I am cautiously cultivating immortals in a strange world

To Chen Lin's surprise.

Originally, I thought it would be difficult to refine fake pills, but it went surprisingly smoothly. With the blessing of forbidden power, I refined the pills in just the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

There were no unusual signs regarding the elixir.

Just like ordinary pills, and three pills were produced from one batch.

Chen Lin looked at the round pills in the alchemy furnace, a look of doubt in his eyes.

Generally speaking, the higher the grade of the pill, the fewer pills are produced; top-grade pills are produced one pill per batch.

Three at once doesn't seem that impressive.

But he didn't say much.

He collected the pills, put them into a pill bottle, and handed them to Zhu Jing, who was looking excited.

"The pills are now ready, which means we've fulfilled our agreement. Next, I'll help you obtain the Exquisite Treasure Chest. If we succeed, the pill furnace will belong to me."

"besides."

Chen Lin's tone became serious.

"The treasure chest depends on fate. I can only do my best to help you and give you the opportunity to collect it. But if you are not destined to get it, that is your problem and you cannot blame me."

"That's natural."

Zhu Jing readily agreed.

Then put away the alchemy furnace and the alchemy bottle.

I thought about it.

He took out the pill bottle again, poured out a pill, and handed it to Chen Lin.

"My initial expectation was only one, but since Fellow Daoist Chen has refined three, I will give you one. After all, this is not just my personal fortune."

"Oh?"

Chen Lin looked slightly surprised.

He nodded immediately, "Then I'll accept without hesitation."

No need to be polite.

Chen Lin put the pills away.

He was genuinely interested in this pill; after all, it was made using forbidden power, and it might increase the intensity of that forbidden power.

Zhu Jing clasped his hands in a fist salute, found a spot on the edge, and sat down on a futon.

He began to meditate with his eyes closed.

Seeing this, Chen Lin didn't disturb them. He estimated the time and figured there would still be some time before the energy tide appeared, so he took out the Cloud-Clearing Fruit.

The trial to ascend to heaven will begin in at least five hundred years; he can't wait any longer.

Make a decision.

Chen Lin communicated with Ruan Qingxi and asked her to protect him. Then he activated the coconut-shaped spiritual fruit to manifest the destiny character and bless his destiny trajectory.

Whether it takes effect or not is irrelevant.

He then swallowed the cloud-dispelling fruit.

A wonderful feeling arose in my mind, just like the sun breaking through the clouds, illuminating my world.

Chen Lin focused his mind and sensed it.

But nothing was found; there wasn't even the slightest abnormal fluctuation, let alone the line between him and me.

This made him frown slightly.

The line between self and others definitely still exists.

Because he had never entered the quasi-dominant state of perfect perfection, the feeling of being drawn in was very obvious.

If it doesn't manifest, it's either because the corresponding self is too strong, or because the soul self is too far away, or even outside this cultivation world.

Both are troublesome.

After a moment's thought.

Chen Lin mobilized forbidden power and once again used the Manifestation Technique.

Simultaneously.

The energy of the Cloud-Clearing Fruit is concentrated in one place and explodes instantly.

He felt a loud boom in his mind, and his spirit was almost overwhelmed by the violent energy. The light in the world shone several times brighter, and every place was clearly visible.

at last.

A thick black line slowly emerged.

It was very blurry.

This is?

Upon seeing this thread connecting him and himself, Chen Lin was both delighted and surprised.

To my delight, the cloud-clearing technique was indeed effective, revealing the hidden line. To my surprise, the line was much thicker and different from any of the lines I had cut before.

It gave him a chilling feeling.

And it does not originate from the physical body.

It is the soul!

Chen Lin forcibly suppressed the pounding in his heart and used all his strength to continue activating the technique.

But there was only one.

This made him realize that something was wrong.

Since it has manifested, it means that with the blessing of the Cloud-Clearing Fruit, it is able to break through the rules and restrictions of the Book of Creation and sense the soul and other self.

But why is there only one, and why is it so powerful?
Does he/she only have one soul?
Chen Lin couldn't think of a reason for a moment; he had never heard of a situation involving him or me before.

However, the forbidden power is consumed very quickly.

He didn't have time to investigate further, and whatever the reason, he had no choice but to take action now.

No more delays.

Instantly, a runic blade materialized.

I thought about it.

He then took out the talisman of the first bird to emerge, as well as the little remaining juice of the beauty finger, and held it in his hand, ready to use it at any time.

then.

He then took out the one containing the fake pill.

He poured out the pill and placed it in his hand. This pill was suspected of being able to enhance forbidden power. Although he hadn't figured it out yet, he had no choice but to give it a try if something unexpected happened.

All ready.

Chen Lin used his straw-weaving knife technique to chop down the lines with all his might.

"Buzz!"

The lines trembled.

Chen Lin felt an extremely terrifying aura rebound back, instantly causing his soul to collapse. Fortunately, his origin contained forbidden power, which preserved a bit of his 'true self', otherwise he would have been completely annihilated.

Even so, he was still feeling terrible.

The soul was extremely weak, almost unable to maintain a clear mind, and the soul seed also became unstable.

But Chen Lin gritted his teeth and persevered.

There's only one Cloud-Clearing Fruit. If you miss this opportunity, who knows when you'll be able to manifest this line between self and others again, or perhaps you'll never be able to manifest it again.

and so.

Even if it means a backlash, we have to do it again.

With the talisman of the first bird to emerge and the protection of forbidden power, it wouldn't truly perish.

However, continuing to use the rune blade is definitely not an option.

That last cut had no effect on the lines; it didn't even create a notch. No matter how many more cuts you make, it won't make a difference.

After a moment's thought.

With a thought, Chen Lin conjured up the execution axe.

I plan to try this out.

His torture techniques primarily target the soul, and this thick line represents the soul's other self; using this item might bring surprises.

The lines have begun to fade at this point.

Without further hesitation, Chen Lin activated the Xingjun Secret Technique, and the giant axe, like a weapon to split the heavens, landed heavily at the end of the line.

"boom!"

The line vibrated violently for a moment, then broke.

Before Chen Lin could even feel happy, an irresistible force rebounded, giving him no chance to resist and instantly destroying his defenses.

Both the soul and the body rapidly dissipated; the forbidden power, already exhausted, was no match for it.

Chen Lin sensed the presence of death.

What troubled him most was that this backlash isolated him from the outside world, and its level was similar to that of forbidden power, so even the "Shooting Bird" talisman would probably be useless.

In a hurry.

He immediately swallowed the fake pill he was holding.

Then I felt a jolt of energy.

This pill really did work. Just as he expected, it could increase forbidden power. Although it wasn't very strong, it was like a lifeline, giving him a chance to catch his breath.

But Chen Lin knew.

Even so, he could only preserve his soul; there was no hope of saving his physical body, and it was hard to say how much cultivation he would retain.

This adventure came at a great cost.

outside.

Zhu Jing and Ruan Qingxi both noticed Chen Lin's unusual behavior.

Before they could do anything, Chen Lin's body scattered like sand, causing the two men's expressions to change.

Ruan Qingxi flicked her finger.

A seed appeared above Chen Lin, scattering rays of light that bound his disintegrating body together.

Then it flew closer.

With a flicker between its brows, a verdant branch emerged and gently touched the seed.

A drop of crystal-clear liquid dripped from the tip of the branch, and the seed instantly sprouted countless roots as if it had taken a powerful tonic, piercing into Chen Lin's disintegrating body.

Winding and densely packed.

It was as if it replaced the original meridians, reconnecting and solidifying Chen Lin's body.

It lasted for the full time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Things have finally stabilized.

At this time.

A talisman floated out from Chen Lin's body, spontaneously combusted without fire, and turned to ashes in an instant. Chen Lin, as if aided by some kind of energy, recovered at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"The talisman for the first bird to stick its head out?"

Seeing this, Ruan Qingxi's expression relaxed slightly.

Zhu Jing also breathed a sigh of relief.

Both of them needed Chen Lin's help to obtain the exquisite treasure chest, and they were genuinely worried that he would die.

"Thank you for saving me, senior."

Chen Lin slowly opened his eyes and thanked Ruan Qingxi first.

The backlash from this thread of self and others was too strong. Even the forbidden power couldn't protect the soul's origin, and it almost caused the soul to be scattered. The power of the rules of the talisman was also suppressed.

If it weren't for the other party's intervention...

Even if he survives, he'll probably only have a little bit of his original soul essence left. He might have to become a soul cultivator and start all over again, which would be too terrible a price to pay.

Upon discovering that someone was willing to help and that the "Shooting Star" talisman could be used, they decisively gave up resisting.

It seems the choice was correct, avoiding the crisis of becoming a soul cultivator.

"You acted too rashly."

Ruan Qingxi gave a reproachful remark.

He then said in a deep voice, "Without adequate preparation, how can you forcibly sever the last thread between self and others? That would be no different from courting death."

He paused for a moment.

She added, "I've heard that you're a cautious person, which is probably due to the pressure of the Heavenly Trial. But the more this is the case, the more you need to stay calm and not be impatient."

"Your criticism is correct."

Chen Lin humbly accepted the offer.

He was indeed getting impatient.

The other party was right. Ever since he learned about the Ascension Trial, he had become more aggressive in his actions.

This is not a good sign.

We must stay true to our original aspirations and proceed steadily and surely.

Fortunately, the result was not bad.

Ruan Qingxi changed the subject.

"Judging from your situation just now, you must have severed the last vestige of your soul. This is no easy task for a soul smuggler. In similar cases that I know of, less than one in a hundred succeeds."

"By taking this step, your chances of becoming a ruler have greatly increased."

"What needs to be done now."

"It's about condensing Dao traces using one's own Dao. Since you're a rune cultivator, it's even simpler for you. You just need to condense your natal true character, and the Dao traces will form naturally."

"If we survive the great calamity, we can be promoted to the position of ruler."

Chen Lin immediately stood up and bowed in greeting.

"Thank you for your guidance, senior. However, my situation is somewhat special. Could you please enlighten me?"

What's so special about it?

Ruan Qingxi asked in confusion.

Chen Lin immediately transmitted his voice, informing him that he could condense two kinds of true characters. This was not recorded in the Shadow Scholar's books, and it had always been a source of doubt for him.

Now we need to figure it out even more.

Because the Dao traces of a cultivator are formed from true characters, and he has two types of characters, one Chinese character and one normal profound character, he doesn't know which one to use.

"Can the same character be condensed into two different systems of true characters?"

Ruan Qingxi frowned.

She looked around and, seeing that many people were paying attention to this area, set up a soundproof barrier.

Then he continued to transmit his voice, "I've never encountered this situation before, but it should be related to the origin of your soul. Can you tell me where you smuggled yourself into the Seven Star Realm?"

"It comes from a place called Earth."

Chen Lin hesitated for a moment before answering truthfully and briefly describing his previous life's circumstances.

Now that I have severed my soul, I have reached the quasi-ruler realm of eternal perfection, and have no connection with Earth anymore. I am not afraid of being traced back to my origins.

"Earth?"

"Milky Way?"

Ruan Qingxi frowned and pondered for a long time.

He shook his head and said, "This is definitely not a place in this cultivation world. In that case, your soul may come from outside the Book of Creation, so such an anomaly is understandable."

"Unlikely."

Chen Lin immediately denied it.

“I have memories of my past life, and I have recalled the scenes of time travel in the origin of my soul. At that time, I was the one that Feng Hua Supreme encountered when he was chasing down enemies through a spatial node…”

He described the situation as it happened.

He also talked about the Supreme Being of Glory, the Inner and Outer Worlds, the Prison Array, and so on.

He then explained, "If Earth were outside the Book of Creation, it would be impossible for Feng Hua Supreme to leave. He is merely a pseudo-ruler, and the World Annihilation Talisman is just an ordinary ruler-level talisman."

"uncertain."

Ruan Qingxi shook her head slightly.

"Based on the information you provided, all of this must have been done by the Fisherman of Tianhu. I know this person well; he is very mysterious and may be able to break free from the seal of the Book of Creation in a short time."

"And your ability to wield forbidden power is further proof."

"This power is called forbidden because it does not belong to this world. In fact, the gods in the strange kingdoms and divine realms, as well as some innate abilities that are not affected by the rules of the Book of Creation, are all forbidden powers."

“Under normal circumstances, you will be punished by the rules and suffer more calamities than normal cultivators.”

"This has led to beings who possess forbidden power being hesitant to venture out freely. If the power of the Book of Creation's rules hadn't weakened, they would have been unable to grow up."

Chen Lin's eyes flickered.

He suddenly remembered that when he first transmigrated, the heavenly tribulations often 'took care' of him, and perhaps this was the reason.

"And you are peculiar."

Ruan Qingxi continued to transmit her voice.

"The existence of the Punisher is to eliminate outsiders, yet you, an outsider, have become the Punisher. This is quite unbelievable."

"The advantage is..."

"This allows you to avoid being targeted by the rules of the Book of Genesis and to use forbidden powers at will, whereas otherwise you would only be able to move around in special spaces."

After listening.

Chen Lin felt that the other party's analysis made a lot of sense.

It was only after he learned the Soul-Destroying Finger technique that he gradually stopped being targeted by the Heavenly Tribulation. Moreover, as his torture techniques improved, he actually faced fewer tribulations than normal cultivators.

"Does the senior think that the Old Fisherman of Tianhu can truly escape the rules of the Book of Creation?"

Chen Lin asked in a low voice.

"Hard to say."

Ruan Qingxi pondered for a moment before answering.

"This person never reveals their true face; all that appears are clones, and we don't even know if they are male or female."

"But one thing is certain."

"Either the other party broke through the Book of Creation and sent that Feng Hua Supreme to Earth, or your memories were tampered with. As a ruler, it would be effortless for you to change the memories of someone who has just stowed away with their soul."

"okay."

Ruan Qingxi concluded the exchange.

"You don't need to think too much about it."

"The Heavenly Trial is imminent, a major event that will change the entire landscape of the cultivation world. We don't know what will happen, so let's focus on surviving first."

Chen Lin thanked him again.

Then he drank the Panic Crystal Marrow and began to examine his body. (End of Chapter)