Duravia Trade Prefecture, Southern Region—Perennis Immortal Palace.
What was once the sacred cultivation ground of the Perennis Immortal Palace did not seem deserted, despite most of its disciples having departed.
Daoist Mingtai, the Sect Master who had split from the Aeternus Sect, had brought the disciples of the three immortal mountains to cultivate here.
Cultivators from Azure Cloud were also present; after the great war of the previous year had destroyed numerous clans, they had naturally come to collect their spoils of war.
Above the Sea of Red Spider Lilies, a black cube floated in the air.
Disciples from the Skyveil Sect, in particular, would occasionally ride their swords into the air and be drawn into the black cube.
It was, of course, the Dharma Treasure of the Skyveil Sect's Grand Elder, Li Yunlin—a fact known to everyone from Azure Cloud.
Rumor had it that Grand Elder Yunlin was a genius rarely seen in the world. Before he had even lived out the full lifespan of a Golden Core cultivator, he had reached the Divinity Transformation realm. Though the Skyveil Sect's lineage was ancient, none of its past ancestors possessed a talent comparable to his.
Yet, what no one knew was that this Grand Elder Yunlin, who sat cross-legged within the Skyveil Hall, had earned an evaluation from the Li family members: "He's finally grown up."
"Huuu..." Li Yunlin murmured as he opened his eyes. "The Divinity Transformation realm is so profound, truly beyond words."
Within the Skyveil Hall, a space that resembled a starry sky, specks of starlight were visible as a black cat darted about wildly. Seeing Li Yunlin awaken, the cat leaped onto his shoulder and pointed a paw toward the shimmering lights.
"What's so beyond words?" it scoffed. "The Skyveil Hall absorbs the spirit objects of the world, and spirit objects represent the Rules. These are all just Rules! When you've fully comprehended them all, that's when you'll be truly invincible within the Divinity Transformation realm."
"Just take your time with it," the cat added dismissively. "Compared to your predecessor, you've still got a long way to go!"
Li Yunlin reached out to stroke the black cat, but it only allowed him to pet it for three seconds before leaping away again. Seeing this, Li Yunlin could only smile.
This black cat, he knew, was the artifact spirit of the Skyveil Hall. He had only become qualified to meet it after his cultivation reached the Divinity Transformation realm.
"The old cat is right," Li Yunlin mused. "I still have a long way to go."
He recalled the great battle at Prince Qian's Mansion. Although he had broken through to the Divinity Transformation realm that day, he had also witnessed the power of various other experts at the same level.
The cultivators from the Three Great Powers were all masters in their own right; even his father had to be extremely cautious when facing them.
And that old man from Skynet was even more extraordinary—his Bodhisattva's Buddhist Dharma was truly formidable.
As for himself? The black cat had said that if not for the Skyveil Hall, his own aptitude might not have been enough to withstand even a third-rate Divinity Transformation thunder tribulation.
With that thought, Li Yunlin drew one of the spirit objects from the starry sky into his body.
Li Yunlin recalled the scroll that had appeared in his Sea of Consciousness.
"The Divine Art of Spirit-Guiding Techniques of the Myriad Dao Immortal Palace... it is the cultivation method for its successive generations of Palace Masters," he mused.
"With this art, one can draw the Three Thousand Great Daos of Heaven and Earth into the body. It is also the final inheritance Ming Daozi left to me. When cultivated to its deepest level, one's very words can manifest as law within their domain."
Gazing at the various Rules contained within the spirit objects of the Skyveil Hall, he murmured, "Ming Daozi said he himself had been studying the art, but was always troubled by how difficult it is for an ordinary person to master all Three Thousand Great Daos."
"But I possess the Skyveil Hall," he continued, his voice trailing off.
"He must have seen how unique it is. Perhaps that is why..."
A sigh escaped Li Yunlin. Perhaps it was for this very reason that Ming Daozi had deigned to sit and discuss the Dao with him back at the Myriad Dao Immortal Palace. A man of Ming Daozi's cultivation clearly could have tried to take the Skyveil Hall for himself and used it to cultivate the Three Thousand Great Daos, yet he had chosen not to. Instead, he had even passed the cultivation method on to him.
Pushing the thoughts aside, Li Yunlin focused his mind. A domain gradually formed around him. Within it, the power of the Five Elements became tangible, each possessing its own unique characteristics and formidable offensive power.
[Dao Soldiers]
This was the technique bestowed upon him by Heaven and Earth after he broke through to the fifth-tier Divinity Transformation realm. For every Rule he comprehended, that Rule would manifest as a Dao Soldier, and his strength would increase accordingly.
Seeing Li Yunlin's domain manifest, the black cat's eyes shone brightly. Its tone was pompous, like an old man, and not without a hint of arrogance. "Kid, you'd better cultivate diligently!" it declared.
"The Skyveil Hall is, after all, an external object. That's why those bastards dismantled me and split the sect after the great war in Azure Cloud all those years ago."
"But you're different," the cat continued. "With the cultivation art you practice, your own spiritual power, and this Skyveil Hall, you can truly make external objects your own. If you really succeed in your cultivation, this old man will let you pet me a few more times!"
Without the old cat needing to say another word, Li Yunlin closed his eyes and immersed himself in his cultivation.
In last year's battle, he had seen the gap between himself and the top-tier cultivators of the Divinity Transformation realm.
He had also realized that the family was not, in fact, as strong as it appeared to outsiders.
The Old Ancestor was indeed powerful, but he had to pay an immense price each time. The sound of the Old Ancestor's agonized cries as he shattered the great formation that day still echoed in his mind.
With the world in great chaos and the political landscape ever-shifting, even the Eternal Sun Prefecture and the Duravia Trade Prefecture were not entirely under the family's control.
In the short time he had been in the Duravia Trade Prefecture, he had been met with considerable ostracism; the great clans there were truly defiant.