Nine was the ultimate number!
The threshold of nine Life Palaces alone had stopped countless geniuses in their tracks, making innumerable people turn back at the sight of it.
Anyone in the present age who could open nine Life Palaces could be called a peerless prodigy!
They stood above countless geniuses and surpassed ninety-nine percent of the people in the world, an insurmountable mountain.
Nine Life Palaces were also the standard by which the heirs of archaic clans, primordial imperial clans, and ancient kingdoms and dynasties were measured.
Ten Life Palaces marked the dividing line for special physiques, such as the Chaos Body, Immaculate Divine Body, Myriad Tribulations Mortal Body, Ancient Nether Divine Body, and Ancient Heavenly Phoenix Body.
Eleven and twelve Life Palaces existed only in the golden ages recorded in ancient texts!
As for thirteen Life Palaces, no one had achieved them before, and no one would come after!
Someone with thirteen Life Palaces could be called a pioneer who had made history, truly invincible under heaven and unparalleled through the ages!
For cultivators, the Life Palace Realm was the foundation of cultivation and a dividing line on the path of cultivation.
The number of Life Palaces only represented a person's potential and talent.
It could not reveal what a person would ultimately achieve.
On the path of cultivation, all roads led to the same destination in the end. To cultivate the Dao was also to cultivate the heart, and one's Dao heart mattered most of all.
"Back when I was in the Life Palace Realm, I only opened ten Life Palaces. I... what does that make me?"
The corner of Ninth Ancestor's eye twitched. Compared to this junior of his own family, he suddenly felt he was practically crippled.
Crippled to the point of being a good-for-nothing!
Whoosh!
Li Xunyuan woke from his earlier special state, and the thirteen Life Palaces above his head quietly vanished from sight right after.
After opening thirteen Life Palaces, Li Xunyuan's bearing had grown even more unworldly and immortal. Immortal Qi wreathed his entire body, setting him apart from the world like a young Heavenly Emperor!
"Ninth Ancestor, I opened thirteen Life Palaces. Did something go wrong?" Li Xunyuan asked.
Hearing the young man's humblebrag, Ninth Ancestor had black lines all over his forehead. He put on a dark face, came over to Li Xunyuan, and gave him a thorough examination.
Only after learning that everything was normal with his physique did he secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
"Throughout the ages, ten Life Palaces have been the limit. Eleven are also possible with enough effort, but twelve exist only in ancient texts. Only ancient freaks could achieve that."
"As for your thirteen Life Palaces, they are the only ones in all eternity, a first for the ages!"
Ninth Ancestor praised him from the bottom of his heart, his voice trembling somewhat with excitement.
Even with his state of mind, he could scarcely hide his astonishment at this moment.
He had witnessed the birth of a miracle with his own eyes. In the future, he could be recorded in the annals of history, his name remembered for eternity!
"Looks like I'm pretty amazing after all!" Li Xunyuan said narcissistically.
Ninth Ancestor rolled his eyes at him. This was hardly a question of being amazing or not. This was freaking awesome!
It was like a little cow riding an airplane!
"Though thirteen Life Palaces are unique throughout eternity, remember never to grow arrogant. There are many peerless prodigies in this world, but very few can make it to the end with a smile!"
Ninth Ancestor was terrified that Li Xunyuan would grow proud and complacent, so he said earnestly, "Talent is important, but your Dao heart matters even more. The true meaning of cultivation is cultivating the heart!"
"Understood."
Li Xunyuan nodded and accepted the lesson. Naturally, he understood these principles.
There was no way he would become arrogant. He was more cautious than anyone else, cautious as could be!
"Good. Only by remaining humble and steady can you accomplish great things!"
Seeing this, Ninth Ancestor nodded in satisfaction and praised him.
"By the way, Ninth Ancestor, I wanted to ask where the Immortal Pavilion is."
Li Xunyuan seemed to recall something and asked the question.
For the past two and a half years, he had been cultivating under Ninth Ancestor and had never had time to go out and check in.
He had already mastered One Sword Makes Immortals Kneel to perfection.
During this time, Li Xunyuan had tested it countless times and could now say with absolute certainty:
Apart from humanoid beings, no one could withstand a single sword strike from him.
For example, there was that stubborn stone atop the clouds, born and nurtured by heaven and earth. It was known as the innate divine stone with the strongest defense, yet he had split it in two with a single sword strike.
And then there was the little turtle Ninth Ancestor raised. Under the pressure of Immortals Kneel, it split apart on the spot and went into the pot that very night.
Sichuan peppercorns, bay leaves, cinnamon, dried chilies... everything was there, all five spices included!
Now, Li Xunyuan felt he had finished cultivating all five of his immortal arts and had also successfully opened thirteen Life Palaces.
Most importantly, he had wreaked just about enough havoc in the Ancient Realm, and it was time to go out and collect his check-in reward.
The idealist divine ability was still the one that came most naturally to him. It was simply outrageous.
He just didn't know what divine ability the next check-in would give him, and he was very curious.
"The Immortal Pavilion?"
Ninth Ancestor raised an eyebrow and glanced at Li Xunyuan.
Though he didn't know why the latter was asking about the place, he patiently began to explain.
"The Immortal Pavilion is the Li Lineage's treasury, passed down from the distant Primordial Era all the way to the present age of prosperity."
Ninth Ancestor explained it carefully and at length.
"Kid, the Immortal Pavilion is sacred and must not be damaged. I'm warning you, don't do anything reckless!"
Thinking of the embarrassing things Li Xunyuan had done in the Ancient Realm over the past two years, Ninth Ancestor belatedly realized he had let it slip. He immediately bristled and glared as he warned him.
"Ahem!"
Seeing Ninth Ancestor lose his composure like this, Li Xunyuan coughed awkwardly and gave an embarrassed smile. "Ninth Ancestor, I'm only asking. I'm not doing anything else, so don't be nervous!"
"How can I not be nervous?" Ninth Ancestor said, glaring.
The little turtle he had painstakingly raised, which he kept for amusement and conversation, had been stewed into soup by this brat in the middle of the night!
The heaven-and-earth spirit stone he had handled for more than ten thousand years had been secretly split in two by this brat!
And the Autumn Moon Spirit Bamboo, which had taken five thousand years to bloom, had all been cut in half!
As a result, Ninth Ancestor, who had never been good with words, became even more silent and reserved. He often shook his head and sighed quietly in his day-to-day life.
The person in question expressed deep regret, but there was nothing he could do. After all, he was the one who had chosen this brat!
Li Xunyuan darkened his face and said, "Ninth Ancestor, I only need some Creation Source and, while I'm there, a weapon that suits me. That's all. I really don't mean to do anything bad!"
He had just broken through to the Life Palace Realm, taking one step, looking two steps ahead, and thinking three steps ahead.
Picking up some Creation Source to increase his chances of breaking through to the Creation Realm was perfectly reasonable, right?
Besides, Creation Source could also strengthen one's foundation. Having broken through to the Life Palace Realm, he happened to need some time to stabilize himself.
And there was also the fact that, after almost three years, he still didn't have a single weapon that suited him.
As the Li Lineage's divine son, it was highly unreasonable for him not to have a decent weapon.
Hearing that Li Xunyuan only wanted to take some Creation Source and a weapon, Ninth Ancestor secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Some things in the Immortal Pavilion are far too unruly. Whatever you do, act within your limits," Ninth Ancestor specifically warned him.
He was terrified that Li Xunyuan might do something heaven-defying.
Then again, taking something out of the Immortal Pavilion was no easy task!
This brat had always enjoyed smooth sailing. Going to the Immortal Pavilion to have his edge dulled might not be such a bad thing.
"Hehe!"
Ninth Ancestor could almost see Li Xunyuan's humiliating return, dusty and defeated. He immediately couldn't help chuckling.
Li Xunyuan frowned slightly and asked tentatively, "Ninth Ancestor, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. I thought of something that makes me happy."
Ninth Ancestor immediately suppressed his smile and said with a perfectly straight face, "The mystic turtle I raised had babies!"
"Didn't it die?"
"That's none of your concern. Whatever I say is what it is!"