Data-Driven Cultivation: I Defy Heaven and Overthrow Interstellar Domestication

The icy, bone-chilling metal fragments lay silently in Xie Yanchen's palm.

Deep within the abandoned spirit stone mine in the back mountain, the rock strata retain the residual warmth of the earth's veins year-round, so even the finest fragments of ore feel warm to the touch. But this palm-sized fragment is quite the opposite.

Its chilling coldness penetrates to the bone and seeps into the skin, a quality not found in natural minerals. It is more like an alien object that has endured countless ages of cold and desolation and is detached from the five elements of heaven and earth.

Xie Yanchen ran his fingertips along the surface of the fragment, his gaze deep as he examined it closely.

The front of the fragment is engraved with layers upon layers of intricate patterns, the lines neat and symmetrical, so uniform as to be almost rigid, far surpassing the carving level of any array runes in the cultivation world. It is already extremely fine to the naked eye, and when magnified by the terminal's vision, one can see the secondary veins nested beneath the patterns, layer upon layer, interlocking, resembling a rigorous multi-layered circuit architecture.

On the back of the fragment are etched three unfamiliar federal common script symbols—XL-947.

The characters are as fine as hair, the etching depth is precise, and the edges are smooth without any burrs. Even after being buried deep underground for thousands of years, enduring the pressure of rock layers, the erosion of spiritual energy, and the brushing of mineral pulses, it remains intact, without leaving a trace of time.

"Federal standard alloy components?"

Xie Yanchen's mind stirred slightly, and he asked in a low voice deep in his consciousness.

A cold, neutral mechanical voice immediately rang out, and a massive amount of analytical data instantly filled his field of vision.

Material identification: The highest safety level pressure-resistant and corrosion-resistant alloy of the Federation is used in interstellar experimental bases, dimensional observation terminals, and the core shell of high-risk experimental modules.

Features: High temperature resistance, high pressure resistance, radiation protection, immune to most chemical corrosion, and theoretical lifespan of over five million years in natural environments.

Five million years.

This number far exceeds the thousand-year history of the Qingyun Sect and crushes all verifiable records of cultivation civilizations in the Eastern Wilderness Continent.

A look of seriousness flashed across Xie Yanchen's eyes.

The Qingyun Sect's back mountain mine has been mined for over seven hundred years. Generations of miners have dug deep into the rock strata without ever discovering any foreign objects. This fragment of the Federal alloy, however, is embedded in the deepest layer of the original rock strata.

This means that before the spiritual vein that has nourished the Qingyun Sect for thousands of years took shape, this creation from the extraterrestrial federation had already been buried here.

"Retrieve the dating data of the ore vein strata and compare it with the burial age of the fragments," Xie Yanchen ordered in a deep voice.

The terminal performs high-speed calculations, overlaying three-dimensional rock strata structure maps, geological dates, and vein growth data, resulting in a truly awe-inspiring conclusion.

Comparison complete: The fragment has been buried for over ten thousand years, predating the origins of the Eastern Wilderness cultivation civilization. XL-947, the Federation's registered experimental planet number.

Ten thousand years ago.

At that time, this world had no cultivators, no Daoist methods, and no sects; it was only a wild and untamed land with nascent spiritual energy. However, the distant Interstellar Federation had already set up experimental facilities here, leaving behind traces of creation.

Previously, at the bottom of the Broken Soul Cliff, the terminal informed him that this cultivation world was an artificially constructed experimental field, and the spiritual energy was artificially induced particle energy. At that time, he only rationally accepted the cold data, with a trace of confusion and doubt still lingering in his heart.

But the cold fragments in his palm at this moment are irrefutable evidence, an unchanging mark throughout the ages, shattering all hope.

This world has never been a natural Dao realm.

It is a cage, an experimental field, a container used by the Federation to observe and study the evolution of spirits.

"Scan the entire ore vein at a deep depth and mark all sources of abnormal signals." Xie Yanchen suppressed the turmoil in his heart and calmly issued the order.

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Scan complete: In addition to the fragments already obtained, three weak Federation creation signals were sealed deep within the rock strata. All of these signals were encased in thick rock, resulting in severe signal attenuation. Manual excavation and stripping of the rock strata are required to obtain them.

Xie Yanchen nodded, not in a hurry to start construction.

The area had just been bustling with the monthly assessment, and countless cultivators from both the outer and inner sects were focused on the back mountain. A hasty dig would easily expose their presence. His foundation was still shallow, and his cultivation was only at the third level of Qi Refining. If his secret were exposed, the price he would pay for possessing the extraterrestrial artifact and knowing the truth of the world would be utter destruction.

A cautious approach is the best policy.

He carefully put the alloy fragments into his personal storage bag, then scanned the surroundings of the mine, finally locking onto the natural depression behind the collapsed boulder.

This place is exceptionally well-hidden, completely concealed by boulders and out of sight of all mine tunnels. A narrow crevice at the top of the depression connects to a remnant of a deep spiritual vein, where spiritual energy flows continuously and steadily without any external interference. It is an excellent secluded place for cultivation.

Over the next hour, Xie Yanchen used readily available materials, including iron ore and high-purity quartz crystals, to build a simple spirit-gathering device.

The terminal precisely optimizes the circuit layout and energy conduction structure, using natural viscous mineral oil mixed with ultrafine mineral powder from the mine to replace the insulating material, perfectly replicating a simple array that efficiently gathers energy and stabilizes voltage for energy storage.

The moment the device was fully formed, a faint pale blue halo slowly lit up.

Strands of pure spiritual energy were drawn out from the cracks in the rock strata and continuously flowed into the recessed space. Although it was not as violent and turbulent as the spirit-gathering array in the mountain valley, it was superior in that it was constant and stable, and the spiritual energy was pure and immaculate, far surpassing the cultivation environment of the outer stone house and ordinary cultivation room.

Xie Yanchen sat cross-legged and began practicing the optimized breathing technique to consolidate his newly achieved cultivation level.

The continuous, high-intensity battles in the arena over the past few days, while seemingly easily crushing his opponents, have actually depleted a great deal of his mental and spiritual energy. More importantly, the foundation of his physical body is far too weak.

Twenty years of being shackled by mixed spiritual roots, with a constant lack of spiritual energy, scarce resources, and malnutrition, resulted in insufficient resilience of the meridians, a small dantian volume, and a weak physical foundation.

The terminal can optimize techniques, repair defects in the dantian, and predict all flaws in moves, but it cannot build up the physical foundation out of thin air.

The path of spiritual cultivation is ultimately a process of gradual and persistent effort.

The hundred low-grade spirit stones and fifteen high-grade Qi Gathering Pills awarded by the champion were enough to solve his immediate problem, but they couldn't keep up with his rapidly increasing cultivation needs. The optimized breathing technique consumed spiritual energy several times faster than orthodox cultivation methods, and the higher his cultivation level, the more terrifying the consumption became.

To quickly break through realms, gain a foothold, resist the undercurrents of sects, and uncover the truth of the world, resources, strength, and trump cards are all indispensable.

If all the low-grade spirit stones hidden deep within the vein could be mined, it would be enough to support his steady progress towards the Foundation Establishment realm. However, with the sect's attention focused on him and Zhou Yuanshan secretly spying and harboring murderous intent, he simply didn't have enough time to excavate extensively.

After a night of arduous practice, dawn broke.

Xie Yanchen restrained his spiritual power, his aura became calm and refined, and his spiritual power was gentle and restrained, with no signs of breakthrough leaking out.

He meticulously cleaned up the traces of the mine, removed exposed devices, sealed the gaps in the spiritual veins, moved the stone bed to conceal the entrance to the secret passage, and erased all traces of human activity to ensure that there was no way to find it.

After finishing everything, he pushed open the wooden door of the stone house.

The morning light spilled onto the dirt road outside the gate, dispelling the chill of the night, and the lively atmosphere of yesterday's assessment still lingered in the air.

The outer disciples who got up early along the way, upon catching a glimpse of Xie Yanchen, all stopped and bowed, their eyes filled with flattery and awe.

Once a useless person with mixed spiritual roots who could be bullied by everyone, he has made a comeback and risen to the top, subverting the perception of the outer sect and becoming the most dazzling existence in the entire outer sect.

The fickle nature of human relationships and the coldness of the world are vividly portrayed in the cultivation world.

Xie Yanchen remained calm, nodding slightly in return, neither arrogant nor humble, showing no interest in maintaining these superficial, sycophantic connections.

He walked steadily toward the sect's cultivation techniques pavilion.

One of the core rewards for the monthly champion is a one-month borrowing privilege on the second floor of the Martial Arts Pavilion.

This is the highest cultivation privilege that outer disciples can access. The second floor houses countless mid-level cultivation techniques, secret arts, body-refining methods, as well as the cultivation insights of successive inner disciples. Ordinary only inner core disciples can access these resources.

His purpose in this trip was not to covet advanced cultivation techniques, but to use the terminal's analytical capabilities to delve into the hidden shackles and tricks within the Qingyun Sect's cultivation system!

The white-haired old man guarding the entrance to the Cultivation Techniques Pavilion has been guarding the pavilion for forty years and has witnessed the rise and fall of the sect's geniuses and the ups and downs of its disciples.

In the past, Xie Yanchen was just an insignificant low-level disciple who had to carefully consider even the basic cultivation techniques on the first floor. But now, as he received the jade token granting him access to the second floor, the old man's cloudy eyes suddenly lit up. He repeatedly rubbed and examined the token to verify its authenticity, his gaze filled with disbelief.

"Mixed spiritual root, Qi Refining Stage 3, monthly champion..." the old man murmured, his tone filled with a sense of wonder he hadn't seen in half a lifetime. "I have guarded this pavilion for forty years and have seen tens of thousands of disciples, and I have never seen a genius with mixed spiritual root reach the top of the outer sect. The younger generation is truly formidable. The cultivation method in the southeast corner of the second floor is suitable for the Qi Refining stage. Proceed step by step and do not be greedy for quick results."

"Thank you for your guidance, senior." Xie Yanchen bowed and thanked him before climbing the steps.

The second floor is quiet and spacious, rarely visited by people. Six rows of antique bookshelves are neatly arranged, and each jade slip is covered with a restrictive light membrane, preventing those without sufficient permissions from touching or reading it.

At dawn, before the inner disciples arrived, he was the only person on the entire floor.

Without the slightest delay, Xie Yanchen immediately activated the full-domain scan and rapidly flipped through the jade slip with his fingertips.

With its extreme computing power, the terminal can analyze the core architecture, operation path, and energy conversion rate of each technique in seconds. The defects, constraints, and hidden patterns deep within the techniques are all stripped away and clearly revealed.

Intermediate-level cultivation techniques are far more complex than basic ones, with their flaws hidden much deeper. They are no longer simply about stagnant spiritual energy or blocked circulation, but rather systemic shackles embedded in the core of the technique.

Half an hour later, all the intermediate-level cultivation techniques were analyzed, and a massive amount of data was compiled.

The statistical classification of defects in the exercise method has been completed:

1. Efficiency Suppression: The conversion and utilization rate of spiritual energy in all orthodox cultivation methods of all sects is deliberately suppressed, and the actual output is only 70% to 80% of the theoretical peak, which damages the cultivator's foundation over the years.

II. Bottlenecks and Constraints: Obstruction and stagnation patterns are implanted at key points in the operation of the cultivation method, artificially increasing the difficulty of breaking through minor realms. The higher the realm, the stronger the constraints, with layers of obstacles set up below the Golden Core.

III. Pre-installed Tracking: Intermediate-level cultivation techniques have built-in tracking codes. The cultivator's spiritual energy fluctuations, cultivation trajectory, and breakthrough data will be continuously collected and transmitted back, with a signal strength more than three times that of basic cultivation techniques.

The truth is chilling and piercing.

The cultivation techniques passed down throughout the cultivation world have never been the great path to guide people to cultivation, but rather a cage and shackles carefully designed by the Federation.

Cultivators work hard and advance step by step, seemingly defying fate and ascending to the Great Dao. However, the harder they work and the higher their cultivation level, the tighter the shackles become, and the more deeply they are monitored, recorded, and controlled by the experimental field.

The countless cultivators, practicing for generations, are nothing more than sets of experimental data in the Federation's observation records.

Xie Yanchen suppressed the chill in his heart and was preparing to leave when a gloomy and familiar figure slowly descended from the third floor.

The third floor is the exclusive area for elders, where the sect's core cultivation techniques and the cultivation secrets of the Supreme Elders are stored. Only elders with real power in the sect are allowed to enter.

The newcomer was dressed in a black robe, with gray hair and beard, a thin face, sharp and sinister eyes, and slightly protruding cheekbones. He bore a seven-tenths resemblance to Zhou Chong in his eyes and brows.

It was Zhou Yuanshan, the late-stage Foundation Establishment elder who harbored immense hostility towards him and had secretly spied on him on several occasions.

Their eyes met, and the atmosphere at the narrow stairwell instantly froze.

Zhou Yuanshan stopped in his tracks, his narrow eyes narrowing slightly, his sharp gaze like that of a hawk, fixed on Xie Yanchen. His gaze swept over the second-floor access token at Xie Yanchen's waist, finally settling on Xie Yanchen's calm and composed face, lingering there for a long time.

"You are Xie Yanchen."

Zhou Yuanshan's voice was flat, revealing no emotion, yet it carried a chilling pressure and an invisible hostility.

"Disciple Xie Yanchen greets Elder Zhou." Xie Yanchen bowed slightly, his manners impeccable, and his expression flawless.

The silence, though brief, was suffocatingly oppressive.

Zhou Yuanshan's gaze swept over his entire body, meridians, and dantian repeatedly, seemingly casually observing, but actually concealing a deep probing. After a few breaths, he nodded slightly without expression and brushed past him.

Just as their shoulders touched, a high-risk warning suddenly popped up on the terminal!

Extremely concealed divine sense detection detected! No spiritual energy fluctuations leaked out, evading the perception of ordinary cultivators, directly targeting the core of the dantian soul! The anti-detection barrier successfully intercepted, and core data was not leaked!

This detection was extremely insidious, subtle, secretive, and swift, making it impossible for ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators to detect.

A dignified elder of the sect openly and privately probed the soul foundation of an outer disciple in the forbidden area of ​​the cultivation technique pavilion.

This is not a test; it is blatant spying and pressure.

Zhou Yuanshan was showing him through his actions that he had never given up investigating his secrets, and that his every move and every change was being closely watched.

The footsteps faded into the distance, and the chilly atmosphere slowly dissipated.

Xie Yanchen walked out of the cultivation technique pavilion. The dazzling morning light fell on his shoulders, but it could not dispel the chill in his heart.

The extreme hostility of a late-stage Foundation Establishment elder, the covert surveillance of a Golden Core sect leader, the millennia-old shackles of sect cultivation techniques, the ancient secrets of the Federation's experimental field, and the extraterrestrial fragments buried deep underground...

Despite being at the bottom of the Qingyun Sect, he has already been drawn into the top-level power struggle of the entire world.

The road is fraught with danger and thorns at every turn.

But crisis also presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

To break the deadlock, we must first strengthen ourselves.

Xie Yanchen's fingertips touched the cold alloy fragments in the storage bag, his eyes gleaming with a sharp light.

"Return to the stone house, upgrade the mine's spirit-gathering device, and do everything in your power to decipher the secrets of the fragment's patterns."

"The secrets contained in this fragment from beyond the realm are far more precious than the millennia-old cultivation techniques of the Qingyun Sect."

The terminal immediately generates a brand-new training plan, doubling the training intensity.

Xie Yanchen shook his head helplessly upon seeing this, but did not refute it.

He knew better than anyone that in this man-made cage, only by running faster and climbing higher than everyone else could he tear through the fog, control his destiny, and glimpse the ultimate truth of the world.