Several days had passed since the announcement regarding Phoenix Ridge Market and the atmosphere throughout the Training Center had become noticeably different. Core Courtyard trainees who were previously taking things slowly had suddenly become diligent, secluded cultivation rooms were occupied almost every day while discussions regarding the Xuan Gang Realm could be heard in nearly every corner of the Training Center.
Everyone understood one thing. The position of Market Guardian was now within reach.
Whoever broke through first would gain benefits that could alter their future cultivation path.
Yet while countless trainees were busy competing against one another, Lin Sheng had chosen a different approach.
Rather than rushing toward the Xuan Gang Realm immediately. He intended to strengthen his foundation even further.
Inside his immortal abode within the Yi Region, complete silence filled the room. A dozen formation flags stood firmly in their positions.
Concealment Formation. Soundproof Formation. Spirit Gathering Formation.
Every formation operated simultaneously.
At the very center of the room sat Lin Sheng.
Cross-legged and Motionless.
A meditation cushion rested beneath him while his breathing remained so faint that he appeared almost lifeless.
Yet beneath that calm exterior—
Terrifying changes were occurring.
His consciousness had already sunk deep within his Sea of Consciousness.
Above the endless darkness floated a magnificent scene.
The White Dwarf Contemplation Diagram.
At the center floated an incomparably bright star.
Its size wasn't particularly large.
Yet the density contained within it was terrifying.
Around it revolved eight smaller stars.
Each followed its own trajectory.
Each spun around its own axis.
The entire star system seemed alive.
At the same time—
A second, even grander diagram floated faintly in the distance.
Blurred.
Unclear.
Incomplete.
That was the next stage of the Visualization Method.
Unfortunately—
Lin Sheng wasn't qualified to visualize it yet.
The White Dwarf Diagram had not reached its limit. Forcefully advancing now would not bring immediate harm, but over time it would create instability within his spirit.
Thus he continued following the proper sequence.
One step at a time.
His gaze settled upon the revolving stars.
"Almost..."
His thoughts echoed through the Sea of Consciousness.
The eight revolving stars continued spinning faster and faster.
Each absorbed vast quantities of spiritual qi before compressing it endlessly.
Purifying it.
Refining it.
Condensing it.
Outside the Sea of Consciousness, the effects were even more obvious.
Within the cultivation room—
Spiritual qi had already become visible.
White mist floated through the air.
The density was astonishing.
The Yi Region already possessed spiritual qi comparable to Mid Grade Rank-2 spirit veins, yet Lin Sheng had further amplified it using a modified Spirit Gathering Formation.
Ordinary formations utilized seven flags.
His utilized eight.
The difference wasn't merely the absorption speed.
It was the limit.
Seven flags eventually stopped gathering spiritual qi once a certain threshold was reached.
Eight flags pushed beyond that limit.
As a result—
The spiritual qi density inside the room had reached the peak of Rank-2 quality. An environment suitable even for Peak Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Fortunately, the concealment formations remained active. Otherwise such an anomaly would have attracted attention long ago.
Hours passed.
Then more hours passed.
Lin Sheng remained completely immersed in cultivation.
Within his Sea of Consciousness, the changes finally reached a critical point.
The eight revolving stars no longer resembled mere projections.
They had become increasingly real.
Increasingly solid.
Increasingly complete.
Each star had compressed itself countless times over.
Until finally—
They reached their limit.
Buzz!
The entire Sea of Consciousness trembled.
The eight stars suddenly accelerated.
Their rotational speed multiplied.
One rotation.
Ten rotations.
Hundreds of rotations.
The stars spun so quickly that they appeared motionless.
Then—
Crack!
A tiny fracture appeared.
Followed by another.
And another.
The stars began collapsing inward.
Compressing further.
Condensing further.
Until—
BOOM!
All eight stars exploded simultaneously.
Yet instead of destruction—
A wave of pure Origin Qi erupted outward.
The energy surged across the entire Sea of Consciousness like a tsunami.
Lin Sheng's eyes snapped open.
In an instant—
He felt his spirit strengthen dramatically.
His thoughts accelerated.
His perception sharpened.
His understanding deepened.
The changes were immediate.
His Mental Field, which had long been stalled at its previous limit, suddenly expanded.
Forty Li.
Forty-two Li.
Forty-five Li.
Forty-eight Li.
Fifty Li.
Fifty-two Li.
The expansion finally stopped.
Lin Sheng's pupils contracted slightly.
Even he found the result shocking.
Fifty-two Li.
A range that had already surpassed ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators.
According to the records he had studied, most Early Foundation Establishment cultivators possessed Divine Sense ranging from ten to twenty Li.
Mid Stage Foundation Establishment reached thirty Li.
Late Stage Foundation Establishment reached forty Li.
Only after entering the Purple Palace Realm would Divine Sense undergo another transformation. Some newly advanced Purple Palace cultivators could immediately reach seventy Li.
Their upper limit eventually reaching one hundred and fifty Li.
As for Golden Core cultivators—
The records within the Training Center contained no information. Their level was simply too far away.
Yet Lin Sheng quickly suppressed his excitement.
Because he knew—
The true opportunity had only just arrived.
The moment he had been waiting for.
The State of Extreme Emptiness.
A legendary state occasionally mentioned within ancient cultivation records.
A moment where the mind transcended ordinary limitations.
A moment where comprehension reached unimaginable heights.
A moment where cultivators often achieved enlightenment.
Immediately—
A strange golden radiance emerged from the depths of his consciousness.
It wasn't physical.
Nor was it spiritual qi.
Yet it seemed capable of illuminating both.
Golden rhymes flowed through his spirit.
His thoughts became incomparably clear.
All distractions vanished.
All worries disappeared.
His mind entered a state of absolute tranquility.
Then—
He stood up.
Without hesitation.
Without uncertainty.
He assumed the starting posture of the Vajra Fist.
One fist lowered.
One fist raised.
His feet rooted firmly into the ground.
The moment he moved—
His expression changed.
Because he could suddenly see everything.
Every flaw.
Every inefficiency.
Every wasted movement.
Every unnecessary expenditure of force.
The Vajra Fist he had previously considered nearly perfect now appeared crude.
Almost laughably crude.
His fists moved.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Each movement corrected previous mistakes.
Each strike became more refined.
More efficient.
More powerful.
The Chip continuously assisted him.
Streams of data flashed through his vision.
Yet for the first time—
Lin Sheng realized something.
The Chip wasn't creating this understanding.
It was merely organizing it.
The understanding itself belonged to him.
Boom!
Another punch exploded forward.
The surrounding spiritual qi trembled.
His Fist Momentum automatically manifested.
Yet this time something felt different.
The spiritual qi wasn't merely being influenced.
It was responding.
Obeying.
Following his movements.
Lin Sheng's eyes narrowed.
At that moment—
A memory surfaced.
Old Liang.
His master.
The Martial Intent he once demonstrated.
The overwhelming feeling capable of suppressing everything.
For an instant—
Lin Sheng almost followed that path.
Almost.
Then his expression changed.
"No."
The word escaped his mouth instinctively.
The golden state within his mind immediately warned him.
Following another's path would lead nowhere.
Copying another's Martial Intent would forever limit his future.
Suddenly—
Words from his previous life surfaced within his mind.
Those who follow me, live.
Those who copy me, die.
The statement sounded arrogant.
Yet now—
It felt strangely appropriate.
Old Liang hadn't explained the Life and Death Pass.
Old Liang hadn't demonstrated his path repeatedly.
Perhaps this was why.
Because true experts walked their own roads.
They created.
Not copied.
Lin Sheng suddenly understood.
All this time—
He thought he had been creating his own path.
Yet subconsciously he had always relied on the Chip.
Used its calculations.
Followed its optimizations.
Even the fusion between the Eight-Step Cicada and Vajra Fist had originated from its assistance.
The Chip was a guide.
A tool.
Not a path.
The path belonged to him.
And him alone.
Immediately—
His movements changed.
The Vajra Fist shifted.
The Eight-Step Cicada shifted.
The two techniques began merging naturally.
Not through calculations.
Not through data.
But through instinct.
Through understanding.
Through realization.
His feet moved.
His fists followed.
His entire body flowed like water.
Fast.
Unpredictable.
Relentless.
Then—
A thought emerged.
Simple.
Pure.
Direct.
"To strike like a Vajra."
"While moving through all directions."
The moment the thought formed—
Everything changed.
Boom!
The surrounding spiritual qi exploded.
His Momentum erupted outward.
Yet it no longer felt incomplete.
The spiritual qi vibrated violently.
Countless strands gathered around his fists.
Around his feet.
Around his body.
The world itself seemed to resonate.
Lin Sheng moved.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
His figure blurred.
Appearing left.
Appearing right.
Appearing forward.
Appearing behind.
Every movement carried unstoppable force.
Every punch contained crushing power.
The fusion became increasingly complete.
Increasingly harmonious.
The spiritual qi surrounding him began condensing.
Twisting.
Gathering.
Until it resembled invisible currents supporting his movements.
Almost like flight.
Almost like freedom.
Then—
The realization arrived.
Like lightning.
Like thunder.
Like enlightenment.
Martial Intent.
Not the Vajra's Martial Intent.
Not Old Liang's Martial Intent.
Not anyone else's.
His own.
A Martial Intent born from movement and destruction.
Born from speed and overwhelming force.
Born from advancing relentlessly through every direction.
The moment it formed—
Lin Sheng roared.
The accumulated emotions within him erupted completely.
His fist shot forward.
BOOOOOOM!
A terrifying explosion erupted.
The punch crossed the cultivation room instantly.
Passed through multiple layers of formation barriers.
Yet strangely—
None of them were damaged.
The force passed through them as though recognizing their existence.
Then—
The power erupted outside.
A thunderous sound exploded across the sky.
Like a tiger's roar.
Like a leopard's cry.
Like heavenly thunder descending from above.
The entire Yi Region trembled slightly.
People walking outside immediately froze.
Their expressions changed.
They looked upward instinctively.
The sky remained clear.
The sun remained bright.
There were no storm clouds.
Yet a thunderclap had appeared.
An unnatural thunderclap.
"...What was that?"
Someone whispered.
Others felt uneasy.
"A clear sky thunderclap..."
"That's not a good sign."
Many hurried back toward their homes.
Meanwhile—
The sound continued spreading.
Across the Yi Region and into the Bing Region.
Toward distant cultivation districts.
Only the individual abodes remained insulated due to soundproof formations.
Within his cultivation room, Lin Sheng slowly lowered his fist.
His breathing remained steady.
Yet a faint smile appeared on his face.
The golden state of Extreme Emptiness gradually faded. It feels quite pitiful for such a state to end but he quickly composed himself. He'll encounter the state much stronger next time.
The path toward the Xuan Gang Realm had finally become clear before him.