233: Taoist books

The four characters flickered, appearing and disappearing. As Qin Jin's consciousness projected upwards, a wondrous sight emerged within the Grotto-Heaven.

From east to west, a rainbow light soared, then formed a rainbow bridge, similar to the one during the previous Heaven's Gift. As the rainbow bridge evolved, light flowed, spiritual energy transformed, and divine birds and exotic beasts emerged near the rainbow bridge, either stepping onto it or circling above it.

At the same time.

Power circulated within the Grotto-Heaven, and information surged into Qin Jin's mind.

It was information regarding the Grotto-Heaven Treasure Technique!

When cultivators normally open a Grotto-Heaven, the birth of a Grotto-Heaven Treasure Technique often takes some time. Special Treasure Techniques like the Eternal Cave Heaven take even longer, not a task for a single day.

But this Heaven-Bestowed Grotto-Heaven, gifted by heaven, was in a complete state from its very formation. Its Grotto-Heaven Treasure Technique was directly formed.

The first thing that entered his mind was an extremely complex pattern. All subsequent information seemed to be deciphered from it. After a brief understanding, Qin Jin felt a slight ripple.

The Treasure Technique born from this Grotto-Heaven was completely different from the previous four Grotto-Heavens; it was an entirely auxiliary Treasure Technique.

Heaven-Bestowed Treasure Technique!

Moreover, the activation of this Treasure Technique also required some external conditions.

Because its effect was extremely special: it amplified other Grotto-Heaven Treasure Techniques. Furthermore, as the cultivator's own realm ascended, the Treasure Technique's effect would strengthen, or under certain specific catalysts, with the amplification of this Treasure Technique, other Grotto-Heaven Treasure Techniques would undergo some extremely wondrous changes.

“The Heaven-Bestowed Grotto-Heaven is indeed extraordinary.”

Merely understanding its effect, Qin Jin immediately realized the preciousness of this Grotto-Heaven Treasure Technique.

This was undoubtedly a unique Treasure Technique that made the strong stronger. Given that the inherent power of the Grotto-Heaven Treasure Techniques was already formidable, with its assistance, astonishing effects would erupt.

More detailed information flowed through his mind. As he continuously familiarized himself, Qin Jin's spirit withdrew from the Spirit Ruins, standing above the firmament, his eyes gently closed.

About half an hour later, he suddenly opened his eyes.

His eyes shone like stars. With a thought, power was mobilized, and behind him, the scene of a Grotto-Heaven appeared.

That was — Enlightenment Grotto-Heaven, his first Grotto-Heaven!

The Grotto-Heaven hung high behind him, filled with vibrant spiritual essence. Above the clear spring, green lotuses swayed, their leaves pressing against the water, creating ripples.

As the Grotto-Heaven's power circulated and his mind cleared, Qin Jin's expression grew solemn as he activated the Enlightenment Treasure Art!

In an instant, green lotuses floated on the water within the Grotto-Heaven, and ripples spread. With his mind free of worldly dust, Qin Jin's thoughts became noticeably clearer.

He had long grown completely accustomed to this feeling.

This was the direct effect of the Enlightenment Treasure Art. Besides this, from the time he cultivated the Enlightenment Grotto-Heaven until now, he could perceive that his [comprehension] had been subtly improving.

Now, with the Treasure Technique activated, he had no hesitation. As his aura fluctuated, another Grotto-Heaven scene appeared above.

Heaven-Bestowed Grotto-Heaven.

The next second, the Treasure Technique was activated.

In Qin Jin's own perception, within the Heaven-Bestowed Grotto-Heaven, above that rainbow bridge, a rainbow light streaked out, like ink writing in the void. In an instant, within the Grotto-Heaven, a chapter written in unknown characters formed, streaked out from the Grotto-Heaven, and directly entered the Enlightenment Grotto-Heaven.

The characters on the chapter were extremely unique, like the records of the very information of heaven and earth in ancient primeval times. After entering the Enlightenment Grotto-Heaven, the chapter disintegrated, and its individual characters, like nutrients, fell into the lake.

A moment later.

On the extremely clear lake surface, a golden light suddenly bloomed.

The golden light was extremely bright. Under Qin Jin's attention, more green lotuses evolved within the Grotto-Heaven, forming clusters, and on the lotuses, pure white flowers bloomed, utterly pristine.

Qin Jin perceived that his thoughts were clearer than ever before.

“Is this the effect of the Enlightenment Treasure Art being amplified?”

Thoughts flashed through his mind. Qin Jin wasted no time, directly examining himself and organizing his abilities. Some methods and techniques he had already mastered now gave rise to more ideas. If before it was about learning and understanding, now — it was about standing from a higher perspective to observe and identify problems.

“It's truly a case of the strong getting stronger.”

“Looking at it this way, the greatest value of this Heaven-Bestowed Treasure Technique isn't to amplify combat-type Treasure Techniques. Rather, it's by complementing a Treasure Technique with a special focus like the [Enlightenment Treasure Art] that it can exert its maximum effect and produce even more miraculous results.”

“When Venerable Observer viewed and browsed the Immortal Dynasty laws at lower realms, was it similar to my current perception?”

Thoughts raced, and actions continued. During this process of organization, Qin Jin's own power was fully mobilized. In continuous operation, it was rapidly perfected. Whether it was the external circulation for constructing a domain or the internal circulation for combining the two systems, everything became increasingly smooth.

After the amplification reached a certain point, the green lotuses within the Enlightenment Grotto-Heaven stopped increasing.

It seemed this was the full effect of the amplification. Qin Jin could perceive that this Treasure Technique consumed a great deal of his own energy, and even with his accumulation, he couldn't maintain it for too long.

As time passed, the green lotuses within the Grotto-Heaven also began to gradually disappear, the amplification effect slowly receded, and it returned to its original state.

Just as Qin Jin thought everything was completely over.

In his spiritual perception, within the Enlightenment Grotto-Heaven, a new change appeared.

“What is this?!”

Above the Grotto-Heaven, vaguely, a bronze bell seemed to flash into existence. The moment it appeared, a bell toll that made one's heart tremble resounded.

“Is this the so-called 'catalyst' mentioned in the Treasure Technique information?”

This peculiar Treasure Technique, when a cultivator reached a high realm, could directly unleash special effects. At lower realms, only by triggering a [catalyst] would wondrous changes occur.

The so-called catalyst was like an extraordinary person's flash of inspiration; under environmental or self-influence, it could unleash effects far exceeding the current level.

Qin Jin had not anticipated that upon his first activation of this Treasure Technique, he would trigger a catalyst.

This might be because he had just received a gift from heaven, or perhaps because his current location was extraordinary. Everything was now untraceable, and Qin Jin had no intention of investigating.

Because, the moment the bell chimed, his mind went blank for an instant.

Then, as if ascending a dimension, he perceived himself, yet it was as if he had truly become a third-person observer, genuinely watching everything about himself. His being was like an unpolished jade, and in his perception, shortcomings were discovered one by one and corrected.

During this process, within the Enlightenment Grotto-Heaven, further changes occurred.

The bell chime flashed and was gone, leaving no trace. At a certain moment, the green lotuses below, which had not yet fully faded, swayed and seemed to “look” in the same direction above. Their branches and leaves bent, as if in reverence.

And in the direction they focused, a flash of light revealed something fleetingly.

It looked like — a book, a book suspended in the sky.

The moment it appeared, within the Spirit Ruins, something dormant seemed to be abruptly awakened, streaking directly through the Spirit Ruins, rapidly approaching the Enlightenment Grotto-Heaven.

That was the nine-story small pagoda.

After its last repair, it had provided two original driving secrets and then fallen silent again. The previous Heaven's Gift seemed to only target Qin Jin himself and did not lead to its further repair. Now, the changes in the Enlightenment Grotto-Heaven had caused it to react.

As it neared the Enlightenment Grotto-Heaven, strange lights rose from the incomplete parts of the small pagoda itself, filling them, seemingly undergoing repair in an extremely peculiar way.

In Qin Jin's heart, a profound understanding arose in the unseen.

The bell chime was the sound of the Dao.

The heavenly book was the book of the Dao.

This might be the wondrous phenomenon that the Enlightenment Grotto-Heaven would truly experience when he ascended to a high realm, or perhaps an evolution on another level, now manifested after receiving aid from heaven.

Listening to the sound of the Dao and facing the book of the Dao, Qin Jin did not gain direct insights, nor could he comprehend anything from it. But as the book of the Dao flashed by, a wondrous feeling of “I gradually understood everything” emerged from his heart.

In that instant, the self-organization did not stop. Qin Jin's heart stirred, and he raised his palm. From within the domain, a light streaked out, rapidly condensing.

A palm-sized crystal appeared.

[Record Law Crystal]

This peculiar crystal, obtained after participating in the planetary anomaly, had the effect of recording laws.

However, for an extraordinary evolver to engrave their own power and techniques onto it was not a matter of a single day; it required sustained effort to be effective.

But now, with the crystal suspended in his palm, Qin Jin's power continuously poured into it. With the most precise control and the deepest understanding, he engraved upon it at an unimaginable speed. With every breath, wondrous patterns emerged on the facets of the crystal—these were the peculiar evolutions of power techniques.

Multitasking.

At the same time, within the Spirit Ruins, the planetary projection trembled slightly.

Within Qin Jin's mind, the Immortal Dynasty law entered it, like a scroll of secret text being opened and viewed.

Nine Secrets of Star Seeking.

This was an extremely special [art]. In fact, the Nine Secrets involved completely different directions, named as one art but actually nine. At present, he chose the direction he intended to cultivate and began to learn.

Dividing his attention into three.

This was not the limit.

Within the Spirit Ruins, the Fire God opened his eyes. This Fire God Law had taken on a new direction within Qin Jin himself, and now he was fully engaged in its deduction.

His spirit split and entered the True Dragon Cave Heaven. Upon a careful look, he finally saw the true form of the item gifted by the Dragon Girl: it was clearly a scale!

Dragon scale!

Thousands of thoughts processed simultaneously in his mind, without interfering with each other. In that instant, Qin Jin opened his eyes.

He looked towards the firmament, towards the divine cauldron restriction, and towards the myriad scenes of the Immortal Dynasty.

Previously, when he first saw these sights, he only felt the prosperity of the former Immortal Dynasty.

Later, because of the heaven-reaching platform, he knew that these ancient scenes contained deeper secrets.

Now, under the amplification of this supreme version of the Enlightenment Treasure Art, he gazed upon millions of scenes, and what converged in his mind was only the most fundamental truth of cultivation.

Accompanying his observation, accompanying the circulation of power, at some unknown point, silken, ribbon-like threads, like converging glimmer, appeared around him. These ribbons were inscribed with mysterious patterns, and endless layers of them completely encircled him. He appeared to be undergoing a transformation.

However, this was a transformation brought about by mental comprehension.

The moment the ribbons completely enveloped Qin Jin, his movements could no longer be perceived from the outside.

Time passed.

Night gave way to day.

Qin Jin, enveloped by countless micro-light ribbons, looked as if he was inside a peculiar embroidered ball. At a certain moment, cracks appeared on the embroidered ball, then it burst open with a roar, turning into shattered light and vanishing.

Inside, Qin Jin's figure was revealed.

His condition did not look good.

His eyes were tightly closed, and his body appeared exceptionally thin. Under his clothes, some areas were almost skin and bones, as if he had just recovered from a severe illness and still looked very weak.

If someone could observe his interior, they would find that his internal primordial power was almost dry, the spiritual energy within his Spirit Ruins was sluggish, and the wondrous lands and Grotto-Heavens within his Spirit Ruins also looked somewhat withered.

It was at this moment.

Qin Jin opened his eyes.

His gaze was utterly clear, appearing unsullied by dust. Anyone who saw these eyes would be unconsciously drawn in.

His gaze swept around. Qin Jin raised his hand, looking at the clearly visible knuckles on the back of his hand. His emotions were unwavering as he mused to himself, “The consumption is a bit large.”

This was a rare negative side effect.

When his mental comprehension truly reached its peak, the physical strength it relied upon became a burden. That state did not last long, but it caused immense depletion. Supporting such comprehension was equivalent to operating under extreme overload.

His palm did not fall. Qin Jin pointed his fingers like a sword, touching the void.

In the next breath, above this firmament, spiritual energy surged. Within a few breaths, the gathered spiritual energy was already extremely dense, showing unusual colors. Immediately after, it liquefied into rain, causing a heavenly rain to fall on this sky. Then — the density increased again, actually solidifying from a liquid state!

Qin Jin's sword-finger did not drop. He raised his hand and lightly touched the void. The almost solidified spiritual energy of heaven and earth underwent a wondrous change, evolving into the form of weapons!

At the same time.

Centered on Qin Jin, fiery red spiritual energy flowed out, evolving around him, and a furnace appeared in the sky!

Fire God Furnace.

This extraordinary scene was a combination of Qin Jin's various techniques!

The spiritual energy weapons, guided, flew into the furnace. After being refined and tempered, they entered the very center, returning to Qin Jin's Spirit Ruins. The circulation of spiritual energy became smooth, the dry primordial power within his body began to gradually recover, and his weak state diminished.

Until a feeling of fullness permeated his body, Qin Jin stopped his movements, and the furnace dispersed.

Around him, much solidified spiritual energy of heaven and earth had been gathered. Qin Jin swept his gaze, using his own power as a guide to direct it. As it streaked downwards, it turned from solid to liquid, dripping down, bringing a rain of spiritual energy.

Below this sky curtain was the Si Huo Tribe.

“In myths and legends, dragons have the ability to summon clouds and rain.”

“I guess this counts as making it rain.”

Qin Jin mused to himself.

This was undoubtedly a clever trick. The reason was that he possessed the Myriad Spirits Body, and through repeated exchanges with heaven and earth, he had grown closer to them.

His spirit returned to himself.

His power was replenished, but his body still appeared somewhat thin. After all, this kind of depletion was not purely a consumption of power.

“My condition isn't at its best.”

“But my current combat power already surpasses what it was before.”

“Listening to the sound of the Dao, seeing the book of the Dao—it truly is a great fortune.”

Muttering to himself, Qin Jin summoned the Abyssal Dragon and returned to the Tribe amidst the spiritual energy rain below.