Chapter Seventy-Five: The Divine Seal

On the sixth day, Li Sibai swiftly finished absorbing the remaining eighteen Xuantian Jade Pure Pills. After consolidating the progress he had made in his cultivation over the past days, he finally emerged from his meditative state.

At this moment, his complexion was rosy, his eyes shone with vitality, and his entire being seemed brimming with energy, as if overflowing. It was impossible to tell that he had gone several days without eating.

“Brother, how is it? Did you level up?” Caiyao, who had been worried for him throughout these days, was still by his side. She hadn’t left for the hot springs deep in the forest to find something delicious, and she looked noticeably thinner now.

Li Sibai forced a bitter smile, shook his head, and said, “You’ve worked so hard for me, but unfortunately, I haven’t leveled up yet.”

“How could this be?” The Old Tree Spirit wore a look of confusion as well. He too felt it should have been enough, yet Li Sibai still hadn’t advanced.

“I have a feeling,” Li Sibai continued, “that ever since my battle aura was activated by the Breath Guidance Technique you taught me, it has been circulating on its own, balancing the true energy and battle aura within me.”

“Oh? Is there really such a thing?” Though the Old Tree Spirit was well-versed in many matters, he had never heard of anything like this.

Li Sibai nodded. “At first, it balanced quickly, but as I absorbed more Xuantian Jade Pure Pills, the true energy within me grew, requiring even more battle aura to maintain equilibrium. For a while, I could barely endure it; the two forces inside me were almost tearing me apart, leaving me utterly exhausted. But I managed to pull through. Now, because of their constant struggle for space, my inner energy capacity has expanded greatly. I can store far more true energy and battle aura now.”

The Old Tree Spirit grew more astonished the more he listened, his mouth agape, his jaw nearly dropping to the ground.

“Could this be the benefit of harboring dual energies within the body?” the Old Tree Spirit mused.

Li Sibai went on, “So I think that originally these Xuantian Jade Pure Pills were enough for me to level up, but now, with my expanded capacity, I’ll need much more experience to advance. I don’t know if you can understand, and I’m not sure if this is a good thing or not.”

Caiyao looked as innocent and puzzled as ever, but the Old Tree Spirit seemed to understand somewhat.

“Boy, this is a good thing. Even though your rank isn’t increasing as quickly, your strength is already greatly improved. When you do reach the first level of the Heart of the Zither Realm, I’d wager your energy will rival someone at the third level. This is an excellent way to keep your true strength hidden.”

Li Sibai’s eyes brightened at the Old Tree Spirit’s words. He had never thought of it this way before. If his rank rose slower than others, he could conceal his real power. In combat, his opponents might underestimate him due to his low rank, which would work in his favor.

Moreover, Li Sibai could truly sense the tremendous leap in his strength. Having absorbed more than a hundred Xuantian Jade Pure Pills, “rapid progress” was an understatement.

Yet his joy was short-lived; he soon felt troubled again. He recalled the sect’s rules: no matter how strong he had become, if he hadn’t reached the first level of the Heart of the Zither Realm in rank after a few months, he would be sent back to the outer sect. That would delight Guo Jian; Li Sibai would be expelled without his rival lifting a finger.

Thinking of this, Li Sibai gritted his teeth and asked, “Elder, I still need to advance while in this Dark Forest, otherwise I can’t return to the sect. Do you have any ideas?”

The Old Tree Spirit considered for a moment. “Boy, could you let me take a look at that pill bottle you keep with you?”

Li Sibai was startled. This tourmaline bottle had been a gift from Uncle Da, who hoped Li Sibai would one day uncover its secret. He hadn’t expected the Old Tree Spirit to take an interest in it.

He quickly produced the now-empty bottle from his robes and handed it over. “Elder, is there something unusual about this bottle?”

“I’m not certain, but I sense it’s not an ordinary object. Let me study it a bit.”

Li Sibai nodded and took out some provisions to eat while he waited. The Old Tree Spirit kept turning the bottle over, occasionally nodding thoughtfully. Caiyao came over as well, her curiosity piqued by the exquisite bottle.

The pill storage bottle glowed with a faint blue light, its surface etched with beautiful patterns, and near the mouth of the bottle was a fine, almost invisible line. Without careful observation, it would go unnoticed.

Li Sibai remembered Uncle Da’s story: an old woman had exhausted her strength trying to repair that tiny fissure, but ultimately a trace of it remained.

“This fine line seems to connect to somewhere else, like an entrance,” the Old Tree Spirit muttered, though both Li Sibai and Caiyao could hear him.

“But it seems to be sealed by a formidable power, locking the entrance. I tried several times to channel my battle aura inside, but failed each time,” the Old Tree Spirit said regretfully. Though he had guessed the bottle’s nature, he had no way to prove it.

“Let me try,” Li Sibai said, intrigued.

“Be careful,” the Old Tree Spirit warned.

Li Sibai took the tourmaline bottle and tried channeling both his true energy and battle aura toward the fine line. The line seemed to ripple but quickly returned to stillness. At the same time, he felt a backlash that almost made him dizzy. Luckily, the Old Tree Spirit, having experienced the same, helped him recover.

This bottle is truly extraordinary, Li Sibai thought. Could it be a divine artifact?

“Let me try,” Caiyao said, seeing their failures and wanting to have a go herself.

Li Sibai was about to stop her, knowing the dangers and that Caiyao lacked offensive power. He didn’t want her to take the risk.

But the Old Tree Spirit nodded. “Go ahead, but be careful.”

Caiyao agreed and took the tourmaline bottle. She gently channeled her true energy into the fine line. This time, the energy was not repelled but slowly seeped in, unhindered.

The Old Tree Spirit nodded repeatedly from the side, while Li Sibai was astonished.

“Elder, what’s happening?” Li Sibai asked eagerly.

The Old Tree Spirit chuckled. “I suspect the seal on that fine line was placed by the Divine Clan. That’s why only Caiyao’s true energy can pass through, not yours or mine.”

“What? A seal of the Divine Clan?” Could this truly be a divine artifact?