After a few breaths, Lin Zheyu slowly opened his eyes. The true origin within him had reached the limit of his physique, filling every meridian in his body. Without pause, he began improving the Primordial Condensed Acupoint Technique. He took out five more spirit stones from his storage pouch and held them in his hand.

Use 12 units of Origin Force to cultivate the Primordial Condensed Acupoint Technique.

A familiar sensation washed over him. Torrents of true origin flowed through his meridians. As it passed each acupoint, it seeped into them through a special method, nourishing them. The opening of acupoints involved three stages: nurturing, strengthening, and unlocking. It was an extremely time-consuming process. The stronger the foundation, the harder it was to open them, but the greater the improvement to the physique once completed. As the true origin circulated under the influence of an immense, mysterious power, acupoints began to open one after another.

His already powerful physique grew even stronger as the acupoints opened. His muscles, skin, and bones became increasingly dense and refined. Every cell was filled with terrifying, explosive power. Even his Perception Domain showed signs of transformation. Its coverage seemed close to its limit, and its expansion slowed, yet his sensitivity within that range improved at an astonishing rate.

After a few breaths, Lin Zheyu slowly opened his eyes. The entire world felt clearer than ever before.

"My physique has improved, and my Perception Domain now extends beyond 2,200 meters."

Lin Zheyu carefully experienced the changes. His Perception Domain had grown significantly stronger, and the gap between it and spiritual sense was rapidly closing.

[Heaven Rewards the Diligent]

[Name: Lin Zheyu]

[Origin Force: 2]

[Skills: Origin Returning Technique (Perfection), Primordial Condensed Acupoint Technique (Initial Mastery: 38%), Phantom Flash Soul-Chasing Steps (Third Stage: 89%), Sacred Evolution Spirit Nurturing Art (Second Stage: 100%), Thunder Roaring Purple Cloud Technique (Fourth Stage: 10%), Primordial Wuji True Technique (Fourth Stage: 18%)]

"Even after using 12 units of Origin Force, it's only reached Initial Mastery at 38%. I didn't expect opening acupoints to be this difficult," Lin Zheyu said, shaking his head slightly.

However, the greater the difficulty, the better. It meant that the latent potential of his body was even more terrifying than he thought, and the strength gained after opening acupoints would be greater. The solid foundation he had built during the Marrow Refining realm was now beginning to show its benefits as his strength increased.

"The difficulty of opening acupoints increases with their number. For the remaining 218 acupoints, it will likely take more than 20 units of Origin Force, possibly 30. It's still manageable, however. It won't take too long," Lin Zheyu murmured.

With a thought, the Ninefold Origin Lock Art began to operate. His aura rapidly diminished as true origin flowed into the acupoints throughout his body. All the acupoints involved in the Ninefold Origin Lock Art were among those he had already opened. Lin Zheyu felt that the technique was now much easier to operate, and the strain on his body had been greatly reduced.

"I reached the ninth turn with ease. I didn't expect the effects of opening acupoints to be this powerful," Lin Zheyu said, a smile appearing on his face.

He looked at the data in his mind. Many of the acupoints he had opened were also involved in the Primordial Wuji True Technique, and that technique had improved alongside them. However, it no longer held much meaning for him. He did not intend to follow the Primordial Wuji True Technique to reach the Grandmaster realm, nor did he plan to break through to the Martial Innate realm.

I'll hide the useless techniques for now.

With that thought, only a few techniques that currently needed improvement remained in his awareness. The others were merely hidden. Whenever Lin Zheyu needed them, they would reappear with a single thought.

[Heaven Rewards the Diligent]

[Name: Lin Zheyu]

[Origin Force: 2]

[Skills: Primordial Condensed Acupoint Technique (Initial Mastery: 38%), Phantom Flash Soul-Chasing Steps (Third Stage: 89%), Thunder Roaring Purple Cloud Technique (Fourth Stage: 10%)]

"Mm, this will do for now," Lin Zheyu said, nodding slightly as he looked at the data.

***

Time passed slowly as another month went by. Under the surface, currents stirred across Great Wei, but since the last space-time node in Wuling City had been sealed, nothing major had happened. Aside from helping capture spies and enemies who had infiltrated the city every few days, Lin Zheyu had few tasks to deal with.

In his free time, aside from reading martial cultivation manuals, he would wander around Wuling City. Lin Zheyu wanted to see how many immortal cultivators were hidden within the city. Over the course of a month, he did indeed discover quite a few traces of them. Most of these people kept a low profile and did not dare cause trouble in Wuling City.

Using his enhanced Perception Domain, Lin Zheyu also gathered quite a bit of interesting information, including details about the monitoring formation. The monitoring formation was a powerful one created by the Directorate of Celestial Observation that covered the entire city. No immortal cultivator dared act recklessly within its bounds.

It was the height of summer, and the heat was intense. A breeze swept through, carrying waves of hot air that stirred the leaves in White Pine Residence, producing a rustling sound. Lin Zheyu sat cross-legged beneath a tree. True origin surged within him. Under the influence of mysterious energy, the acupoints throughout his body opened one after another.

When he opened acupoints related to the essence origin divine repository, his life essence increased greatly, and his vitality became extraordinarily vigorous. When he opened acupoints related to the spirit divine repository, his mental strength surged by 30%, and his spiritual sense improved significantly. Its range expanded to about seven hundred meters.

When he opened acupoints related to the essence and qi divine repository, his physique and true origin underwent a remarkable qualitative change, and the speed of recovery of his blood qi and true origin increased substantially.

***

When all the acupoints throughout his body were successfully opened, Lin Zheyu's entire body trembled violently, and his bright red blood instantly turned golden.

Each heartbeat of his resounded like thunderous drums. With every beat, immense energy coursed through his body. Lin Zheyu slowly opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing within them.

[Heaven Rewards the Diligent]

[Name: Lin Zheyu]

[Origin Force: 3]

[Skills: Primordial Condensed Acupoint Technique (Perfection), Phantom Flash Soul-Chasing Steps (Third Stage: 89%), Thunder Roaring Purple Cloud Technique (Fourth Stage: 21%)]

"Finally, it's reached Perfection!"

Lin Zheyu let out a long breath as the powerful fluctuations of his aura quickly subsided. He had thought it would take around 30 units of Origin Force to open all the acupoints in his body, but it ended up requiring 46 units. It far exceeded his expectations. Still, the gains left him extremely satisfied. His physique now brimmed with boundless strength. Every cell in his body was incredibly powerful, filled with terrifying vitality.

He coated the Blazing Sun Saber with true origin and slashed his arm. Blood spurted from the wound, yet it quickly healed, visible at a rapid pace. In the past, this would have been unimaginable for Lin Zheyu. He had not used his true origin to recover. It was purely the natural regenerative ability of his physique.

"The essence origin divine repository grants me powerful vitality. The essence and qi divine repository allows me to store immense energy. The spirit divine repository transforms my mind and soul," Lin Zheyu murmured softly.

After opening all the acupoints in his body, a realization rose within him. He began to grasp the nature of the three great divine repositories of martial cultivation. Simply opening the acupoints had already brought such astonishing improvements to his physique. His recovery ability was nearly comparable to that of yaos and demons. If he were to fully open the essence origin divine repository and the essence and qi divine repository, surpassing yaos and demons in both physique and regeneration might not be impossible.

"The potential of martial cultivation, and the potential of the human body... It's truly unfathomable!"

Lin Zheyu grew even more confident in his future path of martial cultivation. He had already found his way forward. He was certain that once the three great divine repositories were fully opened, his strength would undergo a complete transformation.

"I still have 3 units of Origin Force. I'll keep them in reserve for now. Next, I'll work on improving the Primordial Concealment Technique."

Lin Zheyu looked at the data in his mind. With a thought, the Primordial Concealment Technique appeared.

[Heaven Rewards the Diligent]

[Name: Lin Zheyu]

[Origin Force: 3]

[Skills: Primordial Condensed Acupoint Technique (Perfection), Primordial Concealment Technique (Dormancy), Phantom Flash Soul-Chasing Steps (Third Stage: 89%). Thunder Roaring Purple Cloud Technique (Fourth Stage: 21%)]

The so-called Primordial Concealment Technique was a powerful concealment method Lin Zheyu had created over the past month through constant experimentation and research. It combined more than a dozen concealment techniques, the Ninefold Origin Lock Art, life-preserving techniques, and the Evernight Slumber Secret Art.

Concealment techniques were different from the Primordial Condensed Acupoint Technique. A concealment technique had to operate continuously in daily life, while the Primordial Condensed Acupoint Technique only needed to be raised to Perfection with Origin Force to complete its purpose of opening acupoints. Any side effects or bodily damage during its cultivation could be ignored. That was not the case for concealment techniques.

A concealment technique had to be used regularly. If its side effects were too severe or it caused too much damage to the body, the consequences would be serious. However, this was not a difficult problem for Lin Zheyu.

I'll improve it step by step. Once the Primordial Concealment Technique reaches Perfection and I have enough accumulation, experience, and cultivation data, I can use that as a foundation to create a second version, then a third, and a fourth... Eventually, I'll eliminate all its side effects.

This was the true strength of Origin Force. The unique nature of the consciousness space meant he did not have to worry about irreversible harm while cultivating techniques within it. Lin Zheyu could design techniques based on his ideas, using his martial cultivation knowledge and experience, then repeatedly train them in that space, identify flaws, and refine them.

Stepping out of the courtyard, his Perception Domain spread outward. Walking through Wuling City, listening to the calls of vendors and the bustle of passersby, a sense of calm settled in his heart. He enjoyed the lively warmth of ordinary life.

***

Time passed slowly.

Lin Zheyu read large amounts of martial manuals he had acquired from sects and the black market. His powerful spirit and soul boosted his comprehension and memory to astonishing levels. He could go through several manuals each day.

Lin Zheyu continued to accumulate martial knowledge, gather Origin Force, and cultivate the Primordial Concealment Technique. Based on feedback from his training, he constantly refined the technique.

Days passed one after another. One day, Lin Zheyu arrived at the familiar Jingshui Tavern. This was the same tavern where he had previously discovered the two people plotting to explore the ruins. Since then, he often came here to see if he could uncover anything further. As before, his Perception Domain spread outward.

Suddenly, a loud shout exploded within Lin Zheyu's Perception Domain.

"Who's there?"