369: Seize the Creation of Heaven

The old man ignored the child's clamor, only putting his hands behind his back and continuing to walk forward unhurriedly.

The child puffed out his cheeks in anger, but he was helpless, so he could only put his hands back in his pockets and follow with his head held high, walking with that signature gait.

This old man was precisely the Dean of Kunlun Dao Academy, Venerable Cang Xuan.

His cultivation had already reached the Mahayana Peak.

And that seemingly naughty child was his only disciple—Yun Xiaozi.

Yun Xiaozi's identity was unknown to anyone in the entire Zixiao Immortal Domain.

The outside world thought that this reclusive old Dean had never taken a disciple, and the affairs of the three thousand branch academies were all handled by the three Vice Deans.

Venerable Cang Xuan could have actually triggered the Heavenly Tribulation and achieved Ascension long ago.

But he had been waiting—waiting for Yun Xiaozi to grow up.

This child's natural talent was so high that he could be called a Prodigy.

The old Dean planned to wait until Yun Xiaozi's cultivation reached the Mahayana stage, enough to take charge of the academy and deter all sides, before he would undergo tribulation and leave without any lingering concerns.

With Yun Xiaozi's bone structure and Comprehension Ability, it might only take... a few hundred years to go from the Soul Transformation Peak to Mahayana.

A few hundred years is a dozen generations of Reincarnation for a Mortal, but for a Mahayana Peak with a Lifespan of over ten thousand years, it's just a snap of the fingers.

This is also a tacit tradition of many top-tier powers—

After the strongest reaches the Peak of this realm, they will secretly search for and nurture a "successor" who is one in ten thousand in terms of Aptitude, Heart-Nature, Luck, and even Karma and fate.

Once the successor's wings are full and they are capable of carrying the Sect's great cause, the former will feel at ease to seek that final Breakthrough.

Only such a Legacy can ensure that the power remains eternal.

The selection of this "successor" is so strict and the conditions so terrifying that it is far beyond what ordinary people can imagine.

As for why the old Dean kept Yun Xiaozi's identity so deeply hidden, no one knew.

Because of this, the three Vice Deans in the academy all harbored their own thoughts, secretly competing, all wanting to push themselves or someone they supported into that "successor" position.

So every time Venerable Yuqing sees you and discovers your "Prodigy Aptitude," he takes you as a disciple, which is also related to this.

Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, another half month had gone by.

That day, you were sitting on a stone bench in the courtyard, frowning over the matter of the secret technique.

Suddenly—

"Little friend."

A thick, boundless voice, as if coming from the depths of ancient times, sounded in your mind without warning.

Your heart jolted, and you suddenly looked up, staring straight at the towering pavilion floating under the sky—

Tianshu Pavilion.

It was it.

tianshu giant eye.

You steadied your breathing and carefully projected a strand of Divine Thought into the air:

"Senior is...?" You asked, knowing the answer.

"No need for formalities." The voice was still calm, but carried a clear understanding that saw through everything,

"I have observed you for two months. Seeing you frowning today, is there some difficult matter?"

Your heart stirred, and a glimmer of hope quietly rose.

This existence, who had lived for an unknown number of years, might really know a way to change one's fate against the heavens?

"Senior has a Wisdom Eye." You responded frankly, "Junior indeed has a matter that I've been pondering day and night, but I can't find a clue."

"Speak."

"Does Senior know... a method to extract and replace a Spiritual Root?"

After the words fell, there was silence in your mind.

After a few breaths, the voice sounded again, still flat and wave-less: "I know."

Your spirits lifted: "I beg Senior to teach me!"

"I can." tianshu giant eye answered succinctly but also directly,

"But I have one condition. If you agree, after the matter is done, the secret technique will naturally be given to you."

"Senior, please speak." You knew full well, but you still asked.

"Help me escape the Tianshu Pavilion."

As expected.

You feigned contemplation, your fingertips unconsciously tapping the stone table:

"Senior, this condition is no small matter, and the risk is too great. Junior can't... just take such a big risk based on Senior's word alone, can I?"

"What do you want?"

"What exactly is this secret technique like?" You asked tentatively,

"Junior has heard that such Heaven-Defying methods often have terrible consequences. Will the method in Senior's hand damage the Dao foundation or cause backlashes to the Divine Soul?"

tianshu giant eye was silent for a moment, then slowly said:

"This technique is called—'Heaven-Seizing Creation Technique'."

"It is divided into three volumes: upper, middle, and lower."

"The lower volume can extract and replace a High-grade Heavenly Spirit Root."

"The middle volume can go a step further and extract and replace a Supreme-grade Variant Spiritual Root."

"If it's the full set..." the voice seemed to carry a faint, almost reminiscent sigh, "In the end, there is a probability of fusing ten different attribute Spiritual Root Origins until..."

It paused and said word by word: "Immortal Spiritual Root, or even... Chaos Spiritual Root."

Your pupils shrank suddenly.

Even though you had guessed it long ago, hearing this almost mythical claim with your own ears still shook your soul.

You suppressed your shock, your tone carrying a hint of deliberate doubt and testing:

"So Heaven-Defying... if this gets out, wouldn't everyone be able to achieve Immortal Spiritual Root or Chaos Spiritual Root? This... is simply unheard of."

"Naturally, it is not that easy." tianshu giant eye's voice was calm and wave-less,

"This method goes against the heavens; every step requires great Opportunity and rare resources, and the probability of failure is extremely high. A backlash is enough to cause Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering."

"Throughout history, as far as I know, those who have actually touched the threshold of the Chaos Spiritual Root using this method... are few and far between."

"Chaos Spiritual Root... can it really come from Fusion?" you pressed.

"It can." It answered affirmatively,

"Theoretically, if one can gather ten different attribute Heavenly Spiritual Root Origins and use the full set of the 'Heaven-Seizing Creation Technique' as a guide, there is a slim probability of smelting them into one, forming the Chaos Embryo."

Ten different attribute Heavenly Spiritual Roots!

You took a sharp breath.

Not to mention ten, even just one Heavenly Spiritual Root is already a one-in-ten-thousand Aptitude.

This condition is not just a little bit demanding.

You estimated in your heart that there are over a hundred million Cultivators in Tianshu City, but those who possess a Heavenly Spiritual Root probably number less than ten thousand.

This proportion is truly too low.

But... the flame of hope had finally been lit.

You suppressed the wild joy in your heart and tentatively continued to negotiate: "Senior, how about this? Give me the lower volume of the 'Heaven-Seizing Creation Technique' first. When I am fully prepared and the time is right, I will definitely do my best to help Senior escape."

"How can I trust you?" tianshu giant eye's voice betrayed no emotion.

You took a deep breath, your tone very certain: "Since Senior has approached me, you must have already seen some signs. I... should be the person you are waiting for, and your only hope for escape."