Two months wasn't a long time, nor was it short. The days slipped by silently, leaving no trace.

The passage of time rarely leaves a mark on a Cultivator's memory, unless something truly earth-shattering and unforgettable occurs.

Unfortunately, nothing of great importance happened during this period. Yang An simply continued his cultivation as planned, focusing all his efforts on increasing his strength. There was only one minor incident of note.

During these two months, Yang An successfully mastered the That Lamp Wisdom Eye Technique and Abyss Dragon Devouring Light.

The That Lamp Wisdom Eye Technique had already left its mark on him, making it relatively easy to master in a very short time.

Since it had already replicated the Abyss Dragon Devouring Light Technique, the That Lamp Wisdom Eye Technique was currently in a "closed-eye" state. He would not be able to use it again until he ascended to the Zombie God realm.

The Technique was powerful, capable of replicating any other Technique it witnessed, but being limited to one use per Great Realm was a definite drawback.

Still, getting the Abyss Dragon Devouring Light Technique out of the deal felt like a "buy one, get one free" special, and Yang An was quite satisfied.

Compared to the That Lamp Wisdom Eye Technique, Abyss Dragon Devouring Light was far more difficult to learn.

As a replicated Technique, it was merely the "seed" of the ability. It couldn't be mastered overnight; it required constant study and Enlightenment, starting from scratch.

Therefore, Yang An had to spend a considerable amount of time to finally learn it.

He often considered himself a genius, much like when he had first learned the Lighting Technique.

While the Techniques of this world weren't particularly hard to master, the real challenge was one's willingness to bear their costs. But in the end, everyone's capacity for Enlightenment was different.

Some might need several months or even longer to master a single Technique, while others might only need ten to fifteen days, or even less.

That was the difference.

The benefit of his high aptitude for Enlightenment was that Yang An could increase his strength more easily. This was the advantage of a genius.

Even before he finished mastering Abyss Dragon Devouring Light, Yang An had begun to use the item Elder Zhuan Yu had given him—the small object that resembled a Blood Pearl.

The item's effect was potent. It could greatly concentrate Mana for Yang An to absorb and refine, drastically shortening the time needed to raise his Cultivation Level.

Yang An's Cultivation Level had been at the Middle Stage of Corpse Transformation for a while, but he was still a long way from the Late Stage.

Even with the Mora Buddha's Acupoint in his body, which allowed him to absorb and refine Mana several times faster than an ordinary Cultivator, he still had to proceed one step at a time. It was impossible to break through to the next stage in a short period.

But with the help of the Blood Pearl, while he was comprehending Abyss Dragon Devouring Light, Yang An's Mana shot up like a rocket. It grew even faster than his comprehension of the Technique, allowing him to first reach the Perfection of the Middle Stage of Corpse Transformation.

Once all his preparations were complete, relying on the Techniques he had now mastered, Yang An began to integrate the Dao of Destiny Technique.

The process was smooth, the "operation" a success. With that, his twelfth Dao of Destiny Technique was complete!

Yang An successfully broke through to the Late Stage of Corpse Transformation.

Unfortunately, the Blood Pearl from Elder Zhuan Yu was nearly depleted. The small amount that remained could only be used to solidify his new Cultivation Level, not providing any significant boost.

Still, he was quite satisfied. Every increase in strength was a cause for celebration.

Of course, Yang An didn't remain idle after his Cultivation Level increased.

The two Magic Techniques, Celestial Gnomon Light and Nine Forces Shocking Dragon, had been completely expended in the previous battle and had not yet been replenished.

He spent the rest of his time cultivating and replenishing the power of those Magic Techniques.

And so, two months passed uneventfully, save for a single incident.

Hui Yu brought him a Jade Talisman that had been sent from the Mystic Path Sect.

The moment he heard "Mystic Path Sect," Yang An knew it was a message from Junior Sister Wen Yin. The news that he had become Elder Zhuan Yu's disciple must have reached the sect by now.

Just as he'd expected.

Around the time he left the Mystic Path Sect for Ten Directions City in Celestial Jing State—right about when he first met Elder Zhuan Yu—the Mystic Path Sect had been probed and attacked.

The Mystic Path Sect had established itself on the former Mountain Gate of the Jade Flesh Sect, so it was natural that other powers and Cultivators would come sniffing around.

Before they had control of the Golden Thread Sect Seal, no one would show them any deference.

Even after obtaining the Golden Thread Sect Seal, gaining the recognition of the Golden Thread Pavilion, and becoming a minor power in Zichuan State, they were still vulnerable to attack.

After all, the resources in any given region were finite. For the new to survive, the old had to be swept away.

Fortunately, Elder Zhuan Yu had promised Yang An he would arrange for people to watch over his Sect, which prevented any major disasters.

Just when the Mystic Path Sect was on the verge of collapse, Jinzhu City, the main city of Zichuan State, sent reinforcements. The attackers naturally retreated without a sound.

However, the letter from Wen Yin also contained bad news.

Elder Zhuan Yu had indeed sent people to look after the Mystic Path Sect, but the contingent from Jinzhu City had settled in and refused to leave, claiming it was to "better protect" the sect.

Elder Zhuan Yu had given an order: no harm was to come to the Mystic Path Sect, not even a single hair on anyone's head was to be touched. But! At the same time, no one was allowed to leave.

In other words, Elder Zhuan Yu was using the Mystic Path Sect as leverage against Yang An, holding it firmly in his grasp.

Yang An understood. This was a measure to ensure his obedience for the mission to the Great Virtue Temple. But he knew it wouldn't be the only one; there were surely others.

He sent a message back telling Junior Sister Wen Yin to look after the Mystic Path Sect. But aside from a few words of comfort, there was nothing else Yang An could do.

He was the leader of the Mystic Path Sect, but now even he was forced to compromise. For the time being, all he could do was take things one step at a time.

Following Yang An's instructions, Miao Xiang took his reply to be sent back to the Mystic Path Sect, which would later be dispatched through contacts within the Golden Thread Pavilion. She also brought news of another matter from within the Pavilion, one that directly concerned him.

Yin Zhou had just been accepted as a disciple by Elder Wen Zhao, and before he could even perform the formal ceremony, he was "sent away" by Yang An.

Elder Wen Zhao had gone to the Pavilion Master three times, accusing Yang An of harming a fellow disciple and demanding his punishment.

But to everyone's surprise, the Pavilion Master had impatiently dismissed him each time and had, in fact, protected Yang An.

This incident stunned many within the Golden Thread Pavilion. No one had expected that an Internal Affairs Elder would be unable to use his influence with the Pavilion Master to punish a mere disciple.

As a result of this affair, Yang An's name began to cause a stir within the Golden Thread Pavilion.

Yang An's reaction to all this was to ignore it completely. He felt untroubled, even finding it slightly amusing.

He would be leaving the Golden Thread Pavilion soon anyway. The next time he saw anyone from the Pavilion, they might well be his open enemies.

Fortunately, it was only his name that had spread. Not many people knew what he looked like or knew his background. Otherwise, his future undercover work would certainly be compromised.

「One day.」

Elder Zhuan Yu once again appeared in Yang An's small loft, as if from nowhere.

Yang An was cultivating in the Quiet Chamber upstairs, not wasting a single moment. When he suddenly sensed Elder Zhuan Yu's aura, he rushed downstairs to greet him.

"The two-month period is up. Are you ready?"

Elder Zhuan Yu's expression today was rather solemn, carrying an intimidating air without any sign of anger. Most people would not dare to approach him.

"I am ready, Master. Please give me your instructions."

Yang An knew what he had to say. 'The question is just a formality,' he thought. 'It doesn't matter if I'm truly ready or not.'

"Excellent!"

Elder Zhuan Yu nodded, satisfied. Then, he flicked a finger.

Instantly, Yang An's body became rigid, as if he were frozen in place.

At the same time, a thread of blood shot from Elder Zhuan Yu's chest and buried itself between Yang An's eyebrows.

A pain that seemed to originate from his very soul flared up, but it vanished as quickly as it came, gone in the blink of an eye.

"You little brat, he's bound your soul!"

At that moment, the Bow Lady's voice sounded in Yang An's mind, warning him.

'So? Can you break it?'

'I can't. I'm not all-powerful, you know.'

Hearing the Bow Lady's reply, Yang An sighed inwardly.

He had known Elder Zhuan Yu would place some kind of restriction on him before he left for the Great Virtue Temple. This was all within his expectations.

"This is a Rule Seal," Elder Zhuan Yu said with a smile. "Don't even think about trying to break it. Once you're at the Great Virtue Temple, you'll know what to say and what not to say. I don't need to spell out the consequences if you disobey... you're smart enough to understand."

"The Rule Seal will flare up every three months, and only I can intervene. As long as you do exactly as I say, I will ensure your safety."

"I understand, Master!" Yang An replied.

Then, Elder Zhuan Yu raised his hand again, his fingers tapping several times in the empty air.

Yang An suddenly found a formation diagram composed of countless bloody threads materializing beneath him. Under Elder Zhuan Yu's control, the threads began to weave together at bizarre angles before crawling all over Yang An's body.

In the blink of an eye, he was covered from head to toe in the bloody threads.

But just as quickly, the threads faded, disappearing without a trace.

At the same time, Yang An noticed his Cultivation Level was being rapidly suppressed.

He had just reached the Late Stage of Corpse Transformation, but now his power was being sealed away. Though the Mana within him remained unchanged, it felt as if it were under lock and key, his apparent Cultivation Level rapidly plummeting to the Middle Stage of Fake Food.

To fall from the Late Stage of Corpse Transformation all the way down to the Middle Stage of Fake Food felt like plummeting off a cliff. The drop was immense.

But Yang An soon noticed something. He could clearly perceive the Seal hidden within his body, and it seemed he could control it freely.

"This is a Concealment Seal," Elder Zhuan Yu explained. "It suppresses your Cultivation Level. With your current strength, it would be extremely difficult to gain the trust of the Great Virtue Temple.

"I won't interfere with it. Think of it as an extra layer of insurance. Control is in your hands; you can release the Seal whenever you wish, provided you aren't discovered by the Great Virtue Temple."

"However, I do have a suggestion. If you wish to gain their trust more quickly at the Great Virtue Temple, you can assess the situation and gradually release the Seal, revealing your 'strength' and 'talent' over time."