I could sense it transmitting some kind of information, like memories belonging to the sword itself. But I could not yet decipher them. I needed more time to merge with it.
I put away the jade tome and placed it close against my body. I could not leave this place for the next few days; I had to thoroughly master both of these treasures.
The valley was quiet, perfect for secluded cultivation.
I adjusted my posture and prepared to try circulating the cultivation art again. The spirit beast shifted its body and blocked me within its shadow, keeping the sunlight from shining directly on me.
Just as I closed my eyes, another notification appeared from the system: [A rapidly moving presence has been detected in the distance. It is heading directly toward this area.]
I did not open my eyes.
I could not leave now, nor could I afford to.
"Wait until I complete the first revolution," I said.
The spirit beast gave a low snort, its tail sweeping across the ground.
The wind stopped.
Before you continue