The library's interior was a spatial compression array of impressive scale. The "stars" were data nodes, their luminosity correlating with either the scripture's power or access restrictions. Li Yao activated his divine rainbow, ascending to the first stratum of the starfield. A significant gravitational field is activated—a security measure. His body strained, divine power flaring to stabilize himself against the force.
Assessment: Current access was tier-limited to the first stratum. Acceptable. He would work within the system's constraints.
His gaze swept the surrounding nodes. Information packets streamed into his consciousness as he focused on each:
Azure Wood Technique: Dao Palace-level method. Origin: Azure Wood Cave Heaven, State of Qi.
Blazing Sun Technique: Dao Palace-level method. Origin: Blazing Sun Cave Heaven, State of Chu.
The first stratum was a repository for foundational, largely obsolete Dao Palace-level cultivation methods from extinct or subordinate powers. It was a graveyard of low-tier intellectual property, perfect for his purposes.
The Heavenly Book, interfacing with his consciousness, began a data transfer protocol. It copied scripture after scripture. He set a limit of one hundred. This was a sufficient sample size for initial operations and analysis. The Book's capacity was functionally infinite, but his time and the need for operational security were not.
Back in his courtyard, he initiated the first refinement experiment. He selected the Azure Wood Technique and allocated one hundred jin of Pure Source as the catalytic energy medium for the Heavenly Book.
The process was swift. The output was analyzed: the refined Azure Wood Technique now contained cultivation principles extending into the Four Extremes Secret Realm. The core philosophy was unchanged, but its pathways were more efficient, its potential gate mappings more comprehensive.
Experiment successful. Confirms Hypothesis 18-A: Controlled Graded Refinement is viable.
As he processed the new scripture, a secondary data point emerged. While the technique itself was beneath his use, its underlying principles—its unique perspective on wood-attribute vitality and the Dao of growth—contained marginal informational value. It was a single data point in a vast field, but it was non-zero.
This aligned with a known cultivation axiom: breadth of understanding could reinforce depth. The Great Emperors were not monolithic; they were synthesis engines. His own long-term objective—evolving a Chaos Body through the integration of myriad scripture essences into his Yao Guang core—was fundamentally an exercise in grand synthesis.
Strategic Insight: The process of refining these low-tier scriptures for resale had a dual utility.
Primary Utility: Generate catalytic resources (Pure Source) for core scripture evolution.
Secondary Utility: Build a vast, comparative database of cultivation principles. While each entry was negligible, the aggregate dataset of thousands of varied, refined scripts could reveal underlying patterns of the Dao, potentially accelerating his own comprehension.
He had initially viewed this as a temporary economic subroutine. It is now presented as a parallel processing thread that supported his primary mission on two fronts: resource acquisition and foundational knowledge building.
He terminated the analysis of the Azure Wood Technique. The marginal gain was noted; further time investment on a single entry was inefficient. The value was in scale.
He shifted focus to the long-term project: the Dao Furnace. Its embryonic form required constant, iterative refinement.
At dawn, Zhang Chong arrived. Li Yao was waiting outside his courtyard, his demeanor calibrated to respectful neutrality.
"Grandmaster Zhang."
"Ready?" Zhang Chong's query was perfunctory.
"This disciple requires no preparations." Li Yao's response was factual. The mission parameters were clear.
They ascended. Zhang Chong set a moderate pace. Li Yao matched it, his divine light a controlled emission. Zhang Chong, observing, performed a subconscious diagnostic scan.
Data Anomaly Detected (Zhang Chong): Subject's divine power reserves and refinement grade exceed Life Spring Realm benchmarks. Output stability and density indicate Bitter Sea perfection and advanced Life Spring cultivation. Anomaly correlates with the subject's high comprehension metrics. Threat Assessment: N/A. Value Assessment: Increased.
Li Yao noted Zhang Chong's subtle observational shift. It was expected. Demonstrating exceptional progress was part of maintaining his high-value status. The "shock" of others was a useful social signal, confirming his trajectory and ensuring continued resource allocation.
Internally, he was running projections for the Holy City. The primary objective was to test the scripture trade subroutine in a live market. Secondary objectives included environmental scanning and intelligence gathering. The trip was a field experiment. Emotional states like "excitement" were irrelevant; focus was on mission efficacy.
As they traveled, Li Yao's mind was a closed loop of analysis, his gaze fixed ahead on the horizon where the Holy City—a complex, high-yield testing ground—awaited.