Chapter 749: Chapter 749

The impact of Li Pin being ranked ninth on the Black List spread far beyond the Sacred Flame Hall, where the higher-ups held a special meeting because of him. Chapters fırst released on ɴovelfire.net

As the news spread, discussions flared up across various circles. The Solar Flare and Cosmic Radiance classes, in particular, who held the Black List in high regard, couldn't seem to go a day without mentioning it. After several dozen stellar years, Li Pin's name once again returned to everyone's attention.

"That's a record for the Humanity Sanctum, right? At least for the past ten epochs, no prodigy from the Sanctum has had the honor of breaking into the top ten of the Black List."

"Be confident. Drop the 'right?' and take a closer look. Recently, there's been a clear increase in Cosmic Radiance-level powerhouses entering the Sanctum. I bet they're all here to learn more about Sacred Child Li."

"I know one of them. He's a follower of Heavenly Emperor Da Shi from the Endless Divine Mountain. I think he came because of Astral God Chi Ri. That Astral God used to hold the ninth spot on the Black List, but now, Sacred Child Li has taken over that position."

"Why has the public narrative shifted again? They're saying Sacred Child Li has become the Highlord's disciple after all? Which version is actually true?"

"You're asking the wrong question. What you should be asking is, who spread the rumor that Sacred Child Li failed to become the Highlord's disciple? Did he say it himself? No? Then it's nothing. The man's just keeping a low profile."

Speculation and discussion poured in from all directions. It wasn't just the members of the Humanity Sanctum or cultivators from other sects. Even those close to Li Pin, like Wang Fuyun and his group, couldn't figure out whether the news was true or not.

Had Li Pin really failed to become the Highlord's disciple, or was it just a test? Was he only meant to be accepted after passing it?

If it were a test, that made sense. But what if he actually had failed? That was a possibility, but it didn't make any sense. If he had failed, why would the Black Abyss Highlord still hand over control of a high-level intelligent lifeform like Sasha to him?

There was no way Li Pin could have rejected the Highlord's offer to become his disciple and still earned his favor to such an extent. It was impossible, absolutely impossible.

We're talking about the Black Abyss Highlord—the being at the pinnacle of the universe. It was like the CEO of a massive corporation saying, "You've got potential. Come be my assistant starting tomorrow," and the young man replying, "Thank you for the recognition, but I'd rather succeed on my own."

The only words to describe it were "absurd" and "completely ridiculous."

With that, Wang Fuyun settled the matter with a single remark. "Just wait. Be patient. Once Li Pin emerges from seclusion, we can ask him directly and get the truth."

The others, still puzzled and unable to make sense of it, could only put their wild theories aside and wait quietly.

For an Astral God, cultivating the inner spirit to a state of purity was essential. This was especially true when breaking through to the Astral God level. It required an inner spirit that was clear, spotless, and untainted.

A pure inner spirit meant simple thoughts. Like a mirror, it couldn't have too many patterns or distractions, or it would lose its ability to reflect.

This clarity kept their emotions from fluctuating too much in response to outside matters. Even when curiosity arose, as long as the issue didn't touch the core of their inner spirit and break its purity—piercing that defense—they could easily shift their attention elsewhere, minimizing its impact.

Time moved on, and the years slipped by like a quiet stream.

Because many believed Li Pin was being tested by the Black Abyss Highlord, no matter how curious people were about why the Divine Race held him in such high regard, no one dared interrupt him in his seclusion to uncover the truth.

Just like that, thirty years passed in the blink of an eye.

Li Pin was inside the cultivation chamber. He had just recovered from the state of his "past" self.

He focused his mind to sense his condition and couldn’t help but sigh. "The energy level is progressing too slowly."

By now, the attribute panel had been pared down to just two entries.

[Energy: 8.1 million], [Energy Level: 23.6]

Technically, he could still include: Phantom Space: 2/4 and Dao Realm: 23/100.

As for things like Perfect Realm, Solar Flare Progress, or True Spirit Progress, they no longer held much meaning at his current level.

"My energy level has only increased this much over thirty stellar years. At this pace, it'll take at least two to three hundred stellar years to reach the peak of the Cosmic Radiance Realm," Li Pin thought.

For most Astral Gods, three hundred stellar years was practically nothing. When ascending from Solar Flare to Cosmic Radiance in particular, calling those three centuries "soon" wouldn't be an exaggeration.

Even for the most gifted cultivators of the Humanity Sanctum, reaching Cosmic Radiance within a single epoch was already considered a lifetime achievement. And once they stepped into the Cosmic Radiance Realm, it was quite common to spend ten full epochs pushing their energy level to the peak—level 100.

That was a million stellar years.

In comparison, three hundred stellar years was like five working days in an ordinary person's life. Breaking through a major realm and then spending a few "days" to stabilize it wasn't slow at all.

But for Li Pin... three hundred years of continuous seclusion? That was something he truly wasn't used to.

He had only been in seclusion for thirty stellar years, and already, he felt like he couldn't go on.

"Come to think of it, maybe I am the reason for the slow progress."

Li Pin pondered in silence. What exactly was the essence of the True Spirit? It was to refine the inner spirit to a state of crystal–clear purity—so pure that it could undergo a true transformation, gaining the ability to sense and reflect the inner spirit fluctuations of other lifeforms.

In other words, the true strength of the True Spirit lay in two key aspects:

First, the inner spirit fluctuations of any being below the True Spirit level became completely transparent before him.

Second, a pure and flawless True Spirit allowed the operation of inner spirit power to proceed without the slightest hindrance.

And that seamless flow wasn't just about conscious control of where thought led, energy followed. It was about tapping into the full potential of the subconscious mind.

While the conscious mind had only begun to register a change, the subconscious had already responded, without a moment's delay.

Using the infinite depths of the subconscious to control the limited conscious mind, thereby creating the illusion of foresight and premonition in the eyes of others.

Back then, the Supreme Being behind the Endless Divine Mountain had once disclosed his research into this power.

He referred to the inner spirit power as the "sixth sense," believing it to be a supplement to the five physical senses. Only with this sixth sense could one stabilize the other five, thereby gaining complete control over matter and energy.

As for those capable of fully harnessing their subconscious mind, he called them possessors of the "seventh sense," a level of perception that transcended both speed and time.

Li Pin could attain near-omniscient insight through complete mastery of the "past." Yet this ability was fundamentally different from the seventh sense embodied by the True Spirit.

"These are two entirely separate paths," Li Pin realized. "When I altered the Endless Reincarnation, I had already set foot on a road distinct from the True Spirit's."

He turned his attention to his energy strength attributes and muttered,"8.1 million.... Something's not right."

Energy strength would only rise again after one stepped into the Tyrant Realm and began manifesting a universe. At that point, the growth could eventually reach a cap of 100 million.

An energy strength of 100 million, with an energy level of 100, marked the peak of the Tyrant Realm. Beyond that, Sacred Monarchs and Heavenly Emperors didn't necessarily gain more energy but instead refined that foundation into more efficient combat power.

But before entering the Tyrant Realm and manifesting a universe, it would be nearly impossible for someone at the Cosmic Radiance Realm to further increase their energy strength.

And yet now... he had nearly doubled his.

Li Pin stared at the numbers on his attribute panel. After a long silence, he muttered, "Could it be... I'm not a Cosmic Radiance yet? That I only broke through the upper limit of the Solar Flare Realm, without actually stepping into Cosmic Radiance?"

He thought about it for a long time but couldn't find an answer.

Then, as if something had just occurred to him, he suddenly called out, "Sasha."

Sasha appeared instantly, taking on the form of a youthful girl. "I'm here."

"I almost forgot I still have you," said Li Pin, seemingly only realizing that now.

Sasha looked helpless. She was, after all, one of the offshoots born from the Ocean of Time. Even when under the control of the Black Abyss Highlord, she had never felt so overlooked.

But Li Pin... he really only used her as a navigation tool.

It was like spending billions on a supercomputer just to play Candy Crush.

"Am I a Cosmic Radiance?" Li Pin asked.

"You're surrounded by a radiant glow, quite similar to that of a True Spirit," Sasha replied. "You even have the ability to block its light. However, every lifeform's inner spirit is unique, so the light their True Spirit emits is different as well. Judging by the light from your inner spirit, yes, you are."

Li Pin fell into thought. Even Sasha believed that I was... Yet I clearly lacked the abilities that came with having a True Spirit.

He believed that he hadn't cultivated the power of the True Spirit, nor had he awakened the seventh sense it was supposed to bring. But in terms of both appearance and power ceiling, he had already broken past the limits of the Solar Flare Realm.

With an energy strength of 8.1 million and an energy level of 23.6. Without relying on any sword techniques or secret arts, he could still unleash a combat power of 191.16 million. That already exceeded the threshold of newly advanced Cosmic Radiance cultivators and was closing in on mid-stage standards.

Li Pin closed his eyes and quietly pondered. If I could form a True Spirit once more and awaken the seventh sense bound to it... if I could truly unlock the power buried deep within my inner spirit... What would that mean? Would it be a hundred energy levels added to the current hundred? Or... a hundred multiplied by a hundred?

No matter how long he thought about it, he couldn't find the answer. Then, he stopped thinking altogether.

"What is martial cultivation? What is the path of cultivation?"

He reached forward, as if trying to grasp something—yet nothing lay before him.

"All of it is just a way to evolve my life, to surpass all limits. Whether it's this newly forged path or the Astral God's path, they're no different from the martial and Astral Cultivation paths I once walked on Gaia. My path has always been mine alone."

He let go of all thoughts.

Deep within his inner spirit, the Great Dao Radiance shimmered brightly. Even hidden beneath countless layers of concealment, its brilliance remained undimmed.

"Just like that day in the Heavenly Prison World—when he had dared to question the right and wrong of the Highlord.

"The so-called..." A faint smile tugged at Li Pin's lips. "I seek my own Dao."