A Night of Desperation

“Speaking of Illusion Skills, our sect indeed collected similar Cultivation Techniques, mostly derived from the Magic Skills of Evil Path and Demon Path sects we have conquered… Oh, there is one more, a top-tier Illusion Skill realized by one of our Ascension period ancestors using the Qingyuan Heavenly River Miao Technique. But it’s only an idea; the ancestor barely started before passing away at the Returning to Void Stage, and the development ceased there.” Bai Sheng, well-versed and knowledgeable, recalled a Magic Skill that Yu Hong needed.

“Only to the Returning to Void Stage… that’s sufficient for now, as I’m just using it to transition through my current phase. Well, Senior Brother, where should I find this Magic Skill now

Before finishing his sentence, Yu Hong saw Bai Sheng’s figure flash, disappearing for two seconds, then another flash, and he reappeared in place, throwing a heavy black-covered book like a Xinhua Dictionary to him.

“Catch.”

With a thud, Yu Hong caught it with his hands and looked at the cover.

“Qingwei Heart Technique.”

The book had no special phenomena, no brilliance, just like an ordinary mortal’s book.

“This Cultivation Technique… entirely suits your needs. It’s fundamentally a defensive Cultivation Method centered around illusions, powered on the foundation of the Qingyuan Heavenly River Miao Technique. But its power limit only reaches the Returning to Void Stage. Beyond that, you’ll need to replace the Cultivation Technique; otherwise, even if you attain Ascension to Mahayana, you would only wield Returning to Void level power. This limitation is common across many cultivation techniques.” Bai Sheng carefully advised.

“Thank you, Senior Brother,” Yu Hong quickly expressed his gratitude.

“Yu Hu will certainly give it his all!” Yu Hong replied.

“You focus on the book, I’ll go tidy up. This place can’t randomly employ spells; it’s prone to triggering the reactive mechanisms of some profound Secret Arts. You also need to be cautious, as some Secret Arts have a level of vitality. Though not very high, they can react in various ways. Therefore, it’s best to use spells sparingly in the Book Collection Pavilion.” Bai Sheng advised.

“Understood,” Yu Hong replied calmly. Although he had used a spell once before to clear dust, it was because he wasn’t aware back then.

Watching Bai Sheng start sweeping while humming, swinging left and right.

Yu Hong lowered his head to look at the Qingwei Heart Technique.

As he opened the first page, his breathing hitched, startled by the opening general statement.

‘Observing various heavenly Illusion Skills, they all focus on the confusion of living beings, yet none has pondered where life originates.’

‘Since illusion can ensnare a living being, why not go further, ensnaring the very foundation of its composition?’

Wow, this statement elevated Illusion Skills to a new height.

Yu Hong eagerly flipped the pages forward.

‘The root of life lies in countless micro-living organisms dividing work, integrating part with whole, transforming quantity into quality, thereby giving life, producing spirit. This is the first sublimation.’

‘For us cultivators, the goal is to produce god with spirit, the second sublimation. Upon reaching the Immortal Realm, it’s producing yuan with god, the third sublimation.’

Observing the three sublimations, each constructs the whole with parts, ultimately changing quantity into quality.

If so, why not deceive and bewilder at the root, and from the initial illusion derive the reality?’

Upon seeing this theory, Yu Hong instantly felt a seemingly ordinary Illusion Skill ascend to a doctrine pointing directly to the root by this ancestor.

He continued to the next page.

‘Based on this aim, I’ve divided Illusion Skills into three Realms with nine Levels.’

The first Realm, Illusion Human.

The so-called Illusion Human is inferior to deceiving a single part, such as hands, feet, internal organs, meridians. The human body constantly undergoes countless cell divisions and deaths. If one can bewilder the nascent cells, they can cause internal discord during combat, self-consumption, triggering the internal immune system to destroy own cells, thereby confusing its immune recognition system, leading to self-collapse….’

Wow!

Yu Hong exclaimed in amazement.

This ancestor not only integrated various types of knowledge but also succinctly touched the core in one statement.

The summary is simple.

What is easiest to deceive? The answer is newborns.

Therefore, the ancestor chose a different path, deceiving newly born cells to cause disarray in opponents.

The continuation involves specific manipulation on how to utilize mana to plunge opponents into self-consumption.

The process is quite complex since in combat, the power between both sides is usually similar, so bypassing the opponent’s defenses to affect their body is a skill.

This is also why this Cultivation Technique can only serve as support rather than the main path. It lacks attack power but once given a chance to infiltrate even a tiny influence, it can utilize that minor foothold to swiftly cause chaos and internal consumption in opponents, snowballing to collapse.

But the premise is breaking through the opponent’s complete defense to create an opening for one’s mana to permeate.

Then leverage this unique thin line of mana.

Of course, this mana isn’t ordinary either, requiring slight modifications on the foundational Qingyuan Heavenly River Miao Technique’s mana.

Yu Hong skimmed through the table of contents, the full name of this Qingwei Heart Technique is Qingwei Confusing Heart Dao, commonly shortened as Qingwei Dao.

The entire book details three realms with nine levels: Illusion Human Realm, Illusion Life Realm, Illusion Death Realm. The Cultivation Technique details only the Illusion Human Realm; the following parts reaching the level of Immortals are just theoretical constructs by the ancestor with no physical form.

So there’s only one realm with three levels.

Yu Hong scoured through subsequent content.

It had over 1,900 pages, covering only the three levels of the Illusion Human Realm.

The cultivation’s complexity and difficulty ranked the highest among techniques he had practiced.

‘However, if mastered, this technique is indeed an exceptionally robust protective Cultivation Technique.’

He started from the first level, realizing it begins with analyzing the basic composition of a human, organs, bones, muscles, skin, membranes, the shared principles, and mechanisms of their division and operation. These were compiled as the fundamental characteristics that all living beings possess.

Further, it discussed the structure and operation of tissues and cells, finally mentioning the need to refine a unique mana called Misty Sky.

Yu Hong, deeply engrossed, noticed Bai Sheng had finished tidying and was ready to leave as he looked up.

“Care to walk together?” Seeing him return to his senses, Bai Sheng smiled and invited.

“Sure.” Yu Hong nodded, “But can I borrow some books to take back?”

“Of course, as long as you return them the next day,” Bai Sheng agreed indifferently.

Immediately, Yu Hong took out the books he wanted to read, packed them, and summoned a Speed Man to carry them.

The summoned Speed Man caught Bai Sheng’s attention.

He circled around the Speed Man a few times.

“Isn’t this one of the low-level monsters from the Black Disaster? Different in appearance but essentially the same, impressive junior disciple, mimicking it so well,” Bai Sheng remarked in surprise.

“Just a small trick. If Senior Brother wishes to learn, I can teach you,” Yu Hong smiled.

“I’d rather not; too much haste makes waste. I’m not even well-versed in the Chengxing Sword Technique yet, so I won’t touch other stuff,” Bai Sheng politely declined.

The two walked out of the Book Collection Pavilion, leisurely strolling through the garden of Wanxue Palace.

“By the way, Junior Brother, you’ve been at Wanxue Palace for a while. How is it? Have you adapted?”

“It’s fine, very quiet here. Occasionally odd things happen, but overall it’s excellent, a great place for cultivation.” Yu Hong evaluated objectively.

“But quite dull, with little to amuse ourselves with on normal days,” Bai Sheng sighed. “Back at the Main Star, we had lots more fun like flying sword competitions, banquets, aq exhibits, treasure appraisal events, ruin explorations, new star developments, native education. It was endless entertainment.”

“I don’t have much demand. Being able to cultivate peacefully is already wonderful,” Yu Hong replied indifferently.

“Indeed, myself and Hei Ying both noticed, you can settle down for cultivation, more suitable for it than us,” Bai Sheng nodded. “That’s also why I came to see you today.”

He paused, continuing.

“Since the Heavenly Venerate’s disappearance, various phenomena gradually appeared across the Star Domain. We’ve re-established the source for Cultivation Arts at Qinghe Mountain, because absorbing the core of heaven and earth’s Human Vitality has become more challenging. Therefore, the elders discovered a new, faster method of absorbing Vitality, which is the Life Well.”

“Life Well? Vitality can gather into a well?” Yu Hong asked in amazement.

“Of course, but this vitality isn’t the pure Vitality we cultivated. It should be considered a special environment containing infinite Vitality. This is why we call it Life Well, after all, our dream is to have our own Vitality form rivers, lakes, and seas,” Bai Sheng explained.

“Does the Vitality within it truly have no end?” Yu Hong asked skeptically.

“Indeed it does,” Bai Sheng nodded, “because the source of the Life Well is a place named the Sea of Life, which seems to be a kind of Star Disaster, also known to you as a Source Disaster. However, this Star Disaster is comparatively special, not yet fully matured.”

He reached out and grasped Yu Hong’s shoulder.

Suddenly, the two vanished, reappearing kilometers away in a grayish-white dense forest.

Towering gigantic trees pointed straight at the sky, the ground blanketed in thick grayish-white fallen leaves.

All composed of finger-shaped slender leaves.

Amidst the countless leaves was a circular well cover buried under thick layers of leaves.

The cover was in an iron-black color, resembling plain wrought iron.

Bai Sheng stepped up, placing his hand on the well cover.

“This is the Life Well, where our rapid enhancement bases. You’re a genius, your aptitude far surpasses ours, so be extra careful while absorbing it. The Vitality within is terrifyingly potent; a moment of carelessness, you’ll grow odd new parts in your body. For it enhances not only your regular cells, organs, and tissues but also deviant ones, equally nourished. Any slight negligence might render you terminally ill.”

“That’s quite extreme,” Yu Hong looked at the Life Well, extra cautious now.

“Yes, after all, the Life Well is connected to a Star Disaster, albeit the Sea of Life is a relatively weak, unformed Star Disaster, it’s still beyond ordinary cultivators to counter. It harbors the same malevolence as annihilate life,” Bai Sheng replied.

He glanced at his watch.

“Alright, you can absorb the Vitality Power here by yourself. Inside are various highly regenerative insects and such, I’m heading back now. Remember, just slide the cover a little to create a gap.”

“Senior Brother, go attend to your matters,” Yu Hong nodded.

“No real business, just agreed with a Junior Sister to stroll on the Orbiting Satellite. Your Junior Sister is shy, she dislikes such occurrences in familiar places, you understand,” Bai Sheng gave a knowing look.

Yu Hong immediately understood.

These two had been involved for quite a while….

“Then Senior Brother better hurry. Don’t let Senior Sister wait,” he replied, at a loss for words.

“Alright, I’m heading off now,” Bai Sheng said, smiling.

“Mm.”

Whoosh!

Before Yu Hong finished speaking, Bai Sheng shot up into the sky, vanishing into the horizon in an instant.