In theory, the sea of knowledge is boundless, capable of containing infinite information. Yet, within a short span of time, there is always a limit, especially for Yu Ci, a man who not only stores information but also strives to thoroughly comprehend and optimize it, a task that demands an intellectual exertion beyond measure.
Thus, when a massive influx of Talisman Pattern Fractals flooded in, the normally rapidly spinning Life-Death Talisman, a direct reflection of his Physical Spirit, suddenly stalled, as if burdened by a heavy load.
The sensation transmitted directly to Yu Ci's senses: "Swelling, swelling... swelling!"
A dull thud echoed as Yu Ci, distracted by his thoughts, was no match for the Shadow of the Eastern Marquis. The formidable sword pressure from afar nearly shattered him into pieces. It was only thanks to the protective power of the First Layer Talisman Seal that he barely escaped death.
Inhaling a breath tainted with blood, Yu Ci seemed possessed, disregarding his nearly collapsing body, focusing solely on propelling the Life-Death Talisman, to restart its halted operation. This was the only thought in his mind!
Under such intense circumstances, it was virtually impossible to carefully deduce the Talisman. However, the marvel of the "Primordial Root Qi Method" was fully revealed at this moment: Drawing Qi to Form Talismans, controlling Qi with symbols. During the Condensing Talisman process, the Internal Qi naturally arises. As long as the system is established, there is almost no clear distinction between the process of Qi movement and Condensing Talisman. After successfully recollecting his Mental Image and achieving "Energy Introduction", Yu Ci mastered the Primordial Root Qi Method, making it most appropriate to apply here.
It felt like a long time had passed, or perhaps it was just a fleeting moment. The pure thought perfectly aligns with the principle of "only essence, only one" in cultivation, hence the power of a single thought surpassed the norm, successfully exerting force on the "Life-Death Talisman".
The speed of the Life-Death Talisman increased slightly, and this slight difference was like the difference between heaven and earth.
A mysterious reaction was triggered. Yu Ci inexplicably closed his eyes, and at the same time, another pair of eyes opened deep within the Life-Death Talisman.
This was a sensation both novel and somewhat familiar, reminiscent of his initial fight with Yan Daoist, when his Divine Soul "came alive". The term "alive" was an apt description, as he felt the pulsation of his Divine Soul for the first time, like a heartbeat resurrected from silence.
Now, still within his Divine Soul, he experienced a new sensation, perhaps best described as "awakening".
The opened "eyes" were not just a simple sensation, but a thinking pattern that belonged to him, yet he was currently unable to understand. Bizarre information seeped out from those "eyes", and at the same time, his current information spontaneously flowed into them, forming a peculiar "exchange".
This was another "self".
When this realization dawned on him, Yu Ci had already replayed all his experiences in this life before those "eyes". He noticed that the "other" had little reaction to other matters, but when it came to the level of the Talisman, the feedback was much more substantial.
Is "the other party" interested in the Talisman?
It's more than that. Yu Ci was astounded to discover that the information "the other party" had relayed back was filled with insights about the Talisman, particularly those issues he had been pondering over but had yet to resolve. Now, these issues were clearly flowing through his mind. Even the understandings he had previously thought he had grasped were found to have many oversights, like an ugly man looking into a mirror, all is revealed.
Of course, this includes the pressing issue of the Talisman at hand.
With a humming sound, the Life Death Talisman in the Inner Void of his Heart came back to life. The immense burden on it seemed to be disappearing. Its speed increased from slow to fast, until finally, it was like a wild horse that had broken free, spinning in the void at a speed Yu Ci had never attempted before.
Only Yu Ci understood that the pressure brought on by the First Layer Talisman Seal had not lessened, at least not when the Life Death Talisman began to spin again. Therefore, the power consumed during its rotation increased by hundreds, even thousands of times. His energy was being sucked in, consumed in an instant, and an uncontrollable sense of weakness spread.
But after all, the Life Death Talisman began to rotate, and at the same time, one Talisman Pattern Fractal after another was rearranged within that small space, layer upon layer. During the stacking, dozens or even hundreds of fractal Key points were strung together, seamlessly combined, with a stream of pure spirit wandering among them, connecting the recombined Key points into a whole.
Seven major Key Fractals, sixty-four Key points.
Thousands of fractals, the final combination, this is it, this is the final answer!
The Inner Void of the Heart was suddenly filled with light, and the Rune Patterns of the Life Death Talisman began another round of adjustment. A new circle of fractal Talismans was added, existing as an auxiliary fractal to the core Talisman's "power center". If one had to describe it, it was like adding a golden edge to a ring.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Endless power flowed through these newborn "golden edge" Rune Patterns, entering Yu Ci's body, immense but controllable. But more importantly, Yu Ci could use it to re-understand and grasp the mysteries of the First Layer Talisman Seal, and even go one step further, to glimpse some clues of the second layer Talisman Seal.
The majestic sword pressure from the Shadow of the Eastern Marquis hit him again, but this time, the impact that reached Yu Ci's body was already weak to the point of nonexistence.
Yu Ci squinted his eyes, staring at the Form of the Great Sun swirling in the sky. He had to admit that even if it was just the shadow of the Eastern Marquis, it was still much stronger than him in terms of sword intent. Even without the encumbrance of the First Layer Talisman Seal, he was more often defeated than victorious.
But now, the situation was different.
Between Heaven and Earth, the wind suddenly picked up and clouds billowed. At this moment, the Cultivators who were still under the control of the First Layer Talisman Seal and couldn't find their way in, suddenly noticed that the Heavenly Omen that had triggered multiple layers of Talisman Seals had appeared again. But this time, the "eye" behind the void had lost its target, causing the terrifying sword intent to strike randomly, causing the Cultivators to flee in panic, unable to dodge in time.
Some who understood the Talisman Technique cursed out, "Which damn fool would risk mixing two layers of Talisman Seal together!"
As The Initiator, Yu Ci, was indifferent and oblivious to the curses. He tested his skills, stirring the power of the First Layer Talisman Seal, deliberately creating a conflict with the Second Layer Talisman Seal. This contradiction to the original rules of the Talisman Seal demonstrated his control over the First Layer Talisman Seal.
The simpler outcome was this: due to the clash of power, the operation of the Shadow of the Eastern Marquis became somewhat sluggish. Its sword intent was hindered, providing Yu Ci an opportunity to draw out immense power, extinguishing it with a single strike!
"Victory without martial honor... is still a victory!"
Yu Ci chuckled, though his complexion was not great. At this moment, he was filled with power, yet he felt as if he were dying of fatigue. It was as if he hadn't closed his eyes in days, longing to sleep for three days and nights straight!
"So, your Lifebound Divine Ability is 'analysis', no wonder," Xuan Huang's thought finally broke through, carrying a sense of relief despite defeat, finally finding a reason for being outmatched.
Yu Ci was taken aback by the words, "Lifebound Divine Ability? Oh, I see..."
He suddenly realized: it was a benefit gained after the achievement of the Yin Spirit!
All cultivators who enter the Refining Yin Spirit Stage will have their potential stimulated, but generally, this is merely a growth in "power", be it physical strength, inner strength, Power of the Divine Soul, or even intelligence... And even so-called intelligence is nothing more than clearer thinking and stronger memory.
However, a rare few can rise above the simple layer of "power", receiving a higher-level reward. This reward is mysterious and indescribable, with all sorts of incredible manifestations, thus it is referred to as "Divine Power".
To put it simply, through the practice of Refining Yin Spirit, cultivators purify their murky Hidden Consciousness, allowing the Original Soul hidden beneath the layers of impurity to re-shine, and extract a portion from its flawless Innate Spirit.
Being able to use the "Lifebound Divine Ability" proves that the cultivator has some understanding of the deeper mysteries of the Original Soul. This is a rare opportunity. Generally speaking, cultivators need to reach the Realm of the True Being, and after the achievement of the Yang Spirit, they will gradually develop their Divine Power through Past Tribulations.
Those who can develop the "Lifebound Divine Ability" in the Nature-Connecting Realm are invariably those with a solid Taoist Foundation and rich Cultivation Level. Yu Ci, who achieved the Yin Spirit through a quick method, had no such expectations, but unexpectedly, after surpassing the peak of the Nature-Connecting Realm, he suddenly found himself in great fortune.
It seems that this opportunity has a lot to do with his ability to Reshape the Mental Image.
The most remarkable part is, perhaps due to his diligent work on the Talisman during this period, the developed "Lifebound Divine Ability" is intimately related to the Talisman. This is truly a case of achieving twice the result with half the effort.
"Hmm, not bad."
Yu Ci is naturally pleased, but he is now too exhausted to celebrate. He asked Xuan Huang, "Is there a place to rest?"
The Lifebound Divine Ability depletes Life's Primordial Energy, which recovers at the slowest rate. Overuse can even reduce lifespan. What Yu Ci needs most now is to rest and recuperate as soon as possible.
"Don't!"
Xuan Huang exclaimed, "The Talisman has been simplified, now is the time to strike while the iron is hot, to imprint your Spiritual Consciousness Mark. How else can you fully control the First Layer Talisman Seal?"
"By the time you say it, it's way too late."
Yu Ci retorted irritably. Due to the change in the central operation, the operation mode of the First Layer Talisman Seal also changed. Xuan Huang, the original author, was not as clear as Yu Ci. Of course, this also had to do with his habit of copying talisman books when he first set up the Talisman Seal.
Yu Ci had already taken the opportunity to drive the power of the Talisman Seal and sent the result of the "Layered Orifice Combination" into the Depths of the Void, replacing the original operating mode. This process was natural and not particularly fast, but with each breath, Yu Ci's understanding of the Secret Domain deepened.
Gradually, his Divine Soul perception expanded, vaguely grasping some specific situations on the periphery of the Secret Domain. He didn't spend effort on this, but retracted inward, touching the core of the First Layer Talisman Seal.
There, the result of Yu Ci's "Layered Orifice Combination" had turned into a mark, slowly seeping in. This was somewhat similar to the parasitic mode of Divine Consciousness Starlight in the target Brain Palace. Because the operating mode provided by Yu Ci was more efficient, it could not create something out of nothing. To produce the Primordial Qi for the operation of the First Layer Talisman Seal, he had to use the control mark left by Xuan Huang to indirectly mobilize power. Of course, the "pass" was also provided by Xuan Huang.
In other words, Xuan Huang still kept something up his sleeve...
Yu Ci didn't care about this. After confirming that the optimized Talisman was operating normally, he wanted to finish and rest. At this moment, he had a sudden realization, blinked, and asked abruptly:
"Mister Black-Yellow, how many times has your daughter been married?"
"Huh?"
...