One Year

The Royal Mausoleum was sealed, and Ling Yun took the opportunity to begin cultivating in seclusion. With no one to disturb him, he felt completely relaxed and became even more absorbed in his cultivation.

On one side was the Myriad Dao Immortal Scripture, and on the other was the Life Talisman Heavenly Canon. The two cultivation methods represented the powers of two different systems, which circulated through Ling Yun's body in an endless cycle.

As his cultivation deepened, Ling Yun found cultivation increasingly effortless, advancing at a pace that could cover a thousand miles in a day.

Ling Yun had caught up in less than half a year with what the Core Formation Realm experts in the royal residence had spent decades striving to achieve. If outsiders learned of it, they would probably sigh over it all over again. Comparisons between people really could make one die of envy.

With the situation in the outside world still unclear, a year passed in a hurry.

During that year, the evil cultivators seemed to have gone completely into hiding, vanishing without a trace.

Ling Yun, who had remained in seclusion in the Royal Mausoleum, was even more oblivious to matters beyond his window, and his cultivation had reached a critical juncture.

On this day, both powers within Ling Yun broke through their shackles and reached a new level-Core Formation Realm Perfection.

Whether it was the Spiritual Yuan in his dantian or the Talisman Yuan in his Life Talisman, both powers reached Core Formation Realm Perfection in one fell swoop. Their combined effect had long surpassed the very peak of the Core Formation Realm, and was even stronger than that of an ordinary Primordial Spirit Realm cultivator!

Atop the Royal Mausoleum, Ling Yun opened his eyes amid the warm morning light. He rose to his feet, and an immensely powerful presence rippled out from him, sending fallen leaves flying through the mountain forest.

The power came quickly and vanished just as fast. Ling Yun reined it in at once, as though nothing had happened.

"I've finally reached this point!"

Ling Yun murmured softly, a smile on his lips.

After spending a year, Ling Yun had finally pushed his cultivation to Core Formation Realm Perfection. But his strength had long since reached the Primordial Spirit Realm!

Facing the Primordial Spirit Realm as a Core Formation Realm cultivator-Ling Yun was perhaps the only person in the entire Eastern Desolation who could do so.

"Now that I've reached Core Formation Realm Perfection, I'll soon be able to break through to the Primordial Spirit Realm by cultivating the Spirit Refining Technique!"

That was what Ling Yun thought.

The Spirit Refining Technique was a supreme method for cultivating the soul, which the Heavenly Talisman Great Emperor had obtained through a fortuitous encounter. Ling Yun took it very seriously.

The range of his spiritual sense had now reached a terrifying sixty li! That was already the limit most great cultivators at Primordial Spirit Realm Perfection could reach.

And Ling Yun was still only at Core Formation Realm Perfection!

"Not only that, but the first origin spell of my Life-bound Talisman has finally finished forming. I'll call it the Eye of Deception!"

The Eye of Deception was a powerful mental Dao technique that could confound the five senses and spiritual sense, leaving a person devoid of all perception.

If an opponent's mental strength was weaker than Ling Yun's, they could easily be drawn into a vortex by his Eye of Deception in an instant, leaving them at his mercy.

Even someone with powerful mental strength would falter for a moment if struck by the Eye of Deception. In a battle between great cultivators, such a small mistake was often deadly enough to leave a person in an inescapable deathtrap.

"That's a fine gain."

Ling Yun could not resist trying to activate this spell of his Life Talisman.

In an instant, a wondrous layer of crimson light covered Ling Yun's eyes. In that state, heaven and earth around him were suffused with a profound sense of unreality, as though heaven and earth, yin and yang, had all been turned upside down.

"Used together with the Heart of Heavenly Illusion, it's a bona fide illusion-formation maker." Ling Yun withdrew his power, feeling even more satisfied.

During that year, besides his gains in cultivation, Ling Yun had discovered that the Crimson Gold Spirit Fire in his dantian had also begun to transform under the effects of the Spirit-Nurturing Method.

The presence of the Crimson Gold Spirit Fire was growing stronger and stronger, and it also gave off a rich breath of regeneration. Surely it would not be long before the Crimson Gold Spirit Fire gave birth to its origin!

"Besides, I haven't signed in once this whole year, all so I could save up for a yearly sign-in!"

At the thought, Ling Yun's heart burned with excitement.

He had a feeling that the treasure from this yearly sign-in would be more powerful than any he had received before!

The Three-Inch Flying Immortal, the Flying Sword Technique, and the Heart of Heavenly Illusion were all top-grade sixth-tier treasures. And if he used a yearly sign-in, there was a strong chance he could obtain a seventh-tier treasure!

At this thought, Ling Yun could no longer hold back. "System, use the yearly sign-in!" he said.

In an instant, a power beyond the rules began to work, and soon the system's electronic response sounded in the depths of his sea of consciousness.

"Ding-congratulations, host. Sign-in at the Royal Mausoleum successful!"

"Obtained a spiritual treasure of heaven and earth-True Spirit Qi!"

Taking in the information about True Spirit Qi transmitted by the system, Ling Yun could not help drawing a sharp breath.

"Spiritual treasures of heaven and earth have no fixed tier. And this True Spirit Qi is definitely something no amount of money can buy."

Even Ling Yun was astonished by this sign-in reward.

Simply put, True Spirit Qi allowed Spirit Fire to transform and develop a true spirit. The true spirit was the source of a Spirit Fire's sentience, and a Spirit Fire that had developed sentience and possessed spiritual awareness was already considered an alternative form of living being-a Mystic Spirit Fire!

"It can give Spirit Fire a true spirit and transform it into Mystic Spirit Fire!"

Sensing the wisp of True Spirit Qi in the system space, which gave off an exquisitely wondrous presence, Ling Yun could not contain his joy.

"I thought I was incredibly lucky just to get a Spirit Fire, but now it looks like I'm about to have a Mystic Spirit Fire!"

Ling Yun immediately took the Crimson Gold Spirit Fire out of his dantian. Feeling the scorching heat it gave off, he gazed at it with anticipation.

"I'm feeding you all this True Spirit Qi, so you'd better not let me down!"

As he spoke, he took the True Spirit Qi directly out of the system space and infused it into the core of the Crimson Gold Spirit Fire.

In an instant, waves of searing heat poured from the Crimson Gold Spirit Fire. As though it had consumed something immensely nourishing, it began to undergo a series of transformations.

Without another word, Ling Yun returned the Crimson Gold Spirit Fire to his dantian and continued nourishing it with the Spirit-Nurturing Method, hoping to succeed as soon as possible.

"It was already about to form its Spirit Fire origin, but now that it has the True Spirit Qi as well, I'm afraid the Crimson Gold Spirit Fire's transformation will take even longer."

Ling Yun could not help muttering to himself.

But it was all worthwhile. For the sake of a Mystic Spirit Fire, he could afford to wait a few years. After all, other people did not even have a Mystic Spirit Fire.

A top-tier Mystic Spirit Fire was something even saints and quasi-emperors would fight fiercely to claim. Not only that, but top-tier Mystic Spirit Fires were said to be so highly sentient that they could cultivate into human form on their own and become some of the greatest experts under heaven!

Looking as though he had struck it rich, Ling Yun felt keenly how lovable the system was, and grew especially fond of yearly sign-ins.

He had already decided to save up more yearly sign-ins so he could obtain more treasures.

It would be best to get a few more spiritual treasures of heaven and earth on the same level as True Spirit Qi!

Ling Yun daydreamed.

After a long while, Ling Yun finally gathered his thoughts and consolidated his cultivation once more. Only then did he leave the top of the Royal Mausoleum and return to the cottage.