I am cautiously cultivating immortals in a strange world

Chen Lin watched Wang Manqing leave, pondering the information she had brought.

a long time.

He shook his head and returned to the cultivation room, casting aside distracting thoughts, to continue refining the Holy Spirit.

Regardless of the old dean's intentions, a second attempt at soul extraction is necessary. Now that we have simulation methods, the chances of success are greater, so we cannot give up.

The consequences will come later.

Let's get through the trial of ascension to heaven first.

Five years later.

In the cultivation room
With a flick of his sleeve, Chen Lin sent out a series of Soul-Questioning Pearls, which transformed into Holy Spirits of the same size and landed in front of him, bowing respectfully to him.

"Greetings, Holy Lord!"

Chen Lin nodded slightly, a hint of joy flashing across his face.

After these holy spirits were successfully condensed, their original intelligence was eliminated, and they were all connected to his soul, recognizing only him as their master.

Thirty-six Sovereign-level spirits!
Although the level has dropped slightly due to tempering, it can still reach the peak of pseudo-overlord, with a stronger impact on the soul. When combined, they are more than capable of fighting against ordinary overlords.

Including himself.

Even a second-tier Overlord can put up a fight!
Chen Lin hadn't expected that the Hundred Saints Soul Inquiry Technique would have such benefits. Not only could it assist in soul extraction, but it could also form an array to fight enemies. It was worth the time he spent refining it.

However, the cost was also significant.

The Soul-Questioning Pearl is alright.

By chance, he managed to exchange some worthless straw sandals for a considerable amount of valuable straw. However, it took him a great deal of effort to gather these thirty-six Sovereign-level spirits. Not only did he exhaust his resources accumulated over ten thousand years, but he also incurred many favors.

It was all thanks to Bai Lingyu's contribution points that he was able to buy up all the spirits in the Heavenly Palace Treasury; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to gather enough.

But you're obligated to do something.

The other party's generous contribution to him was to collect rare items in Xiangyang City. Now that he's staying here, he's unlikely to make any progress. Therefore, helping the other party explore the secret realm is inevitable.

It's estimated that the other side will issue the order soon.

Calm your mind.

Chen Lin first went out of the cultivation room, inquired about the situation, and learned that Bai Lingyu was out and had not yet returned, so he went back to the cultivation room to continue cultivating.

The thirty-six holy spirits were released, and a small altar was built according to the Hundred Saints Soul Inquiry Technique, which was then arranged into a special magic array.

He himself sat upright in the center, reciting the incantation for dispelling the soul.

As the last character was read aloud, the feeling of the soul expanding returned, growing larger and larger in the exhilarating sensation of breaking free from shackles, and finally breaking through heaven and earth.

Chen Lin was on edge.

He had tried several times before, and each time he got to this point, the light would instantly dissipate under the white light, and nothing could be observed.

The white light reappeared.

This time was different. After the soft white light fell on his body, his body still dissipated quickly, but immediately a surge of energy was injected into his body, allowing him to maintain his 'vitality'.

Chen Lin was overjoyed.

This is the Hundred Saints Soul-Questioning Technique working!
Thirty-six Holy Spirits were one with him and helped him withstand the erosion of the white light.

Without delay, Chen Lin quickly checked the situation.

Then he saw that his head was in a vast, empty space, like a cloud, but his body was still in darkness, unable to rise even an inch.

Not far overhead, a large silver padlock was faintly visible.

The soft white light emanated from the keyhole of the giant lock, completely covering his head.

That's it!

Seeing this, Chen Lin understood the situation and, with a thought, tried to retrieve the Soul-Unlocking Key.

A flash of silver light appeared, and the Key to Soul Release actually materialized!

Chen Lin was secretly amazed.

He was filled with admiration for the old dean's methods.

It's simply unbelievable that such a realistic simulated environment could be created with just a single reading of the incantation. Even though he had inherited the Shadow Scholar's theories, he still couldn't understand the mystery behind it.

but it does not matter.

If you don't understand something, don't overthink it; as long as it works, that's fine.

With another thought, Chen Lin manipulated the Soul-Unlocking Key out of thin air and inserted it into the lock.

Click.

It sounded like a mechanism was being clicked.

The massive silver lock trembled slightly and slowly dispersed like grains of sand.

Followed by.

An even more intense white light emerged, and Chen Lin's soul could not withstand it. He only had time to glance into the depths of the white light before losing consciousness.

After a while.

Chen Lin regained consciousness and opened his eyes.

His eyes flickered uncertainly.

He first looked at the Soul-Unlocking Key on the table, then took out the Colorful Crystal Marrow and drank it. After recovering for a while, his consciousness sank into his body to observe his Nine-Aperture Exquisite Heart.

In that fleeting glance, he saw a silver gate appear in the white light after the Soul Lock dissipated.

The door wasn't fully open; there was only a crack through which white light streamed out.

On the silver gate are several strange symbols, which are very similar to the symbols formed during the evolution of the purple heart orifice, and should belong to the same category.

It is clear.

This symbol is an outward manifestation of a higher level of energy.

Chen Lin withdrew his consciousness and concentrated on thinking. The symbol that appeared in his purple heart orifice was used to seal the acupoints, while the symbol that appeared in the simulation of soul release was on the door.

Could it be.

Is this symbol a sealed energy?
If that's the case, it's definitely worth investigating; it might be related to the seal on the Book of Genesis.

I pondered for a while.

Chen Lin suppressed his doubts and decided to ask Bai Lingyu when she returned. He figured she was knowledgeable and would surely know something.

Then he looked at the creatures around him.

A soft sigh.

The assistance of these thirty-six holy spirits seemed insufficient to support him in completing the second soul release. He could only last for one or two breaths in the white light. Even if his resistance increased when he truly released his soul, he probably wouldn't be able to hold out until he entered the door.

To ensure safety, one must continue to increase the number of Holy Spirits or enhance one's own soul strength.

However, improving one's own strength is too slow.

The cultivation of the Soul Master's inheritance is very difficult. At this point, it has reached a bottleneck. It is waiting for the second Soul Release to improve the soul level and break through. It is impossible to get any help from it.

In other aspects, it's even worse.

As for other auxiliary items, Chen Lin secretly shook his head. The second soul-splitting was different from the first, because apart from the old dean, no known cultivator had ever succeeded, and there was no method to learn from.

It was all by chance that I obtained the Hundred Saints Soul-Questioning Technique.

"Oh, right."

suddenly.

Chen Lin thought of an item.

He reached out and took off the badge from his wrist, his eyes gleaming as he rubbed it.

I don't know if this thing will be useful.

Thinking about this...

He immediately took out the colorful crystal marrow, reluctantly giving each holy spirit two drops to drink. After they had recovered, he recited the incantation again and began to simulate the soul release.

The soul expands, breaking through heaven and earth.

A flash of white light appeared.

Chen Lin manifested the Key to Soul Release, and then, with a thought, tried to manifest the Badge.

But it didn't work.

He then tried to manifest other treasures, such as the Seven Star Spoon, the Crystal Needle, and the Mysterious Gold Spear, but none of them worked. Even the Execution Axe was useless, and he could not use any supernatural powers or secret techniques.

Apart from the Key to Soul Release, nothing else can be revealed.

Chen Lin frowned.

In this situation, he couldn't tell whether the simulated soul-deliverance didn't support the manifestation of external objects, or whether this was the case during a real soul-deliverance.

The difference between the two is quite significant.

After several more attempts, Chen Lin decided to stop wasting time and reopened the Soul Lock.

As the white light appeared, he tried to activate the badge by channeling the energy of the Purple Heart Sword to see if it would work.

The result was the same.

Nothing changed; after the white light surged out, he quickly lost consciousness. "Hmm."

This time, Chen Lin was awakened by the pain.

His soul felt as if it were being pierced by countless needles, the pain enough to drive anyone mad. Even with his high tolerance, he couldn't help but let out a muffled groan.

He hurriedly swallowed the precious pills he had placed in his mouth beforehand, guiding their medicinal power to nourish his soul seed and ensure that the essence of his soul would not collapse.

The pain lasted for a full half-incense stick's time before it subsided.

Chen Lin collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

A hint of relief flashed in his eyes.

Fortunately, his soul had already merged with the Nine-Aperture Exquisite Heart, and he had also prepared healing soul pills in advance; otherwise, even if his soul body had not been destroyed, it would have suffered serious damage.

"It seems to be used too frequently."

Muttering to himself, Chen Lin put away the Holy Spirit and decided not to try it again in the short term.

And trying didn't work.

They had used every means at their disposal, but none of them could withstand the surging white light. Unable to determine whether the magical artifacts and supernatural techniques could be used, they could only continue to increase the number of Holy Spirits.

Since this method is called the Hundred Saints Soul Inquiry Technique, it would probably require gathering one hundred holy spirits to play a decisive role.

Or we can gamble.

The gambling badge can be used during the formal soul release.

There is no other way.

Chen Lin then went into seclusion to recover his health.

Several months have passed quickly.

Bai Lingyu didn't return, but instead, she was greeted by someone she didn't want to see.

"Bingling greets her husband."

The newcomer was Yue Bingling. After being led into the guest hall by Mingzhi, she directly introduced herself as a Daoist partner.

Chen Lin's face was gloomy.

"Fellow Daoist Yue, please be respectful. We are not that close yet. Please do not address each other indiscriminately, lest people misunderstand."

He had no desire to have anything to do with this woman.

The other party used a special tool from the Yin-Yang Sect to force him to sign a marriage contract at the Hibiscus Pavilion, but he does not acknowledge it. If it weren't for his own mistake at the time, he would have already turned against him.

"Does my husband think I want this?"

Yue Bingling spoke in a flat tone.

“If it weren’t for the marriage contract, I would never have appeared before you. But now that we have this contract, we can only be Daoist partners.”

Chen Lin frowned even more deeply.

He asked, puzzled, "How did you know about me?"

The Ning family knew about this because of Ning Yu, but the other party shouldn't have known, since he used the name Lin Feiyu when he left the message at Furong Tower, and his appearance had also been changed.

"My husband underestimates the power of the Yin-Yang Token."

Yue Bingling remained calm.

She calmly said, "The marriage contract established by the Yin-Yang Token of the Yin-Yang Sect is no less powerful than the rules of the Long-lasting Love Bell, and may even be stronger. My husband's information was already displayed on my contract at that time."

Chen Lin narrowed his eyes.

It seems that Mo Furong deceived him back then, but since his children benefited from her help, he can't pursue the matter any further.

So he waved his hand.

"Since you want this identity, then so be it. But you don't need to stay by my side. Go wherever you want, and we'll keep to ourselves."

He doesn't have time to deal with this right now.

Just as Lu Ming said, he has a lot of Daoist partners, so it doesn't matter if he has one more or one less. If the other party is willing to be listed, then let them be listed. Everything will be discussed after the Ascension Trial ends.

"Don't worry, my husband."

Yue Bingling glanced at Chen Lin.

"Although my cultivation level is low, I will not bother you. I have come here only to remind my husband that Feng Qing of the Feng family may cause you trouble. This matter was caused by me, and I cannot ignore it."

"hehe."

Chen Lin scoffed.

"Fellow Daoist Yue is a responsible person. I wonder why you committed such a despicable act at Furong Tower?"

Yue Bingling's expression changed, but she remained silent.

"okay."

Chen Lin waved his hand.

He couldn't be bothered to argue with the other party; there was no point in bringing up old grievances now, and even killing the other party wouldn't solve the problem.

"Let Feng Qing come if he wants; Fellow Daoist Yue need not worry about it."

After saying that, he made a gesture to see the guest out.

Yue Bingling took a deep breath.

He nodded.

He reached out and took out a sandalwood box.

She took two steps forward and presented it to Chen Lin, opening the lid and saying, "I heard that my husband was looking for this. I happened to have seen it before, so I traded it for it this time, hoping to ease some of my husband's resentment."

Chen Lin was taken aback.

He took the sandalwood box in astonishment and picked up a bamboo board from inside.

His expression was quite interesting.

This is the yoke of the mandarin duck board!

Chen Lin never imagined that he would obtain this item in such a way. He had considered many possibilities and thought that he might never get it, but he never expected it to be like this.

Is there some kind of divine will at play?

Or is this another arrangement by someone behind the scenes?
The thought raced through his mind, but Chen Lin immediately suppressed it. As he always said, whatever they wanted to be, they were; he would use it first and worry about the consequences later.

It has now been confirmed that powerful figures from all sides will participate in this Ascension Trial.

Others don't say it.

The pressure of being a fisherman on Tianhu Lake forced him to give his all, leaving no room for complacency.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Yue."

Chen Lin's tone softened.

Once the other party obtains this item, the grudges between the nominal Daoist partners will naturally dissipate. Feng Qing is only a first-order ruler, and he is not qualified to cause trouble for him.

If we're comparing the forces behind them...

The Azure Heaven Palace is not something the Feng family can contend with.

Upon seeing this, Yue Bingling relaxed, gave another slight bow, and turned to leave without saying a word.

Chen Lin immediately returned to the cultivation room.

He took out the bamboo board from the sandalwood box, then took out his own piece and examined it closely.

The two bamboo boards are exactly the same.

But for some reason, he always felt that the newly acquired bamboo slats were more delicate. This feeling was very obvious; one could tell at a glance whether the two bamboo slats were male or female.

"Even bamboo clappers are divided into male and female?"

Chen Lin clicked his tongue in amazement.

then.

He picked up the two bamboo slats, one in each hand, and tried tapping them gently.

"Congratulations on getting the Mandarin Duck Board."

There was nothing unusual about the bamboo clappers, but a familiar voice rang in Chen Lin's mind, exactly the same as last time in both tone and manner.

"who are you?"

Chen Lin tentatively inquired.

The other party did not answer, but continued to say, "There are still thirty-six years until the start of the Ascension Trial. The secret order can only be issued after it begins. Be sure to keep it safe and do not lose it."

Thirty-six years!

Upon hearing this number, Chen Lin was startled.

According to the divination of the Heavenly Mystery Elder of the Five Old Cities, the Heavenly Trial should be at least four hundred years away, but this voice says it is only thirty-six years away.

The gap is too big.

All his preparations were based on a timeframe of over four hundred years; if only thirty-six years remained, they would all be abandoned halfway. (End of Chapter)