The theft from Elder Zhi's residence was a turning point. The twenty High-Grade Spiritual Stones provided Lin Wei with an essentially unlimited fuel source.
He couldn't use the Qi Pool anymore; the energy drain might be noticed after such a large-scale theft. Now, he relied solely on the Spiritual Stones and the dark-red herb.
Lin Wei retreated to his humble servant's shed, surrounded by the rough mountain air. He sealed the door and began his furious ascent.
He placed the Spiritual Stones around him, forming a natural, miniature Qi convergence array. He reached out and began to draw the high-purity Qi from the stones.
The Void Eye Edict worked flawlessly. The high-grade Qi from the stones was condensed and purified into a dense, viscous liquid that flowed into his core, packing his spiritual sea to the brim.
Lin Wei bypassed the Seventh and Eighth Levels of Qi Condensation in a single, intense night.
Qi Condensation, Ninth Level.
The ceiling of the mortal realm—the peak of the Qi Condensation stage—was in sight. He was now spiritually superior to nearly every Outer Court disciple and many low-level Inner Court disciples.
However, the sheer speed of his cultivation came with a cost. The Void Eye's refining process was ruthless, but it was also alien. The energy it produced was stable, yet it carried an innate, cold darkness—a signature of the Void Edict.
Lin Wei tried to activate a simple Earth Affinity spell, one he'd secretly studied from Elder Sun's scrolls. The spell worked, but the earthen dust he summoned was tinged a sickly, pale green, and the spell felt oddly aggressive.
"The Dao of the Void is not the Dao of the Heavens," the Edict resonated, its thought calmer now that it was well-fed. "Your Qi is superior, but it is impure to this world's standard. You must hide it. Any recognized technique will betray your true source of power."
Lin Wei understood. If a true elder saw his dark-green Qi or his corrupted spells, he would be immediately identified as cultivating a forbidden or demonic art. His life would be over.
His path was now clear: Cultivate only the Void Edict's power, and never, ever use a sect-recognized technique. He needed to develop his own, untraceable methods.