Chapter 362 - 241: Stacking Three Skills, The Choice of a Dao Field (Part 2)
Chapter 362: Chapter 241: Stacking Three Skills, The Choice of a Dao Field (Part 2)
No wonder they were pushing it so hard.
Based on this, he had narrowed down his basic options. The choice was between Cui Ping Mountain and Jade Belt Lake.
Speaking of which, the Purple Extreme Sect was still more trustworthy.
...
「On the night of the third day.」
Lin Changheng began to cultivate the Qi Observation Skill, a Magic he had specifically purchased.
This type of Low Tier Magic was highly practical. It could provide decent supportive effects even in the early stages of Cultivation.
However, it wasn’t easy to cultivate to a profound level. It required an immense amount of Energy and time, so most Cultivators would stop after reaching the Skilled stage, deeming it sufficient. Continuing to cultivate it would not be worth the effort.
In short, it was easy to get started but difficult to master.
But in Lin Changheng’s hands, this Magic seemed... exceptionally simple.
His Fifth Layer Enhanced Enlightenment effect played a massive role.
In less than a day, the Qi Observation Skill went directly through the Entry-Level, Skilled, and Mastery stages, leaping into the realm of Minor Achievement!
This was an accomplishment an ordinary Cultivator couldn’t achieve even after several years.
Outside, dark clouds stacked up, obscuring the moonlight and plunging everything into vast, inky blackness.
Lin Changheng once again used the cover of night to ascend, silently and tracelessly, like a wisp of clear air, shooting straight into the high sky.
It was the dead of night. Lin Changheng stood above the dark clouds where the astral winds howled, frigid and fierce, like a dull knife scraping flesh.
But he felt nothing at all. His Tier Two Late Stage physique was completely immune.
Lin Changheng’s purpose for this trip was to test the combined effect of the double-layered Insight Skill, the Minor Achievement Qi Observation Skill, and the Perfection Level Spirit Detecting Skill.
He stood quietly for a moment, slowly closed his eyes, and then abruptly snapped them open!
"VMMM—"
A strange sensation instantly descended upon him.
Deep within his eyes, streaks of pale Gold and clear gray light seemed to intertwine and spin. The world in his vision underwent a cataclysmic transformation!
First was the extremely powerful vision and energy perception brought by the Insight Skill.
The textures of plants, the patterns of rocks, the trajectories of Spiritual Qi in the air... everything became incomparably clear, as if the entire world was laid bare in perfect detail.
Then, the Minor Achievement Qi Observation Skill began to operate.
The world before him was no longer a simple material one; it was now veiled in a rich layer of "qi" colors.
The contours of the mountains and rivers, the convergence and flow of Spiritual Qi in the Earth Veins, even the ferocious Blood Qi emanating from a distant Beast Nest and the faint traces of a Cultivator’s Magical Power lingering in certain corners...
All of it appeared before his eyes as "qi" of different colors and forms.
Yellow-brown Earth Qi steamed up from the ground, greenish-blue life force flowed among the trees, and the pale blue water vapor of Fusheng Lake churned...
They wove together into a magnificent and complex tapestry.
It was just that his Qi Observation Skill was only at Minor Achievement, so there were some drawbacks and limitations, but it was still very useful.
Finally, the Perfection Level Spirit Detecting Skill integrated perfectly, bestowing upon this world of "qi" a precise "scale" and "insight." He could actually clearly distinguish the density of the Spiritual Qi in the Earth Veins.
He had anticipated this, as the Spirit Detecting Skill could even inspect one’s own Spirit Root and Spiritual Charm.
But it could only be used for Introspection, or if a Cultivator willingly cooperated by "exposing" themselves; otherwise, it was still ineffective.
...
In Lin Changheng’s eyes, streaks of pale Gold, clear, and gray light intertwined and spun, sweeping over everything like a Divine Light.
He could vaguely perceive a faint branch of a Spirit Vein hidden beneath an unoccupied piece of land somewhere in the Immortal City, and could even "see" the flow of Wood Spirit Qi inside a seemingly ordinary ancient tree not far away.
His gaze became incredibly profound, as if it could pierce through illusion and point directly at the source.
Wherever his sight landed, the superficial reality, the flow of energy, and the strength of auras were all revealed in layers!
"Hm?"
Just as he was trying to cast his gaze further, he suddenly detected a strange movement below.
It wasn’t his own cave residence.
It was the cave residence next door.
A Cultivator had lived in this cave residence before. Believing a breakthrough was hopeless, he had answered the Cyan Mist Sect’s Demon Slaying Order and left.
They hadn’t seen each other since. He didn’t know if the man had fallen on the front lines of the Beast Tide.
Not long after, another Cultivator moved in.
But that person had shown no intention of showing their face, visiting, or getting to know any of the neighbors. They were even more of a shut-in than Lin Changheng, staying in their cave residence all day long.
So, to this day, Lin Changheng still didn’t know what that Cultivator looked like.
He had never even seen their figure.
But today, by a twist of fate, he finally saw them.
He saw a corner of the neighboring cave residence’s Restriction quietly open. The main door opened, and a shadowy figure, completely wrapped in black, drifted out.
Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation.
Lin Changheng didn’t rashly sweep his Divine Sense over, because he had a faint feeling that his Divine Sense might actually fail to detect him.
It seemed they were using some kind of Secret Skill.
One that could evade the probing of Divine Sense.
Many Foundation Establishment Cultivators had a common blind spot: they trusted their Divine Sense too much, neglecting to use their eyes or even ignoring what their eyes saw.
But this method couldn’t escape his new detection technique.
"A little interesting."
Lin Changheng smiled.
It was obvious that this person had their secrets for acting this way.
’His Cultivation is only at Middle Stage Foundation Establishment... perhaps I can watch from a distance.’
Lin Changheng had the strength to back himself up, so facing a Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator was no pressure at all. His thoughts began to stir with a bit of curiosity.
But on second thought, it was better to avoid trouble.
What if the other person was involved in some grand conspiracy? Wouldn’t that just drag him into the mire?
If they went to meet some Late Stage Foundation Establishment or even Fake Core masters, he might not be able to escape unscathed himself.
Besides, he was going to move away from this Outer Lake soon. In his final days here, there was no need to meddle in others’ affairs or get deliberately entangled in such unknown matters.
Most importantly, Lin Changheng had a faint feeling that for this person to have laid low for so long, they definitely weren’t up to any good.
"Forget it."
Lin Changheng didn’t follow. His eyes watched the figure leave the Outer Lake, plunge into a patch of darkness, and disappear. Only then did he pull back and descend directly into his cave residence.
Only then did Lin Changheng’s heart begin to settle.
It was as if he had truly escaped some calamity, and he felt a sense of great relief.
He couldn’t help but think, ’Only by being steady can I be at ease.’
Time passed.
「In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.」
Lin Changheng once again changed his appearance and quietly left the Immortal City.
...
「Half a month later.」
A travel-worn Green Robe Cultivator, with an imposing figure, stood suspended in mid-air, looking down at the ring-shaped lake below that resembled a jade belt.
Looking down from high above, the lake water was clear and turquoise, like a huge piece of jade inlaid upon the flat land. Within it were Three Islands, lush with trees and dotted with pavilions and towers that were faintly visible. The environment was indeed secluded and elegant.
This was the second potential Spiritual Land Steward Shangguan had mentioned—Jade Belt Lake.
The newcomer was, of course, Lin Changheng.
During this time, he had already visited Cui Ping Mountain.
He had also inspected the Spiritual Land and found the place to be good, but the neighbors were not.
Among the six neighbors, there were two—one at Middle Stage Foundation Establishment and one at Late Stage Foundation Establishment. Although their expressions were friendly, Lin Changheng saw rising, bloody Evil Qi on them.
And it didn’t come from killing demons or hunting beasts.
They must have killed people!
This was the feedback from his Insight Skill.
Lin Changheng guessed that they might be Tribulation Cultivators who had gone legit, with the possibility of returning to their old ways.
Or they were hiding their identities and could reveal their true colors at any moment.
Because of this, Lin Changheng remained vigilant and was extra cautious when he left.
Therefore, Cui Ping Mountain had already been eliminated from his choices. If Jade Belt Lake didn’t have any major problems, he would probably choose it directly.
...
Lin Changheng didn’t descend immediately. Instead, the pale Gold and clear gray light flashed once more in his eyes as the Three Skills—Insight Skill, Qi Observation Skill, and Spirit Detecting Skill—were stacked again!
His vision transformed in an instant.
The lake below was no longer mere water in his eyes. Instead, it appeared as an incredibly dense and ever-flowing pale blue Water Spirit Qi, its purity far exceeding the ordinary.
The entire lake was like a massive Spiritual Energy Source, nurturing everything within it.
His gaze focused on the three islands.
They were arranged in a triangular formation.
Two of them were similar in size, and one was larger.
One of the smaller ones and the larger one already had owners.
Only the southernmost one was currently unoccupied, as it wasn’t shrouded by the light of an Array...