The room was soundproofed against the crowd's clamor below, a simple, elegant space reserved for his personal cultivation.
He was wearing a deep charcoal robe, his expression one of profound, almost intimidating calm. He reached out and tapped a small array plate embedded in the wall. The array flared briefly, connecting him to the figure standing near the fourth-floor entrance.
"Elder Mu, commence the auction," Lin Yi commanded, his voice carried by a focused stream of mental energy, crisp and authoritative, yet devoid of any detectable Yuan Power fluctuation. "Do not disturb me until the final gavel has fallen."
"Yes, Pavilion Master," a respectful, aged voice, belonging to the elderly caretaker, instantly replied.
Lin Yi retracted his mental energy, the subtle connection severed. 'While they are busy in auction, i will break through the peak of the form creation realm.'
He glanced at his palm. Resting there were two small pills. One was a perfect, sun-like orb of blazing gold, radiating an intense, scorching Yang aura. The other was an equally flawless orb of deep, glacial blue, pulsing with a profound, chilling Yin essence.
These were the Pure Yang Pill and the Pure Yin Pill… he had meticulously refined these both pills using his unique resources he gained in the past few days.
He picked up the golden pill first. 'The Pure Yang Pill, it is the perfect complementary resource for the Nine Sun Art. I must thank Lin Dong for this achievement in return.'
He recalled the notification he received just a few days ago, right before the auction:
[Target Character, Lin Dong has successfully acquired the Yang Yuan Stone (Wood Steel Mansion)]
[100,000x achievement return Initiated.]
[You have gained the Pure Yang Origin Stone (Origin Level)]
The Pure Yang Origin Stone was the ultimate Yang anchor. Unlike a simple Yang Yuan Stone, which contained compressed Yang energy, the Origin Stone was a boundless source of Yang essence.
Lin Yi had used the Primordial Chaos Stone Talisman to transform and condense the Yang essence released from Yang Origin stone into Pure Yang Pills.
Next, his gaze shifted to the glacier blue pill. 'And this, the Pure Yin Pill, is the product of Qing Tan's Terminus Devil Body. My little sister's physique is really a true treasure trove.'
He had initially gained the Pure Yin Holy Physique through Qing Tan's binding. However, Qing Tan's physique would occasionally release massive, raw bursts of Yin energy, which Lin Yi had sealed with the Primordial Chaos Stone Talisman. Whenever the Yin burst happened and the essence was sealed, the achievement return system reacted to the act of 'sealing and stabilizing' the unique Yin flow:
[Target Character, Lin Qing Tan has sealed a burst of Terminus Devil Yin Energy (Innate)]
[1,000,000x achievement return Initiated.]
[You have gained ten Pure Yin Beads (Origin Level)]
The Pure Yin Beads were the crystallized, ultimate essence of Yin, a resource that bypassed all need for external Yin spiritual items. He had used a single bead to refine this Pure Yin Pill, ensuring it was the perfect complement to his Pure Yin Holy Physique.
'Yin and Yang, perfectly balanced, perfect for both Yuan Dan's promotions. The Form Creation Stage is the convergence of body and energy, allowing one to mold the Yuan Dan into any form.'
He took a deep breath, both Yuan Dans in his Dantian spinning with anticipation. He was currently at the Form Creation Mid Stage… a few small realms away from the Qi Creation Stage.
Lin Yi raised his palm and swallowed the two pills simultaneously.
BOOM!
The serene room instantly became the epicenter of an invisible, internal cataclysm. The Pure Yang Pill erupted with the force of a supernova, its scorching energy clashing violently with the bone-chilling cold of the Pure Yin Pill.
The two forces were not meant to coexist peacefully. They were the ultimate extremes, designed to shatter the body and meridians of any normal cultivator who dared to consume them at once.
But Lin Yi was not a normal cultivator.
'How dare you create chaos in my body? Hurry up and obediently merge,' he commanded, internally activating the Primordial Chaos Talisman.
The Primordial Chaos Stone Talisman in his soul space pulsed. Gray chaotic energy instantly flowed downward, enveloping the raging Yin and Yang forces in his Dantian. The Talisman's chaos power, whose existence traced back to before the Yin and Yang division, instantly reverted the two colossal energies to their primal, unified state: pure, refined Yin and Yang Yuan Power.
The violent clash ceased. The raw, terrifying power instantly transformed into a dense, workable source of energy.
The Yin and Yang Yuan Dan in his Dantian began to swell, absorbing the colossal energy torrent. Both of their sizes increased from a baby fist size to an adult fist size.
Both Yuan Dans were as if reborn; power flowed outward, filling his meridians, pushing his physique to new, unimaginable heights, and violently surging his mental energy.
Form Creation, Late Stage!
The unified energy did not stop. It was relentless, fueled by the limitless potential of the pure yin and yang essence inside the pills. His body became a furnace, refining it with full proficiency. The initial physical stress was immense, but his Holy Rank Physique, already tempered by the previous returns, absorbed it without flinching.
Form Creation, Peak Stage!
In a matter of minutes, the breakthrough was complete.
The Yuan Power within his Dantian finally settled. Lin Yi, feeling satisfied and relaxed, looked at the perfectly shaped, black and white Yin Yang Dans; these both looked more like the Taiji symbol, hovering serenely in the center of his dantian, radiating the power of a true master, capable of wielding the laws of Heaven and Earth in this local realm.
Lin Yi opened his eyes; they were completely calm. He felt a profound sense of completeness… The dual path of cultivation was fully converged, anchored by the Origin Talisman.
'Peak Form Creation! With my deep foundation, my strength is now equivalent to the early-stage Nirvana Realm experts in the Great Yan Empire, though without the Nirvana power's unique attributes. This is more than enough to stabilize the Yi Pavilion and pave the way for Lin Dong.'
He checked his mental energy. The spiritual surge from the breakthrough had been colossal, pushing his mental energy to its absolute limit.
Fifth Seal (Earthly Soul), Symbol Master Achieved!
...