Chapter 280 - 306: Burning 3 Million Merit! Reverse Inference Divine Techniques

Atop a jagged mountain peak, a young man in a white robe sat cloaked in starlight. An immense sense of desolate loneliness involuntarily rose in Linjiang Daoist’s heart.

The heavens were vast and the night sky was endless, but in that moment, his eyes could only see the figure of that young man.

It was as if he were the center of the universe, the very core of all existence.

The surrounding presence and the flow of the Earth Veins all seemed to center on him, constantly converging.

"Such powerful Divine Thoughts and what a Mental Realm..."

Linjiang Daoist’s Heart Spirit trembled.

He had been cultivating for several thousand years and had seen countless Martial Arts Strongmen, yet he had never witnessed such a scene.

This wasn’t the effect of some Cultivation Technique or Divine Technique; it was the pure fluctuation of Divine Thoughts and the infectious power of an immense Mental Realm.

’Perhaps there are those in the world whose Mental Realm is so potent it can affect all living things. But to be able to influence my Heart Spirit without the slightest fluctuation of True Qi... I fear no one else in this world can do that, can they?’

At the same time, he recognized the young man in white.

Such a remarkable figure would be impossible to forget, not just after a few days, but even after a century or a millennium.

The next moment, from within the image, Su Bai shot a silver-white stream of light from his fingertip that burrowed into Linjiang Daoist’s mind.

Gui Dao Mansion’s courtyard... Incense... over two hundred Daoists... the Cyan Wood Longevity Technique...

A series of vivid images flashed before Linjiang Daoist’s eyes.

"This..."

After seeing it all, Linjiang Daoist was stunned.

Su Bai’s meaning couldn’t have been simpler: he wanted to trade the Cyan Wood Longevity Technique for the Incense Linjiang Daoist had accumulated.

As one of the Desolate Province’s Major Sects, Golden Radiance Mountain had naturally accumulated a great deal of Incense over the long years.

Even though Linjiang Daoist had consumed some for his own cultivation, a substantial amount was surely left.

That was why Su Bai had sent Tianyangzi on this trip to Golden Radiance Mountain.

"The Cyan Wood Longevity Technique!"

By now, Linjiang Daoist was completely immersed in the longevity technique, unable to pull himself away.

His face was alight with an indescribable excitement.

The technique Su Bai had given him was complete, not a fragment. Thus, he knew that if one cultivated the Cyan Wood Longevity Technique to Perfection, it could extend one’s life by a full 3,600 years!

’What an incredibly precious longevity technique!’

’It’s simply unimaginable!’

"Ahem, Master Linjiang!"

Seeing the Linjiang Elder standing there, stunned and beaming with joy, Tianyangzi coughed to remind him of his presence.

"Right, right! HAHA! The Incense... the Incense!"

Linjiang Daoist snapped back to his senses and boomed with laughter.

"This old Daoist shall present to you, Fellow Daoist, all the Incense Golden Radiance Mountain has accumulated over the past ten thousand years!"

With that, his expression turned solemn. He rose into the air, formed a complex Hand Seal, and his fingertips glowed with golden light as his entire aura erupted.

"Rise!"

RUMBLE!

Following the resonant shout, a series of massive rumbles echoed in Tianyangzi’s ears.

Mountain peaks materialized from the void and crashed to the ground, kicking up clouds of dust that rolled outward in all directions like a tidal wave.

Then, streams of the Power of Incense spilled from the peaks, forming golden dragons that roared among the clouds.

The mountains didn’t land randomly; they settled into precise positions, radiating outward from Golden Radiance Mountain like ripples on water.

At the same time, other peaks near Golden Radiance Mountain were roused by this energy, and they too began to rumble.

"What in the..."

In a mountain forest, the Fox Daoist, having just awakened from seclusion, was bewildered as he watched the surging tide of powerful energy flowing from all directions.

"Ancestor! Ancestor! The mountain beneath our feet is flying! It’s really flying!"

"It’s moving so fast!"

A group of Little Red Foxes immediately swarmed him, chattering excitedly.

’A flying mountain? This is... an Array!?’

The Fox Daoist’s heart pounded. He shot out of his seclusion retreat, looked up, and was instantly dumbfounded.

In a single glance, he saw Tianyangzi holding an Iron Sword and the image floating in the sky.

He also saw the Linjiang Elder on Golden Radiance Mountain, straining to activate the Array.

’What... what is going on?’

WHOOSH!

At that moment, Linjiang Daoist produced a brilliant golden Jade Bottle. With a mere thought, he collected the Incense, which had taken the form of golden dragons, into the bottle.

"Fellow Daoist!"

"This is the Incense Golden Radiance Mountain has accumulated for ten thousand years. I now offer it to you!"

Once the collection was complete, Linjiang Daoist flicked a finger, sending the floating Jade Bottle forward. He announced with a hearty laugh:

"Not bad."

A moment later, Su Bai, still within the image, extended his right hand and took the Jade Bottle. After sensing its contents for a moment, he smiled and nodded.

Golden Radiance Mountain was worthy of its title as a Major Sect. The amount of Incense in this Jade Bottle was equivalent to one-fifth of what he’d received from all those other Daoists.

It was a considerable amount indeed.

CRACK!

The next moment, the image shattered, and Su Bai slowly strolled out from the ethereal projection.

"What kind of technique is this!?"

Linjiang Daoist was stunned to see Su Bai step out of the image so casually and effortlessly.

’Stepping into a painting with one’s physical body?’

While he was still lost in thought, Su Bai had already begun to absorb the Incense from the Jade Bottle.

「Half an incense stick later.」

Su Bai finished absorbing the Incense from the Jade Bottle, and his Merit Points had now broken the three million mark!

[Merit Points: 3,420,000!]

"This should be enough."

Su Bai murmured, gazing at the vast sum of Merit Points.

With this many Merit Points, it was finally enough for him to make an attempt.

’Then I’ll burn three million Merit Points.’

’Reverse-infer Divine Techniques!’

RUMBLE—

In the next instant, the Celestial Dao Will descended.

Su Bai stated his intent to "Reverse-infer Divine Techniques."

All that was left was to wait.

’Over three million Merit Points,’ Su Bai thought. ’No matter how you slice it, this should be enough...’

He planned to use this Reverse Inference to elevate his Super-Grade Divine Technique, the Dragon Phoenix Dao Scripture, to the next level.

A level above Super Grade!

Not long after his intent was sent, a vast, unseen will descended, pouring strand after strand of the Power of the Heavenly Dao into Su Bai’s body.

In an instant, a world-illuminating light burst forth, and countless rainbow-colored rays enveloped Su Bai’s body.

Meanwhile, in his status panel, the number in the Merit Points column was steadily dropping.

Flashes of inspiration sparked in Su Bai’s mind.

Countless profound, golden characters flickered through his mind. A torrent of insights and esoteric knowledge flowed into his heart like a clear, gurgling stream.

In the next instant.

The sound of a Daoist Ancestor’s sermon seemed to echo in his ears.

Su Bai’s Heart Spirit entered a hazy, dreamlike state, ascending ever higher... and higher...

He felt as if he were climbing to the apex of the world. With every step forward, stairs overflowing with Immortal Qi would naturally materialize beneath his feet.

With every step, Su Bai’s aura grew stronger.

Perhaps it was only a moment, or perhaps an eon passed, but Su Bai finally reached the summit.

He looked down.

The Desolate Province, the Dayu Immortal Dynasty, indeed the entire world, all looked impossibly small.

BOOM!

At that very moment, Su Bai triggered an inexplicable current of energy in the world. It spread outward, sending ripples across the night sky.

The void itself seemed to turn to water, its surface lapping against the fabric of reality.

Tianyangzi, who had already retreated a great distance, moved even further back through the air.

When Linjiang Daoist, still floating in the air, saw this, his mind roared as if he’d been struck in the back of the head with a sledgehammer. He nearly plummeted from the sky.

’Did he just master some terrifying Divine Technique?’

Linjiang Daoist quickly stabilized himself and retreated further, his heart filled with absolute horror.

In truth, with his level of cultivation, not even an expert of the Void Realm could have shocked him to this degree.

’Just who is this young man in white?’

Linjiang Daoist’s Heart Spirit trembled. Even now, he couldn’t detect the slightest fluctuation of True Qi from Su Bai.

Instead, the commotion he was causing had drawn in all the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi from every direction, pulling it all toward him.

The area surrounding Golden Radiance Mountain was instantly turned into a "vacuum" devoid of any Essence Qi.

’This... this is far beyond what any ordinary Void Realm expert could do!’

’This is clearly a myth from ancient legends come to life!’

"Unbelievable!"

As the disturbance grew, the various Daoists across the Desolate Province also sensed the change in the world. They all turned to look in the direction of Golden Radiance Mountain, their hearts filled with dread.

"How could something like this be happening?"

Inside the Prefecture City, Mu Guihai looked up at the sky, equally dumbfounded.

He could have accepted the strange celestial phenomenon that had appeared in the sky a short while ago.

But for such a terrifying aura to pour out continuously from that direction, causing the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi to recede and all Ten Thousand Spirits to bow their heads in submission!

A situation like this was simply terrifying.

On a high mountain, the Fox Daoist stared at Su Bai, who was now shrouded in rainbow light, and a storm raged in his heart.

’What is this? A Divine Technique? A Cultivation Technique? Or an Ancient Daoist Scripture?’

’How could anything have such a terrifying effect?’

...

"Hmm?"

「On the border of the Desolate Province」

Above a small city, Jiang Yong, who was traveling by flying boat, was suddenly jolted awake.

He opened his eyes, and his expression changed when he saw the celestial phenomenon shifting in the distance.

"What is that?"

Jiang Yong was filled with suspicion, vaguely sensing that something was amiss.

He was the second disciple of Xiao Yu, the Vice Sect Leader of the Gui Chen Sect. He had been sent on this mission not because of his powerful cultivation, but because he was proficient in the art of Divination. His sharp Divine Sense allowed him to avoid unseen dangers.

Thanks to this ability, he had evaded countless deadly threats over the past century. This time, Xiao Yu had dispatched him to the Desolate Province to eliminate those two hundred-odd Daoists.

He hadn’t felt the slightest sense of crisis throughout the entire journey.

But now, he felt a sudden and unexpected premonition of danger!

This was unbelievable. He was carrying a strand of the Sect Leader’s hair; with it, not even an expert at the Ninth Level of the Void Realm would be his match. Even a Martial Arts Great Power who had just entered the Feather Transformation Realm would not necessarily be able to harm him.

How could these Daoists, who could barely even protect themselves, possibly pose a threat to him?

Though it was only the faintest premonition of danger, he stopped the flying boat and murmured from thousands of miles away:

"Could it be that a Feathered Great Demon has appeared in the Desolate Province?"