Wei Zhong floated in the air as a wisp of luminous light emerged from between his eyebrows, transforming into a book before him.
The book was a simple, thread-bound volume with the bold characters "Time Treasure Record" emblazoned on its cover.
As Wei Zhong gazed at the book, he instantly understood that it was the source of his transmigration to this world and the reason he could perform the Kryptonite-level Life-Exchange.
Before he could react, the book flipped open, revealing an image of an infant crying in the arms of a young woman.
Is this my previous life? Wei Zhong wondered, observing objects and customs unique to his former world in the Treasure Record's depiction.
One image dissolved into the next: Wei Zhong learning to walk, wobbling with unsteady steps as he clung to a wall; attending kindergarten and elementary school; and then flashing through various ages and experiences, condensing his entire previous life into a rapid sequence.
The montage halted abruptly on the day he quit his job, the image suddenly fracturing.
In an instant, he found himself in the courtyard of a small house within the Yan Clan's Spirit Fields, exchanging Lifespan and slaying his treacherous disciple...
Everything Wei Zhong had experienced since arriving in the Cultivation World unfolded within the Treasure Record, culminating in this towering pagoda.
The Treasure Record closed, enveloping Wei Zhong's body as it floated towards the vaulted ceiling. His figure began to dissolve into the dazzling light.
As Wei Zhong vanished, the light within the pagoda dissipated, returning the interior to its original state.
None of this was visible to the outside world.
If Lu Yibin had been tracking Wei Zhong, he might have caught a trace of these events. But now, on guard in the mine, he remained completely unaware.
Wei Zhong felt a blinding light engulf him and instinctively closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he found himself in an unfamiliar realm.
The Time Treasure Record had merged into the space between his eyebrows. Wei Zhong touched the spot, but the artifact was gone without a trace.
Is my cultivation base still insufficient? he wondered. I can't even detect this treasure's existence, despite my Qi Refining cultivation.
Wei Zhong sighed regretfully and surveyed his surroundings, exclaiming in astonishment:
"This... this is a Grotto-Heaven?"
Wei Zhong stood at the entrance of a small courtyard, bathed in the brilliant light of an artificial "sun" crafted from magic tools. The man-made sun illuminated the entire Grotto-Heaven.
"The spiritual energy here is incredibly dense!" Wei Zhong exclaimed, feeling as if he had stepped into a paradise overflowing with spiritual energy—a sensation he had never experienced before.
To his astonishment, the Grotto-Heaven even possessed its own spirit vein. Regrettably, his cultivation realm was too low to discern its grade.
The surrounding spirit ground lay somewhat barren. The Spiritual Plants in the fields had long since withered, leaving only a towering, decaying Spirit Wood. Clustered upon its trunk were several Lingzhi mushrooms—the very Jade Marrow Mushrooms Wei Zhong had been desperately searching for.
The oldest specimen was over five hundred years old, its entire form nearly transformed into jade. Eight others ranged from three to five hundred years in age, while a dozen younger specimens dotted the wood.
Wei Zhong's heart surged with joy. He never expected to find so many Jade Marrow Mushrooms in this place, ensuring he had ample Spirit Medicine to refine Foundation Establishment Pills.
Moreover, he had an abundance to spare. Selling these Lingzhi outside would undoubtedly fetch a fortune in spirit stones, likely multiplying Wei Zhong's wealth several times over.
Of course, Wei Zhong wouldn't do something so foolish. A single Jade Marrow Mushroom was a rare treasure in the outside world, and recklessly revealing such a large quantity of high-quality specimens would be suicidal.
Instead of rushing to harvest them, Wei Zhong stepped into the small courtyard.
The courtyard lacked any defensive formations, resembling an ordinary residence. Wei Zhong simply pushed open the gate and entered.
Two flowerbeds filled with spiritual plants graced the yard, suggesting that the former owner had been fond of cultivating such flora.
Passing through the front courtyard, Wei Zhong entered the main house. The first room was a reception hall, likely used for entertaining guests. To the left was a cultivation chamber, furnished with a desk upon which lay two jade slips and a palm-sized black stone.
Wei Zhong approached and picked up the jade slip on the far left, pressing it against his forehead. Instantly, he began skimming through its contents.
"My name is Bai He. I have cultivated the Dao for a thousand years..."
The jade slip contained the autobiography of Senior Bai He, a cultivator who had risen from humble beginnings to the Spirit Transformation realm through arduous cultivation.
An absolute powerhouse in the Mortal Realm, he stood only one step away from transcending the heavenly tribulation and ascending to the higher-dimensional Spirit Realm.
Just as Senior Bai He was preparing to ascend to the Spirit Realm, the Mortal Realm was suddenly invaded by the Demon and Demonic Clans through a dimensional breach.
As one of the pillars of the Mortal Realm's defense, a Transformation God cultivator, he had no choice but to abandon his ascension plans. He united with other Transformation God cultivators to lead humanity's resistance against the invading forces.
The war raged for a century, finally erupting into a full-scale conflict over a hundred and thirty years after the initial invasion.
The final, decisive battle lasted six years. Though humanity ultimately triumphed, driving the Demon and Demonic Clans back to their ancestral homelands, they suffered catastrophic losses.
Most major sects were nearly wiped out, and the Mortal Realm's top-tier combat power was decimated. Senior Bai He miraculously survived, but sustained grievous injuries.
He retreated to this Grotto-Heaven, leaving behind his legacy before departing in search of a cure for his wounds.
Yet once gone, he never returned.
Wei Zhong sighed, realizing the Mortal Realm had such a tumultuous history. The Myriad Beasts Mountain Range, he mused, must be a lingering consequence of that era.
Picking up another jade slip, he confirmed it contained a cultivation technique.
Spring and Autumn Water Refinement Manual
Wei Zhongtong read through the manual and was astonished to discover that it encompassed all cultivation realms, from Qi Refining to Spirit Transformation.
According to the Mortal Realm's classification system of Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow, Foundation Establishment corresponded to the Yellow-Grade, Core Formation to the Profound-Grade, Nascent Soul to the Earth-Grade, and Spirit Transformation to the Heaven-Grade.
There was no doubt that the Spring and Autumn Water Refinement Manual was a Heaven-Grade cultivation technique.
Moreover, Senior Bai He's notes revealed that this manual was a legacy from the Spirit Realm. He possessed only the upper and middle sections, while the lower section could guide cultivators through the Void Refinement, Unified Body, and Mahayana stages.
The notes also mentioned that if future generations mastered this technique, they could seek out the remaining sections after ascending to the Spirit Realm.
Senior Bai He further speculated that this manual far surpassed ordinary Mortal Realm techniques. He theorized that its upper limit might extend beyond Mahayana, potentially including Immortal Techniques—methods truly practiced by immortals.
Wei Zhongtong was overwhelmed by this description. As a mere Qi Refining cultivator who had yet to glimpse Foundation Establishment or Golden Core, such prospects seemed unimaginable.
Yet, after thoroughly reading the manual, Wei Zhongtong realized he had struck gold.
Through a single stroke of luck, he had obtained a cultivation technique that could guide him all the way to Spirit Transformation, freeing him from the constant search for suitable cultivation methods.
Wei Zhongtong had originally planned to seek a replacement for the Azure Wave Art after reaching Foundation Establishment, but now there was no need for further complications.
The jade slip contained not only the core cultivation method but also a wealth of complementary techniques and secret arts. Even a cursory glance left Wei Zhongtong exhilarated.
He couldn't help but marvel, "The Azurewood Sect has truly squandered its long control over this Secret Realm. Their legacy lingered here for countless ages, only to fall into my hands."