The Emperor's plan was a study in precision and haste. The chaotic energy spike had given Lin Xuan a clear timeline: the breach of the Earth Vein Essence seal was hours away, not days. The infiltration had to happen tonight.
The digital world responded instantly to the Emperor's command. By midnight, Li Mo handed Lin Xuan a meticulously compiled report from Zhang Wei. The content, though filtered through mortal corporate jargon, confirmed Lin Xuan's suspicions. A shadowy subsidiary of the former Chen Hai conglomerate, now run by a fierce competitor named the Black Steel Group, had filed emergency permits for "deep subsurface structural testing" in Sector D-12. The permits were flimsy and rushed, clearly a cover for aggressive, potentially illegal mining. The report also included schematics of the heavy, magnetic drilling apparatus they were using—a powerful, earth-shaking machine capable of penetrating the five-layered polymer seal within hours. The threat was not vague; it was imminent.
Lin Xuan nodded, folding the thermal printouts into a neat square. "The mortal world never changes. When wealth is sighted, greed drives them to destruction."
He knew brute force was unwise in the unstable D-12 structural tunnels. The subterranean network was an aging labyrinth of fault lines and weakened rebar; any heavy vibration, even from his own Qi Condensation Stage Two techniques, risked collapsing the ceilings and burying the Earth Vein Essence forever. He needed a tool for precise, silent breach—a way to phase through rock and weakened rebar without generating kinetic impact. The Elementary Magneto-Sensor Talisman was good for location, but not for entry.
He turned his gaze to his small pile of accumulated scrap—the remains of the earlier scavenged haul that didn't make the cut for the Reactor Core Synthesis. It was mostly industrial waste: broken circuit boards, shards of tempered glass, and bent metallic tubing. His Night-Piercing Gaze sifted through the components, seeking the subtle spiritual resonance necessary for a tool of high refinement.
His gaze locked onto two specific items: a discarded high-frequency sonic welder circuit board (Rank E), complex but non-functional, and a shattered piece of an incredibly tough, diamond-laced industrial bore head (Rank E). These were the materials. The circuit board provided the necessary energy regulation matrix, while the bore head, specifically its tungsten alloy matrix, held the key to dimensional manipulation.
He placed the items before the System.
SynthesisQuery:(SonicWelderCircuitBoard(E)+Diamond−LacedBoreHeadFragment(E)=?)
The System's suggestion came immediately, confirming his foresight: the only way to successfully execute a synthesis of this nature with such disparate parts was to leverage the inherent properties of the tungsten.
Suggestion:MolecularPhasingEdge(E+).Cost:1SynthesisPoint.
"Execute Synthesis," Lin Xuan commanded, expending his last remaining Synthesis Point.
As the components dissolved into a swirling vortex of spiritual energy, the sheer discipline of his Divine Will focused the nascent power on the subtle, unique magnetic resonance signature of the tungsten in the bore head. Tungsten, though common now, was an alloy often used in ancient Void-Warping Arrays due to its density and stability under extreme energetic stress.
It was in this moment of deep spiritual focus that the secret of the chapter title, the "Ancient Cultivation Method," was revealed. As the System processed the scrap, Lin Xuan detected a faint, ghost-like ripple of residual Soul Qi clinging to the tungsten. It wasn't a technique stored within the metal's structure; it was the final, dying Will of an ancient artificer who had been forging that metal centuries ago, before the Great Exodus had stripped the Earth of its spiritual inhabitants.
The residual memory flashed across Lin Xuan's mind: a brief, complex visualization of the "Minor Void Step," an advanced movement technique allowing a cultivator to momentarily shift their body's molecular structure to glide through non-spiritual matter. The artificer had failed to successfully embed the technique into the metal artifact he was forging, but the memory trace of the attempt remained imprinted on the tungsten matrix.
Lin Xuan instantly absorbed the residual knowledge, filing the complete, Rank C technique away in his Sea of Consciousness. It was currently useless to him at his low cultivation stage, demanding far more stable Qi than he possessed, but it was a profound piece of the lost spiritual history of Earth—a technique of the long-lost Void Sect. The tungsten bore head, discarded as mere junk, had held a thousand-year-old key to traversing spacetime.
The synthesis completed. The circuit board and bore head reformed into a single, sleek, black Molecular Phasing Edge—a dagger-like tool that vibrated imperceptibly, its tungsten tip radiating a minute distortion field. It was utterly silent and held no discernable heat signature.
"This Molecular Phasing Edge," Lin Xuan explained to Li Mo, who was watching the transformation with wide eyes, "will momentarily reduce the density of any non-spiritual matter it touches, allowing me to pass through reinforced walls without noise or structural impact. Essential for D-12's labyrinthine structure and unstable conditions."
Lin Xuan secured the dagger to his wrist beneath the cuff of his simple jacket. He was ready. His body was at Qi Condensation Stage Two, his spiritual sense was sharp, and he possessed the tools for navigation and silent entry.
"Li Mo," he said, his voice ringing with renewed authority. "You stay here. Maintain the Formation. You will act as my communications relay and anchor. The moment you detect any sustained, hostile Qi signature approaching this apartment, or any massive external spiritual disturbance, you must activate the secondary defense I established in the bathroom—the Rank D Dampening Field. It will hide the Formation and you, but it will sever our secure channel. Do not leave this room, regardless of what you hear or see outside."
He paused, looking at her with an intense seriousness. "This infiltration is far more dangerous than the last. You must trust my preparation and your own discipline."
Li Mo met his gaze, no longer trembling. Her practice of the Body Tempering Art had forged her resolve. "I understand, Lin Xuan. I will maintain the Formation and wait for your signal."
Lin Xuan nodded, a rare hint of approval in his expression. He did not need a companion to fight, only a loyal anchor to the mundane world.
He put on a simple, dark jacket, the Molecular Phasing Edge concealed up his sleeve. He cast a final Qi-Concealing Veil over his body—a basic technique he had refined through pure Divine Will. To mortal eyes, he was just a lone figure heading out for a night walk.
With a silent motion, Lin Xuan stepped out of the apartment and into the night, a Heavenly Emperor marching toward a sealed fissure to claim his next step of vengeance.