Chapter 706: Authority (II)

"By the way, speaking of the Painful Holy Sect, the mission I mentioned earlier concerns them. The Painful Holy Sect repeatedly caused trouble in the demon cave this time, provoking both Great Wei and the Buddhist sect. The two great powers have jointly issued a kill order and are hunting members of the Painful Holy Sect everywhere. Are any of you interested in forming a team?" Qiu Kun asked with a chuckle.

His eyes settled on Lin Zheyu as he stared at him expectantly. Lin Zheyu was the strongest among them. Recruiting such a powerful companion would be like giving wings to a tiger and virtually guarantee the mission's success.

"I will pass. I gained some insights in the demon cave and intend to enter seclusion for a while," Lin Zheyu replied, shaking his head.

"The same goes for me. I was somewhat interested at first, but now I cannot wait to return and cultivate the Circulating Heavenly Radiant Light Guiding Art," Ji Haozhong said with a smile.

Qiu Kun was speechless upon hearing that.

"Forget it, then. I will not go either. It would be no fun without any of you. I will return and enter seclusion as well. I cannot let you leave me behind," Qiu Kun said with a chuckle.

An hour later, Lin Zheyu bid farewell to Zong Linjing and the others and made a trip to the Library Pavilion. After submitting the Circulating Heavenly Radiant Light Guiding Art to the Library Pavilion's collection and exchanging it for contribution points, he returned to his courtyard and began a new round of cultivation.

In the courtyard, Lin Zheyu activated the protective formation, then took out a formation disk and set up another formation around the area before finally bringing out the Primordial Chaos Pool.

Lin Zheyu gazed at the Primordial Chaos Pool before him and muttered regretfully, "I still haven't managed to refine it completely. Otherwise, this would undoubtedly make a first-rate mobile abode."

Still, he could barely use it in its current state. His figure flickered as he entered the void within the Primordial Chaos Pool. Countless yao floated throughout the pitch-black void, numbering well over ten thousand at a glance.

With this many yao, I have enough to study for several years, perhaps even more than a decade. Hopefully, nothing urgent will arise within the Martial Alliance during that time, Lin Zheyu thought.

Even counting every last day, only about fourteen years had passed since he began cultivating. The thought of entering seclusion for more than a decade filled Lin Zheyu with an indescribably complicated feeling.

"More than ten years have passed in the blink of an eye. Time truly flies!" Lin Zheyu remarked wistfully.

Lin Zheyu calmed his mind, focused his thoughts, and cast aside all distractions. With a gentle wave of his right hand, he drew a three-pattern Purple Flame Qilin yao out from among the countless yao floating in the dark void and brought it before him.

Suppressed by the Primordial Chaos Pool's formidable restraining power, the Purple Flame Qilin yao's head, which Lin Zheyu had blasted apart, had still not regenerated. He turned the creature over in his hands and examined its physical condition. Only after confirming that it would not die within the next several years did he set his mind at ease.

"There is still a considerable amount of demonic qi stored in the other void. When these weaker yao are nearing death, I can replenish them with some demonic qi. They should then have no trouble lasting for more than a decade," Lin Zheyu murmured thoughtfully.

No living creature besides him could survive in this void. Only the yao, with their monstrously powerful vitality, could barely remain alive, though they were still heavily suppressed. Given enough time, they would gradually die, particularly the weaker three-pattern and four-pattern yao. Fortunately, their vitality was extraordinarily tenacious, and replenishing them with demonic qi would allow them to survive much longer.

The corners of Lin Zheyu's lips curved upward as anticipation shone in his eyes. There is no hurry to study the demonic patterns. First, I should turn the insights I gained from Xu Ruichen into actual strength. I have been looking forward to short-range teleportation for a long time."

The so-called ability of short-range teleportation did not arise from a Nascent Soul realm cultivator's profound comprehension of the spatial Laws. The two were entirely different abilities. Short-range teleportation was more akin to a divine ability, a power bestowed by the Great Dao of heaven and earth. Regardless of the cultivation system, anyone advancing from the Golden Core realm to the Nascent Soul realm would undergo an experience resembling sudden enlightenment.

The Nascent Soul realm's ability to teleport across short distances was similar to the destiny aura captured upon breaking through to the Golden Core realm. It was more like a form of authority, one even higher than destiny aura. It reduced the restraints imposed upon a cultivator by heaven and earth while also possessing many other profound properties.

After confirming that nothing would happen to the yao stored within the Primordial Chaos Pool in the near future, Lin Zheyu's figure flickered, and he left the void within it.

"Can I obtain this special authority possessed by Nascent Soul realm cultivators?" Lin Zheyu murmured softly.

The Heavenly Eye in his sea of consciousness abruptly opened and peered into the surrounding void. Drawing upon the insights into this special authority that he had gained from Xu Ruichen, Lin Zheyu wanted to see whether he could forcibly obtain it himself. Logically, this was an ability exclusive to Nascent Soul realm cultivators. However, his strength was no weaker than that of a Nascent Soul realm cultivator.

"Is cultivation realm the threshold for obtaining this authority, or is it strength? If strength is the threshold, then those monstrously talented geniuses at the peak of the Golden Core realm should theoretically have a chance of obtaining it as well. However, I have never heard of anyone possessing this special authority, which should belong exclusively to the Nascent Soul realm, while still at the Golden Core realm," Lin Zheyu murmured softly.

The same held true for the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core realms. No one had ever heard of a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator capturing the destiny aura that only Golden Core realm cultivators could possess.

Lin Zheyu, however, was different. He possessed the Heavenly Eye, which could see through falsehoods and peer into the essence of things. He wanted to see whether he could use what he had comprehended from the Nascent Soul within Xu Ruichen as a guide to forcibly capture that special authority.

***

Many days passed by in a flash.

Apart from unfailingly performing the Limit Cultivation Method once every four days to acquire Origin Force, Lin Zheyu devoted all his time to attempting to obtain the authority of the Nascent Soul realm.

"No, I haven't made the slightest progress. The timing, location, and environment are all wrong, and even the sensation is wrong. Perhaps if I were beside a Golden Core realm cultivator as they advanced to the Nascent Soul realm and tried to comprehend it then, I might have a decent chance of succeeding. Relying solely on myself, however, it is simply impossible even with the Heavenly Eye." Lin Zheyu slowly opened his eyes and shook his head. His attempt had failed.

"Since the first method doesn't work, I'll settle for the next best option. I'll see whether I can use my profound mastery of the spatial laws and understanding of Nascent Soul realm authority to create a technique or divine ability with a similar effect," Lin Zheyu murmured softly.

The Shackles realm was merely equivalent to the Golden Core realm of the Immortal Dao. Lin Zheyu's current cultivation was equivalent to the early Golden Core realm. To reach a realm in martial cultivation equivalent to the Nascent Soul realm, he would first need to cultivate to the peak of the Shackles realm at the very least.

Moreover, reaching the peak of the Shackles realm was only a prerequisite, as it was merely equivalent to the peak Golden Core realm. To advance to a realm equivalent to the Nascent Soul realm, he would still need to go a step further.

Lin Zheyu's path of martial cultivation was rather unconventional. If he could only gain the ability to teleport across short distances after reaching a realm equivalent to the Nascent Soul realm, it would take him far too long to achieve. He did not want to wait that long. If he could master short-range teleportation, it would tremendously enhance both his combat strength and his ability to preserve his life.

I can incorporate it into the Earth Shrinking Technique and make it the cultivation direction for the fourth stage, Lin Zheyu thought.

As the thought spread from his mind, the first version of a technique capable of achieving short-range teleportation took shape within his consciousness. Before attempting to forcibly obtain Nascent Soul realm authority, Lin Zheyu had already conceived numerous ideas for this technique. The data in his consciousness blurred for an instant before becoming clear once more.

Lin Zheyu swept his eyes over the data, but it had not changed in the slightest. The Earth Shrinking Technique still contained only three stages. He was not surprised at all. It would have been truly surprising if he had succeeded in creating a technique of this level on his first attempt.