60: Chapter 60 Full Moon Night, Stargazing and Enlightenment

Five months of time passed in the blink of an eye during Cultivation.

When the maple leaves on the back mountain of the Yaoguang Holy Land turned red for the third time, Lin Ye pushed open the bamboo door and looked towards the eastern horizon.

There, the morning light was faint, and the clouds were dyed a pale golden-red.

Today was a special day—it was both the night of the full moon and the day of the celestial phenomenon of the big dipper alignment.

For the past five months, Lin Ye's life had been regular and fulfilling.

During the day, he mostly spent his time in the Scripture Pavilion.

Relying on his authority as a True Disciple and the Xuanwei Token, he had almost flipped through all the valuable classics on the first floor of the Scripture Pavilion.

From ancient history to obscure secret arts, from basic Formation to miscellaneous studies on Medicinal Pill and Artifact Refining, a massive amount of knowledge was rapidly absorbed, digested, and integrated by the high Comprehension Ability brought by his Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body.

As for Lin Ye now, in terms of knowledge reserves alone, he was already not inferior to many old Cultivators who had been Cultivating for decades.

At night, he Cultivated at Xuanwei Peak.

He used the remaining two opportunities to use the Star Hall in the second and fourth months, respectively, thoroughly consolidating the introductory chapter of the Big Dipper True Scripture.

With three big dipper star seals (Tian Shu, Tian Xuan, Tian Ji) at Perfection, the duration of the seven-star resonance extended from 3 seconds to 5 seconds.

Although there was still a gap from the complete 10 seconds, it was already a huge improvement.

In terms of Realm, Lin Ye was not in a hurry to achieve a Breakthrough.

His Dao Palace Fifth Layer Realm was as stable as a rock after five months of solidifying, his adaptability to the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body had increased to 31%, and his Divine Abilities like Chaos Fire and Chaos Domain had become more proficient.

If he were to fight Ares again now, he would definitely win within ten moves.

Regarding the Heavenly Court, Chen Hao, Su Qingyue, Shi Potian, and others had established a firm foothold in the outer sect of the Holy Land.

Relying on the resources and guidance Lin Ye provided in secret, their Realm steadily improved: Chen Hao reached the Dao Palace First Layer, Su Qingyue reached the Peak of the Ninth Layer of the Sea of Wheels, and Shi Potian reached the Ninth Layer of the Sea of Wheels.

Other members remaining in the Yan State, under the leadership of Zhao Wuji, also developed the Heavenly Court quite impressively—the Artifact Refining workshop could already stably produce blue-quality equipment, the chamber of commerce network had expanded to the Zhao State, and the intelligence organization, Heavenly Secret Pavilion, had established strongholds in all major cities in the Eastern Wasteland.

Everything was developing in a good direction.

But Lin Ye knew that the real test began tonight.

Are you ready?

Elder Xuanwei's voice came from behind him.

Lin Ye turned around and saw his Master carrying a bamboo basket, with a few freshly picked tomatoes inside.

I am ready.

Lin Ye nodded.

Elder Xuanwei tossed him a tomato: Eat it, replenish some energy.

Observing the stars to comprehend the Dao is most taxing on the mind and spirit; don't faint on the platform when the time comes and lose face for my Xuanwei Peak.

The tomato was warm in his hand, and the skin still carried dew.

Lin Ye took a bite, the sweet juice melting in his mouth, while a warm and moist energy surged into his limbs and bones.

[Xuanwei Peak Spirit Tomato (Special)]

Effect: Instantly restores 30% of Qi and blood and Divine Power, and continues to restore for the next hour (restores 100 points of Qi and blood per second, 80 points of Divine Power).

Description: A spirit plant cultivated by Elder Xuanwei using a special method; although it has no Rank, its effect is comparable to a fourth-grade Medicinal Pill.

Many thanks, Master.

Don't thank me, this is the result of your usual watering and fertilizing.

Elder Xuanwei waved his hand, By the way, the Star Gazing Platform should be very lively tonight.

The big dipper alignment happens once every seven years, and many inner sect and True Disciple members will go to try their luck.

Keep a low profile, don't cause trouble.

Disciple understands.

Also, Elder Xuanwei rarely showed a serious expression, I know what you are looking for.

The Nine Secrets Legacy carries immense Karma.

Obtaining it is a blessing, but also a curse.

Weigh it yourself.

Lin Ye's heart was shaken.

Master really knew!

Master, you...

What about me?

Elder Xuanwei returned to his lazy appearance, I've lived for nearly two thousand years; what haven't I seen?

I'm just reminding you: you must bear as much as you gain.

Go, don't miss the time.

Lin Ye bowed deeply and turned to leave.

Watching his Disciple's receding figure, Elder Xuanwei sighed softly and took out the same silver silk cloth from his bosom that Lin Ye had obtained.

On the silk cloth, that line of blood-red annotation was particularly glaring in the sunlight.

Savior of the world... Demon of destruction... kid, which path will you choose?

Night fell, and the full moon hung high like a silver plate.

The Star Gazing Platform on the back mountain of Yaoguang was exceptionally lively tonight.

Dozens of Holy Land Disciples gathered under the platform, mostly inner sect and True Disciple members, each with extraordinary auras.

They either sat quietly alone or chatted in twos and threes, their eyes occasionally cast towards the top of the Star Gazing Platform.

When Lin Ye arrived, he saw a few familiar figures.

Ji Mingyue stood at the very front, wearing a moon-white long dress, like a Fairy descending to the mortal world under the moonlight.

Beside her were several True Disciple members from various Peaks, including the Personal Disciple of the purple-robed female Cultivator from Tianxuan Peak who had once wanted to take Lin Ye as a Disciple—a cold young man carrying a long sword on his back.

On the other side, Qingluan was also there with several core members of the Green Robe Tower.

Five months later, Qingluan's aura was more refined, apparently having also broken through to the Dao Palace Realm.

Ares from Olympus did not come, but another blond man came; his aura was slightly weaker than Ares, but he was also at the Dao Palace Third Layer.

Several Western server players gathered around him, forming an independent small group.

The silver-clad man from the Eternal Star Domain was also there.

He stood alone in a corner, the metal sphere in his hand constantly flickering with a faint light, seemingly recording something.

Lin Ye also noticed an unexpected person—Murong Xue.

This mysterious rogue female Cultivator had actually become a Disciple of the Yaoguang Holy Land, and was a True Disciple of Tianquan Peak.

She was still dressed in black, clutching seven illusory Flying Swords, standing quietly at the edge of the crowd.

Lin Ye did not go up to greet her; he found an inconspicuous spot to sit down and closed his eyes to rest.

Time passed second by second.

When the moon rose to the center of the firmament, the protective Formation of the Star Gazing Platform slowly dissipated.

The silver light curtain receded like flowing water, revealing the ninety-nine stone steps leading to the top of the platform.

The time has come!

An Elder in charge of duty announced loudly, All Disciples, ascend the platform in order.

The star observation time lasts for three hours; during this period, no loud noises, no fighting, and no disturbing the insights of others are allowed.

Violators will be expelled from the Star Gazing Platform and have their resource quota for this month deducted!

The Disciples ascended the steps one by one.

Lin Ye followed in the middle of the line, unhurried.

The moment he stepped onto the stone steps, he felt the star meteorite fragment in his bosom begin to heat up slightly, resonating with the Star Gazing Platform.

At the same time, the Nine Secrets Clue Silk cloth in his storage ring also emitted a faint warm sensation.

Reaching the top.

The top of the Star Gazing Platform was a circular platform with a diameter of thirty zhang, and the ground was paved with star meteorites of nine different colors to form a complex star map.

In the center of the platform was a three-foot-high circular protrusion, which was the Main Star Gazing Position.

Seventy-two small cushions were scattered around it, corresponding to the seventy-two Earthly Fiend star positions.

The Disciples each found their own positions.

Ji Mingyue and several core True Disciples occupied the cushions closest to the Main Star Gazing Position.

Lin Ye chose an inconspicuous cushion on the west side—which happened to correspond to the area above the long-disrepair Formation eye.

After sitting down, Lin Ye took out the bodhi seed and held it in his left hand, placed the star meteorite fragment in front of him, and kept the Nine Secrets Clue Silk cloth close to his body.

Everything was ready.

Star observation begins!

The Elder's voice came from under the platform.

Almost at the same time the words fell, the celestial phenomenon changed suddenly.

In the night sky, the seven main stars of the big dipper—Tian Shu, Tian Xuan, Tian Ji, Tian Quan, Yu Heng, Kai Yang, and Yao Guang—shone brightly at the same time!

The starlight fell from the endless starry sky like seven silver pillars of light, accurately projected onto the Star Gazing Platform!

What was even more magical was that the seven-star light pillars were not static but moved slowly with the movement of the stars.

When the seven light pillars completely overlapped, that was when the big dipper alignment was completed.

Such dense Star Power... some Disciples exclaimed in low voices.

Indeed, at this time on the Star Gazing Platform, the concentration of Star Power was more than a hundred times higher than usual!

Even if they did not actively absorb it, that Star Power would automatically seep into their bodies, cleansing their Physical Body, tempering their Divine Power, and nourishing their Divine Soul.

All Disciples immediately entered a Cultivation state.

Lin Ye also closed his eyes, but not to Cultivate; rather, he immersed his entire mind in his comprehension.

He followed the method he had deduced over the past five months, proceeding in three steps:

The first step was to use the star meteorite fragment as a guide to establish a deep resonance with the Star Gazing Platform.

He injected a wisp of Chaos Divine Power into the star meteorite fragment.

The fragment shone with bright silver light, resonating strongly with the star meteorite ground beneath his feet.

Through this resonance, Lin Ye could clearly see the flow of Star Power inside the Star Gazing Platform—like the Meridians of a human body, the Star Power flowed endlessly within it, finally converging into the Main Star Gazing Position in the center.

And on the west side, at that incomplete Formation eye, the flow of Star Power was indeed blocked.

A large amount of Star Power accumulated here, forming an invisible Star Power vortex.

The second step was to use the bodhi seed to improve his Comprehension Ability and capture the rhythm of the big dipper alignment.

The bodhi seed emitted warm energy, penetrating directly into his Sea of Consciousness.

Lin Ye's Comprehension Ability instantly increased by 30%, and his perception became incomparably sharp.

He could hear the rhythm of the stars' movement—it was a grand, ancient, and regular pulsation, as if it were the heartbeat of the Universe.

The process of the big dipper alignment was the process of seven different rhythms gradually synchronizing.

When the seven rhythms completely merged into one, it would erupt with astonishing energy.

The third step was to use the Nine Secrets Clue Silk cloth as a medium, at the moment the big dipper alignment was completed, to trigger the accumulated Star Power in the incomplete Formation eye, and attempt to trigger the hidden Dao Rhyme of the Jie-character Secret.

The plan was clear, but the execution was extremely difficult.

The rhythm of the big dipper alignment was extremely complex, and it took Lin Ye a full hour to barely distinguish the seven types of rhythms.

He spent another hour trying to synchronize his own Divine Power fluctuations with these rhythms.

During this period, many Disciples on the Star Gazing Platform had already gained something.

Hum— with a soft sound, a phantom of a bright moon appeared above Ji Mingyue's head.

The moonlight and starlight blended, and her aura surged, apparently having comprehended some kind of secret art related to moon essence.

Clang! The long sword behind the cold young man from Tianxuan Peak automatically unsheathed by half an inch, the sword sound like a dragon's roar, and a seven-star pattern appeared on the sword body, apparently having resonated with the Seven-Star Sword Dao.

Qingluan's ancient zither hovered automatically, the strings playing an ethereal movement without wind, harmonizing with the rhythm of the stars.

Murong Xue's seven illusory Flying Swords formed a sword array, and as the sword light flowed, there was a faint appearance of a galaxy flowing.

The silver-clad man from the Eternal Star Domain was the most peculiar; a light screen unfolded in front of him, and data streams scrolled wildly on the screen, seemingly analyzing the composition and operating laws of the Star Power.

Everyone had gained something, but no one had touched the Nine Secrets Dao Rhyme.

Lin Ye was not in a hurry.

He knew that the real Opportunity was at the very last moment when the big dipper alignment was completed.

Time passed, and the moon crossed the center of the sky.

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

When the moment of Zi Shi arrived, the seven main stars in the night sky finally aligned perfectly!

"Now!"

Lin Ye snapped his eyes open, his hands forming seals!

The three big dipper star seals within his body activated simultaneously, triggering the Seven-Star Resonance! All attributes +30%!

The Chaos Domain expanded, not for combat, but for precise control—within the Domain's range, all energy flow was under his command!

The Nine Secrets Clue Silk in his bosom erupted with a blinding golden light, resonating with the starlight of the Seven-Star Alignment!

Lin Ye concentrated his entire mind and all his power on the broken Formation eye to the west.

"Lead!"

The Star Power vortex, which had been stagnant for countless years, was precisely pried loose by Lin Ye using Chaos Power at the exact moment the Seven-Star Alignment was complete and the Star Power tide reached its Peak!

"Boom—!"

A silver pillar of light, about ten feet in diameter, shot into the sky from the broken Formation eye! Within the light pillar, countless golden runes could be seen flowing; those runes were ancient and profound, each containing the Concept of "Explosion," "Trigger," and "Potential."

The Dao Rhyme of the Nine Secrets: Jie Character Secret was summoned!

At this moment, the entire Star Gazing Platform was stirred.

All the Disciples looked toward that silver pillar of light, looking at Lin Ye beneath it.

"What is that?!"

"Such a powerful Dao Rhyme... I've never seen anything like it!"

"It's Lin Ye! What kind of commotion is he causing now?"

"Hurry and comprehend! There is Great Dao True Intent within that light pillar!"

The crowd hurriedly extended their Divine Sense toward the light pillar, attempting to capture the Dao Rhyme within. But those golden runes seemed to have a life of their own, revolving only around Lin Ye, making it impossible for outsiders to get close.

At this moment, Lin Ye was experiencing an unprecedentedly wondrous sensation.

Countless insights regarding "Trigger," "Explosion," and "Potential" flooded into his Sea of Consciousness. They were not words or images, but a "Dao True Intent" that acted directly upon the Soul.

He "saw" that ten layers of shackles were hidden within the human body; for every layer broken, potential could explode tenfold. And the core of the Jie Character Secret was the method to find and briefly break those shackles.

But breaking the shackles required a "key." Everyone's key was different: it could be an explosion during extreme emotions, an awakening at the brink of life and death, or perhaps resonance with the rhythm of Heaven and Earth...

The rhythm of the Seven-Star Alignment was a "Key of Heaven and Earth." Using this key, Lin Ye was attempting to open the first layer of shackles within his body.

The process was extremely painful.

It felt as if countless needles were piercing every inch of his Meridians, as if a giant hammer was striking every bone, and as if flames were incinerating every wisp of his Divine Soul. This was the backlash from forcibly stimulating one's potential.

But Lin Ye gritted his teeth and persevered.

The Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body operated at full capacity, neutralizing the power of the backlash. The comprehension bonus from the bodhi seed allowed him to understand those Dao Rhymes more clearly. The resonance with the Starfall Stone Fragment made his connection with the power of the stars even tighter.

Time seemed to freeze.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths...

Ten breaths later, a faint "crack" sounded from within Lin Ye's body.

The first layer of shackles had been broken!

[System Prompt: You have successfully summoned the Dao Rhyme of "Nine Secrets: Jie Character Secret"!]

[Comprehending... Comprehension Progress: 1%... 5%... 10%...]

The progress increased slowly but steadily.

20%... 30%... 50%...

When the progress reached 60%, Lin Ye felt he had reached his limit. Those Dao Rhymes were too profound; even with the bodhi seed bonus, they were difficult to fully understand.

Just then, the Nine Secrets Clue Silk in his bosom suddenly began to burn!

It wasn't a real fire, but a kind of golden Dao Fire. The silk turned to ash in the Dao Fire, but the ash did not dissipate; instead, it transformed into countless golden specks of light, all of which flooded into Lin Ye's body!

[Nine Secrets Clue Silk (Consumed)]

Effect: Burns itself to provide the holder with one "Epiphany" Opportunity, lasting for the duration of one incense stick.

Remaining Time: 00:14:59...

Epiphany!

Lin Ye's Comprehension Ability skyrocketed once again! Those originally obscure Dao Rhymes now became clear and understandable!

The comprehension progress began to soar!

70%... 80%... 90%...

As the time for the incense stick was about to end, the progress froze at 99%.

Just one last bit!

In a sudden flash of inspiration, Lin Ye injected all the power of the three big dipper star seals into his comprehension.

The Tianshu Star Seal, governing power explosion.

The Tianxuan Star Seal, governing agility explosion.

The Tianji Star Seal, governing Physique explosion.

The three seals combined, coordinating with Chaos Power—

"Boom!"

Within his Sea of Consciousness, it felt as if something had completely exploded.

[System Prompt: Congratulations! You have successfully comprehended "Nine Secrets: Jie Character Secret" (Incomplete)!]

[Current Mastery: Entry (0/1000)]

[Effect: Passive skill. When attacking, there is a 3% probability to trigger the "Jie Character Secret" effect, increasing the damage of that attack to 500% (five-fold critical hit).]

[Trigger Conditions: No restrictions; melee, ranged, and Spell attacks can all trigger it.]

[Extra Effect: When in a "life or death" situation or a state of "extreme emotion," the trigger probability is temporarily increased to 10%.]

[Subsequent Improvement: Requires continued comprehension of more complete Jie Character Secret Dao Rhymes or interaction with other Nine Secrets inheritors.]

[Special Note: The Karma of the Nine Secrets inheritance is immense; please use with caution.]

It was done!

Lin Ye let out a long breath and slowly opened his eyes.

At this point, the silver pillar of light had dissipated, and the Star Gazing Platform had returned to tranquility. However, the gazes of all the Disciples were focused on him. Among those looks were surprise, envy, jealousy, and inquiry.

Ji Mingyue was the first to approach, her beautiful eyes sparkling: "Junior Brother Lin, just now that was..."

"I luckily had some insights," Lin Ye said without going into detail.

"What a fine 'luckily'." The cold youth from Tianxuan Peak also walked over, giving Lin Ye a deep look. "The Dao Rhyme just now even made my Seven-Star Sword Intent tremble. Junior Brother Lin, the Legacy you obtained is likely not simple."

Lin Ye just smiled, remaining non-committal.

Qingluan, Murong Xue, the silver-clad man from the Eternal Star Domain, and others all cast complex glances his way. But with the Holy Land's rules in place, no one dared to press him for answers.

The Deacon Elder's voice came from below the platform: "Star gazing has ended! All Disciples, exit in an orderly fashion!"

Only then did the crowd begin to leave the platform one after another.

Lin Ye walked at the back, feeling the changes within his body.

Besides gaining the Heaven-Defying passive of the Jie Character Secret, his cultivation had also broken through—during the comprehension process, the frantic infusion of Star Power had raised his Rank from Level 45 to Level 46 (Dao Palace Sixth Layer). His Divine Sense strength increased from 680 zhang to 750 zhang. His Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body adaptation increased from 31% to 33%.

More importantly, he had a brand-new understanding of "Explosion" and "Potential." This was not only reflected in the Jie Character Secret but also in his control over his own power. Now, if he exploded with full force, he could even display the combat power of the Dao Palace Eighth Layer for a short time.

By the time he returned to Xuanwei Peak, it was already late into the night.

Elder Xuanwei was actually still awake, sitting on a small stone stool in the courtyard, drinking wine with a plate of peanuts.

"You're back?" He glanced at Lin Ye. "You made quite a commotion; even the main Peak was disturbed."

"I was reckless," Lin Ye said softly.

"Reckless? When it's time to fight for something, you fight," Elder Xuanwei said, gulping down some wine. "However, try to use that Nine Secrets thing as little as possible. At least, don't expose it easily until you have enough strength to protect yourself."

"I understand."

"Good that you understand." Elder Xuanwei stood up and wobbled toward the house. "By the way, the Five Elements Secret Realm opens in seven days. Get ready."

The Five Elements Secret Realm!

Lin Ye's spirits lifted. Five months had passed, and finally, the day had come!

"Master, the specific rules of the Secret Realm are..."

"Go find out for yourself." Elder Xuanwei didn't look back. "This old man only knows that this Secret Realm opening is on an unprecedented scale; not just Holy Land Disciples, but other forces from the Eastern Desolate will also send people. Those kids from your Heavenly Court, aren't they going too? Just right, take them to see the world."

The door closed, leaving Lin Ye standing alone in the courtyard.

He looked up at the sky; the moon had tilted to the west, but the starlight remained brilliant.

The Five Elements Secret Realm, the Chaos Five Elements Divine Treasury, the first large-scale collective action of the Heavenly Court...

"It's time to prepare."

Lin Ye returned to the bamboo house, took out a Message Jade Talisman, and began to contact Zhao Wuji, Chen Hao, Su Qingyue, and the others.

The path to the Heavenly Court's rise was about to take its most critical step.

Meanwhile, deep within the Yaoguang Holy Land, in a secret room built entirely of star stones.

Seven of the Holy Land's highest-ranking members were gathered around a water mirror. The mirror displayed the scene of Lin Ye summoning the silver pillar of light on the Star Gazing Platform.

"Nine Secrets Dao Rhyme... although it's only the incomplete Jie Character Secret, it is undoubtedly one of the Nine Secrets," the Tianxuan Peak Master said solemnly.

"This boy's Opportunity is truly Heaven-Defying," the Yuheng Peak Master lamented.

"Fortune and misfortune go hand in hand." The Tianquan Peak Master shook his head. "The Nine Secrets inheritance involves too much. Once the news leaks, not just the Eastern Desolate, but the entire cultivation world will be shaken."

The Holy Lord, True Man of the Big Dipper, remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking: "Issue the order: the events at the Star Gazing Platform today are classified as a Holy Land secret. All Disciples present must swear a Heart Demon oath not to spread the word. Violators will have their cultivation stripped and be expelled from the sect."

"Understood!" the Elders responded.

"Furthermore," the True Man of the Big Dipper looked at Lin Ye in the water mirror, "send someone to secretly protect Senior Brother Xuanwei's side. This boy... might be the key to the prosperity or decline of our Yaoguang Holy Land for the next thousand years."

The night grew deeper.

A dark shadow slipped silently out of the Yaoguang Holy Land and vanished into the vast mountains.

In the shadow's hand was a Message Jade Talisman. On the talisman, there was only one line of text:

"Target has obtained Nine Secrets: Jie Character Secret (Incomplete); the plan can enter the second phase."

At this moment, Lin Ye was completely unaware of this.

He was in the bamboo house, carefully planning the action plan for the Five Elements Secret Realm.

Within his storage ring, the Jie Character Secret rune he had just comprehended was emitting a faint golden light.

3% probability, five-fold critical hit.

This would become one of the most important trump cards for him, and the entire Heavenly Court, in the upcoming winds of change.

Outside the window, the Morning Star quietly rose.

A new day was about to begin.

And new challenges were waiting not far away.