Chapter 636: Natal Shamanic Pattern (II)
One thick golden shackle after another emerged from within Lin Zheyu's body, binding his powerful physique tightly. The seven mighty shackles swayed in unison, resonating with one another and generating an astonishing force of restraint.
Qiong Yun was surprised to feel the Heavenly Dao shackles within Lin Zheyu. He exclaimed, "Hm? Those are Life Shackles! Such powerful Life Shackles! People from this era shouldn't be able to condense shackles of this strength. And to think, he has seven of them at once! How did this little fellow manage that?"
Heavenly Dao shackles had already been present in his era and were not exclusive to humanity. Apart from the initial beings created at the world's formation, all races carried Heavenly Dao shackles within them. These were restrictions set by the unseen laws of the Dao Origin, with each race having its own inherent limit, represented by these shackles.
Take a rabbit, for example. No matter how strong it became, it could never match the strength of an ordinary adult domestic dog. That was the natural ceiling imposed upon its race. Breaking free of the Heavenly Dao shackles was like a carp leaping through the Dragon Gate, signifying an evolution to a higher stage of life.
Only after that transformation could one surpass the innate limits of one's race and continue growing stronger. Humanity today, however, was simply too weak. Even after breaking through those racial limits and gaining the potential to advance further, they were still far inferior to the humans of tens of thousands of years ago.
"Though he is still weak, reaching this level would make him one of the rarest prodigies in any race," Qiong Yun said with a sigh.
He even began to wonder whether this little fellow before him might be the first person in human history to condense all seven Life Shackles at once. The significance of such an achievement was extraordinary. It meant that Lin Zheyu's leap to a higher stage of life was so immense that only the simultaneous manifestation of all seven shackles could suppress it.
"Perhaps this little fellow truly can bring the Shamanic Clan back to this land and lead humanity to greatness once again," Qiong Yun murmured.
After a moment's contemplation, Qiong Yun stirred a thought, and a strand of gray energy origin flew from the center of his brow into the earth below. This was the last trace of origin he had left behind in life. By giving it away, he was placing all of his hopes upon Lin Zheyu.
***
Time flowed like water, and the days slipped by. Lin Zheyu's consciousness once again drifted into that endless gray void. Looking across the boundless sea of mist, he could make out the immense silhouette of a being with a human body and a serpent's tail, so colossal that it defied imagination.
Gazing at that towering silhouette, Lin Zheyu began cultivating the Eight Desolations World-Suppressing Art. One revelation after another about the shamans' path flashed through his mind, while the natal shamanic pattern within his body rapidly became more complete.
In the blink of an eye, ten days had passed. At the bottom of the great hall, within the Primordial Chaos Pool, Lin Zheyu suddenly opened his tightly shut eyes. A vast, ancient aura flashed through them before disappearing. He slowly rose to his feet, and with a slight sway of his body, vanished from where he stood.
Inside the great hall, Lin Zheyu emerged from below. He respectfully bowed to Qiong Yun. "Thank you, Master!"
Having inherited Qiong Yun's legacy, Lin Zheyu now regarded him as his true master.
"Hahaha! Good! Good!" His hearty laughter echoed throughout the hall.
"Have you successfully condensed your natal shamanic pattern?" Qiong Yun asked, a trace of hope in his voice.
The natal shamanic pattern was the very foundation of a shamanic cultivator and the source of all shamanic arts. Condensing it required not only the Blessing of the Ancestral Shaman but also the absorption of sufficient origin qi. By now, Lin Zheyu understood that during the second trial, no matter how much time he had been given, he could never have condensed a complete shamanic pattern.
"Yes, Master. I have successfully condensed it," Lin Zheyu replied respectfully.
His body trembled slightly as dense, mysterious patterns surfaced across his skin, each one imbued with a primordial aura of wildness. Unlike the divine patterns of martial cultivation, these mysterious markings were far more deeply integrated with the flesh. The intricate lines extending from the shamanic pattern had completely fused with his flesh, tendons, membranes, and bones, becoming an inseparable part of his body.
"Good! Good! Good! Hahaha!" Seeing this, Qiong Yun exclaimed his approval three times in succession.
He had never imagined that ten thousand years later, he would take in a disciple with such extraordinary natural talent. It was an unexpected blessing. More than ever, he believed this little fellow could restore the shamanic cultivator path to the world and lead it to glory once more.
"Master, is there any way to restore you?" Lin Zheyu asked only after Qiong Yun's laughter had subsided.
Whether out of gratitude or reason, he had every cause to ask. On a personal level, Qiong Yun was now his master, and helping his master and trying to save his life was only right for a disciple.
From a practical standpoint, this Shamanic Clan powerhouse from ten thousand years ago possessed unfathomable strength. If he could somehow return to his peak, Lin Zheyu would gain an immensely powerful protector.
"Hehe, it's enough that you have the thought... This remnant soul was forcibly preserved by a secret art ten thousand years ago, solely to pass on my inheritance. After ten thousand years, almost none of its soul origin remains. Even if a Dao-Converging realm expert were to arrive, there would be no way to restore me. Now that it has been awakened, it won't last much longer either," Qiong Yun said with a gratified smile.
When speaking of death, there was neither fear nor avoidance in his tone. He accepted it with complete composure. Taking Lin Zheyu, a disciple of such astonishing natural talent, had far exceeded his expectations. Qiong Yun felt he could now depart without regrets.
"Enough. Let's speak of more important matters. You have already inherited the complete shamanic arts, but this world is no longer fit for shamanic cultivators. If possible, do everything you can to leave this world and enter the Sea of Chaos. That is where shamanic cultivators truly belong," Qiong Yun said slowly.
With a thought, a powerful surge of energy rose from beneath the great hall. A pool-shaped dharma artifact slowly emerged from underground.
"This is the Primordial Chaos Pool. It serves as both a vessel for storing origin qi and a powerful defensive shamanic artifact. Even without anyone controlling it, it can withstand a single attack from a late Body Fusion realm cultivator, equivalent to a Void Cavern realm expert of the Immortal Dao. However, it can only do so once, so use it with care," Qiong Yun said calmly.
Under his control, the Primordial Chaos Pool rapidly shrank until it was only palm-sized, then landed in Lin Zheyu's hand. Immediately afterward, a head-sized object, carved from the bone of an unknown creature, flew out of Qiong Yun's massive body.
"This bone talisman was carved from the skull of a Desolate Dragon. It is the core of this secret realm. In addition, it contains all the shamanic scriptures of the Suhe Tribe, along with many secrets from ancient times. After you leave, study them carefully and cultivate to the Body Fusion realm as quickly as possible. The energy within the Primordial Chaos Pool is sufficient to support your cultivation until then. Once you have reached the Body Fusion realm, return here with the bone talisman and take complete control of this secret realm," Qiong Yun said calmly.
Once Lin Zheyu departed, Qiong Yun would completely seal this secret realm and fall back into his slumber. Only a Body Fusion realm shamanic cultivator could truly control this secret realm. Anyone weaker simply lacked the ability.
The stages of cultivation for a shamanic cultivator were straightforward. The first three major realms were the Profound Communion realm, the Body Fusion realm, and the Mountain and River realm. Upon reaching the Mountain and River realm, one possessed strength comparable to that of a Dao-Converging realm cultivator of the Immortal Dao. The early Body Fusion realm was equivalent to the Deity Transformation realm, while the late Body Fusion realm corresponded to the Void Cavern realm.
"Yes, Master," Lin Zheyu replied respectfully.
Taking the bone talisman, Lin Zheyu's thoughts turned to the many treasures scattered throughout the secret realm. Before leaving, he intended to collect every last one of them.
"All right, it's time for you to leave. By the way, there are two youngsters waiting outside. They've been lying in wait for quite some time and intend to do you harm, so be careful when you go out. They carry the bloodlines of powerful Desolate Beasts from ancient times, and their strength is quite respectable," Qiong Yun said calmly.
He had no intention of intervening. If Lin Zheyu, after inheriting the Shamanic Clan's legacy and condensing his shamanic pattern, still could not defeat those two while fighting on his own turf, then it would mean Qiong Yun had misjudged him.
Outside? Lin Zheyu's expression shifted with surprise.
Who could those two be? They possess the bloodlines of ancient Desolate Beasts... Bloodlines... Could they be from one of the three ancient martial esteemed families? Lin Zheyu wondered.
With a thought, Lin Zheyu tightened his grip on the bone talisman. The shamanic pattern within his body shimmered with a dim glow as Earth Power flowed into the talisman. As the core of this secret realm, the bone talisman possessed countless wondrous abilities.
Although Lin Zheyu was still far too weak to control the realm itself, he could already borrow a fraction of its power. As Earth Power poured into it, his perception expanded dramatically. His consciousness split into two, granting him two different perspectives. Through the second, he looked down upon the entire secret realm as though from the heavens, taking everything within it into view with the aid of the bone talisman.
Woo Yiyan? So it's him. Woo Yixuan is dead. Has he come to avenge his younger brother? Since you've come, I'll send you to join Woo Yixuan. Family should stay together, and two brothers ought to be reunited.
"Don't worry, Master. They're nothing more than two insignificant clowns. They're not worth fearing," Lin Zheyu said calmly, his voice brimming with confidence.
"Good. That's all I needed to hear. I must return to my slumber now. I only hope that, before the last trace of my soul origin fades away, I will live to see the day you advance to the Body Fusion realm," Qiong Yun said calmly.
His voice grew fainter and fainter as the fluctuations of his soul within the massive body weakened until they vanished completely. The subtle yet immense energy lingering inside the colossal figure also fell silent once more, leaving it nothing more than a lifeless statue. Even Lin Zheyu, in his current state, could no longer distinguish it from an ordinary stone sculpture.
"Rest assured, Master. Your disciple will not disappoint you! It won't be long before I return!" Lin Zheyu said respectfully, bowing deeply to Qiong Yun.