"Mahāvastu"!

Jiang Zhe rode the Sky-Escaping Shuttle out of Wudao.

He found a conspicuous spot in the Great Wilderness, called the HR Alliance's internal hotline, shared his location, and had them dispatch a plane to pick him up.

Flying back himself was absolutely out of the question.

The Sky-Escaping Shuttle traveled at roughly 1.6 kilometers per second. A distance of around 3,000 kilometers would take over half an hour.

Why make things hard on himself when he could enjoy himself?

He needed to keep a low profile and develop for now. Otherwise, he would have had Oriana turn into a King-Class Warplane and fly him back.

While waiting, Jiang Zhe asked a question that concerned him greatly.

"Anna, have you learned how to measure Brain Domain Capacity?"

"Master, I've mastered it. It isn't difficult; I can replicate it easily."

"What's my Brain Domain Capacity?" Jiang Zhe asked curiously.

"After your three... I don't know what it was before, but your current Brain Domain Capacity is 40. Once fully developed, it would be equivalent to that of a normal ninth-rank stellar Psychic Master. However, the Psychic Power accumulated in your brain is only barely enough for you to reach the first stellar rank."

"Heh, so there's a big bomb stored in my head?"

"No, it's inside your Original Core."

After taking a private plane back to Lanling Base City, Jiang Zhe rode the Sky-Escaping Shuttle home.

There, he ran into the "Black Bear Demon" wandering around the front yard again.

The moment Jiang Zhe landed beside him, he was hooked around the neck. With his other hand, Jiang Wu snatched away the Sky-Escaping Shuttle, his fan-sized "bear paw" running all over its silver-gray body.

"Not bad, you little thief. You're already a councilor, yet you've upgraded your gear again. What the hell is this thing?"

"A Psychic Weapon. The Sky-Escaping Shuttle."

"Pretty nice. Looks like a Flying Skateboard. Let me play with it?"

Jiang Zhe spread his hands. "Even if I gave it to you, you wouldn't know how to use it. I'll show you something good later."

He broke free from his second brother's bear-like arm, then used Psychic Power to snatch back the Sky-Escaping Shuttle and carry it on his back. "Second Brother, Grandpa and the others are all home, right?"

It had been less than ten hours since they had parted at the War God Palace.

"They're all home. Grandpa called us into a meeting earlier and showed us the recording of you killing Li NanSheng."

Jiang Wu was brimming with excitement. He raised his hand and slapped Jiang Zhe twice on the shoulder without knowing his own strength. "Little brother, that was fucking awesome! You made killing Li NanSheng look easier than slaughtering a pig!"

"Earth's Number One Psychic Master—you deserve the title!"

Jiang Zhe shook his head with a smile and casually brushed the bear paw off his shoulder.

You brute. You really don't know how to hold back at all. If it had been an ordinary person, those two slaps would have turned them into meat paste.

"Lucky, just lucky." While pretending to be humble, Jiang Zhe changed the subject. "Second Brother, you're not bad yourself. You've already advanced to War God Level."

Jiang Wu's face glowed red, and his grin nearly split his face in two. "Hahaha, it's all thanks to the Jade Marrow and the Nine-Turn Reincarnation Herb... Grandpa made a medicine using Kui-Niu King's Heart Blood, Tridacna King pearls, and the Nine-Turn Reincarnation Herb. Your second brother was the first to try it. The results were seriously good!"

"Your share was set aside for you long ago." At this point, Jiang Wu suddenly scratched his head. "It's just... what exactly is your current cultivation level? Would that medicine still work on you?"

Jiang Zhe froze for a moment, then answered after making the conversion. "Just consider me an early War God Level martial artist. Forget about that medicine; I brought back something better this time."

"Come on, Second Brother. Let's talk in the Conference Hall. Grandpa and the others will be coming over soon."

One by one, the Jiang Family's key members arrived.

There were two councilors, four War Gods including Jiang Zhe, Jiang Sisi, who had just entered War Marshal Level, and even Jiang Chengcheng and Jiang Wen, his aunt and uncle who managed the family business, arrived twenty minutes later.

Everyone in the main reception room of the front yard was family. Apart from the old master and Jiang Chengbai seated at the head, everyone else sat wherever they liked.

Jiang Zhe sat beside his Old Man.

His Old Man had been staring at the black backpack resting by his legs. Unable to contain himself, he said, "Son, everyone who should be here is here. You called us all over because of the things in your backpack, right? I'd like to see what could make you put on such a grand show."

Jiang Zhe chuckled and kicked the backpack forward.

The bag rolled to the center of the reception room, and its contents spilled out. A soul-stirring green glow reflected off everyone's faces as luminous vitality filled the entire room.

The Wood Spirits were all handed over to the old master for distribution.

Jiang Zhe only took three Willow Hearts from them, then borrowed the Alchemy Furnace from the old master and returned to his own courtyard.

Wood Essence Crystals?

He would talk about those after the New Year. Give them some time to settle down.

Jiang Zhe did not know how far he would go in the future, but anything could happen. He did not want his family to become mere parasites. Since they had some Cultivation Talent, they should keep walking this path.

In the study of his small courtyard.

Jiang Zhe's Psychic Power spread into the Furnace Lid, lifting tiny sesame-sized sheets into the air. There were exactly 10,081 of them, scattered throughout the air.

Oriana's gemstone-like eyes emitted red light as she scanned the patterns on each sheet and recorded them in her mind.

She began combining and deducing them, trying to assemble the eight layers of sheets into eight complete diagrams and unlock the Alchemy Furnace's secret.

The Computational Power required for this was not difficult even for an intelligent program, much less Oriana, who was stronger than an Intelligent Life Form.

Unfortunately, something still went wrong.

Around three minutes later, Oriana raised her head to meet Jiang Zhe's expectant gaze and helplessly shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Master. I can't memorize the patterns on them."

"It may not be a simple puzzle. It should also require the corresponding domain and Law Comprehension. Otherwise, it would be impossible to notice the connections between the patterns."

Jiang Zhe's expression remained unchanged as he asked softly, "Any other findings?"

"The Alchemy Furnace is made of Grade F Alloy!"

"Alloy? Grade F?" Jiang Zhe blurted out in surprise.

One had to know that alloy craftsmanship in the universe could only reach Grade E. Beyond that, there were only Grade F metals.

The Grade F Alloy people usually spoke of generally referred to the bodies of Mechanical Race Immortal Experts.

"It possesses extremely high Energy Conductivity and is engraved with secret patterns that independently draw in Universe Source Energy. Their purpose is to maintain the white crystal core within the Alchemy Furnace, constantly nourishing it with energy to prevent it from decaying."

"By my estimate, even ordinary Immortal Experts would be unable to destroy it."

"Your grandfather forcibly activated the secret patterns inside the furnace, causing the Alchemy Furnace to draw in too much Universe Source Energy. In an extremely narrow enclosed space, this created a state of 'supersaturation,' which caused it to expel that Energy Paste. It can be considered a precursor form of Cosmic Crystals."

The ten thousand-odd sheets settled back onto the Furnace Lid. Like the old master, Jiang Zhe held the Alchemy Furnace in his hands and examined it.

"Anna, what do you think that white crystal core is?"

"Master, it is an Isolated Realm!" the Copper Doll Lady declared.

"What a coincidence. I think so too."

Jiang Zhe tried to store the Alchemy Furnace in his spatial ring and found that it truly would not work.

"Let's wait a little longer. Domains and laws aren't too far away."

Jiang Zhe suddenly remembered something important. "By the way, Anna, how is the research on the Mechanical Race Corpse going?"

"Master, the Mechanical Race's life form is indeed very similar to mine. If I can be Promoted to Immortal, I can attempt to assimilate a Mechanical Race Immortal. However, whether I can achieve the intended result remains uncertain."

"It's fine. The possibility of assimilation is good news."

A smile appeared on Jiang Zhe's face. At last, he had heard some good news.

He used Psychic Power to bring over the three Willow Hearts on the coffee table, pierced their crystalline outer layers one by one, and drank the Liquid Essence within.

The moment it entered his stomach, cool comfort spread through his entire body, as though even his soul were trembling.

Visible to the naked eye, the skin across his body began vibrating at a slight but astonishing speed as black impurities seeped out from his pores.

Marrow Cleansing and Essence Washing, rebirth through transformation!

Though the changes seemed intense, this improvement brought him not the slightest pain.

Drip! Drip...

As his Physical Quality improved, the Purple-Gold Psychic Power Sphere inside his Original Core began moving as well. It spun at tremendous speed, spraying clouds of Psychic Power mist outward.

The dense mist condensed into droplets, raining down into the Psychic Power river below.

Jiang Zhe opened his eyes, stood up, stretched lazily, and walked toward the bathroom.

"Anna, bring me a set of pajamas. Also, how much time has passed?"

"Master, this cultivation session took 48 minutes and 22 seconds," Oriana's voice came from the bedroom.

Not long after, she arrived at the bathroom door.

"Master, do you need me to scrub your back?"

"Uh... Anna, you won't short-circuit if you touch water, right?"

After refusing Anna's service, Jiang Zhe washed the grime from his body while sensing the increase in his strength, feeling quite pleased.

He was still unclear on the state of his Physical Quality, but his Psychic Power cultivation had definitely reached the end of Apprentice Level.

It was time to prepare to use Nine-Nine Divine Forging to break through to Planetary Level.

Then he could verify whether his previous judgment about the condition for gaining tree-chopping opportunities was truly tied to breaking through each major realm.

After bathing, Jiang Zhe changed into loose dark-blue Hanfu and sat on the sofa.

"Anna, scan my physical condition."

"Master, the three Willow Hearts have increased your Physical Quality by approximately 4.2 times in total. Your current punching force is approximately 1,033 tons, while the impact force of a single flying knife is approximately 1,691 tons."

Jiang Zhe converted the figures in his head. "My Physical Quality is at Apprentice Ninth-Rank, and I'm considered an elite among them. I'm still some distance from the peak, but this level of Physical Quality is enough to support my Psychic Master cultivation breaking through to Planetary Level first rank."

Oriana agreed, "Master, according to the standards recorded in the Yunmo Star inheritance, your Psychic Power cultivation has already met the requirements, and your Consciousness Strength is sufficient as well. The next step is to break through."

"You can continue waiting for the right opportunity and await the moment when the fruit ripens naturally. You can continue strengthening your consciousness until it undergoes a qualitative transformation at a certain point. Or you can cultivate arcane techniques such as Nine-Nine Divine Forging to assist your breakthrough."

"But in truth, there is still one 'obstacle' standing between you and your breakthrough..."

Jiang Zhe understood what Oriana meant. "You mean the Solid Psychic Power Sphere in my Original Core that I haven't digested yet?"

"Yes. The Yunmo Star inheritance records that the greater a genius's Brain Domain Capacity, the harder it is for them to break through to Planetary Level. That Solid Psychic Power Sphere will interfere with the arcane technique's operation and obstruct the formation of the 'Micro-Planet' during the final step."

Jiang Zhe shook his head. "That definitely isn't a problem. No genius would be trapped at Apprentice Level."

"Master is wise!"

"The solution is simple as well. Perform Nine-Nine Divine Forging several more times and guide your Psychic Power into forming a similar kind of 'Muscle Memory.' Then the breakthrough will come naturally."

"Or you can keep waiting. Sooner or later, the fruit will ripen naturally."

"Or you can directly strengthen your consciousness, trigger a qualitative transformation, and forcefully break through!"

"Master, if you choose the final method, you can use Yunmo Star's core arcane technique, Mahāvastu. This is the name I translated it as."

"Using this arcane technique to break through will perfectly utilize the advantage of your high Brain Domain Capacity, allowing the 'quality' of your Psychic Power to improve slightly. Compared to others at the same rank, it will possess an additional sense of heaviness and vastness, greater oppressive force, and stronger suppressive force."

Oriana looked like a salesperson, making Jiang Zhe laugh. "Looks like you want me to choose the last method."

"Because for you, Master, it is the best, most suitable, and fastest method. It will not waste too much of your time."

Jiang Zhe nodded.

Each step of Nine-Nine Divine Forging took one and a half hours, and there were eighty-one steps in total. It would take more than five days to complete one full cycle.

With his deep foundation, he would need at least three cycles. It would take over half a month before he saw any results.

"Let's go take a look at Mahāvastu!"

After Jiang Zhe made his decision, Oriana guided his consciousness into a Virtual Space she had constructed.

There was an endless lake, with a Lake Island in the center. On the island stood a Taoist temple, and behind it was an antique Scripture Repository.

The entire Yunmo Star inheritance was contained within!

Jiang Zhe pushed open the door. Without sparing the bookshelves on either side a second glance, he headed straight for Mahāvastu under Oriana's guidance.

After some time, having read the entire arcane technique, Jiang Zhe understood its principles.

This was a Consciousness Training Arcane Technique specifically designed for breaking through realms. Broadly speaking, it belonged to the same category as Master Controller 312 Styles and Illusionist 186 Styles.

Its primary method was to scatter consciousness and mix it into Psychic Power!

It had two purposes.

First, consciousness would permeate Psychic Power, further improving their affinity, coordination, and cohesion!

Second, Psychic Power would in turn nourish consciousness, allowing the scattered consciousness to continuously grow stronger.

There was a common analogy—Psychic Power was the soldiers, while consciousness was the commander.

Following the arcane technique's method... was like sending generals down into the ranks to strengthen the core cohesion of the ordinary soldiers. When the time came and all sides raised their arms in response, the entire force, from top to bottom, would answer together and overthrow the suppression of the Solid Psychic Power Sphere.

This was the second method of breaking through to Planetary Level.

Strengthen consciousness until it became powerful enough that, with a single thought, it could guide scattered Psychic Power to ignore interference and condense into a Micro-Planet.

After memorizing every key point of the arcane technique's operation, Jiang Zhe withdrew from the Virtual World.

He sent his grandfather a message, telling the family not to disturb his courtyard whether they had business with him or not.

Then he had Oriana split off a puppet to stand guard outside the courtyard before beginning his cultivation of Mahāvastu.

Sense consciousness, condense consciousness, draw out consciousness, then... scatter consciousness!

Within a special space inside the Original Core, an enormous Purple-Gold Sphere hung in the center. Mist curled through the air as the Psychic Power river surged below.

At one moment, a glowing mass of gentle white light suddenly rose from the Purple-Gold Sphere.

The light mass expanded and contracted like a heart. After the ninth contraction, it exploded with a bang, sending eighty-one fragments shooting in every direction through the entire space before they finally merged into the Psychic Power river.

The Consciousness Fragments permeated the Psychic Power, while Psychic Power nourished the Consciousness Fragments. The arcane technique Mahāvastu was operating in an orderly manner.

At this moment, Jiang Zhe had completely lost all perception of both his body and the outside world because his consciousness had been scattered into too many parts.

But when his perception returned, the time for his breakthrough to Planetary Level would arrive!

In truth, the higher one's realm, the more one's consciousness could be divided to perform different tasks—multitasking with two minds, three minds, a hundred minds...

For example, Luo Feng's Immortal Guard when he was away.

A small portion of his consciousness remained in his body, responsible for protecting Luo Feng, while most of the rest was in the Virtual Universe comprehending and cultivating.