The Age of Dharma's End had left behind countless mysteries.
Even now, thousands of years after that ancient era had passed, records concerning the period before and after the Age of Dharma's End remained fragmented, scattered throughout ancient inheritances, sealed ruins, forbidden lands and the secret records of the major powers. What made the matter even stranger was that many of the surviving records appeared to have been deliberately concealed, as though someone had gone through the history of the Immortal Continent and erased everything that was considered too important for ordinary cultivators to know.
Most cultivators only knew that the spiritual environment of the ancient era had once been far more prosperous than the present.
There had been Rank 4 spiritual veins spread throughout the continent, Rank 5 spiritual veins were not considered impossible to find, and even naturally occurring Rank 6 spiritual veins had existed in certain regions.
Naturally, those spiritual veins had never remained unclaimed.
The moment such a spiritual vein appeared, the major powers of that era would fight over it, and the stronger powers would often use their spatial abilities to move the entire spiritual vein into their own secret realms, sealing the surrounding space and turning the spiritual vein into a private source of cultivation for their descendants.
It was said that during the height of that era, even the spiritual energy circulating between heaven and earth was several times denser than what existed now.
With such an environment, it was inevitable that countless powerful cultivators would emerge.
Divine Transformation cultivators had once stood at the peak of the continent, and beneath them were countless Nascent Soul and Golden Core experts, each commanding enormous forces and possessing foundations that modern cultivators could hardly imagine.
Naturally, among those ancient powers were both righteous and demonic factions.
The distinction between the two had never been as simple as good and evil.
Even among righteous sects, there were people with darkness in their hearts, while some cultivators classified as demonic were not necessarily bloodthirsty madmen.
The difference was that the righteous powers still maintained certain boundaries.
They cared about reputation, inheritance and the appearance of order.
They could fight, scheme, suppress their enemies and even secretly eliminate their opponents, but openly massacring entire regions without restraint would bring condemnation from the rest of the cultivation world.
That invisible restraint was one of the reasons the current cultivation world could maintain its fragile balance.
But a true demonic force was different.
If the rumours concerning the Seven Star Palace were true, then the situation in the Eastern Region was far more serious than anyone had initially imagined.
The Seven Star Palace might not simply be an ambitious Nascent Soul sect attempting to expand its territory.
It might be the surviving remnant of an ancient demonic power.
The Profound Union Sect.
The name itself had begun appearing in whispers throughout the Eastern Region.
Nobody knew exactly where the rumours had originated, and nobody could prove that the Seven Star Palace was truly connected to the ancient Profound Union Sect, but the possibility alone was enough to make countless cultivators uneasy.
After all, if the Seven Star Palace really possessed even a small portion of the Profound Union Sect's ancient foundation, then the current conflict would no longer be a simple dispute between three Nascent Soul powers.
The reason was simple.
Ancient inheritances were terrifying.
A single surviving cultivation method, an ancient formation, a sealed treasure, a remnant spiritual vein or a technique capable of reaching higher realms could completely change the balance between forces.
More importantly, if the Seven Star Palace truly inherited the methods of an ancient demonic power, then the cultivators within the sect might not be comparable to ordinary demonic cultivators.
Most demonic cultivators in the current era cultivated through incomplete or inferior methods.
Many relied upon blood sacrifices, soul refinement, poisonous substances, Gu insects and other dangerous methods because they lacked proper inheritances.
Such cultivation could indeed produce astonishingly fast results, but the price was often a damaged foundation.
Their spiritual energy might become impure, their bodies could suffer hidden injuries, their minds were more susceptible to heart demons, and their future advancement would often become increasingly difficult.
As a result, an ordinary demonic cultivator might possess a cultivation realm that appeared frightening at first glance, yet their actual combat power could be considerably weaker than that of a properly nurtured disciple from a major righteous sect.
But what if the Seven Star Palace possessed genuine ancient demonic inheritances?
What if their cultivators did not suffer those weaknesses?
What if their demonic techniques could cultivate pure spiritual energy, strengthen their foundations and allow them to advance without relying upon endless slaughter?
The thought alone was enough to make many cultivators uneasy.
A demonic cultivator with a weak foundation was already troublesome.
A demonic cultivator with a foundation comparable to the disciples of a major righteous sect would be something entirely different.
And if there were hundreds of such cultivators hidden within a Nascent Soul-level demonic force, nobody could predict how far the consequences would spread.
Many cultivators hoped that the rumours were nothing more than fabricated stories created by someone attempting to provoke conflict.
Unfortunately, there were always people who believed otherwise.
There was an old saying in the cultivation world.
There was no smoke without fire.
Whether the rumours were true or false remained unknown, but the Eastern Region had already begun changing.
The fragile peace was disappearing.
And while the various factions were busy watching one another, Lin Sheng was quietly cultivating.
Deep within Dragon Yuan Mountain, inside a secluded courtyard, Lin Sheng sat cross-legged beneath the old tree.
His breathing was slow.
His body remained completely motionless.
A faint pressure surrounded him, barely noticeable to ordinary cultivators, yet anyone with sufficient cultivation would be able to sense that something within his body was undergoing an extremely profound transformation.
Inside his body, within the region corresponding to his Qi Sea Dantian, a strange object had gradually begun to take shape.
It was a seed.
It was only the size of a grain of rice at first, but its existence was extraordinarily profound.
Five different colours intertwined around its surface, continuously circulating without mixing completely.
The red represented Fire.
The green represented Wood.
The blue represented Water.
The golden colour represented Metal.
The yellow represented Earth.
The five colours constantly revolved around one another, occasionally separating before merging again, forming an incredibly mysterious cycle.
This was the Divine Ability Seed born from the Five Elements Body Forging Art.
Lin Sheng had already reached the Golden Body Realm.
Normally, after a cultivator broke through into Rank 4 through a proper cultivation method, the cultivation method itself would begin undergoing a transformation.
The method would no longer merely temper the body or refine spiritual energy.
Its profound principles would gradually condense into something that belonged directly to the cultivator.
A Divine Ability Seed.
The process was neither immediate nor simple.
For an ordinary cultivator, forming the first Divine Ability Seed could take five years, ten years or even longer depending on their comprehension and the quality of their cultivation method.
Lin Sheng, however, had already sensed the existence of his seed some time ago.
Now, it had finally begun to take shape.
He could feel the Five Elements Dao Rhymes flowing continuously around it.
At the same time, his comprehension of the Yin-Yang Treasure Robe had progressed considerably.
Although he had not yet completely formed its Divine Ability Seed, the foundations were already being established within his body.
In other words, he was gradually approaching the point where he would possess two Divine Ability Seeds.
Unfortunately, two seeds were still not enough.
The Golden Body Realm was divided into several stages, and the difference between each stage was enormous.
One Divine Ability Seed represented the foundation of the early stage.
Three Divine Ability Seeds were required before one could undergo the qualitative transformation necessary to enter the mid stage.
Four represented the late stage.
Five represented the peak.
Therefore, even if Lin Sheng successfully formed his Five Elements Divine Ability Seed and later completed the Yin-Yang Treasure Robe, he would still require another Divine Ability before he could truly enter the mid stage of the Golden Body Realm.
He was not in a hurry.
His foundation was already too powerful for him to cultivate recklessly.
Instead, Lin Sheng closed his eyes and slowly extended his mental perception inward.
The moment his perception touched the five-coloured seed, something changed.
Boom!
His mind trembled.
In an instant, an enormous amount of information surged into his consciousness.
It was not ordinary information.
It was Dao Rhythm.
The Five Elements Dao Rhymes flooded his mind like an endless river, carrying countless profound changes.
He saw flames burning beneath the heavens, wood growing from the earth, rivers flowing through mountains, metal forming beneath the ground and the earth itself carrying everything above it.
Then the five principles began interacting.
Fire gave birth to Earth.
Earth gave birth to Metal.
Metal gave birth to Water.
Water gave birth to Wood.
Wood gave birth to Fire.
At the same time, another cycle appeared.
Fire restrained Metal.
Metal restrained Wood.
Wood restrained Earth.
Earth restrained Water.
Water restrained Fire.
The two cycles intertwined.
Rather than conflicting, they formed a perfect balance.
Lin Sheng's consciousness was immediately pulled deeper into the Five Elements.
His physical body began trembling slightly.
A faint golden light appeared beneath his skin, followed by a crimson glow, then green, blue and yellow.
The Five Elements Dao Rhymes began flowing outward from the Divine Ability Seed.
They passed through his Qi Sea, travelled along his meridians and eventually entered every part of his physical body.
His bones began vibrating.
His muscles tightened.
His blood began surging through his veins with greater force.
Even his Golden Body seemed to become clearer beneath the influence of the Dao Rhymes.
The transformation did not stop there.
The Five Elements Dao Rhymes also touched his Astral Gang Essence.
Lin Sheng immediately noticed the change.
His Astral Gang Essence, which had originally been formed from the fusion of his spiritual energy and Martial Dao foundation, began resonating with the Five Elements.
It was as though two different systems had suddenly found a point of connection.
His Astral Gang became heavier.
Not physically heavier, but more substantial.
Every strand of Astral Gang Essence seemed to contain a faint trace of the Five Elements.
Lin Sheng's expression became solemn.
So this is the transformation brought about by a Divine Ability Seed.
His previous understanding of the Five Elements Body Forging Art had primarily focused on strengthening his physical body.
But now that the Divine Ability Seed had begun forming, he finally understood that the true profundity of the method lay far beyond simple body refinement.
The Five Elements were not merely five attributes.
They were principles.
They described the transformation and interaction of countless things within heaven and earth.
His body was merely the vessel.
The true power was the Dao contained within it.
Lin Sheng remained completely still.
Days passed.
Then more days.
One day became several days.
Several days became weeks.
Then, finally, Lin Sheng opened his eyes.
A strange light flashed through his pupils.
The five-coloured glow that had previously been visible beneath his skin had completely disappeared.
There was no longer any obvious aura around him.
Yet Lin Sheng immediately sensed the difference.
His body had become stronger.
Not merely in terms of physical strength.
The connection between his physical body and his Astral Gang Essence had become considerably more harmonious, and his control over his own power had reached another level.
Even his perception of the Five Elements had become clearer.
He slowly clenched his fist.
The surrounding space trembled faintly.
Lin Sheng's eyes narrowed.
The increase in strength was not explosive.
It was more like a silent transformation.
His foundation had become deeper.
His body had become more compatible with the Five Elements.
His Astral Gang Essence had gained another layer of profundity.
Most importantly, he could clearly sense that the Divine Ability Seed within him was no longer merely beginning to form.
It had already taken shape.
A complete five-coloured seed floated quietly within his body, rotating slowly and releasing a profound Dao Rhythm that continuously nourished his Golden Body.
Lin Sheng stared inward for several breaths.
"One Divine Ability Seed."
He murmured softly.