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Chapter 99: The Mind Treasure Pagoda (End of Chapter)
Chapter 99: The Mind Treasure Pagoda (End of Chapter)
Silver Spirit climbed the steps one by one.
Of course, she knew that the first twenty steps wouldn't be challenging for a Tier 3 or Tier 4 Evolver.
Most could get through it without much trouble.
Lin Yuan, after all, was a Gold Mark Evolver.
Having started to comprehend the rules, how could he linger on these initial twenty steps for so long?
"Could there be some secret to this?" Silver Spirit wondered.
She felt that Lin Yuan's progress thus far must be intentional, that every action had a deeper meaning.
With this thought, Silver Spirit also paused at the fortieth step.
Boom! Boom! Boom! A series of soul attacks rained down on her.
Even though Silver Spirit could easily defend against these assaults, she eventually realized that she was wasting her time.
"What nonsense," she muttered, her face twisting in displeasure as she recognized the futility of her actions.
While this pause hadn't weakened her, it certainly hadn't brought any benefits either.
Comprehending this, Silver Spirit resumed her climb towards the summit.
"Soul defense improved by twenty percent. Stability of the black and white Tai Chi 'galaxy' within the Mud Pill Palace increased by fifteen percent."
On the seventh step, Lin Yuan was pleased with the progress.
These soul attacks were far more efficient than solitary cultivation.
"Regardless of whether I can join the Chi Qiu bloodline or not, I'll take advantage of this first," he thought.
Since the seventh step's soul attacks posed no threat, Lin Yuan ascended to the eighth.
His pause at the Fifth Star Cave wouldn't affect his eventual completion of the Seven Star Cave trial.
As long as he didn't exceed a month at each star cave, he'd be fine.
In a mysterious space within the Seven Star Cave world.
Lin Yuan's actions caught the attention of twelve figures.
"What is this Lin Yuan up to?"
"Why isn't he hurrying to the Seventh Star Cave to take the final test? Why waste time in the Fifth Star Cave?"
"Could his soul be his weakness? Is he struggling to cope with these soul attacks, which is why he's lingering?"
The nine figures below whispered among themselves, speculating about Lin Yuan's behavior.
The Seven Star Cave trial had been arranged by the great Chi Qiu Star Master, and even these twelve disciples had no authority to interfere. They could only observe the performances of the testers and select disciples based on that.
Lin Yuan's behavior could be intentional, or it could mean he wasn't adept at soul defense.
The intensity of the soul attacks in the Fifth Star Cave was arranged according to the tester's own power level.
For instance, if you were a Tier 3 Evolver, you'd face soul attacks of that tier, peaking at Tier 3's pinnacle.
Lin Yuan, as a Tier 4 Tenth Segment Evolver, faced soul attacks of at least Tier 4. If he wasn't skilled in soul defense, it would be understandable for him to struggle against these assaults.
"Not skilled in soul defense?" The nine figures below exchanged glances.
"It's not a big deal," the three figures above commented nonchalantly.
Soul defense could be enhanced through cultivation, and if this was Lin Yuan's weakness, they could always bestow upon him treasures to bolster that aspect.
"At this rate, will he even be able to get through this Fifth Star Cave in a month?" The figure on the left, named Gu Ze, spoke with a hint of concern. He was the third disciple of the Chi Qiu Star Master and, like the other two, existed beyond Tier 6.
Among the three, Gu Ze was the one who favored Lin Yuan the most.
"Take it slow," Gu Ze thought to himself.
Even if Lin Yuan couldn't pass through all seven star caves, Gu Ze had the ability to bring him into the Chi Qiu bloodline regardless.
However, if that happened, Lin Yuan's status would undoubtedly be inferior to those who had successfully passed through all the star caves.
Furthermore, without measuring Lin Yuan's specific aptitudes in the Seventh Star Cave, Gu Ze wouldn't know how to guide his subsequent cultivation path.
The Seven Star Cave trial, orchestrated by the Chi Qiu Star Master, wasn't something that could be activated at will. It required a certain price to be opened.
And the trials within the Seven Star Cave were incredibly precise, with the seven different tests providing a comprehensive assessment of each tester's potential.
On the stairs of the summit.
Lin Yuan took one step at a time, pausing after each.
"It's not easy to come across such uninterrupted soul attacks," he mused.
Soul attacks were a unique form of assault, extremely taxing on the attacker's soul power.
And the recovery period was much longer than that of qi, blood, or physical energy.
Generally, a soul-based Evolver could release about ten to twenty soul attacks before becoming exhausted and needing to rest.
That was why Lin Yuan rarely found soul-based Evolvers who could continuously attack him.
As for higher-level soul-based Evolvers, Lin Yuan was still wary. What if they suddenly went all out? He'd be in mortal danger.
"But the rate of improvement is definitely slowing down," Lin Yuan noted.
He could clearly sense that the intensity of the soul attacks was decreasing.
If the first step had given him a boost of ten, now it was down to eight or even five.
"It's mainly because these soul attacks are having less and less of an impact on me," Lin Yuan realized.
Only when he felt threatened could he unleash his heaven-defying comprehension talent to enhance his body and soul, preparing him better to face the incoming crisis.
But now.
Lin Yuan barely felt any danger.
It was like his walk on the hundred-mile-long black track in the First Star Cave.
Even without relying on other means, such as the Tai Chi domain, Lin Yuan could easily complete the track with his physical body alone.
Hence, his heaven-defying comprehension talent had never revealed any insights to enhance his physical body.
"It's still a long way," Lin Yuan thought as he stopped at the twentieth step.
He had already covered nearly a tenth of the summit's distance.
Looking up, he saw that the silver-haired woman had reached the top few steps.
Her face was slightly pale, indicating that the final few steps were particularly challenging.
"It's a pity that she didn't unleash her full power. If she had, I might have been able to gain some insights into space manipulation, which is a rare opportunity," Lin Yuan thought, feeling a bit disappointed.
For him to understand, the opponent had to take action.
For example, when the silver-haired woman had used spatial movement, Lin Yuan witnessed it and began to comprehend that aspect.
If he were merely observing the woman, his insights could be about anything else.
Like how to turn his hair silver or transform his gender—useless insights.
"Friend, what are you looking at?" a voice asked beside him.
It was another Gold Mark tester, one of the rare geniuses born among a thousand life planets.
But at that moment, she was panting, having climbed twenty steps in quick succession, enduring twenty soul attacks, each stronger than the last.
It was an uncomfortable experience.
"Nothing," Lin Yuan replied casually.
"Look, that Red Mark seems to be about to pass the star cave trial."
Lin Yuan offered a random excuse.
"Silver Spirit, I know her. Her master is a famous Tier 6 Falling Star. She's participating in the Seven Star Cave trial to become a disciple of one of those three."
The Gold Mark Evolver grinned and said, "By staying on a particular step, you'll continuously face soul attacks from that level. But there's at least a one or two-minute interval between them, and the intensity remains consistent. So, as long as you withstand the first wave, the rest shouldn't be a problem."
"Those three?" Lin Yuan knew exactly who they were talking about. "The three most powerful disciples of the Chi Qiu Star Master." Each of them surpassed the sixth tier.
"It seems the Chi Qiu Star Master is quite adept at teaching disciples," Lin Yuan commented. Every being that surpasses the sixth tier must forge their own path. External forces have little influence, so for the Chi Qiu Star Master to mentor three disciples of such caliber, it was clear he excelled in this aspect.
"Indeed," the Gold Mark Evolver agreed. "Not only that, but the Star Master's strength is also unparalleled."
"During the war with the Insectoid race, the Star Master revealed his true form and devoured an entire Insectoid Queen Nest with a single bite," the Gold Mark Evolver added, his admiration evident. He was clearly well-versed in the Chi Qiu Star Master's illustrious battle records.
"An Insectoid Queen Nest?" Lin Yuan's expression turned slightly solemn. Each Insectoid Queen Nest was guarded by an Insectoid Queen. And for a Queen to have grown strong enough to forge her own nest, according to the human race's power levels, she would have surpassed the sixth tier.
An Insectoid Queen Nest was a source of endless Insectoid warriors. They could mass-produce warriors of the first to sixth tiers. Other races might take eons to produce a fifth or sixth-tier warrior, with only a minuscule fraction of individuals achieving such heights. But the Insectoids, given sufficient energy, could be endlessly manufactured by the Queens.
A sixth-tier Insectoid warrior might not be as formidable in direct combat compared to a human sixth-tier Evolver. But what they lacked in strength, they made up for in numbers. Ten, a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand sixth-tier Insectoids—that was a force to be reckoned with, and it was this strategy that kept the Insectoids at the pinnacle of the cosmic universe.
The initial battles between humans and the Insectoids were not without setbacks, but fortunately, the peak power of the human race surpassed that of the Insectoids. Thus, the current stalemate was achieved.
The Chi Qiu Star Master's act of devouring an Insectoid Queen Nest on the battlefield was undoubtedly a significant contribution, indirectly saving countless human Evolvers' lives.
Of course, the Queen Nest was the source of the Insectoids, and it was heavily guarded. It was not an easy target to take down. Many Evolvers who surpassed the sixth tier often failed to locate the Queen Nest before being overwhelmed by the endless waves of Insectoids.
Moreover, the Queen Nest was not defenseless. It had its own means of protection.
The Gold Mark Evolver chatted with Lin Yuan for a while longer before logging off to rest.
Lin Yuan remained on the current step, continuing to endure the soul attacks. After some time, he climbed a few more steps and then disconnected from the virtual world, returning to reality.
"I'm feeling a bit tired," Lin Yuan said, rubbing his temples. In truth, once an Evolver reached the fourth tier, their physical body rarely experienced fatigue. The circulation of qi and blood, drawing upon the yin and yang energies of the sun and moon that permeated the heavens and earth, was akin to a weakened version of a perpetual motion machine.
However, while the body might not tire, the mind could still grow weary, especially when subjected to relentless soul attacks. Even with his heaven-defying comprehension talent slowly enhancing his soul defense, Lin Yuan still felt the strain after an extended period.
"Time to sleep," Lin Yuan decided, closing his eyes. It had been a long time since he had a proper rest.
A day later, Lin Yuan opened his eyes, feeling refreshed and energized.
[Your heaven-defying comprehension has allowed you to endure countless soul attacks and comprehend the soul defense secret art—'Mind Treasure Pagoda,']
a system notification rang in his mind.
Hum.
Within his Mud Pill Palace, a boiling torrent of soul power surged, and the black and white Tai Chi 'galaxy' trembled in response. Eventually, a transparent five-colored pagoda took form, enveloping the entire Mud Pill Palace.
"Soul defense secret art," Lin Yuan rejoiced. He could sense that this invisible pagoda, constructed with his own soul power, possessed defensive capabilities that even surpassed the 'Soul-Calming Bell.' This was a significant development.
The Soul-Calming Bell was a soul defense weapon, capable of protecting one's soul. Now, Lin Yuan could achieve similar results without relying on the bell; in fact, his soul defense had even exceeded the capabilities of the bell.
"With this, I shouldn't have to worry about soul defense even when traversing through the Myriad Worlds Gate," Lin Yuan thought happily. When using the Myriad Worlds Gate, he could only bring his physical body, and external items like the Soul-Calming Bell couldn't be taken along. But with this soul defense secret art, Lin Yuan felt confident in his soul's protection even without the bell.
"Let's continue," Lin Yuan said, motivated by his progress. He reconnected to the virtual world and entered the Seven Star Cave once more.
Whoosh.
Fifth Star Cave.
On the mountainside, Lin Yuan's figure appeared.
"Hmm?" Lin Yuan furrowed his brows slightly. As soon as he materialized, the soul attack corresponding to this level of the staircase descended upon him.
However, before it could reach his Mud Pill Palace, the invisible pagoda blocked its path.
"Mind Treasure Pagoda," Lin Yuan marveled. The soul attack from this level of the staircase was strong enough to shake his outer soul defense. But now, faced with this soul defense secret art, it couldn't even make a dent, let alone cause any impact.
"Disperse," Lin Yuan willed, and the invisible pagoda began to fade. Since it was a soul defense secret art, he could naturally control it. To continue benefiting from the soul attacks of this star cave, he wouldn't allow the pagoda to stand in his way.
Boom, boom, boom.
As time passed, Lin Yuan noticed that the soul attacks' contribution to his improvement was gradually slowing down. Eventually, they had no effect at all.
Even as he stood still, the soul attacks that rained down on him posed no threat.
"That's enough," Lin Yuan thought to himself. He had now reached the final step. "Onto the next star cave."
Unknowingly, Lin Yuan had spent over half a month in this star cave. Although he was still far from the one-month limit, there was no point in lingering any longer since he couldn't gain any further advantages.
"There are still quite a few Evolvers here," Lin Yuan observed, looking down at the foot and slopes of the mountain. Scattered across the area were numerous Silver Mark Evolvers, struggling to withstand the soul attacks after having passed the fourth star cave and now attempting the fifth.
"Let's go," Lin Yuan said, and his figure flickered as he ascended to the peak of the mountain.
Hum.
A faint spatial fluctuation rippled through the air.
In the next moment, Lin Yuan vanished from the mountain peak, on his way to the Sixth Star Cave.
In the mysterious space, the twelve figures breathed a sigh of relief as they witnessed Lin Yuan clear the Fifth Star Cave.
"Finally, he's through," one of them said.
"The Sixth Star Cave isn't too challenging. As long as he could pass the Fifth, it's only a matter of time for the Sixth," another added.
Among the three figures above, Gu Ze turned his gaze toward Lin Yuan, anticipation flashing in his eyes. He was curious to see how Lin Yuan would perform in the Seventh Star Cave.
(End of Chapter)
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