Projection of the Heavens: I prove my immortality through slaughter.

The night was as dark as thick ink, so deep it seemed impossible to dissolve. A cold wind swept through the low shacks of the settlement, making a mournful sound that added to the desolation. The small courtyard in the eastern district, which had just experienced a brief massacre, was now eerily silent; only the lingering smell of burning in the air proved that what had just happened was not an illusion.

Lin Xuan stood quietly in the courtyard, his figure as upright as a pine tree, incongruous with the dilapidated surroundings. The night wind whipped at the hem of his blue robe, making a rustling sound, but it couldn't dispel the deep calm between his brows. The expected exhilarating pleasure of slaying his enemy and paying for his crimes didn't materialize; instead, an indescribable tranquility, like the clear peace after a storm, slowly flowed through his heart.

He slowly closed his eyes.

Without needing to consciously recall, fragments of memories belonging to the original owner—that same thin boy also named Lin Xuan—surfaced like stagnant silt being stirred up, rising to the surface of his heart once more. It was a short life steeped in suffering: piercing hunger, bone-chilling cold, endless bullying, and the ultimate despair that sank into boundless darkness… The scene finally froze on Zhao Gan's cruel and mocking kick, a deadly blow, and the hard, unswallowed mouthful of bran and vegetable dumpling that the boy clutched tightly in his arms until his death.

That overwhelming resentment, that endless unwillingness, was like an invisible shackle, not only binding the original owner's already shattered remnant soul, but also like a faint shadow lingering over Lin Xuan's own Dao heart. After all, having occupied this body, he inevitably bore this heavy karma.

At this moment, as Zhao Gan turned into a pool of human-shaped ashes on the ground, this entangled cause and effect finally came to an end.

Lin Xuan was not a Buddhist disciple and did not understand those complicated and lengthy incantations for rebirth. However, his Dao heart was clear and his soul, honed by two lifetimes, was strong and resilient. Furthermore, after projecting into the Tianyuan Realm and coming into contact with the power of faith, he gained an extraordinary understanding of the essence of the willpower of all beings.

He cast aside all distracting thoughts, his mind sinking into a state of ethereal bliss. His powerful divine sense ceased its outward probing, instead receding inward like a warm tide, condensing into the purest, most peaceful current of intention. It seemed to transcend the boundary between life and death, offering a silent yet sincere comfort to the lingering, perhaps not completely dissipated, soul's persistent yearning:

"Dust to dust, ashes to ashes, all past grievances are now closed." "The revenge has been taken, the resentment has been dispelled, the affairs of the world are no longer a concern." "Though this body is different, the cause and effect have been borne. I will remember your hatred, and I will walk your path in your place." "May your obsession dissipate, may your soul return to the vastness of heaven and earth, and enjoy eternal peace."

There were no flowery words, no false promises, only the simplest confession and the most steadfast commitment.

As his thoughts were transmitted, a wondrous change quietly occurred deep within the origins of his soul. The resentment and bitterness that had been like background noise, constantly nagging at him, began to melt away, like the lingering snow under the warm spring sun. An indescribable sense of ease and clarity washed over him, as if a clear mountain spring had flowed through a dried-up, cracked riverbed, nourishing every inch of his spirit and cleansing away the last trace of dust.

In a daze, it seemed as if a very faint, ethereal sigh, filled with relief and gratitude, rose from the depths of the soul, then vanished completely, merging into nothingness, never to be heard again.

"Click..."

It was as if something had broken; it was an invisible shackle.

My soul suddenly felt light.

The cause and effect are now resolved.

Lin Xuan slowly opened his eyes, his gaze seemingly reflecting a clear, flowing river of stars. He felt the world before him was clearer than ever before; the trails of dust motes dancing in the moonlight, the dew clinging to distant leaves—all became vividly clear. While the range of his divine sense hadn't increased dramatically, the "sharpness" and "precision" of his perception had improved immeasurably! With a slight thought, the surging stellar spiritual energy within his body flowed effortlessly, as if a thin veil had been removed from his mind, making his communication with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth much smoother and more natural.

He could even see internally that the slowly rotating silver vortex within his dantian had subtly increased its speed, and its efficiency in spontaneously absorbing the power of the stars in the heavens had also faintly improved. And the bottleneck that had stood firmly between the fifth and sixth levels of Qi Refining, which was originally as solid as a rock, now showed an extremely faint, almost imperceptible loosening sensation!

"With clear thoughts and a pure heart... I see, this is the true benefit of improving one's state of mind." Lin Xuan had a sudden realization, as if the clouds had parted to reveal the sun.

The path of cultivation involves seeking external resources and techniques, while internally cultivating one's mind and spirit. Entanglement with grudges and karma is like accumulated dust on the soul, obscuring the Dao heart, hindering comprehension of the laws of heaven and earth, and even breeding terrifying inner demons at crucial moments. However, severing karmic ties and achieving clarity of thought allows the Dao heart to be like a polished mirror, reflecting all things clearly and flawlessly, bringing closer and more in harmony with the Great Dao of heaven and earth. Cultivation then becomes naturally twice as effective, achieving success effortlessly.

This time, settling the original owner's karma not only completely resolved a hidden mental problem, but also served as a profound spiritual baptism and tempering of the Dao heart, clearing away a crucial obstacle for his future path.

He lowered his head, his gaze calmly sweeping over the two human-shaped ash he had left on the ground, his heart utterly undisturbed. Those who kill will always be killed; the law of the jungle—this is the most naked and cruel law of the cultivation world. Zhao Gan sowed the seeds of evil, and today he reaps this bitter fruit; it is the cycle of heaven, retribution is inevitable, and he has only himself to blame.

He didn't linger, as if he were merely passing by an insignificant ruin. With a swift movement, he unleashed his Wind Control Technique, transforming into a wisp of barely visible blue smoke, silently merging into the deep night, and speeding towards the Azure Mist Mountains.

The journey home was marked by a completely different state of mind compared to when he arrived. No longer was there any repressed hatred driving him, no longer was there any need to be constantly on guard against possible surveillance (although he still maintained the necessary caution), only a sense of freedom and lightness, as if he had broken free from constraints and felt as if the sky were the limit.

A night breeze swept over him, carrying the unique fragrance of grass and trees from the mountains and forests, along with a crisp, refreshing scent. He looked up and gazed at the sky. The myriad stars seemed to sense the change in his state of mind, their cool, clear light resonating even more strongly with the stellar spiritual power within him. Strands of stellar power, as if summoned, actively flowed into his meridians and merged into his celestial vortex.

As he rode the wind, he also devoted a sliver of his mind to introspecting himself, carefully experiencing the subtle changes that came about after the resolution of cause and effect.

His divine soul's essence became more solid and agile, as if it had been relieved of a long-standing, heavy burden, making it feel light and ready to take flight. His understanding of the "Star River Qi Refining Technique," especially the core principle of "drawing stellar power into the body to forge the foundation of the starry sky," seemed to have become clearer, with more insights that could only be grasped intuitively. The trace of dark golden world essence from the Tianyuan Realm hidden deep within his soul also seemed to have become more active, slowly radiating waves of nourishment and enlightenment.

"The time is approaching. Perhaps... I can try to break through to the sixth level of Qi Refining." A clear thought emerged in his mind, firm and composed. Cultivation level is the foundation for standing firm in the cultivation world. Only with greater strength can he be sure of victory in the upcoming entrance examination of the Qingyun Sect, and only then can he walk more steadily and go further on this path of seeking the Dao, which is full of thorns and opportunities.

Back in the secluded and safe treehouse perched atop the cliff, Lin Xuan skillfully set up warning barriers before sitting cross-legged on the soft hay.

He did not rush to break through the bottleneck immediately, but instead took out the spoils of this revenge trip one by one and carefully counted and sorted them.

The low-grade spirit stones, when counted, totaled a staggering 147 pieces—an astonishing fortune for a rogue cultivator. Several bottles of pills were also found, mostly common Qi Gathering and Spirit Recovery Pills, of only average quality, but still capable of replenishing spiritual energy in critical moments. Three magical artifacts were acquired: the broken ghost-headed saber, still exuding malevolent energy (its material was quite unique, perhaps recyclable); the standard flying sword gleaming with a bluish light used by Zhao Gan (standard equipment for outer disciples of the Qingyun Sect, a low-grade magical artifact); and the heavy mountain-splitting saber used by the servant (powerful and heavy, but incompatible with his style). Besides these, there were some scattered demon beast materials, common ores, and the vibrant, spiritually rich Dew-Gathering Grass that had triggered the conflict.

He carefully put away the Dew-Gathering Grass, which contained pure life force and would greatly benefit his current cultivation and physical tempering. He categorized and properly stored the remaining spirit stones, pills, and materials. As for the three unused magical artifacts, he planned to sell them later or have a craftsman refine them to extract their essence.

Finally, his gaze fell on the dark, unremarkable piece of "lightning-struck wood" that he had unexpectedly acquired from Baicao Pavilion.

This object can trigger the senses of the mysterious black amulet, so it is no ordinary item. Previously, I was preoccupied with revenge and had no time to investigate it deeply. Now that everything is settled and my mind is at peace, it is the perfect opportunity to explore its mysteries.

He placed the heavy, rough-textured piece of lightning-struck wood in his palm, and his divine sense, like the finest carving knife, slowly penetrated into its interior.

It remained a silent darkness, devoid of any active spiritual energy fluctuations, as if it were truly just a piece of dead wood burned to ashes by heavenly fire. But his will was firm, and he was not discouraged. Instead, he tried to infuse a wisp of pure stellar spiritual energy into its interior.

The spiritual energy poured in, but it was like a clay ox entering the sea, failing to elicit any reaction.

With another thought, he began to communicate with the two quietly floating black auxiliary tokens in his sea of ​​consciousness, guiding them to emit unique resonance waves that enveloped the lightning-struck wood in his hand.

This time, something unexpected happened!

When those two mysterious and obscure fluctuations originating from Fu Ling touched the lightning-struck wood, something that had been dormant for millennia seemed to be quietly awakened within this lifeless piece of wood! A wisp of extremely subtle, yet pure to the extreme, purple lightning carrying the intertwined meaning of destruction and creation flashed and disappeared like a dragon opening its eyes at the very core of the charred wood!

Although it was only a fleeting glimpse, disappearing in an instant, Lin Xuan's powerful divine sense clearly captured that fleeting aura! It was no ordinary lightning power; its aura was ancient, vast, and majestic, carrying a trace of... the chilling might of the Heavenly Dao!

"This...this is actually a rare object containing a trace of the essence of heavenly lightning?!" Lin Xuan's heart trembled violently, and his eyes flashed with astonishing brilliance!

The fact that this piece of lightning-struck wood could withstand being struck by lightning without being destroyed, and instead sealed a trace of the most primal and purest lightning energy deep within the wood, remaining intact for countless years, made its value far exceed his initial expectations! This trace of primal lightning energy has immeasurable benefits for tempering the physical body, purifying spiritual power, and comprehending the laws of destruction and rebirth of lightning!

However, after the initial surprise came calm. How to safely guide this wisp of violent heavenly lightning essence and harness it for his own use was an immense challenge. With his current Qi Refining Level 5 cultivation and the methods he possessed, forcibly drawing it out would be tantamount to playing with fire, with unimaginable consequences.

"A treasure is indeed valuable, but it requires a match between opportunity and strength. It seems that I need to wait patiently for this item to become truly powerful; it's beyond my current capabilities." Lin Xuan wasn't disappointed; instead, he carefully put away the lightning-struck wood. He knew that this would be another powerful trump card on his future path.

After handling all the trivial matters, my mind was also adjusted to the best state of clarity and tranquility.

Lin Xuan took out several low-grade spirit stones and placed them around his body, holding one in each hand. He closed his eyes again, and the "Star River Qi Refining Technique" began to circulate rapidly within his body.

Without the entanglements of cause and effect, his Dao heart was as clear as flawless glass, and cultivation indeed felt as smooth as water flowing into a channel. Pure stellar spiritual energy surged and circulated in his broad and resilient meridians, circulating throughout the body, absorbing and refining external stellar spiritual energy at a speed nearly twice as fast as before!

He could clearly "see" and feel that the solid barrier between the fifth and sixth levels of Qi Refining was being continuously eroded and shaken by the inexhaustible and pure stellar spiritual power, and the signs of loosening were becoming more and more obvious.