Chapter 96: The Perfect Pursuit

Caiyun far surpassed Cheng Lingyu in cultivation. While explaining things to him, she opened hundreds of storage rings looted from the underground palace. Together, they sorted through numerous pills, manuals, monster cores, treasure artifacts, weapons, and other items.

By dawn, the palace entrance had closed. Most surviving cultivators had escaped, leaving many mysteries unresolved.

No one knew where the Ghost Faced Demon had vanished, nor the whereabouts of the Holy Artifact Long Sword it stole. The spiritual birds formed from spiritual dew remained uncaptured and missing. The White Jade Skeleton had also mysteriously disappeared.

Nobody could explain what truly happened inside the palace. The disappearances of the silver-haired man, Hua Yuehong, Bai Ruomei, and Cheng Lingyu became the main subject of speculation.

Rumors claimed someone seized one or two Golden Crow Blazing Flags, though details remained unconfirmed. The exact death toll within the palace stayed unknown. Many gravely injured survivors couldn’t dwell on these matters afterward.

The night after Mid-Autumn Festival, the palace entrance reopened. Disguised Caiyun entered and found remaining cultivators – some too wounded to leave, others looting corpses for profit.

She encountered no Blood or Spirit Martial Realm experts, as those high-level cultivators had fled immediately. Only Soul Martial Realm practitioners remained. By night’s end, Caiyun counted nearly two thousand corpses, many from Yunyang City’s minor factions.

These small local forces consisted of True and Soul Martial Realm cultivators. Many Soul Realm experts seeking the Holy Emperor’s legacy had perished here. Caiyun collected seven hundred storage rings plus weapons and artifacts – a fortune for True Realm Cheng Lingyu.

Cheng Lingyu trained intensively in the secret chamber. Studying various manuals through his technique of origins, he rapidly gained wisdom and composure.

By dawn, Caiyun left the thousand-corpse catacomb, turning her attention to Yunyang’s minor factions. While the city hunted Cheng Lingyu, turning the chess academy into a hotspot, Caiyun too vanished from public view.

For days Cheng Lingyu stayed indoors while Caiyun raided minor factions nightly. Her methods showed tenderness – seizing resources while minimizing killings.

This sparked imitation among small factions aiming to consolidate power. City Lord Yun Ao ignored the chaos. Major groups like Shenhuo Sect, Xuanhuo Sect, three great families, and five major gangs licked their wounds, focused on healing and defense.

Within days, Caiyun plundered dozens of factions for cultivation resources useless to her but vital for Cheng Lingyu.

In the secret chamber, Cheng Lingyu devoured manuals on techniques, weapon-forging, alchemy, medicine, formations, and soul capturing. Some required higher realms, but his origin technique helped comprehend all.

No longer ignorant, he gained deep cultivation insights. Caiyun sorted loot nearby, smiling as she categorized resources and picked useful items. Around him lay dozens of Soul Realm manuals – simple enough for full understanding.

“Senior Sister, I’ve sorted through these. Among the many manuals, nine stand out as the most valuable: Purple Blood Golden Flame, Thousand Strikes, Thunder Palm, Heart-Burning Needle, Poison Scripture, martial soul manual, spirit beast manual, Di Xuan Yin, and Soul Cutting Technique.”

Caiyun laughed. “Your judgment sharpens. Di Xuan Yin isn’t high-ranked, but it teaches the rare supergravity field technique, making it precious. Soul Cutting Technique is a spiritual attack that severs souls, killing without trace.”

Cheng Lingyu smiled. “Of these nine, I’ve no use for Poison Scripture or the spirit beast manual. I’ll gift the spirit beast manual to Qu Wei. Your thoughts, Senior Sister?”

“The Lightning Weasel ranks decently in that manual,” Caiyun said. “Though useless to us, giving it to Qu Wei grants her a chance. Taming it would aid her future greatly.”

“My thoughts exactly. She aided me at Green Island—I won’t forget that debt. As for Poison Scripture, keep it if you’ve no interest. I’ll hold it for someone suitable otherwise.”

“Keep it. Such things don’t interest me.”

Cheng Lingyu nodded. “We’ve gathered many techniques—Purple Blood Golden Flame, Thousand Strikes, Thunder Palm, Heart-Burning Needle, Di Xuan Yin, Soul Cutting Technique, plus Tian Sheng Sect’s Skywing Escape. How do we fare against top sect disciples?”

“For now, we hold slight advantage. But long-term, major sects offer stable resources and backing we lack. Focus on cultivation. Your Constitution demands extreme resource efficiency—squeeze every drop to stockpile for future breakthroughs.”

“Well said. I’ll merge weapon-forging, alchemy, techniques, and Spiritual Arrays to carve my own path. Many preach forging unique cultivation paths, yet most fail to grasp proper methods.”

Caiyun raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“They claim ‘unique paths’ require only strong will and relentless effort. Nonsense. Success needs countless factors—will and effort are but two. Millions have determination, yet few succeed.”

“Then how does one reach the heavens’ peak?”

“Countless factors—chief among them Luck. Beyond uncontrollables, all cultivators start walking others’ paths. Why then such disparity in achievements?”

“You favor following over forging new paths?”

“All paths climb the same mountain—twists matter not if the peak’s reached. What matters is gains along the way and methods used.”

“Your path differs?”

“All paths differ. My Constitution slows advancement but ensures greater power per Realm. I seek perfection, not speed.”

Caiyun stared. Such wisdom from a True Martial Realm cultivator defied belief. His insights surpassed Soul Martial Realm experts, likely tied to his technique of origins and spiritual prowess.

“You’ve grown. Yunyang City’s peace won’t last—neither will your cultivation time.” Her sigh carried unspoken pride.

Cheng Lingyu began seclusion to open his third True Essence Sea. Using precise herb ratios, pills, spiritual herbs, and monster cores, he maximized resource efficiency.

The third Sea formed at his right foot’s center—a bubbling spring swelling into raging essence. Resource frugality demanded time: six days/nights to create it, four more to expand it fully.

He retrieved Celestial Measurement, attempting fusion with the Sea. Failure came instantly. Unsurprising—this was no ordinary magical artifact.

Activating Magic Eyes’ Third Level: Heart Invasion, he probed the artifact—only to recoil from violent backlash. Days of trial revealed faint connection possible through Fang Tian Bao Yin’s power.

Three days of study later, using Fang Tian Bao Yin in a dreamless state, he finally merged Celestial Measurement into his third True Essence Sea.