The sun shone from a clear sky, and white clouds drifted lazily by.

In a private courtyard within the Seventh Outer Mansion.

Qi Yun, sleeves rolled up, held a long, pitch-black feather up to the light. His brush flew across the page as he transcribed one profound passage after another.

This process continued for several long hours.

Not until dusk began to fall did he finally set down the Black Feather he was using as a pen and let out a soft sigh of relief.

’To capture a Foundation Establishment Great Demon and raise it as a servant...’ Qi Yun rubbed his sore wrist. His gaze, deep and profound, fell upon the Black Feather once more.

’Black Mountain Master’s power and influence in the Inner Mansion... it must be even more terrifying than I imagined.’

Half a month had passed since the end of the examination.

Thanks to that Foundation Establishment Master’s deliberate targeting, Qi Yun had caught the attention of numerous Outer Mansion Disciples, gaining hundreds of enemies out of thin air.

He would likely face exclusion and suppression in many matters from now on.

’Black Mountain Master...’ Qi Yun silently added the name to his mental hit list and picked up the text he had transcribed from the desk.

Master of Profound Mysteries.

His eyes flickered as he stared at the words on the paper.

The esoteric principles of this Magic came from the Black Feather that Ling Master had secretly slipped him.

’Black Mountain Master cultivates the *Profound Vault Origin Refining Demon True Register*. This skill is divided into two parts.’

’The first is *Profound Vault Returning Origin*, and the second is the *Demon Refining True Register*.’

’*Master of Profound Mysteries* is an esoteric Magic recorded within the *Demon Refining True Register*.’ Qi Yun’s eyes narrowed as he recalled the information from the Black Feather.

’Ling Master is a Foundation Establishment Great Demon, captured by Black Mountain Master and forced into servitude as an attendant.’

’He’s helping me because I’ve also been targeted by Black Mountain Master.’

’The enemy of my enemy is my friend.’

’Following that logic, it makes perfect sense for him to help me.’

’But this is the Holy Sect.’

Far from relaxing, Qi Yun’s Heart and Spirit grew even more taut.

Every action had to be weighed, every step taken with caution.

A single careless mistake could send him plunging into an abyss, leaving not even bones behind.

He fell silent for a long time, repeatedly mulling over the causes, effects, and potential risks.

In the end, he had to admit it. With Ling Master’s status and strength at the Foundation Establishment Stage, if he truly wanted to harm a mere Junior Cultivator in the Qi Refining Stage like himself, there were far simpler, more direct, and more irresistible methods.

There was no need to take such a roundabout approach, using a method that was practically a gift.

A giant wanting to crush an ant doesn’t bother weaving an elaborate trap first.

’I have to try it. Even if there’s a problem, worst case, I’ll just kill myself and resurrect with the Skull Curse. I refuse to believe any trick could still work after I’m already dead.’

After confirming his decision and preparing his fallback plan, Qi Yun immediately began to carefully study the scroll of *Master of Profound Mysteries* before him.

He remained engrossed for ten whole days.

As he turned a page, he accidentally knocked the teapot off the table. A sharp CRACK finally roused Qi Yun from his deep immersion in the Magic.

Shaking his sore, stiff neck, the parched Qi Yun picked up the bronze pot at his side. He drank deeply from the long-cold water—GLUG, GLUG, GLUG—and finally felt much better.

He let out a long breath of Muddy Qi, rubbed the bridge of his nose, and sat down on a stone stool. Gazing at the papers strewn across the table, Qi Yun wearily closed his eyes.

Although this scroll, *Master of Profound Mysteries*, was just an esoteric Magic from the *Profound Vault Origin Refining Demon True Register*...

...its difficulty far surpassed that of any Magic he had ever cultivated.

’All things are seeds, manifesting in different forms.’

’The myriad spirits of Heaven and Earth are not rootless trees; all are born of the Dao’s vital breath. Scattered, they are qi; gathered, they take form.’

’*Master of Profound Mysteries* is not a technique for enslaving flesh and blood, but for piercing through to the profound principles of ’all things are one qi’ and ’form and spirit intertwine’.’

’Use the spirit as a hook and qi as bait.’

’Fish for the ’ancestral qi’ of myriad spirits scattered throughout the great void.’

’Cast its form, grant its nature, and awaken its spirit, causing it to manifest from nothingness and obey my command.’

’This is: Master of Profound Mysteries.’

’So difficult!’

After ten days of study, Qi Yun felt he had only seen the tip of the iceberg of this Magic.

Without a corresponding Heart Method True Skill, cultivating this Magic on its own was incredibly challenging. Many of the crucial, profound Realms were like trying to see flowers in a fog—impossible to grasp clearly.

Compounded by his own average aptitude, comprehending it was an even more arduous task.

However, according to the information Ling Master had left in the Black Feather, mastering this Magic would give him a huge advantage in an upcoming major event within the Holy Sect.

If he could secure his footing during that event, the benefits would be absolutely astronomical.

Ling Master’s words on the matter were extremely serious and solemn.

And for Qi Yun, already marked by Black Mountain Master and resented by most Outer Mansion Disciples, his original plan to become the Triple Champion Scholar, enter the Inner Mansion, and become a Foundation Establishment Master’s disciple, had just become immensely more difficult.

But if he couldn’t successfully enter the Inner Mansion and become a Disciple of a Foundation Establishment Master, then a great calamity would be waiting for him in sixty years.

’I must learn this. Opportunities are fleeting. Fall behind once, and you’ll fall behind at every step. I have to seize every chance I get. Only then can I flip over the chessboard of those... bastards!’

After being repeatedly suppressed and plotted against, a vicious fire had long been smoldering in Qi Yun’s heart.

It wasn’t about material gain; it was about pride.

’With my golden finger, there’s no way I can’t beat you!’

Slapping his thigh, Qi Yun strode over to the Screen Wall, opened the Infinite Treasure Market, and began searching for magical items that could help him comprehend the Magic.

He still had a fair amount of Holy Essence left.

Enough to splurge a little!

...

「Another month passed in the blink of an eye.」

Qi Yun sat cross-legged on a Meditation Mat in his quiet chamber. The flame of the oil lamp before him was no bigger than a bean, yet it gave off fine threads of light that shone like platinum.

The lamp was called the Great Wisdom Lamp, and he had spent a fortune to rent it.

He had been sitting like this for over a month. Qi Yun looked somewhat haggard, but the focus in his eyes grew ever brighter.

The pages of *Master of Profound Mysteries* lay spread across his lap, its Ancient Seal characters long since committed to memory.

But that final barrier to comprehension remained stubbornly in place.

Tonight, as the True Qi of his Qi Refining Fourth Layer circulated to its absolute limit through his Qi Sea, following the path of his Cultivation Skill, the last vestiges of anxiety in his heart suddenly vanished.

’Success.’

There was no earth-shattering epiphany, only a natural, sudden clarity, like a channel forming where water was meant to flow.

It was like pushing against a heavy door with all his might, only for it to slide open silently the moment he finally relaxed.

The sensation was incredibly subtle.

He could feel countless, indescribable "bits of information" and "qualities" permeating the world around him.

They weren’t physical entities, but more like... imprints.

Ferocity, cunning, cruelty, kindness, loyalty... These were the lingering echoes of myriad spirits, remnants left behind in Heaven and Earth.

Heeding the Spell’s instructions, he focused his Heart and Spirit. Daring not to be greedy, Qi Yun scanned past these echoes, paused for a moment, and then cautiously reached out to touch a wisp that radiated "loyalty."

The process was incredibly draining on his Heart and Spirit. Fine beads of sweat broke out on his temples, his body trembled slightly, and his True Qi was consumed at a rapid rate.

After what felt like an eternity, the echo settled into the palm of his hand.

’It’s done...’

Qi Yun slowly opened his eyes. Exhaustion washed over him like a tide, but his gaze was astonishingly bright.

He raised his hand, his will stirring.

The empty space before him suddenly began to boil.

Master of Profound Mysteries.

A preliminary mastery.

...