A brisk wind swept past. Along the elegant path, unknown flora surrounded them. Tiny wild rabbits and field mice, startled by a figure, scattered in a panic, squeaking angrily. Thump!

He tumbled headfirst into a thicket of flowers. When Ji Changkong stood up, his head was covered in weeds, topped by a veritable bird’s nest, making him look utterly disheveled. Yi Jia and Yi Rou, following behind, laughed unrestrainedly, teasing him about his comical appearance. Ayiguli dared not be so forward, but she still raised a small hand to cover her crimson lips beneath her veil.

Her captivating, soul-stealing eyes were full of laughter. Mulu, however, looked strangely fixed on Ji Changkong, staring intently with a thoughtful expression. He made no move to brush the weeds from his head, ignoring the teasing of the two young girls, Yi Jia and Yi Rou, and paying no mind to Ayiguli or Mulu. After rising from the flower patch, Ji Changkong frowned, deep in thought, stopping stock-still with his head bowed. “Hey, Ji Changkong, did that bump knock you silly? Why aren't you saying anything?” Yi Jia strode towards him, laughing loudly. Mulu suddenly materialized beside Yi Jia like a phantom and made a ‘shush’ gesture: “Miss Yi, please don't disturb him. He should be contemplating something very crucial right now.” Yi Jia cutely wrinkled her nose and huffed, tilting her chin up, clearly unwilling to bother with Mulu, and turned to walk back toward Yi Rou, whispering softly with her. Mulu was like a block of stone—unapproachable and unwilling to mingle with anyone outside the Aoluo Divine Cult. On this journey, Mulu had never proactively spoken to Yi Jia or Yi Rou. His speaking up now clearly indicated he didn't want Yi Jia interrupting Ji Changkong's train of thought. Mulu possessed the cultivation of the Eighth Heaven Realm, whereas the most powerful among the Yi family, Yi Kui, only reached the Eighth Heaven Realm. Yi Kui was the head of the Yi family, the girls' grandfather, usually aloof and spending most of his time in secluded cultivation. It was difficult even to secure a meeting with him. Upon realizing that Mulu was on the same level as their grandfather, Yi Kui, and considering Mulu’s exalted status within the Aoluo Divine Cult, Yi Jia and Yi Rou dared not be frivolous. After stopping Yi Jia's interruption, Mulu stood quietly a short distance from Ji Changkong, blending into the shadows like a dark shadow, so much so that most people wouldn't even notice such a formidable figure hidden near him. “Teacher, do you think he's just wasting his effort?” Ayiguli appeared beside Mulu at some point, her smile vanishing as she spoke solemnly: “Ever since we left Gaoyang City, he’s been cultivating in silence. But ‘Thousand Shades of Swift Shadow’ requires the foundation of the Complete Art of the Aoluo Divine Spirit, and without knowing our unique method of Yuan Power application, it's simply impossible to master such profound intricacies as ‘Thousand Shades of Swift Shadow,’ isn't it?”

Ayiguli found it difficult to understand. To her, Ji Changkong’s efforts during this period seemed like wasted exertion. Throughout the journey, he had indeed failed to grasp the path of cultivation, repeatedly falling into the grass or colliding with ancient trees. Once, he exerted too much force and suddenly tumbled toward a bottomless cliff; if Mulu hadn't been quick-witted and swift, he would have been smashed to pieces. “The Cult Master is a natural genius; I believe he will surely succeed in his cultivation!” Dagan stood silently to the side, stating firmly in the language of the Western Regions. Luoli and Luoji actually nodded in agreement, both seeming to possess complete faith in Ji Changkong. Ayiguli looked surprised. Dagan and his brothers had been in the Aoluo Divine Cult for many years and clearly possessed broad experience. Yet, after following Ji Changkong for less than two months, they had suddenly developed such confidence in him for no apparent reason. Ayiguli found it strange. “Uncle Lagan, why do you believe he can master ‘Thousand Shades of Swift Shadow’?”

Lagan gazed far off at the motionless Ji Changkong, his face serious: “Have you ever seen a cultivator of the Fourth Heaven Realm force a group of cultivators from the Seventh Star Heaven Realm into such a sorry state? Let alone a gap of several levels, even a single-level difference is not so easily crossed!”

After a pause, Lagan’s eyes shone like lamps, and his voice grew louder: “But the Cult Master did it! Because of that, I absolutely will not believe that a Fourth Heaven cultivator can defeat a Seventh Star Heaven cultivator!” “It’s all thanks to the Heavenly Origin Seed of our Divine Cult!” Ayiguli retorted somewhat unconvinced. In her heart, she never believed Ji Changkong was such a born genius. As a fellow youth, she couldn't help but compare herself to him. Lagan chuckled, seemingly understanding the root of Ayiguli’s defensiveness, and turned to Mulu solemnly: “Elder, tell us, is the talk about the Heavenly Origin Seed actually true?”

“What?” Ayiguli looked somewhat confused. “Teacher, what is this talk about the Heavenly Origin Seed? Does it really mean that one can borrow the power of the Heavenly Origin Seed to vastly increase the combat strength of the wielder?”

The brothers Luoli and Luoji also looked at Mulu expectantly, apparently having wanted to ask this question for some time. Under their expectant gazes, Mulu nodded with a sly expression! “Yes, according to the legends of the Divine Cult, the Cult Masters who wielded the Heavenly Origin Seed throughout history could indeed borrow its power to greatly boost their combat strength!”

Ayiguli shot Dagan a triumphant glance and said matter-of-factly: “I told you so; it’s impossible for him to be so formidable without reason—it's all due to the holy artifact of the Divine Cult.” “However,” Mulu continued, his expression oddly complicated as he glanced at Ji Changkong in the distance, saying something unbelievable, “the Cult Masters throughout history who borrowed the power of the Heavenly Origin Seed could, at most, increase their own strength a few times! Moreover, every time they amplified their strength using the Heavenly Origin Seed, their bodies would suffer a heavy shock, absolutely forbidding them from mobilizing their Yuan Power again for a long period, requiring lengthy recovery!”

Mulu looked extremely peculiar and couldn't help glancing at Ji Changkong in the distance, saying with utter incredulity: “But when the Cult Master last borrowed the power of the Heavenly Origin Seed, his own strength wasn’t increased merely a few times—it was a full leap across three cultivation realm boundaries! The power gap between the Fourth Heaven and the Seventh Star Heaven can no longer be measured in multiples!”

Taking a deep breath, Mulu added: “That’s not even the most astonishing part. What truly amazed me is that after the Cult Master used the power of the Heavenly Origin Seed, he suffered no side effects whatsoever; he was still lively and well! Afterward, he even broke through to the Fifth Elemental Heaven Realm!”

Upon uttering the last sentence, Mulu could no longer contain his shock, murmuring distractedly: “Inconceivable, truly inconceivable. Such a strange occurrence has never happened in the history of the Aoluo Divine Cult!” When Mulu finished speaking, Ayiguli was dumbfounded, staring blankly at the pensive Ji Changkong for a long time, speechless. “Dagan spoke rightly; others might not be able to practice without the Complete Art of the Aoluo Divine Spirit, but the Cult Master might truly be an exception,” Mulu hesitated slightly before saying, “Although he’s bumping into things randomly, he is indeed moving. For most people, even after ten years of practice, they wouldn't manage to move even once according to the technique of ‘Thousand Shades of Swift Shadow.’” The Dagan brothers all looked as if they deeply understood, saying in unison: “Yes, the Cult Master has at least made a good start…”

The secrets of the Western Region’s Aoluo Divine Cult were indeed vastly different from the Central Lands. Central Lands heavenly masters' secrets usually concentrated Yuan Qi in the chest or the lower abdomen (Dantian). Although the Tai Xu Secret Record formed a 'Tai Xu' within the body, the primary Yuan Power was still concentrated in the abdomen and chest. Only when utilizing offensive techniques would the Yuan Power flow through the meridians throughout the limbs and skeletal structure. Having been with Mulu and the others for so long, Ji Changkong’s keen spirit and sharp senses detected that the Yuan Power within Mulu, Ayiguli, and the Dagan brothers was always distributed throughout their entire network of meridians, limbs, and skeletal frame. Their internal Yuan Power was not concentrated but dispersed, gathering only toward the limb that was about to exert force when they utilized their strength. The Central Lands method was to gather power first, then disperse it to the limbs during an attack; their cultivation method was entirely different: dispersed throughout the body during normal times, gathering only upon attack.

‘Thousand Shades of Swift Shadow,’ as an Aoluo Divine Cult technique, required releasing the Yuan Power dispersed throughout the body via the capillaries during its application. This posed a major problem for Ji Changkong because he had no knowledge of how to release concentrated power through the entire body's capillaries. His recent days of continuous probing and hitting walls stemmed from his attempt to find a method to release his body's Yuan Power through the capillaries without cultivating the ‘Complete Art of the Aoluo Divine Spirit.’ After this period of repeated experimentation and deep study, he discovered that the wondrous heavenly master technique, the Tai Xu Secret Record, granted him an extremely subtle mastery over Yuan Power. Quieting his mind and concentrating, he practiced again and again, gradually realizing that all methods under heaven were interconnected. Even if he hadn't cultivated the ‘Complete Art of the Aoluo Divine Spirit’ from the start, if he truly explored the method, he could still simulate the application method of the ‘Complete Art of the Aoluo Divine Spirit.’ “Force exertion through whole-body capillaries—it means releasing Yuan Power through the whole-body capillaries, where the Yuan Power mixes with the body’s turbid Qi and seeps out through the capillaries all over the body.” “Practice, practice!” In the distance, Ji Changkong muttered to himself with his head bowed. At that moment, he moved slightly, and finally managed to allow his Yuan Power and the body’s turbid Qi to escape through the internal capillaries. His eyes suddenly flashed bright. He stopped pondering and murmuring, immediately applying his internal Yuan Power according to the most basic variation of ‘Thousand Shades of Swift Shadow.’ The massive flow of Yuan Power rushed to his legs and suddenly released through the capillaries in his legs. A sensation of lightness, like a swallow, instantly flooded his heart. His legs suddenly became blurred, giving an unreal, phantom quality. As he took a step, he seemed like a feather, then like a wisp of shadow, moving as if possessing no weight at all. Not far away, Mulu, Ayiguli, and the Dagan brothers, who had been conversing in low voices, all stared at him dumbfounded, unable to conceal the terror on their faces.