Chapter 320: 320 Incomplete Soul Parting
Upon seeing the Divine Wood growing amidst the starry sky, Qing Yun found a new goal, throwing herself wholeheartedly into further cultivation.
As she began to circulate the Heavenly Cycle, a tide of Spiritual Power seemed to wash over Qingmu, causing Lin Bai’s cultivation level to ascend as swiftly as if on a rocket. In less than two hours, Lin Bai experienced the expansion of his Golden Core from small to large, then its breaking and the formation of a Nascent Soul.
Inside his Dantian, a small infant sat quietly with closed eyes. The Spiritual Power flowing through its body was released as if purified, nourishing Lin Bai’s body and meridians in return. When mobilizing his own Spiritual Power, he felt an effortless control, vastly different from borrowing someone else’s.
Soon, Lin Bai was immersed in the joy of his increasing Spiritual Power. As his strength rapidly grew, he couldn’t bear to turn this cheat experience pack into a Puppet!
「...」
The Rule of Wood made waves in the outside world. This was the first time people had heard about the existence of the Rules from anyone other than Lin Bai. Moreover, it was spoken by a super-powerful figure who had lived for an unknown number of years, whose cultivation reached the heavens, and who could disperse tribulation clouds with a single stroke. The confirmation of the Rule’s existence from such a figure carried far more credibility than Lin Bai’s words.
At this point, the way of the Rules was finally recognized by all cultivators and became the new direction in the Cultivation World.
However, Qing Yun had taken tens of thousands of years of cultivation just to barely touch the threshold of the Rule of Wood. This was a time cost that cultivators simply couldn’t afford. Since ancient times, no cultivator in the Crossing Tribulation Realm had ever remained in the mortal world for more than three thousand years. They wouldn’t suppress their own cultivation and evade Heavenly Tribulations for tens of thousands of years merely to pursue an elusive Rule; nobody would do that.
Although Lin Bai’s method of cultivating the Rules seemed outrageous, compared to the Rule of Wood, it was much easier to implement and more suitable for humans. What’s more, Lin Bai had generously provided the method for cultivating the Rules. People didn’t know if Lin Bai had withheld any information about the cultivation method, but having even a vague direction was enough. The Cultivation World had traditions passed down for countless years, and there was no shortage of wise individuals who had created all sorts of Cultivation Techniques. As long as the existence of the Rules was confirmed, they were confident they could find the correct method for their cultivation. Also, Lin Bai might die at any time, so they could devote themselves to cultivating the Rules without worrying about conflicting with him.
Therefore, the entire Cultivation World suddenly showed a thriving situation. From top to bottom, everyone was earnestly studying the way of the Rules, aiming to reach the heavens in one step.
People like the Saint Heir and Buddha’s Son didn’t pay much attention to the Rules; they were cultivating their own Divine Skills. The Divine Power was bestowed from the heavens and was already available. When practiced to a high level, it was not much weaker than the Rules. The pace at which these prodigies cultivated their sect’s Cultivation Techniques far exceeded that of ordinary people. But when they started cultivating the bestowed Divine Power, they realized something astounding. This Divine Power seemed tailor-made for them. Cultivating it yielded twice the results with half the effort, progressing even faster than when they cultivated their sect’s own Divine Skills. They advanced by leaps and bounds daily.
Avoiding the players’ eyes and ears, they tested their Divine Skills on their sect’s high-level cultivators. They were shocked to find that their sect seniors, whose combat power had once far surpassed theirs, could now be defeated with ease.
The prodigies were overjoyed. The morale of the Sects was greatly boosted.
The Heavenly Path Journal, Saintly Periodical, and other publications seized the opportunity to publish a series of articles to tarnish Lin Bai, claiming that he was the true Evil Spirit of chaos. Now, with the Heavenly Tribulation imminent, it was a sign that heaven intended to purge this evil, and they hoped people would no longer be deceived by him.
At this moment, the Beggar Gang and the consortium had joined forces, working together harmoniously, treating the Blood Sect’s territory as their own. The consortium wanted to focus on development and did not wish to stir up further trouble. Even when Lin Bai, through the players of the Holy Extreme Sect, instructed Justice Weekly to continue its publications to maintain the Justice League’s influence, they ignored him. Lin Bai’s requests were treated as inconsequential as the wind passing by their ears.
Public opinion became one-sided. The Heavenly Path Journal and other publications were smearing Lin Bai. Lin Bai’s Justice Weekly offered no rebuttal; not even rumors or minor news were leaked.
The common people had once hoped a young man would lead them to overthrow the cultivators’ rule. Now, they finally believed he was truly trapped by the Heavenly Tribulation. With regret, the people had no choice but to compromise.
However, having experienced the benefits Lin Bai brought and having seen a glimmer of hope, the commoners were naturally unwilling to return to their previous lives. Each of them began secretly cultivating the Rules, hoping that one day, like Lin Bai, they could rise up, walk the path of glory and freedom, and shatter the cage above their heads.
The players, meanwhile, picked up traditional cultivation methods and worked hard to increase their Levels. They had different roles. One portion of the players focused on leveling up to serve as combat power. The other portion, following their established strategy, engaged in a series of commercial activities across various countries. They aimed to replicate real-world technological weapons in this world, combining technological civilization with the existing Artifact Refining civilization, among other things.
With Lin Bai trapped in the Heavenly Tribulation, the whole world seemed to return to normal, presenting a prosperous scene. There were no more of those strange and bizarre incidents.
Ultimately, everyone became certain that Lin Bai was indeed the biggest troublemaker, the biggest shit-stirrer in the world. Everyone was more comfortable without him. From cultivators to players, while everyone went about their own business, they all kept a close watch on Lin Bai within the Heavenly Tribulation. They eagerly awaited his demise and prepared various strategies to counter any desperate struggle Lin Bai might make before dying, especially any attempt to drag them down with him.
「...」
「The third day of the Tribulation.」
The lightning in the sky grew more ferocious, transforming from initial streaks into sheets of lightning. The tribulation clouds had originally veiled the world in a night-like darkness, but the interconnected lightning now illuminated the darkness as if it were day.
The continuous thunder made it impossible for low-level cultivators to cultivate peacefully; they could only look at the sky and pray. It had only been three days, yet the Heavenly Tribulation had already reached such an intensity. Qing Yun was above, resisting the Heavenly Tribulation, and so far, no lightning had struck the ground. Despite this, the confidence Lin Bai had once instilled in them was steadily diminishing. Everyone knew that if Qing Yun could no longer withstand the Heavenly Tribulation, they would be the first to be abandoned. A sense of desolation began to slowly spread among the lower-level cultivators.
Some people even specifically came to Lin Bai, requesting him to restart Phoenix Seeks Phoenix, claiming they were willing to perform their talents for the Justice League for eighty days.
Lin Bai happily agreed, promising that when he could no longer hold on, he would definitely bring people into Phoenix Seeks Phoenix. For the first time, he put forward the slogan, "Leave no one behind, give up on no one," which sharply boosted his approval ratings and positive emotions.
「...」
「The fifth day.」
It was still Qing Yun alone in the sky, resisting the Heavenly Tribulation. Over the past few days, Lin Bai had continuously fed Qing Yun both Spirit Fruit and Temperament Fruit. At least a third of the mature fruits were harvested. When Lin Bai himself started to feel the pinch, Qing Yun finally stopped asking for the two kinds of fruit. In her words, the two fruits had reached their limit in enhancing her strength; eating more would be useless. It would be better to distribute the remaining fruits to her fellow disciples to help them improve their strength.
It was this humble statement that increased the Spiritual Power Feedback Value Lin Bai gained from Qing Yun to five percent.
However, while Lin Bai’s Spiritual Power Feedback value had grown, his actual strength hadn’t improved much. Firstly, the amount of Spiritual Power required to transition from the Nascent Soul stage to the Divinity Transformation stage was staggering. Secondly, after the initial three days, the intervals between Heavenly Tribulations grew shorter. Qing Yun could no longer cultivate for two hours during these gaps as before to provide Lin Bai with Spiritual Power. Without this major influx from Qing Yun, the growth of Lin Bai’s strength naturally slowed.
But Lin Bai didn’t pay too much attention to the increase in his personal strength. What he relied on to stir up trouble in this world wasn’t his personal strength; surviving the Heavenly Tribulation was clearly more important than enhancing his power.
During a lull on the fourth day of the Heavenly Tribulation, Qing Yun found Lin Bai. She told him that judging by the increasing intensity of the tribulation, her cultivation could hold out for at most twenty more days before she would be unable to protect the people below. She advised him to start preparing early.
Twenty days. Only a quarter of the total eighty-one days had passed.
Looking at Qing Yun, Lin Bai sighed inwardly. Perhaps in the end, he would have to seal her as a Puppet, share her power, and jointly face the tribulation! But if Qing Yun alone could only endure for twenty days, what then? There were still over sixty days left, and the Heavenly Tribulation grew stronger each time. Even if he shared Qing Yun’s strength, was he truly confident he could survive this Heavenly Tribulation?
Lin Bai gazed at the sky, lost in thought. He still had fifteen days of relative peace. He couldn’t pin all his hopes on sharing Qing Yun’s strength. It seemed he might have to exploit the System further.
「...」
[Your older brother’s business is being corroded. As the most competent subordinate under your older brother, please remove external disruptive factors and help your brother’s business get back on track. Reward: 800 Qi Yun]
[Your media empire has suffered a terrible defeat. Your publications are now obscure. Help your publications regain their fame. Reward: Video projection equipment]
[Continue to expand the influence of Incomplete, make 119,679 people believe Incomplete is... (Completed). Reward: Incomplete Soul Parting]
[Make half of the people in the world believe Incomplete is... Reward: Earth Deficiency Art]
「...」
「On the sixth day.」
A series of prompts popped up in Lin Bai’s mind. The prompt from the Chief Supporting Role System was within Lin Bai’s expectations. He had already learned about the Beggar Gang collaborating with the financial group from the private chats of a few players. Given his understanding of the capabilities of the Beggar Gang’s leaders, he knew that once they collaborated with the financial group, the Beggar Gang being usurped was almost a foregone conclusion. What he had been waiting for was the System’s task prompt. Without the task reward, his elder brother could live or die for all he cared; only the reward of Qi Yun could provide motivation.
Moreover, the task from the Media System was closely related to his current predicament. Without him personally overseeing things, restoring the reputations of the two publications was virtually impossible. The most significant aspect of the Media Empire was its influence on public opinion. With that influence now restricted, the physical rewards offered by the task were of no help.
The press pass, which was said to allow access to all forbidden areas, could indeed allow him to get out of the Heavenly Tribulation’s current range. However, the Heavenly Tribulation targeted him specifically. Even if he escaped its current range, the tribulation clouds would simply reconverge above him, their power undiminished. Crucially, he would lack Qing Yun’s help to withstand them. It was of marginal use. In the current situation, tasks needed to be prioritized. The Media Empire’s task could be set aside for now.
However, to Lin Bai’s surprise, the Everything Has Shortcomings System had quietly completed the task of promoting ’Incomplete.’ The System had issued the reward: Incomplete Soul Parting.
Just as Lin Bai had guessed, the correct characters for ’Incomplete Soul Parting’ should probably be ’Incomplete Divided God.’ This was a genuine Cultivation Technique that enabled the user to split their Divine Soul, much like the Big Devil Dismantling technique, creating a separate entity that shared his consciousness. However, unlike the Great Demon Solution Book, the split Divine Soul couldn’t be recovered. Once it suffered an attack in the outside world and dissipated, it would be gone for good. But as long as it wasn’t subjected to a fatal attack, the Divine Soul could exist indefinitely.
At the end of the Cultivation Technique, there was a stern note: Those without a powerful Divine Soul who use this technique do so at their own risk!
Powerful Divine Soul? He had eaten more Spirit Fruits than Qing Yun; his Divine Soul should be strong enough!
Lin Bai glanced at the new tasks from the Incomplete System and set them aside. He still didn’t understand the Incomplete System’s tasks, let alone how to actively complete them. The last two tasks had completed automatically; all he had really done was expand his own influence.
If so, then he would just continue to wait for the tasks to be completed automatically; receiving the rewards was enough for him.
After familiarizing himself with the operational procedure of Incomplete Soul Parting, Lin Bai decisively activated the Cultivation Technique. He split off a part of his Divine Soul, forming an Incomplete Soul Parting outside his body.
The moment he severed his Divine Soul, a brief wave of dizziness washed over Lin Bai’s mind. However, he quickly returned to normal.
In front of him, a wispy Divine Soul Avatar suddenly appeared. The Divine Soul entity floated above the ground, looking identical to him, only it was unclothed and slightly transparent.
Meanwhile, in Lin Bai’s mind, the moment the Incomplete Soul Parting was created, a new perspective emerged. Through this perspective, he could see everything around him, including his physical self. It was like looking into a mirror, yet different. This was a very peculiar feeling, as if all his senses had extended outward, becoming duplex.
Lin Bai tried to command the Divided God to turn. With a mere thought, the Divided God completed the action, as effortlessly as moving his own body. Moreover, due to the nature of a Divine Soul, its movements were even lighter and more agile than his physical body’s. Lin Bai directed his Divided God to walk around on Qingmu, enjoying himself immensely.
Suddenly, there was a cry of surprise.
Xu Longyun flashed before Lin Bai. She ignored Lin Bai, her gaze fixed on the Incomplete Soul Parting, her face etched with fear and anxiety. "Lin Bai, with the Heavenly Tribulation imminent, why did you let your Divine Soul leave your body? Don’t you know that the Divine Soul is most vulnerable to lightning? If struck by lightning, your Divine Soul will be critically injured, if not destroyed! Quickly return your Divine Soul to your body!"
Her voice was loud, drawing everyone’s attention.
Lin Bai was startled, abruptly remembering that his Divided God was still naked. Subconsciously, he commanded the Divided God to pull down a leaf from Qingmu to cover its vital parts.
Qingmu’s voice drifted down faintly from above. "Master, there’s no need to cover up. My senses permeate all of Qingmu; I’ve already seen everything, whether it should be seen or not. This must be your first time with your Divine Soul leaving your body, Master! The Divine Soul possesses a natural Illusion technique. If you don’t want others to see, Master, you can simply conjure some clothes. There’s no need to use my leaves."
Damn it! So embarrassing!
Lin Bai immediately used Illusion to conjure a set of clothes for his Divided God, then coughed dryly and casually tossed the leaf aside, feigning composure.
Only then did Xu Longyun realize what she had just seen. Her face flushed slightly, and she stole another quick glance at where the Divided God had been. But she quickly remembered why she had come and said anxiously, "Master, quickly retract your Divine Soul! With the Heavenly Tribulation overhead, having your Divine Soul outside your body is no joking matter."
"Master, Sister Yun is right," Qing Yun also advised from the sky. "Now is indeed not a good time for your Divine Soul to be out. Without the body’s protection, the Divine Soul is extremely vulnerable to accidental strikes from the lightning."
"It’s fine," Lin Bai strolled over, standing together with his Divided God. "That’s just my second Divine Soul, a new Divine Skill I’ve comprehended. Even if it’s damaged, my main body won’t suffer any harm."
Amidst the crowd’s disbelieving expressions, the Divine Soul Avatar blinked, cupped its fists, and said, "Eldest Brother is right. From now on, I am I, and he is he. We are two separate individuals. You may all call me Lin Erbai."