The copy has 0 error tolerance, and the last words on the ground are all wrong for me.

Chapter 526 The True Face of the Holy Land

After a familiar spatial journey, Wu Changzhen found himself in the minister's office at the headquarters of the Secret Security Department.

He entered the Steampunk dimension earlier than last time. He glanced at the clock in his office; it was 6:30 a.m.

At this time, the Secret Security Department had not yet started work, and the building was very quiet.

He entered the Steampunk dimension earlier, but just like last time, he saw Reventon as soon as he stepped out.

However, Raventon did not enter the building with the Hills newspaper in his hand after finishing breakfast; instead, he was in the occult laboratory, researching the extraordinary steam engine and occultism.

Raventon's face was pale, as if he hadn't seen the sun in a long time. His hair and beard were messy and hadn't been trimmed in a while, and he had obvious dark circles around his eyes.

Hearing footsteps at the door, Raventon, without turning his head, pointed to the ceramic coffee cup beside him and said:

"Mia, you're here so early? Perfect, pour me a cup of coffee. No sugar needed today, I need the bitterness to activate my brain."

Wu Chang said with a smile:

"Have you not slept all night, or have you not slept for several nights?"

Reventon froze, turned around, and exclaimed in surprise:
"Sean, why are you back?"

Wu Chang shrugged and said:
"I am, after all, the head of the Secret Security Department. What's so strange about me being here?"

He picked up the manuscript that Raventon was pondering. The occultism in the manuscript had already touched the threshold of the power of origin. In the short time that had passed, Raventon's occultism had improved by leaps and bounds.

He was about to say something when Raventon immediately raised his hand to interrupt him, saying:

"Don't tell me the answer yet. This is a question that Master He Yun gave me. If you tell me the answer directly, all my thinking over the past two days will have been for nothing."

Wu Chang placed the manuscript back in front of Reventon and said:
"Don't worry, I don't have the habit of giving away spoilers."

Unlike other abilities such as magic, mysticism does not emphasize strengthening oneself. Instead, it focuses on enabling users to manipulate the world's original rules through rituals or runes, thereby unleashing power far exceeding one's own capabilities.

Compared to other supernatural abilities, mysticism is more like a science that emphasizes logic.

As Stellan's top detective, aside from Wu Chang's mystical investigation methods, no one can beat Reventon in terms of reasoning, which means he possesses extraordinary insight and meticulous logic.

His strong logic, combined with his background in science and engineering, allowed him to learn the occult exceptionally quickly.

Judging from the notes in his manuscript, he has found the solution to the problem given by He Yun, and he can complete the problem given by He Yun in half a day at most.

Building on this foundation, Reventon could then enter the realm of the Root.

Wu Chang asked:

"You still haven't answered my question: how long have you been here?"

Raventon said:
"Three days, no, it should be the fourth day now."

Wu Chang said:

"I'm going to see Her Majesty Olivia now. Would you like to come with me?"

Raventon suddenly realized something and asked:

"Is it related to going to the upper realm?"

Wu Chang said:

"Some of them."

Reventon immediately said:
"go with!"

Just as Reventon was about to leave, Wu Chang stopped him, pointing to his disheveled hair and stubble, and said:
“If you go to see His Majesty looking like this, I’m afraid you won’t be able to get through the gates of Stellan Palace.”

Twenty minutes later, Wu Chang and the well-prepared Reventon left the Secret Security Department together. Just like when they were conquering dungeons before, Reventon skillfully sat in the driver's seat and drove Wu Chang to Stellan Palace.

Before Wu Chang entered the Steam Phantom position, he had already informed He Yun of the operation. Olivia, knowing the purpose of Wu Chang's trip, was already waiting at the Stellan Palace.

Olivia had a better starting point than Reventon, and she also had the added advantage of being a chosen one, making it much easier for her to learn mysticism.

When they met again, Olivia's occult skills had reached the lord level, not much different from Xavier's in the past.

If you give her a seed of divinity, it won't be long before she can fuse with it and reach the realm of a lower god.

Olivia's eyes lit up with joy when she saw Wu Chang, and she said:

"You came."

Wu Chang gave Olivia a noble salute and said:

"I have met His Majesty."

Olivia remained a wise and understanding queen. Knowing the purpose of Wu Chang's trip, she didn't waste any time. After exchanging a few pleasantries, she said that the Holy Land was ready and Wu Chang and He Yun could enter at any time.

Olivia seemed to sense something; she glanced at Reventon behind Wu Chang and said:

"Sir Ravington, you may come in with Sir Sean."

Reventon was taken aback upon hearing this. As a descendant of the Mystic Knights, he naturally knew the legend of the Holy Land of Stellan.

Opening the sacred site requires a large amount of energy, so throughout history, only kings and the kingdom's most valiant knights have been qualified to enter.

It was perfectly reasonable for Sean and He Yun to enter the Holy Land, but for him to enter was somewhat unworthy of his position.

However, no one who is extraordinary can resist the baptism of the Holy Land. Even though Raventon felt unworthy of it, he only thanked the Queen for her kindness and did not make any polite excuses to refuse.

He was afraid that if he declined, Olivia would take back what she had just said.

Led by Olivia, the group arrived at the deepest room in the Stellan Palace. This was Olivia's secret workshop for researching extraordinary steam engines, and after He Yun appeared, it also became He Yun's classroom for lecturing.

When Wu Chang entered the Queen's Workshop, he saw a seven-meter-tall, exquisitely structured square steam engine in the center of the hall.

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but the design of the square, extraordinary steam engine in front of him reminded him of the Omniscient Crystal Mother.

He gazed at the extraordinary steam engine and asked:
"Your Majesty, this is..."

Olivia said in a boastful tone:

"It is a new type of extraordinary difference engine that I completed under the guidance of Miss He Yun. Its configuration completely broke away from the Tranquil Sect's approach. Although it is only a prototype, it can be called a true difference engine."

During the ten-odd days that He Yun stayed at Steam Phantom, he not only helped Olivia and Reventon improve their occult knowledge, but also completed Xavier's original design for the Difference Engine and created a prototype.

When Xavier and Olivia first designed it, their vision of the Difference Engine was that of a machine of truth capable of answering all questions, capable of providing a perfect answer to society through precise calculations and in conjunction with other extraordinary steam engines.

Simply put, it's a mini version of the Omniscient Crystal.

Unfortunately, due to the steam rules of the Steam Phantom plane, all extraordinary and technological advancements must be strongly bound to steam. He Yun is temporarily unable to use steam technology to manually create chips and cultivate artificial intelligence, so the prototype of the Difference Engine in front of him is not very intelligent.

It can only perform simple mechanical commands and calculates using implanted formulas. In terms of intelligence, even the cheap smart toys sold on Pinduoduo for a few dozen yuan each are more human-like than this bulky behemoth in front of us.

However, the Difference Engine is, after all, the ultimate creation of the Steampunk dimension. It may not be intelligent enough, but it is absolutely capable of doing the work.

Its internal formulas contain mysticism, and if you give it a clear command that is within the rules of the Steamvault dimension, it can execute it perfectly.

For example, Olivia tells the difference engine, "Create a passage to the Holy Land of Stellan."

Large amounts of steam spewed out from the gaps of the square difference engine, from which the sound of millions of gears turning could be heard.

The sound was orderly, grand, and awe-inspiring, as if they were hearing not the turning of gears, but the roar of the times.

A minute later, the steam emanating from the differential engine dissipated, and the differential engine opened. Inside, a large metal door appeared, its frame covered with mystical runes. Wu Chang glanced at it and discovered that it was engraved with a large teleportation array.

Judging from the traces of runes and the residual heat on the metal door, it's easy to see that the door was made on the spot.

This is the true power of the Difference Engine after integrating other extraordinary steam engine modules; its existence is a miniature extraordinary factory.

Before entering the Holy Land, Olivia described to the three how to receive baptism there.

"After you three enter the sacred land, you don't need to do anything. Just find a place in the forest where you can feel most at ease, lie down there, close your eyes, and you will fall asleep after three breaths."

"In the dream, the god who protects the holy land will appear, baptize you, and enhance some of your abilities."

After Olivia finished speaking, she unsheathed the King's Sword from her waist and handed it to Wu Chang, saying:
"Due to my loss of my way, this sword was damaged in the previous battle and needs to be brought back to the Holy Land to regain its blessing." "Sir Sean, after you enter the Holy Land, please sink it into the lake. If it does not float before you leave, then I will retrieve it when I open the Holy Land again."

Upon learning that entering a dream world was required to begin the baptism, Wu Chang had no choice but to return to the Yongguang Research Institute first and bring He Yun's original body into the Steam Phantom dimension.

As energy was injected, the portal was activated. Wu Chang greeted Olivia and then entered the portal with He Yun and Renekton, arriving at the Holy Land of Stellan.

When Wu Chang was conquering the Steam Phantom dungeon, he entered the Stellan Sanctuary when he launched a glorious duel against Xavier.

The sacred land of Stellan still retains its fairytale charm, with the islands and surrounding lakes having extremely high saturation, as if the group had stepped into a fairytale world.

The last time Wu Chang entered the Holy Land, it was to complete a glorious duel. His actions were subject to many restrictions. He was thrown out of the Holy Land as soon as the duel ended, without having time to explore the surroundings.

This time, he had ample time to explore his surroundings.

The three of them first went to the edge of the island, sank Olivia's King's Sword into the lake, and then began to explore this sacred place.

The three circled the island once but did not notice anything unusual. It was as if, apart from the unusual environment, it was no different from reality.

Whether by visual observation, searching for the source of power and divinity, or even by having the raven intervene, no one could detect the anomaly in the holy land.

They only knew there was a problem with the island, but they couldn't pinpoint what the problem was.

According to Raven, there is only one possibility that could prevent Wu Chang and her from exploring the Desolate Realm: the existence of the Primordial Spirit Pivot in Stellan's Holy Land.

However, this makes sense. The Eternal Lake is a growth item, and the core of both growth items and S-rank items is the Primordial Spirit Pivot. The Eternal Lake was born within the Holy Land, so it's not impossible that the Holy Land has remnants of the Primordial Spirit Pivot.

It seems that to find the secrets of the sacred site, we must first enter the dream world.

Following Olivia's advice, they wandered the island, searching for the perfect place to rest.

Reventon was the first to find it. He chose a cave, and after confirming that there were no wild beasts living inside, he lay down inside.

He closed his eyes, and just three seconds later, snoring could be heard from inside the cave.

Wu Chang raised an eyebrow. Whether or not baptism is necessary is another matter, but the holy land is an excellent cure for insomnia.

He and He Yun continued walking. On the top of a small hill on the island, they saw a huge round rock, which He Yun immediately took a liking to.

Since the baptism occurred in a dream, it must be related to dreams. Therefore, Wu Chang left He Yun a Zhelong Pill.

"Item name: Zhelong Pill"

Item Type: Consumable

Item Level: B

"Item Description: Taking the Dragon-Slaying Pill will put the user into a state of wandering immortality. During the duration of this state, the player will remain awake in their dream, with a significant increase in comprehension and a small chance of comprehending a certain source of power."

The higher the user's inspiration attribute, the greater the increase in comprehension in dreams, and the more things they can see. The dream state lasts for 24 hours; leaving the dream midway will be considered an early termination and cannot be recovered.

He Yun's abilities have temporarily reached a bottleneck. Wu Chang had originally planned to have her take the Zhelong Pill to try to break through, and now, with the help of the baptism, he will let He Yun complete it at the same time.

If the Immortal State and Baptism of the Hidden Dragon Pill can be combined, then it will be a huge win. Even if they cannot be, the two opportunities can still be triggered separately, which is still a good deal for He Yun.

After parting ways with He Yun, Wu Chang continued to wander around the island. He came down from the hill, followed the river through the forest, but could not find a suitable place to rest.

When he arrived at the island, he saw a black stone in the lake and subconsciously felt that the stone was extremely pleasing to the eye, to the point that he would use it as his tombstone when he died.

At that moment, he knew he had found his final resting place.

He teleported to the black stone, sat cross-legged on it, swallowed a Dragon-Slaying Pill, and then closed his eyes.

1, 2, 3.

He silently counted to three, and when he opened his eyes again, he had entered the sacred place in his dream.

When he first regained consciousness, his mind was somewhat hazy and his body was unresponsive. It seemed as if some mysterious force was guiding him toward the lake.

Before he could even realize where the power came from, the effects of the Dragon-Slaying Pill took hold, instantly clearing his drowsy mind and dispelling the restraints on his body. In his dreamlike state, he remained free.

He looked in the direction that was guiding him, and under the guidance of his celestial state, the calm, mirror-like lake in his eyes was suddenly covered with cracks.

Click.

Amidst the crisp sound of shattering glass, the lake surface completely collapsed, instantly transforming the once calm, azure waters into a pale gray, murky expanse. Vast amounts of water vapor surged upwards, forming a thick gray fog above the lake.

He wrinkled his nose; the mist carried not only the salty smell of seawater but also the musty stench of a swamp.

He turned to look at the island where the holy land was located. The island was nearly ten times larger than before. Although the island's style still retained its fairytale feel, the colors had darkened, like a faded picture book.

The island's rounded mountains have many sharp edges, and the trees in the forest are so tall they are almost menacing.

Wu Chang narrowed his eyes. Is this the true appearance of the Holy Land of Stellan?
Although the True Holy Land he entered through the Dragon-Slaying Pill had a bizarre style, his intuition told him that it was not dangerous.

Although the gray fog surrounding him smelled nauseating, inhaling it truly made his mind clear and his thoughts flow like a spring.

Perhaps the appearance of a true holy land does not mean it is dangerous; it is merely a beast in human form, using a beautifying filter to make itself appear more benevolent in order to scare away outsiders.

Wu Chang decided to give the Holy Land a chance. He sat down cross-legged again and used his mind to materialize the "North Star Tribulation Scripture".

Taking advantage of the overlapping effects of the Immortal Journey and the Holy Land Baptism, he planned to learn this technique.

This cultivation technique, formed by the fusion of three command flags, is perhaps too profound and difficult to learn because its upper limit is directly at the god level.

To learn the "Northern Star Tribulation Crossing Scripture," simply using rotten silver coins is not enough; one also needs to have a general understanding of the technique.

His current skill level is still stuck at the newly learned D level, and he has not yet upgraded the skill to C level.

"The Northern Star Tribulation Scripture" is a cultivation technique. Wu Chang has experience in cultivating incomplete scrolls of thunder magic. Both belong to the spiritual energy system, and they are similar, making it very easy for him to learn.

He closed his eyes and guided the energy within his body to circulate according to the route of the Beichen Tribulation Scripture.

Under the influence of the immortals and the gray fog, his comprehension soared. Following his own inspiration, the diagram of the Ziwei Exorcising Array automatically appeared in his mind.

The Purple Star Exorcising Array spun and twisted in his mind, undergoing numerous changes before merging with his body.

The core of the Ziwei Exorcising Array corresponds to the acupoints in his body, and the energy flow between the arrays corresponds to his meridians.

At this moment, he himself seemed to have become a formation, devouring the surrounding mist in large gulps in a formation-like manner.

Hey~
A crisp notification sound rang out, and he opened his eyes to see a notification pop up in front of him.

"If a player comprehends a portion of the true meaning of the Beichen Tribulation Scripture, they can spend 100,000 Decaying Silver Coins to upgrade the technique to C-level. Do you wish to upgrade?"

Wu Chang immediately chose to say:
"promote!"

As the 100,000 decaying silver coins were deducted, he felt that the Ziwei Exorcising Array that appeared in his mind had actually merged with the acupoints and meridians in his body, and the operating route of the Thunder Law Remnant Scroll in his body had merged with it.

Not only do their cultivation paths overlap, but the power of thunder magic within him, representing the fragments of the thunder magic scroll, has also merged with the power of stars in the Beichen Tribulation Scripture, becoming inseparable. This allows them to carry the characteristics of the other technique when used together.

"Technique Name: Beichen Crossing Tribulation Scripture"

"Technique Level: C"

"Technique Description: Eliminate disasters and overcome calamities, vanquish demons and bring good fortune, gather the creation of all things, and form an immortal body of the Dao."

"The Northern Star Tribulation Scripture can be upgraded by paying decaying silver coins or absorbing the power of stars. The highest level this technique can reach is the Divine level. Above the Divine level, one can only continue to cultivate through one's own comprehension."

"Upgrading the cultivation technique to grade B requires 250,000 decaying silver coins."

Studying the Beichen Crossing Tribulation Sutra is extremely taxing, but the rewards are equally plentiful.

将北辰渡劫经提升到C级，为他提供了10点生命、10点力量、10点耐力、10点能量和10点灵感。

While both techniques upgrade from D to C, the Thunder Technique Fragment increases total attributes by 20 points, the Spatial Magic provides 28 points, but the Northern Star Tribulation Scripture increases attributes by a full 50 points!
It's worth noting that even though it's a fragment of a lightning magic scroll, which is also part of the spiritual energy system, it only gains 50 attribute points when upgraded to A-level.

Is this the true value of a divine-level cultivation technique?

Wu Chang's breathing became rapid. Taking advantage of the lingering effects of the Immortal Journey and the Holy Land baptism, he quickly closed his eyes and continued to comprehend, striving to elevate the Northern Star Tribulation Scripture to another level.

(End of this chapter)