Li Yao extracted a piece of Pure Source. Its condensed essence shimmered, a tangible form of potential energy. He would use it to fuel his cultivation, but the Heavenly Book required a different kind of sustenance.
He circulated the Yao Guang Scripture, drawing a thread of essence into his body. The energy flowed into his Bitter Sea, fueling its measured expansion. Concurrently, he directed a sliver of his consciousness and the comprehension he had just gained from his breakthrough toward the Heavenly Book.
Within his mind, the book responded. It did not absorb the raw essence, but the conceptual imprint of his progress—the newly understood principles of the Bitter Sea, the harmony of Yin and Yang within his own body, the feedback loop between his flesh and his burgeoning divine power. The faint glow on the second page brightened marginally, not from crude energy, but from the refined insight being integrated.
The piece of Source in his hand depleted, its energy fully spent on bodily refinement. The Heavenly Book's progress, however, was not tied to this consumption. He realized its charging mechanism was dual-layered:
Passive & Slow: Absorbing and purifying ambient essence over time.
Active & Efficient: Advancing through the user's own comprehension milestones and Dao insights. Each personal breakthrough, each deeper understanding of his scripture, fed the Book more effectively than raw materials.
This changed the optimization problem. Hoarding resources was less critical. His personal cultivation speed and depth of understanding became the primary drivers for both his power and the Book's evolution. The Source was vital for his own realm advancement, but not a bottleneck for the Book's higher functions.
The strategic priority crystallized: Rapid realm advancement was still key, as higher realms brought deeper comprehension of the Dao, which would charge the Book faster. However, the pressure to amass vast quantities of Source purely for the Book was alleviated. His path was one of quality over quantity, understanding over accumulation.
He took another piece of Pure Source, focusing entirely on its efficient conversion into divine power to expand his Bitter Sea. The process was methodical, each cycle of the scripture refining the energy further, integrating it seamlessly.
After a night of cultivation, Li Yao assessed the results. His Bitter Sea had expanded from a sesame seed to a grain of rice. The growth was efficient, matching the optimal output predicted for the resource input and the quality of his deduced scripture. He felt no exhilaration, only confirmation that his systems were functioning correctly.
He continued. The purity of the essence sustained his body completely. He was untethered from mortal needs, his entire operating cycle dedicated to refinement and understanding.
A month passed in this focused state.
In the wider Holy Land, the narrative of his recruitment had spiraled into popular speculation. Rumors of divine physiques and factional wars swirled.
Li Yao remained insulated and indifferent. The rumors were a social phenomenon with no bearing on his immediate operational goals. They provided useful cover, allowing him to cultivate in peace while Rising Sun Island managed the external perceptions. His focus was a closed loop: cultivate, comprehend, advance.
In a dim palace atop the Supreme Sacred Mountain, a different calculus was at work.
Figures clad in light-absorbing robes stood in the gloom. They were the Supreme Saint Lineage, progenitors of the current Holy Son. Their power was ancient and deep.
They also bore a more secret, grim title: The Devouring Heaven Lineage.
The rumors of a new genius were noted, filed away. Their interest was not in the noise, but in the potential substance behind it. Their methods required specific kinds of potential. The silence in the hall was one of patient, predatory assessment.