Solanky stepped through the cave's entrance.
The passage ahead was illuminated by rows of jade slips embedded along the walls. Each one contained profound notes and concepts left behind by Saint Venerable experts, their faint radiance bathing the tunnel in a tranquil glow.
Curious, Solanky turned around.
His expression changed slightly.
The entrance had vanished.
Behind him was nothing but endless darkness, as though the outside world had never existed.
He lightly tapped his forehead with a finger.
A wisp of consciousness shot out from between his brows like a streak of light, racing through the cave. It swept past countless Saint Venerable jade slips before finally slowing to a stop.
Through his spiritual connection, Solanky immediately sensed that his consciousness had been blocked by an invisible barrier.
He redirected the wisp, allowing it to hover above the jade slips and scattered crystals lining the path.
Soon, a look of surprise appeared on his face.
"The notes beyond this point..."
"They're no longer at the Saint Venerable level."
Every jade slip and crystal recorded techniques and concepts suited for Saint Emperor transcendent entities. Some even contained detailed explanations on how weaker entities could cultivate these profound arts despite their lower realms.
Solanky calmly walked toward the invisible barrier while simultaneously comprehending the knowledge contained within the jade slips.
An hour passed.
By then, he had thoroughly understood the foundations of every technique before him.
Using those principles, he upgraded most of his own techniques to the Saint Emperor level.
A satisfied smile appeared on his face.
His control over the laws of the realms and various concepts had reached an astonishing level, enough to rival Goldie, the Second Venerable and one of the transcendent entities he personally knew.
During this period of comprehension, his strength had also increased dramatically.
He now possessed the power of nine hundred and eighty thousand Infinite Source Gods.
Commander Hanks was no longer capable of challenging him.
Yet Solanky felt no excitement over this increase.
He had reached a bottleneck.
Breaking into the Transcendent Entity Level felt like a serpent attempting to transform into a Lung Dragon and ascend to the pinnacle of mythical beasts, standing shoulder to shoulder with dragons and phoenixes.
It was no ordinary breakthrough.
It was a complete transformation of existence.
With everything he had learned regarding transcendent entities, their techniques, and their understanding of the laws, Solanky was now confident in facing Saint Venerable transcendent entities.
Saint Emperors, however...
He still lacked confidence.
They stood an entire realm above Saint Venerables.
Throughout countless years, only the First Venerable had reached that terrifying level.
Elisa, the Ancestral Beast, also stood within that realm.
The power and methods those two possessed were still beyond anything Solanky could contend with.
He withdrew the strand of consciousness back into his forehead before gently placing his palm upon the invisible barrier.
Ripples spread across its surface.
The barrier dissolved like mist.
Without resistance, Solanky stepped through.
...
Beyond the barrier, there were no jade slips.
Instead, countless statues stood silently throughout the enormous cavern.
Every statue assumed a unique martial stance.
Some radiated brilliant golden light.
Others glowed with a deep crimson radiance.
The moment Solanky laid eyes upon them, his heart skipped a beat.
These statues...
They were living inheritances.
Every one of them contained techniques that surpassed the Saint Emperor level.
Looking more closely, he realized the statues depicted only two individuals.
The crimson statues resembled the Forsaken God perfectly.
The golden statues portrayed another figure entirely.
Yet no matter how hard Solanky tried to focus, that figure remained blurred from his perception, as though some mysterious force prevented him from discerning its identity.
Even so...
He felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
Putting the matter aside, Solanky walked toward the crimson statues.
Unlike the golden statues, they stood isolated in a separate area of the cavern.
He sat cross-legged before the first one.
The statue was frozen in a simple kicking posture.
Yet from that single stance, an overwhelming amount of information poured into his mind.
To cultivate this technique, anyone below the Transcendent Entity Level needed a profound understanding of the Spiritual Realm and the ability to freely access it.
Fortunately...
Solanky fulfilled both conditions.
Back when he had been a Perfect Source God in his previous life, he had cultivated spiritual energy and possessed complete access to the Spiritual Realm.
That qualification allowed him to comprehend this technique, one that stood above the Saint Emperor level and half a step into the Nine Peak-Turns.
As he continued cultivating, more information flowed into his mind.
Regardless of their tier, every transcendent entity could cultivate techniques at this level, provided they had formed a spiritual body or cultivated spiritual energy while comprehending the laws governing the Spiritual Realm.
For a Saint-level transcendent entity, mastering such a technique would make them virtually invincible among their peers.
After all, a Half-Step Nine Peak-Turns technique granted power that could even surpass ordinary Saint Emperors, approaching beings such as the First Venerable.
The Spiritual Realm accessible to transcendent entities was vastly different from the one perceived by Infinite Source Gods or Half-Step Entity-Level cultivators.
A transcendent entity possessing recognition from the higher spiritual laws could project its influence throughout the Infinite Source Space.
Many established sects, religions, and hidden cults across countless Infinite Source Worlds.
Some of these organizations remained completely secret, existing solely as insurance should their founder ever be eliminated.
As long as believers continued placing faith and hope in them through the Spiritual Realm, those transcendent entities could eventually resurrect.
Destroying them permanently was extraordinarily difficult.
Solanky nodded to himself.
"This much I already know."
The inherited information continued.
To eliminate such hidden dangers, one either had to cultivate or create a Half-Step Nine Peak-Turns technique specifically designed to counter them.
One method involved consuming and refining the target's spiritual essence, allowing the victor to increase their cultivation, deepen their mastery of the laws, and strengthen their combat ability.
Another method was to convert every single believer of the opposing transcendent entity.
However...
That possibility was practically impossible.
As Solanky cultivated the crimson technique, countless mysteries and profound insights continuously flowed into his consciousness.
After comprehending only thirty percent of the inheritance, his internal energy underwent another transformation.
It became increasingly pure.
Increasingly refined.
Increasingly powerful.
More astonishing revelations soon followed.
Transcendent entities truly stood at the summit of the Beyond Realm and the Collective Realms.
The reason was simple.
Neither realm could withstand a battle between genuine Nine Peak-Turns beings.
Their physical bodies alone carried enough overwhelming spiritual might to suppress the entire Beyond Realm.
Should a true Nine Peak-Turns expert ever engage in combat there, they would intentionally suppress their attacks to the level of a Half-Step Nine Peak-Turns being.
Otherwise, if sections of the Beyond Realm were destroyed...
The Collective Mind and the higher beings would immediately impose punishment.
The offending Nine Peak-Turns expert would be forced to personally restore the damaged regions for ten full samsaras.
To beings of such stature, ten samsaras were insignificant.
What truly discouraged them was something else entirely.
Once exposed, endless transcendent entities would flock to them, begging for guidance and requesting recommendations to ascend into the Nine Peak-Turns.
It was an endless nuisance.
Because of that, true Nine Peak-Turns experts preferred remaining hidden from all Entity-Level beings and below, enjoying their peace in silence.
Eventually, Solanky completed the first inheritance.
Only then did he realize the technique was not merely a devastating kick.
It also contained an unparalleled movement art centered around intricate footwork.
Among everything below the Nine Peak-Turns, no movement technique could rival it.
Joy surged through him.
With this technique, even if he encountered a powerful Saint Emperor transcendent entity in the future, he would possess the confidence to escape.
Standing up, Solanky immediately began practicing.
He attempted to merge the movement art with his Void Shadow Steps.
Just then...
A strange sensation crept over him.
Someone...
Someone was watching him.
His eyes instantly swept toward the depths beyond the crimson statues.
Nothing.
The area remained silent and empty.
After observing for several moments, Solanky dismissed the feeling and walked toward the second crimson statue.
This statue stood with two fingers pointed toward the cave ceiling.
Both fingers were charred pitch-black.
The instant Solanky saw the posture, excitement filled his heart.
"The Finger of Terror."
"And... the complete version."
Without hesitation, he sat before the statue.
This technique was the perfect hidden trump card.
The Finger of Terror drew upon the combined energies of the Collective Realms and fused them with one's spiritual energy, condensing everything into an incomparably destructive beam.
Its penetrating power could instantly shatter the defensive armor of Saint Emperor-level beings before dealing catastrophic damage.
Any cultivator struck directly by the attack below the Nine Peak-Turns was destined for annihilation.
As Solanky practiced, he discovered something unexpected.
The technique barely consumed his spiritual energy.
The expenditure was almost negligible.
Instead...
The greatest challenge was enduring the unbearable pain.
Anyone cultivating the Finger of Terror for the first time would experience their fingers burning as though they were being consumed from within.
Fortunately for Solanky, he possessed the Source-Defying Flames.
Compared to what he had already endured throughout his cultivation journey, this level of pain was insignificant.
Slowly, both of his fingers became charred black.
The technique had been mastered.
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
Applause echoed through the cavern.
It came from the same direction where Solanky had sensed the mysterious gaze earlier.
His expression became solemn.
He had never detected this person's presence after entering the cave.
Only when that mysterious gaze settled upon him had he become aware of another existence.
The figure finally stepped forward and spoke with a calm smile.
"Only at the Peak Entity Level..."
"And yet you have comprehended so many techniques."
"You even mastered two of the crimson inheritances within only two years, all while absorbing the knowledge concerning transcendent entities and the Half-Step Nine Peak-Turns."
The mysterious figure nodded approvingly.
"I must admit..."
"I am truly impressed."