Mortal: Li Feiyu, who came from the realm of a supreme being

Jade Dust Island, its fine white sands shimmering with a soft golden light under the setting sun. The waves gently surge, endlessly repeating, like the breath of the great earth.

Li Feiyu walked barefoot on the cool sand, a Thousand Mile Talisman in his hand shimmering with spiritual light.

He lightly touched the warm, smooth jade surface with his fingertips, and using his divine sense as a brush, slowly engraved the words.

A moment later, the surface of the jade talisman rippled like water, and new characters quietly appeared. The characters were elegant and refined, the handwriting of Han Yunshu:

[Sister Ruyin's current seclusion will likely last ten years, aiming for the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. However, she is favored by Senior Brother Cheng, who constantly watches over and guides her. While this is a blessing, it also makes it difficult for her to freely set up large-scale spirit-gathering arrays as before.]

Li Feiyu's gaze swept over them, and he lightly tapped his fingertip:

[It's alright. The Heavenly Dao Alliance's territory is within the Luo Yun Sect's heartland, a place of quiet cultivation; it's safe and secure. Cultivation is all about perseverance; a steady and methodical approach might not be a bad thing.]

The jade talisman quickly lit up again:

[Brother Li, will you achieve Core Formation this time after your retraining?]

Li Feiyu pondered for a moment:

[Uncertain. After perfecting the Path of Life and Death, I have a clearer understanding of my own path. If Foundation Establishment cultivation alone is insufficient to support the subsequent path, Core Formation is indeed a necessary step. However, relying solely on the Spirit Gathering Array here and the remaining resources at my disposal, I am still a bit short of achieving Core Formation; I need to make some preparations.]

Be careful, being alone overseas. When will you receive the newly crafted Inverted Five Elements Formation?

[It will be ready soon, so you can prepare it on your end. The Chaotic Star Sea is rich in monster resources. Do you have any monster materials you need for refining weapons and setting up formations? I'll try to get them for you.]

"We have no shortage of resources and materials while cultivating within the sect, Brother Li, please take care of yourself and don't take any risks. However, the concepts of 'disruptive laws' and 'against the Dao' that you mentioned last time have suddenly given me an idea."

【oh?】

Li Feiyu knew that Han Yunshu was trying to change the subject, but she played along.

[Reversing the natural order, defying superiors... Doesn't this kind of behavior fundamentally violate the 'order' of this world?]

[It's somewhat true, but not entirely. Because magical artifacts, talismans, and supernatural abilities vary in quality, it's within the rules and reasonable for a lower-level cultivator to defeat a higher-level one.]

[I'm not talking about the kind of rebellion that involves the lower overthrowing the higher, like... the possession techniques of evil cultivators, which absolutely suppress lower-level cultivators. What if a secret technique were created to turn the tables and seize the opponent's cultivation essence? Wouldn't that be considered defying the Heavenly Order and disrupting its stability?]

Upon seeing this, a glint flashed in Li Feiyu's eyes, a slight smile appeared on his lips, and he quickly responded:

"Your idea... is very interesting. Possession and descent are indeed common tactics used by Nascent Soul cultivators and above to manipulate situations. If one can truly exploit this aspect to create a secret technique that counters or even devours the enemy... it would undoubtedly be a serious provocation and disruption of the established rules."

The two of them chatted back and forth, each saying a sentence, and eventually came up with a brilliant idea.

As the light from the Myriad Miles Talisman faded, the "conversation" came to an end.

As the sea breeze blew across the beach, he stood alone, his mind completely absorbed in the "brilliant idea" proposed by Han Yunshu.

Countering possession and devouring the source?

This idea is indeed feasible, and upon closer examination, it is actually quite workable!

First, assuming he's possessed, is there a way for him to turn the tables? The answer is yes, that's what he excels at with his "Myriad Paths of the Forest" martial arts style.

In principle, complete sets of martial arts techniques can be absorbed. For example, the original version of "Wan Dao Sen Luo" could absorb martial arts techniques such as "Xuan Yin Twelve Swords" and "Crimson Fire Divine Skill" through eight paths. The Six Paths Second Creation version retained this characteristic, but also added some clever designs and hidden dangers.

When Li Feiyu officially chose this technique as his main cultivation method, he made some minor adjustments during the process.

Having cultivated this martial art for so long, through the process of devouring life and death, it has come to feel like it has completely let go of its own nature.

However, it still retains its original fundamental characteristics, namely "devouring" and "compatibility".

"The key lies in how to transform the true meaning of martial arts and the devouring characteristic into 'techniques' or 'seals' that can be used in the clash of souls and can be used to plunder in reverse..." Li Feiyu murmured to himself, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

Thanks to the fact that his inner world could generate its own magical power, the martial arts essence and spiritual energy within his body were no longer clearly distinct, but rather had a basis for fusion and transformation. This made it possible to create a special method that integrated martial arts will with immortal talisman techniques.

Time flies, and tides rise and fall. Li Feiyu rarely leaves his cave, devoting all his energy to the deduction.

Five years later.

Deep within the cave, Li Feiyu's face was slightly pale, but his eyes shone brightly, like stars.

He slowly raised his right hand, and at the tip of his index finger, a point of deep, dark light condensed. It was neither black nor white, and as it moved, it seemed to contain illusions of birth and death, and all things in the universe, rising and falling within it, faintly exuding a gluttonous greed and an aura of supreme dominance.

Senluo Seal!

It is a special magic seal formed by taking the true meaning of martial arts in "Myriad Paths of the Forest" as its soul, the way of talisman arrays in this world as its bones, and the principle of "birth and death" as its blood!

Once this seal is planted, it remains hidden in ordinary times. However, if it encounters external forces that invade, possess, or seize a body, it will automatically activate and turn the tables. It not only protects the user's own soul but also, by following the intrusion link, devours and plunders the caster's soul power and cultivation origin!

However, the moment he successfully condensed the first "Senluo Seal", Li Feiyu became clear about its limitations.

This seal is essentially an external manifestation and solidification of a part of his own "Dao," which consumes a great deal of energy and is closely tied to his cultivation state. Before reaching the Outer Realm stage, with his current foundation of only completing the "Birth and Death" Dao, he can at most maintain one "Senluo Seal" in existence.

If there are too many, the foundation of the Dao will be unstable, and the seal will also dissipate.

"With only an imprint and no suitable vessel, if a truly high-level cultivator were to continuously attack it with great power or special supernatural abilities, it might not last long, and there's even a risk of it being violently erased." Li Feiyu pondered, "I need to find an extremely resilient 'container' that can bear the intent of the Senluo Imprint, and preferably amplify its effects..."

To ensure the perfect operation of this Senluo Seal, Soul Iron is clearly the best material, but Soul Iron alone is not enough; it also requires materials that even Nascent Soul cultivators cannot destroy.

Although it is somewhat abstract, Li Feiyu's act of condensing the Senluo Seal is actually practicing the way of the strange. As for the orthodox way, it is to cultivate step by step and gradually. From this perspective, his process of devouring the Dao should also be gradual, such as initially building the foundation, then forming the core, and finally the nascent soul. Only in this way can it be considered orthodox.

Essentially, the combination of orthodox and unorthodox methods constitutes the "law" that operates the inner world.

It contains both the righteous path of gradual improvement and the unorthodox path of defying the laws and seeking out the secrets of heaven.

Only when the orthodox and the unorthodox are combined in this way, and the eight paths are complete, can it be considered the "method" for operating the inner world and controlling all paths!

With this realization, Li Feiyu felt a sudden clarity in his mind. His cultivation, which had stagnated for several years due to his focus on creating new techniques, suddenly began to move again, showing signs of further progress.

He immediately left the seclusion, and with a slight thought, he summoned Yan Ruyan, who was busy in the makeshift kitchen outside the cave.

Twenty years have passed. The once pale and aloof girl has become much healthier and more radiant thanks to her years of island life and special cultivation techniques. Her figure has also become more exquisite and graceful. However, when she looks at Li Feiyu, her eyes still maintain a respectful expression mixed with a hint of subtle complexity.

"Young Master." Yan Ruyan bowed respectfully.

"The time has come; follow me in my cultivation." Li Feiyu said succinctly.

The two entered the specially prepared meditation room. Li Feiyu sat down cross-legged and gestured for Yan Ruyan to sit cross-legged opposite him.

He closed his eyes slightly, made hand seals, and slowly circulated the True Yang Divine Technique.

In an instant, the temperature in the quiet room rose sharply, and the air distorted slightly. Wisps of blazing white light emanated from the pores of his body, not scattered, but as if possessing a spirit, gathering and compressing in front of him, finally transforming into several pure white orbs the size of longan eyes, perfectly solid, and silently suspended.

The core of the sphere was dazzlingly bright, radiating a terrifyingly high temperature capable of melting metal; it was a crystallization of the purest and most potent yang magic power.

Seeing this, Yan Ruyan dared not delay and immediately activated the "True Yang Transformation into Yin Technique". She slightly opened her mouth and gently inhaled. From the suspended sphere of pure sunlight, a wisp of slender yet condensed blazing white energy was separated and carefully drawn into her mouth.

"Ugh..." Yan Ruyan groaned softly, her delicate body trembling slightly. The wisp of pure yang energy that entered her mouth felt like holding a burning ember; the intense burning pain instantly spread from her mouth, rushing straight to her mind. Her pretty face flushed red instantly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Despite her discomfort, she followed the instructions of the cultivation technique, simultaneously circulating the guiding energy to mobilize the abundant water-attribute spiritual energy in the surrounding world, tightly enveloping and entwining it with the wisp of supreme yang magic power in her mouth. The two completely opposite forces collided and merged fiercely in the small space between her throat.

This is an extremely delicate and dangerous process that requires incredibly precise control.

Excessive yang energy can scorch the meridians and even destroy the internal organs; excessive water energy can extinguish yang energy, rendering all previous efforts futile and resulting in a backlash from yin cold.

Yan Ruyan's eyelashes trembled slightly as she held her breath and focused intently.

Gradually, a strange coolness emerged from that extreme heat.

It was as if a drop of ice spring, formed from the melting of millennia-old black ice, had quietly seeped out from the burning charcoal fire.

This newly generated, pure and gentle Yin spiritual energy slowly descended down her throat, like a cool and refreshing stream, flowing straight into her dantian.

"Ho..." Yan Ruyan couldn't help but let out a soft moan. The feeling was extremely strange, yet it also carried an indescribable sense of comfort. Extreme heat and extreme cold transformed in her throat, eventually turning into a warm and mellow Yin-attribute magic power, which sank into her Qi Sea and merged seamlessly with her original foundation, becoming incredibly stable and purer than ever before.

The original Yang-type magic orb in her mouth had been tempered and sublimated after this process. After Yan Ruyan spat it out, it was swallowed by Li Feiyu.

The cultivation lasted for several hours. After it ended, Yan Ruyan's aura was noticeably stronger, while the few spheres of pure sunlight in front of Li Feiyu dimmed slightly. The pure yang energy within them had been effectively transformed and absorbed, nourishing his own true yang, and thus becoming even purer.

This bizarre cultivation method of "containing yang fire in the mouth and generating yin spring in the throat" was tailor-made by Li Feiyu based on the Hundred-Day Foundation Building Method and Yan Ruyan's Heavenly Spiritual Root characteristics.

Although the process is arduous, its efficiency and effectiveness far surpass ordinary dual cultivation methods. It can also minimize the damage of yang energy to Yan Ruyan's body and help her steadily improve.

Time flies like an arrow; nearly twenty years have passed since I left Tiannan.

Li Feiyu's cultivation steadily improved to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. Within his inner world, the cycle of the two forces of "birth and death" gradually stabilized. Although the magical power he generated was still not overwhelming, it became increasingly pure and refined, carrying a unique aura of the Netherworld.

"It's time to go and see Kui Xing Island." After finishing his daily training, Li Feiyu looked at the vast sea and sky and made a decision.

Firstly, Kui Xing Island is a gathering place for cultivators in the nearby seas and a place where information flows, making it easy to understand the situation in the Chaotic Star Sea in recent years; secondly, and most importantly—to wait for Han Li.

If you count the time, Han Li has been "peacefully farming" and developing in the Chaotic Star Sea for nearly twenty years.

With the incredible power of the little green bottle and his cautious nature, he must already be quite wealthy.

I haven't even received the travel expenses and intelligence fees from him since I kindly brought him to the Chaotic Star Sea back then. Since he plans to form his core, I should still go and gather some resources.

After all, the soul iron and other rare materials needed to refine the "Senluo Seal" vessel, as well as the massive resources that may be required for Core Formation, cannot be accumulated by relying solely on one's own arduous cultivation on Jade Dust Island; the progress would be too slow.

As for Xuan Le... they have maintained intermittent contact over the years through the Thousand-Mile Talisman.

A few years ago, after he successfully formed his core, he went "out of contact" for a short period of time.

The explanation later became that they were exploring a secret place and got trapped inside.

Li Feiyu knew perfectly well that Xuan Le had probably tried to remove or weaken the restrictions within her body, but had ultimately failed and had no choice but to accept her fate.

However, judging from the scattered information, Xuan Le seems to have taken some of the words about "zero-sum game" and "planning one's own path" that he heard in the mine. His style of doing things has changed, and his family has developed steadily on Thorn Island, no longer engaging in life-or-death gambles with others at every turn.

"He can listen to advice, knows how to assess the situation, and uses the rules instead of blindly fighting. At least my words weren't wasted." Li Feiyu chuckled and shook his head, no longer thinking about it.

He tidied up his cave dwelling briefly, packed the necessary items, and gave Yan Ruyan a few instructions on guarding the cave and focusing on her cultivation. Then, he summoned a flying sword and soared into the sky towards Kui Xing Island.