Chapter 227: A Strange Bottleneck
Chapter 227: A Strange Bottleneck
Rhain approached the first pedestal and activated his Eyes of Truth.
Golden light ignited within his dark grey irises, and the dense, complex essence circulation diagrams inscribed within the sealed scroll were laid bare before him as clearly as words written on an open page.
He didn’t even need to touch the scroll.
One by one, Rhain scanned and memorized every single Mystic-Grade martial art on the fifth floor of the Grand Library.
They ranged from devastating sword techniques capable of severing mountains, to complex movement arts that could even trick a Domain Master expert when executed perfectly.
But as his golden gaze pierced through the array of the seventh scroll, Rhain abruptly halted.
A flicker of surprise crossed his face.
[Mystic-Grade Martial Art: Empyrean Purgatory Bloom — Third Form.]
"Third Form?" Rhain murmured, thoroughly astonished.
He had learned the First Form, Purgatory Lotus and the Second Form, Ember Serpent Coil which he used to defeat Lyra.
Both forms had been obtained from the fourth floor and had served as the primary channeling techniques for his Red Tribulations Heavenly Flame.
So he was quite curious to know that how powerful would be the third of this technique.
Rhain’s Eyes of Truth pierced through the protective seal, and the moment the technique’s foundational theory unfolded in his consciousness, his expression grew solemn.
Burning Purgatory Domain.
It was a Domain-type martial art.
According to the text, to even attempt to practice the Third Form, the cultivator was required to meet two impossibly steep prerequisites.
They must have comprehended the Law of Fire to at least ten percent.
They must have successfully forged their own Domain of Flame.
Once those conditions were met, the Third Form would allow the user to transform their ordinary Domain into an inescapable Purgatory.
"A Domain-type martial art," Rhain mused, his golden eyes sweeping over the complex runic diagrams. "I haven’t condensed my own Domain yet, but with my level of comprehension, reaching ten percent comprehension of the Fire Law is only a matter of time."
He committed the Third Form’s complete foundational theory, circulation pathways, and activation sequences in his memory.
In less than an hour, his mind memorized the essence circulation routes, structural laws, and theoretical foundations of all ten Mystic-Grade martial arts.
Every single supreme technique guarded by the Stormveil Academy for a thousand years was now permanently archived within his consciousness.
"That should be enough preparation," Rhain muttered, the golden light slowly fading from his dark grey eyes.
He turned on his heel and walked calmly toward the spiral staircase.
He had secured the final Location Sign-In reward, and acquired all martial arts of the fifth floor.
There was nothing left to wait for.
Stepping out of the towering pagoda, he made his way to the Core Palace.
With his elevation to Core Palace status, he no longer needed to stay at Residence Number 32 in the Inner Palace.
He could simply stay with Seris.
He made his way back to the Core Palace, stopping before the heavily warded entrance of Seris’s frozen domain.
With the jade token Myrielle had given him, the arrays parted instantly, allowing him to step inside without the slightest resistance.
When he arrived at the pavilion, the temperature was bone-chillingly cold.
Rhain walked silently into the inner chamber.
At the center of a profound ice formation, Seris sat cross-legged.
Rhain’s dark grey eyes softened as he looked at her.
He didn’t make any sound, afraid to disturb her.
He quietly walked to the opposite side of the chamber and sat cross-legged on a polished meditation platform.
He closed his eyes, instantly sinking his consciousness deep into his own mind.
It was time to fully analyze the Emperor-Grade martial technique he had just obtained.
Rhain closed his eyes and immersed his consciousness into the vast repository of knowledge that the System had directly integrated into his mind.
The foundational theory of the Abyssal Void Domain was quite complex.
According to the technique, he needed to comprehend two specific, exceedingly profound laws.
Law of Darkness.
And the Law of Space.
Darkness to endlessly devour, and Space to isolate and collapse the area around him into a miniature void.
Without grasping these two laws, the domain could not be formed.
Fortunately, the Emperor-Grade technique did not just demand these comprehensions; it provided the complete knowledge and foundational truths for understanding both of these supreme laws.
With my current comprehension level, and the analytical power of the Eyes of Truth, fully comprehending these concepts should not take long," Rhain thought confidently.
If he could control the Abyssal Void Domain, his strength would undergo a qualitative leap.
At that point, whatever unknown mental or physical dangers lurked within the millennium-old Heavenly Ascendent Tower would be utterly powerless against him.
Rhain steadied his breathing and began to meditate.
He immersed himself in the boundless truths of Darkness and Space inscribed within the technique.
Just as he predicted, his monstrous comprehension power easily saw through the complex theories.
Hours passed quickly.
The foundational logic of how space bent, folded, and collapsed, paired with the devouring emptiness of true darkness, became perfectly clear in his mind.
But then, a deep frown creased Rhain’s handsome face.
Something was fundamentally wrong.
Despite his perfect understanding of the profound theories, when he attempted to actively channel and control the power of the laws... nothing happened.
The power of the laws simply slipped through his grasp like water passing through an open hand.
He could see them, he could understand them, but he could not wield them.
Rhain’s expression grew solemn.
This wasn’t the first time this had happened.
It was the exact same anomaly he had experienced when he learned the Law of the Spear from Preceptor Krell, and the Law of Wind from Preceptor Fabian.
Back then, he had easily understood their structure.
He had even managed to integrate their theoretical principles into his physical strikes to mimic their effects.
But to actually manifest and control the law itself?
He hadn’t been able to grasp even a single percent.
"This makes no sense,’ Rhain pondered inwardly, his frown deepening.
For ordinary cultivators, struggling to comprehend a law was entirely normal.
But he was not ordinary.
With his level of comprehension, his soul power, and his eyes of truth, how could it be that he hadn’t master even one percent of a law?
Was there a fatal flaw in his approach?
Or was there some invisible restriction placed upon cultivators below the Domain Master Realm that merely understanding the laws were not enough?
Rhain slowly exhaled, abandoning his forceful attempts to bend the laws to his will.
’Blindly guessing and forcing the issue will only waste precious time,’ Rhain concluded rationally. ’I will have to discuss this with the Preceptors or Dean Carmilla later to clear this doubt.’
He pushed the frustration aside and completely withdrew his aura.
The moment his eyes opened, Rhain was astonished slightly.
Resting just a few feet away, with her chin propped adorably on her hands, was Seris.
She had already finished her cultivation.
Her pale purple eyes were staring directly at his handsome face.
Seeing her husband open his eyes, a sweet smile instantly bloomed across Seris’s face.
"You finally opened your eyes," she whispered delightfully.
Rhain’s solemn expression completely melted away.
"How long have you been staring at me?" Rhain asked, his dark grey eyes filled with affection.
"Not that long," Seris replied, her cheeks flushing a rosy pink.
But her pale purple eyes quickly filled with a trace of genuine concern.
She shifted closer, her delicate fingers reaching out to softly trace the space between his eyebrows.
"Husband... what is the matter?" she asked cutely, tilting her head. "You had such a deep frown on your face while you were meditating. Did something go wrong with your cultivation?"
Looking at her worried, doe-like expression, Rhain’s heart felt a wave of warmth.
Even when she had grown into a peerless True Heavenly Physique prodigy who could freeze the world, she was still the same sweet girl who worried over his slightest discomfort.
Rhain caught her delicate hand, pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles.
"It’s nothing important," Rhain smiled warmly, "Just a minor bottleneck with a new technique I was trying to learn. It isn’t anything that can harm me, so don’t worry your pretty head over it."
"Seris blinked, searching his eyes for a moment before letting out a soft sigh of relief.
Trusting his words implicitly, she broke into a radiant smile and leaned forward, resting her head comfortably against his chest.
"Okay. But if you ever feel stuck, you must tell me! I am much stronger now, husband. Maybe I can help!" she mumbled proudly against his dark robes.
"I know you are," Rhain laughed, wrapping his arms around her slender waist and holding her close.
But as he gently stroked her hair, Rhain’s eyes grew deeply thoughtful.
Externally, he brushed it off so she wouldn’t worry.
But internally, his mind was still thinking of his inability to manifest the laws.