Reluctantly, Wei Zhong set down the Cultivation Jade Slip and turned his gaze to the black stone beside him.
According to Bai He's notes, this was a special precious material used to record profound Dao Techniques.
The palm-sized black rock defied Wei Zhong's attempts to identify its composition. It was exceptionally tough, and his Spirit-Seeking Art revealed no trace of spiritual energy within it.
True treasures conceal themselves. If placed among mundane objects, any passing cultivator would surely mistake it for an ordinary pebble.
The Dao of Time—this extraordinary technique was precisely what the black stone contained.
Bai He had claimed that this method surpassed his understanding from millennia of cultivation. It had been crucial for his progression from Qi Refining to Spirit Transformation.
It also formed the basis for his speculation that the Spring and Autumn Water Refinement Manual extended far beyond the Mahayana realm.
Wei Zhong lifted the stone and pressed it against his forehead.
Instantly, his mind felt as if it were exploding. His soul detached from his body and drifted into the distant void.
Before his eyes unfolded a vision of cosmic chaos, the birth of worlds, and amidst it all stood a stone monument inscribed with the words "Dao of Time."
Wei Zhong immersed himself in the experience, transforming into a sentient being and undergoing countless cycles of birth, aging, sickness, and death. A wisp of luminous light steadily etched itself upon his soul, gradually becoming sharper and more complete with each reincarnation.
It felt like millennia had passed, yet also like a fleeting moment. When Wei Zhong finally awoke from his dazed state, the complete Dao of Time had been imprinted upon his mind.
He had never encountered such a method of inheritance before. In the Cultivation World, the transmission of knowledge typically involved simple records, ranging from rudimentary written texts to Cultivation Jade Slips, all merely serving as basic storage and transfer of information.
This immersive experience, where he personally witnessed the Dao of Time from its nascent origins to its gradual formation and ultimate completion, was entirely new to him.
As he carefully examined the Dao Technique, Wei Zhong was astonished.
Time, Time... Naturally, this was a Dao Technique related to the manipulation of time itself.
Upon reading the entire text, he realized its essence could be summarized in a single word: borrowing. By traversing the River of Time, one could borrow from the past and the future, channeling their power into the present.
Borrowing from the past offered a profound method of concealing one's cultivation base. By expending his own mana, one could temporarily lower his apparent cultivation level.
This Dao Technique cannot be discerned by cultivators of a lower cultivation level, as the displayed cultivation base is genuinely real—albeit from the past.
Borrowing from the Future is a method that consumes lifespan to temporarily enhance one's cultivation realm, lasting for a full hour.
For Qi Refining cultivators, sacrificing seven and a half years of lifespan allows them to advance to the next minor realm. Here, a "minor realm" refers not to the nine layers of Qi Refining, but rather to the three major stages: early, mid, and late.
For Foundation Establishment cultivators, the cost doubles to twelve years. Core Formation cultivators must sacrifice twenty-five years...
Generally, the cost approximates one-twentieth of the average lifespan for cultivators at their current realm.
However, crossing a major cultivation realm doubles the consumption.
For example, Wei Zhong, currently at the late-stage of Qi Refining, would need to sacrifice twice the standard seven and a half years—fifteen years of lifespan—to reach the early-stage of Foundation Establishment with a single application of this Dao Technique.
At first glance, this might seem unremarkable. But the terrifying truth is that a single application isn't the limit.
A cultivator can consecutively apply this technique up to three times in a short period, effectively advancing through three minor realms—equivalent to an entire major realm.
Thus, Wei Zhong could instantly become a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator for an hour by sacrificing forty-five years of his lifespan.
In the Cultivation World, cultivators capable of battling opponents far beyond their cultivation level do exist. However, secret methods for rapidly advancing one's cultivation base are exceedingly rare. Those that do exist typically involve severely overdrawing one's potential, granting only a partial or single minor breakthrough.
While these methods might not immediately lead to death, they would leave the cultivator nearly depleted, like a lamp burning on its last drop of oil.
This underscores the profound depth of the Dao of Time.
No wonder Bai He, a Spirit Transformation cultivator, held it in such high regard.
The only unfortunate aspect was that this technique required the Spring and Autumn Water Refinement Method as its foundational Dao Technique. In other words, Wei Zhong could only observe it for now, unable to practice it himself.
Spring and Autumn, and Time—there must be a connection between them.
Gazing at the black stone in his hand, Wei Zhong speculated that it might have attracted the Time Treasure Record, leading him to this Grotto-Heaven.
But if this was the plan, how could the destined heir ever arrive?
Remembering the empty treasure slot in the tower, Wei Zhong suddenly understood.
Senior Bai He's meticulously planned arrangements had likely crumbled under the relentless passage of time.
If not for his unexpected arrival, this legacy might have drifted aimlessly through the Clear River Secret Realm, lost to time itself.
Setting down the black stone, Wei Zhong resisted the urge to claim the three treasures immediately. Instead, he returned to the main hall.
In a corner of the main hall sat an inconspicuous round bead. According to Bai He, this was the central control hub of the Grotto-Heaven, and refining it would allow one to claim the entire Grotto-Heaven as their own.
A Cave Heaven Treasure! Even the Azurewood Sect, a Golden Core-aligned power, likely didn't possess such a thing.
Releasing his mana, Wei Zhong began refining the bead.
Within moments, the process was complete. The entirety of the Grotto-Heaven materialized before Wei Zhong's inner eye.
Spanning ten acres, the subterranean realm was permeated by a sprawling spirit vein, seemingly connected to an external spirit stone vein. Above ground, spirit fields, a courtyard, a cultivation chamber, the main hall, and living quarters—every detail was vividly imprinted in Wei Zhong's mind.
With a thought, the Grotto-Heaven shrank into a square mark on the back of Wei Zhong's hand. Following his intent, the mark swiftly concealed itself.
Wei Zhong sensed that he could enter the Grotto-Heaven at will, making it an excellent means of evading powerful enemies.
The only drawback was the inability to manipulate the Grotto-Heaven's position from within. If an opponent guarded the "entry point," escape would become problematic.
Wei Zhong was still in the high tower. With the Grotto-Heaven claimed, the Flight Restriction enchantment had dissipated.
His mission accomplished, Wei Zhong left the area, completely satisfied.
Looking back at the distant spirit stone vein, he suddenly wondered, "Since the Grotto-Heaven's spirit vein is connected to this mineral vein, could I perhaps move the entire vein into the Grotto-Heaven?"
The moment this idea formed, the mark on Wei Zhong's right hand, representing the Cave Heaven Treasure, began to burn intensely.
Simultaneously, deep within the mine, the Azurewood Sect disciples noticed the tunnels shaking violently.
"Danger! The vein is collapsing! All disciples, abandon mining and evacuate immediately!" Lu Yibin shouted, his face pale with alarm.
The sect disciples instantly dropped their tools and followed their leaders out of the mine. If they were buried alive, not a single Qi Refining cultivator would likely survive.
Watching the mine entrance cave in, Lu Yibin sighed with regret. "What a pity! We were just about to reach the vein's core, the richest deposit of mid-grade spirit stones."
"Senior Brother Lu, there's no need to worry," one of the disciples said. "The collapse of the mineral vein was inevitable; it was only a matter of time. We've already mined a sufficient quantity of spirit stones. Even the sect elders won't fault us."
Lu Yibin sighed, lost in thought for a moment before finally murmuring, "It's all a matter of fate."
Deep beneath the earth, unseen by anyone, Wei Zhong watched as the Cave Heaven Treasure transformed into a black hole, devouring vast swathes of the spirit stone vein.
Once the absorption was complete, Wei Zhong peered inside and confirmed his suspicions: the spirit stone vein was now intricately connected to the Grotto-Heaven's spirit vein.
Not only that, but the spiritual energy within the Grotto-Heaven had become denser, and its size had expanded.
I should learn the technique of relocating spirit veins and spirit stone mines in the future, Wei Zhong mused, to enhance the tier of spirit veins within my Grotto-Heaven.
As Wei Zhong claimed the spirit stone mine, subtle changes manifested within the Clear River Secret Realm, radiating a faint sense of rejection.
The Secret Realm was preparing to close once more.