Chapter 634: Shaman (II)
Before the towering statue of the Ancestral Shaman Houtu at the altar's center, Lin Zheyu sat cross-legged on the ground. Two dried blood tears streaked down his cheeks. He had been meditating there almost all day. After a day of rest, the effects of activating the golden Heavenly Eye had mostly worn off, aided by the energy of the Blessing of the Ancestral Shaman that had integrated into him.
The power was astonishingly intense, far surpassing Lin Zheyu's expectations. As the Ancestral Shaman's Blessing energy merged with his body, he felt every muscle, tendon, membrane, and bone stir and boil. His strength hadn't increased physically; instead, his body's hidden potential had been awakened. The change was in his very constitution.
Lin Zheyu's body was like a dry sponge voraciously soaking up the energy from the Blessing. It quickly expanded, filling up once again. It was as if his nearly depleted physical potential had been fully restored. Simultaneously, his body was undergoing an extraordinary transformation, becoming more aligned with the Great Dao.
After a long period, the invisible rift above the Ancestral Shaman statue finally sealed. The surge of energy from the Blessing ceased abruptly. Lin Zheyu slowly opened his eyes, which remained bloodshot, tinging his entire view crimson. This was the severe aftereffect of pushing the golden Heavenly Eye past its limits. Luckily, it was not serious. Thanks to his body's incredible regenerative powers, he would recover completely within a few days.
"What an incredible feeling! My affinity with the Dao resonance of Heaven and Earth has improved so much. My perception of it is becoming clearer and clearer!" Lin Zheyu exclaimed.
He extended his right hand and gently clenched it. Instantly, ripples spread across the surrounding void. Lin Zheyu felt that the once unyielding space had become as fragile as thin leather, scarcely tougher than paper. With only the slightest exertion, he could easily pierce through it. Such a thing would have been unimaginable to him before.
"The Shamanic Clan inheritance is actually this heaven-defying?" Lin Zheyu muttered in astonishment as he stared at the rippling void before him.
It was difficult to imagine how a Shamanic Clan of such overwhelming power could have vanished into the river of history over time.
Lin Zheyu clenched his fists and practiced the most basic fist technique. Each punch struck the void, sending astonishing ripples spreading through space. He could clearly feel that where using one unit of the power of spatial laws had previously required ten parts of his strength, he now needed less than four to achieve the same effect.
After absorbing the energy of the Ancestral Shaman's Blessing, Lin Zheyu's body underwent a miraculous transformation. His affinity with the Great Dao rose to an astonishing level. It was nothing less than an extraordinary stroke of fortune!
"My increase of affinity with spatial laws is only a secondary benefit. The greatest change is my affinity with Earth Power. That's where the improvement is truly astounding!" Lin Zheyu exclaimed as he sensed the Earth Power permeating the void, denser and purer than either spiritual qi or demonic qi.
No wonder it was said throughout the cultivator world that Shamanic cultivators feared yao the least. Shamanic Clan powerhouses were the least affected by demonic qi and the yao will. In Lin Zheyu's perception, the earth beneath his feet contained energy of incomparable purity. This was the Earth Power cultivated by the Central Earth Ancestral Shaman! The Earth Power contained within the land itself had been scarcely corrupted by demonic qi.
Feeling the space-time energy rippling around him, Lin Zheyu curled his lips into a faint smile and said with anticipation, "So, it's finally time to leave... The Shamanic Clan cultivation path is becoming more and more exciting."
He had already passed all three trials. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he was certain to receive the complete inheritance of the Shamanic Clan. Simply completing the trials had already brought him such tremendous benefits. If he were to obtain the complete inheritance...
The mere thought of it filled him with excitement. Lin Zheyu even found himself tempted to abandon martial cultivation altogether and devote himself entirely to the Shamanic path. The Shamanic Clan's cultivation system was simply too powerful.
After receiving the Blessing of the Ancestral Shaman, his body had undergone an immense transformation. The feeling of being so intimately attuned to the Great Dao, of effortlessly wielding the power of rules with every gesture, was utterly intoxicating.
Light swirled around him, and the surroundings instantly blurred. Lin Zheyu felt his vision waver for a brief moment before finding himself back inside the great hall. Standing upon the carpet, he looked up at the enormous statue of the Shamanic Clan powerhouse before him and immediately noticed something unusual. After receiving the Blessing of the Ancestral Shaman, not only had his body undergone an astonishing transformation, but his senses had also become far sharper.
"Th... This isn't a statue! This is the body of a Shamanic Clan expert!" Lin Zheyu's eyes widened slightly, his heart filled with shock.
As he gazed at the unimaginably massive body before him, he found it impossible to believe that a human could cultivate such a physique. This was nothing like the golden dharma manifestation he produced with his movement techniques, a mere phantom formed from condensed energy. The towering hundred-meter figure before him was a genuine physical body.
The body had condensed Earth's pure Power, turning its flesh into a stone-like substance. That's why Lin Zheyu initially misunderstood it. Though he hadn't fully received the inheritance, the Ancestral Shaman's Blessing had elevated his affinity with Earth Power to an extraordinary degree. With his improved perception, he quickly detected the anomaly.
Could this mighty being... still be alive? Lin Zheyu could not help wondering.
He suddenly recalled what had happened after completing the second trial. When he had awakened back in this great hall, he had discovered inexplicable changes in his body. Now, at last, the mystery had been solved!
"You have come!" Suddenly, a deep, resonant voice echoed within Lin Zheyu's mind.
The voice seemed to drift forth from the river of history itself, vast and ancient, yet tinged with the aura of decay and decline. Qiong Yun's gaze settled upon Lin Zheyu, and a flicker of surprise crossed his mind.
This kid actually noticed it!
Ever since Lin Zheyu passed the first trial with a first-rate evaluation and awakened the remnant soul within this body, Qiong Yun had realized that the young man before him possessed astonishing spiritual perception.
This keen spiritual insight would be a tremendous advantage regardless of the cultivation system one pursued. The thought only increased Qiong Yun’s regret. It was unfortunate he was born in the wrong era. The same was true for him personally—by the time he was born, the world's cultivation environment was already deteriorating. He was among the final generation of truly exceptional experts from the Shamanic Clan. This is why he couldn’t help but lament Lin Zheyu's misfortune.
Hearing the voice, Lin Zheyu immediately offered Qiong Yun a respectful bow. "This junior, Lin Zheyu, greets you, Senior!"
Here, he had no need to conceal his identity or use a false name. He introduced himself by his true name.
Qiong Yun immediately saw through Lin Zheyu's vigilance and deliberately offered the reassurance. "You're quite impressive. And there's no need to worry that I'll do you any harm. I'm nothing more than a remnant soul now. There's nothing I can do."
"Yes, Senior. I am simply a little nervous," Lin Zheyu replied, though he did not lower his guard completely.
Qiong Yun was rather pleased by his response. Adequate caution and vigilance were the foundation for surviving longer in such a dangerous world.
"Your natural talent is excellent, but you've been born in the wrong era. This world is no longer suited for cultivating the Shamanic arts." Qiong Yun spoke calmly before asking, "Even so, are you still willing to accept the inheritance?"
"I am willing!" Lin Zheyu answered respectfully with cupped fists.
No matter what, he would accept the inheritance first. As for whether he would actually cultivate it, he could decide after seeing exactly what it entailed.
"Very good. The Shamanic Clan's cultivation path is far more powerful than you can imagine. It is a path that leads to the level of the Chaos Gods and Demons. Cultivate it to its peak, and you will stand shoulder to shoulder with them. Destroying the world you now inhabit would be no more difficult than lifting a hand or taking a step..." Qiong Yun said matter-of-factly.
Through Qiong Yun's account, Lin Zheyu finally learned the origins of the Shamanic Clan's cultivation path. At the dawn of creation, when the world had only just come into being, the myriad races were born. Humanity existed at the very bottom of them all, living as little more than prey.
In their desperation to find a path forward for mankind, the ancestors of the human race devoted themselves wholeheartedly to comprehending the world. In the unseen depths of fate, they established contact with the Twelve Great Ancestral Shamans of Chaos and received the inheritance of the Shamanic Clan.
From that day onward, powerful Shamans began to emerge one after another. Under the leadership of these mighty Shamanic cultivators, Shamanic tribes spread across the land. Humanity escaped the fate of extinction, rose from among the myriad races, and gradually became one of the world's dominant peoples. The Shamanic path also became humanity's strongest cultivation system.
Yet as time passed, spiritual qi dwindled at an astonishing rate, consumed by the myriad races and governed by the unseen will of the Heavenly Dao. Meanwhile, the Chaos Origin Qi left behind at the world's birth was steadily absorbed by successive generations of Shamanic Clan powerhouses until it, too, became exceedingly scarce.
As a result, the chances of humanity producing powerful Shamanic cultivators grew ever smaller. By the present age, Shamanic cultivators had vanished entirely. All that remained within the cultivation world were legends of the Shamanic Clan's former power and glory.