In less than a day, the power of the Heaven and Earth Converging Manual had already become as if it were innate, deeply ingrained in the marrow.
It fused completely with his cultivation power, becoming inseparable.
It felt like the original technique that his cultivation had always drawn from. If it were forcibly removed, losing several realms of power would be a mild consequence. There was a great possibility it would damage his Dao Foundation, leaving him forever cut off from the path of cultivation.
“This…” Li Fan sat cross-legged on the ground, trying for a long time, but in the end, he gave up dejectedly, his expression dark.
Senior Sister Zhao furrowed her brows slightly and said, “The demonic arts of the Xuantian Sect are indeed strange. It seems that we cannot easily rid ourselves of it right now.”
“It is said that the ‘Original Scripture of the Taishang Sect’ allows cultivators to freely change their cultivation methods. If we are fortunate enough to view it, we might be able to abolish this Heaven and Earth Converging Manual.”
“The ‘Original Scripture of the Taishang Sect’?” Li Fan frowned slightly. Although he had never heard of this technique before, for some reason, he felt a vague sense of familiarity.
Senior Sister Zhao shook her head, abandoning this unrealistic fantasy, “Unfortunately, like our sect’s ‘Heaven-Slaying Dao Scripture’, it’s a sect-guarding secret, a mystery not passed down.”
“Only the direct line of the sect leader can cultivate it within our sect. As for us outsiders, there’s no chance at all.”
“The Xuantian Sect has been extinct for a long time, and the ‘Heaven and Earth Dual Converging Manual’ is merely a dual cultivation method. I doubt the elders of the sect will notice anything strange.”
Although Senior Sister Zhao nodded in agreement, the worry in her eyes remained.
The two of them rested in the secret chamber of the ruins for half a month. During this time, they used the power of dual cultivation to fully stabilize their cultivation realms.
Only then did they set off to return to the Grand Dao Sect.
Before leaving, Senior Sister Zhao destroyed the ruins with her sword light, completely obliterating the site.
Upon returning to the sect, the shattering of Qin Shou’s life lamp had already caused a great uproar.
After a secret discussion, Senior Sister Zhao and Li Fan concluded that they couldn’t hide the truth.
They decided to face their master together and confessed that Qin Shou had secretly followed them with malicious intent, and they had ultimately joined forces to kill him.
They left out certain details, avoiding any mention of the Xuantian Sect.
They only said that they had made a breakthrough in the face of life and death, which allowed them to successfully counterattack and kill him.
Master Zhang Wanshuang, however, seemed to have known this all along and was not too surprised.
The two of them got punished with ten years of confinement, placing them under protective custody in the back mountain.
Ten years passed in a flash.
The storms of the Grand Dao Sect had nothing to do with the two confined in the seclusion chamber.
In the beginning, they were somewhat apprehensive about practicing dual cultivation within the sect.
But by the third year, both of them hit bottlenecks. Summoning their courage, they resumed practicing the Heaven and Earth Converging Manual together.
Perhaps it was due to long drought meeting a timely rain, or perhaps their cultivation had improved, but this time, the effect of dual cultivation was even better than three years ago.
Senior Sister Zhao broke through to the mid-stage Nascent Soul, and Li Fan’s cultivation reached the mid-stage Golden Core.
The speed of their cultivation left both of them secretly astonished.
Unavoidably, their concerns also grew.
They knew that an occasional breakthrough could be explained as a stroke of fortune, but advancing so quickly, beyond the scope of their natural talents, would surely arouse suspicion.
If it were discovered that they were practicing the demonic arts of the Xuantian Sect, their fate would be miserable beyond imagination. Being stripped of their cultivation would be the least of their worries.
After a difficult discussion, they agreed that unless absolutely necessary, they would never engage in dual cultivation again.
The plan was ideal, but…
Another five years passed, and the strange bottleneck reappeared within them.
No matter how they cultivated, they couldn’t advance a step.
They struggled for a year.
For an entire year, they rested not a moment, dedicating all their energy to breaking through the bottleneck.
But it was all in vain.
The despair of their cultivation remaining stagnant tormented them.
Both Li Fan and Senior Sister Zhao were wholeheartedly devoted to the Dao and could not tolerate being stuck at their current levels forever.
Thus, in the ninth year of their confinement, they could no longer resist and engaged in dual cultivation for the third time.
Like dry wood catching fire, the blissful experience was even more intense than before.
As expected, after dual cultivation, the bottleneck disappeared, and their cultivation advanced once more.
Although they didn’t immediately break through, they were very close.
After the passion subsided, the two of them felt fear.
First, they feared their secret practice of Xuantian Sect’s arts would be discovered.
Second, they feared that the Heaven and Earth Converging Manual was so strange that they might be controlled by it for the rest of their lives.
Both of them were proud individuals, unable to bear such a fate.
In the final period, they ceased cultivation altogether, choosing instead to live simply, like a mortal couple, and devoted their time to researching a way to break free from the technique.
“The heavens give birth to all things, and so there is the concept of the Heavenly Father and Earthly Mother in the world. Every living being in this world is born with a ‘Mark’ left by Heaven and Earth.”
“It is said that the Xuantian Sect stole the authority of Heaven, controlling the power to bestow and change such ‘Marks’.”
“Even an ordinary person, once bestowed by the Xuantian Sect, could become like us cultivators.”
“Furthermore, it is rumored that the Kings of the Xuantian Sect possessed a ‘Longevity accomplished Position’. Whoever obtained it could achieve eternal life and live as long as Heaven and Earth.”
Senior Sister Zhao shared with Li Fan the secrets she had heard from various places.
“Achieving eternal life…” A strange glint flickered in Li Fan’s eyes.
“Senior Sister, are you suggesting that the Xuantian Sect’s techniques also carry this ‘Mark’ ability?”
Senior Sister Zhao sighed softly, “It’s just my speculation. The remnants of the Xuantian Sect’s teachings are scattered fragments, but even from those, one can sense how terrifying the sect was in its prime. Its laws were strict like divine edicts, suppressing all beneath Heaven, with none daring to defy them.”
“Though it is now but a ghost of its former self, breaking free from it won’t be easy.”
Li Fan held Senior Sister Zhao’s hand, his gaze firm. “Don’t worry, we will definitely overcome this.”
Time flew by, and soon their ten-year confinement was over.
The sealed doors opened with a rumble, and with nervous hearts, they walked out of the confinement chamber.
They had been worried that their rapid progress over the ten years would arouse suspicion.
However, upon returning to the sect, they were shocked to find that their progress now paled in comparison to others.
It turned out that in the second year of their confinement, a so-called “New Method” had quietly begun to spread.
Absorbing the spirit of Heaven and Earth, borrowing the wonders of Heaven, peering into the laws of Heaven…
Even defying the principles of Heaven.
Unlike the current method of sensing the Heavenly Dao and cultivating in harmony with it, this method involved seizing from Heaven and Earth, using any means necessary.
But its actual results far surpassed the current cultivation methods.
