"Confirm random summoning of Forbidden-grade cultivation technique?" The system's voice remained devoid of emotion.
"Yes," Luo Ren's breathing quickened slightly. This was a crucial turning point that would determine his future; to say he wasn't nervous would be a lie.
"Ding! Commencing Forbidden-grade cultivation technique summoning."
"Ding! Countdown begins: 3600, 3599, 3588…"
The ticking sound of the countdown began.
Luo Ren inhaled sharply, his parched lips swallowing. His heart, unable to be suppressed, thumped wildly.
One had to know that even an Earth-grade magical artifact only required 8 seconds for summoning. He had already speculated that Forbidden-grade items were terrifying, and their summoning might take a few hundred seconds, but he never expected the countdown to reach a staggering 3600. A minute was 60 seconds, so the terrifying number 3600 meant 60 minutes, or one hour.
According to Kim Nhi, the stronger the item, the longer the summoning time.
Just how powerful was this Forbidden-grade existence, after all?
Luo Ren was beyond imagining. After all, he was just a young man. To be on the verge of possessing an existence like a Forbidden-grade, the fact that he wasn't jumping up and down, screaming wildly with joy, proved his mental fortitude was already quite remarkable.
"It's not surprising. For a Forbidden-grade, it's not easy for the System to summon it, especially since the System is only at Level 1. It will be different after it upgrades later," Kim Nhi spoke softly, her small lips moving. Her expression was also incredibly solemn.
"1800, 1799, 1790…"
The System's voice continued to slowly echo.
"First, let's leave the Spirit Realm Pearl," Luo Ren thought, his intention stirring.
He didn't want any unexpected incidents to occur. After all, the Spirit Realm Pearl was merely an Earth-grade magical artifact. Summoning a Forbidden-grade existence inside it seemed inappropriate, no matter how he looked at it.
Luo Ren's figure reappeared inside his small room. A quick mental scan located the Spirit Realm Pearl on the ground. Luo Ren concealed it within his long hair. The Spirit Realm Pearl remained in its dust-sized state.
As each second of the countdown ticked by, Luo Ren now sat upright on the pile of straw. His heart gradually calmed. No matter what kind of cultivation technique it was, he had to cultivate it, even if it was a demonic or evil art.
Kim Nhi, at this moment, was also sitting cross-legged in mid-air, looking extremely serious.
The space was utterly silent, only the continuous ticking countdown of the System echoed.
"10, 9… 7… 3… 2…"
"Ding! Summoning complete."
Luo Ren's face was tense. The past hour felt like decades to him.
"Congratulations, Host, you have received the Forbidden-grade cultivation technique [Immortal Proliferation Scripture]," the System's voice remained cold and emotionless.
Whether it was an illusion or not, Luo Ren clearly sensed a hint of tremor within its mechanical tone.
"Immortal Proliferation Scripture, Immortal, Proliferation," Luo Ren whispered, repeating the name. Just hearing the name told him it was something extraordinary. Suppressing the excitement in his heart, he turned to Kim Nhi, signaling his inquiry.
"This… this type of Forbidden-grade, although other Forbidden-grade cultivation techniques have appeared in the universe, I have never heard of Young Master's technique by this name," Kim Nhi stammered. Clearly, even she had no information about the Immortal Proliferation Scripture.
"Ding! The Forbidden-grade has been sealed. Does the Host accept to cultivate it?" The System spoke again.
Luo Ren didn't continue to question. He immediately nodded in confirmation.
"Ding! Commencing transmission."
In that instant, Luo Ren felt his soul detach from his body. The space darkened, all his senses seemingly sealed off.
…
After an unknown period, Luo Ren awakened. What greeted his perception was a vast, endless expanse of space, filled with eternal night. His soul floated adrift within this boundless, ethereal void.
In that endless dark space, a small cluster of light, myriad in colors, unexpectedly flickered as if it had existed for eons—perhaps thousands of years, tens of thousands of years, or even longer.
The light cluster resided at the center of the space, like the most beautiful celestial body in the entire, murky universe.
Mysterious yet noble…
That was Luo Ren's assessment of the light cluster.
He wanted to know what was enveloped within that light cluster, but alas, he couldn't. The light wasn't blinding, yet it was sufficient to obscure what it covered, like a woman of ordinary beauty but full of pride.
Outside the light cluster, countless chains silently intertwined. Luo Ren observed closely, finally realizing that the chains formed a single character: "Suppress."
Luo Ren finally understood.
This infinite dark space was the System's private dimension.
Those mysterious chains were seals used for suppression.
And inside that light cluster, the object being suppressed was his [Immortal Proliferation Scripture].
As if something compelled him, Luo Ren reached out with both hands and embraced the light cluster and the seals surrounding it.
The seals around the light cluster showed a very slight, almost imperceptible loosening.
In that instant, an anomaly occurred.
An extremely powerful force erupted from the light cluster, violently attacking Luo Ren's slender soul, intending to shatter the soul of the one who sought to possess it.
Luo Ren's soul vibrated violently, forming great waves. His face began to contort with pain.
Luo Ren wanted to roar to alleviate the agony, but no matter what, he couldn't.
The torment of the soul was hundreds of thousands of times worse than physical pain, yet he couldn't cry out to vent. Death seemed to envelop his gaunt figure.
Luo Ren's soul grew increasingly faint, on the verge of dissipating.
Luo Ren knew that if he released his grip on the light cluster, all the pain he was enduring would vanish.
But that would mean failure.
Would he be content with that?
Of course not.
Recalling the scene from his previous life, buried with his adoptive father in a sea of flames, and thinking of the countless humiliations in this life that ultimately led to an unjust death. Luo Ren realized that life was precious, but something even more precious was dignity.
What was the point of living without dignity?
In this damned world, without absolute power, who would grant you dignity?
Luo Ren wanted to live, and he wanted dignity.
"The opportunity is before me. Even if my soul dissipates, even if the outcome is tragic, I must take this gamble," was the only thought existing in Luo Ren's mind at this moment.
He desperately clung to that light cluster. Though the pain was incessant, his soul's undulations grew increasingly violent, seeming as though it could dissipate at any moment.
After an unknown period, just as Luo Ren's soul became transparent, as if it were merging into the dark night, and his consciousness was on the verge of complete collapse, the fragments of his soul around his arms stubbornly clung to the light cluster.
As if satisfied with Luo Ren's performance.
A miracle occurred.
The light cluster rapidly spun within its seal.
Countless mysterious ancient characters, full of color, emerged from the light cluster and flowed into Luo Ren's soul.
His originally weak soul suddenly condensed rapidly. Only now, countless ancient characters had merged onto his soul.
Clearly, those mysterious ancient characters were directly etched onto Luo Ren's soul, perfectly fused.
His consciousness, which had fainted from pain, began to awaken.
Luo Ren sensed the state of his soul. He felt that his soul now was hundreds of thousands of times stronger than when he first entered the System's space.
For a mortal like him, this was truly inconceivable.
Before he could rejoice, he already sensed the ancient characters perfectly etched into his soul. Luo Ren began to comprehend their contents. At this moment, those mysterious ancient characters were his, and Luo Ren could miraculously understand them clearly.
What is Mortal? What is Immortal? Pursuit of Immortality All beings are equal … No need for constitution No regard for talent Pursuit of Proliferation Singular state of mind. ... [Immortal Proliferation Scripture, First Layer: Condensation – Soul Refinement]