The formation spirit sighed softly.
"There is no more time."
His voice no longer carried the overwhelming pressure from before. Instead, it sounded like that of an old teacher sending off his final disciple.
The countless formations beneath the hall slowly awakened once more.
Ancient runes spread across the floor like flowing rivers of light, intertwining into an enormous teleportation array.
The surrounding space distorted.
The inheritance chamber itself seemed to grow increasingly illusory.
Lin Sheng understood.
The inheritance had ended.
The secret realm would not allow him to remain here much longer.
He clasped both hands respectfully and bowed deeply.
"This junior thanks Elder for today's guidance."
"Without Elder's teachings, this junior would still be ignorant of the true workings of Heaven and Earth."
The formation spirit merely waved his sleeve.
"No need."
"The inheritance exists so that knowledge may continue."
"My duty ended long ago."
He smiled faintly.
"Whether that knowledge flourishes or disappears now depends on you."
Lin Sheng nodded seriously.
"I understand."
The formation spirit looked at him for a long moment before speaking again.
"Remember."
"The Heavenly Dao is not your enemy."
"It merely maintains balance."
"If one day you possess sufficient strength..."
"You may understand why it acts the way it does."
"But before then..."
He raised a finger.
"Live."
"Only the living may pursue the Dao."
The teleportation formation beneath Lin Sheng became increasingly brilliant.
The surrounding space began trembling violently.
The old man smiled.
"Go."
"And do not disappoint the Heaven Seal Gate's inheritance."
A pillar of light descended.
The next instant—
Lin Sheng's figure vanished completely.
The inheritance chamber returned to silence.
The formation spirit stood alone.
Looking toward the empty hall, he quietly sighed.
"A visitor from beyond..."
"I truly wonder..."
"Just how far you can walk."
---
Two weeks had already passed since the Heaven Seal Gate Secret Realm opened.
The once orderly ruins had transformed into complete chaos.
Battles erupted almost everywhere.
Countless cultivators had found opportunities.
Others had died before they could even enjoy them.
Some had broken through realms.
Others had obtained ancient inheritances.
The smell of blood lingered throughout the secret realm.
Every cultivator now instinctively maintained a cautious distance from strangers.
Rumors had spread like wildfire.
An unknown assassin organization was hunting geniuses from every major power.
No one knew who could be trusted anymore.
Along one of the ancient stone paths, a cloaked figure moved quietly through the crowd.
The figure neither hurried nor slowed.
Like a shadow, they slipped past group after group of cultivators without attracting attention.
Nearby, discussions echoed continuously.
"I heard another assassin was discovered yesterday."
"It was Lin Yan's group again."
"They've already exposed several of them."
"Not just Lin Yan."
"Lin Shou, Lou Han, Lin Xiaolu, and Qian Feng have all joined together."
"Those assassins have suffered terribly."
"I heard several Foundation Establishment assassins died in just three days."
"The Lin Family's younger generation is truly terrifying."
The cloaked figure listened silently without stopping.
Soon, the ancient Scripture Pavilion appeared before them.
The same defensive formation that had once blocked countless cultivators shimmered gently around the building.
Many people still stared at it unwillingly from afar.
Some had attempted to force their way inside previously.
None had succeeded.
Yet the cloaked figure merely continued walking.
The moment they reached the barrier—
Ripples spread across the formation.
Without any resistance whatsoever, the barrier became completely transparent.
The figure stepped through as though passing through ordinary air.
No alarms.
No attacks.
No obstruction.
Inside the pavilion, absolute silence prevailed.
The figure steadily climbed the upper floors until finally arriving at the seventh floor.
There—
A young man sat cross-legged quietly beside countless ancient books.
His eyes remained closed.
Yet the moment the cloaked figure entered—
His eyelids slowly opened.
Those calm black eyes immediately settled upon the newcomer.
Without hesitation, the cloaked figure dropped onto one knee.
The hood was removed.
Long black hair cascaded over delicate shoulders.
It was Gu Qing.
She lowered her head respectfully.
"Master."
Lin Sheng looked at her calmly.
"Report."
Gu Qing immediately answered.
"This subordinate mobilized every contact available."
"I investigated every trace related to the Shadow Ghost Hall."
She paused briefly.
"...but found nothing."
"My current position is insufficient to access information regarding such an organization."
A faint crease appeared between Lin Sheng's brows.
His expression remained calm.
Yet that slight change alone caused Gu Qing's heart to tremble involuntarily.
Although she could never clearly remember her master's face after leaving him...
The reverence planted deep within her soul never faded.
She instinctively lowered her head even further.
Lin Sheng soon relaxed his expression.
"There is no need to blame yourself."
He changed the subject immediately.
"What about the Seven Star Palace?"
Gu Qing's expression became solemn.
"I still cannot determine their exact objective."
"But..."
She looked up.
"Everything points toward one conclusion."
"Their plan concerns changing the balance of power across the surrounding provinces."
Those words caused Lin Sheng's gaze to become incomparably deep.
Changing the balance of power...
That meant...
Golden Core cultivators.
.....
After Gu Qing departed, silence once again returned to the seventh floor of the Scripture Pavilion.
Lin Sheng watched the direction she had left for a few moments before withdrawing his gaze.
The letter he had entrusted to her contained everything he could presently reveal.
It warned Lin Shou, Lin Yan, Lou Han and the others to remain vigilant after leaving the secret realm and to immediately inform the Lin Family's upper echelons of the Seven Star Palace's unusual movements. Whether the elders would believe it was another matter entirely, but at least the seed of caution had been planted.
That was all he could do.
The Seven Star Palace's scheme involved Golden Core experts.
It was a game played two entire realms above his current strength.
Even with the Chip, recklessly stepping into it would be courting death.
More importantly...
After everything the formation spirit had told him, Lin Sheng no longer viewed such events as simple coincidences.
If the Heavenly Dao truly employed Human Tribulations...
Then there was a very real possibility that this brewing storm was one of them.
A major Human Tribulation.
He could interfere...
But only indirectly.
Never personally.
Otherwise, he might unknowingly become the center of the Heavenly Dao's attention.
Shaking those thoughts aside, Lin Sheng sat back down cross-legged.
His right hand slowly opened.
Resting upon his palm was the crimson-orange ore he had brought from the Heaven Seal Gate treasury.
The Bright Sun Yang Stone.
Warm currents continuously flowed from its surface, making it feel as though he were holding a miniature sun.
Closing his eyes, Lin Sheng circulated the Starry Sky Visualization Method.
His consciousness gradually sank into his Sea of Consciousness.
…
Deep within that boundless mental world, his spiritual form slowly materialized.
Before him floated the magnificent Yellow Origin Contemplation Diagram.
Unlike before, the diagram now shone with far greater brilliance.
Golden lines stretched across its surface, outlining a majestic medium-sized star suspended in endless darkness.
Beneath it, a simple line of information appeared.
Yellow Origin Contemplation Diagram
Completion: 93%
Lin Sheng silently observed it.
Only now did he finally understand the bottleneck that had troubled him for so long.
The White Dwarf Contemplation Diagram had progressed smoothly because...
A white dwarf had no connection whatsoever to this cultivation world.
It existed only as a celestial body.
Nothing more.
The Yellow Origin Star...
Was different.
Far different.
According to the countless historical records compiled by the Chip, the blazing sun hanging high above this cultivation world was regarded in ancient myths as the Source of Primal Yang.
The beginning of all Yang.
The origin of countless Yang-attributed treasures and cultivation techniques.
In other words...
The Yellow Origin Star possessed a conceptual existence within this world's Heavenly Laws.
The Chip's analysis window quietly appeared.
> Conclusion:
> The Starry Sky Visualization Method establishes resonance with corresponding celestial bodies.
> White Dwarf Visualization required no external supplementation.
> Yellow Origin Visualization requires Yang Essence to complete conceptual synchronization.
Lin Sheng finally understood.
"So that was the missing piece..."
It wasn't that his comprehension had reached its limit.
Nor was it because the method itself was flawed.
It simply required something this world naturally possessed.
Yang Essence.
His consciousness shifted toward the Bright Sun Yang Stone outside.
Faint streams of pure Yang Essence continuously flowed from the ore, slowly nourishing the unfinished star within the diagram.
The golden lines became marginally clearer.
The process was incredibly slow...
Yet undeniably effective.
Another window appeared before him.
> Current completion estimate:
> 100% completion achievable in approximately twenty-one days.
Lin Sheng calculated silently.
"The secret realm closes in roughly two weeks."
"Which means..."
"I'll complete the visualization about one week after leaving."
It wasn't fast.
But it was stable.
Unfortunately...
Stable was no longer enough.
He immediately instructed the Chip to optimize the absorption process.
Countless blue calculation windows flooded his vision.
Runes.
Energy pathways.
Mental circulation.
Yang Essence extraction efficiency.
Everything was analyzed simultaneously.
Several moments later, the Chip reached a conclusion.
> Optimization complete.
> Absorption speed increased by 18%.
> Warning:
> Current cultivation insufficient for forceful Yang Essence extraction.
> Excessive acceleration risks damaging both ore and visualization process.
Lin Sheng slowly opened his eyes within the Sea of Consciousness.
A trace of disappointment appeared.
"As expected..."
The limitation wasn't the Chip.
It was himself.
Extracting the essence hidden within heavenly materials was normally something only high-level cultivators could accomplish.
At the Xuan Gang Realm...
Simply absorbing the naturally escaping Yang Essence was already the limit.
Still...
Even eighteen percent faster was better than nothing.
Lin Sheng looked once more at the slowly brightening Yellow Origin Diagram.
His gaze gradually became resolute.
"I don't have the luxury of waiting forever."
"The Heavenly Dao is already watching."
"I need strength."
"Enough strength..."
"...to survive whatever Human Tribulation awaits me."