Using entries to cultivate immortality in chaotic times

But even so...

none can withstand as well as Body Cultivators. Body Cultivators forge their own bodies like Spiritual Treasures, with their flesh being a growable Spiritual Treasure. They don't rely on Protective Spirit Qi. Instead, they let Spiritual Energy seep into every part of their bodies directly through shattered meridians, which makes them extremely resilient.

And this is currently his only Protective Spiritual Treasure.

"Hmm..."

Although he hasn't encountered a situation that requires self-defense, having one is always better than none.

The third effect, bluntly put, is a wide-range, unlimited, automatic targeting ability.

Normally speaking, a freshly advanced Golden Core Divine Sense can lock onto only one target.

With more proficient control over Divine Sense, one can gradually increase this to three, five, or even dozens of targets. Locking onto hundreds simultaneously tends to be more difficult, since one has to split their Divine Sense into hundreds of strands to target different people.

If one is a Golden Core with an extremely high control of Divine Sense, they might be able to achieve this during stationary training. But in the throes of fierce battle, it's almost impossible.

And the enemies aren't fools either.

Through the use of techniques like escape arts or stealth spells, as long as one moves quickly enough or can evade Divine Sense targeting, it's difficult for your Divine Sense to lock onto them.

With his ability...

within the range of his Divine Sense, every being he identifies as an enemy can be automatically targeted. His Divine Sense range isn't that of a typical first-layer Golden Core, which is about twenty miles in radius.

It's one hundred and thirty miles.

This means that as soon as enemies appear within his Divine Sense range, all of them will be automatically targeted, and being targeted by a Magic Practitioner's Divine Sense often means that in the next moment, multiple spells will come hurtling at incredible speed.

Of course, Divine Sense Attacks are not feasible, as they cause wear to the Sea of Consciousness. After several uses, they require a slow recovery. The recovery of the Sea of Consciousness can't be hastened with external forces and must happen naturally. This is a last resort move, not to be squandered carelessly.

Excessive use of the Sea of Consciousness can be dangerous to a person's mental state and life.

Divine Sense Attacks can't launch dozens or hundreds simultaneously, but targeting with Divine Sense is different. This has minimal wear on the Sea of Consciousness, especially since he also possesses the "Mutual Growth" entry, which enhances his Sea of Consciousness capacity.

He can target more individuals simultaneously, though he hasn't tested it and isn't clear on the exact number he can lock onto.

He certainly didn't dare experiment now in the Capital...

If hundreds or even thousands were targeted by Divine Sense simultaneously, it was no joke. Such intense fluctuations of Divine Sense would activate the Capital's grand formation, and in the next moment, multiple Golden Core Peaks would descend above his inn.

After refining his Lifebound Spirit Treasure, Chen Qiu was quite satisfied with it. Instead of cultivating further, he decided to sleep that night.

Even though his Golden Core meant he didn't need to sleep to maintain his energy...

sleeping was still more comfortable.

After so many tiring days, it was also time to rest.

Having refined it into his Lifebound Spirit Treasure, he also learned its official name.

"Seven-Colored Heavenly Mechanism Umbrella."

...

Meanwhile, in Da Xia's Capital, within the Imperial Palace...

In a study guarded by several Golden Cores and concealed in darkness, a cloaked man with an indistinct face calmly looked at thirty-six brocade bags spread out on his desk.

At this moment, twenty-four of the brocade bags had been opened.

Twelve remained unopened.

Each bag had a note stuck on its exterior.

On the note stuck to the thirteenth bag, it read:
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"To be opened when the Heavenly Pride Leaderboard is down to one."

"..."

The man in the study stared at this note for a long while before he reached out with his slender, fair hand to pick up the brocade bag. He sent his Divine Sense into the bag. This bag was set with an extremely special restriction. If not opened with the Secret Technique, forcefully breaking it open would only cause the brocade bag to combust and prevent Divine Sense from penetrating.

There was only one person capable of setting such a restriction.

And that person had vanished along with the State Preceptor's seclusion, not to be seen since.

After probing the brocade bag with his Divine Sense and dispelling it according to the Secret Technique, a piece of paper floated out.

In the study...

Only a single oil lamp burned, the light dim. Under the starry sky, the Imperial Palace seemed exceedingly quiet. The man sitting at the desk appeared somewhat dreamy as he recalled the note's contents, his fingers absentmindedly rubbing the paper as he murmured.

"State Preceptor... State Preceptor..."

"Is he the one you chose?"

He then fell silent once more and after a long pause gently shook a copper bell on the desk, saying softly to someone outside, "Inform the Flower Offering Sect that they may begin."

"Allow Ji Taiping to return to the Capital in thirty days."

No sound came from outside the study, and the man at the desk did not speak further, only glancing toward a placed Illusion Stone on the table. When used, this stone could wipe all memories and grant one the chance to live again.

No powerful being could guarantee that starting from scratch, they would reach the same heights as before.

Only one person, having discarded all memories with the Illusion Stone, lived thirty-six lifetimes. In twenty-seven of them, he attained extraordinary heights, and only in nine did he fail.

In those nine lives, he died amidst the rise, never dying of old age.

This man was the State Preceptor.

Having secluded himself for cultivation years ago, he had not emerged since.

After some time, the man at the desk, slightly exhausted, slowly closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.