59: Chapter 59 Barrier-Based Secluded Cultivation

Five Elements Barrier, beneath the Chaos disk, Ancestral Qi silent room.

Lin Wan sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion carved from a single piece of Chaos Jade Marrow. His eyes were slightly closed, his breathing long and steady. He seemed to have merged into one with the cushion beneath him, the dense Five Elements Ancestral Qi surrounding him, and the Chaos disk rotating slowly above his head, radiating an intangible Dao rhyme.

The silent room was not large, only a few zhang in circumference. The four walls were inscribed with countless fine, naturally formed Five Elements Dao patterns. At this moment, following Lin Wan's breathing and Qi circulation, they were emitting a faint Chaos luster, originating from the same source as the Five Elements disk. The Ancestral Qi in the air was so dense it could not be dissolved, appearing as a misty five-colored fog. With every breath, a massive amount of pure energy poured into his body. Without needing to be deliberately refined, it was autonomously absorbed and assimilated by the Five Elements Guixu Dao Seed, transformed into the most fundamental Chaos Infant Essence, nourishing his Nascent Soul and consolidating his Foundation.

Floating before him were three crystalline blood beads, shimmering with seven colors, containing nebulae of birth and destruction, as if a phantom of the Universe was flowing within them—these were the last three drops of the "Five Elements Dao Venerable's essence blood." The blood beads rotated slowly, emitting an unimaginably vast vitality and Dao rhyme. Merely the aura they emitted made the Ancestral Qi in the silent room more active and condensed.

Lin Wan was not in a hurry to swallow and refine them. His cultivation was now firmly at the Peak of the Nascent Soul Middle Stage. It seemed only one step away from the Late Stage, but in reality, this threshold was even harder to cross than the one from Golden Core to Nascent Soul. Cultivation in the Nascent Soul Stage was not just the accumulation of mana, but also the deepening of one's own "Dao," the comprehension of Law, and the tempering of the Divine Soul. It was a grinding process that could not be rushed.

He needed to fully digest and absorb what he had gained from this trip to the Heavenly Ruins and his control over the barrier, adjusting his state to the most perfect Peak before using a Heaven-Defying divine object like the "Five Elements Dao Venerable's essence blood" to break through the barrier in one go.

His mind settled as he reviewed the gains of this trip.

The battles with the Ruins Fiend Spirits and the Five Elements Guardians gave him a deeper understanding of the use of the Five Elements Returning to Ruins power, especially its characteristics of "annihilation," "purification," and "control." His experiences in the ancient battlefield ruins, the remaining Law fragments, and the Battle Intent of the sages gave him a more intuitive realization of the heaviness of the "Five Elements," the killing intent of "battle Formations," and the persistence of "guarding." These were all part of his "Dao," subtly merging into his Nascent Soul and his Dao Seed.

The greatest harvest, undoubtedly, was gaining initial control over this "Five Elements Barrier." Not only did he obtain massive resources, Legacy, and information, but more importantly, the barrier itself was a perfect, mobile, offensive and defensive Immortal Cave Daoist site. It was an excellent Foundation for him to resist "the end" in the future, guard the Sect, and even establish his own lineage. The close connection established with this place allowed him to mobilize part of the power of the Five Elements Law, greatly increasing his advantage when facing enemies and doubling the results with half the effort during cultivation.

"With my current accumulation, plus the environment here and the Five Elements Dao Venerable's essence blood, I have a ninety percent chance of breaking through to the Nascent Soul Late Stage. The key is... the path after the Nascent Soul Late Stage."

The Nascent Soul Late Stage was the final phase of the Nascent Soul Realm and the time to make final preparations for the impact on "Soul Transformation." Soul Transformation required the "Spirit and Infant to merge," where the Divine Soul completely fused with the Nascent Soul, touching the "Origin of Law" for the first time, allowing one to invoke the power of the Laws of Heaven and Earth, possess various incredible Divine Abilities, and extend one's Lifespan to several thousand years. This step was a true leap over the dragon gate, a dream that countless Cultivators in the Tiannan Continent could never reach in their entire lives.

Lin Wan's "Dao" was the Five Elements Returning to Ruins, and his goal was far beyond ordinary Soul Transformation. He wanted to walk a supreme Great Dao that fused the Five Elements, Returning to Ruins, Void Realm, stars, and even time and Karma. His ultimate goal was to transcend this world and even resist "the end" that eroded all worlds.

"The Five Elements Guixu Dao Seed is the Foundation of my Dao path. The records in the barrier about the 'Return-to-Void Secret Treasury' seem to point to a higher level of power, perhaps related to the Origin of 'the end.' To open the secret treasury, I need to fully control the Five Elements disk or reach the Soul Transformation Realm myself. Therefore, the next goal is to push my cultivation to the Great Perfection after breaking through to the Nascent Soul Late Stage and attempt to impact Soul Transformation. At the same time, I must find a way to completely refine and control the Five Elements disk to gain the authority to open the secret treasury."

His thoughts were clear, his goals specific.

Lin Wan did not hesitate and began to enter a deep state of meditation. He no longer deliberately operated his Cultivation Technique but completely immersed his mind into the Chaos-colored Five Elements Guixu Dao Seed between his eyebrows, immersing himself in the resonance with the Five Elements Barrier and the Chaos disk.

The Dao Seed rotated slowly; every rotation seemed to interpret the supreme Profound Truth of the Five Elements generation and Restriction, the annihilation of Returning to Ruins, the rotation of stars, and the birth and destruction of the Void Realm. The vast Five Elements Ancestral Qi within the barrier, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, silently poured into his body and was absorbed and refined by the Dao Seed. His Chaos Nascent Soul also sat cross-legged in his Dantian, his small hands forming seals, with five-colored nebulae flowing around his body, maintaining perfect synchronous breathing, Qi circulation, and growth with the Dao Seed and the external Ancestral Qi.

Time seemed to lose its meaning in this silent room, isolated from the outside world.

Perhaps it was one year, perhaps it was three years.

One day, Lin Wan felt as if he had turned into a speck of dust, floating at the beginning of the boundless Universe, witnessing the opening of Chaos, the differentiation of the Five Elements, the birth of stars, the evolution of all things, and finally the complete cycle returning to annihilation and nothingness. He had a more essential and profound understanding of the true meaning of "Five Elements Returning to Ruins." The Five Elements were not isolated, and Returning to Ruins was not the end. The Five Elements rotation could evolve all things and could also return to annihilation; after annihilation, it was not nothingness, but contained all possibilities of "existence" and "non-existence," "life" and "death," and was the starting point of the next Reincarnation.

"My Dao shall master the changes of the Five Elements, control the end of Returning to Ruins, and open the beginning of Reincarnation..."

A realization arose in his heart.

Just at the moment when this realization reached its Peak, Lin Wan suddenly opened his eyes. Chaos brilliance surged in his pupils, as if two miniature Universes were being born and destroyed. He opened his mouth and inhaled, and the three drops of "Five Elements Dao Venerable's essence blood" floating before him turned into three seven-colored streams of light and instantly merged into his mouth!

"Boom—!!!"

An indescribable, more violent, purer, and more vast power of the Origin than when he condensed his Nascent Soul exploded the moment the three drops of essence blood entered his abdomen! This time, it was not just energy, but the Five Elements Dao Venerable's lifelong comprehension of the Great Dao, understanding of Laws, and even part of his indestructible Origin imprint, rushing into Lin Wan's Foundation, Nascent Soul, and Divine Soul like a broken galaxy!

His body was instantly completely submerged by seven-colored Chaos light, turning into a huge, slowly rotating Chaos cocoon. On the cocoon, Five Elements runes, Returning to Ruins Dao marks, star trajectories, and Void Realm cracks constantly appeared and perished, radiating a terrifying Dao rhyme that made the entire silent room and even the entire core area of the barrier tremble slightly.

Inside the Dantian, the Chaos Nascent Soul also suddenly expanded, its facial features becoming clearer, and the Dao Seed mark on its forehead was almost identical to Lin Wan's body. The speed of its small hands forming seals became faster and faster, crazily absorbing and refining the vast Origin that poured in. The size of the Nascent Soul grew at a speed visible to the naked eye, and its aura climbed crazily as if riding a rocket!

The Bottleneck of the Nascent Soul Middle Stage Peak was like thin ice, shattering at the slightest touch!

Nascent Soul Late Stage!

Moreover, the improvement in cultivation did not slow down in the slightest; instead, because of the nearly endless power of the Origin contained in the Dao Venerable's essence blood and the Breakthrough in Lin Wan's own comprehension of the Great Dao, it continued to dash forward toward a higher level!

Nascent Soul Late Stage Early Phase, Middle Phase, Late Phase...

It was unstoppable all the way until—Nascent Soul Late Stage Peak!

When the violent energy tide slowly subsided, the seven-colored Chaos light gradually converged, and Lin Wan revealed his figure again, his cultivation had already stabilized at the Nascent Soul Late Stage Peak! It was only one step away from the Great Perfection! The strength of his Spiritual Pressure, the breadth of his Divine Sense, and the thickness and purity of his Infant Essence were far beyond those of the same stage, vaguely touching the invisible thin film of the Soul Transformation Realm. If he were to face True Monarch Minggu in his prime now, he was afraid he would not need to use a big move like "Returning to Ruins Opening the Heavens" and could defeat him with ordinary Divine Abilities.

More importantly, his understanding of the Five Elements Returning to Ruins Dao and his grasp of his own "Dao path" had reached a new height. The Dao Seed was more solid and profound, and his combination with the Chaos Nascent Soul was tighter. He even felt that he could slightly invoke a trace of more fundamental Law power that could only be touched at the "Soul Transformation" level.

"Nascent Soul Late Stage Peak... closer and closer to Soul Transformation." Lin Wan felt the vast and endless power in his body, as if he could move mountains and drain seas with a wave of his hand. His heart was calm but full of confidence.

He did not leave seclusion immediately. The surge of power brought by the Breakthrough needed time to adapt and stabilize. Moreover, the environment here was excellent, and with the support of the infinite resources of the Five Elements Barrier, it was the best time to continue hidden cultivation and push his cultivation to the Nascent Soul Great Perfection.

He closed his eyes again and sank into cultivation. This time, it was not a violent Breakthrough, but an accumulation and polishing that came naturally. He used the Five Elements Guixu Dao Seed as a guide, constantly absorbing the Ancestral Qi of the barrier, refining the remaining rhythm of the Dao Venerable's essence blood in his body, polishing his Infant Essence, tempering his Divine Soul, and comprehending Laws.

At the same time, he also separated a wisp of his mind, trying to communicate with and refine the slowly rotating Chaos Five Elements disk above his head, which represented the highest authority of the Five Elements Barrier, with his Nascent Soul Late Stage Peak cultivation and the authority of initially controlling the barrier.

This was an extremely slow process that required great patience. The disk was the pinnacle creation of the Five Elements Sect, integrating Formation, Artifact Refining, runes, and even some insights into the "Dao." Its level was extremely high, and to fully refine and control it, one needed to have the cultivation of Soul Transformation. But Lin Wan possessed the orthodox Dao Seed and the five elements token, and had received initial recognition from the barrier, so it was not impossible to try with his Nascent Soul Late Stage cultivation. At the very least, he could deepen the connection and obtain more authority and information.

Time passed quietly in silent cultivation.

Outside the silent room, within the barrier cave.

Han Lingtian and Liao Chen also chose suitable Immortal Caves, using the rich Spiritual Qi here and some resources left by the Five Elements Sect that were suitable for their Cultivation Techniques to Cultivate in secret. Han Lingtian's sword Dao was further tempered in the murderous and heavy Battle Intent environment here, and his cultivation steadily improved, having stabilized at the Nascent Soul Early Stage and moving toward the Middle Stage. Liao Chen's Buddhist Cultivation Technique had much in common with the upright and peaceful "Earth" and "Wood" attributes of the Five Elements, and he also gained a lot. His Buddhist Dharma was more refined, and his cultivation was approaching the Nascent Soul Early Stage Peak.

Occasionally, the three would come out of seclusion to gather, exchange cultivation insights, discuss information about "the end" learned from the historical materials of the barrier, and their future plans. Lin Wan did not hide the fact that he had obtained control of the barrier and promised that when his cultivation was sufficient and he had completely controlled the barrier, the Legacy and resources suitable for the two of them could be shared. Han Lingtian and Liao Chen were naturally grateful, and their determination to fight side by side with Lin Wan was even firmer.

One day, Lin Wan was in the silent room, using his mind to try to outline an extremely complex rune trajectory of a composite Formation pattern regarding "Void Realm superposition" and "Returning to Ruins annihilation" at the core of the Chaos Five Elements disk. Suddenly, a wisp of his mind left in the alert Formation on the periphery of the barrier transmitted a faint but clear fluctuation.

Something was trying to approach, or even... slightly touching the outermost "boundary membrane" of the Five Elements Barrier!

It was not the common Ruins Beasts or evil spirits in the Heavenly Ruins. Those things could not approach the barrier at all before being scared away by the remaining Restrictions of the ancient battlefield on the periphery or the aura of the "Five Elements Guardians" (although they had fallen silent).

This fluctuation was more obscure, more "orderly," and carried a sense of... exploration, scanning, or even attempting to "analyze."

Lin Wan's heart moved, and he immediately withdrew most of his mind from cultivation, using the barrier authority he had initially controlled to extend his perception in the direction the fluctuation came from—the northeast side of the barrier, outside the boundary membrane.

Through the chaotic five-colored light curtain of the boundary membrane, he "saw" that about a hundred miles away from the boundary membrane, in the gray fog at the edge of the ancient battlefield, hovered a... strangely shaped, pitch-black, streamlined, shuttle-shaped flying boat that looked like some kind of deep-sea monster fish but radiated a cold metallic luster.

The flying boat was not large, only ten zhang long. There were no markings on its surface, and no obvious Spiritual Qi or Demonic Qi fluctuations could be sensed. Only an extremely faint but unusually pure detection fluctuation, similar to "Divine Sense" but more condensed and penetrating, was being emitted from a certain part of the front of the flying boat. Like an invisible tentacle, it swept over the boundary membrane of the Five Elements Barrier again and again, seemingly analyzing its structure, energy attributes, and defensive strength.

What made Lin Wan's eyes focus even more was that on the side of the pitch-black flying boat, near the tail, was engraved a strange emblem he had never seen before, but which caused his Dao Seed to feel a trace of extremely weak disgust and vigilance.

That emblem looked like a distorted dark vortex that constantly rotated inward, as if trying to devour all light. In the center of the vortex, there was a faint scarlet dot, like a cold eye staring at all things.

This emblem had appeared in the historical images stored in the Five Elements Barrier about the great war back then! Although the shape was slightly different, more concise and restrained, its core meaning of "devouring," "distortion," and "termination" was exactly the same!

This was... a force related to "the end"?! Or rather, a mark used by some existences that had been polluted and controlled by "the end"?!

They actually found this place? And they seemed to have taken an interest in the Five Elements Barrier and were conducting exploration?!

Lin Wan's heart slowly sank. It seemed that the birth of the Five Elements Barrier and the commotion caused by his previous purification of the "Blood Fiend Core" and opening of the barrier gate had ultimately attracted the attention of some ill-intentioned people hiding in the dark.

It was an enemy, not a friend.

Moreover, looking at the style of this flying boat and the detection methods, the existence behind it was probably not simple. At the very least, it was definitely not comparable to those Sect forces on the surface of the Tiannan Continent.

"What should come will come." A cold light flashed in Lin Wan's eyes. His cultivation had greatly increased, and he had initially controlled the Five Elements Barrier. He was just worrying about not having a suitable opponent to test his strength, and by the way... clear up possible threats.

He moved his mind, and a Divine Thought transmission sounded simultaneously in the places where Han Lingtian and Liao Chen were in seclusion:

"Senior Brother Han, Fellow Daoist Liao Chen, we have 'guests.' Prepare yourself, we... are going to meet them."