Chapter 190: Chapter 114: Forget Form
"Unbelievable! I didn’t expect that in the True Dragon Tomb, the fortune I gained would be the greatest. A single visualization image is already so wondrous; if I were to truly unearth the Empress Tomb in the future, what kind of unimaginable heritage would be within? What kind of extraordinary fortune?" Zhang Chen’s heart was quite excited.
However, he did not immerse himself in cultivation but instead focused his gaze on the six skills. At this moment, the Heaven Square Earth Circle Diagram was already at great success, but there was room for further upgrades. Yet, upgrading further would require ten thousand points, but what was a mere ten thousand points to Zhang Chen? Hardly anything.
After all, the Heaven Square Earth Circle Diagram relates to his future cultivation. The mysteries of this world are hard to find, and points cannot be guaranteed forever. His ability to cultivate proactively is the true skill he possesses eternally.
The Heavenly Round and Earthly Square Diagram is crucial for future cultivation, so Zhang Chen, without hesitation, added points to it. He could clearly distinguish between stuffing oneself once and being well-fed every time.
The next moment, he saw the Golden Finger Interface shift: [6 Skill Heaven Square Earth Circle Diagram (Extreme): 1/40000]
Then Zhang Chen saw the Heaven Square Earth Circle Diagram within the Spiritual World shift. Numerous lines twisted anew, and many lines re-dispersed, transforming into a Daoist with a blurred face, hand forming the Treasure Vase Seal.
The Treasure Vase Seal in the Daoist’s hand emitted a pulling force, continuously drawing down the moon essence from the void.
Threads of moon essence were continuously drawn down, infusing into the vase, which continuously received the wondrous Qi Mechanism between heaven and earth. Apart from the vase absorbing the moon essence, no other changes were visible at this moment.
However, Zhang Chen’s gaze wasn’t on the vase but at his Golden Finger Interface: "Even after reaching the extreme, it can still be upgraded? But the points required have doubled, now needing a full forty thousand points."
"The visualization image needs forty thousand points? Could it be there’s some other mystery beyond the extreme?" Zhang Chen looked at the skill interface and then at his points. The Golden Finger Interface displayed he had only forty-five thousand five hundred and sixty-two experience points left.
If I allocate them, I’d be left with just five thousand five hundred and sixty-two points.
Forty thousand points could upgrade another skill.
Is it worth it?
After all, the Heavenly Round and Earthly Square Diagram at Great Perfection can already gather moon essence to strengthen one’s spirit and soul.
But thinking this is his main cultivation technique, if he can’t discover any mysteries in the future, he’ll rely on this skill to enhance his cultivation. Zhang Chen gritted his teeth and decided to allocate the points.
As he grew more acquainted with this world, Zhang Chen became increasingly aware of how elusive mysteries are to find. His ability to encounter mysteries on a large scale was all due to the Empress Tomb itself, whether the True Dragon Tomb or Zhang Shicheng’s Walking Flood Dragon was all because of the Empress Tomb.
If that Empress Tomb were entirely excavated by him, where would he seek new mysteries then?
If he couldn’t find a mystery for ten or eight years, wouldn’t his cultivation be stuck then?
Mastering the visualization image, his soul would grow stronger, marking his main cultivation technique, the sole active skill enhancement he could grasp! This was his last resort!
So, after contemplating this, Zhang Chen moved in his heart and without hesitation applied the Skill Points. Then he saw the interface flash before his eyes:
[6 Skill Heaven Square Earth Circle Diagram (Ultimate): Forget Form (0/400000)]
[Points: 5562]
As the forty thousand points were added, Zhang Chen felt his Spiritual World suddenly darken. The entire Spiritual World was pitch black, leaving only him standing solitary in darkness, an inexplicable fear welling in his heart.
It felt like being locked in a small dark room, with no trace of light, with darkness before his eyes engulfing all his senses like a tide.
At this moment, Zhang Chen, standing in the darkness, looked down and noticed that his robe had transformed into the Daoist Robe of the visualization he had imagined, and he had become the envisioned Daoist, the robe now draped quietly over him.
He seemed to have become the figure from the visualization scroll, though his visage remained his own.
"Something’s not right!" Zhang Chen stood in the darkness, feeling as if there was nothing above, nothing below, as though completely suspended in space, surrounded by boundless darkness and void.
Here, there was no space-time, no distance, nor any living beings; only him alone in this dark void.
But at this moment, Zhang Chen sensed something amiss, for when his Heavenly Round and Earthly Square Diagram was at Great Perfection, it could still form the Treasure Vase Seal, continuously absorbing the essence of the moon. But now, after upgrading the skill, why did everything change?
Why turn into a void, with no more sun and moon essence?
Zhang Chen stood in the void, eyes filled with confusion. He carefully sensed his own soul and found no indication that his soul was strengthening; all he could feel was the unending darkness, a darkness so deep it was despairing.
"It shouldn’t be like this? Could it be there is something special about this darkness?" Zhang Chen stood in the darkness, eyes carefully observing the blackness before him. Suddenly, his pupils constricted as he noticed a faint, almost undetectable light within the endless darkness.
The light was so weak that even in pure darkness, it remained that inconspicuous.
"That light?" Zhang Chen looked at the small point of light, as if standing on earth gazing at the stars.
"That lightpoint is very, very far from me!" After observing for a long time, Zhang Chen became thoughtful.
The next moment, Zhang Chen took a step forward, rushing towards the lightpoint, for no matter how far away it was, it was the only light he saw in the darkness, leaving him with no other choice.
"Perhaps when I get closer to that light, there will be a new discovery. After all, now that I’ve broken through from Great Perfection to Forget Form, I should be receiving major gains; why have I been thrown into the darkness?"
While muttering to himself, Zhang Chen moved his steps, hurrying towards the lightpoint.
Meanwhile, he pondered and speculated about his own Spirit Realm and all the details after his breakthrough.
"I’ve suddenly noticed a doubt: I’ve now trained my soul to Master the Treasure Vase Seal, acquiring the ability to absorb the moon essence, and my Crystal Core also possesses the ability to absorb the moon essence. But the moon essence my soul absorbs seems different from the moon essence my bloodline absorbs." Calmly thinking, Zhang Chen finally realized their difference.
"Completely different! It’s like they’re entirely different things." Zhang Chen’s eyes reflected deep contemplation.
The moon essence in the Spiritual World and the moon essence I absorb from the outside world, though both are moon essence, appear to be two separate substances, fundamentally distinct.
"How could this be? The power of the moon is the same; is there really some distinction?" Zhang Chen was puzzled.
But having no master, he also didn’t know whom to ask about such questions.
"If I were to speak of the difference between the two moon essences? The moon essence absorbed by the Crystal Core feels very cold, an extreme sensation of coldness. While the moon essence absorbed by the soul is refreshingly cool, like a cool breeze in summer." Countless thoughts flickered in Zhang Chen’s mind as streams of consciousness floated in his brain.
"Never mind, I can’t figure out the difference between the two for now. I’ll ask the Fox Spirit when I return and see if the Fox Spirit knows the difference." Zhang Chen set aside distracting thoughts, diligently chasing towards the light ahead. He found that as he made his way, the strength of his soul was diminishing, seemingly turning weak.
Was his soul consuming energy as he traveled through the darkness as if it had physical exertion?