Blind Spot
Chapter 627 - 575 direction 3

Chapter 627: 575 direction 3

Quling Mansion.

At the top level of Tian Ju Pavilion, inside a somewhat dim but luxurious teahouse.

Yin Yue sat cross-legged, opposite him were Tiancan and Li Chengyi.

Sounds of raucousness from outside faintly drifted in, along with the light scent of stir-fried cooking oil wafting into the hall, prompting Yin Yue to sniff unconsciously.

"That smells delicious, I wonder who’s frying chili with eggs, Ade," he tapped on the tabletop.

"At your service." A black-robed Taoist appeared suddenly at his side, bowed, and spoke in a low voice.

"Go and ask for a taste from them," Yin Yue said as he blinked.

"Understood." Ade seemed quite accustomed to such requests, not showing any surprise.

Li Chengyi glanced at Tiancan, seemingly used to this as well, and remained calm and seated without moving.

"So many years have not seen each other, teacher’s temperament has changed a lot," he sighed.

"Thousands of years have passed, what do you think? As the saying goes, a day in the heavens, a year on the ground. After thousands of years have passed here, Shaoyin capital has become a thing of the past, and now all is ruled by the Da Liang Empire. The old disputes among the various countries have long since disappeared," Tiancan said softly.

"What about the others?" asked Li Chengyi.

Last time he returned, Qiu Ming was gone, and this time...

"Yun Song disappeared; he vanished suddenly when he entered a blind spot, the cause remains unknown. We could only find some remnants of his limbs," said Tiancan, who was much more composed than his former arrogance.

Just like Yin Yue, he seemed to have become a different person.

"Du He broke through and ascended to a higher place; now only me and a few newcomers are left here," Tiancan said as he picked up his tea and took a gentle sip.

"However, it looks like you will be like them soon. This place is too small to contain you."

"If you could be a bit more ambitious, you could have reached a higher level long ago. Is there any need to envy here?" Yin Yue said speechlessly.

His disposition was much more carefree than before.

His gaze shifted and settled on Li Chengyi.

"Time here flows at an extremely fast pace. A short outing and upon return, a thousand years have passed. It’s not just you; everyone else experienced the same. Don’t fret about it."

He paused.

"I’ve come to terms with it over the past few years. Some things, if they’re meant to be yours, they will be, and if they’re not, there’s no point in forcing them. What’s yours cannot escape you," he said as if hinting at something.

"Teacher, I hope to continue following by your side and cultivate upon my return," Li Chengyi said seriously as he bowed.

"What use is there following me? I’m just an ordinary old Taoist in the pavilion, merely a stationed member of the Guard Division," Yin Yue shook his head. "I’m happy that you’ve returned this time, but despite my happiness, I can’t delay your future prospects."

He extended his hand and touched the tabletop, and immediately under his fingertip, a black envelope with golden edges appeared.

"This is a qualification letter that I received. Your cultivation has reached the True Fire Realm, and you can truly advance to higher positions, not linger like this old, complacent Taoist, wasting time here," Yin Yue said with a smile.

"Teacher... although you haven’t taught me much, I have always regarded you as my..." Li Chengyi was interrupted midway as Yin Yue raised his hand to stop him.

"Don’t talk about all this unnecessary stuff. I’ve hardly taught you anything; it’s all been your own exploration and advancement. I’m well aware of this. But you must seize this opportunity. If you accept this qualification letter, you can step into the true department of Tian Ju Pavilion," Yin Yue said with a sigh. A touch of nostalgia flashed in his eyes.

"Let me give you a hint. Inside Tian Ju Pavilion, we are divided into several sections. From the bottom up, they are Guard Division, True Division, Saint Division, Multi-Dimensional Tower, and Headquarters. You can say that each department represents a leap in boundary, and once entered, it creates a vast gap from the levels below."

"Aren’t we all cultivating the Yin Canon? Why is there such a big difference?" Li Chengyi asked, puzzled.

"Indeed, we are all cultivating the Yin Canon, but you should know about forbidden knowledge," replied Yin Yue, "The Yin Canon also contains a finite number of forbidden knowledge systems; only when you’ve reached a certain position are you qualified to inherit each major system and integrate it into the Yin Canon. This is a unique inheritance within Tian Ju Pavilion, the only one in the world."

A jolt went through Li Chengyi’s heart.

Forbidden knowledge has a uniqueness, perhaps the Omniscient Realm could circumvent it, but for ordinary people, it belongs to knowledge that can only be realized and understood by oneself, unable to be transmitted to another.

And within Tian Ju Pavilion, to have a systematic body of forbidden knowledge quite clearly... either self-created or...

After all, by killing the holder, one could seize and inherit the forbidden knowledge.

"Forbidden knowledge relates to achievements in higher realms. The number of paths is fixed, limited. If someone else advances first, you lose your chance. If you advance first, others also lose their opportunities. Only when you fail does it leave a position open," said Yin Yue, somewhat sentimentally.

"So, I need to compete?" asked Li Chengyi.

"Correct." Yin Yue nodded. "After competing, eliminate all the other holders who threaten you. Even if they have a mere fragment of the knowledge, you must reclaim it. Only then can you obtain the complete system of knowledge."

He paused, "When I was studying in the True Division, I couldn’t beat the others. But you’re different... You’re so young, yet your power has entered the True Fire Realm, you have greater chances than I did."

"Perhaps our lineage could even produce a Saint," Tiancan joked from the side.

"Saint?" It was the first time Li Chengyi had heard of this term, something he remembered from stories in his past life.

"Tough, this must be the first time you’ve heard of this title," Yin Yue said with a smile, motioning with his hand. "A Saint can surpass Divine Fire, step into a new layer, integrate all of themselves into one point, contain all notions of self, detach from cause and effect, not bounded by lifespan, determining life and death. Eternal and enduring, attaining Primal Chaos Unity."

"Sounds powerful," Li Chengyi thought, comparing this with the Saints from his previous life’s memories and feeling they seemed quite similar.

"It is very powerful. At the Saint level, they can annihilate ordinary small worlds with a wave of their hand. Any mention of their name would attract their attention. Below the Saint Position, all attacks and harm become nullified. Only those that can shake their fundamental existence can cause them damage," Yin Yue continued with a sigh.

"The most crucial point is that achieving Saint status requires a complete body of Saint level forbidden knowledge. So, this is your opportunity," he said, looking at Li Chengyi with an expectant gaze.

"So... what must I pay to obtain this qualification?" Li Chengyi naturally did not believe that the qualification letter was given to him for nothing.

"This is also what I find strange," Yin Yue shook his head, looking at Li Chengyi with an odd gleam in his eyes.

"You need not pay anything to acquire it. Logically speaking, this qualification letter requires a significant accumulation of merits before one can apply for it. But you, you can get it without doing anything."

"I asked some senior female disciples I had encountered before, and the reply I got was that someone has already paid the price for you," Yin Yue said, pinching his beard, as if trying to find the reason on Li Chengyi’s face.

Li Chengyi was also utterly baffled.

However, since there was a benefit to be had, he might as well accept it first. If a sect of Tian Ju Pavilion’s caliber could cause trouble, then it would not be something he could handle just by thinking of a response.

After chatting for a while longer, finally, Tiancan interjected from the side, bringing up Chen Jiahan.

"The person you are looking for is quite interesting. I have found his exact location. If you wish to learn more, it would be wise to see for yourself," Tiancan said with a smile.

Li Chengyi appeared contemplative, and judging by his expression, Chen Jiahan was evidently not faring too badly here.

As evening approached, he got up to take his leave, but instead of returning to his residence, he sensed the direction of the Floral Bead and promptly executed a Shadow Flash.

Several seconds later.

Within a jumble of rocks and desolate mountains somewhere in Midlane.

A black light flickered, rapidly stabilizing.

As the black light dissipated, a silver-haired, well-built Li Chengyi slowly stepped out of the halo, looking around.

The sky was grim, the earth was ashen, and all around him, withered ancient trees clawed at the air, devoid of leaves.

The ground was littered with rocks of various sizes, and between the crevices, a faint sound of trickling water could be heard.

"Chen Jiahan, come to me at once." Li Chengyi’s consciousness power swiftly expanded in his mind, sending out the summons.

A gentle breeze stirred, and wisps of smoke, red smoke, slowly rose from the crevasses in the ground.

Whoosh!

A blood-red figure appeared instantaneously by Li Chengyi’s side.

The figure wore a silver-white mask, revealing only the eyes. The hair was wildly swept back, and the body was clad in a blood-red form-fitting cuirass. Golden bracelets were worn on both arms, their purpose unclear.

"My lord?" a raspy voice emanated from the figure.

He gently removed the mask, revealing an old yet stern male face.

It was Chen Jiahan, who had aged considerably!

Once handsome, his face now bore the marks of age. Thousands of years had passed, and he had lived for too long in this world—so long that he had almost forgotten parts of his memories from Earth-Moon.

"You’re still alive..." Li Chengyi sensed the aura of the Origin Seal.

Turning around, he gazed at the subordinate he once left behind.

The imprints on his body were dense, and there weren’t just one but two!

"Good... it’s good that you still recognize me," Li Chengyi said gravely.

"Your subordinate would never forget my lord. Sadly, the pursuit of martial arts here has reached its zenith. And the martial arts I have cultivated—two imprints are my limit," Chen Jiahan said, his voice tinged with complexity. He had long since transitioned from cultivating True Qi to cultivating bloodline-based arts, reaching the limit of this realm.

With his talents, progressing further would require him to venture to the Midlane realm whiskers or need a vast amount of resources to break through.

"Help me with one thing, and afterwards, I will take you beyond your limits," Li Chengyi said.

"Your subordinate will lay down his life for my lord without hesitation!" Chen Jiahan had endured years of arduous cultivation here, only then realizing the limitations of this place and the difficulties of increasing power.

At the moment, hearing Li Chengyi’s words, his eyes instantly revealed immense joy.

Two years later...

A desolate piece of land near Quling Mansion had been leased, and under the protection of Li Chengyi, now revered as a Yin God, Chen Jiahan officially began constructing the new Eternal Botanical Garden.

The botanical garden within the city was moved to the desolate land outside, and a large number of Firmiana simplex were transplanted.

At this level, for Li Chengyi to absorb Flower Energy was merely a matter of saying the word.

Collecting the required Flower Energy to build the first structure, the Tower of Wisdom, was effortlessly completed by the second year’s bloom.

The next requirement was only Evil Thoughts.

He once again used long-distance Shadow Flash to return to the Mosha.

The large number of Consciousness Seeds there served as his beacon within the Black Sea.

The Evil Thoughts were also quickly replenished to completion.

The last step was to choose a summoning location.

At that moment, Yin Yue informed him that the true individual from the Guard Division of the true division had arrived to escort him to the Dusk Courtyard located within one of Midlane’s realm whiskers.

The realm whisker was named Realm Whiskers, and it was here that he had been forced to flee last time.