90: Chapter 90 The Ultimate Freedom

During the days Sect Master Shen Yurong and the others stayed in the Royal Capital, Lin Qing did not remain idle.

During the day, he would occasionally accompany Yun Nian and the others to wander through the bustling streets of the capital to relax, or find an elegant teahouse to listen to storytellers recount strange tales and anecdotes.

But whenever night fell, he would devote himself entirely to cultivation.

Over these few days, the things he had yet to reach Perfection in were the Beast Taming Technique seized from the Xuanye Demon Court Outer Sect Disciple, and the three Heaven Rank martial arts he had traded from the Sixth Princess.

He had already mastered two Heaven Rank martial arts previously, so the current three Heaven Rank martial arts only required a combined 120 proficiency points.

Finally, on the afternoon of the day Sect Master Shen Yurong and the others left the Royal Capital.

Lin Qing's System panel finally underwent another major change.

[Host: Lin Qing]

Realm: Spirit Sea Realm (Breakthrough Time: ∞)

Talent: Innate Mysterious Fetus, Ultra Instinct

Fused Cultivation Techniques: Five Elements Pulse Opening Method, Solar Visualization Method (Expand)

Recorded Cultivation Techniques:

Spell Mastery Rating: Low-level (Trace Leaving Technique, Sound Transmission Technique...)

Recorded Spells: Beast Taming Technique (74/100)

In the panel, the two columns for Body Control Rating and Recorded Martial Arts had disappeared. In their place, a brand-new talent appeared in the Talent column—Ultra Instinct.

Lin Qing closed his eyes and felt it carefully for a few breaths; he soon understood the effect of this talent.

To put it simply, so-called Ultra Instinct allows one to perfectly exert their own power.

Why can martial arts exert power far greater than basic Moves without external boosts like spiritual energy? Where does this extra power come from?

The answer is actually very simple: it was originally the human body's own power, it's just that Cultivators cannot normally exert it.

Over countless years, people have continuously explored, experimented, summarized, and optimized, creating various efficient power-exertion techniques.

Different power-exertion techniques can exert different levels of power, resulting in various grades of martial arts.

Heaven Rank martial arts can perfectly exert a Cultivator's power, having reached the theoretical limit. Therefore, there is no distinction between high-level and low-level in Heaven Rank martial arts.

Then the question arises: if a person learns enough Heaven Rank martial arts, can they reach Lin Qing's current state of Ultra Instinct?

No!

The logic of Heaven Rank martial arts still requires the use of techniques to exert the body's limit power. But Lin Qing doesn't need techniques at all now; a simple punch can strike with perfect power.

Moreover, the conflicting power-exertion logic of different Moves, the differences in usage techniques for different weapons, the shifts in center of gravity for different Movement Techniques, and the easily overlooked details of fine joints, muscles, and Qi circulation—combining all these different aspects results in an astronomical number.

Even if someone spent their entire life practicing ten thousand Heaven Rank martial arts, there would inevitably be omissions, blind spots, and dead zones; it would be impossible to achieve true full coverage, zero dead zones, and perfect control.

Therefore, the current Lin Qing, given the same physical stats, is the strongest!

Martial arts have now completely lost their meaning to him.

From now on, every Move is Perfection, every strike is the limit; freedom follows the heart, and the intent achieves the deed.

Lin Qing slowly opened his eyes. His Aura did not surge; instead, it became more restrained and placid, as if merging with the surrounding world—seemingly ordinary, yet unfathomably deep.

Early the next morning, Lin Qing straightened his clothes, left the Luoxia Valley courtyard, and walked toward the Da Qi Royal Palace.

Among the rewards for the top five of the Heavenly Pride Competition, it was time to redeem the two-month qualification to study the Imperial visualization maps.

Lin Qing walked all the way and soon arrived outside the main gate of the Da Qi Royal Palace.

The palace walls were towering and magnificent. The Imperial Guards, clad in heavy armor and holding sharp blades, had sharp gazes; ordinary people wouldn't even dare to approach.

But as soon as Lin Qing reached the palace gate, a eunuch guarding one side of the gate hurried forward to meet him, a respectful smile plastered on his face as he bowed to Lin Qing.

“May I ask if the visitor is Young Master Lin Qing of Luoxia Valley?”

Lin Qing nodded slightly.

“Indeed. I have come today to redeem my competition reward and study the visualization maps in the Imperial collection.”

The smile on the eunuch's face grew even wider, and he quickly bowed to lead the way.

“Young Master Lin, please come in. This servant has been waiting here for a long time. Please follow me, Young Master.”

Lin Qing followed the eunuch toward the depths of the palace while asking nonchalantly.

“How did you know I would come today?”

“In reply to Young Master Lin, this servant does not have the ability of foresight, so I naturally didn't know which specific day you would come.”

“It's just that among the top five Prodigies of this competition, everyone except for you, Young Master, has already entered the palace one after another to begin studying the visualization maps.”

“This servant has been waiting for you outside this palace gate for several days.”

Hearing these words, a hint of embarrassment rose in Lin Qing's heart.

Because he had been delayed for a few days practicing Heaven Rank martial arts, he had actually made a eunuch wait at the palace gate for several consecutive days, causing trouble for someone for no reason.

Even if the other party was just an ordinary eunuch, Lin Qing felt a bit bad. He nodded slightly to the eunuch and said in a calm tone:

“Thank you for your trouble. You've worked hard these past few days.”

The eunuch was overwhelmed by the favor and quickly said he didn't deserve it. In his heart, his good opinion of this Young Master Lin—who was famous in the capital yet had no airs—grew even stronger.

The two of them walked along, passing through layers of palace gates and heading toward the depths of the palace.

The guards along the way became increasingly strict, and the cultivation and Aura of the Imperial Guards also grew stronger and stronger.

After the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the two arrived outside an independent, secluded palace hall.

Around the hall, there were not only elite Imperial Guards in heavy armor patrolling on duty, but also several old men in black sitting in a pavilion not far away. Bursts of Divine Thought swept over this palace from time to time.

Clearly, these old men were the true core of this palace's protection.

Arriving at the hall entrance, the guiding eunuch stopped and bowed again.

“Young Master Lin, this is the place.”

“The other Prodigies are already inside concentrating on their studies. You may enter on your own, Young Master. This servant will take his leave here.”

Lin Qing nodded slightly to the eunuch.

Then, without further words, he raised his hand and pushed open the heavy hall doors.

As the doors opened, a quiet and peaceful atmosphere rushed toward him.

At the entrance stood a large long table piled with brightly colored meat, fresh fruit, and clear spring water.

Fourth-stage Cultivators were not yet able to achieve total fasting, so these foods were clearly specially prepared by the Imperial family for the Prodigies to use during their long periods of secluded meditation.

The scale of the entire palace was not large, only about ten zhang square. The surrounding walls were covered with exquisitely mounted scrolls.

Every scroll was a visualization map, featuring the sun, moon, and stars, mountains and rivers, birds and beasts, ancient Buddhas and Daoist masters, sword shadows and blade glints... all-encompassing and too many to count.

Inside the hall, the three Prodigies Jiang Yuewu, Sun Shaoping, and Gu Yun Banner were each sitting cross-legged before a visualization map. The Sixth Princess Princess Duan Qingwan was not here; presumably, she did not need this.

As Lin Qing pushed the door and entered, none of the three Prodigies sitting quietly in the hall looked back at him, their minds completely immersed in visualization.

Sensing the quiet atmosphere in the hall, Lin Qing also subconsciously lightened his steps and turned to gently close the doors.

The moment the doors closed, all the subtle noises from outside completely vanished. Clearly, this palace was also equipped with an isolation Formation.

Lin Qing did not disturb anyone, nor did he deliberately pick a visualization map. His goal was to practice every single visualization map in the hall once.

He walked straight to an open spot and sat cross-legged. Then he looked up at the visualization map on the wall in front of him, preparing to record it into the System.

His visualization methods had not yet reached the Realm of 'Ten Thousand Laws Returning to One' or complete mastery. Therefore, for every visualization map, he needed to spend the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to record it into the System.

Once recorded in the System, he would be able to see the corresponding proficiency requirements.

In this way, Lin Qing began another period of secluded cultivation within the Da Qi Royal Palace.

Meanwhile, Fang Chao, the Xuanye Demon Court Inner Sect Disciple with a sinister face dressed in black, was getting a bit impatient waiting in the Royal Capital.

“No, is he sick in the head?”

“He's already in the Spirit Realm, yet he's still studying visualization maps!”