Chapter 27: The Eye of Heavenly Retribution
Lin Yuan slowly opened his eyes, the profound, pristine white light of the Origin Energy comprehension gradually fading from his pupils. The oppressive, ancient aura that had briefly filled the bedroom receded, leaving behind a tranquil silence.
He uncrossed his legs and stood up. Though he could not yet actively cultivate the Ten Thousand Ways Return to One Heart Sutra without a Primordial Spirit, the sheer knowledge it imparted had fundamentally rewired his understanding.
He looked down at Bai Qingyue, who had patiently remained by his side, her hands resting lightly upon the Zither.
"I need to secure our home," Lin Yuan said softly.
Closing his eyes for a fraction of a second, Lin Yuan mobilized his Divine Sense. He gathered a concentrated thread of spiritual qi and sent it piercing through the void, directly spanning the distance between the outer city and the inner city.
"Bai Chen. Come to the courtyard immediately."
The telepathic command resonated like a tolling bell directly within Bai Chen’s Sea of Consciousness.
Lin Yuan walked out of the bedroom and stepped onto the porch of the main hall. He expected Bai Chen to take at least half an hour to arrive.
However, a mere ten minutes later, a frantic commotion disrupted the quiet alleyway.
Bang!
The gates of the courtyard were shoved open. Bai Chen stumbled inside, panting heavily, his chest heaving like a bellow, and his spiritual qi was nearly entirely depleted. He had continuously used flash step movement arts without a single pause, sprinting across the districts the very second he heard his Lord’s voice.
"Lord Lin!" Bai Chen gasped, immediately dropping to one knee in the center of the courtyard, ignoring the dirt. "This subordinate... has arrived!"
Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised by the sheer speed of the young man’s arrival. As his gaze swept over Bai Chen, his heightened perception instantly caught it.
"You have broken through," Lin Yuan noted, a hint of approval in his voice. "The 9th level of Qi Condensation."
Bai Chen bowed his head lower. "It’s all Thanks to you my Lord."
Lin Yuan nodded slowly. In the cultivation world, the realms were strictly defined. The Qi Condensation realm was entirely unique; it possessed fourteen levels. Because it was the foundational stage where a mortal gathered the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to forge their meridians, it required fourteen distinct expansions of the physical vessel.
Once a cultivator successfully compressed that qi, stepping into the Foundation Establishment Realm, the distinction Changed. From Foundation Establishment, to Core Formation, to Nascent Soul, the realms were no longer divided by fourteen minor steps, but rather consolidated into four distinct stages: Initial, Middle, Late, and Peak.
For Bai Chen to reach the 9th level meant he had crossed a significant threshold of mortal endurance.
"You did well to arrive so quickly. Rest your qi and observe," Lin Yuan instructed calmly. "I am about to cast a defensive formation."
Lin Yuan stepped down from the porch and walked into the center of the courtyard.
With his mind vastly broadened by the Sutra, Lin Yuan had realized a terrifying truth about his own abilities. Spells—such as the Death Gaze which required him to personally lock eyes with a target—did not have to be bound to his physical body. Because all energies and intents originated from the One, a supreme spell could be forcefully extracted and manifested into the physical world as an autonomous weapon!
Lin Yuan raised both hands, his fingers blurring as he formed a complex seal.
"Manifest," Lin Yuan commanded, his voice echoing.
Instantly, the spiritual qi in the courtyard turned a violent, pitch-black hue. The shadows stretched and twisted, rushing upward into the sky directly above the dilapidated roof of their house.
High in the air, the dark qi rapidly condensed.
CRACKLE!
Bolts of pitch-black lightning arched through the sky as a gigantic, terrifying, ethereal eye tore open in the space above the courtyard. The sclera was as dark as the deepest abyss, and the pupil was a swirling vortex of pure death intent. It hovered there, massive and imposing, before slowly fading into translucency, hiding itself within the natural clouds and shadows above the roof.
Bai Chen fell backward onto his hands, trembling uncontrollably as the sheer, soul-severing pressure of the giant eye washed over him before it cloaked itself.
"That is my Eye of Heavenly Retribution," Lin Yuan stated coldly, lowering his hands. "It will function autonomously. Anyone who steps within a hundred-yard radius of this house with a single trace of killing intent directed at my wife or myself will immediately trigger its gaze. The black lightning will strike their Sea of Consciousness directly."
Because the spell was powered by Lin Yuan’s current cultivation, he clarified its limits. "Anyone at the Foundation Establishment realm or below who harbors malicious intent will die instantly."
Bai Chen swallowed hard, wiping cold sweat from his brow. Something that reads killing intent! It was a demonic spell!
But Lin Yuan was not finished. The eye was an offensive measure, but what if a Core Formation expert like Uncle Yan attempted to strike the house? He needed a barrier.
Lin Yuan stretched out his right hand, and with a brilliant flash of azure light, the magnificent Rain Blade materialized in his grasp.
He didn’t swing it. Instead, he tossed the Dao-infused sword directly into the air above the courtyard.
The Rain Blade stopped at the apex of its ascent, hovering horizontally. It began to hum.
Then, a massive, translucent, azure barrier cascaded down from the hovering blade, forming a perfect dome over the entire property.
"This barrier," Lin Yuan explained. "Is strong enough to completely absorb and nullify a sustained attack from a peak Core Formation expert. No one can enter, and no one can leave."
The courtyard was now an absolute, impenetrable fortress.
Lin Yuan walked over to the awe-struck Bai Chen. He raised his right index finger, condensing a tiny droplet of his Dao intent upon his fingertip. He pressed his finger firmly against Bai Chen’s forehead.
A momentary cooling sensation washed over the Bai Chen’s mind as the seal took root in his soul.
"This seal contains a trace of my Dao Intent," Lin Yuan said, stepping back. "It is the key. Only those bearing this seal may pass freely through the Barrier. If anyone else wishes to enter or leave, they must destroy the barrier by absolute force. And to do that, they must possess power surpassing the Core Formation realm."
Bai Chen knelt instantly, pressing his forehead to the mud. "This subordinate understands! I swear upon my life to guard this courtyard’s perimeter when the Lord is occupied!"
Now, with the ultimate defenses in place, Lin Yuan turned around and walked back into the main hall, closing the door behind him. He made his way into the bedroom, and Bai Qingyue was still sitting on the bed, having watched the dome manifest through the gaps in the window shutters. Her beautiful eyes were filled with an overwhelming mixture of awe and absolute devotion.
Lin Yuan walked to the edge of the bed and sat down next to her. He looked at the flawless contour of her face, the rosy flush upon her cheeks, and the way her lips parted slightly under his intense, burning stare.
Slowly, deliberately, Lin Yuan leaned forward. He raised his hand, his fingers gently cupping the back of her neck, tangling softly in her dark hair.
He closed his eyes and pressed his lips against hers.
The kiss was not brief or tentative. It was incredibly deep, and lingering. Bai Qingyue immediately melted into his embrace, her hands sliding up to grip his broad shoulders, returning the kiss with all the beautiful passion of a woman who had finally found her eternal sanctuary.