Chapter 3: Heterogeneous Space

  Lu Yun slowly sat up, starting to circulate his energy to recover his strength, preparing to cross that mysterious formation. Only to see Lu Yun's body, the five-colored light slowly flowing, the surrounding air slowly moving towards him. The spiritual energy and true energy hidden in the air were all attracted by Lu Yun, he was like a large-scale magnetic field, rapidly absorbing the energy around him, slowly transforming it into his own strength, making up for the true energy and cultivation that had been consumed earlier.

  As time passed, Lu Yun's body slowly rose into the air, sitting three feet above the ground. His body was constantly rotating, and the five-colored light on his body gradually gathered into a strange glow. The airflow around him rotated along with it, forming a unique and beautiful scene. It wasn't until much later that Lu Yun's body finally slowed down, and the light around him slowly dissipated back into his body before he gently descended to the ground.

  Lu Yun's eyes shone with a faint divine light as he stood quietly in front of the mysterious formation. His gaze was fixed intently on the stone coffin ahead, and a brilliant glow flickered at the bottom of his eyes. The air around him suddenly surged, and Lu Yun's body moved without wind, emitting a dark blue-green light that burst forth instantly, releasing an intense, piercing glow that enveloped his body. At this moment, Lu Yun fully unleashed the most powerful "Tai Xuan Lietian Dao" technique passed down by his master, causing his entire body's energy to explode at multiple times its original speed, with an aura so strong it was astonishing.

  Lu Yun's body instantly faded away, slowly disappearing into thin air, leaving behind only a faint afterimage as he sped through. His physical form had already forcibly broken through the outermost layer of this mystical formation, "Eight Demons Subjugating Heaven", and entered the first boundary. Lu Yun's body was like dust in the air, slowly growing larger from tiny specks, and before long, it once again slowly coalesced into his true form, revealing his handsome original appearance.

  Standing quietly in front of the four statues, Lu Yun understood that as long as he could pass through this layer of formation seals, he would be able to enter the innermost part and uncover the secrets of the stone coffin. A black cloud surged around Lu Yun's body once again, and he employed the Mo Sect's Supreme Mystery - Heart's Desire Without a Trace. His thoughts vibrated at high speed in an instant, with a frequency that rose to 2,400 times per breath, rapidly exploring the mysteries of this layer of formation seals, seeking to find a weakness from which he could change himself to pass through the seal smoothly.

  Looking from afar, a black nebula was flashing in the center of the large cave, with threads of black true energy flowing around the four armored guards, constantly rotating and searching for a breakthrough point. At this time, Lu Yun had already increased his frequency to 3,600 times per instant, which was his limit. He was able to reach this realm because of his previous exploration, which had exhausted his strength. After absorbing the spiritual energy and power from the surroundings later on, his cultivation had made a major breakthrough again, resulting in such progress.

  As his mental frequency increased, Lu Yun slowly began to realize some things and gained a certain understanding of the seal within. At the same time, he faintly sensed the method to break it, which made him very happy. The dark clouds dispersed, and Lu Yun was drenched in sweat, lightly panting. He glanced at the stone coffin, closed his eyes slightly, and his true energy rapidly circulated through the Small and Large Heavenly Circuits, incredibly quickly recovering the energy he had consumed and making up for his depleted strength.

  Lu Yun was recovering his strength while keeping an eye on the surroundings. At this moment, he suddenly discovered that within this mysterious and unknown formation, there was an infinite amount of spiritual energy stored. This was something that cultivators could encounter but not seek out, and it was also a precious treasure that those heterodox spirits would go to great lengths to obtain. In the cultivation world, those so-called heterodox demons were actually just beings who had obtained the cleverness of heaven and earth, absorbing the hidden spiritual energy between heaven and earth, thus surpassing the ordinary and producing a strange transformation. Eventually, they could cultivate to success and ascend to become immortals. However, because they were not human, they were not tolerated by the world and were given the name of demons.

  Lu Yun relaxed his body with all his might, absorbing the spiritual energy around him to strengthen his cultivation and enhance his spiritual power. Time slowly passed, and this time Lu Yun used a full 12 hours before he slowly stopped taking in the surrounding spiritual energy. At this moment, Lu Yun's face wore a hint of a smile. Regardless of whether or not he could unlock the secrets of the stone coffin, for now, he had already benefited greatly. The benefits he gained from coming here were no less than what he would have gotten from consuming a 10,000-year-old ginseng. At this moment, Lu Yun felt that his cultivation had increased by at least double, which was an extremely delightful and astonishing thing.

  Take a deep breath, and Lu Yun's body suddenly shone brightly, but it disappeared in an instant. In just one moment, after adjusting his mind to 4,800 times per second, Lu Yun instantly broke through the barrier and entered the innermost part. This method is easy to say, but truly capable cultivators are extremely rare in this world. If Lu Yun didn't have a mysterious master, plus a bit of good luck, he would also be unable to enter, just like those people who died outside.

  Quietly gazing at the stone coffin, a ripple of disturbance flowed out from Lu Yun's eyes. This stone coffin was very special, and from the outside, one could only see its general shape. Only when walking closer did he realize that this stone coffin was actually an integral whole, with no visible seams. Nor did he know how to open this stone coffin, what secrets lay hidden inside? Strange, mysterious, and intriguing.

  As Lu Yun walked around the stone coffin, his gaze stopped on the lid. On it was a pattern that was incredibly vivid and lifelike, truly a masterpiece of craftsmanship. The pattern depicted a strange battle scene. In the sky, a dark cloud churned with a pair of eyes gleaming with an eerie blue and red light, exuding an aura of malevolence. On the ground, however, were piles of corpses. Several human figures darted about, clashing with countless demonic beasts amidst flashes of steel, as the surroundings were bathed in a bloody red hue, painting a desolate picture. Below the dark cloud, a seven-colored radiance flowed, emitting dazzling rays of light. A seven-colored divine sword, like a heavenly dragon, was locked in fierce combat with the dark cloud's malevolent entity.

  Lu Yun looked at the painting and wondered what it implied. After a closer look, Lu Yun discovered a palm print on the stone coffin, clear but not very noticeable. Lu Yun muttered to himself: "Whose palm print is this? What does it represent?" As he spoke, he stretched out his right hand to compare it carefully. Upon comparison, Lu Yun was startled - the size of the palm print was exactly the same as his own hand, as if it were specially prepared for him. At that moment, Lu Yun suddenly realized that the stone coffin must have been left by his ancestors and was meant for him, which explained the strange coincidence.

  As he thought of this, Lu Yun smiled slightly and gently pressed his right hand onto it. As soon as the palm print was complete, Lu Yun suddenly felt a shock throughout his body, and a strange energy flow began to circulate within him. It seemed as if something inside his body was being extracted, leaving him with an empty feeling, as if his very soul had been sucked out. His body began to tremble violently as he desperately tried to shake off the sensation, but unfortunately, his hand was stuck fast and couldn't be shaken loose. At this moment, Lu Yun's heart was filled with extreme shock and fear, unsure of what would happen next.

  As Lu Yun's body trembled, the stone coffin suddenly emitted a dazzling light, more brilliant than the sun, forcing Lu Yun to close his eyes hastily. With the appearance of the light, the stone coffin automatically opened, and in an instant, a mass of light enveloped Lu Yun. Immediately afterwards, Lu Yun's body shook violently, his right hand was shaken open, and his body was instantly sucked into the stone coffin. The lid of the stone coffin quickly returned to its original state, while Lu Yun himself had disappeared inside the stone coffin.

  Lu Yun was suddenly sucked into the stone coffin, and in his heart, he felt that the trembling sensation had disappeared. He couldn't help but open his eyes. Originally, he thought he should be lying inside the stone coffin, but when he opened his eyes, Lu Yun was stunned. He had actually entered a strange space, with an infinite expanse around him, without any boundaries. His body was surrounded by sparkling star clouds of various colors, shining brightly in every direction, exceptionally beautiful and mysterious. His body floated quietly in mid-air, as if weightless, and he could move freely, the feeling was incredibly wonderful.

  Lu Yun calmed down and carefully looked around, wondering where this place was. Just then, a voice suddenly echoed in his heart: "Welcome, heir of the Lu family. This is a space I left behind, belonging to a different realm, separate from the world you originally lived in. This space was specially left for you."

  Lu Yun was startled in her heart, but quickly calmed down. Looking around, Lu Yun asked: "Where are you? Why can't I see you? Are you the ancestor of our Lu family? Why did you leave this mysterious space?"

  "That voice laughed and said: 'What remains here is my will, without shape, you can't see it. I am indeed your ancestor, already separated from you by a hundred generations, exactly six thousand years. The reason for leaving this space behind is that there is one thing, the treasure of the Lu family, which I don't want to waste, so I left this space, waiting for a descendant of the Lu family with good fortune. And you are the only one in the Lu family's hundred generations who can inherit the treasure I left behind. You were born lacking one soul and one spirit, it's very hard for you to survive. The reason for this is also due to a cause.'"

  Lu Yun heard this and didn't understand, saying: "What reason is there? Why did you know my fate 6,000 years ago? This is too mysterious, I really don't dare to believe it."

  "That voice said: 'This reason is also related to me, if it weren't for that year, I would have occupied this land's spiritual vein and ensured the prosperity of the Lu family for generations. You wouldn't have appeared, with your congenital defects, lacking a soul and spirit. This is actually Heaven's punishment on our Lu family, wanting us to start with you and cut off our descendants to restore fairness to the world.'"

  Lu Yun's face changed upon hearing the words, and a hint of determination flashed in his eyes. He finally understood the reason now. However, he would not easily give up in his heart. Since he had managed to survive, he wanted to fight against heaven and see if fate could do anything to him. Looking up slightly, Lu Yun asked: "So, ancestor, since you knew there would be such a result, is there any way to fight against heaven and make a desperate bid? This life, since I didn't die, I won't easily give up.

  "That voice said: 'Your fate was calculated by me before I ascended to the heavens, so in order to preserve the lifeblood of my Lu family, I left this space behind and prepared everything for you. It's all for the sake of defying the heavens and gambling with your destiny. Your life is different from ordinary people, your fate is full of variables, changing at any moment, and no one can see through it. In order to let you defy the heavens, I left a will before my ascension, letting the Lu family descendants remember for generations that once a person with a congenital lack of one soul and one spirit appears, they are the destined person of the Lu family's fate. It is necessary to bring them here to retrieve the ancestral treasure. Actually, whether you can enter this place or not, I was also uncertain in my heart.'"

  Lu Yun smiled and said, "Are you referring to the formation outside? It trapped me for a long time, it's very powerful. I saw over a hundred corpses outside the formation, they all seemed to have died from curiosity, trying to explore the secrets of this stone coffin."

  "That voice laughed and said: 'Those people can't come in, even if someone can break through the two layers of seals and enter inside, but he is not a descendant of the Lu family, not a person with a congenitally weak soul and body. Whoever it is, they can't come in. What I've been worried about all along is whether you can enter, that's the most critical thing. You were born with a weak soul and body, frail from childhood, and it's uncertain whether you can survive. Even if you grow up to be an adult, but your body is weak and sickly, it's another uncertainty whether you can learn and master things. This space exists in a very special way between heaven and earth, I must set up an array outside to protect it, so as not to let others destroy this space. In order to protect this place, the array I set up outside is very powerful, and it depends on your fate whether you can enter or not. Today you came, which is also beyond my expectation, but I'm very happy.'"

  "Then what is this treasure of the Lu family that has been passed down for generations, and how useful will it be to me, and where is it?"

  "That voice said: 'You can come here, it's also a great fate. My original plan was to first dissolve the true energy in your body and then re-transmit my lifelong skills to you. But now I've carefully examined the true energy in your body, and surprisingly, there are five kinds of them, all of which are extremely mysterious and excellent techniques. It would be a pity to destroy them. So now I plan not to destroy the five superior techniques in your body, but instead, I'll transmit another set to you, our Lu family's unique and unparalleled skills. That is what I have been creating for 6,000 years, waiting for you while being bored, just to pass the time. As for its power, I believe you will understand it yourself in the future. Regarding the treasure passed down through our Lu family, it was actually a pair of weapons that I had back then, only they are very unusual. They are now hidden around you, but you can't see them.'"

  Lu Yun was taken aback, "Weapons? What kind of weapons? They must be extraordinary, or else our ancestors wouldn't have ascended to become immortals. And they still seem reluctant to part with them, wanting to pass on that pair of weapons to me." Looking around, all he saw were glowing star clouds, nothing else. He had no idea what kind of weapons they were, or if they were powerful. Lu Yun asked, "Ancestor, you brought me here just to impart your skills and give me these weapons? Is there anything else? Can I ask, what's the meaning behind the patterns on the stone coffin outside?"

  "That voice said: 'You came, I hope you can inherit everything from me and recreate the glory of the Lu family. The world is full of struggles, every living thing is constantly fighting against heaven to survive. So-called cultivators, so-called immortals, are just manifestations of humanity's resistance against heaven. The path of cultivation goes against heaven, which is not tolerated by the heavens. Therefore, every cultivator will eventually face countless calamities, and many powerful beings with deep cultivation will ultimately perish in the heavenly tribulation, their bodies and spirits destroyed. Those who can truly escape the heavenly tribulation and achieve immortality are extremely rare. As for the patterns on that stone coffin, what they hide... I cannot tell you, it would reveal heaven's secrets and not be beneficial to you. You will understand everything in time, so don't worry too much.'"

  "Then, Ancestor, when will you pass on your martial skills and techniques to me? What is the name of that unique skill that you alone created, and what kind of weapon do you use? Can't you tell me first?"

  That voice laughed and said, "Don't be impatient, I will tell you slowly. This time I have many things to tell you, so you must listen carefully and remember them well. Because this is our only chance to talk, from now on, you will no longer be able to hear my voice or receive my messages. Let's start with this foreign space, this is a space that I forcibly created using spiritual power. In here, you won't feel the passage of time, because time in here is ten times slower than outside. This space is filled with infinite spiritual energy, mainly because it is one of the nine major spiritual veins between heaven and earth.

  Under the heavens, there are nine spiritual veins, each located in a famous mountain or scenic spot. Among these nine spiritual veins, the top three are particularly extraordinary. This is because the first three spiritual veins have no branches and are full of spiritual energy, with their spiritual aura overflowing. In contrast, the remaining six spiritual veins are like the Yangtze and Yellow rivers, with countless branches and dispersed spiritual energy, making them somewhat inferior to the top three. The place we're in now belongs to the third-ranked Tianlong Spiritual Vein, which is full of spiritual energy. As for the first-ranked Tiandishen Spiritual Vein, it's said to be located in the East Sea, where the most mysterious and reclusive sect in the world of cultivation - the Tiandi Sect - has its hideout, with no one knowing its true location. The second-ranked Tianxing Spiritual Vein is said to be situated at the peak of the snowy domain, occupied by the mysterious sect - Tianwai Dongtian.

  And I, by chance, found this heavenly dragon spiritual vein and have been occupying it, making our Lu family prosperous for hundreds of years, with glory and wealth for thousands of years. But also because of this, you were not tolerated by heaven, destined to lack a soul and a spirit in your life, and your fate was full of changes. At the same time, this spiritual vein will be destroyed soon, disappearing without a trace. In that case, the world will also be affected, because under this spiritual vein is one of the largest channels of the demon domain, which has been sealed by the spiritual energy of the spiritual vein. Once the spiritual vein is destroyed, the channel of the demon domain will open, and the people of the world will fall into crisis, suffering from the attack of the demons of the demon domain. Therefore, when you leave here, in at most three years, the world will fall into a disaster, and at that time, the entire cultivation world will be involved, and no one can escape this disaster.

  As for the ultimate techniques and martial arts I'm going to pass on to you, they are the lifelong secrets that I've never revealed. I hope you'll work hard. If you want to contend with Heaven, you must double your efforts, be diligent in your cultivation, only then will there be hope. In these six thousand years, I have integrated all my life's learning into a set of skills, which I call - Tian Di Wu Ji (Heaven and Earth Without Bounds), divided into nine levels. With your current level of cultivation, you should be able to master the first four levels without any problem, but if you want to master all of them, that would be impossible at this time. I plan to let you cultivate here for a period of time, as the spiritual energy here is abundant and can accelerate your speed by three times, which will be extremely beneficial to your cultivation.

  As for the pair of weapons I passed on to you, you must cherish them with great care, because they are extremely important to you. Without them, you will lose this life and the capital to contend with heaven, so remember it in your heart. You currently lack one soul and one spirit, and I am preparing to make up for that one soul and one spirit for you, allowing you to return to completeness. And the thing that fills your one soul and one spirit is precisely my two weapons. Humans have three souls and seven spirits, which can cultivate three yuan gods, and those three yuan gods are actually a person's three souls. Because you were born with one less soul and one less spirit, in the future, you will be unable to cultivate three yuan gods, at most only cultivating two yuan gods, this is where you are inferior to others. But after I make up for your missing soul, you can cultivate a very overbearing divine weapon, which is stronger than others' yuan gods, and this is also where you surpass others.

  I passed on to you the two weapons, one knife and one sword. The knife is called "Extinguishing Soul" and the sword is called "Extinguishing God". You must treasure them well, for they are more powerful than legendary divine artifacts, capable of extinguishing souls and beheading gods. Remember not to use them lightly. I obtained them in my youth from the most mysterious of the five great caverns in the world, the first-ranked "Cavern of Ten Thousand Extinctions". They represent the ultimate in dominance; I myself have only used them a few times in my life. You must remember not to wield them carelessly, lest you invite heavenly jealousy.

  "Now I intend to first make up for your loss of soul and vitality. Do you have any questions, anything that can be told to you, I will naturally tell you. Once I pass on the 'Heaven and Earth Without Bounds' to you, my consciousness will leave and disappear into the universe, so if there's anything unclear, you can ask me, I'll do my best to explain."

  Lu Yun quietly pondered, listening to the words of his ancestors, and came to understand many things. He learned about the nine major spiritual veins in the world, as well as the news that a great calamity was approaching. At the same time, he also knew that his illness could be cured with the help of his ancestors, which was a delightful thing.

  Taking a glance around, Lu Yun asked: "How many regions are there in this world? Why have I never heard of the Demon Region before? Are there other regions besides the Demon Region? How many hidden and unknown things are there between heaven and earth? And what about the Heaven's Gate, the Outside Cave Heaven, I've never even heard of them. What's going on?"

  That voice said: "The things you asked, are actually just some questions that don't have much meaning. You haven't heard of those sects because you've only just entered the Cultivation Realm, and there are many things you don't know about. Just like the sects you know now, they didn't exist back then either, so you don't need to worry about this point. As for your question about the Demon Domain, I can tell you a bit about it, just remember it as common knowledge."

  In this world, there is only one true realm, and that is the space where humans live. As for the so-called Demon Realm, it refers to a space created in the underground using a special method. That space cannot be compared to the vast outside space. The inhabitants of the Demon Realm are all evil spirits and demons who love bloodshed and violence, making them incompatible with this human world, and have been sealed away by the Cultivation Realm.

  Besides the Demon Realm, there are also the Ghost Realm and the Hundred Beasts' Domain, all of which belong to the evil side. On the righteous side, there are places like the 'Nine Heavens Void Boundary', the 'Clouds' Law Boundary', and the 'Heaven's Capital'. The world calls them the Three Intervals and Seven Realms, but not many people know about them. However, no matter what, these are just a few extremely small special existences. The affairs of the world still revolve around the Human Realm, which is truly the center of heaven and earth. As time passes, you will naturally come to understand; don't worry too much about those special spaces, they won't have much impact on you for now."

  Lu Yun let out a soft sigh, "So there are still so many strange spaces in the world, it's truly unimaginable. I'll ask, Ancestor, how do you plan on helping me repair my soul and body? What should I do?"

  "That's all you need to do, just make sure your heart is free from distractions and I'll take care of the rest. Now, I'm going to help you fill in that missing soul and spirit. Get ready, relax, don't think about anything, just like when you're meditating, calm your mind like still water."

  Lu Yun relaxed his whole body, slowly adjusted his mood, and said softly: "Okay, let's get started." After finishing, he slowly closed his eyes, quietly thinking of nothing, letting everything go with the flow, leaving no trace.